Arista-Sliver of a Moon

Waking up disoriented, sore but refreshed wasn't the best feeling. The light filtering in through the water was bright even with my eyes closed and a fine silt had settled over me. My first thoughts were of Kyvren and if he was waiting for me at the shore.

Softly breaking the surface of the water, only emptiness greeted me. I hadn't even realized how much I wanted to see him until that moment. Slowly letting the water take me back down to its murky deeps I just wanted to go back to sleep.

Resting on the muddy bottom and taking stock of my legs, arms, back, and head, everything was fine. Scraps and scratches seemed to be the worst of it. Already the scratches were becoming thin white lines. The torn skin had long turned white and begged to be itched off.

Something was off, I could feel the little mana that was in this little pond but I wasn't absorbing it as fast as I should. The water itself was too warm but it oddly didn't bother me…

Looking down at my hands, they remained the same hands I had always known, maybe a bit worse for wear but all in all unchanged. Yet, I can still feel the heat of his shoulders and his chest as he ran with me on his back.

A startled squeak escaped causing the familiar tickle of bubbles to cascade around me to the surface, as the realization of him carrying me and saving me once again hit like a red hot cooking stone to my gut. He could have so easily left me to be found by one of the Dragon-men or the elements. But he had once again saved me and took me to water.

The horrid forest litter, dead things, and muck that covered the bottom of the pond and clouded its waters wasn't so bad. It had enough for me to recover and that was more than I could have asked for. My stomach gave almost an audible grumble and I couldn't help but bubble a sigh, well maybe it was a little lacking. Hunger was a welcome distraction for the most part. After scrounging around for a bit, I found a handful of edible greens.

For the first time, I resented the fact that I had to leave my pack behind in that hidden mud cave. I was lucky to have escaped myself…I could barely breathe through that collapsed muddy space.

Thinking about it made a shiver run down my spine. The feeling of the water pressure easing making my stomach roll and balance churn. It was hard to remember which side was up. As the heat reached the mud hole and everything started collapsing…

Shoving one of the tough slippery greens in my mouth it tastes just how I expect. Disgusting. A dry heave starts up and I force myself to chew without thinking about it. I needed to recover faster. Maybe if I dried them a little first.

The edge of the pond was just as nasty as the bottom. But there was a nice spot on the east that was relatively clear of shade and a bit more gravely. If only I had something to heat them with… dried greens would be better than what I had now.

Flopping up on the shore, my legs were surprisingly weak, I managed to place them on some rocks. It amazed me I could feel the humidity in the air and it was easier on my lungs to breathe it in. laying down on my back, half in half out of the water I just rested there.

Odd noise stirred me from my dozing. The birds had gone quiet and my greens had somewhat dried out. Picking up a few I paused before biting down. The noise was familiar to me, almost comforting. Maybe it was Kyvren. The thought made me smile and I stuffed the not much better weeds into my mouth.

Before I even realized what was happening Kyvren appeared with a smaller Dragon-man who was coughing on the ground. Two large blades were discarded next to him. Was he going to hurt me?!

"Arista, this is Dexlux. Don't trust him." What? Don't trust him? My mind couldn't grasp the contradiction in his actions and the words he spoke.

"If you can't trust him, why did you bring him?"

"I can trust him, can't I Dex?" The little Dragon-man was wheezing on the ground trying his best to look even smaller.

If Kyvren could trust him why couldn't I? Dox's face flashed before me and other mermen's faces twisted with evil thoughts flooded passed my mind.

Very well, I had no reason to trust this new Dragon-man anyway. Rolling the remainder of the weeds I had been eating with a skirt strip I swam closer to the pair. I could always dry them again, maybe they had something better anyway.

" How are you feeling Arista?" Kyvren dropped a pack on the ground with a heavy thud and squatted next to me, slowly looking me over for any injuries. The heat that rolled off him was pleasant and familiar, it made me a strange happy drowsy.

"I'm better, thank you." Kyvren's smile took my breath away. I didn't notice how the other Dragon-man stiffened at my voice.

"Good." His hand came up to brush my hair behind my ear, but he caught himself and quickly stood up.

"Dex, go gather some wood." With nothing more than a little sigh, Dexlux was off on his mission. Kyvren now sat down next to me and looked everywhere but at me.

"What were you doing in that camp?"

I wasn't surprised, "I was captured by a green Dragon-woman. I could tell she wanted to use me for something. Her eyes… they had schemes in them. Somehow I managed to escape their orange tents and then I ran into you." He was looking at me now, eyebrows pulled together, lips slightly pursed in deep thought. My voice wasn't very steady, and I could feel tears coming to my eyes just from thinking of running for my life.

"You have to be the luckiest person alive. When I saw you in that mourning shroud… well, I'm glad you're not hurt."

"Mourning shroud?" I had been curious about that cloth.

