Chapter 8

Luna and I quickly learned to rely on one another in this forest of nightmares where what you see is not always the truth. She is still just a baby and her wings are not yet strong enough to hold her in a long hunt. She relies on me for her meals and I cant help but long for her warmth and company as we fall asleep at night.

The past few weeks with Luna has helped me adjust to the world of Caravia. When Luna hatched I was afraid of the consequences that might have happened if I had unknowingly entered into a dragons home. So I quickly brought myself and Luna to a new part of the forest at least 50 miles away from the mysterious cave. I still wasn't sure if it had been far enough but I have seen nothing worse than a few large birds and a couple of black bears.

I look around the camp Luna helped me set up and frown. I had never been camping when I was living on earth and my lean to I had created with the large fallen branches I had foraged in the woods was mediocre. I no longer needed to camp along a stream since I figured out how to creat water with my mana. Though it takes a lot more mana to create than to use resources from the environment.

I have tried creating a sphere since my incident with the wolf. I realized the dagger I had was not long enough nor did it have enough reach to take down any of the animals in the forest. I passed out the first time because I tried to create it from nothing. I can't remember what I had dreamed about but once I woke up the next day I had a splitting headache for days after. The next time I tried to create I made sure to gather as many materials as I could find in the forest.

The light of the day reflects of my short pink hair and I realize that Luna had been speaking with me. Luna is as curious about civilization outside of this forest as I am and she and I constantly converse about what we might find in our journey. Luna and I run through a small clearing full of flowers and I send her more pictures of my previous life.

I began telling Luna about my unprecedented reincarnation and what the world I had been living in was like the night she hatched. Little bits and pieces at a time I shared my own story and various parts of what makes earth, earth.

The stalks of bright yellow flowers rustle along my ankles as Luna asks me more about my old world. "Silver tell me again about the machines that fly in the sky" She jumps around excited. I sit down and start to pick at the yellow flowers around me creating a delicate flower crown. As Luna settles onto the grass next to me I proceeded to share images of airplanes, helicopters, and jets via our telepathy and describe each. I have shared the images with Luna more than once and she is still curious about how they work so different from the knowledge she holds about this world. When Luna hatched she hatched with all the knowledge of the function of this world. I don't know how but I asume this is because she is a dragon a mythical and rare creature even in the world of Caravia.

I finish notting the last flower to the crown and place it on Luna's head, it drops down over her brow and catches on one of her scales before it falls into her brilliantly silver eyes. I take another look at her eyes. When had they turned silver? When she hatched her eyes had been black speckled with brown. Luna noticing my quizzical look explains "Dragons eye color changes slowly once they form a bond with another. The color signifies something important to their bonded partner. Although there is also a chance that in rare situations it is a color that has something to do with the bonds death"

{I guess silver is important to me because it's the first thing that was given to me by Shia in my new life or I guess it could be because I love silver ragwort...I'm not totally sure though. I'm concerned about the possibility of it having something to do with how I might die but Luna said it was unlikely and rare.}

I push of the ground and head back to our small camp. I didn't notice how long we had been in that meadow and the sun begins to sink below the treetops. The light of the day turns gold as dusk approaches.

There is a rustling in the bushes to the right of the path and I slow Luna bumps into my back not stopping soon enough. I back up a few steps as I realize that the forest always loud has fallen silent. "Run" I silently yell to Luna in our minds as I spin around my feet silent on the ground dashing back the way we came. Night is falling and I want space to maneuver if it comes to a fight. Luna and I race back towards the clearing, yellow flowers are crumpled by my passage and Luna hangs on her claws sinking into my shoulder. I wince, reminding myself to purchase some leather to creat a shoulder guard at the first settlements we come to once we get out of the Forest of Nightmares.

I skid to a stop at the edge of the clearing just as the final rays of sun vanish. I am plunged into a world of blackness. The sound of slithering and twigs snapping draws closer, whatever monster approaching not bothering to conceal their presence. I reach for my spear strapped to my back and my stomach sinks. It's not there, I left it a camp propped up against a rotting stump. The only weapons I poses is my small knife, my senses, and my mana.

The sound gets closer and I instantly regret my carelessness. Not bringing my spear with me will cost me my life in this forest. I can barley see but the creature hulking at the other end of the clearing is unmistakable. It is a huge snake and it has wings.

