Heaven's Darkness (Book 2)

Chapter 7 - Ashura

 The walk back to the hotel was peaceful and calm, the scattered rays of sunlight in the sky creating a lightshow to watch on our trek. It was beautiful, making up for the fact that the entire city was surrounded by the barren Ardus Desert. The dusty path under our feet decorated the sunset with tiny puffs of sand, accenting the low populated street. It was very calming.

Suddenly, a scream echoed from somewhere behind us, followed by a huge crashing sound. Jeriah was quick to react, turning around and charging in that direction to help. I was about to follow behind him, but I was frozen in place. I heard another crash...

And another... and another...

Every loud noise that erupted, they all seemed to lock more and more of my joints in place. I couldn't move an inch or take a step. My brain screamed at my feet, but my legs refused to let any nerve signals through. I was stock-still, listening to ear-bleeding booms and clashes.

One of the buildings around me creaked in protest before crumbling into a pile of rubble, puffs of smoke and debris filling the evening sky, blurring my vision. I stared in horror at the sight, flashbacks automatically shooting throughout my mind.

"N-no, Incidius!" I suddenly screamed, holding my head in my hand and collapsing to my knees, my cloak acting as a small cushion for my weak and shaking bones. I couldn't relive something like this. It was too terrifying, too awful.

When I looked back up, I saw it all over again. I saw the crimson, scaly lizard before me, flapping its wings and ascending into the late night sky, the moon covered by its massive body. House upon house fell under the pressure of his downdrafts, leaving me all the more isolated in destruction. I felt fear spike in my chest, my breath hitched in my throat. I hadn't felt such terror in quite some time. I watched helplessly as the dragon opened its mouth, fire crackling in its jaws...

Tears streamed down my cheeks. I fell on my side, curling into a ball, my face buried in my knees. My heart was racing, my body trembling and sweating violently. I couldn't gather enough courage to even look at the monster. I never realized exactly how terrifying it all was until this moment. I had nightmares up until now about dragons, but this was a situation I had actually experienced. I couldn't relive it. I just couldn't.

"S-stop! Please!" I sobbed. "D-don't hurt me... d-don't hurt a-anyone! P-please!"

"Hey, Ashura!" I felt a warm hand on my right shoulder, completely catching my off-guard. Another person? The city was too dangerous for someone to still be around. Surely, if they were around during this damage, the rubble would've crushed them.

Nonetheless, someone else needed saving. I clenched his arm tightly, not wanting him to get hurt from the lizard about to burn the city into nothingness.

"G-get out of here! While you still can! I-I don't want a-anyone getting h-hurt..." I faltered, willing myself to move. I squirmed helplessly on the ground, trembling with too much fear to stand. I felt my heart race, my body hyperventilating, realizing the damning situation we were in.

A comforting arm hugged me closer to a calm, warm body, rocking me back and forth gently.

"Shh, it's okay. There's no dragon. We're in Drone. You're safe. Everyone's okay," the deep voice soothed.

I squirmed in his embrace, trying to push him away from the impending doom of a dragon's breath attack. "Get out of here! T-the dragon... he's gonna..."

"Tell me your name," the voice calmly asked, oblivious to the dragon about to attack us.

I pounded my fist against his rock-hard chest, failing in getting him to budge an inch. "That d-doesn't even matter! The dragon..."