Prince of Dragons

Chapter Thirty-Eight

The first thing I noticed...was the stiffness. I felt like every joint in my body was frozen solid, and after a moment of trying to will myself to move, I felt my bones grinding against each other before I managed to twitch my fingers. The next thing I noticed, was that there were voices nearby—though muffled, and though I could not hear what the individuals were saying...I could assume they were in the middle of a conversation. I didn't think it was Alaban, as his voice was a nice warm rumble, whilst this one was a higher, softer one.

What...happened, again? How...did we get to this point?

Right...I-I died. I was dead. Then, I was in...a void? But what happened after that? Why was my time there, fuzzy in my mind? I...met someone, I know I did, I remember having a conversation...but with whom?

My chest rattled with each new breath that filled my once frozen lungs, and I couldn't even tell you how much time had passed before I finally opened my eyes. What greeted me first was an angled ceiling, made from leaves and branches tied meticulously together to form a barrier against the weather outside. I flicked my eyes to the side, noticing a small crudely shaped table that held some kind of wooden bowl upon its surface. From the position I was currently at, I was more than sure that I was laying on the floor, and when I shifted, I confirmed my theory as a bed of leaves crunched beneath me.

I sat up, bones creaking and protesting, and placed my head in my hands. So, I was no doubt where the sun dragons had made camp. I remembered...seeing him and Narvi make it here. So where were they? And...why was I wearing nothing more than a sheer white and gold...robe?

A gasp had me jolting in fright, and when I looked up, I stared at the female sun dragon that had made her way inside, her eyes...similar in shade to Alaban's—though I did not want to assume their relatedness just yet.

She stared at me in utter disbelief, and I stared back at her, unknowing what I should be saying in this moment. Hi, Drakell here. I was dead, but now I'm not...know where I can find Alaban? No doubt if I said anything close to that, I would be seen as some kind of crazy person. But was it really crazy if it actually happened? I died...yet here I was with a steady, beating heart in my chest, and air caressing my lungs.

So I decided to start...simple. "H-Hi."

The woman in front of me blinked, hand pressed against her heart as she remained where she was. Not that I blamed her, she was probably beyond freaked out right about now. A dead man talking to her, how crazy was that? How insane was that? Hell, I was having a hard time believing it myself, and I had only been conscious for...for what felt like a short while.

"Y-You..." the sun dragon finally began stammering, causing my gaze to shoot back up towards her as she took a hesitant step forward. "Y-You were...you...."

"I-I was dead, yes. I-I know. I-I'm...it's very confusing right now, I'm sure, b-but I...can you tell me what happened? If you want to...y-you don't have to. I just..."

I nibbled my chapped bottom lip, and I suddenly felt incredibly thirsty. "C-Can I have some water?"

The sun dragon blinked, before she nodded and grabbed a small cup that was on the table, before she scooped some—apparently fresh—water from the bowl and handed it to me—albeit hesitantly. I grabbed the cup and downed it in one big gulp, the water coating the back of my throat, taking away the scratchy dryness. I sighed, thankful for a drink, and placed my hands in my lap, empty cup in hand.

"U-Um...I'm not sure if Alaban...told you my name, b-but um...I'm Drakell."

The sun dragon sat down on the ground, though far enough to be safe. "I-I am Aerilyn."