Arcus story

Chapter 4: Terra's world

Too good at goodbye – Sam Smith

Arcus crash-landed in a tree after hours of long, mind-numbing flight. He barely even felt as he hit branch after branch, before finally getting caught in between two branches barely a meter and a half over the ground. A flock of birds shot up into the air in surprise as he landed.
It didn’t take long for Arcus eyes to close and the world around him to turn black as he fainted of exhaustion.

He woke up on a soft bedding of leaves and moss. Soft humming filled the air, and the sound of flowing water left a soft smile on his lips.
He looked up to find Terra softly humming by a small stream. She was nimbly gathering water in a small cup of stone.
”Where am I?” he asked, groggily raising his head.
”Oh, morning Arcus. I was wondering when you’d wake,” Terra answered, smiling back at him.
”W-what happened?” he asked, rubbing his sore head with his tail.
”Well, I found you tangled in a tree, so I brought you here. I’d assume something happened between you and your parents. I’m honestly surprised you didn’t get woken up by the soaring thunder earlier,” she smiled at him.
”Oh, yeah…” Arcus looked away as the memories came back.
”So, did they find out...?” she asked gently.
”Yeah… Yes, they did,” he sighed.
”Well, you’re welcome to stay with me for the time being,” she smiled at him before going back to filling the water cup.

And so, he did for a few months. They’d sleep in different areas each night, as they traveled all over the earth. Terra would use her powers to make them a shelter when needed, and Arcus found himself to be more of a helper than a bother for her. This meant he usually didn’t have time to check on Ignis, but that wasn’t a problem, since the fire dragon rarely showed his face above ground anymore. And yet despite how happy he was with Terra on earth, he’d sometimes find himself staring up at the sky.

Soon enough a year had passed and the 10-year annual meeting among the guardians came up. After some convincing, Arcus agreed to come as Terras ”plus-one”.

They were the first to arrive in the deep cave inside the mountain where the dragons power crystals lay. They went in through the only tunnel on one side of the cave, opposite of three other tunnels.
”There is one crystal for each element,” Terra explained as Arcus slithered around them in wonderment.
He moved closer to the light blue one, which suddenly began glowing, shifting between the different colors of the rainbow. Arcus stumbled backwards in surprise.
”It seems it still recognizes you,” she giggled.
”At least it does. I feel as if I’ve never even been an air dragon,” he chuckled back, still staring with wide eyes at the crystal.

Suddenly, the ground in the tunnel in the middle of the three tunnels began rumbling, causing the ground to vibrate. The rock cracked as a dragon emerged from the ground. His wings and horns glowed like fire.

”Greetings. I see you’ve awakened your powers,” Terra bowed her head in greeting before looking up again.
”Are you coming alone?” she asked, looking behind him.
”My family won’t be able to make it… Not ever again,” he answered coldly, looking away.
”D-did anything happen?” she asked, her tone turning softer.
”A battle with the water guardian and her dragons. Neither my parents nor’ my brother made it,” he answered, his voice more of a growl than an answer.
”Oh, I’m sorry for your loss,” she answered softly.
”So am I,” Arcus added.
”And who might you be?” Ignis looked at him in wonder, as if he’d been taken away from his grief for a moment.
”Arcus, he/him. I live with Terra,” he bowed his head to the fire dragon.
”Ignis, Ignis Calleo, he/they. No last name?” he introduced himself back.
”Arcus Nebula, though I’d rather forget that,” he answered shortly.
”Nebula? As in the air kingdom’s rulers?” he tilted his head, staring at the blue dragon.
”Ex-prince Arcus Nebula, happy now?” Arcus mockingly bowed with a snarl.
”Arcus, don’t be rude,” Terra scolded softly.