Wings Of Fire: Closing Eyes (Prequel To The Last Day Series)

Crab - 33

    They flew.

    There was only Crab and Exo now.

    And the world was empty.

    Crab didn't speak to Exo. She had held him back when Agate was drowning. He could have saved her, but Exo tackled him and held him in the sky.

   Part of Crab knew that he would have died if he had gone there, and Exo would have been alone in the sky, unable to see where she was going. She would have died as well.

   The ruins of the City were spread out below them, smoldering and broken. Buildings were crumbled and broken, and ash dusted every surface. Smoke was still rising from a few spots.

    Crab looked at the Agate that Agate had given to him before she drowned. He had tied an extra piece of string that Epiphyte had and put it around his neck. It shone in the sun, and Crab's heart ached.

    He hadn't been able to cry. It felt like all his tears had been used up, and his eyes hurt from crying. His heart felt numb, and his talons were constantly shaking slightly.

    He and Agate were going to raise a family. They were going to have dragonets when all of this was over, two or three of them. He still thought of her in the present tense, like she was flying by his side, not this rotten pillbug that stopped Crab from sacrificing himself for Agate. 

   He flicked his tail into Exo's side and dived down to the powdery surface. Ash billowed around him as he landed, covering his talons. Exo landed a moment later.

    "Wow," Exo picked up a talonful of ash and let it drift through her talons. "What does it look like?"

    Crab hesitated a moment before answering. "Not like home,"

    Bodies littered the street. Soldiers, civilians, and dragonet bodies laid in the street, covered in a dusting of ash. Only a few of them were completely intact. Crab turned away and threw up. The smells around him of burnt flesh, buildings, and the breath of evil were sickening.

   "Are you alright?" Exo asked from her spot, feeling around.

   "Yes." Crab answered shortly. He was going to make a point of not fully answering her if he had to. 

   She snorted and stood up. Carefully, she followed him as he picked through the remains.

   To Crab's surprise, there were a lot of plant- dragons' bodies laying around. Fully dead. There was no emotion on their faces- there never usually was- and little green shoots of the breath of evil were poking out of the gray dust. Crab found a few things- like a broken bottle, a wooden doll, and a shiny knife and sheath. He strapped the knife around his waist.

    Up ahead, there was a lot more green. A big green, gold, and brown shape laid on its side up ahead, scarcely breathing.

    Splinter.

    Crab's heart caught in his throat, and Exo's nose twitched. Her ears were erect and when Crab looked at her, she nodded softly. It was definitely him.

    Crab took a deep breath. There was nothing to lose.

    "Splinter?" Crab asked. Splinter shuddered and weakly turned his head. The vines growing out of him were wilting. 

    "Crab," Splinter croaked. Tears welled in Crab's eyes. 

    "Oh my gosh," Exo said, clapping a talon to her face. "Are you safe to be around?"

    Splinter laughed weakly. "Nowhere is safe anymore. But yes, it's safe to be around me."

   "How do we know that's actually you talking?" Crab asked, spreading a wing in front of Exo, who had taken a step forward. She halted.