"No, no - you're wrong," Candy staggered back, bumping into the Sandskinks behind her.

"Candy," Night held his talons out to try and help, encouraging her to back up further. Her mind was racing. How could he say something like that!? What does he mean, "they hate our kind"!?

Stars twinkled over them now. The world started pressing into her. One of the Sandskinks grunted as her foot hit him. Night stepped forward, his arms out.

"Before you do anything stupid-"

She jumped off the platform, climbing into the air. He was wrong. Night didn't know what he was talking about.

The darkness surrounded her as Sun Tree town shrank below her. When she got high enough, Candy flew. No direction in particular. She just flew.

Time passed without seconds until she suddenly found herself caught up in a storm. She kept on, although her wings ached and she was already exhausted from the lack of sleep and the day before.

The only thing surrounding her was the storm now, grey and furious. Thunder shook her to the core, rattling her bones. Rain fell every which way, hitting her face one second and then pelting her underbelly the next. Exhausted pulled at her, so she decided to drop back to the ground.

She tried to circle down but the wind tore at her wings, throwing her off balance. She roared in frustration, clawing at the air uselessly. Suddenly the storm pushed her at a diagonal, so hard and fast she didn't have time to get out of the way before the ground was suddenly right below her.

She was slammed against, hard, uneven rock. Rock!? She didn't have any more time to wonder before pain scattered through her back legs.

She frantically flipped herself over, scraping at the rock to get a hold. The wind blew so hard against her wings, she was worried it might rip them off. The only thought racing through her mind was, I've never been in a storm! but not in an exciting, happy new way.

Rain and wind blew against her face, making it hard to see anything. She roared angrily at the wind, which was harder than she thought it'd be seeing as she was facing the wind current.

Droplets hit the back of her throat, making her gag and cough, which made her lose her concentration and she was suddenly swept off her talons.

The wind picked her up off the ground, slamming her into a giant rock. Rocky ground. Tall, looming rocks? Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no.

She had accidentally both flown to and been pushed to Dragon Teeth rocks. She'd seen them many times on the maps at the castle but never had she imagined herself there.

I have to get back to the forest, she spread her wings, about to lift off the rock she was clinging to, right as the wing dragged her back, and threw her into the ocean below.

Her head hit something especially hard, and everything went black.

***

The sound of waves was the first thing she noticed. It grew louder and louder the more she woke up.

She slowly opened her eyes, noticing the lack of painfully hard and rough rock. She was lying in the sand. Sand!?

Candy moved her arm, which hurt so bad she accidentally moaned softly. The sand was warm and felt good on her talons but it got between her scales, which was more annoying than anything.

Careful with every movement she made, she managed to stand on all four talons. She was on a beach. But what beach? Poma beach was right next to Dragon Teeth rocks. She must be there. But when she turned around - every muscle in her body was sore - Candy didn't recognize the trees that should've been there. Instead of Emerald forest's fluffy green oak trees, long, slender trees with giant fan-leaves growing from only the tops of them stuck out of the ground.

What in the world!?

She stretched a bit, trying to get the soreness out of her muscles. She looked down, suddenly noticing the blood-stained sand underneath her. Was that . . . from me?

Blood had trickled and dried between the scales on her arms and she felt fresher blood on her shoulders.

"Perfect," she muttered. Honestly, the sight scared her, but what could she do on . . . an island?

She stretched her wings, preparing to take off as some sharp pain sliced through her shoulders and wings. She yelped, holding her wings close to her. She quickly checked them, making sure they hadn't been torn. Nope.

Could she swim?

The sea was clear and as calm as the sea got. Something in the distance caught her eye. A little black dot in the distance. At first, she thought, bird, but as it got closer, Candy realized with a flurry of joy, it was a dragon. As he neared the island, Candy realized with a cloud of butterflies that the dragon was Night.

She ignored the pain in her muscles for a moment, jumping up and down from excitement.

"Night!" her voice was slightly hoarse. "Night! I'm here!"

The closer he got, the happier she was. He circled above until he landed with a heavy thump on the sand. She threw her arms and wings around him, laughing with relief.

"Oh, I'm so glad you're here!"

He pulled away, melting the smile off her face.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm really glad you're okay too, Candy. But you have to promise me you'll never ever run away like that again."

Candy nodded quickly. She didn't want to run away like that again. Much good it did her.

"I - I'm so sorry if I worried you."

"It's fi-," he cleared his throat, "let's just get off this stupid island. Oh yeah, that was one of the reasons I'm so worried. This island doesn't exist."

"What?"

That sent a shiver up her spine, making the spines along her back and neck bristle.

