Dragon Witch ✔️

65 - Power Outage

I woke up shivering on the ground, covered in snow and wrapped in someone's arms. As soon as I realized that, I elbowed the someone in the stomach.

Kyton awoke with a grunt. "What the- It's snowing. Where are the trees?"

Sitting up, I grabbed a handful of snow and threw it in his face. "Obviously, the landscape changed again while we were sleeping." I stood.

He spit out snow. "That's not my fault."

"Maybe not, but this definitely was." I gestured between the two of us.

"What was?" He blinked. "Oh, you're a changeling again. I didn't do that. The crown must've ran out of energy."

I plucked the crown off my head. Its magic scent was weaker now, and it shone dully when I tilted it in the sun.

"That's not what I was talking about. What, did you drag me down from the tree as soon as I transformed?"

He scrambled to his feet. "Of course not. You climbed down and said you were cold when my turn on watch ended. I was already half asleep."

"Uh huh." The cold wind cut into my scales. Without trees to act as a wind block, it was even worse. I marched over to the tent.

Nissa had apparently put my backpack into my tent after I transformed. It was sitting next to Piper, who looked like a giant worm in her sleeping bag. I put on just about all the clothes I'd packed, with my tail wrapped around my waist, before realizing that Eva was missing.

Eva? Where are you?

In bag, nice in here. Lots of white cold-wet outside. No like white cold-wet.

I chuckled. It's called snow.

No like snow.

It's probably best you stay in there. You might get wet if you come out. Or she might get hurt again. I packed up my sleeping bag and left the tent with my backpack.

Kyton and Nissa were also out as well, and they'd already put away their tent. Neither of them had donned more than a light jacket, despite how freezing it was. I marched over to Nissa, avoiding Kyton's interested gaze.

"My crown stopped working. Any idea how to fix it?" I held it up.

She took it and turned it over in her hands. "My bet is it charges using elemental power or magical blood, depending on its origin. Start by exposing it to natural light for a while." She passed me and ducked into my tent, assumably to wake up Piper.

While we waited, I hooked the crown to the back of my backpack, securing it tightly with a length of rope on top and bottom so it wouldn't flip up and catch on anything while I walked.

"Do you really think I would try anything while you were asleep?" Kyton asked.

I stuck my tongue out. "Of course not. You wouldn't bother with a changeling."

He threw his hands up. "What's that supposed to mean?"

I honestly wasn't entirely sure, but I didn't want to admit that. "What do you think it means?"

"You're still angry at me for accusing you of murder."

"Gotcha." I swung my backpack over my shoulder and turned to my tent.

Nissa had dragged Piper out of it, still asleep, and disassembled the tent. As soon as the tent was packed, she shook Piper awake.

"Wha-whatcha doing?" She looked around. "Where's the swamp?"