Alone and Together

Marine

Ash hung heavy in the air.   Fire seared, burning trees and houses alike.  Hours ago had been the Moon Festival, it was hard to believe that now no one besides her would remember it.

Even in the cave where she hid, Marine felt herself coughing.  She picture the flames, the way they burned dragons to a crisp. The lives were forfeit, even the ones that hadn't even began. Sunwings were truly evil to do this, to kill without a second thought.

Truth be told, Marine was more terrified than she had ever been. She had spent her life happy, picking fruit and fishing, dancing at the festivals, swimming in her free time. She had never been anyone important, or special, her village wasn't even important. Why the Sunwings had targeted them, she perhaps would never know.

The sound of wingbeats is what woke Marine from her thoughts.  Sunwings!  Her webbed claws started shaking, and she wrapped her wings around herself, squishing as far back into the cave as possible.  If only she wasn't glowing!  She was so easy to spot, especially in the dark!  Her only hope was that no sunwing checked the cave.

But that was too lucky to happen.  Warm, golden orange scales slammed into her, and long claws wrapped around her long and narrow snout.  She was slammed into the wall behind her with a thud, and while she struggled, she was unable to wrench herself from the iron grip of the other dragon.

"Don't scream." A male voice whispered.  "I'm not here to hurt you."  Very, very slowly and gently, the warm claws unfurled themselves from her snout.  While it was dark in the cave, Marine could make out the basic shape and colors of the other dragon.  He was definitely a sunwing, she had felt the heat radiating from his scales. His scales were a golden orange color, with yellow scales along his spine, snout, and wings.  His eyes were bright yellow, and he had a thick, muscular build.  Strangely, his horns were an orange red, a color Marine didn't see too often.

"Who are you?" Marine whispered.  She wondered if he could even be trusted.  He was a sunwing, after all.

"I'm Idi, what's your name?"

"Marine."

"Are you alright? Not hurt or anything?" Idi said, actual concern in his voice. He was a stranger, why would he be concerned?

"My back hurts from when you slammed me into the wall, and my throat stings, but other than that, I'm fine." Marine frowned, fixing Idi with a slight glare. He shifted uncomfortably, guilt twisting his facial features. He didn't meet her gaze, and stared at the floor instead, slouching.

"I'm...sorry..." He mumbled. "I just panicked, and...I didn't mean to."

"It's fine, I guess. Why are you doing here? Shouldn't you be...burning villages..." Marine put as much venom into the last two words, almost spitting them out. He was the enemy.

"I was actually here to warn your village...I've sorta been exiled...and stuff..." Idi looked at her. "I wish I made it in time, and I'm sorry about your village, but it's not my fault. I had nothing to do with this."

"Do you know why they attacked this small, unimportant village then? We're rather far from the richer, more powerful Tropicwings." Marine questioned, sitting up straight and straightening her wings along her back.

"A show of power. They wanted you guys to be scared..." Idi spoke quietly, a frowning on his snout.

Marine yawned, and then coughed, her throat burning. "Is it-" She coughed again. "Is it possible that anyone else survived?" She croaked, her eyes watering.

Idi shook his head, placing one of his talons on Marine's back. "It's very unlikely. I'm surprised that you made it. How did you escape?"

Marine shook his talon off. "I was out by here, relaxing after the festival. I was kinda tired, but I wanted to see the sunset..." She trailed off. If she had invited someone with her, then she might not have been the only one left. Everyone she had ever known and loved was dead.

Tears poured down Marine's face. "They're...they're all dead..." She whispered. She brought her talons to her face and wrapped her wings around herself, shaking with each sob. She felt another pair of warm wings wrap around her, and she looked up to see Idi hugging her.

"It'll be okay, it's all going to be fine." Idi whispered, placing his warm talons on the white scales of Marine's back. Marine sobbed into his shoulder, her breath ragged and short. Idi stayed still as Marine cried, whispering soothing words to comfort her. Marine fell asleep crying in Idi's arms, falling deep into a lonely, dreamless sleep.

When Marine woke again, Idi was nowhere to be seen in the cave. Sighing, Marine stretched her transparent, sea green wings, and her short, jagged talons.  It didn't even matter, they had only hid in the cave because there was no where else to hide.  They were only brief acquaintances. 

Marines linked out of the cave and onto the warm, sandy beach.  The breeze was cool and salty, and the sound of birds singing could be heard from a distance.  The ocean's waves still splashed against the beach, and the world was still spinning.  Life went on, even though so many had been lost. 

"Morning!"  Marine jumped back at the sound of the voice.  Standing right next to her, was Idi, carrying a ton of coconuts, bananas, mangos, and several dead parrots, toucans, and monkeys.  He smiled at her, placing the fruits on the ground, and started eating a monkey.

Marine smiled at him, and picked up a mango.  "Good morning to you too." She said, slicing open the mango and eating it in one bite.  

"So..." Idi cleared his throat.  "What are you going to do now?"  He said, awkwardly, playing with his claws. 

Marine looked at him, and said simply.  "Whatever I want, and whatever I will."