"It's your turn to be human this time."

It hurt this time to turn human, that she blamed on her sore muscles. Night definitely seemed threateningly big as he loomed over her.

He said something in dragon, which came out like a chorus of growls and grunts.

"Oh, right," she walked over to him. He held out his talons, helping her onto his neck. his scales felt so smooth and glossy under her hands. He spread his wings, about to take off the ground, and was suddenly stopped.

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

"Why are you . . ." Candy noticed what he was pausing for. At the edge of the weird forest ahead of them stood a small crowd of - what Candy assumed to be - wood nymphs.

Woah. They're so . . . human-like.

Candy slid off Night, landing in the sand with a gentle thump before she approached the nymphs.

"Hi," she waved her hand, wondering if they understood English. A couple of them glanced at each other before returning their focus to her. The spoke to each other in a funny language. Night stepped forward, his spines bristling as he growled at them. Candy morphed into a dragon, pulling him away from the nymphs.

"Night! Don't scare them."

"Oh right, like transforming into a dragon isn't going to scare them at all."

Whoops. Candy turned back around, seeing the shocked faces of the little group of wood nymphs. She winced, turning back into her human form. Night poked her with his talon, shrugging (as well as a dragon can shrug).

She beckoned to him to copy her.

He shrank into his human form, leaning so close he was practically breathing the same air she was. He smelled like salty ocean air and oak trees.

"What are you doing!? We have to get off this island. Besides, we don't know that we can trust them . . ." he eyed the wood nymphs suspiciously.

As if on cue, one of them walked up carrying a very special fruit in hand. It was nothing like anything she'd seen before. The nymph looked her in the eyes, offering the fruit to her. The nymph cleared her throat.

"We . . . don't mean . . . to scare you. You can be . . . lizards if . . . it's more comfortable," she really struggled with that last word. Candy looked at Night hopefully. She was really hungry. Without warning, Night morphed into a dragon. Candy presently followed.

"This is exciting!"

"No, it's not."

"Think about it. If they try anything we'll just fly away or melt them with our fire breath or something."

"Easy for you to say! You can camouflage!"

"Night. Come on . . . aren't you even a tiny bit hungry?"

As if it was showing him it was in agreement with Candy, Night's stomach growled, provoking a smile from her.

"Fine," he said reluctantly. "But if anything happens, you're covering me too."

Candy happily agreed, then turned back to the wood nymph. She took the fruit from her. It was shaped like a lemon the size of a watermelon, covered in a pink, salmony color.

She popped it in her mouth. Sweet, yet tart gooey liquid filled her mouth. It was warm and thick. She smiled. Another nymph came up with an armful of the stuff, dumping it before the two dragons.

Night refused for about half an hour until he finally gave out and gobbled up an impressive amount of the fruit. The nymphs waved their arms in big motions towards the forest. Candy looked at Night, who shook his head, a tick pink syrup dripping out of his mouth.

Candy turned back to the nymphs and followed them into the forest.

Night complained behind her the whole walk.

"Candy, come on. Stop being so trusting. Candeeeeeeee."

She ignored him, happily following the nymphs through the forest. They came to a clearing, the ground was sandy and there were little mechanisms around. Candy gasped when she saw little nymph children playing together.

"How long have they been here?"

Night had his ears perked up. Something tugged at the back of Candy's mind but before she could explore it, the same nymph that had given her the fruit waved her to follow.

Candy cheerfully obliged. As they traveled further into the forest, she thought to herself about how courteous the nymphs were, despite what she'd heard about them.

What she'd heard about them. The fact that the island shouldn't exist but it did. The strange hospitality from the nymphs. A story popped into her head. One she'd heard a long, long time ago, about wood nymphs who rebelled against her parents, who - in return - sent them to a deserted island, far from land, where they'd be forgotten about and eventually turned into a myth.

She spun around to tell Night, but he wasn't there. Her heart skipped a beat. Suddenly something was thrown over her, and she was pulled to the ground.

She roared, clawing at the net that held her. She drew in a breath, letting the familiar fiery acid gather at the back of her throat when something pricked the side of her neck, right between her scales. She blew out the fiery blast, but it was too late. The world was already fading away.

***

Candy awoke with a start. She'd gotten way too much sleep on this island. She stood up, hitting her horns on something above her. She growled angrily, pulling her tail over her back talons. Why hadn't she listen to Night when he'd tried to warn her!? Why had she been so-

She realized with a start that she was in a metal cage. But how? Where had the nymphs gotten metal of all things?

