Their footprints broke through soft snow. Intense cold rushed through the winds, chilling Aqua and Nana to the bone. Dressed in thick winter coats, boots and sweats, they kept their arms crossed and movements dull, as if their bones were freezing. Ahead of them were the boys and Jewel, who wore the minimum and looked unaffected by the intense chill.
Takabi had his white fleece zipped up completely. His hair danced in the air, black pants providing a thin layer of protection against the melted snow, keeping his legs dry and socks warm.
Kairas had his bag slung over his shoulder, a thin black T-shirt hugging his body. Fingerless gloves covered his hands, with knuckles exposed and baggy blue jeans hanging from his waist. He seemed the most unaffected by the cold.
Jewel kept it simple. A long sleeve burgundy turtleneck with black leggings and brown boots. Her hair was tied up in a long ponytail, and her body glowed faintly in a layer of magic.
The higher they climbed, the colder it quickly got. Takabi thought back to Porrelth and Garuga's warnings about the mountains. His mind playing like a video on an endless repeat.
The spirits of dead Elder Dragons. Creatures that have been around since the beginning, whose souls remain behind, presumably to watch and guide the coming generations. The looming threat of not having Dragon Blood, and being lost within the caves until they die.
It was a lot to take in. No matter how much physical damage they could all resist, nothing can stop death's hand when he has time on his side.
Time, Takabi thought, Is something we can't afford to waste.
"How much further," Aqua asked, dropping to her knees in the snow. "I'm so cold!"
"Here," Takabi said, releasing his flames around himself. Aqua crawled towards him, and immediately felt the stiffness of her bones fade away, along with the cold air around the group.
She stood, stretching wide and smiling at him. Nana moved up behind him, the group looking ahead. The thick layer of cold clouds that surrounded them quickly moved away from Takabi's heat. In the distance was a brown spot. Inspection showed it was an open space that led inside the mountain.
Too dark inside to see more from their current position.
"That may be it," Jewel said.
"Should we just storm inside," Kairas asked. "Seems a little disrespectful."
They moved close, Kairas' eyes examining the cave entrance more thoroughly. He drank in the scent of soil and water dripping from inside. The group stopped walking towards the cave, blinking, goosebumps forming on their arms and legs. The air felt thick, not with tension, but mana.
No one moved forward, not until Takabi exhaled loudly. Stuffing his pockets with his hands, he took a single step ahead. The breeze around calmed greatly once he entered the cloud of mana. His eyes snapped about, the rush of the outside air behind him completely ceased.
"It's strange here."
"No kidding," Kairas agreed, stepping ahead. His black hair danced at the massive flux of air that rushed past the group. Light from the outside faded, darkness quickly swallowing them whole, before faint lights began to illuminate a path overhead.
Kairas' eyes readjusted, before he scoffed audibly and said, "I guess they expect us to follow."
Something was different. He hadn't noticed until he spoke, but when he turned around, his eyes went wide like dinner plates.
Aqua, Nana, Jewel and Takabi. All were gone, without a sound, without a trace.
"Guys? Where'd you go?"
He snapped his gaze around the cave, drinking in the now closed exit. The thick cloud of mana around him, easing into his mind, clouding his vision. He felt strange. Sweat formed on his palms, and breathing grew heavy.
"What's going on," He muttered.
A sharp pain rushed through his knee. He fell back, gripping the wounded area, blood faintly oozing through his fingers. A tear welled in his eye, and it took him a moment to realize he was crying. As quickly as he wiped them, they came back faster and faster.
"Kairas!" A voice called to him.
He went stiff, before spinning around.
No longer in a cave.
A yard. The sun was overhead, clouds moving at a snail's pace. The boy had felt small in a massive world. Thoughts of his previous journey became nil. He was no longer on a hunt for a cure for Garuga.
He was six year old Kairas Yamishito, and he had just fallen and injured his knee.
"Mom!" He cried out, his tiny voice full of pain. At his call, out she stepped. Her black hair swung over her shoulder. Violet eyes peering all about the yard until she spotted him in place. As a mother would, she wiped her hands on her apron and ran out, discarding the cloth and kneeling in the grass, staining her jeans, cradling Kairas' tiny body. "Oh my poor boy! What happened, Kai-Kai?"
He sniffed into her embrace, struggling to speak of his fall. Smiling softly at him, she picked him up, carrying him back towards the house. "Don't worry about it. Let me clean you up and make you a nice peanut butter and jelly. Okay?"
"Okay…" He whispered, holding her tightly.
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"What… What is this…" Nana held her chest tightly. Her brown eyes couldn't pull away, no matter how badly she wanted to.
Cars passed by her on the street, honking loudly, not at her, but others around. The cross walk was busy and many California drivers were impatient. Nana looked at the bustle ocean of people, before settling on approaching them.
It had to be a misunderstanding, that's all.
There's no way he would. Takabi would never give himself to another girl, especially not a bimbo like Raia. As she came close to the coffee shop, Takabi tore his gaze away from the succubus, smiling and waving at Nana. "Hey, busy lady!"
Nana said nothing as she got close. Raia looked at her, not necessarily with disgust but annoyance.
"What's up, Nana? Been a while since we've seen you," Takabi said, resting his cheek on his knuckles. His eyes were different. The color remained, but the loving look he used to hold in his eyes for Nana was gone.
"I… Takabi… What's…" She struggled to speak. Her throat felt tight, as if it swelled shut. He craned his head aside as he looked at her, and despite her situation she still felt captured by his looks. His scent, his eyes and lazy way he handled his hair.
