Finding you

Chapter 6: Mysterious Stranger

Zephyr's POV

"Ugh, I can't believe my dad! Gods, he's so annoying!" I grumbled as I laid down on Firestorm, who was gliding peacefully above the clouds as I gazed at the darkening skies even further above. "I just wish he would just let me be for a moment!"

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a figure slowly rising up from beneath the clouds. My blood boiled in my veins as I clenched my fists and sat up with a sharp bark: "Gods, dad, can't you just —"

I immediately paused as I realized that the figure now in front of me was in fact not my father on his nightfury, but a person wearing some strange leather armor with blue and yellow color splashes all over, that looked like they had been applied by someone dragging their painted hand across the chest plate over and over. The stranger was eerily quiet as I assumed that they were watching me through their mask, which seemed to be inspired by the dragon the creepy stranger was standing atop of, which was a yellow and blue Deadly Nadder to be exact.

I tried to speak, but quickly found myself unable to do so as I stared intensely back at the person who had begun circling me and Firestorm on their Nadder. Their actions also seemed to confuse my dragon, who was clearly struggling with keeping track of the mysterious stranger on the other Deadly nadder.

As the stranger and their dragon kept on circling us, their dragon beat its wings so hard that the clouds were beginning to gather in thick heaps around us, impairing our vision as I desperately searched for an exit, so that I hopefully wouldn't return to my island as just an arm or a leg. I definitely did not want to return as merely a toe or a finger, that was completely OUT of the question.

As the clouds around us became so thick we couldn't even see the sky above us, I allowed my instincts to kick in. "Firestorm, down!"

Firestorm shook her head in what I assumed to be an attempt to rid herself of the confusion caused by the mysterious dragon rider before she obeyed my command and dropped down beneath the clouds at a speed so high my cheeks and the rest of my face had probably been left up with the stranger and their dragon.

Eventually, I managed to straighten Firestorm up so that we were left gliding comfortably across the skies. As our vision finally returned, the two of us wordlessly agreed that it would be best to get as far away from the stranger as possible.

After having flown a good stretch away from where we had encountered the other dragon rider, I noticed Firestorm growing tired. I immediately began scouting for potential caves for the two of us to rest up and spend the night in, so that hopefully Firestorm wouldn't die of exhaustion from all the flying she had done.

It didn't take long before I spotted an adequate cave opening in the side of a tall mounted. I directed Firestorm to the cave and soon after we had landed inside.

"I think this'll do, Firestorm." I nodded in satisfaction as I turned to my dragon, who was crouched in a defensive position, spikes on the ready as her wings stood straight out. I turned to see what was causing her to act like this and quickly found myself face-to-face with the dragon rider from earlier, who had also made their way off their dragon.

The blue and yellow Nadder opened its large mouth, a bright fire burning in it as it lit up the large cave entrance. I eventually mimicked my dragon and got into a defensive position as well, but ended up cursing myself for having forgotten my weapons at home.

The dragon rider pulled a large battle axe from behind their back, gripping it rather casually as they slowly made their way over to us.

I felt my face grow hot as tiny pearls of sweat gathered at my temples. I was defenseless, with no other weapon other than Firestorm and a piece of stale bread in my saddle bag. I turned to glance over at the yellow saddle bag attached to Firestorm's saddle and felt my heart constrict at the sight of the curled nightfury that had been painted on it. Gods, how I wished that I had my dad with me at that moment.

The dragon rider seemed to have noticed me glancing at the saddle bag, seeing as they tilted their head ever so slightly before they stood up straight with a gasp and exchanged what I assumed to be glances between me and the saddle bag. The dragon rider slowly placed their battle axe on the ground as they took another step closer to me, earning a growl from Firestorm.

The dragon rider had gotten pretty close, but for some reason, they didn't scare me as much as they initially had. Now they gave out a rather ... comforting aura. I clenched my fists anyway, choosing to ignore my gut feeling.

The person was no longer than five feet away from me when they completely froze. Suddenly, a feminine voice spoke something that sent shivers down my spine: "Zephyr? Is ... is that really you?"

"H-how do you know my name? Do ... do I know you?" I stuttered as I could feel my entire body shake with terror. Gods, I would kill to have my dad at my side right now.

"How is this possible?" The woman asked, but I seeing as I had no answer to that, I just assumed that was a question meant for herself.

I furrowed my brows as I took a tiny step away from the strange lady. "What are you talking about?"

"You were only a baby," the woman stated with a sigh before she removed her mask. "But a mother never forgets."

Pale skin and braided, long, blonde hair was what greeted me as the woman removed her mask. The woman was quite striking and when her glittering ocean blue eyes met mine, I felt a shiver run through my entire body. Those were my eyes.

The woman who claimed to be my long-lost mother drew her slender brows together as she reached a hand out for my cheek. I instinctively took a step back as what looked to be hurt quickly flashed across the woman's face. "Are you alright?"

I couldn't help but gape at her like some fish out of the water. I attempted to speak, to say anything at all, but the words refused to leave my mouth. The only thing my body was physically capable of doing at that moment was to just stare blankly at the woman before me as I slowly nodded in response to her question.

"I-I can tell you what I've been doing for these past fifteen years, if you're interested?" My supposed mother asked me cautiously as she seemed to be searching my eyes for an answer.

Once again, I had found myself speechless and seeing as I was wondering if this woman really was my mother, I yet again nodded in response to her question.

A gasp of what I believed to be excitement seemed to escape her as a bright and warm smile lit up her stunning features. Once again, the woman reached out her hand, but this time she was aiming for my hand. Without any protest, I accepted her surprisingly warm hand and allowed her to lead me towards the beginning of what looked to be a long tunnel. "Come, I'll show you my home!"