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Chapter 2:- Dragons
A husky roar reverberated through her head, and she cried in terror.
"Wake up wake up wake up wake up." She whispered over and over to herself, starting to pinch her skin until it bled.
The roar repeated, this time sounding more like a word.
"Amy."
Amy lifted her head to see the fire part like waves of grain. At her eye level, she saw nothing. But when she raised her gaze to the ceiling (which had vanished in the fire and heat waves) she saw a huge black dragon, with glittering black eyes and rows upon rows of sword-like teeth.
"Oh my—"
The dragon screamed a terrifying sound that shook her to her bones. She curled into herself again, sobbing.
And then, the heat was gone. The roaring and sounds of fire, were silenced. Amy's skin felt cool from sweat, and the air smelled sweet and refreshing.
"Amy." The voice was soothing, and Amy peered up.
The great hall was pristine, as if the dragon had never been. The faces of the others were calm and cold. And Robert looked as distant and frightening as before, with a hint of something sad in his eyes.
Helen reached for Amy's hand, "You see? We're monsters."
"T-that was you guys?"
"Well, actually, that was just Robert. He's what people expect to see when they imagine a dragon."
"I-I—"
Helen sighed, and grabbed Amy by the hands and pulled her to her feet, "Yes, I know it's very scary at first. But we're not dangerous! Well, not inherently. We just... could be, if we wanted to."
"You're all like that?"
"Sort of. Like I said, Robert is sort of what is expected. Probably because he's British, or something."
Jacqueline slipped over and wrapped an arm around Amy's waist, her voice somewhat dreamy and distant, "We think that what our dragon looks like is based off of our heritage."
Amy shied away from their touches, "So you don't all look like that?"
"No, some are worse." Robert said, a bite tainting his voice.
Helen shrugged, "He means me. I'm a Hydra, you know. A Greek dragon. I have 9 heads!"
Jacqueline said, "My family is from Mexico. I turn into an Aztec dragon." She leaned close, "It's got feathers and swirling eyes."
Helen pointed to Toku, "His is a basically a flying snake, and Danny is a big green one with wings and thick feet. Oh, and Reed is—"
"Shut up! Why did you tell me all of this!" Amy shouted.
"Because you're one too." Helen's voice dripped with sugar and sweetness.
Amy stepped back, "What? NO! Not me. I'm not a dragon! What am I doing here!"
Robert scowled at her, "Yes, you are, Amy. That's why all of us are here. Because we're all Dragons."
"No! You're wrong!"
Helen shook her head, "It doesn't matter. You'll turn into one eventually, whether you want to or not. We're just going to help you."
Amy jolted, "Help me?" Reed and Toku grabbed her arms, and Amy thrashed like a cornered cat, "Let go!"
"We learned a long time ago that we can decide when we turn. If we leave you to yourself, you could get hurt or hurt someone else. We have to do it now."
Amy pulled even harder, "No! You're hurting me."
Helen waved her hand with a hint of desperation, and Danny pulled a small dagger from the pouch across his chest and handed it to Helen.
In that same moment, Amy saw the line of moonlight from the end of the great hall, set into the wall, off the ground. A window! A quick glance at the swift approach of Helen and the others told her it was now or never.
In burst of adrenaline, she ripped her arms free from their tight grips, sending them staggering backwards, and she sprinted towards the window, plowing into Niki and Danny as she tried to press between them. With most of them knocked for a loop, Robert, Helen, and Jacqueline were left to chase her. Amy hoped Jacqueline was as lazy as she appeared, and that Helen had no physical prowess to speak of. Robert was a concern, but Amy had to try.
And the window was getting closer with every step, and getting larger and larger. More and more of a chance she'd fit through it!
"Oh please, let me make it." She whispered, her lungs burning.
Amy could hear the echo of a particular of pair of feet gaining on her. But it was too late, now. She was there.
Springing as high up the wall as she could, Amy flung herself towards the window. Her fingers got the edge and her legs scrambled for a foothold on the wall. A sharp black spindle on the wall pierced through her leg at one point, stabbing as deep as her thumb was long, and ripping part of her leg open. She screamed through her gritted teeth, and at last pulled herself into the window ledge.
"Amy!"
Robert had called her name from far too close behind her, but she didn't pause to look at him. She pushed herself out the window, sure that whatever was out here would be better than what was in there. She fell into dark cold.
Snow!
Amy stood with a decisive lean, and limped out of view of the window, ducking under a carved protrusion of dark stone. But she rushed back in desperation, pushing snow over the trail of blood she had left, and tried to press it smooth and flat. When she had worked her way back to her hiding place, she crouched for a moment, breathing the heavy cold air, and listening with intent for sounds of pursuers.
