Kingdoms of Ohm: The Lonely Dragon #1 ✓

All We've Lost

Shuffle...

Shuffle... shuffle...

My body tuned in to the sound of a wisp brushing beneath my upper wing. Something was crawling just a few feet from my scales, drawing the fatigue right out of my eyes. It was difficult to know of its intentions from the confines of my sleep, as per usual. But, a couple of paces later, it turned to me, a single talon resting upon my shoulder and tapping twice. I felt its electrifying breath burn my blue flesh all before a soothing, cold lick roused me from the darkness. Grumbling once, I turned away, only to feel yet another tickling lick stroke against my snout. And then I smiled.

"Mrrawr..." came a purr as I slowly opened my eyes to meet another lick. "You're quite frisky this morn-"

I froze.

"Hmph," a light-blue dragoness cooed back in amusement, her pointed snout greeting me with one last lick. "It is a holiday, after all."

Nayre?

I didn't move a muscle. It was as if an earthquake struck me: mind, body, and spirit did not know what was going on. Every draconic sense awakened here, steadfast before the love of my life. But my mind said otherwise; the last thing I remembered was the burning embers of the demon who attacked me. Jorryn was in flames, a bloom of smoke rising above the massacre. And Luna-

No. This can't be real.

"You were asleep by the time I returned," Nayre snorted, delicately nuzzling my patch of scales. "And still armored, too. So, I did the honors of taking it off for you."

I couldn't speak. My throat had run dry, too, both eyes locked on the living spectacle. From the raise of her hips to the smooth flesh that made up her sapphire wings, to the bright icy flame churning within her massive eyes -- everything was perfect. Everything was beautiful. And it only made me more scared.

Nayre frowned at my strange silence and raised a single claw with flared nostrils. "Your chest plate needs a good wash, Vaanku. I only took a whiff, and it ruined my snout all night!"

I shook my head, catching her off set as I flipped to my belly. I looked closer at her eyes; she was in a trance. "Nayre-"

"But, it is the Day of the Firestar after all..."

"Nayre, stop," I began to growl as I stood upright, but still she went on, like a broken record lost in time.

"The start of a new decade, and a mark of Kantar's sacrifice!"

"Nayre, please."

"It's certainly a means to celebrate!"

"NAYRE!"

The dragoness jolted, freezing in place. My stomach writhed once; I didn't mean to startle her. It was fear that had taken control — raging bursts of primordial adrenaline forcing my heart to quake under sheer guilt. But at least I had her attention. I had my voice. I had my turn. And now that I was fully aware of my situation, I could take a couple brave paces toward her, and ease it out altogether.

My wings tucked tightly to my chest, a puff of smoke wafting into the air between us. Nayre turned to face me — the dragoness was quietly studying the minuscule details that made up my pointed face, and coiled her tail around her furthest paw in bewilderment. It wasn't just what I looked like — the emotions that rattled my wings and churned my voice send shivers down her radiant spine.

Even worse, the haze in her eyes was gone. As if she had broken through a spell, that gentle, joyous creature that roused me from my slumbers had succumbed to fear in no less than a minute.