Hayden hadn't heard from Zoe for close to four months, to say he was worried was an understatement. The last he heard from her was when they had decided to split up to cover more ground. They were to meet back at the specified location within a week, but she never turned up and neither did Sharpshot or Uri. He spent the first two months searching for her all over again, but just like last time, he had no success. He only stopped looking when Zeb told him he needed to keep doing his job as the fury rider, but he always kept an ear out for potential sightings of her. He tried reasoning with himself that she was fine, she hadn't used her whistle to call him like they had agreed if either of them got into trouble. He just had to believe that she wanted to be alone and that was the reason why she had disappeared. But he had thought that they were closer since the night a week after Zoe had left the Academy.

They had spent the following eight months together, roaming the world Below, freeing dragons and planning a way to bring down the hunters. Zoe had become as comfortable as she could around him, telling him things that were on her mind and revealing a completely different personality to the guarded girl that she used to be. She would joke around and had a quick wit, always making sarcastic comments at the least appropriate times. They had trained together, sparring each morning, Hayden only winning when Zoe was blindfolded. Hayden had also taught her fire bending, helping her to earn her fifth tattoo. They had gone back and visited Alice and Zeb a few times, Zoe fitting in more than ever with their now group of four. She had also befriended almost everyone in the village, becoming quite close with the baker's son, Mathew, which Hayden wasn't too pleased about but kept to himself nevertheless. They had run into Viggo a few times too. Each time Zoe would have a civilised conversation with the man as if they weren't trying to stop each other, but exchanging tips on how to be the best smart-arses they could, Hayden and Viggo's men standing around and exchanging exasperated looks. He smiled at the memory, she really was something else.

Hayden turned and threw the hammer he was mangling some scrap metal with across the forge and slumped into his chair, his head in his hands. Where had she gone? She wouldn't be choosing to stay away for this long without telling him. They had missed each other's birthdays too, her nineteenth and his twentieth. And he had never given her the dagger he had made all that time ago either, it was sitting wrapped in his desk drawer. Sighing, he got up and called Atlas so they could go for a flight, he need to get some fresh air and clear his head.

-o0O0o-

They had been flying for close to an hour when Atlas' ears perked up. "What is it, buddy?" Hayden asked.

"The whistle, I heard it," he responded, Hayden immediately tensing.

"How many?"

"Hang on, its very weak." After a few seconds Atlas heard a third whistle. He waited a little longer in case there was a fourth, but nothing else came. "It was three."

"We need to get to her, now! Atlas, where are you going?" Hayden asked, panicking.

"If they're in trouble, I think you'll need your armour and weapons."

-o0O0o-

They landed just over an hour later where Atlas had tracked the sound of the whistle, being able to pinpoint its location when it was blown. There was nothing there. "Zoe?" Hayden called, receiving no response. "Can you smell anything?" he asked his dragon.

"Blood."

"Where?" Hayden asked, starting to panic again. Atlas followed the scent until they came across a patch of upturned grass and dirt with blood stains. There was also the end of several broken arrows that had been snapped, the heads likely still buried in the victim. "Shit! Where did they go?"

"There's no other scent trails. I'm guessing Uri materialised here and then they left again," Atlas said in his head.

"Why didn't she just stay put?" Hayden said to himself, gripping his head and pacing.

"Maybe they were being followed?" Atlas suggested.

"Maybe," Hayden sighed sounding dejected. Atlas came over to him and nuzzled him, trying to comfort him.

"We'll find them."

She didn't know how long she had been locked up for, all she knew was that she had to get out, but with her dragon's life being threatened each time she was brought out of her cell to be 'questioned', she didn't dare try anything. Uri was being kept in a cage with Sharpshot somewhere underground, at least those two were together.

She had been captured by Drago and his men after making a decision that some would consider stupid and others would consider noble. She had been heading back to her meeting spot with Hayden when she saw a ship with one of the hunter crests, so obviously she went to release any dragons that were trapped inside. When she got below deck where the dragons were usually kept, she only found one cage occupied by a small boy who was huddled in the corner. She went up to the cage and called out to him, making him jump. She unlocked the cage and they were heading back to the main deck when she heard Uri screech in pain. Rushing forward, the young boy following behind her, she emerged onto the deck and was met with several bows pointed at her plus several swords. She could have made it out if she left the boy or chose not to protect him, but instead she shoved the boy behind her. Zoe was getting ready to fight her way out until the leader of the vessel held his axe above Uri's neck who was wrapped in bolas, Sharpshot in a cage. Long story short, she cooperated with them not wanting to risk the young boy's only chance at escape nor her dragon's life, their lives were tied together after all and she wasn't done yet.

