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

Exo - 34

    The sand felt insignificant. 

     Exo curled her claws in the hot grains, her back leaning against Crab's. It wasn't in a romantic way, but Exo thought he must have realized that it was only them now.

    She did feel bad about Agate's death. But she knew that Crab would have died, and so would have she. Exo would have passed out from exhaustion and drowned.

     She raised her head, feeling the sun bake her scales. With a yawn, she stood up and took a step towards the water.

    Pain shot through her leg.

   OW, Exo hissed in her mind. What the hell?

   She also realized her head was kind of reeling. The ocean crashed in waves on the beach, loudly, and the air was humid. What the hell is happening?

    "Hey, Crab?" she asked, turning back to him, her talon raised in the air. "Can you take a look at my talon?"

    "Arghh," he grumbled, and the sand swished as he rolled over. "Fine,"

    He lead her over to a grassy spot under the trees and gently took her talon. "Oh jeez," he said. "You've been bleeding all night."

    Exo tensed up and he paused. "Not that much, but there is a lot of dried blood. How long have you had this? It smells nasty."

   "I never noticed it before," Exo said.

   "I think I can see something in it," Crab said. "This might hurt a bit." Exo felt a horrible feeling, his claws sliding into her wound and pulling something that hurt out. She clenched her jaw, tempted to bite him.

   "Huh," Crab said. He sniffed it. "I can't really smell much with your nasty cut, but it looks like you just stepped on something sharp. Maybe when we got attacked by Crevasse?"

    "I think I would have noticed it before then," Exo murmured anxiously.

    "It's a thorn," Crab said.

    "Cool.." Exo sighed.

    "Well, ouch. Is there anything we could use to bandage you up?" Crab asked, shuffling around.

    "I'm not sure," Exo asked, tilting as the world seemed to sway. Her head was really starting to hurt.

    "Are you okay?" Crab asked. "You look a little green."

    "No," Exo gasped, clutching her horns. "I'm not okay,"

    "Whoa, whoa," Crab said, grabbing her. He steadied her against his shoulder. "You should sit down."

    "It's not that," She growled. Something like lightning shot through her veins and a vicious growl rumbled from her throat.    

    And suddenly, she felt a lot more aware of her surroundings.

    The bark and groaning of the trees tasting the sunlight. The anxiety of a mango tree feeling a small rodent eat a fruit. The grass talking about the earthworms and pesky mushrooms and the shy touch-me-nots folding up nervously. She could tell where Crab was in front of her- the grass was complaining.

    She knew, but somehow she didn't.

   "Exo...?" Crab said slowly. "What's going on?"

   "I don't know but I think I do but I don't," She started to hyperventilate as she became more and more aware of plants. "I don't feel like myself,"

    Crab became very still. "You what?"

    "Say goodbye, Crab," Exo said in a voice that wasn't her's anymore.