by Sarah Noffke
He was snoring within a minute, a comforting sound that joined the others of the Outback nicely.
When the rabid hounds showed up, Sophia didn’t bolt into position like she had the nights prior. She started to wake Lunis but stopped herself. They weren’t fighting the beasts. At least that was the plan, so she didn’t see any reason to rouse Lunis from what seemed like pleasant dreams.
She’d heard him mumble polite phrases throughout the night like, “Thank you” and “Yes, please,” making her believe he was dreaming of nachos and binge-watching television.
If things got dire, she’d definitely wake her dragon and happily fly off on him, admitting she was wrong. For the time being, he might as well sleep while she decided if her convoluted plan, centered mostly on faith, was correct.
The dingoes did as they had the first night and prowled around the perimeter, their red eyes flashing as they growled and made their presence known.
Sophia watched, her arms around her dragon. For a long while she watched them drawing nearer, taking their chances by inching in closer and closer. Her instinct was to fight. To rise to her feet and swing her sword and tell her dragon to defend.
She resisted and simply lay still, doing her best to ignore the zombie creatures. When they were close enough that she could smell them it was hard not to move, especially when they drew in so close their fur whisked her skin as they passed.
Lunis jumped to his feet and threw Sophia off him when they brushed him.
Sophia tightened her grasp around his neck and held him close. Don’t move, she encouraged, speaking in his head.
You didn’t wake me, he scolded, hurt obvious in his tone.
I’m sorry, she apologized and then shook her head. No, I’m not sorry. You needed to rest, and there was nothing to see but the creatures stalking us.
I wanted to see that, he demanded.
You’ve missed nothing, she stated as one of the monsters sniffed her boot, drool dripping from his mouth.
Lunis eyed the monster, and Sophia knew he was resisting his every instinct by not attacking.
Just allow them, Sophia encouraged.
One of the dingoes ran by, nipping the dragon’s tail and darting away. It wasn’t enough to draw blood, but it was enough that Lunis’ head swung in the direction of the retreating mutt.
Just let it go, Sophia said, observing that since he awoke and started paying attention to them, they had become more rambunctious, just like on the other nights. When they’d fought the beasts, the dingoes got more enlivened. When Sophia was the only one awake, they had been pretty subdued.
Maybe she had been wrong not to wake Lunis, she reasoned, but she’d wanted to give him a chance to sleep. He was on guard now, and that seemed to have an effect on the dogs.
Lun, I think you need to close your eyes and relax.
How can I even consider that, he asked, stress coating his voice.
I know it seems counterproductive, Sophia said. But that’s what my instinct says.
A pair of rather large zombie dingoes were approaching on either side of them, their fangs bared and their eyes glaring red.
But Sophia, Lunis argued vehemently in her head.
I know, she replied. But trust me. Close your eyes. Relax. Invite them in.
She felt Lunis rumble internally with unease. She knew this was against his nature, which always told him to fight. She also knew he trusted her more than anything else. The more she held onto him and encouraged him to relax, the more she knew he was closer to accepting that reality.
The two hounds were dangerously close, the sight of their internal organs hanging out of their body too close for comfort. Sophia took her own advice and closed her eyes.
She knew there were dangers in the world. There always would be, but she was safe and secure with the creature she was holding onto. She was safe as long as she quit running from danger and faced it head-on. Sometimes that meant fighting, and sometimes it meant simply facing what she feared.
When she was close to falling asleep, Sophia opened her eyes to find the dingoes almost nose to nose with her. She should have jumped to her feet and defended herself. Instead, she hugged her dragon, opened her mouth, and said, “Welcome to our humble abode. Enjoy your stay.”
And with that, the rider and her dragon fell asleep, hoping the strangest magic they’d ever used worked.
Chapter Ninety-Nine
The dreams Sophia had that night were strange, yet they made her feel invigorated when she woke. Maybe it was simply the fact she woke up at all, which made her feel inspired.