She had been taken to Drago in the far north where she was beaten and tortured for information on how to control dragons, each time she refused to speak. The young boy who she learnt was called Remi and who was only 13, was kept in a cell opposite hers. Thankfully he was left alone by the hunters and Drago, they had a more interesting prisoner to play with. During the hours where they were left alone, Zoe would tell Remi stories, some of them true, some of them completely made up, keeping them both sane in their new world of pain, hunger and cold stone floors.

-o0O0o-

Zoe was being dragged outside to the main courtyard where executions and public torturing took place. The yard was surrounded by tall stone buildings, walls and watchtowers, keeping everyone in. She was covered in cuts and bruises from her most recent beating that took place only minutes ago, but instead of being taken back to her cell, she'd been taken outside. She was too weak to bend or use her ice, only being fed and watered just enough to keep her alive, so any attempts to break free would only result in another beating. She was dragged across the courtyard, dirt and dust being rubbed into her cuts and smearing across her skin until she was knocked temporarily unconscious by one of the guards. When she regained consciousness, she had been tied by her wrists to two wooden poles. She turned to the side and saw Drago walking towards her, a thick knotted whip in his hand, her stomach dropping in fear. He had threatened to whip her before but had never followed through with it, but it looked like he had had enough of her and was going to get rid of her.

"I should have done this a long time ago," he growled. "Bring out the dragons! Let them watch her die."

The first strike lashed across her lower back. It hurt, but it wasn't enough to make her cry out. The whipping continued, each one tearing her back open, shredding the skin, the first strike clearly just a warm up for Drago. She counted five, not letting out a sound until the sixth and final blow hit her, running from her right hip up to her left shoulder. She screamed when it struck, drawing a satisfied smile from Drago who kicked her before turning and walking away. "Tie her to the metal pole, there's a storm coming tonight," he ordered with a disturbing chuckle.

Zoe was untied from the wooden poles and strapped to a metal pole instead. She was in too much pain to move, let alone fight back. She could hear Uri screeching and feel blood running down her back and her legs, her wounds tearing further with the guards' rough handling of her as they secured her to the pole and raised her into the air, at least five meters up. She was left, tied to the pole as the storm clouds rolled in, drifting in and out of consciousness.

-o0O0o-

A few hours later, the thunder and lightening started alongside a light rain, waking Zoe up. The wind whipped around her, the combination of rain and wind numbing her limbs. She opened her eyes, squinting down into the dark where she saw Uri and Sharpshot, their cage having been left in the storm. The thunder and lightning intensified, the lightning strikes coming closer. Suddenly a thought occurred to her; they had tied her to a metal pole with metal chains in the middle of an electrical storm. She was going to get electrocuted. As soon as this realisation hit her, a lightning strike struck the watchtower a couple of hundred meters to her right, making her hair stand on edge. A few seconds later, her right shoulder felt like it had been lit on fire, the sensation coursing through her body, strongest down her right arm. She screamed, the pain not sending her into unconsciousness like she wanted it too. She didn't know how long it lasted, but she felt like she was being burnt from the inside out. After what felt like a lifetime, the pain slowly subsided before crashing over her all over again, this time, what she thought was lightning, bursting from her body, creating an explosion and breaking her bonds to the pole, her body crashing to the ground. She gave herself a few seconds to recover before forcing herself to her feet and rushing to the cage that held Uri and Sharpshot, releasing them.

"GO!" she yelled as she pulled their muzzles off them. "I need to get Remi. I'll call you once I've got him to come and get us." The two dragons struggled to take off as Zoe rushed back inside the building to the cells. On her way, she stopped by the storeroom that held her armour and weapons, grabbing a sack and stuffing it all in except one dagger which she carried in her right hand, her left arm half carrying and half dragging the sack. She met several guards on her way to Remi's cell, each time lightning bursting from her right hand unconsciously, killing the guards immediately. The lightning was scaring her but she had to keep going, each step she took tearing at her wounds on her back and her right arm and shoulder still burning. She reached Remi's cell, unlocking the door with her knife. "Come on, we're getting out of here. Here, take this," she said, handing him a second dagger. They raced through the jail, meeting more guards who met their demise just as quickly. With every guard she killed, Zoe felt sicker and sicker. Bursting outside into the courtyard, Zoe reached for her whistle, blowing into it with as much force as she could. Uri immediately landed next to them and crouched down to make it easier for Zoe and Remi to get on her back. Once they were on, Uri took off, struggling in the wind and from lack of strength. As they were passing over the wall, arrows started firing at them, most of the being blown off course but several hitting their mark in Uri's side and one in Zoe's left shoulder. With Zoe holding onto Remi tight who was holding Sharpshot and the sack and gripping the saddle, Uri fired a golden shot, creating a portal and dived through it, leaving the hellhole behind physically, but keeping the nightmares in their heads as unwanted souvenirs.

