Stumbling around

Taking one last dip in the filthy hot water that was left in my lake was almost too much to bear. This lake had been my home and my tribal-pods territory for generations. All that was left now was basically a puddle, and me.

Lowering my self even deeper into the too hot water that's so dirty I can't even see an inch below its surface, I want to yank myself out and away from it. But I can't. I have a long way to go and I can't dry out. Breathing air was already hard enough. The stench of death filled the air around me making it that much harder to use my lunges. I even had to use magic to clean what was left of the water from its horrid touch. I couldn't do anything about the mud or other pollutants unfortunately.

Finally feeling my skin take on a glossiness I hadn't seen for days I pulled my tail out of the water. This was all I would have time for. I needed to reach a river somehow. All the ones I knew of were already dried up by those reached fire breathers.

Stealing myself for the pain of transforming, I begin to hum the rhythm of the spell. If I wasn't so weak it wouldn't hurt so much, but there wasn't that much mana essence left in the water for me to absorb. I needed to conserve as much as possible for the journey ahead.

Tears threatened to overwhelm my sight as the spell took effect, turning my emerald blue tail into fresh pink legs and my lovely teal fin into two awkward feet. I could barely keep my self from screaming out with the pain and fought to focus on the humming. Stumbling to put my new awkward limbs beneath me I managed to stand. Tears still rimmed my eyes and my lungs burned wanting air, but I had no time. I needed to get moving.

One hour turned to two, then three, it was getting harder to walk but I had yet to find any water. I would need that to rest in if I was going to survive tomorrow. I just focused on the direction my feet took one step at a time. The heat was cooling the farther I walked and that was a good sign. I was leaving the 'front lines' so to speak. A fresher wind was coming from the south and with it some moister of rainclouds. That was a relief.

Walking till the sun began to set, I had yet to find any water… my head had been feeling light and dizzy for the last hour and I couldn't tell if I was even walking anymore. Since I continued to move passed trees and rocks, I figured that was a good thing. As long as I can…keep…keep walking. My vision suddenly blurred as I felt the harsh cool ground smash against my face. What happened? Had I fallen?

Seeing double made my head spin and spike with pain. Closing my eyes, I just rested there sprawled on the ground. Exhaustion had finally stopped me. I knew I was past my limit, but I needed to find water.

"Water…I have to, find it."

Hearing footfalls close I couldn't help but speak out hoping it was a friendly creature to my kind. I had no more energy much less magic to defend myself. As the shadow of something covered me from the last rays of the sun, I dared to look at who had found me, but they were blacked out. With the touch of a gentle hand on my cheek, my exhaustion consumed me, forcing my mind into oblivious sleep.

Something wonderful surrounded me. It reminded me of when I was little and nestled into my mothers' side with her silken hair covering me like my very own personal cave. Reluctantly my eyes opened. My mind couldn't accept what it's seeing. I was in water…very rich, freshwater. I was completely revived! My mana veins were almost humming with strength. It had been so long since I felt this revived. Giggling and spinning in the water, my hair felt wonderful as the motion continued to spin it around me. How had I gotten here? Where was my savior? Looking I swam around calling with our special clicks, but no one answered. That was odd. Any merfolk who heard me what have responded by now. Maybe they were keeping watch on the shore?

Quickly heading for the surface, i gently broke the water being careful not to expose too much of myself. I saw a figure laying on a soft patch of ground under a tree. The sun was high in the sky. It made me wonder how long I had slept, but I pushed the thought away in favor of seeing my savior and thanking them.

It was a man, a young man. That surprised me. He was asleep. He only had on shorts and I could see scares covering his chest, arms, and legs. Some were thick and nasty while others just thin white lines. How many battles had he seen… he was well built but oddly thick in the shoulders and smaller torso? That was rare for mermen.

We were a thin wiry race with long arms and torsos to better move in the water. This was probably why he was still alive. He couldn't mesh well with the other men in the defensive lines.

Still, he was handsome. His face gently tilted towards the water and the shadows from the tree played across his face highlighting his strong features. Chiseled jawline, strong nose, and brow line…that was odd. Seeing such a prominent nose that didn't look out of place on his face, I wanted to touch it. His hair tickled my hand before I actually touched him, and I noticed for the first time how short and dark his hair was. It was also one solid color, black.

Even my hair was dominantly light brown with gray, dark brown, and even some green in it to reflect the lake bottom underwater. To see a solid hair color was very rare among us. I had to touch it. With its length, he must be of little standing in his pod. My hair reached passed my hips because I was the last singer, one of the highest standings for women in my pod. It was also the reason I was still alive.