Lunis stirred at the same time as her, just before sunrise, to find their camp empty. They were still in one piece, not a single mark on them from the zombie dingoes.
Sophia pushed up as the reality started to dawn on her. It was hard to believe it had worked.
We didn’t fight, and we survived, Lunis declared, his voice clouded with disbelief.
“I think there’s a beautiful lesson here,” she stated, surveying their camp, which needed a lot of attention.
It’s a beautiful Sophism, Lunis said, affectionately.
“Sophism?” she questioned.
Yes, things Sophia says and does that should be in a book.
“Or on a t-shirt?” she teased.
He batted his eyes at her, looking much more energized than the days prior. My dragon proverbs go on t-shirts. Your stuff needs to be in libraries. Maybe even put on GIFs.
Sophia laughed. “Oh, wow, I’ve gotten big enough for GIFs. What’s next? Memes?”
Don’t go crazy just yet, he joked. But in all seriousness, you’re the queen at knowing when to fight and when to stand down. The dingoes, we could have fought to the death. We could have defended ourselves every single night. But you pieced it all together and realized we didn’t have to fight. That fighting only encouraged them. When we stayed still and gave them no reaction, they moved on, bored without any attention. I feel like the same thing happens in life all the time. You react to someone and it incites them. You ignore them and they go away.
Sophia smiled, realizing how accurate his words were. “Yes, most people are zombie dingoes, aren’t they?”
Yes, he affirmed. And most try to fight them. Few have the good sense to close their eyes when a drooling monster is in their face threatening them. You knew to invite in your demons, and that was what saved us.
Sophia let out a heavy breath, wondering if they had come full circle yet. She wasn’t sure. They still had a few more days in the Australian Outback, which shouldn’t be underestimated. “Well, you did catch our dinner for the last few days, which I think saved us.”
Lunis gave her a meaningful expression. Sophia, we saved each other. That’s the way. The way it is now and for all time. You and I are nothing without one another.
Sophia was skinnier than she ever remembered. She was dirty in every place possible. There were smells about her she wasn’t sure would ever go away, yet she felt stronger and better than ever before.
Somehow by being broken down, she had found a part of her she absolutely adored. A part that complemented her dragon in ways neither had realized.
Sophia and Lunis still had much to learn about the world and each other. There was so much to discover. So many things to do and be. But right then, the pair felt completely bonded to one another and to the world they were trying to understand. One day they would save it, although neither knew that was going to be their destiny.
Chapter One Hundred
It only took a day for Sophia and Lunis to find a routine that suited them. She spent the morning caring for the shelter, which didn’t take long to repair.
The dragon hunted for them while she collected water. Later they ate, listening to the Outback and discussing things that were unique for them. They talked about ideas and philosophies, rambling on for hours about things neither had ever considered. Sophia found that whereas before she missed Wilder, Mahkah, Ainsley, Quiet, and maybe even Hiker and Evan, she d
idn’t feel that way anymore. She felt fulfilled within in a new way.
When night began to fall, they both tensed briefly before remembering they weren’t there to fight the Outback.
“We are here to be one with it,” Sophia reminded. “We are here to be one with ourselves.”
Lunis nodded. Doing as he had the nights prior, he curled up and made a space for Sophia.
The zombie dingoes returned every night and made their presence known. The pair got better at ignoring them. Not really ignoring. If one ignores their demons, they slowly take over. Instead, the two just quit giving their power away to the monsters.
They rested at night. They thought sweet thoughts. They prepared for the day ahead instead of giving everything away to the demons who would inevitably slay them with exhaustion if given the opportunity.
On the final day in the Australian Outback, Sophia rose, feeling more energized than when she had plumbing and the Castle provided everything for her. She wasn’t sure why, since she hadn’t had a proper shower or meal in a week. But somehow in the Outback, she’d found her own brand of magic and mixed it with Lunis’ they’d managed just fine. She ventured to say they were thriving.