"For my people, it's for when a beloved mate has died. When someone is covered with the shroud, out of respect we treat them as the living dead till their mourning period is over. Its actually considered bad luck to disturb someone who is shrouded, especially now that we are at war."

He looked uneasy talking about this and I let the matter drop. He had answered my question and that was good enough. The other Dragon-man had appeared with an arm full of wood behind us.

"I can't believe this is what you were hiding." Dexlux came right up on the other side of me and squatted down peering into my eyes. "Wow…can I touch it?" his hand was already coming up to my face and Kyvren swiftly nocked it away.

"What's wrong with you Dex? No get away from her, and she is not an 'it'. Her name is Arista."

"Geeze, who pissed on your embers. I was only asking. This is the first time I've seen one…like…this." Dex seemed not sure how to say alive and whole, without getting another backhand from Kyvren.

Kyvren just sighed and the heat from the two of them was becoming uncomfortable.

"Just get a camp together. We will be leaving an hour or so after midnight." Kyvren sounded exhausted as he stood and pulled Dexlux to his feet to follow him.

"Why after midnight? Are you doing something then? Can I come?"

Kyvren explained what happened in the camp more to save his sanity than a willingness to bring Dexlux into his confidence.

"Who is this Beldrym?" Kyvren looked more uncomfortable than when I asked about the mourning shroud.

"The way our society works, we have a flight standing and then a social standing. I am from Black Tooth." He pointed to his insignia, "and these onyxes dotes around it show my standing in society, my rank is eighth. Here these silver buttons show my flight's standing. We are thirteenth when all is said and done.

"Dex is only sixty-third, so he only has one turquoise dote to represent his place in the sixties. We regularly fight each other in competitions and fights to establish these rankings both as a flight and as individuals.

"Beldrym is ranked second amongst Dragon-man and his flight is first. He has an amazing talent in strategy and fighting prowess, he is also the favored crimson black scales. It's an auspicious color for us, the closer you are to red the more pure your flam is.

"Anyway, he is a very powerful Dragon-man. One I thought I could trust and wanted to be the next Torrid, leader, for us." Kyvren turned away from me and made himself busy with the wood.

"Ky always looked up to Beldrym, he was the measuring stick he used for himself and everyone else. If he has something to do with the last Torrid's death…and started this war for nothing…"

Dexlux's words hung in the air between us. The implications were plain to see and it made my heart ack to see Kyvren like this.

"So anyway, it's only a few hours till the meeting. Did you want to head over there and scout it out?" Dexlux was itching to get moving. He had been trying to hold it in, but he wanted to meet up with their flight leader as soon as possible.

"Why not, Arista will you be ok here?"

I gave Kyvren a dubious look. I was refreshed and in water. My mana was recovering now like it should be.

"Of course ill be fine. In fact before you go, let me give you a blessing."

"A blessing?" Kyvren seemed uneasy.

"Yes I'm sure you have heard it before but this time you will be receiving it and not fighting against it."

Dexlux was all too happy to receive my blessing and Kyvren was only willing to submit because he trusted me. It was enough, and it made me smile.

Standing on sturdier legs I took one of their hands in mine. I couldn't be too loud and attract attention…maybe the water would be better. It would have a better effect. With a bigger smile, I began pulling them to the water.

"Wait what are you doing?" Kyvren asked skeptically.

"It will be better in the water. Come."

Dexlux didn't need any convincing and quickly stripped down and jumped in. Kyvren just sighed and also stripped down and walked, hand in hand with me into the water. I was finding it extremely hard to not look at him. The moon was only a sliver, but it still gave enough light to see. He was thicker in the shoulders and legs then Dexlux and it seemed larger in other areas too. Blushing I welcomed the modesty the water offered.

Diving down, it was just deep enough for us to free float in its deeps without touching the bottom or breaking the surface of the water. Once again taking their hands I began to sing. The water distorted my voice, but it was still filled the pond with my power well enough. A slight vibration filled the water as I sang, the proud and inspiring rhythms. Small bubbles began to appear on the two Dragon-men as they held onto me. They become bigger as I reached to the end of the song and with the last note, they suddenly all at once released themselves making a torrent of bubbles reaching for the surface.

It was done, now their muscles would be stronger, tire slower, and they would have faster reactions. Dexlux flexed smiled like a child just receiving a new toy and swam for the surface.

Kyvren flexed his hands and looked at me in the almost black water with a gentle, wonderous expression. I couldn't help it. I reached out to pull him in for a kiss. He willingly came to me. Right as my lips could all but feel his heat, a big splash from above and the water being disturbed around us separated us.

Dexlux had jumped from a tree into the pond… with the moment ruined Kyvren swam to the surface and began yelling at Dexlux. Covering my face, I couldn't believe I had done that! What if we had…kissed. But it seemed like Kyvren wasn't against it. Was he?

I couldn't help but stay in the water till they left.