When we reached the next set of shaded cliffs I sighed in relief. They were massive, much larger than any I’d seen yet, and they were our last hope. I couldn’t cope with any further journeying through the sun that day. If we didn’t succeed now, we’d just have to come back and try again once my energy had recovered.
As I was thinking this I noticed the two suns, which had been steadily climbing in the sky, were starting to overlap each other. The larger, less bright sun was crossing in front of its smaller and more intense mate.
Then it was as if a magical button had been pressed; the land started to come to life. Small scaled creatures, followed by larger, less reptilian but still almost snake-like animals emerged from the cliff where we stood. The general strain I’d been feeling on the outside of my shield lessened and the world began to cool down. Even the heat waves were less visible.
As we walked around the cliffs, the animals that were leaving gave us a few glances. One even hissed as it came closer, but mostly they left us be. I couldn’t see where they emerged from. Not that it mattered; we would need a much bigger entrance than any they used.
And then, when the suns were halfway across each other, the first inhabitant that resembled us emerged from the cliffs.
The man seemed to unfold himself from a seam in the rocks. His skin was as black as any I’d seen; it had an almost purple sheen to it. He slithered low to the ground and dashed across the parched land until he reached a nearby rock face. Not once did he waste time looking left or right. I wasn’t sure at first what he was doing until I noticed the small lizards gathered in his hands.
He wore just a simple leafy belt covering his groin, leaving the rest of him bare. We watched as he tucked the limp lizards into the front of the leaf belt. He was turning to scurry along the ground again, in pursuit of another animal, when he finally noticed us.
I hate to point fun at anyone, but the way he fell face first into the hard dirt was a little humorous. Judging by the look on Lucy’s face, if we’d had more oxygen, she’d have been on the ground herself, laughing hysterically.
He crouched low to the red surface again, facing us, in a fight-or-flight stance. He was definitely unsure whether we were friend or foe.
We all spun around when the same loud screech from before echoed above our heads. And, I’m going to be honest, when I caught sight of the creature circling above us, I almost dropped the shield. And peed myself.
It was a freaking dragon. Almost exactly how I pictured one: four large taloned legs, shiny scales reflecting the light, a mouth full of huge razor-sharp teeth, a long snout, and muscular wings. It was red, with visible blue veins running throughout its massive body. It screeched again as it circled above us.
We faced each other. Everyone’s expression said the same thing: ‘what the eff?’ and ‘oh, shit’.
The dark-skinned man moved then. He didn’t hesitate, dashing toward the cliffs.
Despite the stuffy air, I wasted oxygen screeching when Lucas threw me over his shoulder and took off after him. Lifting my head, I was relieved to see Lucy and Talina keeping pace. Lucas must have noticed my exhaustion and realized I didn’t have the stamina for a race across the land.
I spun my head again, trying to see what was happening. The man was a few paces ahead of us. We weren’t going to reach him in time. He gave us one last look before slipping through the wall again and disappearing.
Two steps later and we were standing at that very spot, but there was no visible opening. Lucas lowered me to the ground, holding on to me for that extra second as my legs wavered, my energy lower than I’d expected. I pulled away as soon as I could; he gave me a measured stare before turning to help Talina and Lucy. They were scrambling along the cliff trying desperately to find a hiding place. I concentrated all my energy on holding my shield. The screeching sounded above us again, and I mean right above us.
Tipping my head back, I watched in horror as the creature descended, its four powerful claw-tipped legs extended. The sunlight glinted off the red of its scales, blinding me in the last moment before it would snatch us from our position.
Desperation surged through me. It forged past the exhaustion to gather my remaining energy. A blue spark fled my body and crashed into the creature. The last thing I remember before my knees hit the ground was an intense burning heat engulfing me. I face-planted, tasting blood, before everything went gray around the edges.
My skin was burning. My screams seemed extra loud as I thrashed to escape the powerful heat. And it was strange: I couldn’t cease my screams and at the same time I also couldn’t breathe.
I could hear my friends, but the pain was too intense to open my eyes. A firm grip on my legs increased my panic. Did the creature have me? The high pitch of my screams increased as my body was dragged across the rock-hard ground. A bump knocked my head into a stone. At the same time the light and heat were cut off. I let myself drift for a moment, hoping to escape the pain.