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I was hyper-aware of every touch, every little sensation as if my senses were reacquainting themselves with the concept of safety and affection.
We sat on his bed, which was nothing more than a slab with a thin, gray mattress on top.
Yet, with Ashale beside me, it felt more comforting than any luxurious setup I’d ever known.
“I need to tell you something,” Ashale started, his voice low, heavy with a seriousness that immediately caught my attention.
His green eyes, usually sparkling with mischief, were clouded with concern.
“The Supervisor has decided on a special event. Given what happened… well, he’s allowing a twist. I can be supported by your ability in the fighting pit,” he explained, a hint of hesitation lacing his words, “and Sneik… he gets the same opportunity.”
My heart dropped, a cold dread settling in my stomach.
The taste of bile threatened at the back of my throat. “It’s a trap, Ashale,” I murmured, my fingers clutching the edge of the mattress, feeling the rough fabric dig into my skin.
The foreboding sound of distant machinery humming reminded me of our prison-like surroundings.
Ashale sighed deeply, his breath tickling my cheek. “I know. But refusing the offer isn’t an option. And, in a strange way, it might be our only chance.”
Seeing my confusion, he elaborated:
“If we can summon a dragon from within us before the event, we can break free from this prison. We won’t even have to face Sneik in the pit.”
For a few moments, the weight of our situation pressed down on me, a suffocating heaviness that threatened to crush my spirit.
The odds seemed insurmountable, the stakes higher than ever before.
But, with Ashale’s hand enveloping mine, a sense of hope ignited within, faint but growing steadily.
The touch of his fingers, warm and comforting against my cool skin, reassured me, reminding me that together, we could face any challenge.
Without saying a word, I rose from the bed, taking a deep, steadying breath.
The familiar sounds of the cellblock surrounded us, the distant murmurs of guards and other inmates, but they seemed distant, almost inconsequential in the face of our newfound mission.
I settled into a meditation position, feeling the cool floor against my crossed legs.
Ashale watched me with a mixture of admiration and hope, his green eyes reflecting the same fierce determination I felt.
As I closed my eyes, preparing to dive deep within myself in search of the elusive dragon, I whispered:
“Then let’s get started.”
With the echoes of our shared resolve filling the cell, we embarked on our journey together, united in purpose and bound by love.
* * *
The chill in the room was like a backdrop, reminding me of our dire circumstances, but the warmth radiating from Ashale as he sat beside me was both comforting and invigorating.
We began in sync, our breathing synchronized, our hands intertwined.
We decided not to enter the spirit realm, trying to keep our energies focused here, in the physical world.
Attempting to coax a dragon out of oneself was not a task taken lightly, nor was it one attempted often.
It was said that to do so required balancing on the knife edge between control and surrender, for the dragon was not a beast easily summoned or tamed.
With each breath, I felt the ebb and flow of my energy, the familiar surge of my spirit animals, each trying to break free.