They crashed onto an island, sending dirt and grass everywhere. The four of them just lay there, Zoe reaching into her shirt and pulling out her whistle. She struggled to blow into it three times, but they needed help desperately. Zoe managed to crawl over to Uri, snapping the arrows so they wouldn't tear at her from the air resistance when they flew. She didn't remove the one in her left shoulder, her right arm was too sore to move. Thankfully, Remi hadn't been hurt in their escape.

"We need to go," Uri said in a weak voice in her head.

"Where?" Zoe coughed out. She was losing a lot of blood from her back.

"The city. They can heal us."

"I don't know if I have enough energy to open the gateway, can't we just wait for Hayden and Atlas?"

"We don't know if they heard your call or how long they'll be, and we'll be attracting dragons and other animals with your blood. You have to try, for all of us and for Remi," Uri whispered, hungry, sore and exhausted.

"Ok...I can try. But can you get us all in the air?"

"I can try," she said with a small dragony smile.

They got back up and climbed onto Uri's back who struggled to take off. Once they were in the air, Zoe summoned all of her remaining strength and put her arms out, her palms facing forwards, one in front of the other, creating a vertical circle of fast moving air. She struggled to make it move fast enough, but Uri was able to spot the few seconds when it was and dived through, Zoe slumping forwards in the saddle with exhaustion.

They crashed on the edge of the city near the training ring, people immediately rushing towards them. Zoe heard a few familiar voices, making her finally break down now that she was safe. "Zoe? Zoe!" She heard someone say. Gus. It sounded like Gus. "What happened? Oh gods... Someone get a healer! Zoe, stay with me." She was starting to slip between hysteria and unconsciousness. "Jacob, come and take the boy to the first aid wing," she heard Gus say.

"Gus?" She choked out.

"Shh, it's me, it's ok, you're ok," he soothed.

And then she started to cry. "I killed people. I killed people and I couldn't stop it. I don't even know how I killed them but I did-"

"Zoe, calm down. It's ok, we need to get you and Uri looked after, then we can talk, alright? Can you get up?"

Zoe tried to get up, but she couldn't put any weight on either arm because of the arrow in her left and the burning in her right. She collapsed back to the ground, her vision blurry from tears and blood loss. "Ok, just lie still and try to relax. We need to remove the arrow before we can move you," she heard in a muffled voice. Nothing was making any sense, she could only hear white noise, she couldn't see anything, her vision going between black and fuzzy, the pain being the only thing she was sure of. She cried out when she felt an intense pain in her left shoulder, she couldn't bare it anymore. She felt someone lift her up, sending waves of pain and nausea through her body making her yell out before everything went black.

-o0O0o-

She forced her eyes open, immediately closing them again when they were assaulted by light. Instead, she took in what she could with her other senses; she was lying on her stomach, her back and arm still stung but it was bearable, and she could hear heavy breathing that sounded like Uri. She tried opening her eyes again and saw Uri curled up in the corner of the room, still thin but putting weight back on the arrow wounds slightly red but healing well. Zoe turned her head to the other side and saw Amber slumped in a chair apparently asleep. She tried to get up but cried out in pain when she moved, waking Amber who rushed to her side. "You're awake, thank gods. You need to stay on your stomach, your back still hasn't healed enough. Here," Amber said, holding a cup of water with a wooden straw so Zoe could drink, and drink she did, she was incredibly thirsty.

"Thanks. Where's Remi?"

"He and Sharpshot are with Jacob."

"How is he?"

"He's getting better, he's still a bit jumpy and doesn't like crowds but he's much more trusting than when you guys got here." Zoe just nodded, relieved that he was alright.

"How long have I been out?" she asked.

"Six days-"

"Six days!"

"Hey, relax. Its ok. I'll go and get you some broth, you shouldn't eat anything else just yet, and I'm sure Uri will want to make sure you're alright now that you're awake."

"I'm sorry, and thank you."

"It's ok, I'll be back in a few minutes," Amber said, disappearing out the door.

"Well this seems familiar," Uri said, not moving from her position on the floor.

"Shut up. How are you feeling?"

"Better, these healers can work wonders. Not quite as good as your water healing, but close. What about you?"

"I've been better." Uri gave her an unamused look. Zoe could see the lecture coming so she decided to change topic. "Hey, where's the sack that had my stuff in it?"

"It's in your room at the house," Uri responded, Zoe trying to nod in thanks.

