Mysteries Beyond (Dragons RTTE Fanfic - Sequel to Deception)

Chapter 11

Warmth! You could feel heat coming from somewhere near you. Wait a second, you could actually feel. That was an improvement from the sensation of freezing numbness you had grown accustomed to in the last few seconds before you lost consciousness. Your eyes were still closed, but you could hear the howling arctic wind in the background. So, did that mean you weren't dead? You struggled to remember what had exactly happened. What had happened? The images flashed back through your mind, as if being fast-forwarded. You had attacked the ships, then Amethyst fell in the water, Scerla had saved her but then been captured himself, you were thrown onto an iceberg, and Amethyst had burst forth to save Scerla, you were cold - so cold - then, nothing... What had happened to you? It all seemed such a blur. And how could you possibly be alive? You must have moved slightly whilst trying to remember what happened, because the next thing you heard was a familiar voice.

"(Y/n)!?" the tone was hopeful, as though the owner of the voice had been fearing the worst. Viggo! That's who it was! You'd know that voice anywhere...Then, you weren't dead. You opened your eyes to make sure. You saw a blur ahead of you which, after your eyes had taken a few seconds to focus, turned out to be Viggo's face, waiting with an anxious expression for you to wake up. The harsh, arctic air alerted you once again to your surroundings and brought you to your senses a little quicker.

"W-what happened?" you asked, pushing back a strand of hair in your face with one hand, and then pushing yourself up from the solid ground until you were sitting.

"Hold on, don't strain yourself!" Viggo said in a hushed tone, as he rushed forward to put a hand on your waist to steady you. "Not many people survive such an advanced stage of hypothermia."

'Hypothermia? But I was only in the water for a few seconds!' you thought to yourself.

"But, the dragons!" you suddenly remembered, struggling out of Viggo's grip and discarding any other thoughts, "Amethyst and Sclera! They've been captured!" You were about to scramble to your feet, but Viggo pressed down firmly on both your shoulders to prevent you from doing so.

"Now, hold on just a second." he said strictly, "We need to make sure you're okay first."

"I'm fine, now let's-" you halted mid-sentence, and froze (in fact, 'froze' was an expression you didn't particularly like anymore). Either way, you couldn't move. You stared straight ahead at the fire, that had been the source of warmth you'd detected before, alarmed at what you saw beside it.  Next to the flames, on a perch made of a few sticks, hung something oddly familiar: your armor, leggings, tunic, jacket and belt. You realized that there, drying beside the fire, were your clothes, which begged the question: what exactly were you wearing right now? You looked down to see that you were wrapped up in blankets and, beneath that, only your underwear. Upon realizing that, you immediately blushed more profoundly than all the times you had ever blushed in your entire life put together. You were so embarrassed, that you practically couldn't speak, but forced yourself to, as perhaps asking a sensible question would allow to keep a shred of dignity.

"E-r-r, w-where are the blankets from?" you asked, trying to sound as casual as possible, but probably failing miserably.

"Valka packed them alongside the food supplies." Viggo replied simply, probably trying not to add to your embarrassment. Well, of course Valka had packed them. You'd seen them next to the food supplies the other night. You had never been more thankful for blankets in your life.

"Oh, right, well, yes." you stuttered, not even having the heart to look Viggo in the eye. "Thank you." you managed to splutter out.

"I do apologize for..." Viggo looked you up and down, "Well, you know... But the soaking clothes were deteriorating your condition at an alarming rate. Your body had stopped shivering and your pulse was weakening - both are symptoms of advanced hypothermia. I'm afraid if I hadn't acted, you would be dead. I do hope you understand..."