Page 18 of Upon Buried Embers
“Of course, Rohan.” With one last nasty look my way, she walks off, her friend Fiona going with her.
I’m surrounded by people who hate me and don’t care about me. Maybe a dragon is better.
Speaking of.
A large, scaled leg appears next to me, and I’m shoved to the side a little, bumping into Rohan.
I sigh internally, knowing this will be a common occurrence now.
Being shoved around.
Just like back at Master’s place.
Nothing really does change.
“Drogonah,” Rohan says, raising a hand to move it down his scales above my head. I’m trembling below his knee, that’s how small I am to this dragon. “Did you eat?”Rumble.“We are nearly out and you can take to the sky.”Purr.
I look at the horse in front, wondering if I’ll be on horseback and not the dragon again, who clearly doesn’t like me.
Why would he?
The cave rumbles suddenly, the ground shaking and we all seem to freeze at the sound.
Rohan lifts a hand, halting everyone and the dragons look around, claws scratching the ground.
Then, lava spews up from the river to the left of us, erupting without warning and Rohan curses.
“Get to the front, now!” He barks. A flurry of activity erupts as they all move. Even the dragons run, apart from Drogonah.
Another eruption, and the heat envelops us.
But this isn’t a nice heat, this oneburns.
I hiss and rub my face.
“Kaldar,” Rohan shouts, and he runs over after getting Olaf and Adora on a horse. “Take them to the entrance, try not to leave until I get there if you can.”
“What about you?” he asks, as Rohan unties my rope.
“I need to make an exit at the side for the lava to spill out of or it will fill the entire cave system and no one will be able to get back in, and then it will spew down to the Wilds.”
“Fuck,” Kaldar runs a hand down his face, watching as the lava begins to overflow, heading for us. “Fuck, okay.”
Rohan whistles, and a moment later, a dark horse comes into view. He murmurs to it quietly, and then he’s hoisting me up onto it.
“Get on.” Kaldar’s behind me, taking the reins in his hands. “Go,” Rohan says, and I scramble to hold on as the horse takes off.
I look back, wondering what Rohan’s doing when he runs up Drogonah’s wing, then waits in the saddle.
I’m not sure what he’s waiting for, but as soon as Kaldar reaches the back of the group, heading toward the light of an entrance, Drogonah takes flight.
I gasp, wondering where they’re going, but they aim straight up. I watch with rapt attention as the ground rumbles, more lava filling the cave, the heat of it making sweat appear on my brow. Kaldar shouts at everyone to get moving.
There’s a roar, and I turn as Rohan and Drogonah head for the side of the cave.
There’s nowhere to go.
“Come on, Rohan.” Kaldar murmurs, turning the horse at the bottom of a slope so we’re now facing the oncoming lava. “Come on!” Kaldar shouts, making me jump.
