The Lost Life of Laraine

Chapter 35

"This was not a wise idea," Yolanna sighed riding on the back of Folkner's horse with a bored expression. Despite us going towards certain doom, she was incredibly calm.

"How so?" Folkner entertained her comment, an odd calming smile was painted on his face.

"It's so damn hot out here," Yolanna groaned, leaning into Folkner's back seeing how he was the closest surface on the horse, "Hey Seplha..." She stopped herself, looking to me sheepishly, "Sorry, uh Lara."

"What's up?" I asked, amused by how casual everyone was.

"Do you think you can cool me off?" Yolanna awkwardly requested and I couldn't help but giggle.

"Yeah of course!" Tapping on Tallow's back, I was able to tap into the fresh water of the spirit realm, drawing some of it out and shifting it over to Yolanna where it spiraled into a cooling mist that travelled with us.

We were going quite fast all things considered.

"Oh that feels amazing," Yolanna sighed blissfully, "It's like snow." 

"I try my best," I gleamed, "How about you Folkner? Harken?" 

"I'm fine," Folkner responded. 

I turned my head slightly to look at Harken who was holding onto my waist, seemingly deep in thought. 

"Harken?" I questioned, finally getting his attention. 

"Sorry?" He focused on me, something deep in his eyes was distant. 

"Are you okay?" I asked, nudging Tallow to lift us up higher for a little bit of privacy. We were flying low to the group to stick with Folkner and Yolanna but now I want to speak to Harken alone. "You haven't said anything since we left." 

"I'm just thinking," he mumbled, his arms wrapped around me a bit tighter but I didn't want to comment on it. He seemed to find comfort from me, and seeing how we might not live past today, I don't want to ruin it for him. 

I just tried to ignore my rapid heart beat. 

Instead, I cooled down my body temperature. Harken may be affiliated with fire but even getting too hot would be dangerous for his mortal body. 

"We're coming up on the dragon den soon," I shouted, going back down to gauge Folkner and Yolanna's reactions,. 

"It's even hotter now," she frowned, wiping sweat from her brow, "We're almost there, huh?" 

"Yeah the earth is restless, and not just because everything is sand," Folkner commented, "I could feel a foreign entity beneath the surface." 

"A foreign entity like that?" I pointed to what I could only describe as a large gaping glass butthole. A sudden chill ran down my spine and I could feel my blood freeze. "T-the dragon is in t-there." 

"Lara?" Harken noticed that I suddenly became a statue, leaning over my shoulder to look at my face, "Are you okay?" He repeated my question, but I couldn't hear him. 

All I can hear was the screams, the pain that child felt. It was like I could feel the stones crushing my lungs. The snap of my ribs and the tear of my lungs. 

I can't breath. 

"Laraine!" Harken shouted and I snapped out of my trance, my body covered in a cold sweat. 

"It'll be okay," I heard Tallow's voice in my head, and I could hear Harken's voice but they were drowned out by something else. 

Determination. 

I will avenge that child, all those victims. 

I found myself shaking off Harken's arms, standing up on Tallow's back feeling - instead of pressure - a fire burning inside. It wasn't long until we were over the entrance, staring down at the jagged tunnel that goes almost straight down. 

If it wasn't holding a monster I would've thought it was pretty. A crystal-lined cavern. The different minerals in the sand gave various parts of it different hues of the rainbow, and the sun beating down on it made it seem like it was glowing. 

I didn't realize I stepped off of Tallow's back until I felt a very slight tug on my hair from Harken trying to grab at me, shouting after me as I plummeted down. 

The beautiful glowing crystal soon turned dark, glowing from another entity at the bottom that was lighting up the cavern from the inside. 

I was in my own world, only noticing that my eyes were glowing when I saw my wavy reflection in the dark glass wall. Two little silver lights were on my face, and I felt like I was floating, staring deep into my own eyes. 

I didn't really have time to wonder why my eyes were like this again, but I soon appeared in the massive opening where I laid eyes on the creature. 

It had deep green hue dancing along it's skin. As my vision saw, it was a black dragon, with a pattern like  lightening bolts from it's jugular that spread from it's underbelly to it's limbs. As it breathed softly, there was a greenish light that travelled from it's next down to it's claws. The origin of the lights down here, and the reason the lights flickered in a wave pattern against the rough glass. 

I managed to land and roll into a tucked away corner. Despite the whole area being glass, it was as much cover as I was going to get all things considered. I must have falling hundreds of feet but the only force I felt was the cool hardness of the glass on my hands. 

"Are you down there?" Tallow's voice once again echoed in my mind and I responded in the same manner. 

"Yes, come to me, bring the others." 

"Understood." 

It wasn't long until Tallow - looking a little bit bigger than usual - was carrying my 3 comrades on his back and came straight to where I was tucked away. All three pairs of eyes were staring at the sleeping dragon. 

It was a bit hard to tell their expressions considered the green lights lit up and faded their faces. But as soon as they approached, their eyes were partially highlighted by the glow in my eyes. A glow that seemed to surprise all by Harken. Ignoring the circumstances, it's a bit amusing how my eyes are like torches. 

"Are you okay?" Harken repeated once again, and I nodded, peaking at the dragon one last time before turning to the team. 

"So what's the plan?"