The Rise of The Dragon Queen

Chapter 8

Vixia, Puff, and I made the long journey to the mountains where Sparrow's party was sent, flying when Puff and the energy and walking while he rested. Thanks to his quick flying, we managed to reach the mountain's winding roads by the following day. Vixia and I were walking along the main path when I felt my chest begin to ache. I gripped my shirt and heaved a sigh, unsure how else to deal with the pain. It must have caught Vixia's attention because she stopped in her tracks and looked back at me.

"Ketsuna, are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," I answered, slouching. I drew in a deep breath, which then came back out shakily. "I just need a minute."

"Is it because of the dragon?"

I shrugged, now bent over with my hands on my thighs.

"It's got to be close by if I'm feeling it now, which means Sparrow's party either hasn't gotten to it yet or—"

"Were killed trying, right?"

"Maybe."

"I'm sure we'll run into it soon enough. Why don't you let Puff carry you for a bit?"

I wasn't sure what to do, but Puff decided for me. He climbed out of the pouch on my belt and shifted into a bigger size, ready to carry me. His eyes had a level of concern in them that I had never seen before.

"All right." I climbed onto Puff's back and he cradled me with his wings. Vixia walked along beside us but was far enough away to where I couldn't see her face. I rolled onto my side and watched the path slowly pass by, dust swirling in the breeze as we went. I cushioned my head with my arm and began to doze off as I remembered when Vixia and I left the orphanage as kids.

Vixia and I trudged along through the brush and debris of the forest as we wandered, having no clue where to go. I was mostly following Vixia since she seemed to recognize where we were, at least. She stopped in a clearing and looked around with a blank expression on her face.

"This is where they left me," she began quietly. I was confused for a moment, but then I realized she was referring to her family. I walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay. We'll be fine as long as we've got each other, right?" She turned to look at me and smiled. She nodded and grabbed my hand.

"Come on, I want to show you something." She pulled me along as she walked across the clearing. We headed through another thick patch of forest before finding another clearing. It was a bit more overgrown than the previous one and I could see trails through the tall grass, likely from animals trekking through the area. We followed one over to a small stone structure at the center of the clearing. A gap in the canopy above us made the moonlight act as a spotlight on the stones. Vixia looked at me expectantly as I stared at it.

"What is that?" I asked.

"It's a shrine."

"For who?"

"Zelora."

"Who's that?" Vixia shrugged and kneeled down in front of the tiny shrine. She smiled at it and ran her fingers across one of the stones.

"I'm not sure, but she comforted me when I was alone. I'm glad I met her." She clasped her hands together in front of her face and bowed her head as she closed her eyes. She fell silent and I realized that she was praying. I took a few steps back and sat down, watching her quietly. Once she was done, she lifted her head again and touched the stones.

"I may not be back for a while. Farewell." She had a sweet smile on her face, almost as if she were talking to a friend. She stood up and turned toward me. "Let's keep going. I think there's a city nearby. I was brought there before the guards took me to the orphanage."