Rebellion (6 page)

She scoffed, rolling her eyes. “It does not matter how long I walk under this weather, my body could never get used to it. I grew up in the village of Dragonhall, close to the kingdom of Watermiles. Our summers last ten months.”

“Sathees!” Nathan shouted, raising his head in an attempt to better see him. “Are we close?”

I gazed ahead, trying to see Sathees through the falling snow.

“Indeed we are!” he yelled in response. Amidst the snow, the shadow of a hill appeared. The closer we got to it, the more trees I saw. They bowed in the wind; the sound of breaking branches merged with the relentless howling of the storm.

I narrowed my eyes, trying to see the landscape ahead.

Without any warning, Sathees started making his way up the hill.

He raised his right hand, turning his face in our direction.

“Stay down there,” he ordered. He turned his face away from us. His hands grasped the branches of the trees as he struggled to climb.

“What is he doing?” Xylia had her eyes fixed on him.

Once he reached the top, he knelt down. He lowered his head, sinking his forehead into the snow. He buried his hands under the coat of white that sat on the ground. Not long after, the markings of the white dragon that were on his body glistened with a silver-blue light. The light irradiated from the markings, making them visible even amidst the storm.

Nathan, Xylia, and I watched in fervent curiosity. None of us uttered a single word or turned our eyes from him.

Cracks and holes emerged on the surface of the hill. The ground trembled as the strength of the light increased. A cloud of dust arose, merging with the falling snow, making it impossible to see Sathees. A loud rumbling echoed around us.

A few seconds later, all that was left of the hill was a pile of dirt and dust. In haste, I approached the location where the hill had once stood.

Xylia walked beside me.

“Where is he?” she asked with an edge to her voice.

“What is this place?” Nathan surveyed our surroundings. “I should fly and survey the area.”

“No, Nathan.” I set my eyes on him. “I am sorry, but with this wind, it is too much of a risk.”

“We must help him.” Xylia hastened her way toward the remains of the hill.

“Sathees!” I shouted at the top of my lungs.

I narrowed my eyes once I caught sight of the shadow of a man emerging from the cloud of dust. Xylia’s stumbled back as she took in the unusual sight.

The shadow strolled its way in our direction.

“I apologize for the mess. This is the only way to get to the dragons.” It was Sathees. He dusted off his white garments while looking at us.

“You could have given us some type of warning. We thought you were dead.” Xylia rested her hands on her hips.

“There is a price to be paid if one chooses to carry the magic of dragons,” said Sathees with a serious tone. “I do not owe you an explanation, young one. You must trust me.”

There was anger in Xylia’s eyes.

A low rumble came from behind Sathees. He bowed his head, shutting his eyes.

I watched in disbelief as a short gray-stone well emerged from the ground behind him. Its rocks were covered in mold, foliage, and branches.

“How did that just appear?” I shot Sathees a confused stare. “What is that well?”

Sathees opened his eyes. “Our way to the dragons, of course.” He turned his back to us. Without any trace of fear, he climbed atop the well, standing on its edge. “This is how we will get to the tamers.” He took one step toward the nothingness that stood between him and the mouth of the well. I tried to grab ahold of him as his body fell inside but I missed his hand.

“Is he mad?” Xylia ran to the well. “Does he expect us to follow him? We could die.”

The darkness of the well was intimating.

“What other choice do we have?” Nathan lowered his eyes, gazing at the blackness of the well. “We cannot just linger here in this storm.”

As the words drifted from his mouth, the rumbling noise resounded once again. I looked behind me to see the hill rising from the dirt.

Xylia took a deep breath, climbing on top of the well.

“Since we have no other option.” She looked over her shoulder, setting her gaze on me. “I will see you on the other side, boys.” She lowered her head and jumped.

“Well, if she can do it.” I gave Nathan one last look before I jumped inside.

My eyes could not see anything around me. I felt suffocated while I plunged down. Not long after I had fallen, I heard Nathan follow me.

After a couple of seconds, I felt my ankles touch the water. When I’d least expected it, I was submerged under frigid water. My wings slithered under my skin in a sign of defense.

Though my eyes were open, the darkness of the water hindered me from seeing anything. I swam through the dark, struggling to bring my body to the surface.

I gasped for air once I reached the surface. There was a dim light shining from what seemed to be the shores of an immense lagoon. I flapped my feet and arms, making my way toward the light. The water was so cold it felt as if my skin was being pierced by one hundred blades at once. It was not long until I caught sight of Sathees and Xylia standing next to a torch that burned against the walls of a cave.

“Over here!” I heard Sathees’s strong voice as he beckoned me closer with a slight flick of his wrist.

While I swam my way to them, I realized that no splash had followed mine. Alarmed, I surveyed the water, trying to find Nathan, but there was no sign of him.

“Where is Nathan?” I asked, walking out of the frigid water.

“Come stand close to the fire, it will warm you up,” Sathees gestured the way with his hand.

“Where is Nathan?” I repeated in a stronger voice, approaching the blue flames of the torch.

There was tension in the silence that had now settled.

“We heard no other splashes after you—”

Xylia was at a loss for words, when suddenly the sound of beating drums reverberated inside the cave. Guttural sounds and terrifying roars joined the repeated beatings.

A cold shiver shot down my spine, and my heart accelerated inside of my chest.

“I know what that is,” I wailed as I recalled the last time I had heard those roars.

“What is it, Isaac?” Xylia asked. “What is making this sound?” There was a soft tremor coming from the ground beneath my feet.

“Capios,” I answered, turning my gaze to Sathees. “Where are the dragons?”

“They are not far.” Sathees stood as still as a statue.

The roars were closing in, growing louder as the beating of the drums increased.

