DragonFire

Chapter 9 - Seth

Seth struggled not to panic. His lungs were filled with fluid, he couldn't breathe. He thrashed his arms wildly, he tried to shout. His mind was screaming at him, he couldn't make any sense. His head began to hurt, he felt the life withdraw in his body. Then he began to feel numb, and warm. Why was it so warm?

"Seth! We must phase or we will die." He heard a voice say. The words failed to process as his mind as he was unable to focus. He watched as bubbles escaped his mouth, and followed them as they swam away.

He felt cold now. Cold, and very tired. The screaming in his head had dulled to a throb. He wanted to sleep, he needed to sleep. He closed his eyes.

"Not yet." A woman called. Her voice was clear, and it seemed to call from his mind.

"You cannot join me yet." She said.

Suddenly he was wide awake. Fire burned in his lungs, he began to panic again.

"Phase Seth, phase!" He could hear Cub scream.

Seth's body began to change. His white skin grew fur, and his bones were broken. The muscles in his body rearranged until he was no longer Seth, he was Cub. He cut through the water with his powerful arms, until suddenly, his head broke through the surface. He gulped down the air, and it made him feel sick.

"It may not be the same air as back home." Seth said.

Cub struggled to stay afloat, as his heavy coat of white fur was soaked.

"Where do you think we are?" Seth asked looking around. All he could see was the dark blue water.

"I'm not sure we're on the same planet as home." Cub said.

Silently, several alien shaped heads emerged from the water. They appeared without a sound, and struck fear into his heart. There were five in total, and all appeared female, with long hair, high cheekbones and slender forms. One approached cautiously. It spoke something in a language cub did not recognize.
Cub snuffed loudly. The woman tilted her head, as if confused, and spoke fast words with her companion.

"I'll try to make contact." Seth said.

Cub watched as the leader, surprised, looked around in fear. Soon she calmed as Seth talked on. The leader continued to speak aloud, and cub felt Seth's magic draining.

"We're trespassing." Seth said finally. "They are going to take us to their leader."

Cub pulled back his lips and snarled, baring his teeth.
"They're not taking us anywhere." He said.

Frighteningly fast, the five alien women snarled back with fangs drawn. Their eyes turned black and their forked tounges licked their pointed teeth. Four pointed their tridents at Cub, and the last began to swim away.

"Follow." Seth said.

Cub had no choice but to obey. They swam for hours, where the only change in scenery was the setting of the sun. In the darkness he could not see the stars, the clouds were too thick. With every stroke, the battle to keep his head above the waves became increasingly difficult.
The water began to glow. Though it wasn't the water that was glowing, rather the thousands of giant jellyfish that illuminated the sea beneath them. He watched in awe at the brilliant displays of colours.
Soon a small island broke over the horizon.

"Finally." Cub said.

On the island, a silver and blue tree stood tall above the rest. It was identical to the one on his home world,  the one they used to come to this planet.
On the shore of the island were a few huts made from fish skins and bone. He could smell burning oil on the wind. As the water turned shallow, he finally felt solid ground under his paws. He fell under his weight, his face in the sand. There he waited, gathering some strength.
He watched as his captors laughed from the corner of his eyes. Their tails magically formed slender legs as they stood out from the water.

"She's talking again." Seth warned. "She says that this is her tribe, and she will take you to the elder."

On shaky legs, he limped into the village. Cub dwarfed his captors, being a white Saber of over twenty hands tall. He shook the water from his coat, much to the annoyance of the five women.
From the village little children came running. They were much the same as their parents, with a set of gills and pointed teeth. Webbed fingers brushed through his hair, as the kids reached out to touch him.

"Cub?" Seth called. "Are you purring?"

"No!" He said instantly. From the back of his mind, he sensed Seth's amusement.

They reached a large tent at the base of the great silver and blue tree, where Cub was directed inside by the lead woman. They followed close behind. The tent was dark, and mostly empty, except for a table at the end. Behind the table was an alien woman, dressed in the skin of an animal. He diddnt know which type. Dried blood marked her face, death was on her breath.

"Maybe we should shift forms, Cub?" Seth asked.

"Alright. I could use the rest." He replied.

The air around Cub's body distorted, until it was just Seth standing alone with his usual leather cloak and rucksack. If the aliens were suprised by the sudden change in Cub's appearance, they didn't show it.

"Why have you come?" He heard the old lady croak.

"I seek passage to Earth." He replied calmly.

"You have trespassed on sacred ground. The gods demand a sacrifice."

Seth was silent. He watched as the purple flames cast shadows across the room.

"Yes." The elder said. "There must be blood."

"I will not be sacrificed to your gods." Seth said calmly.

"You will be." The woman croaked.

"I won't."

"If we faze back, I think I can fight our way out." Cub said.

"There won't be a need for that." Seth said, reassuringly.

"Seize him." The elder said quietly.

Seth allowed himself to be steered out of the tent, and to be tied up to a pole in the middle of the village.

"What's your plan?" Cub asked.

"Fire." Seth whispered. "Fire is my plan."

Once his hands were bound to the pole, he closed his eyes and cleared his mind. He drew on his power and focused it into the fire hearth in the elder's tent. Then he waited. Sure enough, soon he could smell the smoke. He saw as the purple flames leapt from building to building. He saw the alien people, panicked,  run into the ocean. People began to scream as their homes burned to the ground, along with all their possessions. They howled in frustration as the only thing they could do was wait in the waves and watch.

In the midst of the chaos he had created, he broke through his restraints and dashed to the silver tree. He quickly created a portal like the one on his home world by transferring his energy, and creating a rift between the roots. The last thing he remembered seeing as he dove through the portal, was the snarls from the faces of people in the water. The snarling faces, and the growing flames.
Then they were one planet closer to Earth.