A Dragon's Heart (Book Three in the APK Trilogy)

Chapter 13 | Breathe in the Rain

Hey Guys, this is just a short Chapter to update readers on what is happening elsewhere in the story so that everyone knows what is happening with other characters and such :) Hopefully then, whatever POV I do next, you guys will have a rough idea of what has been happening while the POV has been elsewhere. 

Lots of Love,
Daisy xx

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The rain that fell upon Cobalt, Nathaniel, and Samson as they stared with undisguised relief into the eyes of Anthemin, fell everywhere. As the small group made their way back to their ships safely, much to the relief of Hobbson and their crew, little did they know that Anthemin was being pursued and that the pursuers were catching up quickly. Information on the state of the town was shared, the trio confirming that they had not seen any survivors. The gold was presented, a silver lining in the day's events and it was decided then and there that the two ships would set sail for Port Savannah as soon as the storm passed.
Anthemin had not revealed why he had suddenly appeared and both Cobalt and Nathaniel, although desperate to know if he had news of Circe, were wary of the Dragon and neither could work up the courage to ask him about it. He didn't seem to want to share any information either and simply made him-self comfortable on the deck of Cobalt's ship, allowing the pirate to assume that he would be accompanying them for the foreseeable future. A heavy guard rotation was assigned to both vessels, just in case an attack came from the shore.

Zalas, as usual, was disgusted by the rain and as Unabonan flew he sheltered under a tarp, muttering curses under his breath and glaring out at the sky every now and then. Elika had forbidden him from banishing the clouds, insisting that he shouldn't mess with the course of nature. His retort had been a rude one, but she had been unrelenting. The little blonde air nomad now sat in the crook of Unabonan's neck, her eyes closed as the rain splattered on her face, soaking her hair and her clothes. She stretched out her arms to either side and smiled as the wet droplets kissed her palms.
Vitality, that was what this was, a blessing from the heavens that rarely fell on their Kingdom in the sky, the lifeblood for the ground and the ocean below.
She cherished it.
In Zalas's opinion, the wet weather could get fucked. He watched her sullenly but couldn't help but notice how beautiful and free she appeared riding on the back of a Dragon, her small face serene and peaceful. His eyes narrowed and he went back to grumbling. They were closing in on their prey though and this pleased him. Although thoughts of the black dragon and his sister still bothered him greatly, he needed to follow this path first. Maybe that blasted baby Dragon would have some answers.

Obsidian and Circe had paused in their journey to seek shelter from the rain. Although it didn't really bother either one of them, visibility was already low and night was approaching. He had spied an island down below and they circled down to land on the wet sand. The island was uninhabited and caves littered the shore. He shifted from beast to man, scooping her up in his arms and wasting no time, kissed her thoroughly as he carried her to shelter.
The cave they settled on was dry, the sand warm from the morning's heat and they curled up together, finding all of the comfort they needed in the others embrace. Her hair smelt like the ocean and although he too smelt salty from the sea air, in the crook of his neck she found the musky, woodsy scent that identified him to her. His strong arms held her safely, his fingers stroking the top of her head. She felt prey to sleep before him and as the rain continued to fall outside he felt increasing anticipation for the reunion that was to come.

Amaryllis was still heading with great speed towards the Water Kingdom. The rain hitting the surface above cast curious shadows through the water but it was barely something that she noticed. Her heart hurt greatly with the pain of leaving Cobalt the way that she had, but this pull that she was feeling towards her home... it was too strong to be ignored. Something was right and Amaryllis was first and foremost, loyal to her Kingdom. When her Queen called, she obeyed.

Ambrose, after leaving Circe with Obsidian, pondered his next move. He had paused in the waters just outside of the Water Kingdom, unsure of if he should approach the Queen with this information or whether it was best kept to him-self. He was still furious at her for the things that she had said and he knew that the Queen would be heartbroken to hear that her daughter had no desire to return to the Kingdom as its heir. His frustration grew with his indecisiveness, but really ... he served under the Queen after all and his loyalty was to her and her alone. It was his duty to bring her all news, good or bad. He would just have to find a way to tell her. But what to say about the pirate still being alive? Maybe that was indeed something best kept secret? He was torn.

The Shifters were continuing to gather around the entrance to the Elven Kingdom, although the sudden downpour of rain had slowed activity down to a minimum. Breaking into it and seizing control of the Elves magic had become their number one priority and it was a goal that had to be achieved at all costs if they were to have any hope of going into war against the Lycan King. Their leader had yet to appear at the camp, but word had it that he was out with an elite party searching for a secret weapon that would allow them access into the Elven realm. Their attempts at getting the captured Elves to cooperate had been in vain so far and although the prisoners were tortured daily their loyalty to their Queen remained unbreakable.

The Elven Queen had not yet called for help from the other Kingdoms, certain that their defences would continue to hold until the time for retaliation was right. She had received word that the Lycan King was aware of the increasing rebel numbers and was busy gathering his army, as she was also, in preparation for the impending war. She stood at one of the archways in the grand dining hall and looked out at the rain, stealing a rare break away from her duties, and she wondered how her Father would have handled the situation had he still been alive. She let out a long sigh and closed her eyes and breathing in the smell of the forest that surrounded her, whispering a quick prayer to the spirits. She counted to ten and felt a calmness wash over her. Her Father wasn't in charge anymore, she was. And she would not lose.

Meanwhile, safely inside room that had been carved into a rock, a rock that stood alone in the middle of the ocean, a Dragon egg sat in a basket in front of a crackling fire. The whistling of a boiling jug pierced the silence of the room and from outside a muffled scream reached the ears of a young boy who sat comfortably on an armchair, his hands curled around a book. The cry did not seem to faze him and he placed his book to the side before swiping the kettle from the stove and making himself a drink. Settling back into his chair he picked up the book once more and turned a page.
A faint cracking sound reached the boys ears and instantly his gaze flickered to focus on the egg. He almost seemed to freeze in place, his breath quieting in anticipation. The sound came again but still he did not move, waiting ... waiting.
The third time it happened, it was louder and suddenly a dark line appeared in the shell, zig zagging across the jewel like surface. Tobias smiled. Finally. Aranel would return soon and he would finally have something to show her. He settled back down to his book, it would be several more hours before the Dragon would escape it shell completely, so for now he would simply have to be patient for a little longer.
He was excited though. Now their plan could finally begin.

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