FALTER

CHAPTER 30: The scorched town (9)

Yarane wiped the grime out of her face as she desperately tried to get her fiance to his feet. He was coughing in a concerning way, as if his lungs were desperately trying to eject themselves."I'm fine, I'm fine," He said between coughs. Yarane bit her lips to prevent the tears from flowing as she looked at Taneen. His face was covered in blood and his arm was flailing at his side, being rendered completely unusable after a giant piece of concrete had smashed it flat.

She crouched down next to him, cupping his face in her hands. "What do we do?"

Her panic was barely hidden underneath.

Taneen coughed again before grimacing.

"Can you undo my pants?"

"What? What are you-"

"I'm serious."

Yarane reached down and unfastened Taneen's pants, trying desperately to not question him. In any other circumstance, the situation would be funny and she would be flustered, but right now she had a terrible suspicion - one that was confirmed as soon as Taneen's old Drive revealed itself under his clothes.

"No." Her voice was completely hollow. She couldn't take her eyes off of it - the jade crystals lining it, the beautiful stained window patterns and the golden dragon swirling through the middle. "You promised me. You promised me."

Taneen grabbed her shoulder. "I know, god, I know, but this- I knew something would happen and I had to be safe. This place, it's horrible and I just wanted us to be safe."

The woman had nothing to say. There were too many thoughts swirling in her head and she couldn't pick one to focus her energy on. She had been there the day Taneen threw his and her Drive away. They both knew what would happen if he ever transformed again. She recalled the feeling of walking away from the pier, her hands in his. The warmth she felt in her slightly clammy palms, but more importantly, the immense weight that was now missing from her shoulders.

She had hoped never to feel that burden again and yet, her hopes were currently as crushed as the dust on the floor. Wordlessly, Yarane nodded and placed her hand on the Drive. She took a second to trace her finger over the intricate shapes.

"It's... shaking."

Taneen frowned. "There's too much here. Too much magic. It's gotta be almost four hundred years since this many Drives were in the same room together and you know what happened the last time."

Yarane finally looked up to meet her lover's eyes. She tried as best as she could to transmit all the things she wanted to say.

"It'll be fine." Even now, he smiled. "We've survived worse. And besides... I'm the strongest."She leaned forward to kiss him. It was supposed to be a quick peck but the fear of it being their last made Yarane linger on his lips. Not wanting to move away, she simply closed her eyes and pressed down on the Drive.

A flash of light, as usual. She could feel it even beneath her eyelids. Suddenly, her lips weren't touching his, but rather the cold helmet of his armour. Slowly moving back, she opened her eyes to look at the massive glowing orange eyes of Dragon.