~A Wattpad featured and Wattys Longlisted story~
Lana can hardly remember what it's like to be free. After nine years as a captive on board a ship ruled by ruthless bounty hunters, sailing across Maris with no clear direction, she's desperate for so...
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SKYE IS PERCHED on the top of an abandoned house, staring down at a battalion of dragon hunters below him. There are around twenty men and women in the group, and they have a cozy looking fire with their next meal cooking on top. It only takes a few moments for the smell of freshly cooked meat to reach his nose, and his mouth starts to water. He can't remember the last time he had a decent meal between being captured and traveling on the mission to receive the prophecy. He bites his lip, suddenly feeling weary. He misses the relaxing, easy-going life of just training with Arlo and—
He shakes his head, and refocuses his attention on the group, staring at one person in particular: their leader. She's tall with fiery red hair and dark eyes, a distinct coldness mixed with confidence giving her an air of fearful authority. He quickly recognizes her to be the woman who almost captured them when they were leaving Orleyn. No, even if she appears to be so, she is not a woman.
She is a Morai.
Skye had known she would be here however, so although her appearance doesn't shock him, he still feels the invasive tendrils of fear surrounding his heart, worming their way within, making it pound faster. Ellerin, Bryan, and he had been watching these dragon hunters for the past couple of days since they arrived here in Lyra, and would've moved on if not for Lana and the Morai.
Lana's condition has improved, but only slightly. The burns on both her sides were healing healthily, although Ellerin refused to cast any magic to help speed the process along for fear of making it worse. Lana still has not woken, and the thought of moving her sends a wave of trepidation through him. In training, he has seen other Riders overextend their magic, passing out from complete magical drain, but they always wake up moments later and at most, a few hours. It has been two days, and he's beginning to feel the vise like grip of worry tighten around his heart. Although he hasn't known her for long, he was just beginning to feel the true beginnings of a friendship, something he has so rarely experienced in his life. To lose her this fast hurts more than he thought it would, especially as he has started to feel some of those long lost memories in their past return, but he takes a deep breath. He hasn't lost her yet. He has to think positive and stay focused.
Another reason they haven't left this ghost island is because of the Morai. It made no sense why she would come here. The whole city had been burnt to the ground at least a week ago, and though the fire still burns bright, there are no survivors or none that they've found. There has to be a reason they came here. The opportunity to learn more about their virtually invulnerable foes, although a huge risk, will be worth it.
Skye watches attentively as she yells at the hunters around her, moving her arms jerkily as she points in several directions. It's clear that she's angry about something, but he can't hear what she is saying. Curiosity overtakes caution, and he quickly casts a spell to amplify what they are saying so he can hear.
