Fragile Skins

Chapter four: dragons

Bubbles escaped his mouth and the world around him went blank. Kai couldn't move, he couldn't see or breath but he could feel. The overwhelming pressure felt like it was crushing him as he sank deeper. Then he felt soft arms and fins come up beneath him and carry him up and lay him down on what felt like rocks. Then he felt a mouth over his he tried to reach out to see what it was but to no avail. He felt something soft and airy enter his mouth and slide down his throat. Suddenly he could breath he bolted into a sitting position and opened his eyes surprised to see he was still underwater. Pressure was slowly relieved from him and he regained all senses. He looked over and saw Sachiel sitting on the rock next to him, they were in a cave.
"Kai! How do you feel? Are you ok?" Sachiel asked concerned.
"What? How?" Kai spoke and no bubbles of oxygen left his mouth.
"I know it might be shocking at first."
"How is this happening?" Kai asked astonished.
"Magic duh."
"Wa? Magic isn't real."
"Yeah? And apparently common sense isn't either. The hell were you thinking?" 
"What was I thinking? What were you thinking?" Kai yelled.
"Umm, I figured you'd want me gone as I kinda just got you kicked out of your house."
"Yeah but, how, what, why can I breath?" "I already told you, magic duh." "Magic isn't real, is it?"
"Of course it is you're breathing right now are you not?"
"Yeah b-but." Kai was panting heavily in shock. When he inhaled he felt water enter his mouth but it didn't go down his throat, instead he could feel it getting pushed back out his mouth when he exhaled. "Your father isn't he looking for you, searching all the oceans?"
"Yes. But I can go along with him if I have to I just don't want to cause anymore problems for you."
"Oh shut up you haven't caused any problems, I'd rather swim around somehow breathing in the ocean with you then live with my family any longer."
"But I thought you cared for and loved them." Kai sighs deeply.
"Yea I have been taking care of my family for a long time, after my father died mom couldn't do much anymore I took care of Sidy, but I only felt bad for my mother. Though Sidy she's the one I really want to take care of, but it's too late to go back so at this point I have to move on."
"You're so..." Sachiel sat on a rock, "Strong. I wish I could be like that, when I left my home I missed my family so much." Despite being underwater Kai could still see tears falling from Sach's eyes. Kai hugged Sachiel around the torso. Sachiel floated up and hugs Kai back.
"But what about your dad, will he find you."
"No I know where we can go." Sachiel let go of Kai and swam out of the cave, "follow me!" Kai quickly kicked his legs and swam out of the cave after Sachiel.
"So do you have any other powers?" Kai asked.
"Hmm." Sachiel smiled, "Just letting land creatures become like sea creatures and I don't know if being able to jump fifteen feet out of the water is a power or a skill."
"Fifteen feet?" Kai asked clearly shocked. "Can you do that now?"
"Yep." Sachiel waved his tail quickly and shot up toward the surface. He broke the surface and flew into the air. He spun and dove back into the water, leaving a trail of little bubbles.
"Way cool!" Kai exclaimed.
"Yeah I guess." Sachiel blushed. They swam for a long time and Kai's arms and legs started to ach. He tried to distract himself by looking at the various sea life, turtles, stingrays, seahorses, and sharks. Eventually, after what must have been hours, they came up to what appeared to be giant jellyfish half buried in the sand. Upon closer examination Kai could see what what appeared to be doors and windows and decided these must be houses. It makes sense they would be squishy as if they were built like land houses they would be crushed by pressure. "Here, Horned Dragon Village, is where my friend is." Sachiel said swimming down to a large house in the middle of the town. Kai followed cautiously as he saw merfolk swimming about the town and he was unsure how they would take to a human. Sachiel knocked on the door and there was a low rumble from within he opened the door and gestured for Kai to enter. Inside was a large hole seeming to go down forever. "MěiLóng! It's me, Sachiel!" From the deep abyss in front of them rouse a pale blue dragon with long antlers and many brightly colored feathers adorning it's head, Kai gasped in wonder.
"Sachiel, 他是谁?" The dragon spoke in a deep voice seemingly without moving his massive jaws.
"他是我的朋友."
"为什么他人类?"
"别担心, 他是好人." Kai didn't understand what they were saying so he just stood awkwardly on the small ledge next to the hole. MěiLóng sighed and turned to Kai.
"What is your name, human?"
"Umm Kai, sir." He said nervously.
"Very well, you both may enter." He dipped back into the dark hole and Sachiel follows too with Kai close behind. Below the darkness was a large cavern lit by weird glowing jellyfish. The room was carpeted by a large red rug and had minimal furniture, a small dining table and a torn brown couch both too small for the huge dragon to use. Sachiel sat at the table with only three chairs.
"Are you hungry Kai?" He asked gesturing for Kai to sit down.
"Oh, yes." Kai replied sitting down next to Sach.
"美龙, 可以我们吃饭吗?"
"可以." The dragon swims through a door he barely fit through.
"MěiLóng doesn't speak much english, mostly Chinese."
"Oh." Kai didn't really know what to say, after all his parents had taught him to fear dragons and now he's face-to-face to one.
"I'm sorry this must be so awkward for you. I didn't know where else to go, MěiLóng is cool don't be afraid of him."
"It's just I've never met a dragon before I don't know what to do." Sachiel slowly took Kai's hand in his. Kai looked away, blushing, and held back onto Sach's hand. MěiLóng comes back into the room carrying two bowls In his little arms. He places the bowls in front of Kai and Sach. Inside the bowl is what appears to be scrambled eggs and green leaves.
"谢谢!" Sachiel said happily and let go of Kai's hand to pick up his fork and start eating. Kai picks up his fork as well and takes a bite of the strange food.
"What is this?" Kai asked, "It's so good." He shoved his face with the food. Sachiel giggled.
"It's sea spinach and scrambled sea turtle eggs, silly. Have you never had it?"
"No." "Ha, must not be so common on land." suddenly MěiLóng loudly gasped.
"Sachiel, 你的尾巴!" He shouted. Sachiel looked down to his tail which had a large rip on his caudal fin.
"Oh my god Sach! I'm so sorry I forgot. Does it hurt?" Kai said quickly examining the fin.
"No I feel fine and I can still swim." Sachiel said, "It will probably grow back." Sachiel and MěiLóng continued talking about something Kai didn't understand in chinese. Eventually Sach turned to Kai, "MěiLóng says we can stay here for tonight, but we have to leave tomorrow because his parents are coming over, they hate humans." They were shown to a small empty room with no beds.
"Where are the beds?" Kai asked confused.
"Oh I probably should have mentioned, Seafolk usually just sleep in the sand." Sachiel said, gesturing to the sand on the floor, "It's actually quiet comfortable." So they slept on the sand that night. Sachiel was right the sand was comfortable, probably even more so than Kai's bed back at his home.