Chapter 7 Viol #2
But if Cobalt knew I’d chickened out during a storm, he might think I was childish, or worse, incompetent. I wanted to prove that I was capable of taking care of myself. A little rain wasn’t going to stop me.
Clutching my bag tight, I surged ahead with a ferocious cry. I was a dragon. I wouldn’t let the damned weather get the best of me.
I flew for what felt like hours, but in reality, it could’ve been minutes. My sense of time was screwed by the lack of change. Everything, everywhere was gray. Rain and wind, sky and sea. The only splash of color was the purple scales on my wings as they beat furiously against the elements.
Every muscle ached. My wings were exhausted, and my eyes stung from the whipping winds.
After what seemed like ages, the storm suddenly calmed. The torrential rain slowed to a drizzle. But still, I didn’t stop to rest. I was scared the hurricane would catch up and suck me back into its vortex.
I couldn’t stop.
Still breathing hard, I forced myself higher into the sky. Those wing beats were difficult, given my exhaustion, but the added height meant I could glide for a while—and maybe end up somewhere safe.
When I was high as I could go, I unfurled my wings as wide as possible, then tilted forward. Gravity cradled my body, pushing me forward without any extra effort.
I closed my eyes, just to rest for a while, and let fate take me where it would.
The next time I opened my eyes, the world looked unfamiliar.
Stretched out before me was a vast, open domain of white. Everything was low to the ground—the snow, the rocks, even the gray-purple hills in the distance. Nothing seemed to rise higher than halfway to the massive blue sky.
The air smelled different, too. It was dry and cool, a far cry from the island’s humid heat. Cold blanketed everything. There were no potent aromas wafting from ostentatious flowers here. It was all snow, snow, and snow. Sometimes rocks. But mostly snow.
I lifted my head to the sun. Just like everything else in this land, it was shockingly low in the sky. Not quite as hot, either.
I grunted and stopped looking up. The muscles in my neck were stiff and sore. The more I moved, the deeper my body ached. I felt it in body parts I didn’t even know could hurt.
My head felt hazy, too. I didn’t remember landing here. Had I passed out and crashed? How far was I from home?
Without moving my head too much, I tried scanning my surroundings. The land stretched on forever, seemingly empty. Nothing moved or made a sound across the white expanse. I was in a different world.
My stomach growled.
I sighed. No animals meant no hunting, which meant no food. No food meant I’d take longer to recover.
Then I remembered there were snacks in my satchel. It was slung over my neck and shoulder with a secure harness clasp.
At least, it was supposed to be. It wasn’t there anymore.
“Shit,” I swore, annoyed and upset now. I didn’t care about the food. Wolfy was in there. If I lost him...
Frustration welled inside of me. Ignoring the pain, I raised my head and roared, shooting out an angry burst of fire. The flames dissipated and flew away as tiny cinders in the breeze.
“Dammit,” I muttered.
I couldn’t lay there forever. I had to get up and find my bag. But as I attempted to put my weight on my front paws, a sharp pain jolted up my arm. I winced, instantly sinking back against the grass. I tested the other paw for good measure, and felt the same shooting pain.
My stomach lurched. I was hurt worse than I thought.
And it was cold.
This is bad, I thought. My muscles were spent. My wings ached, too sore to fly, and I couldn’t walk.
But this land seemed uninhabited. That was both a good and a bad thing. Good because nobody would bother me while I recovered, and bad because I had nothing to eat.
I scowled, shivering as I curled up in the crunchy snow.
This sucks ass.
I closed my eyes and tried to fall back asleep. Time would pass, and my body would slowly heal on its own.
But some time after I’d settled down, my ear twitched.
I didn’t move, but I was wide awake. I focused on the novel sound. Chuff, chuff, chuff. The rhythmic footsteps of some four-legged animal. Alone. Probably a fellow hunter and not a prey animal. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t eat it.
The sound came from in front of me, so I slowly opened my eyes. I saw its source immediately. A white furry shape padding in my direction. I recognized it from the two small, pointed ears and long legs ending in big paws.
A wolf.
My hunger ground to a halt, replaced by a stirring sensation in my chest. It was the real-life version of Wolfy.
Well, shit. I couldn’t eat that.
Unless I got really hungry.
The wolf noticed I was awake, and halted instantly. Its ears flicked back, uneasy. Its thin chest filled and narrowed rapidly. It breathed hard, nervous now. A freaked-out wild animal confronted with a creature it’d never seen before.
