The next morning had come and gone as it was now late afternoon on the island of Dinky. The Veil family had enjoyed a delightful day of bonding, playing some games, going to the market and of course unloading all of the fish from their ship. They were all having dinner at the table with all of their bags packed and repacked.
Calder looked to Ash's pile of bags and noticed he had more then Evelyn did, so he remarked,
"Were only going to the Ice Planes you know, not packing for a months trip." He slurped up some soup from her spoon.
"I always pack prepared." He informed him.
"That's my son." Silver smiled looking at him.
Then they all began to finish their food and stack their plates.
"I'll clean, you guys go ahead and get going." Silver implored picking up the plates. Calder got up and kissed her before they began to head out. They all grabbed their bags for Ash to kick open the door and hold it for them to walk out. All of them walked through the town through the busy market before they could make for the docks.
It was only a few minutes before they made their was to their ship to see the crew already there and waiting.
Captain, Bolder bowed his head, i see you brought along my favorite worker. H
e saluted Ash with two fingers then grinned at all his bags,
"I hope you packed your sea legs in all of that." Bolder hoped while they were walking up the plank to the ship.
"Ha ha, what i really need is a sea stomach." Ash said already feeling the sea starting to rock him.
Thankfully the sea was calm on their way there and the winds so gracefully pushed them towards the detestation. It was only an hour or so tell they began to feel the cold of the Ice Planes.
Evelyn was unhappily untangling the fishing nets, while her brother was moving the empty fish barrels on to the top deck. While doing her work, Evelyn was peacefully sitting on one barrel that her brother brought up. She smiled getting the last not out and setting it on the ground. She turned around to see Ash seemly bringing out the last barrel as he set it down to lean on. She hopped off the barrel and walked over.
"You done?" She asked folding her arms on the barrel and tapping her toe against the wooded deck.
I'm technically never done when Bolder is ordering me around, but if you're suggesting a break i wont object. He lifted his head to rest his head on folded hands.
"Well i was just going to ask if you wanted to greet Guardian with me."
She grinned gesturing ahead of the boat.
"Uh, sure." He gulped.
"Oh come on this is your chance to be friends," she suggested.
She began to walk to the front of the boat and Ash hesitantly followed. They walked up the stairs to see their normal meet up spot. An indent in the planes with a few icebergs inside. Evelyn looked in the water for her white glow, or her to emerge from the snow. They both walked to the front and leaned on the rail to get a closer look.
Evelyn bite her lip as she scanned the land and water, but came up empty. The seas were strangely quiet, not even some wind to fill the sky. She leaned over the railing a little to see better, yet she still saw nothing, important anyway.
"Is she normally late?"Ash asked while crossing his arms confused.
"No, she is usually here before us, but she probably just got caught up with her pack or something." Evelyn dismissed while sighing.
"She as a life, i can't expect her to be here every time." She continued with a calm tone.
Ash became confused at his calm sister, has she ever not come before?
Ash watched his sister not answer, and stand in silence, assuming the answer was no.
Calder walked up behind them with his hands folded behind his back, but was surprised to not see Guardian already on the boat.
"Where is she?" He asked his children
"Running late, probably nothing." Evelyn quickly answered in the same dismissive tone.
That's, unlike her, nothing stopped her before.
"I know, but she's a Polar Break, she'll be fine." She quoted while butting in.
Ash and Calder looked at each other both noticing her strange behavior.
Two long and painful hours had passed, the fishing crew had to continue with their work with out help from Guardian. Ash had to go help leaving Evelyn alone to watch for her. She had tried her best to shake away her unwanted thoughts, but it was getting harder by the minute. She knew she's never been late, she knew she always came, and she knew somehow Guardian always knew when they were there, someway or another. With a shake of her head Evelyn believed that nothing had stopped her before, nothing will stop her now.
She lifted her head up from her emotional battle, hoping to see her, but still nothing. She sighed,
"What is keeping her up?" she thought.
Just then Ash walked up beside her with a spyglass to look over the snowy land. She looked at her brother as he lowered the glass with hopeful eyes, but he looked back in disappointment. Her face turned back to sadness and she looked away, but Ash handed her the glass. She took it before Bolder called Ash away. Looking threw the glass zoomed in on the snowy land. She looked closer at the ice bergs, but saw nothing of use. Then looked back to the long stretch of land.
For many more hours she searched, but the sun was beginning to set making it harder. The crew dropped an anchor to keep the boat from drifting away. Speaking of which none of the crew not even Ash or Calder had talked to Evelyn since they got there. She had been left alone to look for her friend at the front of the boat.
The sun had set, leaving the sky to the moon and it's light to shine on the snow. Everything had a blue tint and it was beautiful. The stars twinkled in the night sky and a cold wind began to blow across the land. Evelyn looked behind her to see that everyone had turned in for the night. She guessed no one came to get her because they knew it would be pointless. But thankfully Evelyn deiced to listen to her shivering body and turn in to.
As quietly as she could she walked down the steps and turned to corner to her room, remembering that Ash would sleep on the floor. She reached for the handle, but a faint sound you couldn't describe echoed through the seas. Like a shriek mixed with a wind whistle. Evelyn's head went up, trying to replay it in her head to try and figure out what it was, but it was so faint she questioned if she heard anything at all. The wind and the water was all she could hear. She rubbed her tired eyes and deiced it was her imagination.
Moments later, she was in her bed wrapped in her blankets fast asleep. Not peacefully however, she tossed and turned with Guardian's cries banging around in her head. Roars of pain, groans of regret, shrieks of sadness and ear ripping screeches. The image of her in pain wouldn't leave her mind.
