Ralem’s eyes snapped open. The first thing he felt was cold. Real cold. Then he realized that something was blowing on him. Was it Jaydon snoring? Everything was pitch black. It took him a second to recover his night vision. But when his eyes sparked to life he found something he’d rather not see.

It was a blunt object, grey and bulky, its surface shining dully from his eyes.

It was coming closer. Fast.

Ralem blinked. What?

No. He was coming closer to it!

He was falling.

Ralem said his prayers as the rock rose up to meet him, a pointy peak ready to impale him through the midsection. Then he remembered what Jaydon had told him just earlier that day; You are a FREAKING Rider! In a split second decision he thrust his hands before him and gathered all his energy to make a wind cushion. He was still going too fast. Sweat beaded between his pinched eyebrows and then was swept away by the wind. A dragonish roar erupted from deep within his chest and his eyes glowed like stars themselves. I’m not going to die today! He thought.

Ten feet, five feet, one foot…. Ralem found himself an inch away from the crest, one of the rocky protrusions almost touching the spot between his eyebrows. He looked at it cross-eyed for a minute before realizing he was floating still. Cautiously he moved until he was away from the rock.

BOOM.

An ear-blasting rumble shook the earth. Trees quaked dangerously and many sleeping birds took flight with raucous calls. There was the blast of something incredibly heavy crashing through the earth and suddenly Ralem went limp.

He was going to die after all.

Luckily though, being the most powerful man on earth, dying hadn’t been permanent yet. He woke again to the taste of mud in his mouth. Spitting it out and swearing as he stumbled to his feet, he took in the surroundings with glowing eyes.

The screaming moon above dictated that it was about three in the morning. Chirping crickets and croaking bullfrogs filled the summer night air with their mating songs. A wolf cried in the distance, sad and lonely. But everything was still. The waves of red grain swayed gently in a huge field, spreading as far as the eye could see, rolling hill after rolling hill. Behind him a small copse of trees stood silently, casting a deeper shadow over him.

There was something wrong.

Ralem knew it, but his mind seemed to be as sluggish as a snail. It was frustrating him immensely. Jaydon- what’s up? He thought on habit.

No reply.

Then Ralem remembered- Jaydon! His heart started pumping furiously in his chest. “Jaydon!” he screamed out loud and in his head. He’s got to be alive, he tried soothing himself, because I’m alive- he’s alive- right? Yes, he answered himself, I’ll find him and then we’ll fly home- or if that doesn’t work he could run home. He runs real fast. Everything is going to be okay. I just need to find him. Ralem climbed to the top of the rock and used his raptor vision to sweep across the field. A monstrous glittering green dragon would be hard to miss, right?

Wrong.

Ralem couldn’t see him anywhere. Just the stupid red grain. He had been trained to track by the master herself. He had never imagined he would be doing it to his dragon, though! But when his eyes swept to the left he saw something that even a tracker more amateur than himself can follow.

A massive trench was dug into the earth, mountains of dirt rising up on either side. On one side a smaller ditch stretched out, evidently made by a wing or a tail. Ralem grimaced. He had hit the ground hard. What if he was still in pain?! He had to get to him quick.

The Rider jumped off from his perch and raced to the trail. Once he had reached the top of the hill he saw that this was going to be more than just a short walk. This trail was incredibly long and disappeared all the way across the field where trees lay like broken sticks. Girding himself up, Ralem started sprinting across the field, feet flying a few inches over the muddy soil.

Suddenly he felt a slight mind touch. Jaydon. Rider! He called, his voice sounding scared, Where are you?

Ralem was so relieved that he stopped for a second. I’m right here, Jaydon. I’m coming. Don’t you-

Come quick, please! Something is happening to me… something bad. It hurts a lot. I just woke up. I think I was dead. But-ah!- come quick!

Ralem put on a new spurt of energy as he felt a pang of the dragon’s pain. Faster, faster! He urged his legs even though he was way past human levels. Heavy heads of grain smacked his legs unnoticed. And then he reached the forest and finally settled to the grass. Hopping over huge, wasted tree trunks he jumped into the crevice just as he heard Jaydon’s inhuman scream. A few birds, spooked from their perches, jumped off, screaming and smacked him full in the face. He ducked before continuing on, his glowing eyes searching for any potential dangers. Another scream, this one closer. Ralem had never heard Jaydon’s voice that high. He slid around a fallen tree and finally found… was that Jaydon?

