The dreams had gotten worse. The plague burned through her body like fire, thrumming in her veins and making her whole body ache and shake and drip with sweat. Her nose ran red with blood and dripped gross icky snot, and a terrible cough wracked her body. All of it came in waves, ebbing and flowing as fire burned through her, trying to heal the damage but never quite making her better. She was so tired, but the fire burned in her dreams too, keeping her dream-friends at bay and leaving her so very alone.
The only place she could think to go was back up the Mountain where she’d begun. The first thing she remembered was that fairy bug; maybe if she found her again, she could help fix Xero, make her feel a little less awful. But the trip was so far, and everything was so very blurry, leaving Xero dizzy and light-headed. She tried anyhow, walking for what felt like eternity, stumbling forward until her feet couldn’t catch her and hold her upright anymore and she plummeted to the dirt, landing with a sharp grunt. Again the fever burned through her, and she slept.
It felt like she always dreamed of fire now, fire and strange beasts with sharp teeth and gaping jaws that roared and breathed fire, leathery wings fanning out and making them look bigger still. Glowing eyes, one set fiery gold and the other a mismatched blue and yellow, stared down at her from reptilian faces. Probably she should have been scared, but something about them felt...safe. Right. So she let the fire take her again.
When she woke, the fire had burned its way out again, chasing most of the sickness with it. She groaned and opened her eyes, looking around with a frown and trying to figure out where she was. Somehow she had made it to the mountaintop, though she couldn’t remember the climb, lost in the fire and the fever as she’d been. But yes, this was the same place where the fairy had pulled her into being, or woken her from non-existence, or...something. She still wasn’t quite sure. Seemed like everyone else had moms and dads and stuff, but all Xero had was the vague memory of a fairy, and those dreams of fire.
“Hello?” she called softly, her voice scratchy and raw from coughing. “Is anyone out there? Fairy? I was hoping maybe you could help me?” She’d meant to ask for help fighting the sickness that raged inside her, or at least she thought she did. But instead, when she opened her mouth, a different request came out. “I was wondering if...you could help show me where I came from. I keep dreaming of fire, and great winged things breathing fire, but they’re not scary. Not to me, at least, even though they probably should be. I don’t understand, and my head’s hurting trying, but everything before I woke up here is gone, or maybe it just never was. Just I’m really lonely is all, and I hoped...maybe you could help me.” Help her what, she wasn’t exactly sure, but maybe the fairy would know.
(( @[Officials] Xero would like to petition the Mountain for dragon mimicry. She’s starting to remember her mothers in their dragon forms, and wants a connection to where she came from.))
The only place she could think to go was back up the Mountain where she’d begun. The first thing she remembered was that fairy bug; maybe if she found her again, she could help fix Xero, make her feel a little less awful. But the trip was so far, and everything was so very blurry, leaving Xero dizzy and light-headed. She tried anyhow, walking for what felt like eternity, stumbling forward until her feet couldn’t catch her and hold her upright anymore and she plummeted to the dirt, landing with a sharp grunt. Again the fever burned through her, and she slept.
It felt like she always dreamed of fire now, fire and strange beasts with sharp teeth and gaping jaws that roared and breathed fire, leathery wings fanning out and making them look bigger still. Glowing eyes, one set fiery gold and the other a mismatched blue and yellow, stared down at her from reptilian faces. Probably she should have been scared, but something about them felt...safe. Right. So she let the fire take her again.
When she woke, the fire had burned its way out again, chasing most of the sickness with it. She groaned and opened her eyes, looking around with a frown and trying to figure out where she was. Somehow she had made it to the mountaintop, though she couldn’t remember the climb, lost in the fire and the fever as she’d been. But yes, this was the same place where the fairy had pulled her into being, or woken her from non-existence, or...something. She still wasn’t quite sure. Seemed like everyone else had moms and dads and stuff, but all Xero had was the vague memory of a fairy, and those dreams of fire.
“Hello?” she called softly, her voice scratchy and raw from coughing. “Is anyone out there? Fairy? I was hoping maybe you could help me?” She’d meant to ask for help fighting the sickness that raged inside her, or at least she thought she did. But instead, when she opened her mouth, a different request came out. “I was wondering if...you could help show me where I came from. I keep dreaming of fire, and great winged things breathing fire, but they’re not scary. Not to me, at least, even though they probably should be. I don’t understand, and my head’s hurting trying, but everything before I woke up here is gone, or maybe it just never was. Just I’m really lonely is all, and I hoped...maybe you could help me.” Help her what, she wasn’t exactly sure, but maybe the fairy would know.
(( @[Officials] Xero would like to petition the Mountain for dragon mimicry. She’s starting to remember her mothers in their dragon forms, and wants a connection to where she came from.))