She didn’t look much like before. Her pants had been altered to be shorts since she’d lost the one pant leg on the first day. Her shirt had been torn so many times she had pulled off the sleeves and repurposed parts of the fabric into bits she’d wrapped around her arms and wrists. She personified the look of a strange tribal warrior.
Her hair was a gigantic mess, as Lunis liked to remind her. However, she’d found a way to corral it back into a strange assortment of dread-like braids. Her face was covered in dirt most of the time, although she tried to take a proper bath in the lake most mornings.
Often, she hoped to see Smeg again, but the croc didn’t surface. She suspected he’d moved on to a different body of water somewhere on the Earth and hoped to find him again in the future. He was helpful in his own crazy way.
Since they hadn’t had to spend their time battling any more rabid dogs or giant spiders, the two had taken up hobbies. Sophia had started to make jewelry out of the stones she’d collected. Around her wrists and neck, she wore several bracelets and necklaces fashioned from homemade rope.
More surprisingly, Lunis had started painting, although Sophia had hoped he’d take up baking. Alas, he said that would be impossible since he didn’t know how to come by any leavening ingredients in the Outback.
He had created beautiful paintings on the wall by their shelter using the clay from the lake and coloring it with dyes from wildflowers. The paintings were masterpieces Sophia had never seen in real life, complete with pictures of Scotland and Los Angeles and her travels. It was at nightfall on their last day she realized why she couldn’t pull her eyes from the paintings.
“You created our life,” she whispered to her dragon.
I immortalized it, he said. But yes. It only seemed fitting since we were on this soul journey.
“I like our life,” Sophia said.
I think that was the point to all this, Lunis said. If you came out of this not liking where you came from, you’d probably be stuck here until you figured out how to change it. But you like where we came from, and I daresay you want to go back, don’t you?
She turned, smiling wide at Lunis. “With all my heart. But what I realized more than anything is that no matter where I call home, which presently and hopefully forever is the Castle, I only ever want to be somewhere if you are too. I really thought growing up in the House of Fourteen was my home. And then my place with Liv. And later, the Castle. But now…after the Outback, I know the truth.” Sophia reached out and stroked her dragon’s face. “You are my home. Where you are, no matter if the conditions are pleasant or hellish, I want to be there. No matter what.”
One hundred percent, Lunis said.
And as if prompted by their words, a portal opened beside them, sent by the Castle to bring them back to the real world, where there were real problems that needed their help now that they were aligned.
Chapter One Hundred One
The cold of the Expanse was such a contrast to the Australian Outback that Sophia slipped on her cloak first thing after stepping through the portal.
She drank in the fresh, clean air, enjoying how it instantly seemed to refresh her. The green of the hills was such a contrast to the red dirt and muted colors of the Outback it almost hurt Sophia’s eyes.
The sight of the three dragonriders waiting for her just outside the Barrier was definitely welcomed. Sophia found herself rushing in their direction, realizing how much she’d missed them—even Evan.
Evan offered her a repulsed expression as she approached and reeled backward. Mahkah stood stoically, his hands pinned behind his back. Wilder had his arms extended, welcoming Sophia with a hug, relief evident in his blue eyes.
When she was close enough, he dropped his arms and leaned back, squinting at her with disbelief. “Wow, that’s a new look for you.”
Sophia glanced down at her ripped clothes, covered in dirt and grime. The armored shirt, once light-colored, was almost black. Sophia’s nails were caked in mud. It would take Mae Ling…well, no time at all to clean them up, but Sophia would need to stop by and see her fairy godmother soon. She knew her hair looked like it belonged on a hippie, arranged into thick dreadlocks down her back.
Evan covered his nose. “Dude, which one of you smells?” he asked Sophia and Lunis.
“I took a bath this morning,” Sophia replied. “Lun hasn’t had one all week.”
It’s her, Lunis argued. She took a bath in swamp water. He glanced affectionately at Sophia. There was a reason I didn’t bathe.
“I thought it was because you were pretending to be one of these guys,” she joked.
