- Whisperpeak Academy for Wayward Dragons - Ch.13 P.4 - Dying Tears -

Instructions

(+)curled inwards like her hands as the painfully precise words melted away in front of her eyes. The smoldering sides that twinkled ember orange began to fall off, and the last of the research billowed to the ground, in ashes. Iris slid onto her knees, the bandage Oliver had carefully twirled around all her wounds already bled through and now blackened from her fire stunt. She twitched as tears trickled off her cheeks and into the meager gray remains, clearing a fire that no longer existed. Her hands were now shaky and charred, no longer expressing the power they did when she had begun her destruction. The tears quickening on her cracked skin, she bunched the ashes and fragments and cried into them. Oliver kept his distance. We all did. Her sobs racked the air like a wild animal thrashing and clawing open our throats. Slowly, though, she drifted up. She hid her face, although we already saw the damage. And she left. No one stopped her as she padded through the house without an introduction, slumped into a room, and stayed there. "Well," Shortie slunk into the doorway with a start. "Don't... She just…." Oliver's voice was dry. He massaged his forehead thoughtfully. "I'll take care of it. You all have a lot to unpack. Us dragonets don't." Everyone nodded in solemn unison that made me shiver and dispersed. "I'm guessing you would like for me to go, too?" I mumbled. Oliver dipped his head. His ginger curls were dulled in the dim lamp lights, making them look more like curved fiery shadows encasing his forehead, darkening his eyes. "That would be best, yes." I swallowed, feeling like the clingy one now. "Will she be alright? I feel bad about Alex, - and everyone, really - being so hard on her. Something seems really wrong this time. She was never like this back at the academy. Nah, but you are the doctor. I'll just mess something-" "Adrian, I can't say nor promise to know what's going on. I wish you could help. But-" he paused as something slammed in the room Iris ran into. "-Just go and try to relax. I really appreciate you coming here and everything. You could've chosen to just stay at the academy." I smiled weakly as a muffled crash sounded again. "Couldn't leave you to brood about life alone, hm?" Oliver smiled back and walked towards the room. -------------------------------------------------------- Gosh, I was just now realizing how familiar mystery rooms and an insane Iris were. The door was barely ajar compared to when she had originally dove into it. She'd fallen into the shadows back at the lab, and ever since, they crept a step behind her in pursuit: It was an ominous way to put it, but so true. "Princess? Are you doing-" "No! She- she's gonna kill you! Get away!" A terrified Iris was shivering on a raggedy bed. As I reached for the light switch, her cries grew stronger. "Stop! She's right next to you! The light gives her power- Olive-" with a gentle click, the room was soaked in a cheap yellow light. The casual plainness of the guest quarter made every muscle in my body loosen. She was still trembling, though. Her tattered hands covered her tear-stricken face and her arms were streaked with nail marks and torn bandages. "She's still here… Hiding… Darkness makes her angry. She'll come out… Any second…" I approached her slowly, but still with a pace that I hoped said "I'm not scared". "I'm a monster. She's a monster. They're all monsters. And they are everywhere. Everywhere, Oliver. You should leave." Her legs crossed as she cowered into a ball, falling on her side and shaking her head at invisible people. "Who is 'She', Princess?" "Me! Me, dangerous me. I have clones. Did I ever tell you that? Hah, of course I didn't. I was busy being a danger to Skygale, inconveniencing my friends-" "Princess, tell me, who is-" "The Infinity! That's what it is! It's my spirit. It's been trying to get out for forever. It's to its limits. It's putting its frustration on me." I silently made my way to her, till I was sitting right beside her. She didn't acknowledge me as she tried to shield her center further. She flinched at invisible limbs groping along her sides, clamped her hands over her ears to block silent whispers. I could feel the spirit's magic traces all over her, and it made a protective part of my heart thud angrily. I pulled Iris up and hugged her, only caring about getting my arms around her and away from that beast. "Tell me how I can help, Princess." I whispered. Her breath was easing. It made me feel bubbly, knowing I could do that for her. "Just… Hold me. For a little. I have a lot on my mind… I'm in a war with myself." Her movements became calmer as she wriggled into my touch. "And when I say that, it's beyond metaphorical. I'm insane in every single way, and that's hard to accept." She sounded so close to tears, again. I(+)