[rework] Minglings - chapter 38: Hiding truths

The following two days passed in a blur. Emma didn't see Tessa again, and with her mind preoccupied, she forgot about the Fiend. Working in the bog, dodging Whipper's strikes, and keeping an eye on Daniel kept her busy and stressed.

Early in the morning of the third day, just before dawn, Emma woke up to the rattling of a torrent of rain that pelted the shack's thin roof. She looked around the pitch-black shack and saw Daniel. He was lying close by, one hand outstretched in her direction. She frowned, but even the other's proximity couldn't curtail her good mood. The rain was what she had been waiting, hoping, and praying for. Now that it had come again, her plan could begin.

The previous days she would relish the few quiet moments in the morning. But now it seemed to take forever for the others to wake up and even longer until Whipper came to get them. When he did, she was the first to dodge below his blows and run outside. Letting the rain fall on her, she felt its energy invigorate her, but she tried to hide it.

Whipper kept cursing, striking the slower Kobolds with more intensity than usual. The rain seemed to make the Goblin sour, and he snarled and whipped at anything he deemed slacking. When everyone finally bunched together in the torrential rain, their feet sunk deep in the mud, Whipper made them rush towards the bog.

"Is something wrong?" Daniel whispered as he trudged next to her.

When she didn't reply, he frowned but kept quiet. None of the others spoke much, some using the downpour to wash as they moved.

The water caused the Kobolds to have a great deal of energy, and they traveled to the swamp faster than previous times.

By now, a wide berth of the trees had been chopped down all the way up to the swamp, creating a pathway. Only the thickest, tallest trees remained, a few marks on their bases showing the failed attempts to clear them. In the distance, the lush purple jungle made way for darker trees with clusters of roots connecting them.

The drenched group walked between two of the immense trees and arrived at the temporary cabin. Shallow, murky water was rising and overflowing the brown grass and reed bordering it. Emma looked at it and nodded. If the rain continued, it might reach the cabin before noon.

Ahead of the group, Whipper scanned the rising water until he saw what Emma had long since seen. The telltale bulbs of the three-eyed crocodiles. They sat close together, partially hiding between the dark network of roots that grew around the mangroves.

"It seems the crocs are even happier about this rain than you are. I wouldn't try anything stupid! Get to work, and if you come back with less than ten flowers, I'll show you what this is made for!" Whipper shouted, threateningly raising the whip.

Around them, the Goblin guards spread out along the swamps edge, bows ready.

"Stay where we can see you, or we will hunt and kill you without question!" Whipper yelled, followed by the rest of his standard warnings and threats.

Emma barely noticed what the Goblin said. She tried not to stare at the mangrove far in the bog and waited for one of the others to move. If someone saw how eager she was, they might suspect something. As soon as one did, she walked deeper into the swamp, heading towards a lonely mangrove beyond the range of where she was allowed to go.

It was a place she had found a week ago when she had fled from a crocodile that had eaten one of the others. It had almost gotten her to, but she had managed to hide in the roots of the mangrove. Eventually, the crocodile left, and she found a dozen red flowers. A good thing, for it had quieted the Goblins who wanted to shoot her for going too far.

More importantly, however, she had found a narrow gap on the far side of the trunk. It was barely enough for her to squeeze through, and she almost got stuck twice, but inside she had found a natural cavity in the partially rotting tree. Warm and dry, it showed no traces of anything living there besides some tiny ants. If she hadn't been so afraid of the crocodiles and getting stuck in the swamp at night, she might have hidden there until the Goblins left.

Now, though, things were different.

With a smile of anticipation on her face, she trudged further. Even with all the rain, the swamp was only ankle-deep, but the rainwater was changing its properties just like the day she fled the crocodile. Usually, there was a painful, corroding sensation when the swamp touched her scales. It would weaken her, almost as if she was getting sick. Now it was barely a tingle. It was the only reason she could reach the extensive mangrove in the first place.

Sloshing footsteps from behind caused a rush of fear to wash away the anticipation, and she took a quick look across her shoulder. Daniel was following her, his eyes on her back. When he saw she had spotted him, he smiled.

"Emma? You okay? Where are you going?"

Emma frowned. What kind of question was that? She was searching for those stupid flowers or pretending to be. Something about the other's eyes made her fearful.

Without stopping, she replied, "searching for flowers, what else?" Her voice shook, and she hoped Daniel didn't notice.

They were now a dozen meters into the swamp, and the muddy water was knee-deep. There weren't any other Kobolds anywhere close. Most had gone to the roots nearer the edge, hoping to find some flowers. Unlikely, Emma knew. They had picked the area surrounding the shore clean.

On the shore, four of the Goblins stood with raised bows pointed at her and Daniel. She was almost sure they couldn't hit them even if they tried a hundred shots, but there was also this little nagging doubt that they had practiced. Before, it had been enough to stop her from attempting to flee. That and the crocodiles. Not too far from where they stood, three eyes stared at them unblinkingly.

