One
Dusk had finally fallen after a hard day. My own rough footsteps dragged on the wooden panels of a small bridge, stretching over the crystal clear lake below my feet, the shadows of fish moving in a hypnotizing serenity. I kicked a pebble and it bounced into the water, the circular ripple disappearing in a smooth, swift second. I watched as the fish swam away from the movement, only to turn around and fill in the empty space once again as though they knew there was nothing here to harm them. On land there were people like me, people who had a reason to be scared. My hands were stuffed in my denim jean pockets, only to hide a rusty old knife I had found next to a tree with initials carved in it. Like I even needed it, it was just a cover up incase someone decided to think twice and leave me a lone. But if not…well, they’d find that out on their own. It was like they had nothing else to do but seek us out even though they knew where we were. Right where they killed, right where they let us clean up the mess. The Roshin were the reason we had become weak and are forced to serve them. I sharply turned my head to the water, eyes piercing its gentleness.
My people had to survive and all they cared about was finding soul mates when they had all of this beauty to save. And they just couldn’t forget the creatures that lived in it! My home was special to me; even though it was the land they forced me into, including a few others that had become good friends. Once I found out what we had in common: wings. Apparently the people’s goal who hunted us was simple. Keep us condemned on land and not in the skies so that when it came to make their trade to the Kirock, they’d be rich once again. The Kirock were the most wealthy community on an island far out to sea north of us. They came to trade every winter, when supplies are scarce. And there was nothing more that they loved better than a dragon.
“Sierra” a voice came up behind me, startling me so much that I swung out my knife, pointing it at the human target behind me. I gasped, my best friend Victoria stood there calmly, solid as a rock. But so did I, eyes apologetic but fiery at the same time.
“You still have that rusty old Roshin knife with you?” she questioned, head swaying in disappointment, “You know they haven’t come to feed us in months.” I huffed, stuffing away the knife.
“They wouldn’t care if we all died, as long as they get their money,” I stated the truth, and she knew it although she shrugged and chuckled playfully,
“They could at least bring us something decent for once when they do come besides a pitiful rabbit. That wouldn’t even feed a youngin’ of our kind!” It wasn’t like I didn’t agree with her; I had just had enough with humans. They were nothing but a pain. They’ve trapped us, traded us to the Kirock to be slaves, and killed us, even though we destroyed some of their kind to, but only for survival reasons as Victoria tried to explain to me. But I still think it was obviously revenge. “They were the ones who battled us and brought us here, it’s not like they’d change their minds and treat us like royalty.”
“Ha! We’re far from that at this point” Victoria turned her hand into a fist, viewing the white color that it turned and the flames that sizzled from it as a smile streamed across her face. A question I still ask her is why we can’t fight back, why we never have. We know the strength we possess; in our eyes you often see it. See them flash in rage and replenished strength that we’ve kept bottled up over the past year. I’ve tried fighting them, and what Victoria keeps telling me seems to be true. That we’ve been cursed to serve man kind, whether we’re Ryogues or not. Ryogues, the word often brings excited shivers down my spine. Always has since I figured out that I was one at the age of five. Normal dragons are powerful creatures, but Ryogues are part human, being able to turn into both. We prefer our human selves, hoping it may be able to spark regret in the Roshin people, although the simple way to tell what we are is the wings on our backs. Now fourteen and tired of never being able to release my powers, there really isn’t anything to do these days. Except plan a way to get away from these people. The only thing exhilarating I’ve been able to do is flying. Not even now unfortunately since every time you raise your wings they shoot from far off, watching our every move at every moment. Flying stimulates all Ryogues thoughts, and keeps them sane. Some how we’ve managed to hang in there.
“Cursed, what a horrible way to spend our lives” I hiss, flames sparking on my fingertips as I start a small fire, in hopes that they don’t see the lighted blaze. Victoria’s wings were tucked behind her back, moving ever so slightly, the scales instinctively rippling at the feel of the heat, and so were mine. “How long do you think our power source will last this time?”
“For as long as we want,” I smile, “I’ll make sure of it this time.” Unable to transform into our full on dragon forms for weeks makes us vulnerable to any heat source. We’re instantly drawn to it, like bees to flowers. Victoria layered her hand over the other on the back of her head, lying against a tree trunk. The same tree the initials were neatly drawn in. Victoria noticed me eyeing the two, simple letters, and how I’ve started thinking about them to much.
