Sunshine

Cold. She was unbearably cold. Her body was convulsing with shivers she couldn’t control. Her head ached something fierce as if she had smacked it against the rocks. Her hands and feet were throbbing. And she couldn’t move them.

Her eyes flew open and panic set in. Something dry and thick was stuffed in her mouth and she couldn’t move her jaw. Everything was dark except a thin line of glowing yellow flickering in front of her.

Lianna whimpered in pain as the blood rushed through her veins and her brain tried to make sense of the sensations. Her arms were bound behind her back, her feet somehow connected to her hands; muscles screamed in pain at the odd angle. Her cloak was gone, as was the belt that sheathed her knife.

She tried to pick her head up and roll the side. Her body barely swayed with effort. She felt tears roll down her cheek. The floor was hard and sand ground against her face. Focusing on the thin swath of light in front of her face, Lianna listened. There was no sound except for her pulse roaring through her ears. A dry heave escaped her gag. Panicked fear choked her, obliterating every thought except escaping her confines. Her gut clenched suddenly, and her fire roared to life within her. Bursting from her in scorching purple flames; burning through her bonds and instantly releasing her.

Lianna’s knees hit the sandy floor with a soft thud, her hands falling to her sides. Trembling at the sudden release of her posture, she could do nothing but lie there helplessly as needles of pain flared to life in her extremities. The throbbing in her ears began to subside and a slow steady thud became footsteps. She could feel the vibrations in the earth beneath her intensify as they got closer. Two shadows appeared in the light’s path and the sound of squeaky hinges was her only warning before she was nearly blinded by the sudden brightness that filled the room.

Wild instinct took over and she leaped backward with a hiss. Her back and arms collided with wood, and things came tumbling down. Her eyes adjusted to take in the giant male standing between her and the only exit. His dark eyes widened in shock as he beheld her standing there, the wild gleam in her eye, the flame tickling her fingertips. A putrid salty air filled her senses, and her body lunged into action. She dived beneath the man’s outstretched arm and rolled through the doorway behind him.

He shouted a warning as she jumped up in the direction her nose told her she could find fresh air. A long narrow hall appeared. The walls were made of wood nailed into the rock on all sides. A mine. She was in a mine shaft. She lunged forward and half ran into the wall that rose before her where the tunnel took a sharp left and then began to incline. There were more voices ahead, between her and the fresh air.

The man behind her began shouting in earnest now and two burly males appeared coming towards her. Her hands came up before her, the flames acting with a mind of their own. The miner’s shouts of agony pierced through the shaft as their clothes burned around them. Lianna did not stop. Her only thought was of escape and fresh air. The entrance came upon her suddenly; sunlight blinding, and she was teetering on the edge of a cliff. Her arms came out to catch her but there was nothing to grab.

A scream tore from her as she hit a wall of cold air and the sensation of falling consumed her. The ground was still unbelievably far beneath her as she tumbled through the dawning sky. The wind roared in her ears as she fell. Instinct once again took over for her panicked mind and her body arched into a dive. Her hands appeared before her face, shimmering and golden, they elongated as she watched, talons bursting from her fingers. More golden scales grew with her arm until a giant plate of muscle gripped the air and shoved downward. Another scream tore from her in a roar that echoed through the bowl-shaped hollow of the mine, this one accompanied by a stream of flame that burned her throat on its way out.

Lianna turned her head and let out another hiss of flames. Her nose was now a snout she could barely see too far down her face. Her red tresses had become scales that were glued to her back. A long membrane that resembled a dark spider web attached her arm from wrist to shoulder, to where her knees should have been. The red scales faded to gold along her belly, arms and legs. Long black talons replaced her fingers and toes.

Men began to appear out of the mine shafts along the cliff face, shouting and staring in awe as the dragon circled the pit twice. It let out another wild shriek and panic erupted below. People in chains tried to break free and run for cover, only to realize that their bonds would hold them in place for their fiery deaths.

Lianna watched through the beast’s eyes as the healthier prey, the ones not chained together, scrambled for the caves. She let out a roar of fury for the chained people, raging fire ripping from her to scorch the cliffside. Guards tumbled to their deaths as scaffolding immediately disappeared beneath them. Their clothes caught fire and burned them alive before they could even reach the ground.

