dragon.
He was going to get eaten. He still only had one shoe on. He couldn't move fast at all. Ashe itched to get out there and drag Katsu back in, but that doubtlessly would wake up the dragon. It was a crappy situation, framed by a crappier situation.
Ashe kept waiting for Katsu to stop. Instead, he crept closer and closer, puffs of dirt rising behind him. Ashe scooted farther out of the cave, biting his tongue against yelling that that was far enough. Katsu moved closer until he was cradled by the curve of the dragon's neck, its legs on one side and its head on the other. There, he stopped and pulled out a bit of glass.
Working quietly -- but not silently, gods above and below he was going to get eaten -- he piled the weeds up so close that the dragon's breath moved them. Then he lay down, put one arm over his head, and with the other caught the light in the glass.
It didn't take long for the rockroot to start to burn. A thin trail of smoke rose from the pile of greenery, drifting slowly upward. It coiled and twisted as the air currents caught it. Then the rockroot lit with a small crackle, a tongue of fire rising and engulfing the weeds. The edges of the leaves curled inward, turning brown as the flames licked at them.
Katsu's ribs heaved as he took a deep breath. Then he turned his head aside, burying his face in his bare arm -- and not moving away.
Ashe willed him to start running. He probably had time to make it to the cave before the dragon--
The dragon lashed upright, head swinging right over Katsu as it sat up. Dirt spattered Katsu's still form, rattling against his tunic and trousers. The claws came to rest a head's length from Katsu, talons sheathed in dust.
Somehow, the dragon hadn't seen the little human.
Ashe held his breath, understanding at last. He couldn't have done that, lie still while the dragon sat above him, blinking confused eyes. Its tongue snaked out, head weaving as it scented. Already, its customary grace was ebbing. Ashe didn't see that it mattered, though; it didn't need grace to bite Katsu in two.
Except it still hadn't seen Katsu. Ashe's heart pounded in his throat as the dragon lurched to its feet. Katsu remained beneath it, perfectly still, seemingly calm.
The dragon took a shaky step forward. It barely missed stepping on Katsu. It took another step, landed on Katsu's leg, and toppled sideways. Ashe winced in sympathy, though Katsu still hadn't moved. The dragon twitched, head lifting as if it had just realized Katsu was nearby. Then it flopped back to the ground.
Its lids lowered, rose, lowered again.
Katsu shoved back up to his hands and knees. "Now!" he called, twisting to look back. "It won't be out for long!"
Ashe bolted from the cave, putting all the speed he could muster into his dash toward Katsu. The rockroot was still smoldering. He shoved it toward the dragon's nose with the side of his foot, then grabbed Katsu under the arms and hauled.
Katsu scrambled, his legs refusing to move right. "You can carry me, right?" he asked, head falling back. The words were slurred, his pupils shrunk to tiny dots.
"Good thing I can," Ashe grumbled, just before he bent down and heaved Katsu over one shoulder, injured hand spiking a protest. He nearly staggered under Katsu's weight, not expecting the heavier human mass. But then he had his balance and he ran, aiming for the forest.
It felt a bit anticlimactic, after he'd been running for several minutes with no dragon crashing along behind him. He focused on running faster, knowing the creature would wake soon.
Actually, he had no idea how "soon" that was. "How long--?" he panted, breaking down to a fast walk.
"Twen'y minu'es."
That seemed like forever, and yet no time at all. How far was the camp? Surely not more than twenty minutes. Maybe by the time the dragon woke, it'd just go toddling off on its own and give up trying to eat them.
That, he suspected, was wishful thinking.
Ashe picked back up to a trot, trying to leave as
He was going to get eaten. He still only had one shoe on. He couldn't move fast at all. Ashe itched to get out there and drag Katsu back in, but that doubtlessly would wake up the dragon. It was a crappy situation, framed by a crappier situation.
Ashe kept waiting for Katsu to stop. Instead, he crept closer and closer, puffs of dirt rising behind him. Ashe scooted farther out of the cave, biting his tongue against yelling that that was far enough. Katsu moved closer until he was cradled by the curve of the dragon's neck, its legs on one side and its head on the other. There, he stopped and pulled out a bit of glass.
Working quietly -- but not silently, gods above and below he was going to get eaten -- he piled the weeds up so close that the dragon's breath moved them. Then he lay down, put one arm over his head, and with the other caught the light in the glass.
It didn't take long for the rockroot to start to burn. A thin trail of smoke rose from the pile of greenery, drifting slowly upward. It coiled and twisted as the air currents caught it. Then the rockroot lit with a small crackle, a tongue of fire rising and engulfing the weeds. The edges of the leaves curled inward, turning brown as the flames licked at them.
Katsu's ribs heaved as he took a deep breath. Then he turned his head aside, burying his face in his bare arm -- and not moving away.
Ashe willed him to start running. He probably had time to make it to the cave before the dragon--
The dragon lashed upright, head swinging right over Katsu as it sat up. Dirt spattered Katsu's still form, rattling against his tunic and trousers. The claws came to rest a head's length from Katsu, talons sheathed in dust.
Somehow, the dragon hadn't seen the little human.
Ashe held his breath, understanding at last. He couldn't have done that, lie still while the dragon sat above him, blinking confused eyes. Its tongue snaked out, head weaving as it scented. Already, its customary grace was ebbing. Ashe didn't see that it mattered, though; it didn't need grace to bite Katsu in two.
Except it still hadn't seen Katsu. Ashe's heart pounded in his throat as the dragon lurched to its feet. Katsu remained beneath it, perfectly still, seemingly calm.
The dragon took a shaky step forward. It barely missed stepping on Katsu. It took another step, landed on Katsu's leg, and toppled sideways. Ashe winced in sympathy, though Katsu still hadn't moved. The dragon twitched, head lifting as if it had just realized Katsu was nearby. Then it flopped back to the ground.
Its lids lowered, rose, lowered again.
Katsu shoved back up to his hands and knees. "Now!" he called, twisting to look back. "It won't be out for long!"
Ashe bolted from the cave, putting all the speed he could muster into his dash toward Katsu. The rockroot was still smoldering. He shoved it toward the dragon's nose with the side of his foot, then grabbed Katsu under the arms and hauled.
Katsu scrambled, his legs refusing to move right. "You can carry me, right?" he asked, head falling back. The words were slurred, his pupils shrunk to tiny dots.
"Good thing I can," Ashe grumbled, just before he bent down and heaved Katsu over one shoulder, injured hand spiking a protest. He nearly staggered under Katsu's weight, not expecting the heavier human mass. But then he had his balance and he ran, aiming for the forest.
It felt a bit anticlimactic, after he'd been running for several minutes with no dragon crashing along behind him. He focused on running faster, knowing the creature would wake soon.
Actually, he had no idea how "soon" that was. "How long--?" he panted, breaking down to a fast walk.
"Twen'y minu'es."
That seemed like forever, and yet no time at all. How far was the camp? Surely not more than twenty minutes. Maybe by the time the dragon woke, it'd just go toddling off on its own and give up trying to eat them.
That, he suspected, was wishful thinking.
Ashe picked back up to a trot, trying to leave as
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