Chapter 23 - Barely Saved
Submitted April 17, 2009 Updated June 22, 2009 Status Incomplete | After getting kidnapped, girl finds herself in world where the supernatural exist and to find that she's not human, but a sorceress I don't have a title for my story yet Be harsh on the comments y'all cos i'm thinking of getting this published x
Category:
Fantasy |
Chapter 23 - Barely Saved
Chapter 23 - Barely Saved
Kerri listened to the man getting closer and closer and as a boot protruded from the corner, she saw Arik stretch out his fingers. Sparks and electricity leapt out from his extended fingers and onto the man’s leg as he came around the corner. The man yelled in pain and turned to Arik, hissing. Arik put one arm in front of Kerri and gently pushed her behind him so that the man would have to get past him in order to get her.
The man roared in anger jumped up into the air. Arik followed him up, and they came down as dragons, slim, elegant, beautiful, and deadly.
Unlike Arik, the other dragon was inky black, its gleaming scales reflecting the light. It threw its head back, roared and shot towards Kerri. She stood there, unable to move, frozen with fear. Just as she was cursing herself for not renewing her will—since she had left quite some stuff to Ty—the dragon was thrown back against the wall. Arik slid in front of her, snarling at its opponent. He looked back at Kerri, who still stood there, frozen to the spot.
Are you okay? his voice appeared suddenly in her head.
Um, yeah. Yeah, I think so. Yes. She shook her head and tried to focus, blinking and pushing her hair out of her eyes as the black dragon slithered up against Arik, and they started snapping at each other.
Have I told you that you’re a fantastically horrible liar?
No, really? Kerri thought sarcastically. She could almost see Arik grinning as it rounded up on his opponent. He was winning—at least, that’s what Kerri thought when she saw that Arik was on top of the other dragon. Too late she saw that the black dragon had its tail wrapped around under Arik’s wings, just above its legs.
Kerri’s eyes widened. “Arik,” she cried. “Look out, he’s going to—”
The black dragon finished her sentence for her in action by flinging Arik away with its tail so that he crashed into the wall and collapsed down next to her, unconscious.
shoot. This was not good. Kerri turned to Arik frantically.
Arik, wake up. Please, please, wake up. I can’t do this. I don’t know how to do this. Please. She received no response. Oh dammit.
She turned around to face the dragon that was coming for her. He slinked slowly towards her, a smug smile on its face. It knew it had her. Or was it a he? It? He? It? Whatever. That thing.
“Stay away from me!” she yelled at him. “Don’t come any closer.”
The dragon hissed, his forked tongue flickering in and out of sight. It drew up so that it towered at least five feet over her and plunged down towards her, its jaws wide open, ready for her.
She screamed and jumped out of the way as it crashed onto the ground. It roared and reared up again, stretching its long body towards her. Her eyes widened. She couldn’t outrun it. It was too fast.
“Get away from me!” she shouted at him, striking out an arm as if to ward it off. Instead, air and energy pushed from and out of her hand and a gust of wind blew the dragon off its feet. Its feet? Its claws? Its talons? Whatever.
Oh my God, Arik, did you see that? That was amazing. Kerri turned to look at Arik, but he still lay unconscious. She sighed. The only time I actually accomplish something on my own, you’re unconscious. I think I might actually hate you for that. But then I guess, if you haven’t fainted, then I wouldn’t be able to do this. So I’m thankful. Kind of.
She ducked as the black dragon snapped at her and stuck her finger at its eye, grimacing as she did so. “Sorry,” she said. “Just trying to survive here.”
The dragon roared in pain, reared back, hissed and aimed for Kerri again. She tried to knock it over with wind again, but this time, the dragon was ready. It ducked her blow and headed straight for her, trapping her into a corner.
