Rebellion (After the Haunted FF)

Chapter 30

I don't know how I feel about this chapter. It was a bit of a struggle about half way through because I ended up getting sick for a week and got writers block again. This chapter was originally around 16,000 words but I cut the chapter in half so now it's 9584 words. Next chapter is going to be short but at least you guys know that I have it written already!
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Lalea's point of view-

It had grown dark rather quickly after we had set off. The sun had set, it's golden glow vanishing over the horizon. Once again we headed straight into the dark clouds but patches allowed light to shine down from the stars and the bright first quarter moon. The water from the ocean waves crashed far below the airship, the peaceful sounds it made were silent from how far away we were from the soothing noise. Silence filled the night sky as the darkness of the night threatened to grip us and pull us in unconscious. We could not afford to sleep, not yet at least.

"I don't know why it's taking so long. I guess we're further away than it appears on the map." Grayson explained, holding the map in different positions to figure out if he had read it wrong.

I turned around, standing with my back straightened as he grasped my attention. It was only he and I who remained awake, the others resting within the interior captains quarters with the exception of Drake. He was below deck, separated from everyone else after Nathan went to check up on him. He saw Drake collapse out cold, getting orders from the ex-commander to take him below deck so he could sleep without disturbance.
Not getting much rest the previous night and the energy drained from our bodies during the battle was beginning to take it's toll. The bags under his emerald eyes were heavier than when the sun was up. He stepped away from the wheel, rubbing his eyes as he let out a yawn. His gloved hand slipped into his pocket, then pulled out a bright object with a tremor in his limbs. The blonde held up his compass into the light, watching the small red dial point north.

"At least we're on track." Grayson said before putting it away and taking out his map.

I walked up to his side and looked down at the map along with him. The island where the Drago hatchery was supposed to be was depicted on center of the map. There was no sign of any building, instead the island was covered in vast green forests and mountains that were lined with white from currently falling snow.

I rubbed my arms to warm them up. "I thought we were supposed to be there by sun down, and you don't seem like you would read the map wrong. I know that you're more intelligent than that."

"Well the map showed the imperial walls to the empire long before we arrived there. So this might have been a case like that. I'm sure we'll get there in no time!" He said before swallowing a lump forming in his throat.

Grayson shrugged his shoulders, stuffing the map into his satchel before he returned to manning the wheel. "I hope so, at least."

It grew quite, leaving only the faint sound of propellers and a silent creek from the old floorboards. I moved a strand of hair away from my eyes and moved it behind my ear. He looked off into the distance, attempting to remained focused on where we had to go but I could sense that something was troubling him. His baggy eyes looked to me without shifting his head.

"Lalea...is Drake's condition...is it really that serious?" I could tell that he was in somewhat of a denial. He didn't want to lose Drake, and neither did I.

I looked away, gazing at the vast sea hundreds of feet below. "Unfortunately..." That was all I could say before my eyes began to tear up.

He was not satisfied by my reply. "This can't be how he goes out... I don't want to see my best friend die. You know...he and this dumb dragon egg were the only ones that kept me going for a long while. That and my stupid need for vengeance... He was the only good thing in my life before we met Mia. Then they were the only two people that...made me feel at home."