Two Worlds Between Stars: the Seer

Adilah continued to stare at the dead dragon in front of her. She can’t believe she had killed it.

Aamir came over to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. “You okay?” he asked.

Adilah nodded, but she wasn’t sure why.

Aamir nodded, “okay then. Let’s get going.”

Adilah bowed to the dragon and walked over to Ivy, Flame, and Yakir. Dari greeted her and was trailing through her legs. Ivy had sustained a wound from the talons of the icy dragon, and three long gashes ran across her right eye. she winced and lift her hand to her eye, but when she retracted it was covered in dark blood. Her eye started to swell. Flame used his power to create a bandage and wrapped it around her head, covering her eye. Immediately the bandage turned red.

They decided they would camp in the cave despite the cold and dead dragon. Flame helped Ivy create a fire that melted most of the ice and Aamir and Yakir set up the tents.

Ivy dispersed from the boys who were now arguing about how to set the tent up. She slowly made her way over to Adilah who was fidgeting with the gift her father had given her. It was weird of a sort, the gift was of a wooden bird, a tiny sandgrouse, it was plain but it was her favorite item besides her tool kit. Ivy sat down, she had turned back into the girl again and the wound now looked even more gruesome on her lean body.

She held something in her hands, “I wanted to thank you,” she handed the package to Adilah and continued, “it is a token of my appreciation of a sort.”

Adilah carefully unwrapped the gift, inside laid a book with a blue cover and birds stitched on it. There were flowers inlaid at the bottom and it seemed to be made of velvet leather but there was, to Adilah’s surprise, no name. “What is it about?” she asked curiously. “Well, there are stories of the elders that made the Remaran Elems in there and some notes on what I thought. This is my journal but it was given to me by my mom who had received it from her father. Some say that this book once belonged to one of the elders.”

Adilah looked in shock at Ivy who gave a quick smile. “I-I don’t know what to say it is beautiful but I can’t take it, it is yours and I don’t deserve it. I mean look at your eye, it’s all my fault,” Adilah reached to give the book back to Ivy but Ivy pushed it back, “No it’s not. Plus, it may help, keep it. I was told I would pass it on to a friend or family but over the last few days I have learned to trust you and you are more family than any of the other centaurs, well besides,”

she trailed off and looked at Flame who had become stuck in the middle of the argument over the tent.

Ivy shook her head, “anyway it is yours.”

Adilah didn’t know what to say, she moved closer and gave Ivy a big hug, who though in shock hugged her back, “Thank you,” Adilah said into her shoulder.

They let go, and Aamir came over to the girls, “Ivy mind if I steal A from you for a minute?”

Ivy nodded and walked to help Flame from Dari who was bouncing all over him.

Aamir sat down, “So how are you doing?”

Adilah shrugged, “fine I guess,”

Aamir glared at her, “no you aren’t. What is bothering you?”

Adilah glanced back at the dead dragon behind her which had paled in color immensely. “I just remember the stories your Grammy used to tell and I feel I have killed an ancient creature.”

Aamir listened and nodded, “well I am not going to lie, you did. But I was looking at the dragon and I found it was already suffering. You technically saved us and the dragon.” Adilah stared at Aamir, confused, “what do you mean?” she asked. “I mean the dragon was sick. I saw the blood and the scales, it wasn’t healthy.”

Adilah nodded and Aamir then knew she wanted to change the subject. “What’s that?” he pointed to the newly found gift that Ivy gave her.

“Oh,” Adilah slapped it against her other hand as if forgetting it was even there, “Ivy gave it to me.” Aamir smiled.

Adilah leaned her lead on his shoulder and he shifted so his hand interlaced with hers. They sat there in silence for a few minutes as they watched the commotion over by the tents. Adilah laughed. Though it was icy in the cave it was just as warm in her heart as she looked at her newly found friends. Flame and Ivy went back to the river and came back in an hour with cold fish and frozen berries in their hands, and covered in snow.

Adilah ran to her bag to get some blankets to warm them up and gave them a drink of water, “it is coming down hard out there. The fish and berries may take a while to thaw,” explained Flame.

Aamir had already grabbed the fish and put it on a stick to rotate on the fire. As that roasted, he asked Flame to make a basket that wouldn’t burn but would let heat through. In a matter of seconds, there was fish on the fire and a basket full of berries that were thawing on the hot Ember just outside the fire.

The flames danced around the fish’s underbelly and the sides as Ivy turned it on the spit. Flame and Aamir tended to the berries in the center of the fire and soon they had a delicious dinner for the evening.

As they laid out the food they would save they continued to talk about how they could cross the Mountain Trail without running into anything.