She shrieked for help, and just as the dragon was about to reach for her with its claw—or foot, or hand, or talon, whatever—she felt something snake around her waist and pull her out of the corner, so she stopped shrieking and started screaming instead. When she looked up and saw that the thing around her waist was Arik’s tail—or was it body?—wrapped around her, she stopped screaming and sagged in relief. But when she saw that he was heading out the big glass wall—well, technically, it was a window, but it substituted for a wall—at the end of the corridor and when she saw that beyond the wall was a fall of at least a hundred feet that would bring them to their death she started screaming again.
Would you please shut up? Arik’s voice sounded in her mind. I just regained my consciousness and you’re giving me a headache.
Kerri gasped. This must be the only time I’m actually glad to hear you voice in my head.
He chuckled, a deep sound resonating from his throat. Hold on tight.
Why do I—yeeeaarrrrghhhhh! Kerri’s question turned into a scream that caught in her throat as Arik burst through the glass door, and plummeted down towards the ground outside.
Arik sighed. Did I not to tell you to shut up? I can’t concentrate with you screaming into my head like that.
Kerri slapped his tail. Stop falling and start flying, she snapped at him. That thing’s still behind us.
Arik swooped upwards, his wings spreading out. He turned to look at her. Did you just slap me? And no, he’s not. And did you just slap me?
Yes, he is.
No, he isn’t. Did you just slap me?
Kerri turned around to see the black dragon glaring at them ferociously, its head poking out of the ruined glass wall—or window. Fine, he isn’t.
Did you just slap me? You just slapped me.
Yes, I slapped you.
You slapped me. He was in awe.
Oh, cry me a river, build me a bridge, then get over it, she snapped.
Arik shook his head. You slapped me.
Kerri sighed. Yes, I slapped you.
Nobody slaps me.
Well, I just did.
Why?
Because you told me to shut up and you wouldn’t fly even though we were falling to our death.
He snorted. We were not falling to our death.
To me, we were.
Never slap me again.
Try telling me that when I’m actually listening. Maybe I’ll consider it then.
Arik sighed as he swept and landed into the garden into a hidden spot behind a cluster of trees, next to the waterfall. Sitting cross-legged under the trees next to Arik, Kerri shivered, rubbing her arms up and down with her hands that were already starting to numb. She hated the cold. Flying made her cold, and a brewing thunderstorm with gusts of wind blowing really didn’t help.
What’s wrong? Arik cocked his giant—and dragon-y—head to look at her.
I’m cold, hence the shivering. Kerri shot him a look that said duh, can it be any more obvious?
He ignored the look, uncurled himself from where he’d been coiled up like a snake, moved closer to her and slid around her waist, wrapping himself around her until there was no more of him left and then rested his head on her lap.
Kerri giggled. It was a weird sensation, having a dragon wrapped around her. He was warm, which was surprising since dragons were supposed to be reptiles. Thanks. Uh, good dragon, good boy.
Arik tossed his head indignantly. I will not be spoken to like a dog.
Kerri grinned, slipped a hand out from under Arik’s body that was wrapped around her, and reached out to scratch the top of his head. Good boy.
Arik half-growled and half-purred, obviously enjoying the head scratch but still annoyed. He lay down his head on her lap again, his eyes half closed.
Aw, you look like a cute little puppy. Kerri rubbed his head, grinning.
He opened his eyes and growled at her—but only softly, just in case some of the C.E. people were still there.
Kerri sighed. Fine then, I’ll stop.
Arik growled softly again, nudging at her withdrawn hand until she laughed and resumed his head scratching. Why do you have burn marks?
Oh, I got that when I broke through the glass window. Dragons are allergic to glass.
Suddenly, the trees rustled, and they could hear footsteps. Arik was up in front of her in a protective stance before she could even get up. She got up slowly as the rustling got louder and louder.
Drake’s head poked out through the trees. “Hey, guys, the boss told us to tell everybody it was safe now.”
Kerri sighed in relief and ran over to hug Drake as Arik relaxed.
“Hey, love, are you okay?” Drake hugged her tightly. “Must’ve been awful for you.”
