Chapter 4 #2
“Hurry!” Frid pushed me through the opening and followed right behind me.
Solomon got out next. Victor followed and it took another moment for Tynan’s black jacket to appear on the other side.
Only then did I look around and realized that we were on the roof of the building. One side of it was flat, but we were at the highest point of the prison. There was nowhere to go after that.
“Turn!” Tynan shouted.
My eyes darted to Tynan. He was braced against the broken door, attempting to hold back the dozens of monsters that were trying to push through from the other side.
They stuck out their bloody arms and inched their bodies through the opening.
Tynan’s feet slid on the surface of the roof. We were out of time.
Frid started to change, her clothes absorbed into her body and her tall frame grew wide when her sandy brown dragon spread its wings.
Victor was already half done shapeshifting, he was smaller and metallic gray in color with black stripes on his back.
Then my eyes landed on a massive dark brown dragon who was standing where Solomon was just a moment ago.
Stupefied, I watched Tynan run straight at me just as a herd of monsters burst through the door and spilled out onto the roof. Everything slowed at that moment, and I could not peel my eyes away from the terrifying picture.
“Get on my back!” Frid shouted, breaking the silence.
“I can fly,” I said watching her lowering her body to the ground.
“Not in your condition.”
Suddenly, a wall of flames appeared between us and the prison door. I watched hypnotized as Tynan sprayed a thick current of flames toward the undead.
“That’s impossible! It can’t be,” I whispered.
“Hurry!” Frid shouted and I climbed on Frid’s back. “Clear!” Frid shouted, soaring up.
Victor and Solomon followed us. Tynan was the last to jump off the roof just as the building ignited in flames. The figures of the monsters still ambled on the roof, and helped spread the flames further.
“You can spit fire?” I shouted, feeling the cold air numbing the skin on my cheeks.
“Yeah,” Frid responded.
I watched the group of dragons travel above the uneven terrain then my eyes closed. I could not believe that I survived to live another day. Only hours ago I thought it was over. I wanted it to be over, I wished it to be over.
The crisp night air pricked my skin and I felt the hot burn of tears stinging my eyes.
I was not alone, not anymore. At least for a while I was able to experience a moment of freedom.
Almost against my will, my mind returned me back to my home, and a lonely tear rolled down my cheek.
I had been so incredibly unhappy for so long that I forgot to appreciate what I had.
My brother, my friends, the people who surrounded me and always tried to help.
I recognized their love, but my heart could never respond.
I considered myself a broken person, almost a shell, who only went through the motions, and only looked normal.
I was so ungrateful and weak. My destiny was in the hands of strangers, and the new, unfamiliar world around me was more terrifying than my darkest nightmares.
I would give anything to return to my endless green fields and the rivers, to the stone castle my family had ruled for many centuries, to my brother, to my friends.
I shook my head, concentrating on the bleak light of the sun. The dragons flew close to each other, and without communicating in any way, they followed Tynan as one. It was an incredible sight to see.
“Where are we going?” I shouted, unsure if Frid could still hear me.
She turned her head and I saw the bony brow and a sky blue eye as she examined me.
“We have an order to bring you to the capital.”
“What for?” I asked.
Frid did not respond. I straightened. They were following orders.
They were taking me to another prison, and I did not know what would happen to me at the end of this journey.
Blood rushed to my face. If there ever was a time when I needed to be strong, it was now.
I did not know how or when, but I had to escape.
My eyes focused on the scales as black as the blackest night.
I had to be ready to make my move at the very first opportunity.
And I would not hesitate, I would not stop until I got back to my brother.
He would be able to protect me against anything.
A new determination ignited a fire in my chest and I exhaled.
The sky changed its color from cobalt blue to indigo, and the stars sparkled as if someone had spilled diamond dust above us. Tynan made a wide curve, slowly descending. In the distance, an unknown dragon lowered down onto the roof of a building.
“What’s going on?” I shouted.
“We need to rest,” Frid responded.
I leaned forward, gripping the dragon’s neck, trying to flatten my body.
Below, Victor was already turning to his human form. To my astonishment, he was fully clothed when the change was completed. It was the same for all the others, too.
My mouth dropped open. Every time I transformed, my dress would be torn to pieces and I had to take a change of clothes with me every time I went flying.
But I was the only dragon in Gora as well as in Rottestadt.
I had never seen any of my kind. My mother was the only dragon shifter I knew of, but she had passed long before I could remember her.
When Frid landed, I slid down to my feet and immediately felt the stiffness in my muscles from the hours of sitting in one position.
“Holy dragon bones!” An unfamiliar young man with curly, blond hair approached me, and I immediately took a step back.
Tynan crossed his arms on his chest, watching the young man.
“Don’t pay attention to Erin. He’s harmless,” Frid said as she stepped beside me, stretching her arms.
“Alfrida, darling. I missed you.” Erin grinned at the girl.
“Not now, I’m too tired.” Frid walked past him.
“What do we have here?” Erin turned, scrutinizing me.
He looked approximately the same age as the others, but his clothes were more polished and looked more brown than Frid’s but less dark than Tynan’s. It made me think that the suits they all wore matched the colors of their dragons.
“Are you sure you took the right person?” Erin changed his light tone, and gave Tynan a surprised look.
“She was in the high-security cell facing the drop,” Tynan responded.
“Is that right?” Erin touched his chin, looking at me. “So, what did you do?” he asked, tilting his head.
I could sense that the attention of everyone on the roof was on me.
“Nothing,” I whispered.
The blond man just shook his head and sighed.
“Let her rest, will you?” Frid snapped.
She sat down on the crookedly stacked shingles before sprawling out and closing her eyes.
I followed suit and sat down. My eyes landed on my dress, the light blue silk had turned to a gray mess and the hem of my skirt was shredded.
I looked at my hands, my nails were black and my hands were scratched in multiple places.
I remembered that had happened when I tried to open the door; then a wave of sticky, cold fear returned me to my prison cell.
I shivered, wrapping my arms around my shoulders.
“What are you doing here?” Tynan asked.
“They sent me to check on you,” the new guy responded.
“I bet they didn’t expect us to make it,” Victor muttered.
He was already lying beside Frid, his head moved to the side and he closed his eyes.
“How bad was it?” Erin asked.
“What do you think?” Frid answered.
“I think you still owe me a date.” Erin grinned.
Frid grumbled, covering her face with her arm.
“What do you have for us?” Tynan asked.
“As a matter of fact, I have nothing,” the guy responded.
“I told you they didn’t think we would make it,” Victor reminded them.
“I suggest you fly to Riolle. Wait for your next orders there. Take a break, wash up, eat. Hook up with a girl or two,” Erin continued.
“The pigeon has a point. It will take more than a week of flying to get back to the capital. We’ll never make it,” Solomon said.
I turned to see his calm face. He was quiet most of the time and I sometimes forgot that he was even there.
“Can we drop the horrid nickname? Please and thank you.” Erin looked annoyed.
“Fine.” Tynan sighed and stretched on the rooftop, closing his eyes.