It had been a couple weeks since Jing had left the mansion where she had once been prisoner. She had avoided every possible contact with others since then and just wandered around, only going into town to steal some food and money to survive. She was just walking towards the end of the town now, carrying a couple granola bars and fruits in a bag and eating an apple as she looked around the town in silence.

Jing continued to walk for some time, looking up at the sky. Atleast it was nice out and she didn’t have to worry about that. After a couple hours though walking through the hills the sky grew dark and the wind picked up at an alarming rate, rain pelting down and thunger booming above. Running at full speed to find a shelter the girl finally found a cave enterance, just as the hail started to comedown. As she got inside the shelter she fell to her knees, breathing hard and body trembling a little as water dripped down her body. “Pothoc kepesk…” She muttered quietly.

The storm raged on outside, and with a boom of thunder the cave shook, a landslide sealing off the entrance and driving Jing deeper into it.

Jing cried out in surprise as the loud noise, running back into the cave more and coughing at the dust and dirt that had been brought into the air. “T…Ti bensvelk…” She muttered, looking around the dark cave as she took off her hat and rung out the water.

She was submerged in deep darkness, the sound of rain and hail muffled, even the thunder seeming distant though she could feel it in the vibrating rocks. Slowly, as her eyes grew accustomed to the darkness, she could see a soft reddish gold glow coming from deeper in the cave.

Jing blinked confused at the glow, slowly standing and walking towards it in silence. Her heart was still beating hard in her chest from all the running but it was calming finally.

As she went deeper the glow intensified, though it stopped growing before it became too bright. As she rounded a corner she saw a large rock blocking the way. It was this rock that glowed, a transparent amber color. In its center there was a young rakune figure of a female, seemingly floating in her rocky prison.

Jing looked at the rock in shock, bringing a hand forward to touch it. What was going on here? What was this?

The rock pulsed as she touched it, but nothing else changed. The surface of the rock was hard but smooth, and oddly warm.

Jing pulled back for a moment, looking at the rock nervously before placing her hand back on it, looking at the rakune. “Svabol ui nomeno?” She muttered quietly.

The rock glowed brighter as she spoke, the glow growing suddenly, becoming blinding in intensity.

Jing cried out in shock, stumbling back to the ground and covering her eyes.

There was a soft humming noise as the brightness engulfed her, then as suddenly as it had grown, the light was gone completely, silence restored in the cave.

Jing whimpered quietly, slowly bringing her hands down from her eyes and looking around confused. What had just happened?!

She could not see in the sudden absolute darkness following the light, but she could sense the air had shifted; the rock was no longer in front of her.

Jing waited for a moment nervously, before slowly standing and walking towards where the rock had been hands in front of her to feel in front of her.

There was nothing to feel, but as she walked she suddenly kicked at something soft on the floor, tripping her in the darkness.

Jing let out a surprised yelp, falling forward to the ground face first, whimpering quietly.

There was a small grunt of discomfort from what had tripped Jing, and she felt movement beneath her, a groan, and the form finally shifted out from under Jing.

Jing whimper again before quickly moving back away from whatever else had moved, and stumbled back agents a wall. “S…Svaust ui mobi…? Who is there?”

The other figure sat up, muttering slightly, then grumbled. Finally there was a sigh, “Shirak…” An orb of light appeared above the girl’s hand, palm upward. It was the female that had been in the rock. She blinked slightly, looking towards Jing. “Hmm…”

Jing blinked in surprise as she saw the rakune, but said nothing, frozen to the wall in shock. What was going on?!

The girl smiled. “You are the one that freed me?” She asked.

Jing swallowed the lump in her throat before nodding “I…It looks like it… Who…Who are you?”

“You can call me Leria.” She said, stretching her legs with a content sigh as she ‘hung’ the orb in the air to do the same with her arms. She smiled, “Feels good to be able to move again.”

Jing watched her in silence for a moment, confused as to what was going on. “What were you doing in that rock…?”

“Well not much.” She said. “Just hanging around.” She laughed at her own joke.

Biting her lip a little Jing watched the rakune nervously. “No… Why were you in that rock? Why were you locked up?”