“It was. Where’s Carter?”
“He’s just coming.”
Kerri pulled away and looked around. “Where’s Joshua?” she asked Arik, who had changed back into human form.
He frowned. “No idea. No, wait. I think I do. I’m going to get him.” He disappeared into the cluster of trees. He came back with Joshua about five minutes later.
Kerri ran over to Joshua and hugged him. But for only a second. “You stink,” she told him.
He smiled briefly. “Thanks. Compliments like these always brighten up my day.”
Kerri grinned at him, and then turned to go hug Carter, who had just emerged from the trees.
“Hey, K,” Carter said, grinning as he hugged her. “Are you okay? No bones broken?”
“No, I think I chipped a fingernail, though.”
“Ah, I guess you can always arrange a manicure session with Drake. He loves helping people—well, mostly girls—do stuff like that.”
Kerri wrinkled her nose. “Really?”
Drake stuck his chin out indignantly. “Painting nails is an art. It requires concentration and skill.”
Kerri laughed as quietly as she could into Carter’s chest. When she finally pulled away from him, she found herself face to face with Arik.
She gasped in surprise. “Oh, uh, hey.”
“Are you okay?”
She smiled. “Yeah, I am. Thanks. For saving me today. And for keeping me warm.”
He returned her smile with one of his own. “I had fun doing the second one.” He frowned. “I still resent you treating me like a dog, and that you slapped me.”
Kerri sighed. “I swear, if you say anything about me slapping you ever again, I’ll put those words into action. Five times. At least.”
He pursed his lips before turning away. “Let’s go see the damage in our room.”
“Shouldn’t you say ‘let’s go see whether our room has been damaged’?”
“Why would I say that when I already know that it has?”
“How do you know that?”
Arik turned around. “Do you care to make a bet?” he asked her, and eyebrow raised, the beginnings of a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.
“Uh, not really. For one, I don’t have any money on me.”
Arik waited for her to continue.
Kerri sighed. “Fine. And for another, you’re probably right.”
Arik’s grin stretched across his lips. “I usually am,” he said, reaching for her hand. “Shall we?”
The man roared in anger jumped up into the air. Arik followed him up, and they came down as dragons, slim, elegant, beautiful, and deadly.
Unlike Arik, the other dragon was inky black, its gleaming scales reflecting the light. It threw its head back, roared and shot towards Kerri. She stood there, unable to move, frozen with fear. Just as she was cursing herself for not renewing her will—since she had left quite some stuff to Ty—the dragon was thrown back against the wall. Arik slid in front of her, snarling at its opponent. He looked back at Kerri, who still stood there, frozen to the spot.
Are you okay? his voice appeared suddenly in her head.
Um, yeah. Yeah, I think so. Yes. She shook her head and tried to focus, blinking and pushing her hair out of her eyes as the black dragon slithered up against Arik, and they started snapping at each other.
Have I told you that you’re a fantastically horrible liar?
No, really? Kerri thought sarcastically. She could almost see Arik grinning as it rounded up on his opponent. He was winning—at least, that’s what Kerri thought when she saw that Arik was on top of the other dragon. Too late she saw that the black dragon had its tail wrapped around under Arik’s wings, just above its legs.
Kerri’s eyes widened. “Arik,” she cried. “Look out, he’s going to—”
The black dragon finished her sentence for her in action by flinging Arik away with its tail so that he crashed into the wall and collapsed down next to her, unconscious.
shoot. This was not good. Kerri turned to Arik frantically.
Arik, wake up. Please, please, wake up. I can’t do this. I don’t know how to do this. Please. She received no response. Oh dammit.
She turned around to face the dragon that was coming for her. He slinked slowly towards her, a smug smile on its face. It knew it had her. Or was it a he? It? He? It? Whatever. That thing.
“Stay away from me!” she yelled at him. “Don’t come any closer.”
