Beasts of Flames

Chapter Twelve

It had been nearly a week now since Gavin and I left Niftos behind. After leaving the castle, we had only stopped in town to grab a short supply of food and new clothing for the South. In those first few hours, Gavin barely spoke, only dictating to me directions using a compass he found in a pawn store. I did not know how to console him, or whether he grieved or raged about Evonne staying behind.

    We touched down in a desert cavern, now, having been traversing the land known as the Crypt for a day. It was an arid climate, compared to the lush snowy forests of the North. The entirety of the landscape was a labyrinth of caves and caverns with hardly a bush to cover the dirty sand ground. The scarcity of water had become our newest battle to fight.

    It had been two days since we had seen a freshwater source, miles into the desert scape. I looked over at Gavin, face coated in sweat from the dry heat, as he wiped his brow. Holding his canteen upside down, he stretched his neck trying to lap up every last drop of our remaining water source. Fortunately, my draki body did not tire as easily as a fae one in the face of dehydration.

    "Come on, Gavin. We have to keep moving," I said, poking my head out of our cavern to make sure it was clear. Since passing the northern border, I had an eerie sense that we were being followed. Gavin, lounging against the cave wall, did not move.

    "If we don't find water soon, Lyda, we won't make it out of this desert," he breathed out, exhaustion weighing down his words. I paced about at the cave entrance.

    "I'm certain if we follow this cavern, we will find a water source soon," I pleaded at him, worried if we stayed too long who or what we might run into.

    "Fine, but for my sake, I hope you're right," he threw down the canteen in the satchel, moving to climb upon my back, "The water is officially gone. Why couldn't you have been like a water dragon or an ice dragon?"

    "Okay, smart ass. It wasn't my choice. Stop complaining and get up here or I'm leaving you in this cave," I snarkily remarked. Sitting on top of me, he patted my spikes lightly, and said,

    "You wouldn't dare. You're just a big softie on the inside."

    "Eventually, my inner softie is going to run out, so I suggest staying on my good side." I edged out of the cave, double-checking the skies above once more. Leaping from the cliff, I soared down to the lower floor of the cavern. I twisted and turned as I glided through the tight curves of the path ahead. I looked back to see Gavin clutching tightly, his legs sliding about with each turn I took.

    "Remind me to stay on your good side before we fly again," he blurted, face looking extremely peakish. Serves him right for complaining so much. As we sailed through the tight stone walls, the cave turned wide and wider, the floor beneath us opening into a trickling stream.

    "Look below, Gavin," I cockily stated, "I would say I told you so but I'm feeling generous, today." I soared lower to the ground, observing the widening water beneath me.

    "Thank blessed Alaria. I thought we were going to die out in this desert," Gavin flopped against my back, reaching for the cool blue waters just barely out of reach.

    "I'll set us down on the ridge ahead-"

    I was interrupted by a blinding pain aimed at my head like my skull was imploding my brain. I thrashed about, feeling myself fall from the air and crash into the hard ground. On the impact of my fall, I felt Gavin be thrown from my back and heard him cry out as he tumbled on the rocks. The pain continued, blasting into my mind and shrouding it in a suffocating blanket of shadows. Then, just as quickly as it hit me, the pain fled my mind.