"A falling star?" Saira whispered, stopping in her tracks.
The light did not fade. Instead, it crashed into the earth a few kilometers ahead of her.
BOOM!
The ground shook violently, knocking Saira to her knees. A pillar of light shot up from the impact site, illuminating the desert for a brief moment. Then, the light vanished, leaving a cloud of smoke rising into the night.
Curiosity fought with fear in Saira's heart. That was close to Solis, she thought. I have to pass it anyway.
She moved carefully toward the crash site. As she got closer, the air felt strange. It crackled with energy, making the hair on her arms stand up. It smelled like ozone and old rain.
She reached the top of a large dune and looked down. Below her, in a crater of glass and melted sand, something was moving.
It was not a meteorite.
It was a beast.
a Dragon.
Saira covered her mouth to stop a scream. The creature was magnificent and terrifying. It had scales that shimmered like pearls and a long, serpentine neck. But it looked weak. It let out a low, sad cry that sounded like a whale song, echoing through the empty desert.
As Saira watched, the dragon began to glow. Its form shimmered and shrank. The massive wings dissolved into light. The long tail faded away. The light became blindingly bright, forcing Saira to look away.
When the light faded, the dragon was gone.
In the center of the crater, lying on the cooling sand, was a boy.
Saira blinked, not believing her eyes. She slid down the side of the dune, her boots kicking up sand. She ran toward the figure.
"Hello?" she called out cautiously. "Are you... are you hurt?"
The boy did not answer. He was lying on his side, curled up. He was naked. His hair was a strange, vibrant blue color, unlike anyone Saira had ever seen.
Saira stopped a few feet away. She took off her cape, her face turning red. She approached him slowly. "Here," she whispered. "You will be cold."
She gently placed the cape over him.
The boy stirred. His eyes opened.
Saira gasped. His eyes were not human. They were vertical slits, glowing with a faint golden light, like the eyes of a reptile. He looked at Saira, then at his own hands, then at the sky. He looked confused, like a newborn baby seeing the world for the first time.
"Can you understand me?" Saira asked softly, kneeling beside him. "My name is Saira. What is your name?"
The boy sat up slowly, the cape sliding down his shoulder. He looked at Saira with intense, empty eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He frowned, touching his throat.
"You... do not know?" Saira asked.
The boy shook his head slowly. He looked at the vast desert around them, at the moon, and then back at Saira. He reached out a hand, his fingers trembling, and touched the fabric of her sleeve. It was a gesture of pure curiosity.
"Al..." the boy croaked. His voice was rough, unused.
"Al?" Saira repeated encouragingly.
"Al... den," he whispered. The word seemed to come from deep within him, a memory that was not quite a memory. "Alden."
"Alden," Saira smiled kindly. "That is a good name. Are you from the sky, Alden?"
Alden looked up at the stars. A flash of pain crossed his face. He held his head with both hands and let out a small whimper.
"It is okay," Saira said soothingly. She stood up and offered him her hand. "You are safe now. But we cannot stay here. It is dangerous. Can you walk?"
Alden looked at her hand. He hesitated, then reached out and took it. His skin was burning hot to the touch. He stood up, unsteady on his legs, wrapping Saira's cape around his body like a toga.
"Come," Saira said, leading him toward the distant lights of a town that were just becoming visible on the horizon. "We are going to Solis. Maybe we can find some answers there."
Alden followed her silently, his golden eyes scanning the darkness, wondering why the world felt so small, and why his heart felt so heavy.
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The town of Solis rose from the desert like a fortress made of bones and mud. It was an oasis town, a small island of life in the sea of dead sand. A high wall surrounded the buildings to keep the wind and the monsters out. Inside, the town was alive with noise and light. Lanterns filled with glowing oil hung from every doorway, casting long, dancing shadows on the streets.
Saira pulled her hood down low over her face. She held Alden's hand tightly. Her palm was sweating, but his hand was cool and dry.
"Stay close to me," she whispered to him. "Do not look at anyone in the eye. And please, do not try to fly."
Alden nodded, though Saira was not sure if he understood. He looked at everything with wide, golden eyes. He stared at a merchant selling roasted lizards on a stick. He stared at a group of children playing with a ball made of rags. He even stopped to stare at a potted plant as if it were the most amazing thing in the world.
To the people of Solis, the pair looked strange. A small girl in a dusty travel cloak leading a tall, blue-haired young man wrapped in a woman's cape.
"We need to get you some clothes," Saira muttered, looking at Alden's bare legs sticking out from under the cape. "You stick out like a sore thumb."
They found a small stall selling second-hand clothes near the town gate. The merchant was an old man with skin like wrinkled leather. He was smoking a long pipe that smelled of sweet apple tobacco.
"Good evening, traveler," the merchant said, eyeing Saira's wings which were hidden under her cloak. "What can I do for you?"
"I need clothes for him," Saira said, pointing at Alden. "Something simple. Cheap."
The merchant looked at Alden. Alden looked back, unblinking.
"He is a tall one," the merchant grunted. He rummaged through a pile of fabric and pulled out a simple grey tunic and a pair of loose brown trousers. "These should fit. Five coins."
Saira bit her lip. She checked her pouch. She had money, but she needed to save it for the ship parts. "Three coins," she bargained.
"Four," the merchant countered, blowing smoke into the air. "And I will throw in a belt."
"Deal."
Saira paid the man and pushed the clothes into Alden's arms. "Put these on. Behind the stall. Go."
Alden tilted his head. He held the trousers up, looking confused. He tried to put them on his head.
"No, no," Saira sighed, her cheeks turning pink. She guided his hands. "Legs go in here. Arms go in there. It is not magic, Alden. It is just cotton."