Post by Samantha on May 18, 2014 9:38:43 GMT
Darkflame had enjoyed being home at last, being able to walk among the tall trees once more and drink from the crystal pools. But at night when her dreams came, they were full of screaming ice and piercing shards which dug at her skin and made her cry out, hurting her; and all she wanted to do was to be home and safe.
Then she would wake up- sometimes shaking, sometimes paralysed with fear- and after a while she would realise that it was all a dream, that she was safe, that Selgar was safe and her friends were all safe. She would glance up and see the stars, twinkling gently, unchanging; in the brightening sky.
But one time, it wasn't a dream.
Now the trees were crumbling, huge portions of earth thrusting themselves skyward. She was running, running, and trying to fly; her cries falling on death ears as she called for Icarus, for Selgar, for anyone. The growl of the earth was loud in her ears, and finally it was shrinking beneath her- faster than she was gaining altitude for, to her horror, she watched the trees and rocks crash down into the raging foam and sink, forever, beneath the waves. It was like the ice all over again, and her heart threatened to burst from her chest as she imagined Shendu, huge and ghastly, swooping down to snatch her up at any minute. She didn't know where to go, she could barely see, and then...
"Earthquake, earthquake!"
Around her, panicked dragons fluttered to and fro as clouds of dust billowed into the sky. Some of them she recognised, others were just shadows in the fog. As though in a dream, she watched her home disappear- gone, all gone, the glowworms gone- into a hissing sea.
Then the shaking stopped, and her wings gave out, and she fell tumbling and weeping onto a slim remnant of shore. Darkflame liked the darkness, but this was something else. She didn't know what. She didn't dare open her eyes, didn't want to see what had happened. If she kept her eyes shut, perhaps she could remember it as it was. Remember the quiet breezy forests, foliage rustling above, small creatures darting through the shadows...
Waves rolled over her, cold and salty, making her fur stick to her skin and suddenly she could feel every sensation; every sensation, and her body was burning up and no place felt like home, and she could do nothing but lie there, weeping, stunned.
Then she would wake up- sometimes shaking, sometimes paralysed with fear- and after a while she would realise that it was all a dream, that she was safe, that Selgar was safe and her friends were all safe. She would glance up and see the stars, twinkling gently, unchanging; in the brightening sky.
But one time, it wasn't a dream.
Now the trees were crumbling, huge portions of earth thrusting themselves skyward. She was running, running, and trying to fly; her cries falling on death ears as she called for Icarus, for Selgar, for anyone. The growl of the earth was loud in her ears, and finally it was shrinking beneath her- faster than she was gaining altitude for, to her horror, she watched the trees and rocks crash down into the raging foam and sink, forever, beneath the waves. It was like the ice all over again, and her heart threatened to burst from her chest as she imagined Shendu, huge and ghastly, swooping down to snatch her up at any minute. She didn't know where to go, she could barely see, and then...
"Earthquake, earthquake!"
Around her, panicked dragons fluttered to and fro as clouds of dust billowed into the sky. Some of them she recognised, others were just shadows in the fog. As though in a dream, she watched her home disappear- gone, all gone, the glowworms gone- into a hissing sea.
Then the shaking stopped, and her wings gave out, and she fell tumbling and weeping onto a slim remnant of shore. Darkflame liked the darkness, but this was something else. She didn't know what. She didn't dare open her eyes, didn't want to see what had happened. If she kept her eyes shut, perhaps she could remember it as it was. Remember the quiet breezy forests, foliage rustling above, small creatures darting through the shadows...
Waves rolled over her, cold and salty, making her fur stick to her skin and suddenly she could feel every sensation; every sensation, and her body was burning up and no place felt like home, and she could do nothing but lie there, weeping, stunned.