She tried to open her mouth, but something held it firmly shut. She scratched at the metal band, trying in vain to get it off. A noise made her jump, drawing her attention to it. Right next to her, in a cage of his own sat Night. He was glaring at her, sitting in his cage with his tail folded over his talons.

Candy tried to offer her apology, but it came out as, "Nnn srrra."

Night puffed out a cloud of smoke through his nostrils.

"You're awake!" A voice startled them, pulling their heads towards it. An especially large nymph with long, green hair was walking towards their cages. She wore an ever angry smug expression all the way there.

"I'm so very lucky to have such fine dragons."

Candy and Night simultaneously growled, their spines rising in the air. Candy didn't try to stop the red that flared through her scales.

The nymph let out a nasty snicker.

"Oh, please. This is your own fault. Here's what you're going to do. You," she pointed to Candy, "are going to fly us across the sea and take us home to finally get our revenge."

What makes you think I'd ever do that, stupid block of wood?

Candy realized with a jolt something she'd completely looked over. She - in her dragon form - was talking to a nymph. How?

"I know what you're thinking, but don't you worry. We have that part all sorted out."

Candy didn't get time to wonder what before a yelp emerged from Night. A smallish nymph with a long, multiple thronged spear jabbed Night in his side. Candy banged against the side of her cage angrily. The wood nymph laughed. drawing her attention back to her.

"That tiny little spear isn't even the whole threat," Candy sized up the space between the bars. I can fit through there, as a human. She let herself relax for a tiny second, letting herself become human again. But nothing happened. Panic swelled inside Candy's chest, making her throat tight. The nymph seemed to read her mind.

"Can't turn human, can you? Well, not that it'll change anything but I'll tell you about my little trick. Remember that fruit you and your buddy gobbled up? After you switched forms we realized you weren't all dragon so we decided we'd keep it that way. That fruit is called Mau Loa fruit. It will keep you as a dragon form for a few hours. Just enough to get us to the mainland.

  "And your friend?" she nodded towards Night. His eyes were wide. "We gave him a special something called poison. You have twelve hours before he's dead. If you don't do what we say, he'll never get the antidote, so, start thinking."

She didn't move, waiting for Candy to agree. Ugh, this is impossible! And all my fault! She looked at Night, trying to convey as sorry as she felt through her eyes, shifting her scales to a guilty green to make it clear. He shook his head slightly.

Don't do this.

It's for you this time, she let her scales turn back into their normal colors.

"Try any of that funny business and he never gets the antidote."

Candy nodded, waiting patiently for her to open the door. The nymph nodded towards the side of her cage, where Candy suddenly noticed the nymph standing there.

She glared at Candy as she pulled open the door.

Candy carefully stepped out, escape plans flooding her thoughts. But she wasn't going to try anything. She'd done enough to Night already. The big nymph snorted, jabbing her head back. A group of smaller nymphs emerged from the trees, slinging a saddle-harness thing over Candy's back and neck. They quickly tightened it.

"By the way, you only slept for about twenty minutes. The Mau Loa fruit lasts exactly four hours so I wouldn't try turning back any time soon."

Candy growled, letting a deep red flash over her scales.

The big nymph gathered a group of about ten others.

"See, I don't know if you've been told, but the current queen and king of Nigintia are the reason for all of this. Do you understand?" She talked as nymphs filed on, one after another, "No - how could you. See, they didn't like our little, peaceful, quiet village that was next to Nigintia so what did they do? Kill us off, leaving the leaders last, so that we'd always carry the losses with us. Then, as if killing everyone we loved wasn't enough, they spat us out on a tiny little island, with no way of getting back home."

Candy growled deep in her throat, tempted to shake the nymphs off her back. The big nymph climbed on last, sitting at the base of Candy's neck. They'd tied a pair of vines around Candy's horns so they could tell her where to go.

"Now, go."

Candy took a few steps through the forest until she felt her horns being tugged back.

"Why aren't you flying!?"

She snorted, looking up into the trees to show them. The nymph said nothing, and she continued on.

By the time they reached the beach, it was noon. Candy recognized the beach as the one she'd washed upon. Maybe these nymphs really did know what they were doing.

She started panicking but tried to hide it. If they thought she was trying to escape - which she kind of would be - they'd never give her Night's cure.

She reached the edge of the sand, taking a deep breath.

"Now, dragon shifter. Fly," She thought she could feel the nymph kicking her legs against her neck, but since the nymphs were so small, it was barely noticeable. Candy growled again before spreading her wings. The weight of the nymphs hardly amounted to anything, but all the same, it bothered her.

With a powerful flap, she took to the air.