by Katie Cherry
“Alright, we’ve reached the bottom,” Drake says, turning back to the group. “Let’s rest for a few minutes, then we’ll start scouting.”
“I’m going to go ask him about the plan,” Nathan says to me before swimming over to join Drake at the head of the group while the rest of us settle happily on the ocean floor.
While they talk, I turn to Kenyan, who’s beside me once more. “Hey, do you… feel like something’s watching you?”
Eying me curiously, he starts to shake his head before suddenly stopping, staring past Nathan and Drake. Following his gaze, I notice two tiny orbs reflecting the light of our ScubaSpecs. Jax looks over at it as well, and when I move my eyes back to him, looking for comfort as he tells me that it’s another creature that wouldn’t bother us, I notice the blood draining from his face. Leaping up, he screams, “Kronogrix!” At the scream, the eyes disappear.
“We have to get out of here!” Aren shouts, swimming up to me alarmingly quickly and grabbing my hand.
“Wait, but it just left…” I stammer, confused until we turn and find the eyes closer to us. It had circled us so swiftly we hadn’t even noticed it.
A blink is all it takes before it’s rearing up before me, its huge mouth open, ready to snatch Aren and I up in one bite; its razor-sharp teeth leaving little hope for escape once it does.
<<
“No!” The shout leaps from Nathan’s lips before the thought had even crossed his mind. His brain refuses to wrap around the sight before him. The Kronogrix is enormous. It has four main fins, with a tail as long as its body. Power seems to seep from every inch of its body. The holes at the sides of its head house gills that suck in so much water, he can feel its pull from about ten feet away. The end of its mouth curves like a beak, forming a strong, sharp end. With its mouth open so wide, he can see the split tongue inside as it tastes the water around it, hungry for the helpless group of humans before it. Its two larger flippers in the front are longer than Nathan is tall.
It’s as daunting as a dragon; perhaps more so.
Still, Nathan’s body instantly leaps to defend Crystal. Yelling as he surges forward, he pushes off a large nearby rock, shooting toward the creature. As focused as it is on Crystal and Aren, it’s slow to turn, so he finds it easy to punch one of the holes in its head housing its gills. The screech that follows nearly deafens him, so he can only hope that the others will be able to hear his shout to get out of there- to get Crystal out of there. Whether they heard or not, they all spring to action, darting into holes in the rock walls of the chasm. He’s relieved to see Aren yank Crystal into a hole as well.
He moves to do the same, searching the rock nearest him for a hole large enough to hide his body in, but he’s too slow. He’s only backed a few inches away from the Kronogrix before a huge, thick flipper hits him hard, sending him spinning. His vision flickers and he struggles to stay conscious, even as he feels his body sinking like a stone. The force of the hit had sent him away from the others, but he knew the creature wouldn’t take long to catch up.
Gasping in painful breaths, he struggles to move; to swim away from the Kronogrix. Looking back at it, he sees that although the others were banging rocks together to distract it, the intelligent creature was locked onto Nathan- the weakest and only exposed of the group. Watching as it swims toward him like a speeding train, his heart pumps harder than ever, imagining getting scooped up into that enormous mouth. Finally, his body stops responding to him altogether, leaving him to float downward with his face pointed up, as if searching for a sky he would never see again. As his eyes close, he almost believes he sees a blur of blue-green slam into the grey of the Kronogrix.
He gently lands in the sand at the bottom of the ocean and his eyes close for likely the last time.
<<
The sky, dim but not yet dark, hung silent over the treetops. Dalwork shifts slightly to look down at the path below him, his enhanced eyesight easily picking out the trail in the undergrowth. Balancing easily on the branch of the tree he had selected, he slides his bow over his head, making sure to be slow and quiet in his movements. The deer would soon be returning to their sleeping area just a few paces below him. Pulling out an arrow with the same amount of quiet caution, he fits the arrow to the string and continues his wait, crouched near the trunk of the tree. He hated feeding on the blood of animals, but he also hated the constant craving for human blood. He’d never wanted to become a vampire, and even though it had been decades since he’d tasted it, his body urged him to feed on a human once more.
