Dancing On Ice

Shattering My Heart

         

A shockwave nearly toppled the ship as Icadora almost crushed Dago under the force of a wave.

The raining draggers hammered down from the clouds, driving into the sea and towards her but every one of them shattered before they could get within five feet of her.

She rose even higher from the ocean, towering over Dago as ice began to spread up from the float of ice he stood on.

He jumped for safety before the ice could take hold, racing for land and trying to spot Kazimir.

The boy was around somewhere.

There.

He had to be there. The daggers were focusing their force there.

How deep below water was he?

If he could just catch him, Icadora would be powerless.

Fingers in his hair were his only warning before Icadora drove him down into the ice, slamming him face first into the ground, blood pouring from his nose as she pinned him.

"It's not nice to be held down, is it?" Icadora said calmly above him.

Dago thrashed, eyes widening as her fingers curled in his hair and started to drag him backwards, towards the edge.

"I got him!" he snarled.

"What?"

"I caught him! Kazimir! Why do you think he fell from the ship! Those daggers got him!"

Icadora's head lifted automatically in the direction of the falling daggers, knowing Kazimir was somewhere below the surface.

Dago used the moment to scramble free and dive for the water, catching a current and following after the ships that were as close to land as they could get.

Men dove overboard, hitting the water and swimming for shore.

"Wait! The ships will sink if we leave them!" Dray shouted, looking across to The Santiago as the rest of the Black Dragon crew looked between their ship and safety of land, loath to leave her to the fury of the waves.

"You have to go!" Aeralie shouted at him. The winds were picking up faster now, battering at them.

They were warning of the approaching Lay Luna Wave, it would hit far too soon.

"We can make it around to the city docks!"

"And risk drowning yourself in the process!" Aeralie snarled. "It's just a ship! Dive!"

"You don't get it—"

"Go."

Aeralie and Dray looked back towards the captain's quarters as the doors opened and Cole walked out, gripping his shoulder and looking sick and feverish, Perry and Dalton just behind.

"But The Santiago," Dray said.

"They all have to go someday," Cole said then looked at Aeralie. "Where's Kazimir?"

It was her turn to look sick as she looked back towards the assault on the ocean. "I don't know," she said, and grabbed Cole as he made for the wrong side of the ship. "No. No!" she growled, heaving him back, "He's gone out there to protect you! All of us! He'll be alright!"

"You don't know that!"

"Yes! I do! Can you swim?"

"What?"

"Can you swim with that arm?"

"Yes... I think."

"Good enough," Aeralie said and shoved him back.