Chapter Three Forgotten Past My eyes watered as I soared through the thick clouds. I was carrying Auziri, the burn marks where settling down, and looked less red. I had barely any idea of if I was over water, or if I was over land. The smoke soon thinned, and I landed down onto the ground. Air wisped around from the storm, I looked back at the thick, black smoke rising from the trees. It almost looked like a shadow demon, creeping out from the pitch black area. A shiver ran down my spine, then I looked at Auziri. Her pale, pearlescent moon white scales where now grey or black. I’ve gotten her into so much trouble! I should have just taken her home… I sighed, and looked over at the water as it lapped onto the shore. I layed down next to her. The soft rhythm of her flank was soothing, as the rain pushed the smoke towards the ground, making it disappear. As the rain plummeted down to the ground, I lifted my wing to cover Auziri as she slept. I let out a sigh, I started this.. Now I have to finish this… , I let my wing flop like a blanket for Auziri and fell asleep. The morning sun blasted into my scales, burning them up. I blinked awake, and looked over at Auziri. She had turned over, her claws fidgeting. I smiled, and lifted my wing and stood up. Shaking the sand off that had stuck to me. I padded out over to the ocean, and gazed out to the mountains. A small yawn sounded behind me, Auziri stumbled over, flopping down next to me. “How long do you think it will take to fly all the way over?” she asked, gazing out over the water as it lapped onto the bleach sand, “Hmm… Probably two days…” I kept my gaze fixed on the mountain tips, but it was hard not to notice the shocked look Auziri gave, “You mean without food, water?” “Yes… I mean… neither of us can catch fish…” I smiled, Auziri gave a friendly glare at me, “No, no absolutely not.” she joked. I had hunted down a doe, and the sun was just at its highest peak. When Auziri finally gave in to our argument, “Ok! Ok fine… You win…” she gave me a friendly, sharp glare, “I want to learn how to catch fish!” she added unexpectedly, “Well, I don’t know.” she had leaped into the water, flapping her wings furiously as she tried to catch a fish, “I don’t think that's how you do it!” I laughed, she gave a mad growl, and leaped at me playfully. We tumbled around, swatting playfully at each other. She grabbed my tail, I got her foot and sunk my teeth in slightly, not wanting to hurt her. She grabbed my tail with her jaws, trying to shake me off. I let go, doing so flung both of us back. Auziri was flung back into the water, I hit a tree which knocked me out for a second. I jumped back up, feeling the adrenaline in my veins. Auziri leaped at me again, but I dodged and jumped back around, once behind her, I leaped onto her back pinning her to the ground. “Hey! Not fair!” she squirmed beneath me, “It is fair!” I stepped off, and she jumped back up. We sat and watched the ocean, the tide sucked in, then blew out. The salty wind brushed over our faces, Auziri smiled and lifted her face more into the wind. “Do you remember when we fought over who was the best elk hunter?” she asked, “Yes?... why?...” I asked, questionly, “Well… I obviously won that.” “What! No, you gave in!” I responded, jumping to my feet, “and I could at anytime beat you at another fighting competition…” I grinded at her, she flicked her tail, “Ok, ok yeah I gave in… Just to let you believe you won!” she leaped to her feet, “Fine! Then I challenge you to a elk hunting competition! Who ever gets back here first with one or more elk wins!” We both ran back into the forest. Auziri went towards the old tree, and I went to where our old camp was. I sniffed around the old fire, but all I smelled was ashes. A cold wind blew against my face. A stale, yet trackable scent of a herd, filled my nose. I followed the scent, offen stopping and sniffing at the air, checking if i’m going in the right direction. If the scent is blowing towards me, I need the keep going straight. I kept repeating in my head. Soon, imprints of V shaped hooves appeared in the soft mud ground. I started to move into more, bush covered ground, to hide in. Soft sounds of of walked sounded ahead. I stalked across slowly, and kept glancing down at where I was putting my claws. I pressed my wings close to my side, and my ears down. The deer stopped, picked up its head and looked around, the cold almost black eyes scanned the area. It slowly went back to eating. I crept up a bit more, my eyes still fixed on the neck, the fastest way to kill them… I slowly went into my springing position, but it swirled around, flung its head to the ground, then