The dragon hissed, his forked tongue flickering in and out of sight. It drew up so that it towered at least five feet over her and plunged down towards her, its jaws wide open, ready for her.
She screamed and jumped out of the way as it crashed onto the ground. It roared and reared up again, stretching its long body towards her. Her eyes widened. She couldn’t outrun it. It was too fast.
“Get away from me!” she shouted at him, striking out an arm as if to ward it off. Instead, air and energy pushed from and out of her hand and a gust of wind blew the dragon off its feet. Its feet? Its claws? Its talons? Whatever.
Oh my God, Arik, did you see that? That was amazing. Kerri turned to look at Arik, but he still lay unconscious. She sighed. The only time I actually accomplish something on my own, you’re unconscious. I think I might actually hate you for that. But then I guess, if you haven’t fainted, then I wouldn’t be able to do this. So I’m thankful. Kind of.
She ducked as the black dragon snapped at her and stuck her finger at its eye, grimacing as she did so. “Sorry,” she said. “Just trying to survive here.”
The dragon roared in pain, reared back, hissed and aimed for Kerri again. She tried to knock it over with wind again, but this time, the dragon was ready. It ducked her blow and headed straight for her, trapping her into a corner.
She shrieked for help, and just as the dragon was about to reach for her with its claw—or foot, or hand, or talon, whatever—she felt something snake around her waist and pull her out of the corner, so she stopped shrieking and started screaming instead. When she looked up and saw that the thing around her waist was Arik’s tail—or was it body?—wrapped around her, she stopped screaming and sagged in relief. But when she saw that he was heading out the big glass wall—well, technically, it was a window, but it substituted for a wall—at the end of the corridor and when she saw that beyond the wall was a fall of at least a hundred feet that would bring them to their death she started screaming again.
Would you please shut up? Arik’s voice sounded in her mind. I just regained my consciousness and you’re giving me a headache.
Kerri gasped. This must be the only time I’m actually glad to hear you voice in my head.
He chuckled, a deep sound resonating from his throat. Hold on tight.
Why do I—yeeeaarrrrghhhhh! Kerri’s question turned into a scream that caught in her throat as Arik burst through the glass door, and plummeted down towards the ground outside.
Arik sighed. Did I not to tell you to shut up? I can’t concentrate with you screaming into my head like that.
Kerri slapped his tail. Stop falling and start flying, she snapped at him. That thing’s still behind us.
Arik swooped upwards, his wings spreading out. He turned to look at her. Did you just slap me? And no, he’s not. And did you just slap me?
Yes, he is.
No, he isn’t. Did you just slap me?
Kerri turned around to see the black dragon glaring at them ferociously, its head poking out of the ruined glass wall—or window. Fine, he isn’t.
Did you just slap me? You just slapped me.
Yes, I slapped you.
You slapped me. He was in awe.
Oh, cry me a river, build me a bridge, then get over it, she snapped.
Arik shook his head. You slapped me.
Kerri sighed. Yes, I slapped you.
Nobody slaps me.
Well, I just did.
Why?
Because you told me to shut up and you wouldn’t fly even though we were falling to our death.
He snorted. We were not falling to our death.
To me, we were.
Never slap me again.
Try telling me that when I’m actually listening. Maybe I’ll consider it then.
Arik sighed as he swept and landed into the garden into a hidden spot behind a cluster of trees, next to the waterfall. Sitting cross-legged under the trees next to Arik, Kerri shivered, rubbing her arms up and down with her hands that were already starting to numb. She hated the cold. Flying made her cold, and a brewing thunderstorm with gusts of wind blowing really didn’t help.
What’s wrong? Arik cocked his giant—and dragon-y—head to look at her.
I’m cold, hence the shivering. Kerri shot him a look that said duh, can it be any more obvious?
He ignored the look, uncurled himself from where he’d been coiled up like a snake, moved closer to her and slid around her waist, wrapping himself around her until there was no more of him left and then rested his head on her lap.