Her arms pumped again, and she felt the air push her upward and away from the massacre she had unleashed in her desperate escape. The cool morning air swept past her and she surveyed the landscape as it dropped far below her. The hole gouged into the red rocks was indeed a mine. A long winding road snaked through the plain before her, where the rocks gave way to fields of green grass. An ancient forest rose to the East and swallowed the wide dirt path. To the west, the grass turned back to rock and cliffs, a fat river in the distance the only break in the bleak scenery. Craning her neck back towards the mines, her body swooped behind her, almost knocking her off balance. The human part of her interrupting the beast’s instincts.

She surveyed where the river cascaded over a high cliff near the edge of the quarry below. Small boats waited in the large cove carved by the falling water. A pale-yellow color stained the water around the vessels. Men were running like ants back and forth along the riverbank, pointing and shouting. Towards her she realized.

She had never imagined so many people could be found in one place before. Thousands of people. Some in chains, others running and shouting, brandishing long ropes that lashed out at the chained creatures. A snarl rippled through her and she shot forward towards the waiting boats.

Lianna let her beast shoot flames of fury over the boats and whatever it was they carried. Swooping down and then back up before making another pass. Her giant wings reached high into the sky and pumped down hard and fast, shooting her upward so quickly that her human self would have become lightheaded. The beast that was now her, let out an amused huff, and she felt the joy and freedom that it offered her.

This is what she was born to be. This creature that stretched and shook its head in glorious freedom, spreading her wings wide, she let her tail whip up behind her to swoop into a glide. The wind currents cut across her wings and she soared above the clouds.

She headed towards the ancient forest she had seen to the East. As high as she was, Lianna saw the other side of the wood line, where the road reappeared and winded its way through a large grassy plain. The gently rolling hills gave rise to small villages peppering the grasslands. To the south, the hills became steeper, and a large fortress grew from the side of a mountain. Structures were surrounding the city in the front. More houses and buildings than she imagined existed spread out for miles around the giant stone castle. The buildings and streets were laid out in a checkered pattern, small squares that were outlined by cobbled pathways, some wider than others. She saw hundreds of people like tiny ants meandering along those streets, they seemed not to notice her so far above them.

She did not want to be around all those people. They would not understand what had just happened, and the sudden appearance of a dragon in their midst would likely cause a panic. So, she swooped back around, the red and gold scales that were her skin reflected the sun’s rays, gleaming in her peripheral vision. The forest was before her again, covering the landscape to the North and East where it looked as if it tried to climb the mountains behind it. A small clearing came into her view and she angled toward it. A break in the trees where a gurgling stream crept from the red rocks beckoned to her.

She allowed her body to drop closer to the canopy below, her wings spread wide. Too late she realized she was moving too fast, her hands that were talons pushed out and she reared, trying to slow the flow of air around her, breaking her glide. She felt herself falling and tried to spread her wings again, in a panic, she let out a roar turned screech, as light flared around her. Her knees hit the ground with a loud crack, and she rolled; tumbling headfirst into the grass before landing with a splash in the icy water.

Lianna just sat there, panting heavily, her hair was plastered to her in a curtain of cold, blocking the view of her surroundings. Catching her breath, she reached her hands up to wipe the hair from her face. She stood with a screech of frustration, and for a moment she allowed herself to wallow in the rage that overtook her. Stamping her feet in the icy water, her hands curled into fists pounding the air around her as she shrieked her anger into the empty valley.

“You shoot fire from your fingertips, and cage a dragon, but you cannot even land us somewhere dry and soft?” She shouted at the beast inside her. She felt it sizzle under her skin in response. Stomping out of the stream bed she began wringing the icy water from her hair. A large boulder jutted out of the tall grass some feet away. A gangly tree she could not identify stood next to it, making a small nook. The short fat limbs providing a perfect seat.

She was done with people. Her mother’s betrayal had not been enough to frighten her away from the fae-wolves. And as untrusting as they were, it had not prepared her at all for the kidnapping that took place after. She had no way of knowing how long she had been unconscious in the dark mine shafts. Her beast snarled at the thought, smoke curling from her nostrils.

