preserved in amber

After the merge -Phoenixes, Snakes, and Dragons-

Later in the afternoon, the whole group sat down at the table and ate. Wyldfire kept eyeing Skylor. Skylor pretended not to see. She wasn't glaring, though, it looked more like bewilderment, or an admiration of some kind.

Lloyd stood up and laid down a plan.

"Tomorrow, we go to imperium." He said. "Me, Kai, Skylor, and anyone who'd want to."

"I will stay home, again." Zane said. Lloyd acknowledged him. "Arin, you thinking about going?"

The boy nodded.

"Riyu is my best friend, of course I'll help!" He smiled, Sora nudged him in his shoulder. "Well, my best dragon friend."

"Yeah, and I'll come too." Sora said.

"Is skyl-... I mean, is Kai going?" Wyldfire asked. Lloyd nodded.

"Well then I guess I can go." Wyldfire mumbled. "Because you guys need the help of a dragon, and I feel bad for you guys."

It was decided, tomorrow, they would go to imperium.

"Until then, what's the plan?" Kai asked. Lloyd pointed at the map in front of him.

"Unless I'm wrong, last time we went into imperium, we entered through the sewers." Lloyd said. "Sora, do you think it would still be worth it to try going through there again?"

Everyone looked to Sora as she spoke.

"Well, I don't think they made any upgrades, but it would still be as gross..." she said. "so it's our best idea."

"Perfect. I'm guessing Riyu is going to the same place he was taken last time?"

"Most likely." Sora said.

"And... what's our escape plan..?" Kai asked.

"oh right..." Lloyd muttered. "unless things get chaotic, I'm pretty sure we can go out the way we came."

"ew..." Arin laughed. "But this is for Riyu."

"we can focus on details later, any questions?" Lloyd asked.

No one spoke up, so Lloyd rolled the map up and everyone started to bring their dishes to the kitchen sink. Skylor yawned as she headed to her temporary room. she almost jumped when she finally noticed Wyldfire walking beside her, staring.

"uh... you okay, there?" Skylor asked.

"Can I see your tattoo?" Wyldfire asked. she sounded hesitant. less shouty. as if she was nervous to ask.

"What tattoo?" Skylor asked. She didn't know what she was talking about.

"Y'know... the snake one." Wyldfire said, seeming more quiet and reserved.

Skylor paused, and stopped walking.

"I don't have one." Skylor said slowly.

"Yeah you do, Kai said so!" Wyldfire replied. Skylor rolled her uncovered eye.

"Okay, yeah, I do have the tattoo. its unremovable, unfortunately." Skylor smiled. "It's on my back."

"Can I see?!" Wyldfire asked excitedly. "Do you know how to do tattoos? Can you give me a dragon one?"

"I don't know about dragon tattoos..." she replied. "Here, I'll show you the tattoo."

Skylor turned around and lifted the back of her shirt, Wyldfire gasped in surprise.

"That's-... That's your whole back!" she exclaimed. "I though it was like, on a shoulder or something!"

"yeah, I got one when I was ten, cl-... my dad's friend did it for me." Skylor said.

"huh, it still looks the same, it's not faded at all!"

Skylor whipped around and covered up her back again at lightning speed, seeing Kai standing beside Wyldfire, seeming just as interested as Wyldfire. Wyldfire looked up at Kai.

"oh, hey Kai! did you see the tattoo?" Wyldfire asked. "I'm gonna get a dragon one!"

"Yeah, I saw." Kai smiled. he seemed to be smiling more at Skylor than Wyldfire.

"You should get one too!" Wyldfire said. "uhhh... you could get like uhm..."

Kai looked down at Wyldfire as she thought, while Skylor was trying her best not to look too bothered by the observing. it was embarrassing, but in the way that she'd laugh about it later.

"ooh! you should totally get a phoenix! 'cuz its like... a fire animal too." Wyldfire said.

"Great idea!" Skylor said. "Right on his face!"

Kai felt the side of his face instinctivly.

"Nope, I don't want one, especially not on my face." Kai said. "Do you know how much I've heard those hurt?!"

"No way, really?" Skylor said.

"I was talking to Wyldf-" Kai corrected. he only got half of it out because when he looked, Wyldfire was gone.

"oh."

Skylor snorted.

"y'know what? I don't think a tattoo would look good on you." Skylor said. "you already got too much going on there, any more and we'll have to wear some sort of eclipse glasses when you go outside on a sunny day."

"A tattoo doesn't make me brighter!" he said. "I mean, I'm not bright!"

"so you want a tattoo?" Skylor asked.

"What? no..!"

"so we agree, then?"

"why do I feel like you've tricked me somehow." he said. "there's no evidence, but it feels like you've twisted my words somehow."

"Weird." Skylor said. "Bye!"

"Where are you going?" Kai asked.

"To sleep?"

"oh yeah!" Kai said sheepishly. "Night!"

Kai passed her and kept walking in the hallway. Skylor walked into the room and locked the door. then she let all of her emotions out. She flopped right onto her bed mattress and buried her face in the cold pillow. 

Then she started to laugh. In amusement? In embarrassment? Probably a mix of the two. all she knew was when she looked in the mirror, she was smiling like a fool.