Kerri giggled. It was a weird sensation, having a dragon wrapped around her. He was warm, which was surprising since dragons were supposed to be reptiles. Thanks. Uh, good dragon, good boy.
Arik tossed his head indignantly. I will not be spoken to like a dog.
Kerri grinned, slipped a hand out from under Arik’s body that was wrapped around her, and reached out to scratch the top of his head. Good boy.
Arik half-growled and half-purred, obviously enjoying the head scratch but still annoyed. He lay down his head on her lap again, his eyes half closed.
Aw, you look like a cute little puppy. Kerri rubbed his head, grinning.
He opened his eyes and growled at her—but only softly, just in case some of the C.E. people were still there.
Kerri sighed. Fine then, I’ll stop.
Arik growled softly again, nudging at her withdrawn hand until she laughed and resumed his head scratching. Why do you have burn marks?
Oh, I got that when I broke through the glass window. Dragons are allergic to glass.
Suddenly, the trees rustled, and they could hear footsteps. Arik was up in front of her in a protective stance before she could even get up. She got up slowly as the rustling got louder and louder.
Drake’s head poked out through the trees. “Hey, guys, the boss told us to tell everybody it was safe now.”
Kerri sighed in relief and ran over to hug Drake as Arik relaxed.
“Hey, love, are you okay?” Drake hugged her tightly. “Must’ve been awful for you.”
“It was. Where’s Carter?”
“He’s just coming.”
Kerri pulled away and looked around. “Where’s Joshua?” she asked Arik, who had changed back into human form.
He frowned. “No idea. No, wait. I think I do. I’m going to get him.” He disappeared into the cluster of trees. He came back with Joshua about five minutes later.
Kerri ran over to Joshua and hugged him. But for only a second. “You stink,” she told him.
He smiled briefly. “Thanks. Compliments like these always brighten up my day.”
Kerri grinned at him, and then turned to go hug Carter, who had just emerged from the trees.
“Hey, K,” Carter said, grinning as he hugged her. “Are you okay? No bones broken?”
“No, I think I chipped a fingernail, though.”
“Ah, I guess you can always arrange a manicure session with Drake. He loves helping people—well, mostly girls—do stuff like that.”
Kerri wrinkled her nose. “Really?”
Drake stuck his chin out indignantly. “Painting nails is an art. It requires concentration and skill.”
Kerri laughed as quietly as she could into Carter’s chest. When she finally pulled away from him, she found herself face to face with Arik.
She gasped in surprise. “Oh, uh, hey.”
“Are you okay?”
She smiled. “Yeah, I am. Thanks. For saving me today. And for keeping me warm.”
He returned her smile with one of his own. “I had fun doing the second one.” He frowned. “I still resent you treating me like a dog, and that you slapped me.”
Kerri sighed. “I swear, if you say anything about me slapping you ever again, I’ll put those words into action. Five times. At least.”
He pursed his lips before turning away. “Let’s go see the damage in our room.”
“Shouldn’t you say ‘let’s go see whether our room has been damaged’?”
“Why would I say that when I already know that it has?”
“How do you know that?”
Arik turned around. “Do you care to make a bet?” he asked her, and eyebrow raised, the beginnings of a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.
“Uh, not really. For one, I don’t have any money on me.”
Arik waited for her to continue.
Kerri sighed. “Fine. And for another, you’re probably right.”
Arik’s grin stretched across his lips. “I usually am,” he said, reaching for her hand. “Shall we?”
Comments
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KokoroTsuki24 on April 19, 2009, 5:34:29 PM
OMG! can u make more?! i am SO loving this!xxnataxx on April 24, 2009, 5:52:03 AM
xxnataxx on
i'm definitely trying. i love writing this. it's just that i dont have time grrrr... *curses homework*xx
KokoroTsuki24 on April 25, 2009, 3:26:11 AM
lol. same here. i hate homework. i like writing too. but my fave is poems. and i NEVER get the time! grr.