The Dragon's Scale [COMPLETE]

16.2 || Breaking the Seals

They had arrived at a grand library.

Rows upon rows of books took up the space showcased in the doorway. They stepped in. Tables lined the center of the carpeted room, while the walls were covered with more books. The shelves branched out from the left and right walls like tongs from a pitchfork, offering more space for the numerous books. A couple beanbags lay scattered across the room, and a little windowed nook in the wall provided a view of the outside sky. Altogether, it took up at least three times the space of any living quarters.

"This place has its own library," Josh said, craning his neck around to take it all in. "I don't know why that surprises me."

"I'm more surprised you haven't been sent here for schoolwork," Mara said. "The book we want should be over here."

A couple of teens, including a guy that Josh had classes with, poured over books at the tables. They glanced up for a moment to watch Josh and Mara walk over to the left section of the library. His classmate smirked at their still interlocked hands before returning to his book.

Josh looked down at their hands as well. The butterflies returned, but none of the nerves touched his lips as he smiled.

Mara peered at the books, lips pursed. A plaque declared they were in the Historical section. She trailed her fingers across the book spines in a subcategory another plaque called Wars and Battles. The books varied in titles and languages. Just how much unknown history did the dragons have to require so many books?

"Found it!" She slipped a medium-sized book off the shelf. It showed a human staring up at the sky, where two dragons spat fire at each other.

A History of Dragonic Battles, the text declared. The book Imani had mentioned.

Mara took the book to an empty table. She slipped her hand out of Josh's and started thumbing through the pages.

He flexed his hand. The leftover warmth somehow made him colder. Rubbing his hand against his jeans, he leaned over her shoulder to see the book. The smell of berries and grass wafted off her hair.

You have issues, Boomer mumbled.

You're just jealous I'm not smelling your hair. Not like Boomer had hair, which Josh waited for him to point out. When his dragon said nothing in response, Josh frowned. Wait, are you actually—

"Finally," Mara said. "It would help if all the chapters didn't have such dramatic titles." She brushed her hands over the page. "Elohim and Sheol."

Josh studied the page. Time had dulled the edges, but the painting it depicted was vivid shades of bright gold and deep purple, as if night and day themselves battled for dominance of the page. It mirrored the format of the cover, but with humans as a minor focus. Mere silhouettes clashing in the midst of the fiery battlefield.

The most prominent feature of the piece was the two dragons circling each other in the sky. The one on the left seemed to shine with its sleek silver scales. Something about the way the scales molded together gave the appearance of armor, but on its wings, the scales overlapped, more like feathers. Spikes jutted out from its head and trailed down its spine, forming a small ball of spikes on its tail.

Where the silver dragon seemed like a controlled force, the black dragon on the right screamed its chaotic intensity. Crevices spread across its black scales, red flames glowing within them in most places. In others, the fire blazed, erupting from the cracks. The cracks at its shoulders and elbows produced fiery spikes. The dragon opened its fanged maw, a glowing blaze threatening to burst out.

"Elohim and Sheol?" Josh whispered. It was hard to believe anyone could capture them on page if so. He had seen dragons, but these ones still felt far from reality.