Firewind

Chapter 37-Scymitar

I looked around the empty campsite and knew I had messed up. After Zander had reminded me to get up, I went back to sleep. I should not have done that. Because now, I was completely lost. And hungry. So...so desperately starving.

I roared in frustration. My stomach grumbled in unison. My stomach was bound to eat me from the inside out! I needed something tasty. Like rabbits. Yes, rabbits are good. Good tasty rabbits. Where was Zander when I needed him? Must I do everything around here? It's similar to something that happened before. What? I can't remember. My head hurts too much to remember. It always hurts. I must have hit my head.

Zander where are you? I hollered to the trees.

I could make out some anxious whispers farther into the brush. I scuttered towards them excitedly, my friends were still here! I got to the edge of a clearing, where three figures were talking in hushed voices and making wild signs with their hands.

As I wagged my tail, preparing to pounce, it caught on a vine. I tugged at it, trying to free it. (the silly thing had a mind of its own) I managed to get it free, but the sudden shift of weight caused me to land on my back, right at the feet of a young girl. She shrieked and backed away, towards an old lady and another, younger girl.

I rolled back onto my paws and eyed them curiously. The one that appeared to be the youngest took a step forward holding out something in her hand. The old lady did not like that. She called for the girl and waved her hands, making shapes with them. The older girl grabbed the younger girl's arm to try and get her attention, but she wrenched her arm out of the other's grasp.

I inched towards the younger girl and saw that what she was holding in her hand was a piece of bread. I looked at her, quickly snatched the bread and retreated back into the bushes. She grinned and turned to the others waving her hands, in what now seemed like signs.

The others signed quickly back to her with anxiety written all over their faces. She sighed and shrugged and pulled out another piece of bread from her pocket. She held it out once again. I found myself traipsing back into the clearing; it was hard for me to resist food on an empty stomach, especially when I didn't need to do anything to get it.

This time, when my bread was gone and my stomach was still grumbling, I stayed with the girl and sat back on my haunches. She pulled out a slice of cheese this time and as I ate it out of her hand, she seemed to be trying to pet me. Which is weird since I don't have any fur. I kept ducking my head out of the way. She offered me some more bread and kept trying to successfully pet the unpettable me.

After my stomach was full and the girl had still not pet me, the older girl inched closer as well. The old lady was watching with amusement and a bit of apprehension. The older one offered me a slice of apple she cut. She also offered one to the younger girl. I took it and was tortured, needing to duck out of the reach of two little, sticky-faced girls.

Would you guys quit it? I demanded.

The older's eyes widened and she returned to the side of her elder companion. The younger one looked astonished and excited all at once. She turned to sign to the other two, faster than she had before, with a huge smile plastered on her face.

"She can hear you," said the old lady, "How astounding!"

The lady signed back to the girl and she turned to me and nodded enthusiastically.

"She wants you to do it again," the older girl explained.

Uhhh so you can't hear?

She nodded.

Then how can you understand me?

Wait, can I talk to you then? She said in my head.

Woah.... That's weird. I guess now I know how it feels when I talk to others. I muttered. How did you do that?

I don't know. I just kinda pictured throwing my thoughts at you, She chattered on. I lost my hearing when I was 8. I could hear before then. I can read lips fairly well and my family invented this kind of code thing, like what you saw with our hands. So we can communicate. I never learned how to speak properly. It's so cool how I can hear you!! I haven't heard anything so clearly in all my life!! How do you do it?

It's just kinda how I was born? I don't know. You wouldn't have any rabbit by any chance, would you? I'm starving.

You just ate! How can you be hungry again?

I don't know, I just am. Now answer the question, do you have any rabbit?

"You're a feisty little one, huh?" The old lady shook her head. "Well clearly you're harmless. What are you doing out here all by yourself?"

I was not, in fact, by myself, I scoffed. I have friends you know.

"Then where are they?" the older girl said, looking around, probably expecting some other dragon to come out of the woods.

I-I don't know. They said they were heading to someplace called Man or Van or something like that.

"Do you mean Yan?" The lady asked. "We were heading east as well, not Yan exactly, but you can hitch a ride with us to the next town if you'd like. What's your name, child?"

Scymitar. Or at least that's what the boy Rander called me.

The old lady led the way through the forest as the two girls pestered me with questions and attempts at stroking my scales.

"I've never heard the name Rander before. Where does your friend come from?"

He said he lived right outside a place called Caxar or something. I've never heard the name Zenner either.

Do you mean Luxar? The young girl said.

Yeah, of course, Lizard. What's your name?

My name is Kalli.

That's a nice name, Kivvi.

Kalli!! She laughed. You really are horrible with names.

Whatever. You know, you are as annoying as that guy Elvis. He stole my food you know? And-HEY WAIT.

"What?" the older one jumped when I yelled.

I had a dream that this guy Neilias stole my rabbit right? I explained looking to them. They looked as if they had not a single clue about what I was talking about. I knew they were dumb as rocks when I met them.

Anyways so today I woke up, and the guy that was giving me food, Chandler is gone. But so is the guy that I dreamt about, Aurelis, is also gone. Don't you see? He stole my rabbit!! I knew he was trouble. Come on, we gotta hurry up so I can warn, Aurelia, Katrina and Lander!

The ladies struggled to keep up with me after that. I flew in circles around them, trying to get them to go faster, although I knew I could control them, I learned from last time. Otherwise, who'd feed me? Sometimes I did go off the trail that we were leading, how was I supposed to know where we were headed?

By the end of the day, one of the girls had to carry me, or I might have died. My wings were achy, droopy and sore. And my headache had only gotten worse.