by Aya Knight
Zasha!
A thought dawned upon him. She too was a dragon and might know what was happening to his body.
I need the pendant. Maybe she will sense my distress. Anything is worth a try at this point.
Kale frantically scraped at his pant pocket, but to no avail. His large claws did nothing more than tear at the cloth.
Curses! This can’t be happening now—I’m so close. I’ve come so far …
“Kale.” A voice murmured.
Kale’s head shot upright, alarmed by the deep voice.
“Who is there?” Kale whispered out into the darkness.
“You have braved the desert, young Firehart; now is the time to open your eyes.”
Kale squinted into the darkness. Nothing could be seen in their immediate surroundings, and the sound—though loud—did not wake Kale’s companions. He couldn’t distinguish if the voice was truly there, or merely within his head. After walking for a prolonged distance in the heat, and with little sleep, it wasn’t too farfetched of a thought.
“Move.”
The amplified whisper startled Kale to his feet. His long claws hung heavily at each side, nearly grazing against his knees with each step.
“Show yourself.” Kale demanded as he made way to a nearby sand dune. His feet tromped heavily to outmatch the granules of sand that constantly cascaded down the side of the sizable mound.
Once perched atop the dune, Kale carefully scanned the area for any sign of life. He took great caution to continuously check on the safety of his friends from below. Kale was confident that should any trouble approach where they slept, he could confront the attacker swiftly, before any damage could be done. Despite his readiness for an ambush, there was no one to be seen.
Am I losing my mind? Kale went to slap his own face, but quickly hesitated as the weight of each claw tugged at his wrists, reminding him of the abnormality protruding from his fingers. For a moment, he was worried that he may have fallen into a slumber without realization, and this was yet another of Zasha’s tricks within his subconscious.
A deep rumble of laughter tore through the silence. “Stand mighty, Firehart, fear is not becoming of our kind.”
Kale narrowed his right eye. “Fear?” He forced a laugh in return. “I do not fear you! It is you after all who secludes yourself within the darkness—coward. Now show yourself.” He lifted his clawed-hand and swiped it threateningly through the air. The wind swooshed loudly, and for a moment, Kale felt intimidating with his self-proclaimed weaponry.
The heavy breath hit the back of Kale’s neck, causing him to spin around and thrash his clawed hands in a frenzy. Realizing he was not under attack, Kale once again confronted nothing more than surrounding darkness.
“I do not understand. Why do you toy with me? If you wield magic, what is your intention toward us?” Kale grew irritated by the game.
“I stand before you now—yet you do not see. Open your eyes, young Firehart.” The voice replied.
“If you are standing before me, then you would see that my eyes are, and have been open. I grow weary of these riddles. Leave us be.”
“That I cannot do, for I have come to aid you tonight. Tell me, Firehart, what is your most significant regret.”
“It’s no concern of yours.”
“I shall answer for you. You regret remaining in seclusion while your brethren fell to Jedah’s wrath.”
Kale immediately froze, tilting his head to the right side as he examined the open space. The air felt surprisingly warm. “How do you know such details about me …?”
“Trust my words, if you wish to see.” The voice paused. “Answer me this—what have you traveled so far to accomplish?”
Kale was taken aback by the question. There was no way he would confide the truth to this stranger—this voice.
“You come to bring life to dragon-kind!” The booming voice answered himself.
“Close your eyes, Kale Firehart. Close them and envision your brethren.”
Kale hesitated. Never before would he have considered letting his guard completely down—yet somehow, he knew he could trust whoever—whatever spoke. He took another quick glance toward where the others ignorantly slept before letting his lids drop. Kale exhaled and pictured in his mind the once mighty dragons.
“Now, young one—see the truth!”
Kale’s eyes shot open. His jaw hung at the sight before him. He took two large steps back, staggering to keep balance upon the dune.
“It cannot be…” Kale’s words were soft-spoken.
There before him, stood the Emerald Prince.
Chapter 5: The Hunt
“Impossible! How—how can this be? You were the first to be slain in Jedah’s senseless war upon our kind.” Kale stood in place, awestruck by the sight of the slightly transparent dragon.
“It is true. I was slain by that monstrous creature. Though my mortal body has perished, my soul lives on, as do the rest of our brethren.” The Emerald Prince lowered his head closer to Kale.
“Then why have you not come to me sooner? I have been wandering on an aimless quest through this hideous sand pit, and now—look at these!” Kale held up his clawed hands. “I have become an abomination!”
The Emerald Prince merely laughed to himself. “Zasha spoke truth about you, young Firehart. What a heated temper. Only you, a dragon by blood, can summon our fallen spirit. I had no means of coming to you before tonight. Without your will, we cannot appear outside of the place in which we have fallen.”
Kale pondered the large, green dragon’s words for a moment. “You’re telling me that around here is where Jedah and his men slaughtered you?”
“Not directly, but quite near.”
