Eladea: A Hopeless Age

Chapter 32: Liam

"And I guess I don't get one either?" Amber says teasingly.

"Was it ever a question? Do you even know what clean hair is supposed to feel like?" I turn my head to see her better and she sheepishly glances away before looking back.

"Yes! Clean. And soft. There, you see? I know things." I shake my head and run a hand through my hair, accidently hitting Kate's hand. I mutter an apology under my breath and return my hand back under my head.

"Have we missed First Harvest?" Ried mutters after a long time of silence.

"Oh most definitely." I answer. "It's almost Frost Season, which means First Harvest probably happened at least two weeks ago."

"Aw…" Reid mutters. I get his disappointment. First Harvest is my favorite holiday of the year. It's a special time, evolved over the years to be a sort of Thanksgiving. It starts in the morning as everyone goes into the streets to watch the sunrise, and from the moment you see the sun to the moment it's completely over the horizon you forget about the past and forgive the wrongdoings both you and others did. Then it's followed by a day of partying, and during the sunset everyone goes into the streets once more. And this time, from the moment the sun hits the horizon until it completely disappears you wish for great things in the future year. Then everyone feasts the night away. In my opinion it's way better than even Christmas is.

"Don't worry," Amber comments. "I'm sure no one from New Eladea celebrated it. So maybe we can do a late one, once we get Derynas back."

"Right. And it'll be filled with stuffing our faces with more food than ever." I say, a smile gracing my lips at the blissful memory of delicious feasts, succulent food and sweet desserts.

"It'll be the most epic First Harvest ever." Reid continues, tracing his finger along the curves of my boots.

"It'll go down in history." Kate adds.

"More importantly, I'll go down in history by eating the most food a dragon has ever eaten in one sitting." Amber says with a sigh. "I miss good food."

"Ha! Don't we all. We've practically been living off of scraps." Kate scoffs.

"Have you guys ever had lamb from the royal kitchens? Gosh it's to die for. So juicy and tender, with a perfectly seasoned crust…" I close my eyes, my mouth watering at the memory.

"Oh for the love of the goddesses, stop! You're making me hungry." Reid groans.

"Since when do you use the goddesses name in vain?" I open my eyes to raise an eyebrow at him. He shakes his head with a smile. "Shut up." He mutters.

"I don't know about you guys but im going to sleep before my brain calls up my stomach with that image of the lamb. Night." Amber says. She's met with a chorus of "goodnight" before it falls silent.

It isn't long after that I feel myself slipping from consciousness. I snuggle in, feeling the warmth from the fire, hearing the rhythmic snore from Amber, and feeling the gentle movement of Kate and Reid under me. Soon enough, I slip from the waking world completely.

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 。* 。° 。* 。 • ˚《

I wake with a jolt and am immediately confused. Where am I?

It's completely white. So white it burns my eyes. It's as if I'm a tiny ant on a sheet of paper, only there's paper on top of me, and it never ends. I call out to see if anyone's there, but the only reply I receive is my echoing voice. I pull myself into a stand and look around.

I must be dreaming. Oddly vivid dream though…

I turn around and nearly jump out of my skin. Kate stands a few feet away, looking just as confused as me. She's calling out for someone, though she looks right at me.