“Lead us to them. We have to leave this place,” I said.

Through the darkness we ran. I had the ability to run faster than all of them, but I was clueless as to where the dragons were. I also knew I could not leave them behind—not now.

After my eyes had adjusted to the darkness, I saw that the roof of the underground cave was high; its dark walls dripped with water. The smell of mold lingered in the air.

Ahead of us, a sudden flash of light broke through the darkness.

“There they are!” Sathees cried in tone of relief.

Suddenly, my body was tossed against the cold walls of the cave. A sharp pain spread through my back as I felt the tips of sharp rocks penetrate my skin as I thudded on the ground. A loud, terrifying roar echoed. Disoriented, I reached for my sword.

“Isaac!” I heard Xylia’s fearful voice. To my left, I saw her body being dragged by an unseen creature. She tried to claw her way out of the creature’s grasp, but the Capios’ strength overcame her own.

My wings sprung forth, ripping through my skin and clothes. At full speed, I followed Xylia and the Capios.

“Help me!” She kept on screaming while the Capios let out a high-pitched screech. After a short while, the Capios pulled Xylia deep into the darkness, disappearing from my sight. Her screams faded into silence.

“Xylia!” My breathing had grown shallow. I tightened my hands, squinting my eyes in an attempt to peer through the dark.

I heard the echo of the Capios’ distant growls, followed by Nathan’s agonizing screams.

“Nathan!” I attempted to run through the obscurity of the cave.

The screams were followed by the sound of massive rocks falling to the ground. In a matter of seconds, a dust cloud that lingered in the air invaded my nostrils.

Once again my ears were stung by Xylia’s cries for help. I rested my body against the moist walls of the cave as weakness crawled into my heart.

The sudden sound of wings flapping through the darkness stirred me with hope. I pushed my body away from the walls of the cave, narrowing my eyes in an attempt to see whatever approached me.

“Fly toward the light, Isaac!” Nathan’s voice boomed from the blackness. A strong wind blew as I heard him fly above me. With my wings spread to their full length, I followed him.

Is he holding Xylia?
I kept thinking while I headed to the light.

The light shone from a gap in the walls of the cave. Once I flew through it, I found myself staring at an open space that sat high above the ocean. The sound of crashing waves merged with the howling of the wind.

I landed next to Nathan, losing my breath once I caught sight of Xylia lying on the ground, unconscious. Most of her nails had broken off of her fingers. Her face was covered in scratches and wounds.

“How are you feeling?” I asked, relieved to see them.

“I will be fine,” Nathan responded with a whimpering voice, looking at the gashing wound on his arm. The cut was deep, and the skin on his shoulder and forearm dangled, revealing his muscle tissue.

“We must go back.” I narrowed my eyes, disturbed at the sight of his wound. “We cannot carry on like this.”

The smell of burnt charcoal entered my nose. From the corner of my left eye, I saw a shimmering cloud of silver smoke flowing through the cracks in the wall of the cave. Piercing shrieks and growls echoed from the other side.

Nathan rose to his feet, staring at the rising smoke.

A sudden thud created a long gap in the wall’s surface.

In an attempt to better hear what was taking place on the other side, I pressed my face against the cold wall. Amidst the growls and roars was the sound of the distant agonizing screams of men.

My eyebrows came together. “There are men on the other side. I believe the Capios are attacking them.”

“We must help them,” Nathan said.

The muffled screams pained me as, in my mind, memories of the Wastelands once again tried to take over.

I tightened my grasp on my sword as I stood in front of the wall. How would we break it? How would we help the men on the other side?

“Isaac,” Xylia mumbled in a broken voice, raising her head from the ground.

“Xylia!” I rushed my way to her. “How are you feeling?”

“I have seen better days.”

I extended my hand, helping her stand on her feet. She sank her eyes into mine. “Where is Sathees? Do you think he is…”

Her voice trailed off as the ground beneath us started to tremble.

“What is going on?” Nathan asked.

I turned my eyes to the wall. Cracks continued to appear throughout its surface as a cloud of dust arose, merging with the silver smoke that lingered. The trembling of the ground intensified at a great speed. It was not long until the wall was turned into scattered rocks.

The growls were now louder; the smell of decayed flesh burned my nostrils. The afflicted cries of the men were almost as loud as the roars.

Once the cloud of dust had settled, I walked through the crater that was now in front of me. A shiver shot down my spine as my eyes absorbed the sight of a dead soldier lying on the ground. His face was deformed, his jaw dislocated. His torso was exposed—wounded with burn marks. I approached the body only to find that his right arm was missing.

The ground in front of me disappeared, falling into a massive crater. Inside, white dragons were chained to the walls, fighting the unseen creatures that tortured them. Their snouts smoked as bright blue flames gashed from their mouths. The beasts fluttered their wings, trying to break free from the silver chains that bound them to the walls. Men feebly waved their swords, struggling in their battle against the Capios. A round metal staircase led to the bottom of the crater, though the darkness below did not allow me to see far.

Unexpectedly, a white dragon soared out of the bottom of the crater at great speed, letting out a mighty roar. Mounted on the beast was one of the tamers.

I was alarmed when I heard Nathan’s harrowing groans. I looked over my shoulder and saw him lying on the ground with his hand pressed against his wound. Xylia stood beside him.

I stomped in their direction.

Sweat rolled down his forehead; his eyes glistened with tears. His breathing was rapid and shallow. Blood oozed from the wound in his arm, dripping between his fingers.

“Xylia.” I bore my eyes into hers. “Watch Nathan.”

Xylia furrowed her brows, looking in the direction of the crater.

“You will try to free them by yourself?” Her eyebrows slanted upward as her eyes widened.