Page 4 of Upon Buried Embers
Another growl, this one a deeper rumble, and I can almost pretend it’s a thunderstorm after all. Watching as nature ravages the sky with no consequence is my favorite thing to witness.
Storms are the cries of the silent that have been made too scared to speak up.
I should know, I’m one of them.
If I stay here for a moment, the sound could lull me into an eternal sleep, pretending I’m walking into Elvanan’s grasp.
Or at least that’s what Effy had heard from another elf one time. Elvanan is who we bless, who we go to when we die. I don’t know if that’s true, but I hold on to it, needing that connection to who I am.
Who I could have been.
I must have fallen asleep at some point, because hot breath on my face startles me awake. The puffs of air are harsh but steady, and I don’t dare open my eyes at the sudden heavy feeling.
Not yet.
A deep inhale, then a rough exhale follows it. My hair blows back around my face, and I swallow roughly.
Oh Gods.
My hands tremble, limp at my sides, my head turned halfway into the cave wall.
Now? Is this it? Is thisfinallymy end?
Bracing myself for what may be the last time, I peel my eyes open, only to be pinned in place by one white and one purple one.
Only they’re much larger, much scarier, and belong to something with a mouth full of teeth.
My body tenses, a whimper spilling from my lips before I can stop it. It growls low, showing me just how sharp those teeth are.
Light flickers behind it, the glow from earlier much brighter now as the beast moves enough for me to see all of it.
Its scales, horns, tail.
It’s a dark color, black maybe? Or is that the shadows playing tricks? It’s large, and if I were to stand next to it, my head would be far below its knee.
I don’t know why I’m thinking about that, it doesn’t even matter.
I blink a few times, trying to adjust to the light, and I realize its left eye—the white one, has a scar running through it.
Who did that to you? Does it hurt?
We stare at one another, my heart beating as fast as a rabbit running for its life, but I don’t dare move right now.
I’ve never been this close to a dragon before, only seen them high in the sky. I’ve always admired them. Their strength, their ability to take flight at a moment’s notice to get away.
How wonderful would that be? To fly away and never come back.
Tears sting my eyes at the thought.
The dragon blinks, a clear lid coming from the side of its eyes, and a black lid down from the top. I take a deep breath, wondering what I should do, but then… what can I do?
This is what I wanted. The lava would have been better but then again, when have I ever really had a choice? Only ever the illusion of it.
Sighing heavily, I lift a hand and place it against the wall, groaning at the pain as I move my other hand to the floor. The beast grunts, huffing loudly, and hot air from its nostrils reachesme once more. I dig my fingers into the stone, taking a deep breath and pushing, standing up on shaky legs.
It growls again, its mouth opening wider as that light from the side seems to expand. Then I think I hear the sound of someone talking, but over the rumbling, I’m not sure.
Still locking eyes with the beast, I slowly release my hand from the wall, making sure I’m steady as I take a slow step closer, determination running through me.
