The Phragons

Chapter 5

Nevaeh's POV:

This dirt road has become dreadful to limp on, as minutes go by, my body becomes more and more dehydrated. I can feel myself starting to ignore the pain, because of this dreaded heat. I can feel my clothes drying.

I started seeing a faint path of golden dust, but I didn't know what to do.. Maybe somebody was having a rave?

I bend down, using my finger to inspect what this dust could be, but when I do, it starts to bust like stars. I nod, confused. Instead of continuing down the dry road, I follow the golden dust to the location of a village or a town.

"Hello? Anyone there?"

Stumbling on twigs and crunching the autumn like leaves. I let out painful groans as I keep walking where this golden dust is leading me. As the trail stops, I look up.

It looks like two women..?

"Wow, they're beautiful... What are they?"

But suddenly, as I was about to reach out to her, I was violently grabbed by the wrist and thrown into the center of this group of...

"State your name."

My back is in more pain than it was before, but this time, I'm not sure if I can support it.

"My name.. is N-Nevaeh."   

"Are you working for them? Are you following us?"

I tried looking up to them, my face planted in the mud. It was like a sea of figures that I couldn't entirely make out,

"N-No! No! I fell off a cliff and into the river and I-I just want to go home.. please..."

"Then, how did you find us?"

"I followed this weird path of gold dust that was on that dirt road..."

"We left tracks behind?"

One called out,

"She could have drawn the other humans and the drones towards us."

Another said,

"Kill her! She's a spy! She's probably their lab rat too. Weak human."

They began to throw rocks, as I started forcing myself upwards, holding my hands above my head. It hurts a lot and my back can't tolerate this.

What are they talking about? Drones? Spy? I... just want to go back home. I don't understand this.

"Stop this, right now! Can't you see she's already hurt?"

"Princess... When did you care about a human?"

"I don't trust her, but if she was ambushing us, they would've been here by now. Especially, if there's a trail leading to our current location, they most likely would've found us before she did."

"Okay, look, I don't have anything to do with this."

I begin to stand up, trying to walk away, but completely succumb to the pain, falling back on my knees.

"No, look, this is all nice... and a-all but I'm getting uncomfortable."

The rest of them begin to appear from within the shadows of the trees, holding their spears, wrapped up in bandages, and full of deep sorrow.

My eyes were widening. They were all distinctive colors, red.. orange.. and yellow. I enjoyed the sight of them. About 10 feet tall, white hairs, and their eyes were golden and white. They were like the sun, it was gorgeous.

Ignoring my pain once again, I stand up,

"You guys... What are you? Who are you? I've never seen..."

"Thinking you are a human who lives here, you should know we are the Phragons."

Finally, came out the distinct figures, the females I saw earlier,

"I'm Princess Mel, one of the royal Phragons."

She walked closer to me, holding her posture. She looks down on me, as if she was examining me and reading my intentions, but I really didn't understand.

"Hi! Princess.. Rel.. I mean M-Mel."

Wait.. do I like bow or something.. because she's royalty?

"Bow when you speak to Princess Mel."

Slightly irritated, I shake my head,

"Sorry, but I'm not going to bow down to a bunch of colored paint brushes. So, if you want me to bother caring, can you explain to me what the hell is going on?"

"Mel, I think we can trust this human.."

"The Phragons are a group of hybrids made up of the traits of phoenixes and dragons. We share the relationships and forms of these species. It first started with our mother of the Phragons, Ria Phragon. She was experimented on by humans and her blood was extracted by them so humans could increase their own physical and mental abilities. We are the last of our species and we cannot produce children, because the humans have taken our ability too— away from us. We were ambushed by one of our own, and now we're now on the run, assuming the humans are trying to use us for their battle with Retewa."

"I see, but I can't help, because... this all seems like a fairy tale. I can barely believe that you exist. I don't understand. Why are you telling me this if I can't do anything..."

"Well, now that you mention it. 'Help', I think you could help us. If you can help us, we can take you back to your home. I promise."

"So, you expect me to be your fairy godmother with a limp and a messed up back?"

"No, we'll heal you. We just need your cooperation."

"If you guys tell me you have powers, I—"

Wyve rolled his eyes,

"We have powers."

"I— Okay, great."

Mel got on her knees trying to match my height,

"Is this that hard for you to believe?"

"Yes, to you I'm literally six inches tall, but to someone back home, I'm six foot two. It's weird. Literally. I feel like an ant and you're the elephant. In two seconds, you could go kersplagbht."

"Kersplagbht ?"

"Nothing, but... just explain to me what you want so I can hurry up and go home."

Mel nods and looks over to a medienne,

"Make sure she rests and her injuries are tended to. Wyve, you take Eniola and Ozzy to get rid of the gold dust and see if you can scout the humans for the Neva..eh."

They nod as I follow their medienne,

What the hell did I get myself into?