The snakes tongue slips out of its mouth sensing the air in front of it. It is just as blind as me but it's sense of taste, smell, and the movement under it is much more refined than mine is. I observe the slow approach it makes sensing that I have stopped and scout it's body for any weakness. The wings are membranous, and transparent. There thin but the bones underneath are thick and strong. It will be able to move fast in the air I won't be able to fight or escape in the sky. I don't have enough experience flying on my white feathered wings to outmaneuver in the sky.

It's body is smooth and there in no chink in its scaled armor. I can view its tail just within the foliage of the underbrush and shudder as I realize that it is bigger than I initially thought. It takes up half the clearing if it encircles me I'm done for, just like a trapped rabbit.

I start running but this time I don't run away but towards the winged snake. Luna flies shoulder height next to me, reading my thought. She circles to the right as I run to the left. I withdraw my blade from the space pouch I materialized at my waist and ram it hard into the beasts side. My arm throbs as the scales reflect my blade. I'm disappointed, I had thought that something the goddess had gifted me would be strong enough to slice through the hardest material like butter.

Luna on the other side has better luck than me. She snaps her teeth around a scale and yanks backwards. When the scale is ripped away the snake wriggles in surprise and Luna goes spiraling through the air. The snake swings its tail in Lunas direction the small pain angers it more that pains it. I launch myself towards Luna my wings catching an undercurrent propelling me faster. I wrap my arms securely around the still summersalting Luna just as a strong force connects with my back.

I smack face first into the bark of a tree and I can feel blood drip from the small contusions in my face as I slide back to the ground. For a moment I am stunned. Luna flies out of my arms. As I stagger to my feet the work spins and I am thankfully the blow did not break anything or fracture my sight. I lost track of Luna trying to regain my balance. And then spot her again circling around the serpents head targeting it's eyes. Although the snake doesn't use its eyes as much as its sense of taste it's the only part of the snakes body not protected by scales.

Lunas actions give me an idea on how to win this battle. In 5th grade I had been obsessed with reading, partially because I was often left alone, and one of the books I enjoyed was a book about the anatomy of different creatures. "The snake has a weak point" I grin in excitement. Now all I have to do is find it's cloaca. I explain my plan to Luna as I position myself closer to the snake's tail.

"Silver don't you think that this plan is a little inhuman" Luna questions.

"Fine" I concede "It does seem a little cruel… Do you have any better ideas then Luna?"

"Give me some time to think. In the meantime try to target it's wings, if it can't fly then we will have an advantage over it if we aren't to flee or fight in the air" Luna voices in my head.

"Well you better come up with a plan soon or my health won't be able to keep up" I complain feeling my bones creak from the blows the snake has continued to rain down upon me. Luna darts down and claws at the snakes eyes. A bloody gash appears running down it's face and to my surprise the blood is not red but green.

It's attacks get more sporadic as it cry's out in pain. The roaring shakes the trees around us and the small rodents who haven't already evacuated the area freeze in place. I dance around the clearing barely avoiding getting smooshed like a pancake.

The snakes blows start to lose force as it weakens due to blood loss and stamina consumption and I finally have the opportunity to go on the offensive. I launch myself into the air and aim my blade words the snakes unprotected wings. My dagger cuts cleanly through the membrane. "Much easier than trying to get through its scales" I remark. I barely have enough time to dodge the snakes bite. The razed points of its teeth skim my right cheek opening up a line of tissue. My head spinners and I loose balance in the air. Landing as a heap on the forest floor I call out to Luna "be careful of its fangs it has a lethal dose of poison". The only reason I'm still standing it building up a slight poison resistance thanks to the mushrooms in my inventory.

Luna distracts the snake and lands a few hits on its wings while I take some time to recover. However before I have much time I hear a whistling sound coming from the trees around the perimeter of the open clearing. Five arrow shafts fletched with black swan feathers embed themselves in the tough hide of the snake shattering the snakes scales. Dozens of figures emerge from the dark forest. They are beast folk like me, but unlike me they do not have wings instead they seem to be part… rabbit! There large ears perk out above leather helms. And some of them have pink noses and fluffy tails.

The snake views the newcomers and remembering the pain their arrows inflicted retreats without a backwards glance at Luna and I. Luna quickly flies to my side as I size up the beast folk surrounding us.