“A what?!” My heart begins to race.
I tighten my grip around his waist as the horse beneath us whinnies in panic, sensing the presence of the sand dragons that now encircle us. One. Two. Three… so many more. Their enormous bodies rumble under the ground, sand flying in the air as they move around us. The air crackles with deep growlsas these creatures surge from below, their scales glittering like shards of a rust obsidian under the harsh desert sun. The sun is still reflecting off of their scales like tiny fire sparks dancing across the ground. I can feel their hot breath on my skin as they swoop and dive around us with lethal grace. Their massive mouths wide and open, ready to swallow us whole.
With a jolt, our horse rears up again, nearly unseating me this time.
“Florian!” I scream out, feeling my body slide back. He yanks me upward with one fierce tug, holding my arm tightly around his waist, pinning me against him as one hand fights to steer the horse. He steadies us before he guides the horse who heaves with exhaustion into a sharp turn to evade one of the dragon’s snapping jaws.
“What did I say!” he seethes. “I told you to hold on!”
“I’m trying my best!” I gasp as rocks fly in our direction, shielding my face with my arm as some hit us.
He grunts, steering the horse rapidly through the desert as if he knows exactly where to go so the sand dragons won’t kill us both. But despite his outwardly calm demeanor, I can see tension colliding in every line of his body. He flexes as he yanks the reins, a loud grunt escaping his lips as my head slams into his back.
A screech escapes my lips as my eyes squeeze shut. “Ouch!Watch it!”
“What the hell are you doing?” The words escape from his lips before he lets out another groan, yanking the reins to the right to avoid another beast. “Damn it, there are too many of them!”
“I’m holding on like you ordered me to!” I squeeze his massive frame tighter, my cheek pushing into his back muscles. “Don’t kill us!”
“What do you think I’m doing!”
“Trying not to kill us?!” My voice heightens as I see another one explode from the ground to the right of us, dust circling in the air as if a tornado has taken formation. Rocks dart in every direction, some hurling directly at us. One slices my cheek and I flinch with the pain as blood trickles down my cheek, but I never remove my hands from his stomach.
I squint, watching the majestic creatures twist and turn in the dusty air before diving back into the sandy depths like ghosts disappearing into shadows. Some have long, sharp wings, see-through to be invisible when in the air, and some just have jagged spikes along their spines.The shimmering, golden, rust scales of the sand dragons blend seamlessly into the desert landscape, their natural camouflage keeping them hidden from view.
They blend…perfectly.
Their smart movements cause swirls of dust to rise more around us and obscure them from our view.
“I can’t see!” Florian grunts, our bodies shifting side to side as he yanks the reins more.
My eyes catch glimpses of their spiked tails rising and falling as they slither along the surface before swimming back underground. One whips its tail through the air before slamming it into the ground just inches away from me.
I hunch my body into Florian's back, peeking through my arm to watch the enormous beasts soar around us. Their bodies slither like snakes, but fly like dragons before diving back into their natural habitat. Fear creeps through me as I see one swivel across the rocks, headed our way, hundreds of daggers jabbed into its back.
“Florian!” I scream out. “One is coming fast!”
His boot hits the horse's side and it surges forward like a bolt of lightning. He grips the reins tighter, veins bulging through his arms as his body shifts forward. I feel the powerful musclesof the horse ripple beneath me as I stare behind us, watching multiple sand dragons ripple through the ground and soar behind us.
Their eyes glisten like lava in a volcano. I can sense their desire to kill us.
To destroy us.
But then they vanish, and a clear wall of cool mist comes into view, blocking the sand dragons from moving any further. The chilly air hits me like ice. I gasp, my breath coming out like a cloud of smoke. My bones shiver and ache, fear being replaced with pain. Desert is replaced with ice, and snow kicks from behind us.
“They’re stopping!” I gasp heavily, trying to catch my breath. “Why aren’t they coming for us still?”
“The realm's protection.” He whips the reins, kicking the horse with force. “Each of our realms is protected with a barrier that protects it from the outside from other realms. The sand dragons know they will freeze to death if they come into the Ice Nation.”
“Will I freeze?” I say through chattering teeth.
“Not if I get you inside the castle walls in time. You’re safe with me.” He looks back at me, his eyes brighter than I have ever seen them against the icy background. “Now, we must face my father. The King of the Ice Nation.”
Chapter 7
“If a war breaks out, the Games shall return for the Gods. There shall be no woman ever to compete in the games. This has been written in the ways of the Deskyiara that once ruled the Kingdom when the first war broke out three hundred centuries ago. After a century of torment, the Deskyiara daughter, Sikenly, fulfilled her duty and brought peace upon the Realms once more. Remind your people to never be foolish again.” - Book of Azure
ICE. ICE IS EVERYWHERE.
