Burned

by Joanna Mazurkiewicz

  “For Qesborth, we have been saved—she’s healed. You’re a Goddess,” the woman’s husband started shouting, but Idris quickly shut him up.

  I sat down on the dirty floor, trying to regenerate my strength, feeling a little drained once again. My breathing was irregular. The woman looked so healthy; her skin was glowing again. Some wardens approached when we all heard terrifying screams coming from outside. My heart skipped a beat then began racing triple time.

  “The monsters are coming—we have to hide,” a boy screamed and then everyone started flowing from the building. Agnes looked me in the eye and said:

  “It’s your creature who saved me, but you must disappear now, otherwise they will take her away from you. The Dark Ones don’t like when someone has magic. They are coming now. Run, Run,” she hissed.

  All of a sudden, it felt like a ton of stones cascaded down to my stomach—I felt like I was going to throw up. The banging from outside became louder and louder. The woman grabbed her kids, and they hid behind her in the darkness. The husband didn’t move, so I grabbed his shoulder.

  “We’re looking for the prison. I saved your wife, so now you must give me directions. Please!”

  “Follow the storm up north. You will see the prison behind the golden hill. It’s haunted,” he snapped, and then followed his family.

  Avianna flew out of my hood. Her eyes were shimmering a shade of gold. All the other wardens, even the really sick ones, vanished. Something or someone was approaching.

  “Come on, let’s get out of here. The Dark Ones are coming,” Idris said, looking freaked out.

  “This way. I sense them; they’re still a good distance away from here. They felt me using magic and that’s why they came. I’ll lead you guys out of here,” Avianna’s voice muttered in my head.

  Then she was flying, moving through the building while my heart was beating frantically in my chest.

  “Avianna knows the way—come on,” I said to Idris. He started shouting something, but I wasn’t listening. The Dark Ones must have sensed that something was off, that the wardens inside the building suddenly had too much magic. I felt their energy surrounding us all of a sudden.

  I saw Avianna’s shape in the distance until we barged through a small ajar metal door. It was pitch black now, but my baby dragon’s eyes were guiding us through the path. She was incredible, and my heart swelled with pride.

  “The husband said we have to head up north, following the storm. The prison should be somewhere behind the golden hill,” I told Idris. Soon it started raining heavily, and we couldn’t return to the abandoned building to find shelter. Most of this land had been turned into a wasteland. There was no sign of any living being for miles.

  “What the hell did you do to that warden?” Idris asked, marching next to me.

  “I’ll explain later. We need to keep moving for now,” I said, sensing that for some reason the storm was weakening me. Was this even possible?

  Maybe the council used some sort of spell to suck any remaining magic from this part of the Lower World. Now I knew for certain they had been doing this from time to time back in Draconia. Avianna was hiding inside my hood again. We started running then and my chest felt tight for some reason. The stabbing pain in my heart came back, reminding me that I didn’t save Dara. I tried, but I had still failed her.

  Once I freed Nicolas, I was planning to return to Draconia to find other eggs. Someone needed to stop the Dark Ones from spreading that terrible disease. This wasn’t fair.

  We ran up the hill covered with golden dust, hence the name. A thick mist started covering this enormous wasteland once again. The rain kept pouring from the sky, but the weather was working to our advantage. Now we were able to hide from the Dark Ones who were most likely still searching for us. We ran to the top of the hill and tried to catch our breaths up there.

  Several minutes later, the mist faded away once again, revealing the view in front of us. In the distance, we could see the prison surrounded by a round ditch filled with water, but it wasn’t this that caught our attention. My eyes widened when I saw two large fully-grown dragon beasts flying above the prison walls.

  Chapter Eleven

  Escape.

  “For Qesborth, that’s impossible. Are those dragons real, or is it just an illusion?” Idris asked in a whisper. I barely heard him, because I was frozen on the spot. The dragons were enormous and there were two of them, circling around the prison. My heart pounded extremely fast. Every cell in my body was convinced that the dragons were real, even if the Dark Ones were making me see the beasts through magic.

  Then it dawned on me that there was no way we could get Nicolas out of there anytime soon—especially now. The Dark Ones had been spreading lies about Dragons for decades, and now they were using them to keep their prisoners in line. This didn’t make much sense, because the dragons gave us magic and strength. I was certain that this was just an illusion—a hoax.

  These creatures weren’t supposed to exist, and yet they were here.

  “My brothers are here. I never believed I would see one of my kind so soon, but there’s something wrong with them. I can’t sense their magic. They’re chained to the ground,” Avianna said.

  After her words, I finally noticed she was right. Both creatures had long golden chains wrapped around their bodies. The beasts must have been attached to the walls of the prison from the other side and they were only allowed to fly over the building. Anger rose in the pit of my stomach. I couldn’t believe the Dark Ones had been using these legendary creatures like some sort of pets. This was inhumane. I was ready to charge in there and fight, take the Dark Ones down, fight for dragons’ freedom.

  “Come on, let’s start moving. We have at least half an hours’ walk,” I finally managed to say, clenching my fists.

  “I don’t think this is such a good idea, Fran,” Idris said. “We aren’t prepared. We might need a better plan. The creatures and Dark Ones will sense us.”