Whatever it was it was lying in a shaking mass in the center of a hollow it seemed to have created itself. It was convulsing nauseatingly, strange looking limbs reaching out only to crumple in on themselves. It was only when its head snapped back and the deformed jaw opened to gasp out, “Ralem,” that Ralem realized that it was Jaydon. A lump grew in Ralem’s throat. He staggered to his dragon. “Jaydon- is that you?”

Jaydon gave a haunting screech, curling up into a ball. He was now about the size of a large horse, his wings looking like sad, melted sticks. His scales were melting, his face deformed and hideous. His chest heaved as he fought to keep breathing and his little tail lay limp on the ground. His hind legs were twisted at a sickening angle, looking altogether wrong. He turned his eye up to Ralem- the only thing left of him that was truly beautiful- and said, So painful… Agh! What’s happening to me?

Ralem was hesitant for a second to touch him. He was the ugliest thing he’d ever seen. Then he felt instantly really bad as Jaydon whimpered from the pain, his eyes closed. Trudging up to Jaydon on his knees, he gently gathered up his head and cradled it on his lap. He could feel Jaydon’s flesh move under his touch and fought the urge to drop this thing and run. But those chilling green eyes kept him in place, pleading with him.'

Ralem stroked him under that brilliant eye, trying to come up with encouraging words. He found none. And for once in his life, his groping mind couldn’t come up with a story. So he did the only thing he could think of. He sang. Ralem never sang as a rule, but now he sang, his voice low and quiet for his dragon. He sang mostly hymns and random songs he’d learned from his sister or the town bard as he stroked the dragon. And all the while Jaydon changed, his skull getting blunter and uglier, his limbs shortening and wings disappearing. Sometimes Ralem would have to stop because Jaydon would let loose a scream or thrash around in his agony. But his head would always return to Ralem’s lap for more chin-scratching.

He wasn’t sure when he fell asleep but the last thought on his mind was, how on earth did I get to here?

He woke up just a wee hour later, back against a tree and neck craning so that he was staring straight up into the brightening sky. He awoke with a snort, realizing that he had been snoring. He yawned and stretched before realizing that something heavy was on his lap. He looked down.

Someone had their head resting on his lap, their face so covered in mud that it was impossible to make out who it was.

He yelled and jumped backwards and the man’s head thumped to the ground. The man moaned to life, his eyes flicking open.

Then he started coughing. Hard. “Jaydon!” Ralem cried as blood bubbled in the dragon’s mouth. Every horrible cough brought up more and more blood until it was dripping down Jaydon’s chin. His eyes got bigger and bigger as his head arched back from the effort.

“Jaydon!” Ralem cried again, not knowing what the heck to do.

I’m choking, Jaydon said, I can’t breathe!

Ralem knelt by the dragon but still had no clue what to do. “What- what do I do?” he asked.

Turn my head over. I’m too tired to move. Quick, I’m going to choke!

Ralem quickly did as he was told and Jaydon coughed blood- so much of it- onto the mud. The Rider had to look away at one point; it was too disturbing for him. Finally Jaydon stopped and his head dropped into a pool of blood, too exhausted to move.

Ralem bent by him with concern, “Jaydon- what’s wrong?”

Jaydon’s head slightly shook, his eyes seeming dazed. I don’t know. But it isn’t good. My legs… I can’t move them. I’m sure of it. And I feel really sick and hot.

A fire dragon- feeling hot? Not good. Ralem brushed a couple fingers on Jaydon’s muddy forehead. He was freezing.

Jaydon’s eye-lids slowly closed. I need rest, he said and then he was out like a light.

“No, no, don’t go to sleep!” Ralem cried, trying to wake him up, “Come on, stay with me. Open your eyes. Please!” He tried opening Jaydon’s eyes but they were rolled back and jerking on his head didn’t work. Ralem screamed to the wind before settling back into a crouching position, disturbed. There were five things immensely wrong with this situation:

(1)  A wind dragon- falling from the sky?

(2)  Why hadn’t he healed by now? It must have been several hours and it was not like he’d been hit by poison arrows or anything- right?

(3)  Where was he?

(4)  The dragon-to-human transformation had been just wrong. Jaydon turned to smoke then to human. Not turn-to-human-in-grossest-way-possible

(5)  Why the heck was he naked?

