~A Wattpad featured and Wattys Longlisted story~
Lana can hardly remember what it's like to be free. After nine years as a captive on board a ship ruled by ruthless bounty hunters, sailing across Maris with no clear direction, she's desperate for so...
She can't help but wonder how far they've flown as Skye motions toward a small island that they land on moments later. As soon as Firedust's feet hit the ground, Skye leaps off the dragon, offering his hand to her seemingly as an afterthought. She wants to say something to him to maybe alleviate the darkness that seems to creep onto his expression, dulling his bright eyes and aging his youthful features, but doesn't know what to say.
How does she help someone when she feels a similar swirling pit of emotions churning within her?
He's turning away from her before she can do anything, silently offering her water and dried fruit from his bag, before walking towards the water's edge and staring out into the distance. Lana considers approaching him and though she doesn't think he is anything like the crew members of the Sea Terror, she recognizes the look Skye has from them. His whole body is coiled, wound too tight with emotion, that any infliction might make him snap. It's safer to keep distance.
She finds herself turning towards his dragon, and the creature stares down at her with eyes so large that she can see her reflection within them as if it's a mirror. After all the destruction she's seen from him, she should probably be afraid, but she finds herself surprisingly comfortable around him.
She almost subconsciously finds her hand reaching out to touch his snout, and when her bare skin touches his scales, she finds herself smiling breathlessly. She finds her grin reflected in Firedust's eyes, and he lets out a little puff of smoke that almost resembles laughter.
Lana doesn't notice Skye is beside her until he says softly, "Let's go."
There's a distinct rush of disappointment as she parts from the dragon and as she turns back towards the saddle, she notices that Skye's stiff stature is gone, replaced with a weary expression and red rimmed eyes.
"Are you alright?"
The question hangs between them, and he sighs softly, looking up at the sky as if to hold back the emotions that want to escape from him.
"I just..." he starts, his voice barely above a whisper and he clears his throat. "I need to finish what I started."
Lana starts to ask what he means by that, but unlike the tenseness he held before, there seems to be a fragility there. He's not on the verge of snapping— he's about to shatter and is barely holding himself together. She settles for a nod, climbing back onto the dragon without any more words, letting her mind wander until they reach their final destination.
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It's several hours past sunset when Lana can faintly make out lights beneath the thick clouds they fly above. She sits up straighter in the saddle, excitement pushing past the fatigue that plagues her mind and even Skye seems to come to life at the sight.
It's nearly impossible to see anything through the clouds, and Lana wonders why if they why they stay so high up if the city is right below then, but when they fly past a large gap in their cover, she realizes why.