She continued moving but stopped when the water came to her waist and turned to Daniel. The man took a few more steps, then stopped just out of arm's reach.

The kindly smile faded from Daniel's face, replaced by a slight frown. "You're up to something... You know things the rest of us don't. Why don't you share what you know? Is there a way? Are you going to escape?" His voice came in a low whisper that grew aggressive towards the end, his eyes gleaming dangerously.

Emma barely recognized him, and she felt her throat clench shut. Trying to draw a breath, she finally croaked out a question.

"What do you want?"

Daniels' frown deepened. "Why are you so afraid of me? I helped you when nobody else would! Protected you!"

When Emma didn't respond, he snarled. "Fine, I don't know what you think, but I am done playing games. You know something. Tell me, or I will feed you to these blasted crocodiles!"

As he spoke, Emma felt her heart rate spike. What was she supposed to do now? She took a fearful look around, her eyes a split second away from Daniel.

With a surge, the taller Kobold shot forward, grabbing her around the throat. Almost petrified with fear, al she could do was grab his wrist as he lifted her off the ground. Feeling her breath cut of, she began kicking against the surface of the water.

"Enough! Tell me what you know. How are you planning on getting away from here!" Daniel growled.

The stoic tapping of the rain on the water was the only sound for a second.

"Hey, what are you two doing!" one of the Goblins screamed from the shore. Emma's eyes darted to them hopefully, but none of the green monsters made a move.

She dug her nails into Daniel's wrist while trying to pull his fingers away, but he was much stronger. She could barely breathe and knew if he didn't let up, she might fall unconscious soon. Struggling to speak, she only managed unintelligible whispers.

Daniel violently shook her around like a ragdoll before tossing her into the mud, and planting a foot on one of her legs.

"Now tell me how you plan to flee, or so help me, I will use you as bait for those crocodiles and make a-" something wooshed through the air, and a long, black-feathered arrow stuck through his throat. The heavyset Kobold took two unsteady steps back, gagging as he grabbed the arrow shaft with two hands. His eyes were round as saucers.

Her head barely above water, Emma saw his face warp to fury instead of fear as he snapped off the end of the arrow. Without thinking, she pushed herself back, turned, and dove into the water.

Her water-lids closed over her eyes, making the murky water even more unclear. All she saw were brown shadows and a few slimy green and brown plants that grew in the mud. The drops hitting the water were a constant racket. In total panic, she shot forward like a torpedo. The tingling from the bog became worse as she headed deeper into the murky water.

With her speed, it took only seconds to get to the mangrove. She noticed a movement in the corner of her eye. Fearing what it might be, she saw something heading her way.

It was as fast as she was, if not faster, and much larger.

Almost choking on her fear, she tried to squeeze out more speed. Ten meters, six, two, she was going to make it! Angling up towards a two-meter broad root that would grant her safety, her hands shot out of the water when something slammed shut around her ankle.

Red hot pain lanced through her mind, but she instinctively drove her sharp nails into the slimy black root, digging for a hold. She had to get up, but something was trying to drag her back! The pain increased, and she howled and screamed. Her voice echoed around the tangle of roots below the mangrove. She jerked her leg around when there was a vomit-inducing rending sound, and something gave. The pain turned to agony.

Crying and howling, she fled up the side of the root until she dragged herself over the edge. Shaking and shivering, she drew her leg back and screamed. Part of her mind heard someone shouting her name, but it was muted and far away, fading into a roaring sound like the ocean.

Her foot was gone! All that was left was a bleeding stump, with a piece of bone sticking out and ravaged meat and scales. Feeling her stomach heave and becoming lightheaded, she began wailing. She was going to die! A loud splash from below caused another burst of adrenaline, and she scrambled back along the root.

Looking around, she saw the trunk of the tree two meters away. The small slit in the side was visible from this angle, three meters higher.

Seeing it, she crawled forward, dragging the red pounding mass of pain that was her leg with her. When she reached the trunk, she was weary and dizzy. She shook her head and tried clawing her way up the tree. She failed twice, sliding back. The second time she landed on her leg, causing her to blackout for a moment. It couldn't have been longer because when she woke, nothing had changed.

The third time she managed to reach the slit, worming her way inside. Lying down on the wood, she wondered why everything was so black. The last time she could still see clearly. And why was it so quiet? When had the rain stopped?

It was the last thought she had before she blanked out.

--

The other was back! The young dragon-blooded felt its presence, but something was wrong. The other's mental signature was weak, and no words came. She sensed the other's mind drift away, and a sense of urgency rose from deep within the young dragon-blooded.

Taking a last look around the cavern that had been her home for as long as he recalled, her animalistic nature suddenly resisted the idea of what she had to do. Would anything of her remain? She hesitated for only a moment as her survival instincts overtook anything else. If the other died, so would she.

