Visions of Love and Heroes

Chapter 11

The night in the Unclaimed Lands had no end. And yet, I constantly dreaded the moment that the sun would start to rise.

Theo and I slipped through the trees. They were short and mostly charred, and the ground was thick with ash. Smoke filled the air, making every breath thick and choking. What remained of the trees' limbs stretched out their skeletal limbs as we passed, catching on our clothes and scratching our skin.

Theo stumbled to a stop, his face strained as he hunched over. "Wait—just wait." Sweat beaded his brow. "I...I just need a minute."

We had been running on and off for hours, only pausing once to pour some water over his injured leg and loosely bandage it with a torn piece of cloth I had taken from my shirt. It wasn't enough. I had scanned our surroundings for anything that might help him, trying to remember all the things I knew of dragonfire and healing. Though the flame had mostly missed him—had he gotten the full force of the flame he would not still have his leg, the small bit of fire that had grazed him had still burned through many layers of his skin.

I searched and searched the ground as we went, but it was no use. The Unclaimed Lands were barren and scorched. Anything that dared to live here had no use in healing.

I needed fresh water. Fresh verdant growth—there were bound to be some wild gelulis plants, known for their cooling and soothing properties, this far south. I just had to get us somewhere safe so I could focus on gathering what I needed for Theo.

But to get there, we had to keep moving. Dawn was nearly upon us.

I leaned down, taking in Theo's features, twisted in pain. I took a quick look at his leg, patches of red seeping into the fabric of his bandage. With all his walking, the blisters on his skin would be in constant irritation, bursting and rubbing raw. I knew he had to be in agony. I wasn't sure I could have made it this far if I were him.

Tears stung my eyes and I shook my head, wishing I could help him. "We can't stop. We have no time. The sky is already starting to lighten."

Theo tilted his head, squinting up at the sky. "Is it much further?" His voice was weak and hoarse. So unlike the man that had been riding alongside me on his horse just earlier that day.

"No," I lied. In truth, I had no idea how much longer we had. "Just a little further." I slung his arm over my shoulder, taking on some of his weight as he leaned into me. I nearly stumbled at first, my own body starting to reach its limit. But I grit my teeth, leading him forward, deeper into the trees.

We continued like that for some time. My body grew heavier and heavier, muscles straining under Theo's weight, nearly dragging him along beside me as we went. Theo's breaths were ragged at my ear, his skin hot with dragonfever—one of the side effects of dragon fire. If the burns didn't kill you, often the fever did. If he didn't get rest and something to control his temperature soon...

I didn't want to think of it.

"Just a little further," I whispered. Again and again. To Theo or myself, I wasn't sure. I just knew I had to keep going. I had to get us out of this. I focused on each step forward. Stumbling and lurching as my body was pushed to the brink.

Then finally, the trees started to thicken. The air started to clear. Here and there greenness started to sprout up through the gloom.

Overhead the sky started to lighten. I glanced up to see a winged figure circling overhead. I squinted, trying to see if it was Salizaris, but it didn't look familiar.

It had been following us this whole time. Waiting for our time to run out. Salizaris had been true to his word and the dragon had followed his commands, but it was clear it wasn't going to let us get away if we lingered even a moment too long.

If we didn't cross over to Alfhaven in time, I knew it would be there waiting for us. We were running out of time.

We had to almost be there. I searched the trees ahead, looking for the river that flowed down along the eastern edge of the Wandering Mountains. Here it would be wider, spilling off into the sea. And just across it, safety. The far eastern edge of the Wandering Mountains and elf territory.

Well, safety for now. Theo would be fine. I would be far from home. But that didn't matter. Right now I just had to focus on getting Theo somewhere safe so he could rest.

I kept pushing forward. Further and further. The sky brightened, the first few rays of sun beginning to glow over the tops of mostly green trees to the east. The dragon overhead roared, dipping down. Up ahead, I could finally hear the rush of water.

"Theo," I begged, urging him to move. "We're almost there, but we have to move fast. The sun is rising. The dragon is coming for us."

At first, Theo barely stirred, nothing but his heavy breaths a sign that he was still living.

"Theo," I urged. "Please, I can't—"

Theo grunted with effort. Then hand in hand we were running through the trees. My aching muscles screamed at me as I forced what little I had left into them. Branches caught in my hair and scraped my skin, but I ignored them, pushing through. A dark shadow stretched over us, growing larger as it blotted out the rising sun.

The dragon roared, goosebumps prickling my skin. Heat exploded behind us, a stream of dragonfire just missing us. Up ahead the river was in sight. I pressed faster, Theo along side me.

"Jump," he yelled. I didn't hesitate.

Cold water splashed up over us, the rushing current threatening to pull me under. Eventually I found my footing, joining hands with Theo as we waded through water up to our chests. For a moment I could see Theo's relief, but then shivers racked his body, the water feeling more like the frozen lakes of Witfrost than the warm waters of the Sapphire Channel.

We clutched to each other, pushing through the water. It roiled, threatening to take what was left of us. Somehow, we made it through.

I dragged myself up onto the mossy shore, breathing in my first gasp of fresh, Alfhaven air. Beside me Theo rolled up on the riverbank, shivering and pale, but alive.

We'd made it.

Across the water we watched as the dragon landed, its large body shaking the ground below us. It let out a thunderous roar, eyes blazing red as it shot dragonfire across the water. Everything turned red, the force of the heat filling the air with steam.

It didn't reach us. We were safe.

We had crossed the Unclaimed Lands and lived.

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Word Count: 1160

Total: 16132