Misfits of Vernada ~Wattys2016~

XXIX

Moon

The sea laid spread out before Moon as she landed on the beach. She had flown for three days, only stopping once to drink by a small stream. As a result, she was exhausted.

She flopped down on the soft sand and closed her eyes, sleeping peacefully with no dreams.

When she woke, the sun was setting over the vast sea. She lay there, watching it for a minute, felling awed at the amount of water and peaceful for the first time for months.

'Maybe I could fly over the sea. I could live far over there. Zappy would never be able to follow me, even if he comes this far,' she thought, looking over the water.

With a grunt, she stood, winching as her stiff limbs moved. She spread her wings, and hissed in pain. Her body was aching from the long flight, and she knew she needed a good rest, but she didn't care. She wanted to get as far away as she could.

So, she painfully leapt into the dark sky, slowly beating her sore wings. The rhythmic beating lulled her into an almost trance like state. Beat wings, breath. Beat wings, breath. Beat wings, breath. Don't think.

The beach soon was in the distance, and all she could see ahead was the sea. Beat wings, breath. Beat wings, breath. Beat wings, breath. Don't think.

The pain faded, and she could feel nothing but for the beating of her wings. Her rhythm made her lose track of time, all she knew was the sea under her and the beating of her wings. Beat wings, breath. Beat wings, breath. Beat wings, breath. Don't think.

Her vision began to flicker, and she knew she was too tired to keep going. But it was so far back to shore. So she kept going. Beat wings, breath. Beat wings, breath. Beat wings, breath. Don't think.

She faltered, her wings unable to hold her anymore. She tried to beat them again, but didn't have the strength. She fell, no strength to keep herself up. The dark water covered her, and she sank. Her last thought was of Zappy.

'I'm sorry.'

#######

The sound of the tide was the first thing she noticed. Blinking her eye open, Moon looked around. She was in a cave, on a ledge above the sea. An entrance was in front of her, looking out onto the vast expanse of the sea.

To her left, the ground slopped gently down, until it vanished into the water. Turning her head to the right, she saw that the ledge she was on continued until it merged with the wall.

She was lying on a nest of some sort of grass like plants, a little slimy, and salty smelling. But they were comfortable, and right now that was all the young dragon cared about. Too tired to do anything else, she closed her eyes and slept.

#######

A face was staring at her. It was dark blue, and angular. The eyes were sky blue, and sparkling with mischief. It was dripping with water.

"Pop! She's awake!" the owner of the voice cried, male and young. It moved back, and dropped into the water. Moon got a better look at him. His face slopped back, until the neck. His neck had a line of long, thin spikes along it, continuing down his back into the water.

His front legs broke the surface of the water as he waved. The claws were webbed, and looked sharp. He had some sort of fin on the elbow.

"Hello!" he called, diving into the water and revealing a tail, the spikes from his neck, now smaller, continuing down it. He resurfaced, and grinned. "I'm L'rin. Who're you?"

Moon frowned at the strange name, and answered. "Moon." She looked the young creature up and down and her frown deepened. "What are you?"

He giggled, and answered.

"I was about to ask the same. I'm a K'lrak. We live in these here parts. Where're you from? And what are you?"

"I'm a dragon," Moon answered, beginning to spread her wings and stretch. She winched as she stretched her aching muscles. And they weren't the only things that were aching. Her heart hurt whenever she thought of Zappy, and the tears threatened to fall again. But she blinked them back and answered L'rin's questions.

"I'm from the mainland, Vernada."

"Oh! I know where that is!" he cried, leaping out of the water. "That's that way!" As he spoke, he pointed, standing on the water on the tip of his tail. His body was long, a fin on each side, and gills near the start of the tail.

"L'rin, don't wear out our guest," a voice called, and Moon looked up. Another K'lrak was entering the cave, his angular head barely breaking the water. This one was aqua, his eyes the same sky blue as L'rin's. "Go back to your mother."

L'rin dropped back into the water, and sighed.

"Sorry Pop," he muttered, diving under the water and swimming off. The male smiled as he left, and turned to Moon.

"Sorry about my son, he's a little talkative," he said, jumping onto the ledge, his tail dangling in the water. "I'm J'ran, leader of the K'lrak."

"Moon," she said simply. There was nothing else to say. "I don't mind L'rin, he reminds me of a friend." And he did, the young K'lrak reminded her of Cricket.

"We don't get dragons in these parts often. What brings you here?" J'ran asked. Moon looked down, the tears welling in her eyes again. She remembered her red vision, the blood flying, Zappy pinned under her claws.

She lay back down and sighed.

"It's a long story," she said quietly. "And one I don't feel like telling right now."

J'ran nodded.

"I understand." He said simply. "How are you feeling? You were nearly drowned when I found you."

Moon looked up, and grimaced.

"All my flight muscles are aching," she said. "But other then that, I'm alive. Thank you for saving me." 'I think,' she thought. 'Maybe it would have been better if I'd drowned."

"You nearly weren't alive," J'ran said. "What made you fly out so far? You were obviously exhausted."

Moon shrugged, lifting her head.

"I wanted to get away from my past," she said simply. "I –," she stopped, and bowed her head. "I nearly killed my best friend," the young dragon whispered. She looked up into the K'lrak's blue eyes. "I may have killed him!" This time the tears did come, and she dropped her head, covering it with her paws.

A wet claw was laid on her arm, and she blinked her eyes open to see J'ran smiling sadly at her.

"Running from the past isn't always the best idea," he said softly. "I'll leave you alone for a while." He smiled again, and slipped back into the water, swimming out of the cave.

Moon sighed, watched the sea splash against her ledge. Then the tears came, and she wept, crying for herself, for Zappy, for the friendship lost, for Cricket who she would probably never see again. And slowly, she slept. 

A/N The picture is one I drew of a K'lrak, to give you an idea of what they look like.