“Welcome back,” Mahkah said, bowing respectfully.
Wilder held out a single hand and went to slap Sophia on the shoulder but pulled it back just before connecting with her. “Yeah, welcome back.”
“So, you didn’t die?” Evan asked, his nose still covered.
“You’re still here so wishing on those Outback stars didn’t work,” she teased, winking at him.
“You will have to tell us all about it,” Wilder said, looking Lunis over.
“Yeah, let’s start with what did you do to your dragon?” Evan asked, also inspecting him.
“I adorned him with jewelry,” Sophia said proudly. Her dragon had her handmade necklaces arranged on his head like a crown. There were a few wrapped around his neck and legs, the shiny gems winking in the light.
She pulled a few bracelets from the pocket of her cloak and handed them out. “I made ones for each of you, too.”
Evan gave his bracelet back and shook his head. “I’m good. I don’t wear anything that reminds me of the Outback.”
Wilder, however, slipped his on and tightened it on his wrist. “That’s just because you were nearly eaten by a talking crocodile.”
Sophia gave Evan a surprised expression. “Smeg tried to eat you? Oh, he was super helpful to me.”
Evan sighed. “Of course, he was. Please tell me the zombie dingoes did try to eat you.”
Sophia laughed. “You’re so thoughtful. Who needs enemies when I’ve got you? And yes, the dingoes tried to eat us.”
Evan punched the air. “Yes!”
Lunis lowered his head and looked at the giddy rider. Well, until Sophia realized not to fight them, and they left us alone.
Sophia stretched. “Then we got some proper rest.”
The wide smile on Evan’s face disappeared. “You what?”
“You didn’t fight the dingoes?” Mahkah asked, intrigued.
“Yeah, would it have been cheating to tell us we’d encounter rabid zombie dogs?” Sophia asked, her hands on her hips.
“I’m afraid it would have been,” Mahkah answered. “But again, you didn’t fight them?”
No, we invited them into our house, so to speak, Lunis said, seeming much l
ighter as his head floated around, the necklaces making him look like a hippie too.
“W-wh-what?” Wilder asked. “You had a house?”
Sophia shrugged. “No, not really. Just a roof, but metaphorically speaking, we invited our houseguests in and welcomed them.”
“They didn’t chew off your faces?” Evan asked, his mouth wide and his eyes bulging.
“They totally did. This is my new face.” Sophia shook her head.
“Well, it’s dirty,” Evan replied. “Have you looked in a mirror? And I think you have a bush in your hair. Oh, and have I mentioned you smell bad?”
“She smells rugged,” Wilder corrected. “Like a cowboy or a girl who has spent a week in the Australian Outback.”
“The zombie dingoes,” Mahkah said, bringing the conversation back to the topic. “You really didn’t fight them?”
“Well, we did for a couple of nights,” Sophia explained. “However, it was going to be exhausting if we kept it up. It was a losing battle—”
“Which is the charm of the trip,” Evan stated, crossing his arms and looking bitter about the whole thing.
Sophia shook her head. “Then I had the idea that we wouldn’t defend ourselves. It seemed the more we fought, the more excited they got. When we started to ignore them, they became less interested and eventually left us alone.”
Mahkah combed his fingers over his chin. “Interesting. A risk but a strategic one.”
Wilder shook his head, astonished. “Simi and I fought those dingoes for seven days, sleeping during the day, and you simply closed your eyes and ignored them?”
She nodded proudly.
“I lived in a tree,” Evan said, disgusted.
“I killed all the spiders under that tree,” Sophia said.
“Well, you two obviously bonded,” Mahkah said, looking at her and Lunis. “You completed all the objectives of the training exercise.”
The group turned for the Castle, crossing the boundary to the Gullington and striding in time with one another. Lunis set off for the Cave when they crossed the Barrier. The Castle was a welcome sight in the distance. Sophia could already smell scones and couldn’t wait to slip into clean clothes after a long hot shower.