Sleeping Memories

Shadow of a Flame

Cynder:

Cynder yawned loudly, waking to the sounds of Malfore yelling loudly. Her eyes widened as she realized she had slept too long and he was yelling her name. The stomping grew as she frantically ran around her room, before an idea popped in her head. She took a deep breath before chanting and a portal opened, a trick she learned from a passing ghost. This was a portal to Skylands, something she wanted to do for a long time was to leave this place. She flew through the portal, hearing a crash just before it closed, she panted and stared where the portal used to be. After a moment she slowly softened her stance and looked around, the bright skies flooding in through the leaves.

She smiled widely as she shot up in the sky, a loud laugh bellowing out of her as she felt the cool wind on her scales. She flew around awhile before something caught her eye, a figure in black walking along the trail beneath her. The figure seemed to notice her and was gone in a flash, taking her by surprise. She landed where the figure was before flying down the path looking for whoever it was. She stopped in a small clearing, loosing the strange scent until she jumped at the sound of footsteps. She turned to see the figure, who had a hood over the top half of their face with a bow and an arrow pointed dead at her.

"Woah, I don't mean any harm, you can put that down." She said, the figure's hands were shaking, which puzzled her until the bow was lowered and the arrow was put away. The figure turned before walking away. "Hey, where are you going?" She asked as she followed them.

"Please don't follow..." he mumbled, she almost didn't catch that.

"Where are you going?" She asked, not listening to his request. He stopped though didn't face her, he didn't take his bow out again either.

"Some.. where...." he mumbled again, in closer expection she realized the part of his face she could see was covered in bandages along with his hands.

"Are you injured?" She asked, he hummed a response as he shook his head. He suddenly jumped at the sound of lightning in the distance.

"....go...." she heard, realizing he must've been talking.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that." She said, he seemed uneasy.

"Do you... have somewhere.... to go?" He asked, she shook her head.

"I don't actually..." she said sadly, though a bit of a flash from that odd dream she had came back to her, wondering why it suddenly came up.

"Wanna come...?" He asked, she looked at him with confusion, he was hostile a moment ago but now he was helping her?

"Where are you going?" She asked, he frowned.

"Kaosandra..." was all he said for her to shake her head instantly.

"No no, I can't go there, I'm sorry." She said, he shook his head and pointed in another direction.

"Cabin there..." He said, she looked at him before walking into the trees, finding a small abandoned cabin like he said. Though he was gone by the time she returned, she had no time to find him since it began to rain.

"I never did catch his name..." she said with a disappointing sigh.

~~~

The elf had made his way back to Kaosandra's castle, wondering why he helped that dragon. He knew her already, he's seen her visit the castle plenty of times yet something about her was constantly similar when she was around. He had strange dreams whenever he'd see her at the castle, which wasn't much but he feels like he should've helped her. So this past week, he's brought and left food for her before she woke up, though never let her see him. He hasn't had friends before, yet he felt something with her he was highly unsure of.

He snuck through the castles halls, he wasn't able to sneak food but he did want to see her again. Kaosandra had no idea what he was doing, yet he feared for his life if she found out. He swiftly jumped out of a window and ran, he was fast and was there in a mere second, finding the dragon eating a fish, feeling bad he wasn't there to give her something. Though the same dream came up when she was around, making him more interested to find out what they meant, though was too afraid to approach her again. He shook his head and stealthily snuck back to the castle, only to be caught by Kaosandra.

"So you've been sneaking out?" She growled, his pointed ears lowered as the drow and trolls left the room, leaving the two alone.

"I-I..." he stuttered, only for her to slam her hands on the arm rests of her throne.

"You've been the one stealing food as well, haven't you?" She asked, her figure beginning to glow red with anger.

".....yes.." was all he got out, lowering his head as he awaited whatever punishment he was about to receive. He suddenly screamed out in pain as his body began to hurt, she used her powers to somehow make him suffer through intense pain. Though she didn't stop even when he was crumpled on the floor, coughing up blood.

"Pathetic being, I trained you and gave you food, and you betray me?!" She yelled, he was thrown into a wall, though he couldn't fight back as her pointed fingers picked him up by his throat. She threw him into a portal that sent him to the dungeon, he hurt too much to even get up and walk through its open door. He laid there, that dragon creeping into his mind as silent tears escaped his fiery eyes.