Ember

{ sixteen }

Ember sat sadly on the cold hard floor, contemplating her decisions. She sighed sadly as she put her head up against the wall. Ryan strutted up to her and stood confidently.

"Hello my dear, I have an offer to make." He smiled, trying something remotely close to a friendly smile. His smile did work but his eyes didn't match with it.

"Oh yeah?" Ember scoffed, "There's no way, I'm giving you what you want." She crossed her arms and looked away.

She shook her head as Ryan continued, "What if—you spend the entire day with me and get to know me. I promise, I'll let your family go." Ember darted her eyes back at Ryan, her eyes widened as he smiled warmly.

This time his eyes actually flickered a sense of warmth. Ember furrowed her eyebrows and gulped in confusion.

"O-okay..." Ember said softly and slowly got up.

Ryan helped get the chains off of her. All except one, it was attached to her wrist and Ryan was holding it like he had her on a leash.

Ember grumbled as she rolled her eyes. Ryan pushed her to start walking, and pulled on her wrist for her to walk faster.

She walked with him towards the entrance of the cave and they headed to the village below the cave. It was filled with laughter and happiness in the air.

There was so many people here and dragons who were happy.

"Woah..." Ember whispered gently.

"This is my home. Of course I'm not a dragon shifter, this isn't even a shifting village. It's a place for outcasts. For both dragons and humans alike." Ember gave him a skeptical look.

He chuckled softly when he noticed his friend. His friend was up in the sky on top of a red dragon. It looked similar to a fire dragon but it's scales seemed too shiny, too hard like a stone and too crystal like.

"What type of dragon is that?" Ember asked mindlessly out of curiosity.

"It's a Ruby dragon." Ryan waved out to his friend as Ember chuckled in excitement.

"Really? I've never seen of them before... but I've read them in a scroll somewhere. Wow..." Ember said in awe as the ruby dragon landed on the ground.

A boy jumped off and ran over to Ryan. He gleamed as the boy ran into his arms.

"I've missed you so much buddy." Ryan said happily and the blonde girl scooted over to give them room as far as the chain let her, which wasn't very far.

Ryan introduced her to the boy, "Mike, I want you to meet Ember. Ember this is Mike, my little bro." Ryan said as Ember waved hello.

She looked around in her surroundings, the village seemed so happy. Mike ran off to his other friends, and Ember followed with no choice.

Ryan said the village was their home. Their only home that they felt like they belonged.

"I used to be in a shifting village too but my entire family was cast out and my family had to find someplace to go. That's when Tyler helped me, helped all of us." Ember looked deep into his broken eyes and realized that he'd been through some stuff.

"I'm sorry that happened to you... I've never really thought what was it like for outcasts..." Ember said softly. She gulped as he pulled her into a restaurant. They sat at a table and a waitress came up to them.

"Hello what can I get for ya?" She asked all sweet and phony like.

"Oh can I get two lemonades." Ryan answered and Ember rested her head on her hand.

"So Ember, I'm not as bad as you think, just—spend the day with me and maybe you'll even like me a little." Ryan smirked warmly and Ember chuckled wryly.

"No way in hell, I'm gonna like you at all." Ember spat and looked out into the window.

She got real tired of his fake act trying to trick her. They had a window booth, and the waitress walked up to them again.

She held two lemonades in her hands. She placed them down and asked for food. Ryan politely denied and Ember sighed as she took a sip from the lemonade.

"Just..." Ryan sighed, "Give me a chance okay?"

"What are you up to?" Ember furrowed her eyebrows.

"Nothing, I promise." Ryan said casually. Ember rolled her eyes.

Then he stood up, Ember realizing she's still attached to him, she groaned in frustration.

"I want to show you something." Ryan said as he pulled Ember along. They walked out of the restaurant and walked over to a group of boys.

"Hey guys... lets show Ember here how to have some fun." Ryan grinned and the boys chuckled.

"Whooo! Yeah! You're gonna have so much fun." One of the boys hollered and Ryan suddenly let her go. He unchained her and she was surprised.

Okay then...

Ember felt another boy grab her hand and pull her along, she got on top of the ruby dragon. The dragon roared and suddenly dashed as Ember screamed holding on for dear life.

"OH MY GODDDDD!!" She shrieked and laughed simultaneously.

She loved the thrill of the dragon doing these kind of flips and she'd go upside down for a moment but it would feel like she was going in slow motion.

Seeing the ground below her, upside down. And then she'd be right side up again. Ryan got onto a earth dragon and his friends on a wind dragon.

You're a fun human...

The voice echoed and boomed inside of Ember's head.

"Haha thanks!" Ember yelled out to her and smiled.

Ember hugged the ruby dragon's neck, she felt the vibration of his purr.

Ember felt a gush of wind from the earth dragon next to her, "Hey Ember!" Ryan called out to her. Ryan waved as Ember smiled.

"This is fun!" Ember chuckled, "WHOOOOOO!" She hollered as the ruby dragon dashed down.

Feeling as though she's in a tunnel of wind, wind pushing at her face, making her hair whip all over the place. And when the ruby dragon would slow down and fly up to the clouds, suddenly being calm.

Flying slowly as Ember would lean back and extend her arms and hands out to reach the clouds. The ruby dragon landed gently on top of a house, Ember breathed heavily and gleamed.

"That was awesome... thank you." Ember hugged her one last time, and stroked her neck. She jumped off and the ruby dragon took off into the sky.

Ember watched in awe and turned around to Ryan standing right behind her, "Ahhh!" Ember screamed as Ryan jump-scared her.

"Jeez!" Ember said as her hand was over her chest.

She almost fell off of the roof when Ryan caught her.

"Woah..." Ryan chuckled and pulled her up gently, "You okay?" Ryan said softly.

Ember nodded and suddenly, he seemed gentle. He seemed kind and sweet. Ember fell right into his trap, his eyes would fool you into thinking he's a good boy.

But he's not.

Ember giggled and sighed. She hugged into his arms and Ryan smiled warmly as he hugged Ember tightly.

"I want my beauty, Radiant." Ryan whispered and injected something into Ember.

She gasped in shock and whimpered as she started shifting. She turned into her powerful rainbow dragon and roared loudly that it shook the whole village.

Everyone looked at her in awe.

Ryan laughed and called something out to them. Then he got on top of Spectrum. She scowled and started bucking. Ryan tased her and she yelped.

She whimpered and pinned her ears down to her sides. Spectrum bowed down to Ryan and cried knowing that she dug herself a hole, she couldn't get out of.