He was a perfect boy for her, because everything she felt she lacked, he completed.
So why was it that he was with Raia?
"We're on a date," Raia spat out. "Can you come back later?"
Date. That single word, shattered her very soul. She took a step back, shaking her head, emotional pain fading dimly. A fake smile touched her face, and her palms gripped the black bag that hung from her shoulder. Raising her foot to adjust her black heels, she nodded and said, "Yeah, sorry guys. Didn't mean to interrupt."
"Don't sweat it," Takabi said. "Come by later. You can help us finish planning the wedding."
"Of course," Nana replied happily. "That's if I don't get drowned in paperwork. Being the CEO of a company is such a massive pain in the ass. I never get any me time." She stretched wide. "I certainly could use a spa day." She glanced at Raia, saying, "Care to join me sometime?"
"Know what? That actually sounds nice. Sure, I'll give it a shot."
Nodding happily, she waved the two off and began on her way home. The sun was setting in the west, and gave the city a beautiful orange tint. The further she walked away from the two, the more she felt as if she was forgetting something important. Assuming it to be work related, she decided to shrug it off and go about her business.
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Aqua dove head first into the ocean. She swam along the current, watching sea creature after sea creature rush by her. She felt at peace. True peace, and completely devoid of responsibility. The ocean was her home, and sea life was her family.
Coming up for air, she ran fingers through her long hair and looked to the shore. Upon seeing his violet eyes, she smiled happily and swam towards, touching land and running up, hugging him tightly. He smelled of ocean water and sweat, but it was a pleasant smell.
"Thanks, Big Bro. A trip to the beach was just what I needed."
"Of course," He replied, watching as Kairas placed the hot dogs and burgers on the grill nearby. Nana ran sunscreen over her skin, watching the two with an angelic smile. Nodding at Aqua, the two stepped over to Nana, sitting with her and passing around paper plates.
There was something hollow in her chest, but she pushed it away. Whatever it was, it could be dealt with later. After all, she was with her family. Nothing else in the world was important right now.
---------------------------------
"What the fuck," Jewel spat out. Her eyes snapped about.
Takabi and the others vanished. She was alone, the cold air from outside rushing intensely into the cave. She attempted to warm herself by moving deeper within the space, but found nothing but pocket after pocket of ice and water.
She sat on a smoothed out stone, using her magic to will the piled up sticks and rocks to catch fire. While wet, her magic held just enough heat to dry it completely and keep the fire dancing.
She held her arms tightly. Whatever resistance she had to the cold before all but faded by now. She was hungry, struggling to keep her stomach in check. From what she could tell, it was a couple hours since they vanished, and she began to wonder if the Dragon Spirits killed them. The idea, while awful, hung in the air.
Her heart skipped beats randomly at the thought of losing them, Kairas especially.
"Cold, is it not," Came a voice.
Jewel didn't recognize it, and she was already on high alert. She stood slowly, glaring around the cave, until she caught a glimpse of an aged man deeper inside the dark. His beard touched the dirt on the floor, and his face was red. It was impossible to see his eyes, as his grey eyebrows kept them from view. His jaw and nose were extending slightly like a snout, and translucent scales coat the skin around his frail arms and legs.
"Not many come here so underdressed."
"Who are you," She asked. "Do you know what happened to my friends?"
"Aye. Spirits have them now. Based on nature, I can assume none of them were Dragons." He looked Jewel up and down, before stating, "And neither are you. So why weren't you whisked away to the trials?"
"Trials?"
"You came here not knowing about the trials?" He chuckled a bit, before touching into his beard. "None go up the mountain, or should I say, are permitted to go up the mountain until they pass their own tests. The tests are a method of identification. How quickly you pass determines whether or not you have the ability for it."
"Ability… To recover the flower?"
He perked up visibly. Jewel continued, "The flower to cure Scale Curse."
"You know about that ungodly disease?" She nodded at his words, and he continued, "Well no. The flower isn't the prize here. Just up the mountain, is a gem precious to Dragon people. The Stone of Wings. It is said to hold the mana of every element of magic in existence, and has been around since Dreulara formed."
"It's essentially the heart of your planet, but why is it possible to disturb something so great? Shouldn't it be sealed away?"
"It is. The trials are a method of gaining passage, but no one has ever been able to recover the Stone. Many believe it doesn't exist at all, of which I wholeheartedly agree. You're not here for that, though." He gripped the cane at his side, using it to stand, limbs shaking. "You wish to know what happened to your friends."
"Yes."
"Trials. They're in their own worlds now. Living in the past, or an alternate life. Their memories are blocked, and or their feelings altered. Such is the wish of Dream Dragon Julius."
"Dream Dragon… Julius?"
"One of the founding Dragons of Dreulara. He was murdered in this cave by weak willed Dragons. So his spirit roams and judges. He has a strong distaste for anyone who is weak, and judges all who come through. Why he left you be, I am not so sure."
Drinking everything in, Jewel sat back in her previous spot. She tapped her finger against her bicep, breathing deeply. "How long do these trials usually take?"
"Of all I've seen come through, only a handful make it out in, at most, twenty days."
"Twenty!? We don't have that kind of time!"
"You best hope they pass in record time then. Although, as they are not Dragons, I doubt that will be possible."
Jewel bit her lip.
They were on the clock. She had hopes for her friends, truly, but her concerns were high. What if something happened, and they were changed for the worse? She couldn't bear the idea of anyone becoming an enemy.
"Guys, you better get through this in one piece." Then the pair sat in silence, the howling winds of the outside rushing in, and the dancing flames fighting hard to stay alive.