Eladea: A Hopeless Age

Chapter 28: Liam

Chapter 28: Liam's POV

Ok this one was a challenge for me-

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The rain moved in early in the day. It woke us all up before the sun had risen, the soft, slow rain drops pecking at our faces and sizzling on the still smoldering campfire. Having already been woken up, we decided to get an early start on the day.

That was a mistake.

The rain pelts on us in thick sheets, the mixed cacophony of the precipitation making it almost impossible to hear each other. The wind howls, making it difficult for Amber to keep us airborne. She pumps her wings hard against the force, water pouring off her wings. Lighting streaks down into the ocean below, lighting up the dark afternoon for a split second. Thunder follows shortly after with a low rumble that seems to vibrate my eardrums. Giant waves crash down beneath us, adding to the deafening sounds.

"We need to find land!" I yell at Amber, squinting my eyes against the painful assault of water.

"Obviously!" Kate yells from behind me.

"I can't see anything for miles!" Amber's rough voice is like a brief safe haven from the other horrible sounds penetrating my mind all at once.

"Well we can't go back to the shore, it's already miles away, too!" Reid yells up from her spot at the back.

I quickly wipe away the water from my face, a fruitless effort because the water returns almost immediately. My hair is plastered to my face, getting in my eyes occasionally and making it really hard to see at times. I rack my brain to think of a solution but I can't find one.

"There's no good answer here, guys. I'm sorry Amber but I think our best option is to just keep flying and pray for the best!" I grip on one of her spines for dear life, the wind tearing at my jacket and my clothes. Amber doesn't reply, just angles her wings against the increasingly powerful gale.

As she gets wetter her crimson scales become more slippery. It's becoming harder and harder to keep balanced on her back. My legs hug her sides and my arms wrap around her spine. I grit my teeth, the combination of our speed and the wind makes the rain very painful. I glance up at the almost pitch black sky. We better find shelter, and soon.

"I think I see something!" Amber says after a long time, the statement punctuated by another crack of lighting. I lean forward, squinting against the rain and try to see something, anything on the horizon.

"I don't see anything!" I yell back.

"Trust me! It's an island. A small one but it's still there!" An especially strong gust of wind takes her by surprise and she stalls slightly, flapping her wings rapidly to try and right herself. I squeeze my eyes shut and try to project myself to anywhere, any place but here, on a dragon's back, flying over the open ocean in a borderline hurricane.

My eyes fly open as a small yelp sounds behind me. I whip around to see a hand disappearing over Amber's side. A scream pierces through the air. I meet Reid's panicked eyes before leaning over to see a female form falling through the air.

"KATE!" The yell forces its way out of my lungs before I can stop it. I reach a hand out as if she can grab it, though she's way too far down to even come close. Immediately Amber's head snaps backwards to see me, and she follows my gaze down. Her golden eyes widen with fear.

"Hold on!!" She yells, and me and Reid comply. She folds her wings in, turning herself downwards into a nosedive. I flatten myself against her back, hugging her with all of my strength, my eyes wrenched shut. My gut sinks into my legs. I'm too scared to even scream. Sharp pellets of rain pelt me all over, stinging worse than ever before. My vision goes blurry from the water, making it hard to see what happens. I hear a scream-sob-mixture come from Reid behind me.