Fire Islands: Epilogue: The Endless Wait

I'm almost done with The Fire Islands! I didn't think it would take this long. Fifteen days. And I think my next one will probably be longer. All right, but I'm getting in head of myself here. First the epilogue.

Epilogue

The Endless Wait

    Flicker shifted on the sun-baked rock. The wounds from the venom still gave off the slight impression that they were burning, but they were much better than before. The sun shone down, numbing the pain slightly. She closed her eyes and sighed. It felt like some part of her had left with the Pyrrian dragons. They had flown off a few days ago, with promises that they would return someday.

    Flicker had been watching the sunrise, waiting for the sun to return. She had heard someone behind her and turned.

    "Hey," Tsunami had said. "Feeling any better?"

    Flicker had sighed. "A little. But not much. It'll help when the sun rises."

    "You know, we have to leave today."

    "Yeah. I know." They had sat in silence, before Flicker said, "Visit me?"

    "Of course. I couldn't forget this place if I tried."

    Flicker giggled. "Are you mad I didn't tell you about being a princess?"

    Tsunami shrugged. "No. I'm a princess too. Although honestly that doesn't really compare to being princess of some long-lost group of islands who recently were constantly under attack by some weird monster snake."

    "Until the princess of some long-lost continent who recently had no idea we existed came along."

    "True. True." Tsunami grinned at Flicker. "Although I couldn't have done it without the princess of some long-lost group of islands."

    Flicker grinned back. "Are Glory and Sunny ready for the flight?"

    "I think Sunny is. Glory would do it even if it meant drowning."

    Wincing, Flicker said, "Maybe I should send someone with you."

    "Eh. We'll be fine. I can swim."

    Flicker held open her talons. Resting on her palm was the golden coin Tsunami had signaled the village with. She pressed it into Tsunami's talons. "Here. Use this to contact me with. Flash it three times, not two."

    "What does three times mean?"

    "It doesn't mean any group of words. More like a reminder to show them that you're still there."

    And that was how Flicker ended up sitting on the peak where she had met the Pyrrian dragons, waiting. Waiting. Waiting. She had promised herself that if necessary she would wait until the end of time. And even then, her spirit would keep on waiting. Her wait would be endless. And sometimes, on the clearest days, when Flicker's eyesight was sharpest, she thought, or maybe it was just her imagination, that maybe three distant flashes would come from out to sea.

    Flicker smiled. It was Tsunami. She raised her lightning scale, what the SunWings called their golden arm scale, and flashed back three times. She was still here. She was still waiting. This would be her endless wait.

Keep an eye out for my next Stories from Burundi story: Smuggler, following three Pantalan dragons who try to escape their endless life of abuse to the home of Clearsight, the Distant Kingdoms.