“Then, the eggs must not be far—right? I’m sure after they had sunk into the earth, you were determined to retrieve them, therefore you wouldn’t have strayed far.” Kale stepped forward with determination. “Please. Show me the way.”
The corners of the Emerald Prince’s mouth tilted slightly upward in what appeared to be a grin of satisfaction. “You are young, but wise.” He turned his head and looked to the distance. “However, we are still many miles from where the eggs were lost. On the day I was ambushed, I had left my territory to hunt. This, in the end, was a favorable occurrence you see. Had I lured the army to where the eggs sank, the barbaric men might have come across the location on their own. Though Jedah was ignorant to what he held in that sack, it was a chance I was grateful wasn’t taken.”
“Then let me wake my friends and you can guide us there.” Kale insisted. “They will be amazed to see you—especially Thomas!”
“Only you can see me, Firehart. And I think it would be wise to allow your comrades a good rest. The day brings terrible heat that can drain even the strongest of men. Come dawn, I shall show you the way.”
“Fine.” Kale shuffled around impatiently. “But what do I do with these? And why is this happening to—” His voice drifted as he held up two perfectly normal human hands. “I—I don’t understand.”
“You know the answer, Firehart. A dragon is what you are and shall always be. Your human shell cannot alter this fact.”
“But what if it happens again? What if there comes a time where I must defend those I care for and those—those things come out of my fingers?”
“You will learn to live with who you are and what you have become. These transformations are a part of you. You are unique, Kale, and have more potential than you can imagine. The world needs you—just as you are.”
The ghost-like figure of the Emerald Prince faded until nothing could be seen aside from the pale color of sand.
Kale carefully made his way down the dune and back to where his friends slept. He was grateful they hadn’t woken during his encounter to find him talking into th
e air with claws protruding from his hands. Yet, Kale knew in the pit of his gut this would not be the last time the transfiguration occurred. He yawned heavily before dropping to the ground and pulling himself into the warm cocoon where Neelan slept. His arms wrapped tightly around her small frame, pulling her firmly against his chest as he gazed over her shoulder to continue watch. Dawn was coming quickly, and soon it would be time to reveal his destiny.
The sun beat against his lids and sweat coated his entire body inside of the blankets that now functioned as a sauna. He peeled his eyes open just in time to see the black boot swing forward into his shoulder.
“What in Pan’s name?!” Kale scrambled around in the wrapped blankets before jumping to his feet.
“You fool!” Illadar’s voice was hard, instantly revealing his anger. “We coulda’ been killed last night! You were supposed to keep watch, kid.”
Kale glanced around at the disappointed expressions of Illadar, Neelan, and Thomas.
“You could have woken me, you know?” Neelan placed her hand onto Kale’s arm. “There are a lot of dangers out here.”
“I’m sorry, everyone. I didn’t realize I had fallen asleep.” Kale chewed on his bottom lip in shame for letting them down.
He knew a slip such as this could have cost them all their lives. He was so close—too close to achieving his goal to let something so careless occur.
“It won’t happen again.” Kale confirmed.
They packed up, and Kale mustered the words to explain what had happened during the night. Neelan and Illadar glanced toward Kale as though he were a loon, speaking nonsense. Thomas however stroked his long beard in deep thought.
“How will you bring him forth to us?” The old sorcerer finally spoke after a long bout of silence.
“I don’t really know. I suppose I can try what was done last night when he revealed his form to me.” Kale replied.
“Well then, let’s get on with it, kid.” Illadar nudged Kale forward. “Do your thing—it’s gettin’ hot and our water supply won’t last much longer.”
Kale nodded, closing his eyes and envisioning the Emerald Prince. The dragon’s mighty green body, grand wings, and deadly spikes. He opened his eyes, prepared to see the massive form before him—yet there was nothing.
“I don’t understand. He said he would help us …” Kale spoke with disappointment.
“Maybe you slept too long, lazy.” Neelan teased. “He probably went off to do whatever it is dead dragons do, when not returning from the grave.” She playfully smiled.
“It’s not funny Neelan. We need him to find the eggs!” Kale tugged at his hair.
Neelan frowned, taking a step back.
“Calm yourself, Kale.” Thomas insisted. “We will get nowhere with such behavior. You must settle and think—there must be something different that was done.”
“I don’t know!” Kale pinched his eyes shut. “I just wish that the Emerald Prince were here to aid us.” Kale paused. “I wish … that’s it!” He spun around to face the others. “I think I know what to do.”
He cleared his mind and focused intensely on the thought of his brethren—how badly he wished he could right the wrong which had befallen them. His heart cried out, and at that very moment, he could feel them close to him.
“He’s here!” Kale’s eyes shot open. There within his sight, stood the Emerald Prince.
Illadar raised an eyebrow, still obviously unsure of the situation. “I suppose I’ve trusted ya’ this long, kid. Might as well follow through.” He shrugged and followed Kale’s direction.