I thought about calling out to it, but changed my mind. Animals were warier than shifters. I’d only scare it away, and I didn’t want it to bolt before I decided whether to eat it or not.
So I laid low, watching without moving.
The wolf glanced warily over its shoulder, then looked back at me. It inched closer.
When it was close enough to see its face, I searched its gaze. Amber-brown eyes glistened with sapient intelligence.
I was struck by doubt. Was it an animal, or a fellow shifter?
The wind blew in my direction, carrying the scent of the wolf straight to my nose. That’s when I noticed it.
The wolf was an omega.
He was a shifter.
As the realization hit me, I raised my head sharply, but the sudden movement sent the wolf skidding away.
“Wait,” I called.
The wolf stopped, his ears pinned back to his skull.
“Don’t go,” I pleaded. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
The wolf stared at me in fear and awe. He seemed curious, but afraid. If I didn’t play my cards right, he’d take off, and I’d be alone again. Even if I stayed hungry, I’d rather have another shifter’s company than nothing at all.
The seconds passed.
Eventually, the wolf’s ears swivelled forward again. Paw by paw, he came closer. He was small, and young. Not a pup, but not quite a fully mature adult, either. Probably bordering on adulthood, just like me.
“Hi,” I greeted cheerfully.
The wolf flinched, but stood his ground, as if determined not to be scared.
“H-hello,” he replied.
A warm feeling ribboned between my ribs. His voice was sweet and airy, like dandelion fluff.
“What... what are you?” the wolf asked.
I flashed him what I hoped was a non-threatening grin. “I’m a dragon. Haven’t you ever seen one before?”
He shook his head while staring at my rows of fangs.
“Don’t worry. Dragons don’t eat shifters,” I assured him.
The fur on his shoulders relaxed, but he still seemed wary. Since I’d grown up around dragons, and was a dragon, it never crossed my mind that I looked frightening to other shifters. Maybe he’d calm down if we knew each other’s names.
“I’m Violet,” I said. “What’s your name?”
His eyes softened. “I’m Poppy.”
I smiled at his sweet name. “Nice to meet you,” I greeted.
He hesitated as if he didn’t know how to reply.
“Nice to meet you?” Poppy offered. He sounded genuine, but also like he was saying the words for the first time in his life.
I snorted in amusement. “Have you never met a stranger before?”
“N-no.”
I paused. “How can that be?”
Poppy glanced over his shoulder again, then bowed his head, deferential. “I don’t—we don’t meet strangers.”
“Who’s we?”
Poppy’s ears flicked back. He continued to speak quietly. “My clan.”
I was so confused. “Don’t wolves have packs, not clans?”
His head drooped lower. “Um... I suppose we’re different.”
Weren’t wolves supposed to be noble and proud? There was no pride in his voice. In fact, he seemed nervous while talking. But the wolf intrigued me. I was excited to keep talking to him.
“So, what are you doing out here?” I asked, getting comfortable in my crappy snow nest.
My question seemed to pour a fresh wave of anxiety over Poppy. He shot another furtive glance backwards. Was he waiting for somebody, or was he nervous about being seen? I couldn’t tell, but either way, it ticked me off. I didn’t want to be interrupted.
Poppy sighed, the corners of his gentle eyes tense.
“I shouldn’t be all the way out here. I just needed a minute alone.
Then I saw the strangest thing—fire reaching for the sky.
But there was no smoke. It was only there for a second, then it was gone.
” He dropped his gaze as if ashamed. “I must’ve been seeing things. ..”
“Haha, nope. That was me,” I explained. “Look.”
I raised my neck, ignoring the pain in my muscles, and breathed out a puff of flame.
Poppy gasped, the fire’s glow shining in his eyes until it fizzled out of existence.
“H-how did you do that?” he asked, both excited and jumpy.
I puffed out my chest. “Dragons can breathe fire. It’s one of our unique abilities. And we can fly, too.”
Poppy’s eyes widened. For the first time since our conversation began, he no longer looked afraid. His fear was replaced by total awe as he stared at my wings. His face lit up as he stepped closer like a curious puppy.
“Your wings actually work?” he asked softly.
I grinned, ready to show them off, but when I budged my wing joints, they stung. I gritted my teeth so I wouldn’t hiss in pain.
“They usually work,” I grumbled. “But I hit a bad storm while flying, and I think I passed out and crashed.”
“Oh no,” Poppy cried. “You’re hurt?”
His genuine concern warmed my heart.