  I glanced at him, angry because he wanted to stop me. He seemed shocked, too. I was certain he just wasn’t expecting something like that from his own kind.

  “We’re not waiting around for some kind of miracle. We can get inside undetected,” I said and started moving down the dusty hill. Idris caught up with me.

  “This is a suicide mission, Francesca. Even with Avianna’s help there are too many Dark Ones around there. And knowing my father, they’re probably expecting you,” Idris snapped, grabbing my hand. His grip was quite tight. I was ready to punch him when Avianna’s voice echoed through my head.

  “Idris is right; the dragons are blocking my energy. And we’re being targeted. The Dark Ones are aware we arrived from the outside world. There’s no time. Nicolas is alive. I can sense his energy. It’s faint, but it’s there.”

  “Let’s get back to the portal. There are two Dark Ones who are approaching on our right. Come on, Fran!” Idris said, raising his voice. I turned toward the direction he was looking at and realised we were screwed. The Dark Ones must have been tracking us all the way from the portal. Maybe Idris hadn’t sensed them.

  A sudden wave of energy nearly knocked me off my feet. I managed to hold my balance but sweat surged down my back.

  Idris dragged me closer to the ground because we were being attacked. The Dark Ones weren’t messing around. Waves of dangerous spells were suddenly zooming from every direction. Everything was happening so fast. Streams of strong magic were exploding rocks all around us. Then a loud roar echoed from the north, causing my blood to run cold. It sounded like the dragons were trying to escape from the Dark Ones chains. It stopped raining once we reached the hill, but in an instant, it was if the sky had cracked open again. Water poured down on us in buckets.

  “We see you, strangers. We know you came from the outside. Hand yourselves over and we will spare you,” an unknown voice echoed in my head.

  I didn’t want to look behind me, and I certainly wasn’t planning to stop. Avianna could probably hear h
im, too; she was trying to wiggle her way out of my hood. I was suddenly petrified that I might lose her. We continued running through the storm and soon, Idris and I were completely soaked. My legs were aching like hell and the dull pain in my arm was back.

  We finally found ourselves back in the abandoned building; the entire place was deserted. I had no idea what had happened to the wardens who were infected with Dragon Fever. Maybe they returned to the caves—who knew?

  I bent down at the waist, trying to catch my breath. The rain water was dripping down my face. Idris looked anxious, but I didn’t think I could go on for much longer. My whole body was drained of energy. I’d have never felt so weak in my entire life.

  “Come on, we need to get back to portal, Fran. They’re after us and they know we’re from the outside,” Idris said, grabbing me.

  There was something wrong with me, but I nodded. The rain continued to fall heavily from the sky and we heard another roar in the distance.

  Maybe the Dark Ones had unleashed the dragons, but deep down I knew they wouldn’t do that. The beasts could be unpredictable and other wardens weren’t supposed to know they existed. I kept following Idris until we reached the wall where our portal stood.

  The fairy must have opened it again, aware we were nearby. More frightening spells began flying all around us. We ducked, but not soon enough—Idris was struck in the arm; he went down. I went to him and helped him back to his feet. I was high on adrenaline, not even feeling any pain.

  I glanced at the wasteland behind me, seeing the Dark Ones closing in on us. Avianna was silent, too silent, when Idris grabbed me.

  “Come on, we have to get through the portal now; otherwise we’re as good as dead,” Idris hissed, but the magic inside me wasn’t strong enough. I had a feeling it was already too late.

  Avianna, I need you to give me strength,” I shouted in my head.

  She didn’t respond, but a new source of energy charged through my core and the light inside the portal beamed. Idris pushed me forward and then jumped through the masses of magic, straight into the darkness. Then I must have lost consciousness, as the complete darkness shaded me.

  “Fran, Fran, are you there? I’m scared. That fairy is staring at me strangely,” the voice in my head said.

  There was pain in my skull, dull and uncomfortable pain, that was making me want to vomit. I couldn’t feel my limbs. And I felt an odd vibration inside my body. On top of that, I was certain one of the Dark One’s spells must have hit me in my injured shoulder, because the pain made it feel as if it were only dangling by muscle and flesh.

  “I think she’s up to something. I never trust a creature with blue eyes,” the voice of my baby dragon added.

  “I’m conscious now, just give me a second. Where is Idris?” I asked.

  The memories from the Lower World were still vivid in my mind. I opened my eyes and glanced around the room. We made it, and I was suddenly so relieved.

  We were back in the salon and Avianna was flying around, exposing herself to the fairy. Idris was still unconscious, and the beauty queen was leaning over him.

  “The hell with it, I need a drink,” I muttered, rubbing my shoulder. There was no blood, but my skin was burning. Donna—the fairy—was touching Idris’s chest. “What’s wrong with him? I hope he’s not—”

  “He was struck with the strong spell, but he’ll be all right. What happened out there? I thought you were supposed to return with one more warden? And Idris said that nothing was supposed to go wrong. No one knows about this portal.”

  I dragged my hand though my hair and lifted myself off the floor. I felt dizzy with pain. The fairy glanced at Avianna again and then Idris moved.