Probably out of all these questions, number two worried him the most. Was he healing at all? If he wasn’t then they were both in huge trouble. Ralem grimaced. There was only one way to find out. Taking the knife he always had out of his fancy-shmancy boot, he gritted his teeth and made a small cut on his forearm. Scarlet blood rushed out, hot on his skin.

Nothing happened.

Ralem waited a whole minute, desperately praying that it would close up. When it didn’t he was tempted to throw the knife into the woods. Another scary question assaulted his mind: Do I still have my wind powers? He sucked in a breath and called on the wind to rustle his hair. He was relieved when he felt the wind playfully tousle his raven hair. I can deal. He thought, But I first have to get Jaydon somewhere safe. Because they couldn’t heal that meant that Jaydon was susceptible to things just like anyone else. And the first on that list was pneumonia. Jaydon had never been that cold. Ralem needed to get him to someplace warm to start a fire.

The problem was they were in one of the dampest place imaginable, a mud pit made by the dragon himself. And he lay totally exposed in the midst of it all.

Ralem hooked his arms under Jaydon’s underarms and started trying to drag him backwards but Jaydon let out an inhuman scream, mostly in his head, before blacking out again from the pain. Ralem immediately set him back down. That was not going to work.

He needed to get something to lay him on so he could drag him better. Taking off his overcoat, he gently put it on Jaydon as carefully as he could. But when his hand went under the dragon’s back to get the warm fabric to the other side, he felt a huge bump. Immediately he knew why Jaydon had said, “I can’t move my legs.” His back was broken.

Ralem cursed. He needed to get to a healer- now. He was hesitant to leave Jaydon in this state. Who knew how far civilization was? A wild animal could come or even worse- no, he did not want to think about that.

He took off his puffy royal pants and managed to put those on Jaydon too. This would have been incredibly painful for the dragon so Ralem was glad that he was still knocked out.

Now Ralem was ridiculous looking, with a fancy silk shirt and white pantaloons complete with his knee-high socks and high boots. But fashion was not a priority when you have no clue where you are or if you’re going to survive.

He started looking for something to drag the dragon on. The trees that Jaydon had shredded were a big possibility. Always keeping Jaydon in sight, Ralem sifted through the huge oaks. Most of them were way too huge or gnarly. He was starting to lose hope when he found a huge sliver of dark wood. This was too good to be true. He wrenched it out from the tree and found something else was lodged there. He heaved it out with all his might and almost fell backwards when he came out with a huge black claw. He stared at it hard for a minute, heavy in his hands. He recognized it as one of Jaydon’s wing spikes. He bit his lip. Jaydon’s wing had sliced this tree in half. That had got to hurt.

He was about to throw it aside before he thought that it might be useful. With just a knife as a weapon, Ralem felt vulnerable. But this spike could make a legit sword. It was repulsive to him, but what else would he do? Leave it here for some dragon hunter to find? Stabbing it into the wood for safekeeping, Ralem shouldered the load and trudged back to where Jaydon lay.

But there was another problem; how can he drag him? Laying him on it and dragging from one end was sure to put more stress on his broken back. Wow, Ralem Blake. You’re a smart one. Ralem thought, digging his face into his hands.

Ten minutes later found Ralem sweating and puffing like a bull. He was gripping one end of the wooden board in a death grip. The other end, by Jaydon’s feet, was floating three feet over the ground. “Holy crap!” Ralem panted, “How can he seriously be this heavy!”

Suddenly the wood dipped at the side and Ralem concentrated harder. “Sorry, Jaydon!” he peeped as the wood leveled, however slowly that may be. Ralem made sure his air support was secure before stepping backwards. Sweat beaded on his forehead. I’ve got this! He thought, hard.

He didn’t know how long he trudged away from that forest, holding up the honking heavy wooden board with honking heavy Jaydon with only his two hands and the wind. But it was hard. If there was a wind-power muscle, he would certainly be flexing it now.

Jaydon didn’t wake up the entire time. Mostly he just made random moans and his eyebrows would suddenly scrunch up in pain when Ralem accidentally tripped on a root or the board would dip.

The sun was starting to peek over the trees when Ralem finally stopped by a stream, setting Jaydon down softly into the sand and letting out a relieved sigh. If Jaydon wasn’t in critical condition he would have just let himself lay down by the stream for an hour or two. But unfortunately that was the case and he was just able to get a few minutes of rest before he knew he needed to move on. He got himself a drink before dripping some water into Jaydon’s mouth. To his relief Jaydon swallowed and he gave him some more.

