Through Smoke and Ashes

Fifteen||Healer or Killer

I awoke to the sharp rays of the sun hitting my face. Dawn was well over with and Naxan had curled around my body as he watched the trees with an intense look. My stirring caused his ears to twitch back.

"Twoleg slept late." Naxan continued watching whatever he was focused on. I noticed the shift in his words, he was getting better at forming sentences.

Placing a hand on his side, I felt the strength in his scales through my skin. "I had a crazy dream last night." I recollected my dream. Alec and I sparred until the world around us began to shudder with our wakefulness. He had bid me a farewell after giving me his appraisal. My mouth turned into a small smile, pride still brimming through me.

My thoughts went to the stone that was waiting patiently in my bag. I could feel its pull even stronger than before. My palm itched as I anticipated my next moves.

I riffled through my bag, moving its contents around until my hand grazed its smooth surface. I held the stone in my opposite hand, watching as the stone's glow burned amber against my face. Naxan's curiosity made him turn around to look at what was causing a deep chill from behind him.

Naxan's emotions seeped through the bond in small worry at the unknown object I was holding. "Danger?"

I shook my head. "This is how I found out I was a dragon rider," I said to him. Twiddling the stone in my fingertips. I inhaled deeply before moving the stone to my other hand. I squinted my eyes, tightening my muscles in anticipation. At first, the glow coming from the stone dulled slowly, then, in an instant, the light was snuffed out. The stone was no longer singing it's call. There was no light shining through the angry turmoil of rolling clouds within the tiny orb.

The black lines on my arm suddenly began to move and were becoming aggressive in behaviour. I watched helplessly as the lines moved on their own accord, seeming to tighten around my arm. They clasped onto the stone and held it in place as my body fought internally with itself. With a loud crack that had Naxan hissing and moving away from the noise, the stone broke in half and a whirling, black mass exploded from within the stone. The lines on my arm tightened even more against my skin, and with a silent pull, the black mass of shadows was being absorbed into my skin. The black lines pulsed and shifted as the contents of the stone were being pulled into me.

I watched as my forearm became bare in colour as the lines weaved up and settled around the dragon wings and sword. My body was no longer under attack as the lines disappeared into the upper half of my rider's mark. The wings slightly shifted as if making room for the new occupants now settling with them.

I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. That was quite theatrical and I had no idea what just happened.

"Feel that?" Naxan asked me. I paused to understand what he was saying, then it hit me. I did feel something different. But, it was a feeling that seemed like it was there all along. It was within me and Naxan could feel it through the bond. I could sense what was in the shadows where the sun did not shine. It was like my mind was connected with the shadows, and whatever entered them I could sense.

I stretched my mind, testing out my new ability. I bounced from shadow to shadow until I came upon a dragon who was walking under the trees. Her scales were a dark, mosey green. The dragon halted its eyes on full alert. It shot into the sky and I lost connection with her. 

Naxan gave a proud nod. "Twoleg like dragon."

I raised my eyebrows. "You could sense that dragon too?"

He rubbed the side of his jaw on my shoulder. "Been watching her. Getting close to us."

That must've been what he was watching when I had woken from my sleep. "So whatever was in the stone, must be the dragon rider's ability. And it's connected to the dragon they are bonded to!" I explained out loud to decipher my new findings. I was alit with excitement. I had all this new power at my disposal.