“Come on, Sierra, what’s the chance at the curvy little ‘S’ being meant for your initial?” She challenged me as I stood up, making my way to the tree, “Don’t worry about it, Victoria, I trust you that it’s nothing” I say, pressing my finger against the carved letters, until nothing is left but a smooth black circle, burnt to the crisp. “Love ruins the mind, don’t think about it to much” she laughs, closing her eyes in attempt to fall asleep, patting the ground next to her as I settle in.
“No chance at all…I hope” I sigh, watching the fire dull out until smoke rises into the air, little diamond-like sparks shooting out of what’s left of the twigs and leaves.
Two
I wake up to rain, and a slight mist that barely covers Victoria’s shadowy figure standing off to the side of the tree. She was looking out to where the Roshin usually watch us. I understand what she’s looking for, but I just shake my head. ‘There’s no way,’ I think for a few seconds,” Nothing can take out the Roshin!” My head snaps to the side, seeing that the fire smoke was still rising, but you could barely see it. Usually they would’ve put it out once we fall sleep. But this time, no one came.
“It’s been weeks since they took Annabel and Sorrel, and since then their activity has shortened,” I look up at her, the sad waves of emotion coming from her made me flinch, “You don’t think the Kirock could’ve done something since they took two of our kind for themselves…?” The more I kept replaying my own words in my head, the more likely it seemed. The more it felt like reality.
“That’s exactly what I was thinking.” Victoria sighed, plopping her self down onto the grass, head being held up by her hand. I sit there in front of the worn out fire, and seeing the past of Annabel and Sorrel being taken in the smoke. I was done being scared. Like I said, I’ve tried fighting them. But when I tried to physically touch them with an outstretched claw; it was like a force field kept them safe. Then again they could touch us if they wanted, and it was truly disturbing to know this.
“I’m flying over there to take a look-“
“Are you crazy?” Victoria stood up, her shadow blocking the upcoming sun.
“No, I’m not. I think that if they’re really gone like we think, then we should have no trouble flying.” I told her, standing up to meet her gaze. I watch intently as the blacks of her pupils waver, actually considering what I had put out there. She crossed her arms and tilted back against the tree, “Ok then, say we do fly over there,” she nods her head in the direction of where they live,” Then what do we plan to do?”
“Search for Annabel and Sorrel.” I said simply, but I’d only gotten this far.
For a moment Victoria said nothing, eyes looking heavy in a faded state as she looked to the ground, “I’ll go-“
“Great!” I say, already standing up and spreading my wings far out, to where the strong wind takes them back and the scales shine and glisten with the sun. I’m about to bound into the air and take my first flight of freedom for weeks when she holds my arm and looks at me.
“Only,” she emphasized, “Only if you promise not to take any risks.” Victoria smiles and soon starts to laugh, she and I remembering the last time when a Roshin threatened to kill me, and I took him on in battle. Nowadays, we just see it as a joke, even though surprisingly, as much as you may not think so, I could’ve died that day. And this is seriously how bad things had become for our kind…
“Over there! See it?’ Victoria pointed to large, coal colored hut that looked like it had been toppled over. My eyes widen as far as they’d go as I take in the rest of the rural looking town. Burnt. Completely burnt.
“What happened…?” I thought, analyzing the damage made and the scorched marks, trying to determine what type of dragon had done this. We both knew it was a Ryogue, because even though the Kirock were skilled in the technology of fire, they would’ve never used such an uncontrollable source. “You think..?”
“Very possible,” I whisper, “Annabel and Sorrel may have not been able to touch the people, but their home…Genius.” I exclaim.
“Very! Even though they couldn’t phyisically harm them, the fire could!” Victoria veered her wings and leaning in my direction, bumping against my shoulder, “Hey,” she winked, “Take note of that!”
“Oh trust me I already have. We may need their idea later.” I could hear Victoria take and let out a deep breath, a ring of smoke coming from her lips once she exhaled. “Do you have to now?” I asked her as she took on her full dragon form. The small spikes of her tail glistening, and her red scales a healthy, fiery color. I couldn’t understand her unless I went to my own form, so she could only nod her head at me, making an excited, gentle roar escape from her mouth as she flung back her head in a back flip. I watched her, my own red Ryogue wings flapping away. I never got tired of feeling the wind that encircled my hips with every stroke, and the sensation of my back moving with the vibration of my wings, the adrenaline of just knowing how special I was…And all this time the Roshin had kept us from it. We were finally free. For now.
