Scorched Scales (ARK Fanfic)

Chapter 4 | Reunion

With a great creak and rumble, the massive behemoth gates slowly open. I'm faced with a line of Wyris atop wyverns. The doors creak to a stop, completely open. All the Wyris slide off their mounts in unison and begin to clap.

One of them breaks away from the line and approaches me. She looked familiar . . . she was the Wyri who had ridden the lightning wyvern when the Initiation first began! She stops right in front of me.

"Good job," she says, a hint of what looked like a smile on her lips. When she spoke next, all the Wyris were speaking with her.

"Congratulations, R'zya. You have completed Part One of your Initiation."

Suddenly, I'm distracted by high-pitched female screams that pierced my ears.

"R'ZYA!"

I whirl around, just in time to catch a glimpse of my attacker before they charged into me. I was drawing breath to whistle Moonlight, when I realize I'm not being attacked. I'm being hugged!

The person who had charged me releases me and steps back. I recognize that slim build, sleek black hair, blood-red eyes, and coppery skin . . .

"Ka'ni?" I ask, my voice warped with exhaustion and surprise.

"I can't believe you're here!"

My old childhood friend, who's family had moved to a different colony a few years ago, was right here! We had both passed the first part of the Initiation!

"No way! The odds of us both . . . Oh, I missed you so much!" I hug her back.

"When you're quite done with the touching reunion, Ka'ni, perhaps you could do your job and show R'zya here the base." An arrogant male voice interrupts us.

I turn around, a growl in my throat. A tall, slender boy who looks about thirteen, my age, faces me. He has a sharp, pointy face, bright blue eyes, and shiny black hair.

"Ugh, whatever Lnar. C'mon R'zya!" Ka'ni grabs my hand and pulls me along.

"Who was that?" I ask once we're out of earshot.

"Oh, he's just Lnar. He was in my colony, and he's one of us, but the Wyris use him to keep us in line."

"He's kinda hot." I breathe.

"R'zya! You better be joking!" Ka'ni slaps me on the back of the head.

I grin. "I'm joking, I'm joking!" Mostly joking.

"Wait, did you bring your dinos in here?"

"Oh, I have Snow on my shoulder here, and Moonlight followed me in."

"Oh what cute names!" Ka'ni emits a strange squee noise and flails her arms. She's just as I remember.

"Anyways, lets take 'em to the stables!" Ka'ni races ahead of me until she reaches another behemoth gate. Walls four-high stretch on either side of the gate.

She leads me in, showing me how it all works.

"See, we have all these sectioned off areas. When you get here, someone puts your name on a sign and that area is yours!" She points at a sign that's beside an empty pen. "That's yours!"

I mount Moonlight and lead her inside. "May you regain lost sleep." I murmur, rubbing the top of her head.

Then I remember Ka'ni's love of animals. "Ka'ni, can I see your pen?"

She grins and leads me to one of the fuller pens.

Two terror birds and a jerboa are snuggled up inside. Ka'ni clicks her tongue. "Mira! What are you doing in there?" She extends her arm and the jerboa hopped on.