“Oh…” Leria hummed, looking away. “Not sure.”

“Don’t believe you…” Jing muttered quietly, looking around the cave again, hoping that now that the rock was gone there was somehow another exit out of this cave.

Leria’s ears flicked, turning to stare at the other rakune again. “You’re frightened? You think I was locked up because I was bad…. evil?”

Jing nodded a little “That’s normally why someone is locked up…”

“I would say I was sealed away, not exactly locked up.” She said. “What if you were sealed away by someone evil?”

“How do I know you’re not the evil one here?” Jing asked, her voice showing just how nervous she was. She just wanted to get out. Now.

“How do you know I am not?” She countered. “And it seems we are trapped in here together, aren’t we?” She mused, looking at the wall that had been behind the rock that contained her just moments before.

“I don’t. But I prefer not taking chances…” Jing muttered quietly. She didn’t want to take the risk of getting killed… again.

Leria looked suddenly very interested, leaning forward to study Jing closer. “I told you my name… and yet you have not told me yours.”

Jing looked back at Leria nervously, trying to move back more but she was already agents a wall. “It’s Hesjing…”

Leria smiled, “Such a simple name… is there a reason you are called that?”

She shook her head slowly “N…No… Why?”

“Well, do you not command water then?” She asked, curious.

She looked up at Leria in shock. Wait… how did she know?! “No… I don’t.”

Leria grinned enigmatically, “Ah… so you are just randomly named after it?”

Jing bit her lip a little nervously, how did she realize that? No one on the mainland knew her language… or what the word she used as her name actually met.

Leria chuckled, “How very interesting.”

“What is interesting? I didn’t say anything.” Jing pointed out, looking at Leria nervously. Something really didn’t feel right about this rakune.

“Your name.” Leria grinned.

Jing watched her confused, blinking a couple times. “… Wux re zi bvecko.” She finally said, wanting to see if this other really knew her people’s language.

“Si vucot.” She replied with a small laugh. “Zyak re wux.”

Jing blinked in horror. This… had been the first time she had heard someone else speak her language since she had been banished.

“Wux annish lakinae.” Well, more like scared shitless, but anyways, “Tepoha wux ti nymuer xanalre renthisj persvek zyak kiarf klewar?”

Jing slowly shook her head “Wux re wer bwoihj ekess renthisj nomeno xanalre persvek eorikc de svabol si nymuer.”

Leria smiled, she had not heard it in much longer than that… “Svanoa confn wux ekess renthisj coi?”

Jing bit her lip a little, still watching Leria “Shio di sia hivis renthisj coi. Yth vucot coi ghoros nomeno lyrik thaczil xanalre.”

Leria looked very surprised at this, and studied Jing closer. She didn’t LOOK like a shape-shifting dragon, nor did she have the aura of one… “Svaust re douta hivis?”

Jing watched her expression confused, trying to move back again but again, useless. “Nomenes svaust waph shafaer vi tolgalen. Ti de nomeno thaczil. Coi ui karif de tenpiswo persvek wer qumadosfan.”

Leria hummed with interest. “Si ocuir.” She moved on her hands and knees towards Jing, moving up closer to Jing, eyes staring into the girl’s.

Jing froze in fear as the rakune came closer, unable to move her eye’s gaze away.

Leria smiled as she brought her face up level with Jing’s. “The spell that kept me in that rock could only be broken by someone who spoke in draconic.” She said, reverting to the common tongue. “I do not think he who imprisoned me foresaw you and your kind though.”

Jing whimpered a little at her words, ears pinned back on her head. “Why do you call it that? Is that the first language’s original name? Who… locked you up?”

“You do not call it that then” Leria pulled back only slightly. “Interesting… you intrigue me.”

“No…I’ve never heard it called that…” Jing explained, watching her, still very nervous.

“What do you call it?” She asked, not moving away.

“It’s just called the common language on the island… there is no proper name for it.” Jing explained. Why was this rakune still so close to her?!

“Take me to this island.” She said, smiling.

Jing just shook her head a little. “No.”

“Why not?” The rakune asked, tail flickering behind her.

Jing bit her lip but remained quiet. She couldn’t go back because of her banishment… but there was no way she was going to tell a complete stranger that.