Feeling the black hair lace with my hand it was oddly stiff and warm, too warm.

Seeing the flicker of movement of his eyes open it took my breath away as I stared into the color of burning red gold. They looked like hot embers. This was no merman. His hand slowly came up and took hold of my hand that had suddenly grabbed hold of his thick hair. His hand was so hot, it almost felt as if it would burn my skin and yet I couldn't pull away. I couldn't look away. He was like nothing I had seen before. He was a different kind of handsome and it fascinated me.

He was studying me with the same intensity I was studying him. A part of my mind told me to leave, run, get back to the water and escape as fast as I could. But I didn't want this moment to end. I didn't even know his name. his hand that held me was not restraining but more of a gentle question as to why I held his hair. Hearing the breaking of twigs and underbrush, someone was walking towards us breaking me out of my reverie. Almost throwing myself into the water, he quickly sat up, not letting go of my hand.

"Wait."

Hearing his rich voice, I couldn't help but stop and turn to face him again.

"Your name?" with the sound growing louder I knew I had no time to waist.

"Arista." His hand became hotter if that was possible as I said my name and a slight flush covered his cheeks it made me smile for some reason and the flush became deeper as his hand also heated up again.

"kyvren" his grip loosened, and I slipped into the water. My heart was pounding in my ears as I quickly kicked my way to the bottom of the water. I wasn't sure if I was in a lake or a large pound. I knew it wasn't a river as there wasn't a strong enough current.

What was wrong with me! Why hadn't I killed him when I realized what he was. I had never seen a dragon in that shape before. they always fought us in that terrible, destructive beast form. why would he be walking around in such a vulnerable form? one that was so close to merfolk? None of this made sense. I needed to leave this area as quickly as possible. I had no time for these questions. At least two dragon men were at the edge of this lake. That was more than enough reason to leave here quickly.

Swimming to the farthest opposite edge of where I had seen them, I again peeked out of the water. I couldn't see their shore and I didn't see anything flying in the skies either. That was good.

All but belly crawling out of the water I stumbled back onto two legs as I reached the tree line. Fresh pine filled the air. It seems the moisture I sensed earlier had rained down on this area. With the protective cover of the tall pines and bushes, I blindly ran. I had no idea where I was, but it didn't matter. I just needed to wait for night to fall and read the stars to tell which direction I needed to go to reach the ocean.

The idea of living in saltwater wasn't very pleasant but it wasn't any different from breathing air. My breaths came quick and harsh drying out my lungs with every breath. They felt raw and ragged. I hated it.

As the trees began to thin and be replaced with much larger older ones, I knew I must be getting to the heart of the forest. The underbrush began to thin as the trees blocked more of the sun's light. The fresh pine scent was gone and replaced with decaying leaves and molding logs. Occasionally a bird called out but soon quieted. It was eerie how stuffy it was becoming. I thought it would be cool under the cover of such old trees but the farther I walked into the twilight, the warmer it seemed. It was happening so gradually I didn't really notice it till sweat began to collect on my forehead.

This was a new sensation. Much like the heat that came from the dragon-man's hand. Distracted by my thoughts and unfamiliar terrain, my foot began to fall through the air. Hitting and rolling down the drop off I almost lost consciousness, but my leg caught on a root, spinning and wrenching me almost to a stop. Falling the three feet to the bottom knocked the breath out of me but that was all. It could have been much worse.

Catching my breath, my leg was broken, and it felt like my left arm was also broken. Maybe my ribs had been hurt but since I didn't want to move and check I wasn't too sure. I needed to heal myself. Taking in a deep breath again I began to hum the healing song I knew but without the numbing undertones. That would be wasteful. I needed to conserve my mana whenever I could.

Out of breath and drenched in a cold sweat from the effort of singing my own healing song must have been too much, after it was done, I knew only darkness.

Waking up, the forest was unchanged. Twilight rained here. Stiffly pulling myself from where I had fallen, I began my journey once again.

The ravine I had fallen into was completely dry and seemed never ending. Unexpectedly the dirt walls never lowered their proud brows for me to climb. Strangely, thoughts of burning eyes haunted my thoughts. It would be nice to see those eyes again. Catching that thought I almost slapped myself. He was a dragon-man! The enemy!

Turning another blind corner, I came face to face with a massive rock mammoth. The poor mother was crazily circling a small lump of rock and fur in the middle of the ravine, most likely it's baby. I was standing in the middle of the ravine and it quickly spotted me. I had nowhere to hide. With a loud trumpet growl, she squared off her massive ivory rock tusks at me and prepared to charge.