After he was sure Jaydon had enough, Ralem got to his feet to survey the surroundings before moving on. On the other side of the shallow creek, a hill rose up, this time green instead of red. On the right the creek trickled into the forest, on the left… What was that? Ralem walked forward cautiously.

It was a small wooden bridge.

Ralem fist pumped the air. “Jaydon- you see that? That means that people are nearby! I can get you help!”

Jaydon said nothing.

“Oh. Right,” Ralem said, “Don’t worry friend, I will find a healer for you. I’ll be right back, okay?”

Jaydon said nothing again.

Ralem glanced at him one last time, defenseless and half dead on the wood before turning around and sprinting up the side of the hill. Please let there be a town, village, city, anything! He thought. When he got to the top there was that red grain again. He shook his head. It couldn’t be. Surging through the small field, he hoped and prayed it was not true. When he burst into the clearing he saw it. A quaint little town, a stone’s throw away, teeming with people wishing each other good morning.  

It was his hometown. Redfield.

Ralem shot back behind the grain and out of sight, weighing his options. He had just barely escaped from this place a couple months ago. His brother hated him- the cats could be here.

But he had no stinking choice.

Either he try to make it to Vulnaire- which would be over a day’s walk and who knew how long Jaydon would last- or he find the healer here. The healer hated him. Last time he came here she had thought that he had hurt Arianna. But… she would help his sister… Aren hardly ever visited them, it was likely he wasn’t there. The cats was the only question.

He knew what he had to do.

Please don’t walk out, Ralem thought as he snuck into someone’s backyard. It was hard to be inconspicuous while wearing starch white underclothes spotted in mud. Praying this would work, he dashed to the window and knocked on it, trying to sink lower so that whoever was inside wouldn’t see how suspicious he looked. For a minute of knocking no one answered and he quickly patted down his hair while looking at his reflection. Then his reflection became spotted and he looked up to find an old woman with a polka dot dress squinting down at him. There was a eek sound as she slowly opened the window. “Who are you?” she asked in a creaky voice.

“It’s me. Ralem,” Ralem said. She didn’t seem to remember. “I’ve been helping you garden for seven years, ma’am.”

She nodded jerkily, “Oh yes. That cute little boy with the crazy hair. I remember you. What are you doing at my window this early, son? Work doesn’t start until three in the afternoon.”

Ralem’s fake smile twitched when she called him ‘cute little boy with the crazy hair’. “I need help,” he replied, shifting his feet.

She nodded, “What do you need?”

“Would you happen to have a cloak, one with a hood on it? I know your late husband did-”

“Yes, yes. I’ll ask Ed if you can borrow it. I’ll be right back.” She shuffled out of view.

Ralem shook his head sadly. Ed had been dead for seven years now and everyone but the old widow seemed to know it. He had felt bad for her and helped her around the house and with her little garden since he was fourteen. He hated to take the cloak from her, but he was going to slip in a coin for her troubles.

Right when he was wondering if she had forgotten she came back out again with a black cloak. “Here you go dear. Ed said that it would be quite all right.” She squinted at his clothes, “Boy has the fashion changed from my day.”

Ralem pressed a coin into her hands, “Thank you. Please, don’t tell anyone about me being here, okay?”

She nodded dimly and Ralem was pretty sure she’d forget anyway. “Thanks!” he called again before sprinting back into the tree line.

“Boys,” the old woman grunted before turning back inside for a nice cup of tea.

When Ralem had tried the cloak on it was so small that it showed half of his boots. It didn’t matter though, as long as it hid who he was. The best bet was if he could manage a little slouch so that it wasn’t apparent how tall he was.

No one knew why Ralem was so tall. His mother hadn’t been an inch over five foot, his father was only four inches taller than her. Somehow Ralem had inherited a “giraffe gene” as his relatives would call it. Ralem hadn’t minded though, he was never picked on as he grew up and he usually got his way. But few people even approached his height so it would be sort of a tell-off if there was a guy roughly his size walking around town with a cloak.

He burst out of the field and started looking for where he had left Jaydon. There it was, he could see the flashy blue overcoat glinting from the reeds.

And he could see the mob of crows and vultures on top of that overcoat.

“Hey, hey!” Ralem yelled, running down the hill so that his black cloak swept out behind him like a cape. “Get off! Scat!” He tromped across the creek, water splashing everywhere, sweeping his arms. “Go away! Shoo! He’s not dead!”