She threw off her blanket and she sat up in a rush, finally waking up. She breathed heavily, but it didn't feel like her normal nightmares. The image was gone, but not the cries, they sounded exactly like her and
"Wait I've never heard her in pain before how do i-?" She interrupted her own thought to say before realizing.
Her feet hit the floor and she quickly put on her boots.
The sudden noise woke up Ash and he rubbed his eyes and asked, "What are you doing?"
She had no time to answer as the cries got louder. She rushed out the door prompting Ash to get up and follow.
The door slammed open for Evelyn to run out and up the stairs going so fast she almost tripped over herself. She grabbed the spy glass that she had left on a barrel to then look to the planes. She used the cries to look in the right direction and found Guardian in the snow crying out in pain. A long indent in the snow was behind her, like a blaze, like she crashed. Evelyn smiled knowing that couldn't had just been her nightmare making those sounds. But the thoughts of why she was making those noises began to stir.
She lowed the glass and ran back to shout, "Everyone up now!"
Ash bolted out of the room to see his sister shouting.
"What's wrong?" He shouted back as they began to here shuffling below deck of everyone jumping out of bed.
"Guardians in trouble!"
With in minutes the crew was making for the land as Evelyn explain her dream to Calder and Ash. After she was done she grabbed the glass again as Guardian's problem became clear.
Even though she blended in with the snow, arrows, gashes, claw marks and sword wombs stood out. Evelyn gasped at the sight, she had never seen anything like it. Ash grabbed his sword and put it in his sheath and took out another spy glass to look. The boat suddenly hit the ice and halted. Evelyn wasn't going to wait for the plank to be dropped down however, so she grabbed a rope and quickly tied it to the railing.
Ash grabbed her arm before she hopped down it claiming, "Evelyn! Who ever did this to her might still be there!"
She ripped her arm away ignoring his warning and repealed down the rope. She didn't have much trouble getting to the ground, but as soon as she hit the snow she sunk up to her knees. Soon after Ash went down the rope, as Evelyn pushed through the snow. It took a few minutes, but the finally saw Guardian up ahead, but she stopped roaring.
"Guardian!" She called, but was met with a strange response.
Guardian's eyes opened with vengeance, she barred her teeth and forced herself to stand. Her vision was blurry, but she reconsidered what she was going to do after hearing the voice. Yet she saw many vikings running towards her and her mind was made up.
Evelyn saw Guardian rise to her feet so she could see all of the arrows gashes ect clearly. Most of the arrows were in her chest, but the tail of the arrows had been broken or snapped, maybe from the crash. All the gashes were mainly on her legs, but some where clearly sword wounds. She stopped to look over the damage, horrifying was the only word to use.
"Who, did this gi-"
Suddenly she was silenced by Guardian's sharp scowl, the look of pure hate. She growled and barred her teeth, warning that she would shoot to kill.
Guardian, calm down, its me Evelyn, she put her hand out.
Guardian's eyes narrowed, to slits as she powered her ray in her mouth, but she had trouble sparking it up it seemed.
"Girl calm down!" she pleaded but did nothing.
She didn't stop however and Guardian released the blue ray as it exploded out of her mouth. Evelyn was violently pulled down to the ground by Ash and they watched as the ray sail over their heads. Ash jumped back to his feet and pulled out his sword. Guardian, with a spit of anger, whipped her body around to try hit him with her tail. Luckily he ducked in time.
Unfortunately the unforgivable arrows twisted against her for her to miss the landing on the spin. She crashed on her back and stuck her feet up, but didn't cry in pain. Instead there was a hissing sound of her breathing in through her teeth to not roar.
Evelyn pushed herself back up and grabbed Ash's sword, your scaring her!
Ash pulled away and stated, "If that dragon was scared she wouldn't had stayed!"
His point was proven by Guardian rolling back on to her feet and trying to power a ray, but it seemed like she ran out. She stood there and considered her options.
Evelyn resorted again, "Guardian wouldn't hurt me, you probably scared her!"
Ash looked at his sister in disbelief then pointed to her with his sword,
"No, that is the look of zero fear," correcting Evelyn looked at Guardian. She snorted as she took deep breaths while starring them down.
"Who ever did this made her hate vikings, all, Vikings" Ash clipped his voice to convince his sister.
Now with limit options Guardian had to try and leave, weather she liked it or not. She spread her wings up and flapped down pushing the fresh snow under her out in a circle. Ash and Evelyn didn't have much time to react, but they didn't have to, as they heard a large, spine chilling, snap. Guardian eyes rolled back into her head as she crashed on her side.
Out of instinct, Evelyn ran through the snow to help. She put her hand on her shoulder, but somehow her eyes shot open again. No one could believe this dragon's endurance, but she got back to her four feet and tried to tiredly slash her with her claws. She backed up out of her reach and Ash grabbed her shoulders to pull her back further.
Suddenly a rope wrapped around her neck and soon many across her back. The rest of the crew and Calder rushed the dragon. She tried to pull away, but didn't have the strength.
"No! Your making it worse!" Evelyn shouted. She tried to stop them, but was held back by Ash. He seemed to have enough as he whipped her around and exploded,
"YOU DON'T KNOW THIS DRAGON AS WELL AS YOU THINK YOU DO! SHE'LL KILL YOU AND HERSELF LIKE THIS!"
Evelyn shrunk down in response to her brother and he dropped his head to reflect. He looked back up to see he scared his already terrified sister. He did the only thing he think would help and pulled her into a hug and tried to cover her ears so she wouldn't have to hear her friend's cries as she was being tied down.
Guardian, this is my fault........