She lay down, closed her eyes, and encompassed the other's being with her mind, pulling it close. As if something had been waiting for this moment, there was a slight shiver that ran through her mind. Then a dam breached. Energy flooded into her, soaking their collective minds and creating a way for the other to pass through.

Without any resistance, the unconscious mind of the other flooded into the dragon's mental sea, and their memories began combining. The dragon-blooded had no way of controlling what was happening, and she felt as if she was swimming through a hurricane. Unbelievable images of towering buildings of steel and glass, enormous steel birds as large as dragons, and monsters that breathed out black smoke filled her mind.

Somewhere during the blending of their memories, the other awoke, scared and panicking. With the knowledge she was gaining, the rapidly changing dragon-blooded quickly sent images of comfort and safety. Realizing she knew the other's name now, Emma, she attempted to communicate.

All she got out was a single, Emma.

Then her consciousness was whisked away like a small plume of smoke.

--

Emma slowly regained herself, drawing together the straws of her consciousness until she could form coherent thoughts. Her mind felt fresh and warm at the same time. Strong and supple, and lacking... something. Something that had dragged her down for as long as she knew.

Slowly her memories of the last few moments before-

Wait. What happened?

She shivered.

Then her new draconic mental strength pushed away a lingering dread of losing her foot to the crocodile. As it did, something changed, and the memory faded to something that seemed so long ago. It was replaced by other memories. Suddenly, she knew all that had occurred during the merge from the dragon's perspective.

As her confused mind gradually continued to merge into a single coherent entity with one set of memories and emotions, Emma knew she wasn't the same. The haunting memories of her childhood, the first things to greet her when waking, were faded and grey. In their place were vivid images of hunting through caves, listening to the elders, and playing with the other blooded.

She gingerly recalled some old, painful memories but found them fractured and incomplete. The hard edges, the pain, and despair had left them, leaving something similar to recalling a movie from long ago. She knew some people might have been afraid to lose part of themselves, but not her.

A wide grin spread across her dragon face, and she rose. There was no awkwardness or unfamiliarity as she stretched her new form—just happiness in the knowledge she had nothing to fear now. She was complete, or close to it!

She looked around the familiar cave, and more knowledge and memories clicked into place. One specific memory from her human time made her laugh, and she recalled when she and the others were with the Antracii tribe.

Dragons, extinct?

Emma giggled before jumping into the water and disappearing into its depths.

--

Jake lay wrapped around the trunk at the top of the enormous tree. He was always here, scanning the edges of the jungle for Insectoids.

In the last few weeks, the ugly monsters had attempted to retake the island numerous times, sustaining heavy losses at his hand. Or claw, tooth, and water magic.

Then, three days ago, the attacks stopped.

God, I hope they don't come back, he thought weary. He couldn't take much more of this, even though he knew it was weird that they suddenly stopped appearing.

Although his draconic mind was capable of far more punishment than his human one had been, he knew he needed rest. He had been cooped up on the island for days, defending it, only going out by night to do some quick hunting.

Besides the boredom, which he could understand, something else had started a week ago.

The desired to leave.

He couldn't put his finger on the exact cause, but he felt an intense urge to spread his wings. To fly to the sea and disappear into its depths, looking for something.

"But what do I want to find..." he muttered to himself.

He knew it wasn't Mason, Emma, or the siblings. Though he wanted to see them more than he could explain, this was different. Something else was drawing him, fueled by instinct so deeply ingrained it was like a constant nagging pain in the back of his head.

"You okay, Jake?"

Melissa climbed up the tree, agile like a monkey.

The sight of her made Jake grin, and for a moment, he forgot the intense desire to leave.

"Sure am, just talking to myself! I told you that would happen after you change, right? You go all bananas."

Melissa looked at him, startled, then smiled. "You didn't, but that explains some of your actions."

Her smile withered, and she climbed further up. Jake felt a slight shiver as she scrambled across him, following her with his gaze until she sat down on a broken-off branch stump close to his head.

"What's wrong?" he asked, moving his head closer while staring at her without blinking.

"Tergin is back."

Jake's wings spread wide, and his head rose, moving closer to her.

"What?! He should be watching over Emma! Did something happen? Did he find Tir and Ter?!"

One of Melissa's hands reached up as if to stroke the side of his face but was pulled back at the last moment.

"Stay calm, Jake. We don't know anything at this-"

"What did he say!" Jake resisted the urge to jump down and find the Antracii tribe Kobold to get answers.

Melissa cringed and looked away from him. He instantly knew it was bad.

"It was raining heavily, so Tergin couldn't see the details, but Emma got into a fight at the bog. Another Kobold attacked her, and she fled into the swamp..." Melissa fell silent, staring at Jake, then she sighed.

