They flew quietly for a while over the sea. It crawled underneath them, and the wind was only a breeze but Candy was only thinking about Night.

She was memorizing the direction they were going.

Finally, there was a cloud up ahead. Maybe this was where she'd lose the nymphs. But then she'd never get the antidote . . . unless . . .

She subtly flew up until she reached the cloud. She hardly felt it brush her scales, but at the same time, it was a heavy mist all around her. The nymph shouted something, but Candy's thoughts were elsewhere.

She didn't have time to realize what was happening right as something flew into her. She yelped, falling towards the sea. She quickly gained herself, flapping frantically in the cloud and swirling it around.

What?

Suddenly something swooped directly over her head, taking a handful of nymphs with it. Confusion danced over Candy's scales as she hovered shakily in place.

Who- this time she saw it. A Sandskink - one of the siblings she'd saved!

He swooped down again, grabbing another handful off Candy's back. Night was saved!

She made something like a roar in the back of her throat.

"Quiet! Now he'll never get the-"

The Sandskink swooped down one more time, grabbing the rest of the nymphs off Candy, but the big nymph ducked. Candy fought to get her off, clawing at the saddle and harness.

A piercing whistle of a screech filled the air around them and a ball of fire ran across Candy's back. She tried to roar again, spinning in circles as if it would help.

Pain licked across her back as the fire ate away the saddle.

The remaining nymph screamed, trying to climb her neck. She fought to get her off, falling towards the sea below. They emerged from the cloud, nymph fighting to stay on and dragon fighting to get her off.

As they fell toward the sea, Candy felt a strange joy swell inside her. She was possibly falling to her death, but at least Night would be safe. The Sandskinks would find the cure and help him.

She let herself fall towards the sea.

She hit it with a hard slap, which verberated throughout her whole body. The nymph fought to get to air, but in her hurry to stay on Candy's back, she'd tangled herself up in the reigns.

Candy let herself sink farther and farther from the sunlight.

As long as he'll be-

Without warning, something from below her grabbed at her neck, dragging her down into the sea. Instinct kicked in and she fought to get to the surface of the water. Whatever was below her suddenly let go, and she felt the water swirl around her as it swam back.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

She leaped out of the water, the nymph still clinging to her back. When will this twig die already!?

Her wings felt heavy with water as she tried to climb into the sky. She could only hover in the air, no thanks to the water that dragged her wings down. She looked at the sea below her, and suddenly, a dark blue dragon lept out of the water. He seemingly glided over her, grabbing onto the nymph and reigns before falling back into the sea.

The dragon was accidentally dragging her with it.

She clawed at the band around her snout, and with a painful and satisfying pop, it came off.

She blew fire at the reigns, cutting off the connection of them to her. The blue dragon pulled the nymph and her troubles into the arms of the sea.

Candy hovered in the air for a moment, taking it all in. She shivered as the breeze made her colder. She heard someone call her name far above, so she shook herself off as best as possible before climbing into the sky to meet them.

The two Sandskinks were hovering in the air near the cloud. Their worried expressions melted the moment they spotted her.

"You're alright! We did it!"

The she-dragon slammed into Candy, pulling her close. Her scales were warm from the sun and felt wonderful on Candy's own scales.

"Thank you," she huffed out weakly.

"Why don't you turn human and we'll-"

Candy was already shaking her head.

"I can't," she breathed, "They gave us some kind of fruit . . ."

Thankfully the dragons knew what she was talking about. "We have to get back to the island. They have Night trapped there with - they poisoned him."

"Don't worry, your highness. We'll help you."

"Thank you but please, don't call me that. It's just Candy for you guys."

The guy Sandskink helped her onto his back. He was much larger than her and carried her easily over the sea in the direction of the island. The sun felt good on her chilled scales.

She learned the two were twins, they were kidnapped accidentally by a misguided Firedrake that decided to raise them since she couldn't remember where she'd taken them from. The boy was named Silver and the girl Scorpian.

"Thank you for saving us," Scorpian said as they gently soared over the sea in the direction of the island. Candy couldn't stop thanking them until she got too tired to speak.

They made it to the island in no time, not even bothering to stop at the beach. She pointed out where Night was being kept.

When they landed, Silver insisted he carry Candy, who was still worn out. After finding out what happened to their friends, the nymphs quickly obliged the dragons, giving them the antidote.

Night looked awfully pale and was lying on the floor of his cage when they got there. Scorpian yanked the band around his snout off him and practically force-fed him the antidote.

It was a fast worker, making him better in no time. He offered to take Candy from Silver, but the Sandskink insisted he carry her. No one said it, but they all knew Silver was a little bigger than the Starsky.

After a good amount of safe to eat fruit, the dragons took off in the direction of their homeland once again.

They flew in silence for a while, until Night seemingly couldn't hold his question in any longer.

"Why were you in that cage at the castle?"

The twins shared a look.

"I don't think Candy-"

"Just tell us. I'm just as curious as him and I'm finding out more about my parents every day so . . ."

She didn't know how to end the sentence. With slight hesitation, Scorpian began.

"Well, we were hunting in Emerald forest, near the mountains, with good old Trust - our adoptive mother - when suddenly these human hunters snuck up and tried to get us with a net. We turned into our people forms to try and escape and that's when they got the jump on us. Being a dragon shifter is a dangerous thing. You can't just throw it around or you might not know where you'll end up.

"Anyway, they trapped us, and threw us in cages, took us all the way to Nigintia castle."

"Why?"

"We don't know. We heard a bit of what they said though. Something about the queen and king . . . hating our kind? It doesn't matter anyway. We tried turning into dragons to escape, but they gave us Mau Loa juice and clamped those stupid rings over our snouts. That's when we met you. When you saved us."

"Is that why you're helping us now?"

"Well, that's the main reason but . . ." the twins shot each other a look, "We want to help you stop the war."