rammed into me. I yelped in agony, as its horns thundered into my eyes. I scraped the ground, looking for a sturdy place to pull myself up. Blurs of red and greens flew around me, the buck hit me again, and I bolted off, thundering past the old camp, and banging into all the trees I went by. The cold blood stains on my face didn’t help at all with me seeing. I sprang onto the beach, sand flung everywhere, “Hey! Quit! What’s wr-” she looked over and jumped towards me, “what happened!?” she started to say something else, but I couldn’t stand anymore, and fell to the ground. I felt a small lick on my face when I finally regained consciousness. I could see better, but not a lot, Auziri was licking the rest of the blood off my scales. I laid back down and let her continue. “Don’t do that again,” she said in a, funny-but-serious voice, “you made me worry…” she nuzzled in next to me. I covered her with my wing, “We should start fl-” “One, not in your state, and two, i’m to tired.” she gave me a friendly nudge, and fell asleep. I looked at the setting sky once more, then laid down too. I couldn’t sleep, I just kept having the feeling that someone was there. I slowly got up, and quietly walked away from Auziri, she moved a little bit, but went back to sleep. I looked around, my messed up vision didn’t help. But then, in the shadows of the trees, where the eyes I could never mistake. The dark, glowing purple eyes, of Plasma. I hissed at him, scrunching up my snout and baring my fangs. He stepped out, a member of his gang followed, what was her name?... Oh! It was Kimi… I looked at them, “What are you doing here?” Plasma asked questinaly, as if he had never seen me, “I could ask the same thing.” I retorted, “No, I mean everyone thinks you’re dead. You haven’t come back, so he sent me and Kimi to… do the mission,” he looked at me, “you should come back and let everyone know your alive-” a stick was hurtled towards him and hit him in the side, “Who is that!” he looked over at Auziri who had woken up, and was now holding a rock. Plasma looked at her, “but… the-the yin and yang dragons….they… no they don’t exist..” he trailed off, “But she’s not one, she's completely pearlescent moon white,” I looked at him, “now, i’ll head back, but we not you are doing the mission,” I looked at him, “Auziri? Are you up for flying?” I asked, she nodded, “Lets go.” We flew silently, until I asked, “How many days have we been gone?” “No, it’s not that, they think you died in the storm.” he responded, “Oh…” Auziri was dropping a bit in her flying, I swiftly flew over, and gently pushed her back up, “We’re almost there…” Kimi said, then dove down, followed by Plasma, I let go of Auziri and dove down too. Auziri quickly followed. “It’s almost morning,” I said, and went over to Midnight’s den, “um.. Hello?” I asked, Midnight looked out and saw me, “Wait! Your ALIVE!?” he alerted the guard dragons as they had walked over. Midnight was looking at me astonished, “who’s that?” he guestered over to Auziri, “Oh, she’s Auziri, my friend.” “Go get Rose, she’s in Zin’s den,” he must have seen my eyes large with worry because he then added, “she just has been having a hard time over your ‘death’.” I walked over, to Zin’s den. The smell of herbs hung strong in the air, I felt something twine their tail around mine. I looked over my shoulder, Auziri was walking next to me. I lifted my wing to open a space of the garlands of drying herbs and flowers that hung to the top of his den, “Zin? Are you in here?” I called, then his almost pearlescent white-pink rose scales came out, “Hibiki! Rose is ins-” he stopped and looked at Auziri, he (and Auziri) had a expression on their faces he could not read, he gulped down, “A-” he faked coughed, “Auziri? Or, what did your mother name you?” he looked at her. I had known that Zin joined this Clan after leaving his old one, Midnight said he never talked about his past, “Zin, yes mother named me like you said, Auziri.” she put emphasis on her name, a cold stillness hung in the air, there was a connection between Auziri and Zin, was he her father? Or maybe Auziri’s father died then her mom… I thought, my head was spinning, “Zin? Who’s out there? I heard you talking? Is it Midni-” Rose came running out, making me gag with the very tight hug she gave me, “Mofmm, pwease stowpt..” every word came out muffled, “Sorry honey, it's just… Oh I missed you!” she flapped her wings once, then looked at Auziri. She looked at Zin, “Zin, is this Auziri?” she looked at him, he gave a small nod, “Yes, Rose, Hibiki, this is Auziri, my daughter.”