  “What the hell happened?” he barked, coming around fully altered.

  “Everything that wasn’t supposed to happen,” I muttered, trying to think of a spell that could get rid of that damn pain. Maybe I twisted a muscle or something. Either way, I wanted to get out of here.

  “Idris, did you know she has a baby dragon.? These creatures were extinct decades ago, right?”

  “Yeah, supposedly, but as you can see that’s not entirely true. We’ve all been brainwashed. Idris, I have to get out of here,” I answered for him, revealing the hood. Avianna flew there straight away, and I was glad she didn’t complain for a change.

  “You cannot leave; you’re injured. I have some fairy dust that could solve all your problems,” the fairy giggled, but I wasn’t convinced. Idris’s looked better.

  “No, thank you. I’m fine,” I replied, and Idris dragged his hands through his thick hair.

  “Fran, maybe you—”

  “No,” I told him, cutting him off. I didn’t trust that fairy one bit and I really wanted to go home.

  “Okay, I’ll drop you home. Thank you, Donna. We really need to get going. The Dark Ones already know that someone crossed through an unauthorised portal. I’ll probably be called to the office soon,” he said, sounding angry.

  “Whatever, I guess that little warden has already poisoned your mind. Remember, you must stick to our agreement. Politics have never been your strong suit and you know I have too much to lose,” the fairy reminded him.

  Idris twisted his lips in a grimace and caressed his jaw like he wanted to say something, but then changed his mind. I had no idea what she was talking about.

  Five minutes later, we left the salon and were back in the shopping centre. Humans were staring at us because we were still soaked from head to toe and it was probably glorious weather outside. We hurried to the underground car park, knowing we were attracting too much attention. I stunk, and really needed to get out of these clothes. Besides, Aly needed to take a look at my shoulder.

  “Your energy is very weak, Fran. Maybe we should take you to see Lucas again?” Idris suggested once we made it to his car and started driving. I knew he was only looking out for my best interests, but right now I just wanted to go home. This whole trip went terribly wrong and Nicolas was still behind bars.

  “Yeah, I must have been caught by one of the Dark One’s spells on the way back. I’m fine. Aly should have some human painkillers,” I said, trying not to focus on the pain. Avianna was sitting in the floorboard. Her eyes were closed, and I hoped she was only trying to regenerate her energy.

  Idris wrapped his hands around the wheel and sighed. Half an hour later we arrived at Aly’s place. It was still early afternoon. She mentioned that she was going out today. I really wanted to rest and forget about this terrible day.

  Idris walked me all the way to the door. I opened the door with the key she’d given me earlier on. Avianna flew off and as soon as we were inside. My legs gave out on me as soon as I stepped inside.

  “I got you. Crap, Francesca, why didn’t you say you were feeling so weak?” Idris’s voice reached me. Then he was carrying me, and the baby dragon was flying above me; her golden eyes looked like beaming neon lights.

  “He’s so good to us. Fran, you’re wounded, and I can’t heal you. I think I used all my energy healing that woman with the Dragon Fever,” Avianna was saying.

  I was in and out of consciousness for a little while. Idris stripped me, and I didn’t bloody care that he was seeing my naked body.

  My shoulder hurt like hell, but he had to clean the wound again and applied some sort of healing ointment on it. I screamed while Avianna was telling me to keep it together. I couldn’t, it was almost impossible. The fairy must have healed Idris, and nothing else happened.

  I passed out again once he used something else on my wound. The next thing I remembered was waking up in my bed. The sheets smelled nice and fresh.

  “She just needs some rest. I’ll check on her tomorrow,” the voice behind the door said in a near whisper.

  “You’re such a good man. You two have been through a lot and it’s such a shame you couldn’t get Nicolas out,” Aly’s said. She must have come back from her shopping trip. I wanted to shout at them, tell them I was awake, but I was bloody tired. My eyes
felt so heavy.

  “I’m one of them, Alyson, and that doesn’t mean I’m a good man,” Idris said solemnly.

  “Of course, you’re a good man. I can sense it and my gut feeling is never wrong. You care for this girl, I can see it in your eyes,” Aly added. The pain in my chest spread. Maybe I had been too harsh on him after he showed up, saving my silly arse—more than once, I might add. He’d found the portal that took us to the Lower World. He was helping me, and I just needed to appreciate him more.

  “You’re awake, and you shouldn’t be. You’re thinking too much, Fran,” Avianna’s voice cut through again.

  “I was wrong about him. He did help us. Maybe he isn’t like the rest of them—not like his father or sister,” I used my internal voice. My eyes were still closed.

  “And he didn’t know about the other dragons that were guarding the prison,” she reminded me.

  “They were fully-grown dragons. There must be a place in the Lower World, a place where the Dark Ones are keeping the eggs.”

  “I heard there’s supposed to be one warden assigned to every egg.”

  “And we will find them and expose the Dark Ones. The people of Draconia have been oppressed for too long. The Dark Ones have always had too much power. I believe I’m the one who can change everything.”

  “Aye, sister, I believe in you,” the baby dragon’s voice echoed in my head again.