Far Horizons: Tales of Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror. Issue #19 October 2015 | Page 22

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The pink and blue light of dawn pushed into
Ella’s eyes. She cringed away as a groan escaped her
sore throat. Opening her eyes she stared up into the
sky then quickly rolled over and dry heaved several
times.
When her stomach stopped convulsing, Ella
reached up to wipe her mouth. Before her hand
touched her face she yanked it back in horror. From
her elbows down, Ella’s arms were scorched black,
skin cracked and bloody underneath.

Tearing her shredded cloak into strips, she
cautiously bandaged her arms. Ella pushed herself up
carefully and stumbled through the clearing towards
the small path she had come. She slowly made her
way down the mountain and into the jungle, stopping
several times to let the dizziness, that threatened to
overwhelm, her settle.

Creatures darted away from her and several
times Ella could swear she saw smaller dragons pull
away into the jungle darkness as well.

Coming to a small creek, Ella dropped to her
knees and carefully lowered her burnt arms into the
flowing stream. Steam and bubbles leapt from them,
but Ella just held them in the water, too fatigued to
react.

She sat near the stream with her arms in her
lap, staring at the water running by, until darkness
started to fill the jungle. Finally pushing herself up,
she continued on towards the shore.

The sky cooled to pink and dark purple when
Ella cleared the jungle and stepped onto the beach.
Collapsing to her knees, she stared at her arms, rags
dirty and singed.

“Are you ready to leave, or would you rather
stay?”

Ella looked up towards the voice and, in the
growing darkness, could just make out the cloaked
boatman standing over her. Pulling back thick sleeves,

he reached out a clawed hand towards her. Without
hesitation, Ella reached up and took hold of it, too
exhausted to care or fear. The boatman pulled her up
then helped to steady her footing before walking her to
the dock.

“Drink,” he said, handing her a water-skin.

Taking it gratefully, she poured it down her
parched and burnt throat. She drank until she felt sick.

“Thank you,” Ella said, her voice rasped and
hurt to speak. “Feels like I hadn’t had anything in
days.”

“A week, to be honest.” The boatman turned
and boarded his small craft.

Ella stared after him. “A week?”
She glanced back at the mountain in confusion
before stepping down into the boat. Giving up trying
to understand, she leaned back against a pile of netting
as the boatman pushed off the dock and out into the
water.

Ella said nothing and thought less during the
trip. She just let the soothing rhythm of the waves rock
her back and forth. She felt warm, almost hot, despite
the cold breeze coming off the water.

“It will go away in time.”

“What?” Ella focused on the half-dragon.

“The heat, you will grow used to it,” he said.

“How did you know?” Ella asked, but received
no further response from the cloaked figure. Too tired
to press, she just stared out across the dark water.

Ella did not stir again until the boat knocked
against the dock and shook her awake. Sitting up she
spotted a little white bird sitting on a post, staring at
her.

Ella quietly got out of the boat and nodded

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