From Sea to Sky

s i x t e e n | s k y e

"Easy," a deep voice says with relative ease, and the figure raises his arms in a slow but deliberate way, as if he's comfortable in his current situation but is most definitely is not relaxed.

Skye stares at his 'attacker' incredulously. "Raz? How did you find me?"

Raz shrugs casually, and lowers his arms to his sides as if he doesn't believe Skye will skewer him at any moment. "Ellerin and I were looking for you after you ran off. Guess I got lucky and found you first."

"Where's Ellerin then?" he demands, not so eager to let his sword drop from where it's pointed. He still doesn't really know Raz, and doesn't trust him. Everything about him is too mysterious and unknown. People like that are never trustworthy.

"We split up so we could find you faster," Raz says slowly, as if that fact was obvious. "What happened to you?"

Skye lowers his sword gradually, then finally, after realizing fighting against someone who is trying to be on his side is pointless, he drops his arm completely, "It's Lana. She sacrificed herself in a deal with Vyanna to spare Halsa."

Raz cocks his head to the side. "What would Vyanna want with a normal Dragon Rider?"

He frowns, suddenly aware of how bizarre the situation is. What value does Lana have that supersedes an invasion that will be a crucial victory for the Morai? Why risk it all to take her.

"I...I don't know."

"Well, if we hurry, we can still catch her." Raz says confidently.

"How can you be so certain?"

The other man sighes, as if resigning himself to a task. "I'm a Seer. That's why I was able to find you so easily. I also know that Ellerin will be alright if we leave her, but we need to hurry if you're going to even have a shot at saving Lana."

Skye nods quickly at his words, and silently follows him as he beckons him down a path only he can see. He can feel millions of answered questions enter his mind. Raz is a Seer? That seems impossible. He had always read that Seers had gone into hiding hundreds of years ago, disappearing off the face of Maris, never to be seen again. How come he had decided to reveal himself after such a long period of secrecy? Why now?

As they turn a final corner, they burst into an open clearing with two dragons waiting patiently, the sight of which brings a wave of comfort to Skye as he recognizes the familiar fiery red scales of one of them. He finds himself rushing to his dragon side, the emotions that were racing through him spilling over through their bond and Firedust tries to comfort him by sending back a certain calm energy.

It hardly seems to make a dent as Skye feels that same sense of panic rise up within him like it had when he was sparring with Bryan. It's the same uneasy energy that so easily throws him, and his magic, into uncharted territory. He feels his heart start to beat at faster rates, and his body aches from it's increased speed, as if it's trying to burst out of his chest. His hands start to shake slightly, and he has to curl his them into fists to suppress it from becoming noticeable. What if he doesn't make it to Lana in time? Or if he doesn't make it in time to help his people? Will he really be able to save the people he loves from destruction?

It's the same question, the same what ifs that keep running through his head that cause him to feel this oppressing anxiety. He just doesn't think—

"Skye?" a voice breaks through his thoughts, and he looks up to find Raz standing next to him with concern in his eyes.

"I'm okay," He says quickly and suppresses that doubt, pulling himself into Firedust's saddle, ready to find Lana. Raz does the same with the other dragon, and Skye dimly recognizes it to be Ellerin's but doesn't have it within him to ask where the other young man's dragon is.