Lianna clamped a firm band of control on that thing and snarled back. This was her body, even if she had to share it with the beast. Her buckskin leggings clung to her legs, the cool temperatures freezing the waterlogged cloth to her skin. Her boots too were soaked through and had begun to frost themselves to her feet. She leaned forward and began to unlace them. Her beast rolled along her veins as if to say she didn’t need to pull them off but could dry herself with a single thought if she chose to.

“No thank you” she snorted out loud. She had had enough magical surprises. She wanted to do this the normal way if there was such a thing anymore. Shucking off her boot and tossing it aside, she happened to glance up. And froze.

A mountain lion materialized from the tree line, stalking slowly towards her. Its eyes bright with intelligence surveyed her with unmistakable interest. Lianna just sat there, more exasperated than afraid. Who should she be afraid of when the beast inside her was a damned dragon? Her nostrils flared as the breeze brought a familiar scent to her nose.

“You,” Her beast breathed. She felt the hiss escape her mouth and steam burned her nostrils as she stood to confront him. The giant feline stopped mere yards from her. All her senses were on high alert, watching as his head bobbed up; upper lip curled outward scenting the air. His eyes widened slowly, in a very human-like gesture. He sat, frosty grass crunching under his weight.

“Who are you? Why do I feel like you are the cause of this?” She waved her hand before herself, gesturing to the wild beast that was now silent inside her.

A light flashed before her eyes and the beast of a man appeared. His toned leg muscles bent in rippling definition as he knelt before her. He was dark complected, his skin had the same undertone as the rocky red mountains. He wore only buckskin pants, the same as her own. His hair was a dark muddy color and his eyes were only a shade lighter because of the gold flecks around his pupils. He had a pert feline nose and full red lips. He had to be one of the most beautiful males she had ever seen. Her pupils dilated, and she had to clamp a desperate hand on her beast as it reared its head in interest.

The male’s eyes grew wide before a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. A knowing gleam in his eye.

Lianna snarled at him, how dare he look at her like that? “Not one day has gone by since I met you, that I have not run afoul of some magical beast.” Her eyes narrowed.

“Why?” She demanded.

“My queen, it was only chance that I found you in that pass. The sickness that has spread through the lands has forced the borders of the kingdom to become a common hunting ground for Fae and Humans.” She watched as his eyes fell to the ground in a submissive gesture.

“I must confess that I did not recognize your scent as human or fae and my curiosity bade me follow you.” His chocolate eyes met hers again briefly.

“Do you know what I am?” She asked him baldly hands on her hips.

His nostrils flared as he nodded. “Yes, your Majesty.”

“That is the second time you have referred to me as such. Just who do you think I am?” Lianna practically purred. She wasn’t sure if it was her or the beast asking. Maybe both.

The dark brown eyes met hers again.

“You are the most powerful creature in the land. I have roamed these mountains for hundreds of years guarding the mountains from men and fae alike. Waiting for dragons to return. Waiting for you.”

“Are there other .. guardians, like you?” She asked imperiously.

“Yes, my Queen. The poison that flows in the waters has taken its toll, but others have managed to survive. Those that know where the clean water springs can be found. It is a closely guarded secret in these times.”

“You know what the poison is? Where it comes from?” A single red eyebrow arched in demand.

“The sickness comes from the water near the mines. I do not know what they are pulling out of the mountain, but the yellow poison is killing all who consume it downstream.”

Lianna remembered the strong odor from the mine shaft and a grimace pinched the bridge of her nose. The yellow cloud that had seeped into the water around the boats must be the problem. She wondered if there were other such places in and around the mountains.

“What is your name?” She asked more gently this time. If he had been guarding these mountains, then they were on the same side. She still did not trust him yet and eyed him warily. Her beast grumbled its agreement.

“Seth, your Highness. Would you allow me to lead you to your palace?”

Her ears twitched to attention.

“Palace?” she mimicked.

“Yes, Majesty, the dragons keep lies deep in the heart of the mountains. Farther West than the trail the wolves followed.” He gestured toward the west and the rocky, barren land she remembered lay in that direction.

“Show me.” The beast inside her grinned, all she wanted was a safe place to rest and think about all that had occurred. Seth’s eyes flashed gold just before the lion reappeared.