The Heir of Depths
Chapter 6

Her body felt heavy and stiff, not to mention she could feel her heart pounding on her temple. Arline felt she didn’t get to rest as much as she wished, like someone had knocked her out and she came in and out of her sleep, while having weird dreams. Arline had no idea that what had happened last night wasn’t a nightmare. When she got up, she saw the three boys near the dragons, chatting and preparing some things. She stared at the emptiness of the cave but it looked like she was fixated on them.

“Good morning Arline” Zeroun greeted her, making her snap out of her thoughts and handled her a cup filled with a weird colored water “It’s lavender water, you had a weird night”

“Good morning to you too” she raised her eyebrows in confusion “What do you mean?”

“You don’t remember?” Zeroun wasn’t surprised really, he had seen a lot of people not realizing they almost got killed and dressing it up as an illusion.

“I remember a bad dream but nothing else” she brushed it off her head.

“Arline” he squatted to be at her eye level “You were attacked last night”. She sipped the water, still confused. She instantly felt a wave of wellness through her body.

“How are you feeling?” it was the first time Calix seemed truly worried and pat her head gently.

“I’m fine” she was partially lying and sounded exasperated. Arline was the kind of person who felt like couldn’t ask for help, so she had to endure it on her own. She considered herself annoying whenever she complained, thinking she was the center of attention.

“By the way you passed out last night, I would say otherwise” Larsin came by their side “Arline”

Calix and Zeroun were waiting for him to break the news to their new friend. Arline looked at him, her eyes looked glossy, almost as if tears were building up. She raised her eyebrows for him to continue “We are leaving Arline, back where we are from” he sounded remorseful, as if he didn’t want to leave.

She didn’t flinch. She knew they wouldn’t be together forever. But she didn’t have a plan B. Nevertheless, she just nodded her head, understanding, and passing her a hand for him to shake, as a good bye.

“Wait, I didn’t finish” Larsin seemed displeased by her reaction “You are not staying here alone” He looked slightly annoyed at how she didn’t asked them to take her with them.

“What am I supposed to do? Beg you to take me with you?” Arline decided to stand up to try to be at his level, but he was way taller than her.

“Not beg, just ask” he corrected her.

“It’s the same thing, it just depends what tone you use” she turned around leaving him shocked. She was growing on him.

His friends enjoyed her easy way with words and her wit, and actually liked her because she didn’t seem flustered by his friend. Despite how entertained they were, they signaled Larsin to follow her to make her change her mind.

“We are not leaving you here” he implied “Those things might come back” he sounded disturbed.

“By the way, what were “those things” you’re talking about” she crossed her arms, making her look even smaller “I recall everything as a dream, an awful one” she admitted, feeling like a child.

“Mermaids, very dangerous ones” he sighed. She couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle. He furrowed his eyebrows “I am not lying” he assured her.

“Hey, I’m not underestimating mermaids nor their existence, I mean there’s an actual dragon in front of me” she signaled Vatra “But you seriously want me to believe a mermaid, a creature known to hypnotize sailors, decided to charm me instead?” she quickly spoke while looking at him dead in the eyes.

“I know it sounds out of place, but to be fair myths don’t represent the entire truth” she kept surprising him at how much she knew about everything “I mean it Arline, we are not leaving you”.

“Why you insist so much Larsin?” Arline didn’t really know why she was fighting so much about it. At the end of the day, if they left her there, she had very small chances of surviving and she didn’t even know where in the world she was.

“You are different and back home we can know what kind of different you are?” he didn’t sound convinced at all, but tried to express his tangled thoughts the best he could.

“You think that I’m like all of you” she turned and looked at him as if he was joking with her but he gently nodded “You’re out of your mind”

“It is the truth” Larsin insisted.

Arline waited some time before responding to his assumption. She looked at Calix and Zeroun, who pretended to not hear a word of their conversation. She could ask them to get her back home, but deep down she didn’t want to go back.

“How do you plan to go back?” Larsin’s face lit up as she asked him.

“That’s what Vatra is for” he pat the side of his dragon. Her face noted alarm and when he noticed he couldn’t help but laugh “You really don’t need to be afraid of everything”

“Easy for you to say” she responded and walked to meet with the rest.

“Considering you both look alright, I’m assuming you are coming with us, dear Arline” Zeroun said with that sweet and kind tone while adjusting the saddle on his dragon. Arline nodded.

“How much did you tell Arline?” Calix said with a smirk while petting his mossy green dragon. She looked confused, Larsin widened his eyes as a sign of worry and Zeroun laughed harder than he should’ve.

“What do you mean Calix?” she asked him but was looking at Larsin, who wanted to kill his friend.

“Go on and tell her, as soon as we arrive she will notice” he was certainly enjoying watching his very confident friend get nervous “Better now than later” Calix sang.

“Ugh, fine” he rolled his eyes “I am part of the Royal Family” he sounded embarrassed as if being part of such family was a punishment he would have to endure for the rest of his life.

“Wait, like a prince?” he just nodded, she was impressed but somehow suspected it by the way he presented himself, his mannerisms, the way he spoke.

“You can mock him” Calix joked.

“Why would I?” She didn’t have to. Arline imagined being the center of attention since birth was mocking enough for a person.

“He is really more embarrassed to be the second in line than to be a prince” Zeroun added.

“Imagine having an insufferable brother who is Commander of the Army and Captain of the Fleet, not to mention Crown Prince of the Land” he rolled his eyes picturing his brother all righteous.

“You’ll hate me then” he looked at her confused “I’m a first born myself, your Highness” she bowed her head. Calix and Zeroun bursted out laughing and Larsin couldn’t help but smile at her.

“Please call me by my name Arline” he said with a smile.

The morning breeze was cold as every other morning she had spent at that cursed island. While they were finishing getting ready, Arline chose to get close to the other dragons.

Zeroun’s was dark blue, with orange eyes. Very calm and docile and channeled his owner’s energy perfectly. On the other hand, Calix’s was a mossy kind of green, with eyes that matched its scales. It resembled Calix in some way, full of energy and stubborn, almost like a puppy. Both let her pet them, but Vatra felt protective over her and tried pulling her away.

“Well” Larsin clapped to the crew “Time to go people” he faced Arline now “Have you rode a horse before?” she nodded “It’s the same but with wings”

They all hoped on their saddles. Arline was going to ride with Vatra and the Prince.

“Don’t worry, you’ll love it” Calix shouted.

They all lined at the exit of the cave. Larsin grabbed Arline by her waist for her not to fall during take off. She froze for a second, heat rising to her cheeks but he whispered to her “I’m sorry”.

The enormous dragons displayed their wings. Arline closed her eyes and she felt her stomach dropped and her body pressed Larsin’s as they ascended. Everything went quietly, except for the wind hitting her face.

“You can open your eyes now” Larsin said to her. She did it slowly and it revealed a complete different scene than from land. The light grey sky was filled with the morning fog. The wind hit harder up there, so her eyes were close to tear up. But she was enjoying it too much. She had loosen her grip on the saddle, but couldn’t stop shaking.

“How long will it take?” she asked Larsin without taking her eyes of the view.

Larsin loved flying, his body language gave it away. He was too comfortable up there, enjoying the fresh air and a sense of liberty that he didn’t have entirely back home.

“A few hours, just sit back and enjoy the view” he then let her waist go, when he noticed she had stopped shaking.