The Hidden Crystal

Chapter 51

"Over here!"

Rath raced out of the narrow tunnel and hooked a left turn. Char and a spray of golden lights followed, along with a cloud of dust and pebbles. An ominous rumbling from the tunnel urged Char's burning muscles to keep going.

That, and Iris' limp, bloody form in his arms.

Another rumble, louder this time. Loud like thunder.

Rath stopped and spun around. "Get down!"

Char dropped to the ground, shielding Iris with his body. An icy wind whipped his hair forward, and then Rath was in his dragon form, curling around them both and raising his wings to barricade against the debris flying through the air. The rumbling thunder became an earth-shattering roar. Rath growled and grumbled with each boulder that hit him, but he held his position.

"Come on, Iris," Char muttered, pressing his fingers to her neck. Her skin was cold as ice. "Come on..."

He held her against himself and closed his eyes, waiting, throwing up a silent prayer, and then he felt it.

One beat, weak and faint.

He opened his eyes, keeping his finger on her neck and watching for a breath. It felt like an eternity until he saw it: a slight, almost imperceptible rising and falling of her chest, coinciding with another faint beat under his finger.

A wave of relief washed over him. He closed his eyes and buried his face in her hair, waiting until the rubble finally settled and the noise finally ceased.

Another icy blast of wind, and Rath was back in human form.

"Ow." He tried to rub his side, but his chest plate prevented that. "Darn armor." He ripped it off, dropping each piece to the ground with a series of loud clangs. "She still alive?"

Char leaned his head back against the cavern wall. "Yeah, but she's really cold."

"Ah, that's better." Rath rubbed his side and winced. "Now I know how you felt after you busted through that tower."

"Except you didn't destroy a building with your body."

Rath collapsed beside Char. "No, guess not. I can take her, if you wanna get out of that tin can."

Char passed her over to Rath and stood to strip off his own set of armor. He was too exhausted to bother setting the pieces of metal down, instead discarding them with as much noise as Rath had just done. The sweat trapped beneath his stolen uniform was drying and making him shiver.

"You weren't kidding about her being cold," Rath said. "And that hair—it's freaky. Wonder if it'll go back to normal?"

Char sat next to Rath and took her back. "I don't know."

Rath yawned and closed his eyes, resting his head back against the cave wall. "When was the last time we slept?"

"Three nights ago." Another shiver ran through Char. "Great. Just what I need when I'm trying to warm her up."

"What, shivering? Maybe it will help," Rath mumbled. He was shivering, too. "Where are the fairies?"

Char frowned and scanned the massive cavern. It was big enough for both dragons to transform and walk around without discomfort, with several smaller tunnels splitting off from it. A pile of rubble marked what remained of the tunnel they'd escaped. There were no fairies in sight.

"I don't know."

Rath yawned again. "Wonder what they're up to. Well, I hope we didn't wake anything nasty up with all that noise, because I've gotta get some sleep, and so do you."