“Nova, that’s a really risky plan,” Zephyr said, sitting up now herself and giving Nova a serious look. “What if we get caught? We’d be separated, for sure.”
Nova glanced at her, blinking in surprise. “We?”
“Of course,” Zephyr said, reaching out and putting a hand on Nova’s shoulder. “You think I’d let you run off on your own? No way. If you’re serious about this, if you’re really going to run away, then I’m coming, too!”
“You just said you’re not big on adventures a few minutes ago,” Nova reminded her.
“Well…we’re family now,” Zephyr replied. “I’m not about to lose you, too.”
Nova shifted her weight, feeling a bit tense. Zephyr was her best friend, and she’d never let anything happen to her if she could help it. And she knew Zephyr would do the same for her. But… they weren’t family. Family was something else; family was what was waiting for her with her mother, and it wasn’t the same as being best friends. She wasn’t about to tell Zephyr that, though, so she didn’t say anything, feeling a bit guilty as Zephyr took her hand from Nova’s shoulder, seeming to pick up on her discomfort.
Zephyr had been through too much already. She didn’t need to deal with Nova’s baggage on top of everything else. Nova should say something, she realized. The silence was too awkward now. “I—”
She wasn’t sure what she’d been about to say, but whatever it was, it was interrupted by a loud rustling from nearby, the girls both gasping and jumping to their feet as a huge lizard half-jumped, half-fell out of a tree at the edge of the clearing, and then it came darting towards them. Together, Nova and Zephyr jumped back to get away from the thing, which was easily as big as they were if not bigger, Zephyr letting out a slight shriek and grabbing at Nova’s arm as Nova pushed Zephyr slightly behind her. But the lizard stopped at once, blinking between them and flicking its tongue, waiting about seven or eight feet away from them.
Nova stared at it, briefly having thought it was an alligator due to how big it was—which was stupid, considering alligators didn’t climb or jump from trees. Not to mention that the head and legs were completely wrong in shape for an alligator, the head being shorter and the legs more stout and closer to the ground. The lizard’s scales were completely different in shape, too, looking much smoother and colored in more grayish tones…almost orange under its neck and chest as opposed to the jagged ridges and deep green of an alligator. But it was certainly much bigger than any other lizard Nova had ever seen, and she couldn’t help but draw back a little. Even used to dealing with reptiles, you didn’t ignore something like this. What was it? And where had this thing come from? How had it gotten out here?
“That—that’s a komodo dragon!” Zephyr breathed out behind Nova. “What’s it doing out here?”
Before Nova could respond, the lizard let out a curse, and both girls froze, Zephyr clapping a hand over her mouth while Nova stared down at the thing as shock ran through her. It—it had…cursed. The lizard…had just cursed.
“You never get used to your shape out here,” the lizard muttered, shaking off a few leaves and then—What?—rearing up, balancing on its back legs and drawing up to a full seven feet, at least, towering over them and looking down at Nova with the most human expression that she’d ever seen on any animal ever. “I am Korgad,” it announced. “I’ve been searching for you, Nova. Ragond needs you.”
Nova stared at the lizard, unable to move or even breathe as she wondered… what on earth was happening right now? This…this wasn’t happening right now. This was a dream. It…that’s what it was. Just a dream, some kind of weird vision because she’d had too much chicken at dinner or something.
The lizard narrowed its eyes at her, tilting its head, and then it sighed before speaking again.
“I need you.”
Chapter 2
If You had the Chance
“Okay, this is not happening!”
Zephyr’s proclamation shook Nova back into the world, and she blinked between Zephyr and the lizard, a surge of relief going through her.
“Oh good, you heard that, too,” Nova said. “Jeez, I thought I was going crazy!”
“This is crazy!” Zephyr exclaimed, grabbing Nova’s arm again and starting to pull her back towards the edge of the clearing. “Come on, let’s go…we—we should be getting back anyway!”
“Now, where do you think you’re going?” the lizard demanded, dropping his front legs back to the ground and scurrying after them. “Don’t run off now, child; didn’t you hear me? You’ve got to come with me to Ragond!”
“We’re going home!” Zephyr snapped over her shoulder at it, wincing a bit and running a hand through her hair as she kept pulling at Nova. “I can’t believe I’m talking to a lizard!”
“Ignore it!” Nova swallowed, picking up her own pace. “It isn’t real. Just keep walking.”
“Oh, that’s right, ignore me, I’m not real,” the lizard hissed behind them. “Silly girl! Don’t you want to find your mother?”
“Wait,” Nova said, pulling her arm free and turning back to the lizard in surprise. What did it mean by that?! What did it know about her mother? Had it heard them from the trees? Was this a trick? And the voice sounded familiar, too…where had she heard that voice? A memory stirred, and she got the impression of…a cave? It had something to do with a large cave, and a warmth and a feeling of security she hadn’t felt since...
What—what…? Was her brain seriously suggesting that she had known this lizard before? That this talking lizard had known her and had been looking for her all this time?! She had a hundred questions whirling through her mind.
“What…who are you?” she had to ask, feeling a bit stupid at addressing this thing like this, but asking anyway. “What’s a Ragond? And my mother—how do you know my mother? How—how are you even talking? How can a lizard be talking?!”
“It isn’t,” Zephyr muttered breathlessly behind her. “It’s not and this isn’t happening, so let’s go!”
“Touch my head,” the lizard suddenly demanded, crawling forward a few feet towards them before standing again, bowing its head towards Nova. “This form is not my best.”
“No!” Zephyr gasped, grabbing Nova’s arm again. “Don’t touch it! Don’t go near that thing!”
Zephyr was right. Everything in Nova’s head was telling her to turn around and keep going towards the house and not look back. But there were too many questions now, and Nova needed answers. She pulled her arm free from Zephyr’s grasp, even hesitating, but…this was important. She took a deep breath, slowly approaching the lizard and stretching her hand out.
“Nova!” Zephyr hissed. “Get back!”
But Nova ignored her, reaching out and biting her lip before pressing her fingers lightly against the cold, hard scales of the lizard’s head, a slight shudder going down her spine as a tingle of warmth traveled through her fingers and up her arm. She closed her eyes as if on instinct, but instead of darkness, an image filled her mind. She could see…a dragon, the colors seeming to seep into her vision like lights twinkling in the distance, copper-green toned scales and burning amber eyes, spreading large, powerful wings and clashing its teeth, a long, deep scar traveling down the left side of its face and over its neck.