Leria tilted her head to one side. “Why can you not return?”

Jing twitched as she heard that but still remained completely silent. She refused to talk about it.

“Very well, I suppose we all have our secrets…” She said, finally backing up, and sitting with her back against the wall. She turned to look again at Jing. “What else are you willing to tell me of yourself?”

Jing watched Leria for a minute before looking away. “You know my name. There is nothing else I want to tell you.” She muttered before pulling out one of the food bars and taking off the wrapping. It was a little wet from the rain, just like her cloths and fur still were, but it was nearly dry as she started to eat it. Good thing she stole some extra food… since she had no idea how to get out.

Leria watched the girl eat in silence, thoughtful, but not interrupting the girl’s meal, nor asking for any for herself, despite having just recently been freed from who knew how long.

Jing had no intention if sharing her little food. She had to save as much as possible. Stupid cave, stupid rocks and stupid storm. If she could still use her magic… she could easily get out of this place.

Leria smiled faintly as she watched Jing. “Are you hungry?” She asked.

“Obviously if I’m eating right now…” Jing muttered as she continued to eat the bar slowly, making sure not to waste a crumb.

“Will that bar be enough to satiate you?” She asked.

“No, but its better then starving to death…” Jing answered quietly. She knew that first hand after all… starving to death… that was one of the hardest things to go through. Cause it took so much longer.

Oh-oh… now wasn’t THAT interesting… Leria leaned forward with an intent stare at the girl. “Would you like more food?”

Jing looked over at her nervously. Why did she keep staring?! “Of course. But if you haven’t noticed we are stuck in a cave.”

“Yes I did notice.” She chuckled, leaning back and waving a hand. A low table appeared before Jing with an assortment of food. Meat, vegetables steamed and fresh, mashed potatoes, a carrot cake and a pitcher of crystalline water.

Jing’s eyes widened in astonishment, mouth watering almost instantly at the smell. “How did you…” She muttered quietly.

Leria smiled faintly, just watching Jing with barely concealed amusement.

“Can I really eat this?!” Jing asked, almost expecting this to be some kind of illusion.

Leria chuckled, “Why don’t you find out for yourself?” She asked.

Jing was silent for a moment before moving to grab a plate and putting a bunch of meat and potatoes on it before eating quickly. The girl had for the most part lived off stolen fruit and granola bars. This was amazing to her!

The food was quite real and very, very tasty. Leria watched with a small grin as the other rakune ate, tail thumping the ground idly.

When Jing realized the food was indeed real she just started to eat more and fill her near empty stomach.

Leria’s eyes closed slightly, as if falling asleep. Her gaze was still on Jing though.

Jing ate till she was full, sighing happily. That was so good! She looked over to the other rakune to thank her but kept silent as she seemed to be asleep. She then moved back agents the wall, looking around the cave. Well… at least she wouldn’t starve now… at least for a while. But how would she get out of here?

Leria smiled again, as the table and the remains of the food disappeared. “Satisfied now?” She asked.

Jing jumped in surprise as everything disappeared and she looked over at Leria, nodding slowly. “Yes… Thank you. But… Why didn’t you eat anything?”

Leria sighed, “That food will not satisfy my stomach.” She said quietly.

Jing blinked confused at that “What do you mean? What do you eat…?”

Leria shook her head. “No matter. I think we should rest. The storm still rages outside.” She peered at Jing. “Do you trust me more now?” The girl did seem more relaxed after the meal.

“How do you know the storm is still going?” She asked confused and bit her lip a little. “Well… a little yes… since you gave me that food…”

Leria smiled, “It was the least I could do, and you did free me after all.” She said, and then looked up. “I can feel it.”

Jing was still very confused but finally she yawned. She was so tired… and the food just made her more so.

Leria moved to lay down, stretching out leisurely. “Good night, Jing.” She said.

“Night Leria…” Jing muttered, still sitting up and bringing her knees close as she hugged them, resting her head down on her knees. Yawning once more she closed her eyes, tail curling up around her as she started to fall asleep.

“Dumak.” Came Leria’s voice in a soft whisper, as the orb of light disappeared, and darkness enveloped them.