Through Smoke and Ashes

Twenty Three||Returning Home

The last thing I saw before falling through the ice was Kayne's fearful expression. Now, as I float in the water, I saw nothing. The thin rays of sunlight barely shone through the ice above my head. At least I could tell which way was up.

"Twoleg!" Naxan's voice pierced through my mind sharply. From above, shadows obstructed the sunlight. A large figure was on the ice, turning my world into further darkness.

"Naxan don't!" Air bubbles surrounded me as Baylen fought against the ice above his head. He was using the fire within himself to try to melt through the ice, but he wasn't strong enough. The fire merely bubbled the water around him, and the temperature of the water rose.

The noises coming from above were muffled, but I could feel the vibrations running through my body. I heard the ice groan and crack with a sickening sound that nearly made me go deaf. The pressure was building in my lungs and my head, and I felt as though I would explode. A toothy maw lunged into the water and swallowed Baylen's entire body. Screaming, all of the air escaped from my lungs. I felt the need to inhale, but I couldn't bring myself to gulp down the water. As my body fell downwards, fading in the icy abyss, I was swallowed by teeth.

Coldness ran through my body, prickling me with an icy fire. My mind felt blank, but around me, I could hear muffled voices. As I slowly came to, the white world around me faded into the deep blue color of the sky. I blinked slowly, watching the clouds intercepted the sun.

I didn't realize I wasn't breathing until my lungs nearly caved in on themselves. I gasped for air and sat up. Everything came seeping into my senses at once.

Something behind me moved slightly. I turned around to see a dragon whose scales were as white as snow. When the sun hit the dragon, they glimmered with an underlying blue that shone like midnight frost. I remembered this dragon. Naxan and I had saved it from a hunter's trap. Something he and I did for a handful of dragons on this island. I looked around, seeing the familiar faces of the people I was traveling with, but I didn't see my dragon.

"I am here, twoleg. Friend came to help." Naxan sounded displeased. In a way, I was thankful he didn't reveal himself to save me. "Could have saved you." Naxan's growl vibrated within my head.

"I know, Nax. I'm not ready to let these people know who I am just yet."

I stood from where I was sitting on the ground and turned to the dragon behind me. "Thank you." The dragon dipped her head in response.

"What's going on here?" I heard Hames accusing voice from behind me.

I turned around to survey the waiting people. "I made some friends from my time being here." I shrugged my shoulders.

"Friends? With a dragon?" Hames' eyes squinted as he glared in confusion.

I slowly nodded my head. "When you free a dragon from a hunter's trap, they kind of like you afterward."

The dragon behind me grumbled. A voice that felt like a winter storm raged in my head. "I am indebted to you for life, little one." Her claws scraped the ground as she rose to her feet. She spread her wings before saying, "until next time," and flew into the air, surrounding us with powerful bursts of air.

I felt their stares on me, but I chose to ignore them. "We have a dragon to find, correct?" Hames hesitated before moving forward. Kayne moved past the others to come towards me. Instead of looking mad, his warm eyes regard me with concern.

"You okay?" His hands had grabbed my face, steadying me in place as his eyes wandered over me.

"I'll be fine." Heat rushed through me from looking into his eyes. "Really, I'm fine." A slight trickle of embarrassment seeps into my body as I noticed some of the others were watching our exchange. "Let's get going." I smiled at Kayne. He stepped closer so only I could hear his next words.