Soul Bound

Chapter 24

The days without hearing anything from Sasha ticked by mercilessly slow. Anna, thankfully, kept me too busy to think about how annoying and frustrating it was to wait for that arrogant woman.

Despite our dragons' presence, the less scrupulous people in the settlement by the lake--which we discovered the locals called the Under City--had been scoping out our camp. We decided it would be safer if we moved the camp closer to the cliffs of Storm Cove. Arkon much preferred this location, anyway; he spent most of his time on the rocky shores or in the water. The peak of the cliffs where we had laid our tent was less sandy too, so it made training easier for me; though, Anna must have gotten a kick out of watching me slip and slide about in the sand.

Yesterday we had sent a messenger bird back to the base to update Commander Hargin of our safe arrival and that we had found Sasha. I noticed in the letter that Anna had left out the fact Sasha hadn't decided if she was going to train me or not. I wanted to say something, but I kept my mouth shut. If Anna believed Sasha would come around, I would too--even if it felt like an impossible feat.

In the meantime, we practiced my combat and aerial drills everyday, while also struggling with the intense heat of the sun. Arkon couldn't fly for more than a few hours before he had to take refuge in the ocean. While he cooled off, Anna and I made repairs on our tent, which, as it turned out, was not designed for this kind of weather. We had to buy supplies from the Under City that could withstand the sun's beating.

Our shelter wasn't the only one struggling. Today, I begged Anna for a break from the sun. My skin had gone red and blistered on my shoulders--from before I realised taking layers off was a bad idea. The locals wore thin clothing that covered every inch of their bodies. Anna and I quickly adapted to their apparel, wearing the light, sleeveless under armour from our uniform and a thin shawl to protect our shoulders, neck, and face from the sun. The shawl didn't quite stay where it was supposed to when I trained with Anna, and after a few swings and missing her, I just needed a break.

She relented, wiping sweat from her forehead. The sweat was from excursion alone. The heat didn't appear to affect her in the slightest. While I burned, her skin went golden. I blamed her Bond with Aster. Even people who had spent their whole lives here still roasted when the sun was at its highest in the sky.

I thanked her then the God of Fortune and ran down the side of the cliff for the shore. Arkon, sensing my approach, emerged from the reef and came to collect me. He didn't have to read my mind to know where I wanted to go. After discovering the reef the other day, it was all I wanted to see. There were so many colourful fish to look at and the coral came in all kinds of shapes and sizes; I could spend the rest of my life here and still find new things to discover every day.

We swam together over the reef and in the deeper parts, sharing our excitement in the beautiful new world below the water. Then, when I wanted to check out the narrow nooks and crannies in the reef, I left his side to take in the wonder of all the colours up close. I swam until my muscles begged for reprieve then I rode on his back while he leisurely drifted along the surface. If he stayed still long enough, the fish would come to him and nibble at his scales. I enjoyed watching them, utterly fascinated by their day to day activities.

A shadow flew overhead.

Alert, I jumped to my feet and looked up in time to watch Syran land on the shore. I met Sasha's gaze for a beat, then she turned for the entrance of the cave. Syran followed, just as disinterested, and disappeared into the shadows, which was quite impressive considering the sun was angled perfectly to reveal the mouth of the cave.

It was the most contact I'd had with her since she had first turned me away. That had to mean something. 

"I might be wrong here, Arkon, but I think we've been summoned."