Most of the crows flapped off, screaming angrily at a great meal lost. The vultures, however, waited last second before taking off lazily, their great wings almost slapping Ralem in the face.

Ralem felt suddenly nauseated. He was about to sit down and rest for a second before he saw the little red dots on Jaydon’s bare stomach where the overcoat was folded aside. What the- Ralem leaned closer before letting out a muffled yell. Ants!

“Get off!” Ralem screamed, slapping them off. He started yelling hysterically, “Go! Get off you little buggers! Stop it!” He could already see tiny red swelling where the fire ants had bitten the dragon everywhere. They were on his arms, legs, torso, and were biting like heck anywhere that mud didn’t cover. Every ant that Ralem swept off, ten more seemed to appear, angry and relentless. He cursed loudly. “I’ll get you out of here, Jaydon!” he said, grabbing the wood to make a quick escape. But the wood was swarming with ants!

Thinking of nothing else to do, he grabbed Jaydon and almost yanked him off the wood.

This woke him up- probably at the worst time- and he screeched like a banshee. Ralem! He roared in his mind, a wild animal is dragging me away! I can’t see what it is but-

“It’s me,” Ralem replied, ashamed. He dragged him a couple more feet, away from the anthill.

Jaydon started coughing again, blood rushing from his mouth and onto his muddy chest. You want to kill me?? He screamed in his head, coughing up another gush of blood. Stop dragging me! It hurts so bad!

“I had to get you away from the anthill,” Ralem said, “They were biting you all over. I had to do something.”

A low moan escaped from Jaydon’s lips and his eyelids lowered exhaustedly. Why did you put me on an ant hill?

Ralem had nothing to say to this. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled, lowering Jaydon gently to the ground after he stopped his blood-vomiting episode. “Jaydon, I can’t take care of you.”

Jaydon fought to keep his thought processes together, What do you mean?

“I mean I’m taking you to my sister. She’ll take care of you. Okay?”

Jaydon didn’t reply. Ralem raised his voice, “Jaydon, don’t fall asleep! I need you to promise me something.”

What? Came Jaydon’s voice, weak as a kitten even in his head. It seemed to be coming from far away.

“You’ve got to pretend you’re me. Promise me.”

But… I’m not you, Jaydon said at last. He was fading.

“I know, you just got to try,” Ralem said, trying to swallow his panic, “Do you trust me, Jaydon?”

This answer came quick. Yes.

“Then promise me,” Ralem urged.

I… promise, Jaydon said, and he gave one last, pitiful cough before sinking back, dead to the world.

The sad thing is, he probably trusts me more than I trust myself, Ralem thought as he gathered Jaydon up in his arms. I better not let him down… any more than I have already.

Ralem tried to calm his rapid breathing as he approached his house. He had come the back way, the way closest to the woods. Nobody would see him from here, holding the dragon who was limp as a rag doll in his arms. He was itching to lower the hood even more, but his hands were full. He gave one last breath before trekking up the long hill to the back of his house.

At this time in the morning the kids would probably be just waking up. He was instantly glad that he had wiped most of the blood and mud off Jaydon’s face for it to be recognized- he didn’t want the kids to see him in this state. He had put more mud on his overcoat and breeches just so that it wouldn’t be conspicuous that his body was muddy but not his clothes. He bit his lip. This better work.

He knocked on the door.

He heard footsteps behind it, soft padding of bare feet. Then creak, the back door opened and Sarah stood there, rubbing one eye wearily. “Guh- oh my word- is that- Taylor, come here quick!”

Ralem felt his words die in his throat. Here was his sister- alive and well. A wave of homesickness swept over his heart.

Taylor appeared by Sarah, his dirty blonde hair ruffled. “It’s Ralem,” he said, his voice a monotone as if he didn’t believe it. His hand went up Sarah’s back and he squeezed her shoulder.

Sarah looked close to tears as she took in the bloody mess, “Please, come in,” she gushed, “What happened?”

Ralem almost choked, “He was in… an accident,” he said, his voice low and scratchy. “I… can’t come in. Take him,” was all he could manage, and he offered Jaydon over to Taylor. Taylor took him with a grunt and immediately his eyes widened, “Sarah, I think his back is broken. We need to call the healer. Now,” they locked gazes.

When they looked back at the door to thank the man who had brought her ‘brother’ back home, he was gone.