The Dragoneer Manual

Chapter 8 - The Sanctuary

It was still pitch black outside when Rory and Bluejay reached the edge of the lake. The white moonlight shone brightly on the surface of the water.

"Follow me," Jay said.

He confidently walked into the water, keeping his shoes and clothes on. Rory watched as the water splashed around his ankles and rose to his waist as he got deeper and deeper. 

It's probably freezing, she thought, just as Jay suddenly fell beneath the water and completely disappeared from sight. Rory brought her hand to her mouth, waiting for him to swim back up, but the surface of the lake had returned to a flat, smooth mirror. 

She stood on her tiptoes and tried to see into the patch of water where he dropped off, but the light was reflecting too strongly on the glinting surface. Rory took a step forward, submerging her foot in the water. It was cold as she expected, and the water seeped through her sneakers and onto her feet, making her socks feel heavy. This was her only pair of clothes. 

The water stung against the scratches on her legs, and she imagined it would hurt even more on her fresh tattoo. Still, she pushed herself forward, carrying her backpack into the water. With a sudden pang of nervousness, she realized her Dragoneer Manual would get wet. 

She had a vision of her blowdrying a fantasy book she dropped in the bathtub when she was 11 years old. The pages were wrinkled and wavey afterwards, but she wouldn't let her mother throw it out. It was in the middle of this memory, as she walked forward, that she felt the drop off.

Her foot slipped forward on an incline and she caught herself, stepping back. The water under her was inky black and seemingly infinite. This had to be the 'leap of faith' Arthur Wood had mentioned. Good one, Arthur.

She hesitated for a moment, suddenly feeling dread. What if it was just a void of water, and she'd drown? Once she fell in, it would be difficult to find where the incline was in the pitch black.

A small chirp sounded behind her and she whirled to see the dragon behind her, watching. It was sitting on its haunches confidently, and its small chirps and purrs seemed to be ones of encouragement. 

Rory smiled, taking a deep breath and squeezing her eyes shut. With a sudden surge of confidence, she stepped forward into the abyss.

The freezing water slid around her neck and head as she plunged into the deep. She felt it seeping into every root of her hair as it was swept upwards. She opened her eyes under water as she fell, a strong gravity seeming to pull her down, and saw amazing creatures swimming around her.

An iridescent blue barracuda fish, impossibly large, circled around her as she held her breath. It's large, white eye made eye contact with her and it swam by. Hundreds of brightly glowing sea horses danced around her. It was like looking at tiny gems sparkling in a dark cave. Rory's eyes widened in amazement at the beauty that surrounded her. She forgot completely that she was holding her breath. 

And just as she surrendered to the beauty around her, she wasn't falling anymore. Her movement ceased as quickly as it had started, but she never felt herself land. One moment she was falling, and the next she was standing, completely dry.

She was in the middle of a lush field. It seemed normal except for the fact that the blades of grass all around her were dark blue. The tree trunks, far in her periphery, looked to be a deep red.

And Jay seemed to come out of nowhere.

"You made it. Congrats." 

He seemed as unmoved as usual.

"How did we...?"

"Inter-dimensional portal," he replied, matter-of-factly.

Rory nodded, a bit in shock.