“You came.” Kale glanced up at the tall dragon, holding a hand over his eyes to shield the blinding sunlight.
The Emerald Prince nodded and turned to guide their path toward where the eggs sank.
They walked for a couple of hours, dripping from head to toe in their own bodily secretions. Humidity hovered around them as though the desert was one large coffin, waiting for their bodies to become devoid of life.
Finally, the Emerald Prince stopped. He swung his large tail around and lowered his head, level with Kale’s. “You grow weak Firehart, and so, I must leave.”
“Wait—I don’t understand. You’re leaving us in the middle of nowhere?” Kale spoke the first words since their trek had begun.
The sound startled Neelan and she instinctively leapt back. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to you speaking to the air, Kale.” She said while rubbing her own arm for comfort.
“Yes, young one, I am only able to appear in full form when you will it so. When your human body grows weak, so does my ability to walk the mortal realm. Fear not, Firehart, for we have made it to your destination. Over the years, sand has blown over the land, making it nearly impossible to know the exact location where the eggs sank. Though I know you will certainly find it. Do not give up—child of light.”
“Child of Light? Wait! Where are you …” Kale sighed. “He’s gone.”
“Can we assume that this is where we need to be?” Thomas questioned. His grey beard was matted down against his chin and neck. His white, peeling lips indicated they needed to stop and take a brief rest.
“Yes. Well, sort of. He told me it is around here, though the sands have covered any indication of the exact location. I suggest we take a moment to recover and cool our bodies before searching.” Kale dropped heavily to the ground.
“How are we gonna’ know when we find the right place?” Illadar lowered his bags and lay back with a square piece of cloth over his face to shield the sun.
“I presume we will have to take caution when walking. The eggs had sunk beneath the earth’s surface in what appeared to be some form of quicksand. Without knowing where the sinking ground bottoms, we must take each step carefully. It could mean certain death should any of us fall into the sandy trap.” Thomas tilted a canteen toward the sky and allowed a rush of warm water to glide down his dry throat.
They each took a brief break to regain their composure. Illadar pulled two pieces of fruit from his bag and carefully sliced each in half using a small pocket-sized knife. He handed everyone a portion before indulging in his share of the sweet, rose-colored peach. The juices were satisfying and each tender bite helped satisfy their empty stomachs.
Once they had finished consuming their small rations, the time had come to prepare for the hunt. There was still enough daylight left to cover a significant amount of ground within the surrounding area.
“I’ll go that way.” Kale pointed to his right. “Neelan, you scout over there; but stay close where I can see you at all times. Illadar and Thomas, you take the opposite direction.”
Thomas nodded. “We need to remain within constant sight of one another. There are many dunes surrounding us. We wouldn’t want anyone to get lost in such a place. I advise you all to slide your feet with each step to create a trail of where we each have been.” He demonstrated this tactic to the group. “Since there is no breeze until nightfall, we should have plenty of time to view our paths as to not overlap the same ground twice.”
“He’s right. We can’t afford to backtrack. Without any idea of how far from civilization we’ve ventured, riskin’ more time than necessary out here could prove fatal.” Illadar turned and began sliding his feet against the sand in a rhythmic pattern.
“All right everyone—let us go now. Call out should you discover any abnormalities in the ground,” Kale spoke as he also turned and began working his way around the area.
Hours passed and the sun crept closer to the horizon with every passing minute.
“This is hopeless, Kale!” Neelan called out as she shuffled her way toward him. “I’m soaked from this horrid heat and we’ve been going in circles for hours—I don’t think we’re in the right spot.”
“There’s more time. We have until dusk—”
/> “Which is nearly here!” She cut his words short. “I care dearly for you, and support your decision to search for the eggs, but I think it’s time we either made camp, or moved locations to look. There is no certainty that this is indeed where we should be. The Emerald Prince has been dead for years—he could have easily forgotten. This desert looks the same no matter which way you look!” Neelan extended her arms in both directions.
“He wasn’t wrong, Neelan! I’m certain of it.” Kale protested.
“Stop being so stubborn Kale and listen to—” Neelan’s scream filled the air as her body fell into the earth.
“Neelan? Neelan!” Kale frantically ran toward where she had stood only seconds before. “Thomas … Illadar … help!”
The two men rushed to Kale’s side, frantically panting while struggling to intake each breath.
Kale explained what he had witnessed. His hands shot down into the earth, shoveling sand to his side. The ground felt abnormally soft and tugged at his arm.
“Kale, stop at once!” Thomas scolded. “That pit will swallow you whole. There is no telling where it goes. Should you fall in, you’ll be no help to Neelan if what lies beneath is nothing more than sand. You’ll suffocate before pulling her out alive.”
“Then she could be in dire trouble, Thomas. I need to save her!” Kale’s eyes burned and his heart pounded against his chest. The thought of Neelan in pain was stabbing at his very soul.