As if in response, she heard a muffled disturbance in the snow. Pressing as flat against the cathedral as she could, Amy held her breath. Her leg was throbbing and the blood was flowing like a chocolate fountain. Amy bent down lower and pressed her hand to her wound, trying to hold the warm precious life force inside.
The crunch of snow was growing closer. Amy was sure her blood was covered, but was it smooth enough?
So Amy gauged her surroundings, to pick a direction. The entire scene was covered with snow. There were no buildings, just huge mountains and small hills. Trees were visible off in the distance, and seemed to climb the mountains like a moss.
A pair of dark pants appeared, approaching her hiding place. When they came to her nook, they paused. She could see the knees beginning to bend, and prepared herself to be found.
Which was not an option. Amy did not want to turn into a terrifying dragon. So she launched herself out of her spot, not meaning to thrust her head into someones chin. The would-be-captor fell backwards and hit the cathedral facade with a sickening crack.
Amy stumbled forward, dizzy from the impact and loss of blood, and began to run with an awkward limp away from the cathedral. Of course, it was must more difficult to run in snow and bare feet, even without a leg bleeding out copious amounts of blood that left a vibrant trail. And much more unbearable than cold marble.
"Wait!"
Still, she ran with all of her energy and strength. Whoever it was who had almost caught her, they didn't seem to be in pursuit. She smirked with satisfaction that she must have injured them in a crippling way.
"Amy, wait!"
She turned at the sound of her name, even as her mind told her not to stop. The cathedral was not far off, so she could, without distortion, see Robert holding himself up on the facade, his free hand holding his head. A twinge of guilt panged through her, for he had been kind to her--but then she remembered he was on their side and a huge black dragon. She willed herself to keep running, but the motion of looking back had slowed her to a halt and she was swaying on her feet. Her leg, she noticed, was bleeding far too much to last her long.
The crunch of snow sounded from behind her, and she turned her head to see some bundled up people running towards her from the direction she was heading. They reached her before she could react and caught her in a blanket. Trust for them seemed to be infused into the warm wrap, for she had no desire to flee from them. At least, not at this point. She could worry about it later, hoping they would not try to turn her into a monster. One of them picked her up, and she accepted, happy to be off her leg.
She heard Robert yell something from, what felt like, far away. She had not realized she was this cold or tired, and fell asleep in the arms of a stranger.
A husky roar reverberated through her head, and she cried in terror.
"Wake up wake up wake up wake up." She whispered over and over to herself, starting to pinch her skin until it bled.
The roar repeated, this time sounding more like a word.
"Amy."
Amy lifted her head to see the fire part like waves of grain. At her eye level, she saw nothing. But when she raised her gaze to the ceiling (which had vanished in the fire and heat waves) she saw a huge black dragon, with glittering black eyes and rows upon rows of sword-like teeth.
"Oh my—"
The dragon screamed a terrifying sound that shook her to her bones. She curled into herself again, sobbing.
And then, the heat was gone. The roaring and sounds of fire, were silenced. Amy's skin felt cool from sweat, and the air smelled sweet and refreshing.
"Amy." The voice was soothing, and Amy peered up.
The great hall was pristine, as if the dragon had never been. The faces of the others were calm and cold. And Robert looked as distant and frightening as before, with a hint of something sad in his eyes.
Helen reached for Amy's hand, "You see? We're monsters."
"T-that was you guys?"
"Well, actually, that was just Robert. He's what people expect to see when they imagine a dragon."
"I-I—"
Helen sighed, and grabbed Amy by the hands and pulled her to her feet, "Yes, I know it's very scary at first. But we're not dangerous! Well, not inherently. We just... could be, if we wanted to."
"You're all like that?"
"Sort of. Like I said, Robert is sort of what is expected. Probably because he's British, or something."
Jacqueline slipped over and wrapped an arm around Amy's waist, her voice somewhat dreamy and distant, "We think that what our dragon looks like is based off of our heritage."
Amy shied away from their touches, "So you don't all look like that?"
"No, some are worse." Robert said, a bite tainting his voice.
Helen shrugged, "He means me. I'm a Hydra, you know. A Greek dragon. I have 9 heads!"
Jacqueline said, "My family is from Mexico. I turn into an Aztec dragon." She leaned close, "It's got feathers and swirling eyes."
Helen pointed to Toku, "His is a basically a flying snake, and Danny is a big green one with wings and thick feet. Oh, and Reed is—"
"Shut up! Why did you tell me all of this!" Amy shouted.
"Because you're one too." Helen's voice dripped with sugar and sweetness.
Amy stepped back, "What? NO! Not me. I'm not a dragon! What am I doing here!"