“I’ll heal fast since I’m a dragon,” I boasted. “But the worst part is that I lost my satchel. It had food and—something really important in it.”
I stumbled over my words at the last second. My plush toy was my most precious item, but apparently, it was abnormal for a guy my age to carry one around all the time. I didn’t want Poppy to judge me, or think I was a weirdo and stop speaking to me.
“A satchel?” Poppy asked.
“Yeah, like a bag. It probably came undone when I fell. I wonder if it’s around somewhere.”
“I.... I could try to find it for you,” he suggested, then hurriedly added, “If that’s okay.”
I blinked, wondering why he was so deferential. “That would actually be amazing. You’d do that for me?”
He smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I like having something to do.” For a moment, it seemed like he’d say more, but he didn’t elaborate. “Um, I need a good whiff of your scent to help me find your satchel. Is that all right?”
“Sure,” I agreed.
Poppy padded closer until his snout was inches from my chest. I suddenly felt flustered. I’d never been this close to an omega before. Especially such a cute one.
The cold, wet flesh of Poppy’s nose brushed my scales as he sniffed me.
Then it dawned on me that this was a huge display of trust. Even with my injuries, he was close enough for me to snatch in my front paws.
For such a wary wolf, he was putting a lot of faith in me.
I felt grateful. I wanted to return that trust.
“Okay,” Poppy said, pulling away. “I’ve memorized your scent. I’ll try to find it.”
Again, I felt flustered that he’d committed my scent to memory. Did he also find it intimate, or was it a normal wolf thing?
Poppy turned to trot away, then paused and asked, “Will you be okay by yourself, Violet?”
I snorted. “Don’t worry about me. I’m a fire-breathing dragon, remember? I can take care of myself.”
That reassured him. He nodded and loped off. I watched him leave, amused by the way his fluffy tail swished back and forth.
When Poppy was gone, I felt distinctly alone. His absence was tangible, like a weight in my chest. I put my head down against the snow and waited. If it weren’t for the ever-present fire deep in my chest, I would’ve frozen to death.
After about half an hour, my ear twitched at the chuff, chuff, chuff of racing paws, fast and determined. I raised my head and felt a burst of relief to see Poppy running towards me, the leather satchel strap hanging from his jaw.
“You found it!” I cried.
“I found it!” Poppy echoed, muffled from the strap. His tail wagged adorably as he set it down in front of me. He really was a cute omega.
My heart raced as I rifled through my satchel. The snacks were still present, but I had bigger concerns. When my paw brushed Wolfy’s familiar fake fur, I groaned in relief.
“Thank Holy Drake,” I mumbled, withdrawing my paw. “Everything’s here. Thanks, Poppy. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”
His ears perked up, and the tip of his tail wagged. “Y-you’re welcome. I was happy to help.”
“What can I do for you in return? Anything,” I offered.
Poppy looked stunned, like it never once crossed his mind that I could do something nice for him, too. He was quiet for a long beat. I wondered what he was thinking. In the end, he didn’t tell me.
“No, I don’t think so,” he finally replied. “Thank you for offering.”
He smiled, but it looked sad.
I didn’t want him to be sad. I wanted him to be as happy as he’d just made me.
“Seriously, I can do anything,” I repeated. “Back home, I’ve got money and everything.”
The sad smile didn’t budge from Poppy’s face. “Ah, that’s okay. Our clan doesn’t use... money. I appreciate the offer, though.”
I wasn’t backing down so easily. “Come on, there has to be something you want,” I pressed. “You can tell me.”
Poppy hesitated. The corners of his lips were drawn taut. He opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again.
“I... What I really want is—”
A piercing howl carried over the wind. Poppy jolted to his feet instantly, all his focus shifting to the sound.
“That’s Sorrel, my younger brother,” he said in a hurry. “He’s calling me. I have to go. I’m sorry.”
His timid demeanor changed in a heartbeat. After hearing his brother’s call, Poppy looked determined and resolved. Whatever he was going to say earlier died on his tongue.
I was suddenly worried he wouldn’t return.
“Will you come back?” I asked.
Poppy paused with his paw mid-air. “I’ll try. I really will,” he promised, giving me a weak smile. “Goodbye, Violet. I really hope I can see you again.”
Before I could ask what he meant by that, he’d run off.
I sighed and resigned myself to hours of loneliness. It shouldn’t have been a big deal. I had my lost satchel back, and everything in it. Even Wolfy, my most prized possession.
So, why did I feel oddly empty?