A Shadow in the Dark; The House of Gryron

Pain

Sitting in plain sight between two birch trees was another dragon. Much smaller than Searinox, with an expressionless gaze. Although shaded by the trees, I could see the early morning's pale sunlight glinting off of it's purple scales and cream colored underbelly plates. I was too exhausted to be afraid or move, and for some time there was simply a three-way staring contest. I carefully pushed myself up with my good arm and leaned my back against Searinox's front leg, it was all I could do to keep myself awake. My body had begun to recoil from the damage it had taken and I found it harder and harder to move as time dragged on. My injuries took a heavy toll on my body, and even the task of breathing felt instead like climbing a mountain. Suddenly, the strange dragon stood. I blinked and watched it through my fading vision. Searinox moaned as he lay his head down between his claws. I sighed along with him and tried to move as little as possible. I knew I had to take care of Searinox's injuries and my own, but we were both too tired. In one painfully slow movement, Searinox brought about one of his great wings and gently tucked it over me.

Darkness enveloped us as day broke.

The day was hot, and our consciousness continued to fade in and out. My body grew hotter and heavier as time drew on. Although Searinox had no burns, he sustained the pain from my injuries and there were long and deep cuts running down his back. And even after receiving such wounds, he flew us far away and strained himself much more than he should have. I could no longer move my right arm, I guessed my bones were broken and I knew was terribly burnt. It was as if the burns on my arm and back began to seep into my body. My insides were burning up and I couldn't relieve the throbbing pain no matter what I did. If I just barely twisted in a wrong way I would hurt myself or irritate my burns even more. I dared not move. Blood dripped out of my wounds and seeped into the ground below me. Searinox was able to move around if he was slow about it, but the gashes on his back pained him through most of his movements. He constantly kept watch and moved so he would block the sun from me. Whenever I was distracted from my physical agony and could spare a moment, I thought with Searinox, too tired to speak aloud. Closing my eyes and focusing on my breathing, I cleared my mind and began to aim my inner voice at him.

'I can't remember.. I know there was a fire. I was there, you were there. I know you, I know how we are bonded, we share mind and pain... But where did we come from? Our, family..?'

'I... don't know.' Searinox responded. 'I cannot remember anything either. You know we share a mind and memories. Everything. But I don't know how we know that. And how do we know how to read each other's thoughts?' My mind was overwhelmed by this and I grumbled, squinting my temples. 'Well something must have happened to make us forget or suppress our memories. At least we know something is missing.. So then, we have amnesia?' I blinked my eyes open at this and again searched my memories. '..Yes.' I sorely concluded at last. 'It frustrates me, but I cannot remember anything else..' I felt tears begin to form in the corners of my eyes. I was hurt, frustrated, confused, and scared. I didn't fuss, but the tears continued to flow down my cheeks.

Searinox jostled his nose closer to me and opened his mouth. His forked tongue gently wiped away my tears. The rough feeling of his sandpaper-like tongue was familiar and comforting on my cheeks. I sent him my warm feelings and embraced his mind with my own. I hung onto that familiar feeling. I thought and thought about it, trying to remember more familiar things. I couldn't remember anything. I know we crashed landed here, and that we were wounded. But why-

SSHHHHAAAAAA~!!! Flames danced in front of my eyes. Wood was burning all around me, I couldn't see through all the smoke. My body refused to move. I was stuck. Panicking, my eyes darted around and my breaths became shallower.

I gasped and came to, my eyes opened to the blurred dark inside of Searinox's wing. My body began to instinctively move on it's own and I yelped out in agony as my wounds tore in protest. I struggled on the ground for breath as Searinox, worried, slowly moved his wing to peer in at me. The flames and smoke were gone. I carefully moved the fingers of my left hand and all of my toes. I could move again- somewhat at least. The steady rhythm of pain duly chugged through my body like poison. 'What was that vision..?' I though to myself. Searinox only stared at me with concern in his eyes. I looked over at his large head and unyielding eyes. In his, my own were reflected, just as blue. My heartbeat began to slow and I relaxed as much as I could. I let out a long and ragged breath and closed my eyes.

A intimate consciousnesses prodded mine awake. My eyelids obediently slid open. Sweat coated my body and I began to shiver, although I was not cold. My dark dragon slowly withdrew from me and walked to a nearby fallen tree. He stepped on it and broke it in two with his sharp claws. Grabbing it in his jaws, he easily carried it back and cautiously laid it near me. My mind was clouded and I could not tell what he was thinking, and I was too tired to try and figure it out myself. After breaking the log into a few even smaller pieces, Searinox bent his head down and slowly burnt the logs until they erupted into flames. I twitched my head and tried to move away, unconsciously startled and frightened. Searinox took notice and lowered his mighty head towards me. "Do not be afraid." He murmured in his deep voice. "I will tend to the fire so you can stay warm, it's going to be cold tonight." I loosened at his words, if only slightly. After watching the fire for a bit, he once again took up his position and curled around me, his wing as my blanket. The fire cast dim shadows onto Searinox's wings and I stared at them from the inside, trying to distract myself from the pain.