"I am so sorry, Jake. She got caught by one of the crocs. Tergin said he could hear her scream from where he was hiding..."

The last part came out in a whisper, and Melissa's voice trailed off. Jake barely noticed. All he saw was the image of a small, blue-scaled Kobold girl playing in the sea, jumping up like a dolphin.

"Did- Did he check if he could find anything? At night?"

Melissa nodded fervently. "That's why he is only back now. He searched all night, even risked swimming to the spot he last saw her. There was nothing."

Jake raised his head, a painful throbbing inside his chest and a burning itch in his throat. He looked up, but didn't see the leaves of the tree, didn't see the clouds that were gathering above, thick and black. All he saw was three Kobolds huddled together in a broken-down shop.

The pain in his chest began pulsating. He was alone! The only one left! Mason was gone, Tir, Ter, Sandra, and Wilson were gone, and now he failed to protect Emma. And she was gone. Dead!

He ignored the soft buzzing, Melissa asking him something, screaming? Instead, he opened his mouth and roared. Not the normal roar, the angry one he used when fighting—a roar filled with agony, pain, and loneliness.

Rain streamed down, pouring over him as he howled into the sky. Thunder cracked, lightning brightening the now pitch-black night. Time was meaningless. There were only his roar and his grief.

It took a long time for him to calm down enough to realize where he was. Then to realise something was wrong.

With a shudder, he stopped roaring. Rain flowed into his open mouth, his head raised to the storm raging above.

What...?

Confused, he looked around.

Melissa was huddled against the tree, holding onto the bark with her sharp nails. Her face was pressed against her shoulder, and she was drenched.

Raging winds howled, pulling off leaves and small twigs while falling rain soaked everything. Lightning bolts struck the jungle beyond the island, blasting trees apart.

Jake shook his head, trying to clear the swirling mass of pain. He was dead tired and hungry, as if he had not eaten in weeks. Between that and the splitting headache, he felt like he had a major hangover.

Mentally, he scanned his body and found a throbbing mass of power just below his chest, energy flowing out at an alarming rate. Something was drawing energy from him! He looked around and saw the dark clouds in the sky and surging waves with white foam, far too high for such a small lake. The storm! He was doing this!

Closing his eyes, he furled up his wings and took deep breaths. He had to calm down! Even if Emma was dead -he felt a painful stab- Mason was still somewhere. His friend might need his help! The thought of Mason, alive and well, caused something to click. With a suddenness that left him dizzy, the flow of energy ceased, and he slumped down, barely able to hold on to the tree.

With his scaly cheek against the bark, he looked at Melissa.

She smiled, but it was forced. Worse was the barely hidden fear in her eyes. Above them, the torrent of rain eased up, the clouds stopping their chaotic churning.

Five minutes later, all that remained of the enraged storm was a steely grey sky, drenched vegetation, and puddles of muddy water on the ground.

"I- I am sorry..." Jake muttered, his voice barely more than a whisper.

Melissa nodded as he looked at her. She took a shuddering breath and removed her hands from the tree, leaving deep marks. Sitting on the branch, she closed her eyes for a moment, then glared at him.

"Damnit, Jake, you-"

Jake didn't react as she stopped and clenched her jaw. Melissa shook her head and began climbing down.

"Stay here. I will get you some food. If the insects attack now..." she let the sentence trail off. Jake could see how tired she was as she climbed down the slick wet branches.

Dammit.

Uncoiling himself from the trunk, he struggled towards a branch wide enough to lie on. As he listened to the soft wind and the drops of water dripping all around, he wished he didn't have to stay here on this island.

--

Sooooo good, Mason moaned as he stretched himself like a cat, his body brimming with energy. He felt energized after his afternoon nap, even more so than back at the volcano.

The protective eyelids slid across his eyes as he gazed into the distance. No matter where he looked, there was only sand and shimmering heat waves.

Sensing an itch, he rolled on his back and tossed and turned around until the sand reached the infernal spot. After a second, the itch disappeared, and with a content sigh, he rolled back to his feet. A thin red film lay on the ground in front of him, and he sniffed it.

Another one...

Absently he scratched his jaw, peeling off more of the scaly films.

"Nobody ever said that Dragons could get a sunburn," he said.

The words sounded loud and harsh in the quiet of the desert. There was barely any noise besides the soft howling of the ever-present wind. Feeling the loneliness draw in on him, he contemplated if he should sing before continuing. He had found that his voice had improved after becoming a Dragon, and the simple action of singing soothed his soul.

One of his ears twitched.

Raising his head, he angled it, trying to listen for the sound he thought he had heard. Then it came again. A soft, barely audible noise, roughly in the direction he was heading.

Surging forward, Mason jumped into the air, his wings unfurling mid-leap and propelling him forward with immense power. The sound came again, louder now—a soft scream of an animal in peril.

Lunch!