Perilune

Chapter 10

The morning light was stifled by heavy charcoal clouds.  Dampness seeped into the air as the scent of wet earth attempted to permeate the cell.  It was Lyra's perfume which was impossible to ignore as Amaris awoke.  The blankets were in a pile upon the floor, as Lyra was restless in her slumber.  Amusement crossed Amaris's face at the contrast between her peaceful expression and her inability to remain in one position for more than a moment.  A soft, unintelligible murmur urged Amaris into motion, hoping to have already left when she awoke.  An explanation of why she had fled to the corner of the room would be asked for if Lyra noticed; Amaris did not wish to mention it. 

Shifting to her dragon form the moment she was out of the hallway, Amaris sighed and stretched.  Such a small, dainty form always managed to deceive her into a sense of helplessness if maintained for too long.  It brought her a quiet peace to return to her true form.  Armor of reflective scales covered her body, violent talons and menacing fangs a warning to any hint of danger.  Although it was obscured by clouds, Amaris could feel the moon hanging in the sky above, tugging at the nearby coasts to demonstrate its hold on the Earth.  The echo of its melodic reassurances gleamed across the white markings adorning her as she carried its soul within its true image. 

With a single flick of her wings Amaris was in the air.  Absent minded, she drifted too high, as if drawn home.  At the last moment she maneuvered away from the ceiling of the cell, narrowly avoiding the sharp pain that would result in a collision with the humans' commands.  An accusatory growl rumbled from Amaris's chest.  Taking great care not to drift as her mind did, Amaris tried to fly in the center of the space she was allowed, weaving between pillars with great effort not to clip a wing across one.  The damage such accidents caused was never more than a bruise, but it would make flight painful for days.

It was still early when Amaris landed by the door to the cell.  With an incredulous look, she noticed the replacement had dared sleep in what remained of the cell left for them.  The sound Lyra made when Amaris tore those walls down haunted her as she examined her handiwork.  She wasn't sure if she could stomach the same reaction again. 

Water boiled in her lungs as she wondered if her pity was even warranted.  Surely she had already suffered enough, and owed nothing to the wicked who wandered in human skin.  It would be an offense to reserve the space for pity in her mind for them.  Lyra's words surfaced in a tumultuous sea; hesitancy aside, she had sought to defend the collective merit of humanity.  This gave pause to the thoughts which would typically descend forever.  Perhaps this human was among those Lyra wished to speak for in her defense of humanity.  It was enough to prevent Amaris from selecting a shadow to ambush from.  She lounged across the stone in a patch of grey light, as far from menacing as she could imagine appearing.  Amaris closed her eyes as she waited; she supposed the new human was least likely to panic upon waking if they thought she was asleep.

Within an hour the human stirred, and a sharp intake of breath was the quiet alarm which they sounded upon spotting the monster before them.  Amaris waited for a frantic shuffle, or a frenzied cry, but there was only the resumption of a calm cadence of breath.  Amaris slowly lifted her head and affixed a massive silver eye upon the human.

Fear was limited to the backdrop of their eyes.  Mostly calm, the scruffy human gazed curiously up at Amaris.  She raised a brow in surprise, but found it to be a pleasant one.  "Good morning... Uhm... I feel like I should have already asked for your name..."  The human's voice was filled with caution which nearly foiled the confidence of their expression. 

The statement stunned her into a moment of silence.  "Amaris," she finally said, "Why is this of such sudden importance?"

"Well... I've pieced together that if you were going to kill me, it would have happened already.  If you're able to decide to spare someone, you're not just a wild beast.  And if that's the case, you have a name."