~A Wattpad featured and Wattys Longlisted story~
Lana can hardly remember what it's like to be free. After nine years as a captive on board a ship ruled by ruthless bounty hunters, sailing across Maris with no clear direction, she's desperate for so...
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LANA IS CONSCIOUSLY aware of Skye and the others backing away slowly, but the eyes of the dragon transfix her, ensnaring her into an unbreakable trance.
They're like the surface of a lake when it's frozen over the dead of winter but as turbulent as an ocean on a stormy day. It's eyes narrow and from afar she can understand how it would be seen as hostile, but she can sense the fear underneath, as if the creature is speaking to her without words.
"Lana?" Skye asks slowly and she can hear the confusion in his worried voice, but she ignores him.
She takes a step forward.
The dragon growls and prowls towards her like a cat about to pounce on a mouse, revealing itself in the full light from the cave entrance. It's similar in size to Firedust, it's length filling up the darkness that consumed to back of the cave with its startlingly white scales, like snow when it first falls from the sky.
The dragon snaps its tail threateningly, showing off razor sharp barbs protruding from the ridges along its spine and hooked dangerously in a pile at the end of its tail like a mace. It's a sight that would've strucky icy fear into anyone who had beheld it, but not Lana. Something stirs up in the very core of her, shaking her to her soul as she stares into it's blue eyes, seeing more than just a hostile dragon, feeling more than if it was just any ordinary creature. Every cell in her body is pulling her in one direction— towards the dragon —and there is nothing she can do to stop it.
"We're not here to hurt you," She says gently and take another step forward.
The dragon growls warningly again, flicking its tail faster and more insistently now. When she doesn't move, it's muscles tense and it falls low into a crouch as if it's about to strike.
"Lana, no!" Skye yells and grabs her arm, pulling her away just as the dragon swipes at where she was just standing. The dragon doesn't continue to attack them however, and just hisses in their direction, swinging its tail threateningly and baring its teeth.
Lana can't seem to look away from it. "She's just afraid..."
"She?" Skye asks incredulously then freezes. "That can't be..."
But she's not listening to him anymore and in a trance, she pulls herself out of his grip and find herself walking towards the dragon. She's drawn forward, focused completely on the dragon, swirling emotions inside her, but it's all a million miles away. She keeps moving closer.
The dragon tenses up again but this time, in anticipation and curiosity. She creeps forward slowly, her bright blue eyes searching Lana's skeptically. She raises her hand slowly, her heart beating out of my chest, and move it closer to the dragons' face.