And it was all thanks to Zarafa and her selfishness. He frowns softly to himself, recalling how she had forced him to turn. After her poison had set in, though, he didn’t have much of a choice left.
He had been among the ranks of the Higher Power when he’d met her… when he’d fallen for her.
Posing as a nobleman in First Earth, he had thrown a ball. It wasn’t unusual for him, as it was their usual cover-up for the meeting held in one of the rooms of his vast home. The only difference that time was her.
“You must be the man throwing this wonderful party,” a soft voice says from behind. Turning with the obligatory smile already on his lips, he froze when he saw her. Deep red hair framing a pale face with the most brilliant emerald eyes he had ever seen.
He swallows hard and feels his smile soften and become genuine. “That would be me. And who are you?”
Her perfect, deep red lips turned up in a smile as she took in his sudden nerves. “My name is Zarafa.” When he opens his lips to ask her more, she gave him the tiniest shake of her head, stopping him in his tracks before giving him a sly wink and turning her back to him, returning to the ball and disappearing among the crowd.
Grunting softly to himself, Dalwork shakes his head ruefully. Dwelling on the past does me no good- especially thinking of how much I cared for her… before she betrayed me. Scratching at his stubble, he lets out a whisper of a sigh.
The soft sound of hooves approach, and he immediately returns his focus to the hunt at hand. Watching carefully as they bound through the undergrowth, they slow beneath his tree, ears swiveling as though they could sense him hiding there. Still, they continue forward without stopping. He quickly picks out the weakest of the bunch with his trained eyes and pulls back the arrow on the string, letting it rest on his cheek momentarily, the coarse fibers roughly caressing his skin. Letting out a breath, he lets the arrow fly at the same time.
The deer immediately scatter, but as he leaps down from the tree, he knew without looking that he had hit his target. Approaching the felled deer with the arrow sticking from its eye, he feels his teeth sharpen in anticipation. Kneeling before his kill, he flips it over with one hand before latching onto its neck. The rough fur irritates his lips, causing them to swell a little as he begins to suck down the earthy blood. Feeling nostalgic, he allows his memories to sweep him back to a few months after learning Zarafa’s secret.
“Dalwork, have you thought of my request?”
“What’s there to think about?” he gruffly replies, not looking up from the papers on his desk. “You know how I feel about you, but nothing could ever convince me to turn.”
“But-”
“Zarafa!” he finally snaps, looking up from the papers, his eyebrows furrowed. “I love you. You love me. Why is it such an issue that I’m human?”
She frowns lightly at him, fingering her silky, light green shirt. “You know why.”
“Is a few decades not enough for you?” When she doesn’t reply, he turns and looks out the vast window behind him. “I’ve told you how I feel. An eternity of bloodlust isn’t what I want. I’m sorry, but I’m firm in my decision.” When he turns back to her, he recognizes the glint of desperation in her eyes. She was at his side in the blink of an eye, and all he felt was her sharp teeth piercing his throat. Gasping as the hot blood begins to seep down his skin, he struggles, but she was stronger than him. As the blood began to slow, he could feel her magic
entering his bloodstream, spreading from the wound. Finally, she allowed him to slip from her fingers and he fell to the floor, unable to feel a thing as the darkness closed in.
Standing from the deer, he turns his thoughts away from Zarafa abruptly, drinking in the chilled night air, feeling it fill his lungs. Taking a few more breaths, he finally reaches down and retrieves his arrow from the deer, cleaning it in the long grass before tucking it away with the others. Slinging his bow over his back, he turns his face back toward the mountain where his little hut was hidden and begins to run.
His supernaturally powerful strides cause the trees to blur as he passes them, but despite his speed, he knows, deep down, that he would never be able to outrun his thoughts… or his feelings.
