The Dragon's Embrace

Chapter 12: Compensation

They all stood there in pure shock as Cole lay there on the road. The car was dead in its tracks.

"Cole!" Tempest shouted, running over to him and grabbing his arms, hoisting him off of the road with the help of Rowan.

Alara was staring down at them, too stunned to move.

"He isn't breathing!" Rowan said with worry, placing two fingers on his wrist. When she didn't feel anything, she placed two fingers between his neck and chin, searching for something, anything. "He doesn't have a pulse either!" she said, then laced her left hand on top of her right hand, placing them on his chest and began doing compressions to try and get his heart going again.

Alara covered her mouth in shock, glancing at Tempest. She was frozen, looking down at Cole, trembling. It was happening all over again. Another death caused by dragon hunters. Alara knew exactly what she felt. The empty cold feeling of seeing someone die right in front of you, and all you can do is tremble.

Alara then shook her head. No! Not this time! She thought, looking back at Tempest. "We need some form of electricity!" she said, looking around for a powerline or something.

Tempest then gasped, looking up at Alara, then down at her hands. "I-I can produce electricity!" She said, but then looked over at the car, spying the completely traumatized driver who was too stunned to even get out of her car. "Get that person out of here! I need to transform!" she said desperately.

Javi then ran to the car "Get out of here!" He shouted, banging on the window just angrily enough to scare the driver out of her shocked state and cause her to take off back down the road, probably traumatized for years to come.

Once the car was out of sight, Tempest's tattoo phased into her skin and she lit up a bright electric blue. When the light was gone, she stood there in her dragon form: a medium sized black dragon that had bright blue stripes running down her underbelly, and tall spines that ran down her back. There was static that was generated by her body and they traveled down her spines like miniature lightning bolts.

She then dashed over to Cole, her tail slithering behind her as she came to a stop at Cole's motionless body.

Alara was surprised how she turned out to be some sort of electric dragon. The chances that she was an electric dragon in a time like this was uncanny. Alara watched helplessly as Tempest stared down at Cole. The dragon closed her eyes and Alara noticed that the electricity running down her spines grew quicker and they started to fluctuate, like she was charging up.

Alara had to look away as the dragon lit up a bright blue and gently placed her foreclaw on the boy's motionless chest and delivering the shock.

Alara was almost afraid to look back. She knew that Tempest grew up with those powers, but she had no idea if the girl could control them well enough to use them right and not accidentally blast a hole through the boy's torso.

There was an eerie silence as everyone held their breath, a silence that was broken by a sudden struggled and harsh cough.

Alara looked back at the two beside the road and saw Cole now on his hands and knees, coughing violently. Alara squinted as Tempest lit up again, seeing her emerge in her human form and falling to her knees at Cole's side, "Y-You're alive!" she said with tears in her husky eyes.

Cole's cough had somewhat settled down a few moments later "W-what just happened..." He said.

It wasn't time to celebrate yet. That was just one problem fixed. Alara's attention turned back to the train. Their time was almost up, the end of the train was fast approaching and the hunters were still on the other side.