Robert scowled at her, "Yes, you are, Amy. That's why all of us are here. Because we're all Dragons."
"No! You're wrong!"
Helen shook her head, "It doesn't matter. You'll turn into one eventually, whether you want to or not. We're just going to help you."
Amy jolted, "Help me?" Reed and Toku grabbed her arms, and Amy thrashed like a cornered cat, "Let go!"
"We learned a long time ago that we can decide when we turn. If we leave you to yourself, you could get hurt or hurt someone else. We have to do it now."
Amy pulled even harder, "No! You're hurting me."
Helen waved her hand with a hint of desperation, and Danny pulled a small dagger from the pouch across his chest and handed it to Helen.
In that same moment, Amy saw the line of moonlight from the end of the great hall, set into the wall, off the ground. A window! A quick glance at the swift approach of Helen and the others told her it was now or never.
In burst of adrenaline, she ripped her arms free from their tight grips, sending them staggering backwards, and she sprinted towards the window, plowing into Niki and Danny as she tried to press between them. With most of them knocked for a loop, Robert, Helen, and Jacqueline were left to chase her. Amy hoped Jacqueline was as lazy as she appeared, and that Helen had no physical prowess to speak of. Robert was a concern, but Amy had to try.
And the window was getting closer with every step, and getting larger and larger. More and more of a chance she'd fit through it!
"Oh please, let me make it." She whispered, her lungs burning.
Amy could hear the echo of a particular of pair of feet gaining on her. But it was too late, now. She was there.
Springing as high up the wall as she could, Amy flung herself towards the window. Her fingers got the edge and her legs scrambled for a foothold on the wall. A sharp black spindle on the wall pierced through her leg at one point, stabbing as deep as her thumb was long, and ripping part of her leg open. She screamed through her gritted teeth, and at last pulled herself into the window ledge.
"Amy!"
Robert had called her name from far too close behind her, but she didn't pause to look at him. She pushed herself out the window, sure that whatever was out here would be better than what was in there. She fell into dark cold.
Snow!
Amy stood with a decisive lean, and limped out of view of the window, ducking under a carved protrusion of dark stone. But she rushed back in desperation, pushing snow over the trail of blood she had left, and tried to press it smooth and flat. When she had worked her way back to her hiding place, she crouched for a moment, breathing the heavy cold air, and listening with intent for sounds of pursuers.
As if in response, she heard a muffled disturbance in the snow. Pressing as flat against the cathedral as she could, Amy held her breath. Her leg was throbbing and the blood was flowing like a chocolate fountain. Amy bent down lower and pressed her hand to her wound, trying to hold the warm precious life force inside.
The crunch of snow was growing closer. Amy was sure her blood was covered, but was it smooth enough?
So Amy gauged her surroundings, to pick a direction. The entire scene was covered with snow. There were no buildings, just huge mountains and small hills. Trees were visible off in the distance, and seemed to climb the mountains like a moss.
A pair of dark pants appeared, approaching her hiding place. When they came to her nook, they paused. She could see the knees beginning to bend, and prepared herself to be found.
Which was not an option. Amy did not want to turn into a terrifying dragon. So she launched herself out of her spot, not meaning to thrust her head into someones chin. The would-be-captor fell backwards and hit the cathedral facade with a sickening crack.
Amy stumbled forward, dizzy from the impact and loss of blood, and began to run with an awkward limp away from the cathedral. Of course, it was must more difficult to run in snow and bare feet, even without a leg bleeding out copious amounts of blood that left a vibrant trail. And much more unbearable than cold marble.
"Wait!"
Still, she ran with all of her energy and strength. Whoever it was who had almost caught her, they didn't seem to be in pursuit. She smirked with satisfaction that she must have injured them in a crippling way.
"Amy, wait!"
She turned at the sound of her name, even as her mind told her not to stop. The cathedral was not far off, so she could, without distortion, see Robert holding himself up on the facade, his free hand holding his head. A twinge of guilt panged through her, for he had been kind to her--but then she remembered he was on their side and a huge black dragon. She willed herself to keep running, but the motion of looking back had slowed her to a halt and she was swaying on her feet. Her leg, she noticed, was bleeding far too much to last her long.
The crunch of snow sounded from behind her, and she turned her head to see some bundled up people running towards her from the direction she was heading. They reached her before she could react and caught her in a blanket. Trust for them seemed to be infused into the warm wrap, for she had no desire to flee from them. At least, not at this point. She could worry about it later, hoping they would not try to turn her into a monster. One of them picked her up, and she accepted, happy to be off her leg.
She heard Robert yell something from, what felt like, far away. She had not realized she was this cold or tired, and fell asleep in the arms of a stranger.
