Moonlight {Moonlit Trilogy Reboot}

Chapter Twenty Seven: All The Revelations Come to You at Once, Huh?

"Any sight of the dragon, Shale?" Igneous looked down from the back of his dragon. Shale looked at the large, roving mountain ranges and Igneous followed his gaze. The mountains appeared to reach into the very heavens themselves, as if they were clawing at the Gods. Igneous wanted to swear under his breath. The chances of finding a dragon in these ranges seemed so low.

"No." Came the answer Igneous was expecting. He turned around and rolled his eyes, trying to hide his frustration from Shale. Pushing down his growing impatience, he turned back around and motioned Obsidian to fly down lower. The dragon followed the order and Shale glanced over at Igneous, who now flew a few feet over him. "Yes?"

"You don't have to be the one looking for the dragon, you know." Igneous resisted the urge to cross his arms. A small sigh-like whistle escaped Shale and he hunched forward. He looked back at Igneous and stopped walking. Obsidian took this opportunity to land beside the blue Magnorite.

"I feel like I owe you this. I mean, whoever fathered you first abandoned you to die and then... I did the same." Shale appeared as if he was about to crumple. Igneous felt a frown grow across his face. He wished Shale would stop beating himself over the past. There's nothing to be done to alter it. Igneous' own thoughts parroted words he had spoken long ago. Igneous choked on them.

Shale stood obliviously, sinking into his own self pity. He hunched forwards a little and glanced down. "It's just... It's not right for me to do something that terrible and not repay you somehow."

Igneous hopped off Obsidian, lunged forwards and grabbed Shale by the sides. Shale gaped in shock. He fought every instinct to run.

Igneous fought the fear, the pain and the misery and wrapped the other into a hug.

"The best thing you can do now is be here." Igneous said, pulling back. He managed a soft smile, one that felt oddly alien to him now. "Can you do that?"

Shale let out an indecipherable slew of sounds. He shook his head and then spoke with a slight stammer. "Yuh... Yes. I'm sure- I think I... I can man- manage that."

Igneous' smile felt more genuine now. He glanced back at his companions and then back at the sky. Still no sight of the dragon. For once, that was good news. He could speak freely without the fear of a beast swooping at them. In preparation, he cleared his throat.

"Well, since we have no sight of the dragon, let's go over the plan again to make sure we understand. All in favor of blasting them out of the sky?" He then raised his hand, prompting everyone else to do the same. Obsidian glanced down at the ground for a few moments. "I know it's hard for you, Obsidian." Igneous approached and patted his dragon on the head. "Do you want to just keep eyes on Cedrer instead?"

"No, no. I'll help." Obsidian said shakily. Igneous sighed.

"You really don't have to if you don't want to." He scooped Obsidian's neck up into his arms. "There will always be other battles."

"I just worry that that is all we'll ever do..." Obsidian spoke softly, nuzzling his head into Igneous' shoulder.

"Dragon ahead!" Shale suddenly shouted. Igneous' stomach dropped as he looked up. The dragon was so high up they appeared to be a small sliver. As their form grew bigger, Igneous tore open his gritted teeth and boom.

"OUT OF THE WAY!"

Within moments, everyone dove out of the dragon's way as they swooped close to the ground and snapped their teeth at one of Igneous' horns. Barely missing, the beast flew back up and warped.

"Shit!" Ceris hissed. "If that thing's got any intelligence left, it could easily overcharge and kill us all!" He stepped forward and poked Igneous in the chest. "I hope you've got some ace up your sleeve."