75. To Bonds Across Worlds

                                    

                                          
Soaring... and then falling, crashing to the earth. Rolling on a sand dune, getting it in your mouth, your tongue is coarse with it now. You spat and coughed, you can't say if it's more of an annoyance than the regular occurrence for you. Pain. Your grimace turned to wonder. Dizzy sights focused on what danced in the expanse of dusk. One of the things you've always wanted to see, but wrote off as fantasy. Soaring scales in the fading blue... Dragons roaring. So free in all their glory. But something is missing. A faint sting to your chest and you breath out. It's still there. Will be for a short forever. But enough of that. Weren't you supposed to do something?
Everyone's in a panic:
"Uh, guys, get up!"
"Dragon!" The child cooed while waving with a little bamboo stick.
"What are we supposed to–"
"They are flying away!"
"Hey! Can you help us out a little? Our friend here could really use your help!" Your gaze widened, turning from Kai to the rest of them. "We have no idea how, Mystake just said you could help!" A pit of anger is swallowed with your sneer. 'Should've known. She has no idea. Just guessing.' You rise from the ground, the rest of them attempting their bearings, your sight above the dragons. Wisps, sparse and faded, are tinted in black as they flare out– Aches speared you to your soul. You fell to your knees, spiritual essence snuffed out. It had ruined your chance. Their roars faded. The child sat in front of you, hesitant in pointing to the sky, words gibberish as he looked to where they flew off.
"O–Oh. Knee? Kelp!" He's picked up, Cole checking the toddler over. And you. "Kelp!"
"You okay?" You swatted his hand, still glaring at your shadow. "C'mon."
"Surrre. "Buddy"." Salty anger guttered with a huff at the black sun, hiding behind a rising moon, before slowly separating to be as clear as the sun back there... "Did she tell me fake reassurances? Because if so, I'll chasing them–" He snatched you by your hoodie, dragging you through the sand, your legs uselessly kicking at it. "Ah–Hey! Okay–!"
"You're staying with us."
"Not giving me a choice," you clicked your tongue that's only woven lies and distrust, and always a desperation.
"We've no idea how the remnant of the oni spirit may react, it is wise it you stay–"
"Stay and do what? Nothing–?"
"Cut the attitude, had enough of it back there." Cole let go, you walked a few more stubborn paces in the empty middle of the split wreckage, and flopped on the lopsided part of the Bounty's railing. You looked from your little inclined perch to see them scramble around. And they're just as lost as you.
"What is it, Kai?"
"Um, so– so when I opened the bag–"
"I found it!" Jay sifted through sand and wood, giving a horrid gasp, "There's nothing!"
"You used up all the traveler's tea–"
"I didn't, Cole! That was all that was in there!"
You groaned. You want off this shitty roller coaster already. How can Mystake say all that and leave you all stranded?! '...wait.'
"Then how do we get back home!? Or– or what if there's nothing left!" That wasn't even what crossed your mind– too muddled by other things. Now another. You slide down the slope, trying to get centered... Trying.
"Don't say that!"
"We've more pressing matters than to argue!" Zane tried to quell them. Instead, something else did.