<<
Noticing Pearl looking at him with concern on her face, Alexander forces himself to relax the muscles in his own face, realizing as he does so that he had been clenching them together, revealing his inner stress. “I’m fine,” he murmurs to her, reaching out to take her hands in his, the two of them now alone in the large room for the council meetings.
She shakes her head in response, but a small smile graces her lips. “Xander, I know you better than that. I know that meeting was stressful, but it’ll be alright. Crystal isn’t the only thing that can pull these different groups together. She can stay safe on Quagon.”
“I know,” Alexander sighs, bowing his head a little in defeat. “But the mermaids… they just aren’t what we need. I know Kaifeng was just trying to help when he sent them, but they’re just putting everyone on edge more than anything. They’re more different from their King than I was expecting, despite everything that he told me about his people. If they were all like him, this would actually work. But the mermaids, while better than stereotypes dictate, are still unruly and long for action. …I’m just not sure how long I can keep them at bay… keep them safe for Kaifeng.”
“Honey, it’s not your job to keep them safe. I know you love your friend, but he sent them into a war. …I don’t know that he’ll expect many of them to return. Especially with how few he sent in the first place.”
“I-” The King is then cut off by a knock on the door, tapping out the password. Glancing at his wife, Alexander rises to his feet and walks toward the door, Pearl just behind him. Nodding at the guards to open the door, a now-familiar face enters the room. “Krasnigor? What’s wrong?”
Inclining his head before the king before speaking, he responds, “King Dragon. My King has sent word- he has sent more reinforcements. I am to go, with my second in command, and welcome them onto land and help them to adjust. …If that is alright with you, War Commander,” he slowly adds, dipping his head into a small bow once more.
Stifling a groan at the prospect of having to deal with more blood-thirsty merfolk, Alexander finally nods. “Very well.” As the mermaid starts to turn, he speaks up again. “Oh, and Krasnigor? Tomorrow please bring your force to the training grounds. You are welcome to practice there with the rest of us. Perhaps someone can show you how to fight with feet.”
“…Thank you, War Commander,” he finally replies before walking quickly back out into the cold. As the doors swing shut behind him, Alexander rests his head in his hands. “Oh, this is such a mess,” he groans.
<<
Flying on the back of the red dragon once more, Alyssa’s stomach is in knots- but not for the same reasons as their last flight. Worry eats at her. She may be a little more willing to try and be a dragon friend than before her kidnapping, but with such a short amount of time, it seemed impossible. How was she supposed to change so drastically? Even if she did, would she still be sent to stay with the werewolves while the dragons discussed what to do with her? Would they decide to just kill her? She might just beg for that rather than being delivered to the werewolves anyway.
“…Hey,” the voice of the red dragon startles her as he cautiously touches her mind with his own. “For what it’s worth, I believe that you’ll be able to make the changes necessary to become a dragon friend. You may have been molded by them thanks to your upbringing, but your heart is not as cold as theirs. If you so choose, you can open your mind and heart and cast away the heavy lies that blanket you and direct your choices. I know it’s not as simple as it sounds to cast away the teachings of your youth, but I believe you are strong enough to do so. To choose your own path and your own beliefs.”
Alyssa sits still on his warm scales for a moment, stunned at the kindness she felt from the dragon who had kidnapped her and guarded her… who had every reason to hate her. “…Thank you. And thank you for your trust,” she adds, referring to their linking of minds, despite their fear of Hunter’s abilities. It had been lonelier than she had wanted to admit, being unable to talk with anyone. Even conversing with a dragon helped to ease the lonely pangs in her chest. She still missed Hunter, and she now worried about what would become of her if she was to return a ‘Dragon Lover,’ but she shoves those worries aside. Her priority was here and now- and her own survival. If she did manage to make the transition and save her life, she would just have to figure out the repercussions later.
“You are welcome, Alyssa Greenston,” he replies before returning his focus to flying. They were moving much faster now that the other two dragons weren’t accompanying them. Gale saw it as unnecessary- what could she do in the middle of the air anyway?