Flame this time seemed distant and it looked as if Adilah was the only one who had noticed. She wasn’t about to ask him what was wrong though because she already knew. He was worried about Spark. Flame had casually slipped Spark into every conversation, he seemed worried about her following but Adilah knew that he was overall worried for his partner. Spark and Flame had grown up together and were almost family. It is hard to forget that even if they are out to kill you.

Aamir spoke up as he noticed Flame looking off into the distance, “What do you think Flame? Should we take this path?”

Flame shook his head as if to shake away the distance, “Yeah,” he cleared his throat, “yeah um that looks good.” Ivy shook her head.

Adilah smiled, she had almost forgotten about her Papa until Ivy brought it up. “I am worried my dad is going to send the centaurs after us. Most likely this time they won’t leave you guys alive.” Adilah went solemn.

Aamir looked at her and quickly changed the subject, “I am tired how ’bout you guys?” Yakir yawned and covered his mouth. Dari is curled up by Adilah quickly receiving the message.

As everyone settled in Adilah caught Aamir’s eye she mouthed, “Thank you,” and in return, he winked and said, “you’re welcome,” before disappearing into the folds of the tent.

Ivy giggled as Flame settled down with a sigh knowing he couldn’t sleep in the tent.

She shrugged and went into the tent as the sleepy Dari followed.

-

The day peeked through the cracks in the boulder and the walls.

Adilah’s eyes stirred as the small amounts of sunlight filtered through the thin tent. Dari was sleeping in Adilah’s arms and Ivy was on her side snoring softly.

The smell of smoke and cooked salmon filled the air with a pleasant aroma. Adilah sat upward and stretched with a yawn as Dari stretched backward and started to wag her tail as she pranced out of the tent while Adilah quietly followed.

Aamir was slowly turning the spit with the salmon on it as Flame kept stealing berries from the basket. Adilah thought it was a warm atmosphere until she looked around and saw the dragon she had killed previously.

Her smile melted to a frown and she sulked to her seat.

It was hard, the ancient creature lay right behind her yet she was still able to smile when she saw Aamir. To take her mind off of her newfound feelings and the dead dragon she read the book that Ivy had given to her the previous night.

Looking at the golden words and the detailed pictures she read about the first elder, Crystala. Crystala or Cris for short was the ice elder. She controlled the weather in the mountains and created the ice lari, such as the dragon behind her. Don’t go there Adilah you did what you needed to be done to save Aami...Your friends, that is all, Adilah thought.

Adilah blushed a bit at Aamir when he smiled at her from the circle. Ivy waved her over and so she marked the place she was reading and walked over to the group.

Ivy shouldered her as recognition that she realized Adilah’s red cheeks, Adilah only did it back and smiled. She seemed happy but Adilah couldn’t pull her eyes away from the bandage that was now caked with blood. They had healed her cuts so they stopped bleeding but she had kept the bandage on.

Flame cleared his throat, “I think we should do a game or something. The snowstorm will light up around the high sun so we should just enjoy ourselves until then.”

Ivy nodded, “Okay, what should we do.”

Yakir hopped from his seat and screamed, “I have always wanted to do charades!”

Aamir and Adilah laughed at that and simultaneously said, “you have NEVER played charades before?” Yakir responded with a dramatic shake of his head.

So on account of Yakir, they split into teams, boys v girls and played.

It was fun and it took some of the pressure off Adilah from her dad and from the Remara. But the time passed quickly, from minutes to hours, and soon it was noon.

Everything was already packed so they got a move on quickly.

Adilah was the last to leave the cave, taking one last glance at the dragon who looked peaceful as if sleeping but she knew it would never wake up.

“A, you coming!?” yelled Aamir from the outside of the cave.

“Yeah I’ll be right there,” she responded. She said a quick prayer to Allah to ask for forgiveness for the dragons’ death.

As they walked through the trail Adilah took in their surroundings the sun made the snow glisten and there were frozen waterfalls on the cliffside.

None of this was there the night before but now everything was beautiful and magical. The gentle swaying of Ivy made Dari fall asleep and Adilah had to shift her weight so she could make sure the dog couldn’t fall off.

The sun slowly went down and everything seemed fine until a low rumble shook the mountain. Some of the snow fell, uncovering a small cave and large, yellow eyes staring at them. The Ice Larki stepped out and created a giant shadow.

It grabbed a large, icy bat and started to hit the ground and jump, the mountain shook even more. More caves were uncovered and more Larki stepped out. What Adilah feared was happening, there was going to be an avalanche.

Bits of ice fell from the mountain but the shaking got worse and worse.

The rumbling got stronger and louder and soon Ivy’s directions became a faint whisper. Millions of thoughts raced through Adilah’s head and before she could move the world went dark and cold. And everything went dark.