Turning her own mind toward their destination, Alyssa focuses on keeping her breathing steady as she recalls what Gale had told her as he had walked her back to her red dragon escort. She would be staying with a green dragon family who had a batch of eggs ready to hatch. Apparently seeing baby dragons had melted Zeke’s heart in the past, so they were going to try that route again. Gale particularly had a feeling, or so he claimed, that she would bond with one of the dragons from the nest. She didn’t know much about bonding with a dragon, but it made her think of Hunter’s control over them. Isn’t that what they’re all afraid of, though? So why would Gale make it seem like a good thing for them that I would ‘bond’ with one of the dragons? Maybe I’m just over-thinking it, and it just means that I’ll get along with one of these dragons.
Panic seizes her chest once more as the red dragon begins to land before another mountain. It was time. She was about to be abandoned in the wilderness with an entire family of dragons. Two green dragons about the size of her ride begin to approach, with a smaller dragon at their side. Taking deep, calming breaths, Alyssa grits her teeth as she gets a firm hold on her emotions. She will make it out of this alive.
“Greetings, Alyssa Greenston,” a female voice greets, with the gentlest of touches to her mind. “We just received word that you will be staying with us, learning to be a friend to the dragons rather than a hunter. My name is Tatiana. I’m pleased to have you with us and to be of some assistance to your transformation.” Coming closer, she lowers her head to look Alyssa in the eye. She shivers as she feels the power radiating from the dragon. “But do be aware. My hatchlings are to arrive any day now, and I will not hesitate to tear you limb from limb should you present a threat to my babies.”
Gulping, Alyssa gives a brisk nod to the mother dragon. “Understood.”
“Well met, Alyssa of the Dragon Hunters,” Tatiana’s mate greets as he lowers his head to her as well. “My name is Victor, and this little dragon here is Eric. He was raised by Crystal directly after his hatching, so he has no fear of humans. Should you take advantage of this, I, too, will not blink an eye in destroying you. I will protect my family. Should you become a friend to us, that protection would extend to you. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Victor.”
“Very good. Nerdin, you may leave us now. I believe Alyssa knows to behave.”
“I will send word when her time with you comes to a close,” Nerdin replies before turning and leaping into the air.
Alyssa can’t help but stare after him, wishing she had thought to convince him to take her away. Instead, she can only wa
tch as the red of his scales disappears into the clouds, leaving her alone with yet more dragons, and barely a glimmer of hope to get out of there alive.
CHAPTER TEN
Dragon Child
“Let me go!” I scream, struggling to pull from Kenyan’s firm grasp as he pulls me away from the Kronogrix. It seemed to be fighting something, but both creatures were so fast all we could see were blurs of grey and blue-green. Now was my chance to go find Nathan and drag him to safety- so why wouldn’t this guy let me go? “Kenyan! The Kronogrix is occupied- I have to get to Nathan!”
Tight-lipped, Kenyan doesn’t reply as he grimly hauls me up toward the surface, quickly leaving the bloody battle behind. I continue to yell at him and attempt to pull free, drawing Drake over to us. I look to him pleadingly, but he ignores me as well, grabbing my other arm and increasing the speed of our flight. Desperation flutters in my chest, and I look back down, hoping to see Nathan following after us. But we’ve already gone too far, and the water beneath me stares back in its infinite darkness.
By the time we get to the boat, I’m sobbing.
“Crystal?”
“Let me go,” I yell, finally yanking my arms from their grasps as they release their hold. “How- how could you? He could be dead now!” I scream, more sobs wrenching from my shaking body.
“Crystal, listen, I didn’t want to leave him behind either- nobody did. But that was our only chance to get out of there.” Kenyan looks at me, indecision tearing up his face.
Drake sits beside me in the boat and wraps an arm around my shoulders. “Hey. Kenyan’s right… but so are you. If he’s still alive, we have to help him. Right?”
“Of course,” I mutter, looking up at him with watery eyes.
“We have some weapons in the boat,” he continues as the other guys start pulling said weapons from their hiding places. “We’ll go back and either save him… or avenge him.”