-o0O0o-

The following couple of weeks went by at a snail pace for Zoe. She couldn't move without pain shooting through her body, her back and right arm still bandaged. When she first saw her right arm, she recoiled. It was covered in red scars that started at the top of her shoulder and ran down her arm, a few thin lines reaching the back of her hand, the healer called it Lichtenberg; she had been struck by lightning. Zoe hadn't seen the scars on her back yet, and she didn't think she wanted to. She had also acquired a new tattoo, a lightning bolt, although she suspected it was to do with the lightning that was exploding out of her at Drago's camp, she didn't yet know how to control it. The head healer guessed that it was because her body hadn't rejected the lightning like most living things, but it had absorbed it, a legend that was only talked about amongst young children playing imaginary games.

Remi came to see her each day for a few hours and would then disappear with Jacob who was training him to fight and defend himself. They were only doing basics and they wouldn't train for long as Remi was still recovering from being practically starved and had almost no muscle on his tiny frame.

Uri would stay with her all day, only going out to eat and go for a flight, again to regain her strength that she lost whilst being locked in the tiny cage where she could only stand or lie down.

At the end of the third week that Zoe was awake, she was finally able to walk far enough to get outside and be allowed to go home and be with Amber, Jacob, their parents and Remi. She would need her bandages on her back changed twice a day, but the bandage on her arm had come off and the scars were beginning to fade to a pale pink.

Each day, Zoe would work on regaining strength so by the time her back was healed enough, she would be able to swing a sword and start training again properly. Gus would help her every day, making sure that she wouldn't overdo it and just being there for moral and physical support. She was currently sitting with her legs dangling over a cliff that overlooked the ocean, similar to the one on the island where Alice and Zeb lived. Uri was sleeping in the sun not too far behind her, Sharpshot lying on top of Uri, the three of them enjoying the open spaces and the warmth from the sun. Ever since her imprisonment, Zoe couldn't be in small, confined spaces and neither could Remi, Uri or Sharpshot.

Zoe heard someone approaching her; turning around she saw Gus who came and sat next to her, dangling his legs over the cliff. "You going ok?" he asked her, staring out to sea.

"The nightmares won't let up but I guess that will take time," she responded. "My hands keep sparking lately too."

Gus turned to look at her before responding, "the energy will be building up. All energy that builds up inside us, like static energy say, usually leaves our bodies when we are grounded. My guess is that for you now, that energy will try and leave your body in the form of electrical energy. If the legends are true, it means that if you don't release it, it will burst from you, and if you don't have enough, you will become very lethargic, and if you don't allow yourself to regain that energy, you will most likely die."

"So I'm a walking electrical socket, great..."

"An electrical what?" Gus asked, confused.

"Nothing, its something from the world of Grey."

"Ah ok. Anyway, again, if the legends are true, you should also be able to direct electrical energy if its nearby, but you can't create energy from nothing. As for the nightmares, all I can do is be here for you when you need me. You have Amber and Jacob and their parents too, remember."

Zoe just nodded, the two of them sitting in comfortable silence for a while. After several minutes, Gus spoke again, "I don't want you leaving until you can defend yourself again and the wounds on your back stop weeping."

"Fair enough." After another few minutes, Zoe brought up the thing that had been eating away at her for weeks. "Gus?"

"Hm?" Gus responded, turning to face her, searching her eyes.

"I killed people," she said quietly, her eyes beginning to water. "I killed so many guards and I couldn't help it. I let you down, I let-"

"Hey, listen to me," Gus cut her off before she would reach hysteria again. "It's not your fault, hear me?"

"But-"

"It was the lightning that killed them, yes?"

"Yes, but-"

"No, no buts. It wasn't your fault. It was the hunters who tied you to that pole. They did this to you, it is their fault that they died. You wouldn't have been able to control the lightning, let alone consciously use it to kill someone. You have not let me down, nor anyone else."

"But I feel terrible, I can't sleep at night because of it."

"And that's not a bad thing. It shows you're a good person and that you didn't mean to kill them. The guilt will fade as you come to terms with what happened, but never blame yourself. We train you to not actively kill, but it is a last resort, and so be it. Sometimes, we have to chose between two lives and the only thing that overcomes self-preservation is love. Promise me you won't blame yourself?"

"I'll try," Zoe trailed off.

"And that's all you can do," Gus smiled. "Just know, no one will think any less of you in this circumstance."

-o0O0o-

Her back was finally allowing her to train with weapons again. She couldn't move as fast as she could before, but at least she was able to regain some muscle strength. Zoe had been teaching Remi more advanced water bending to what he already knew each day for the past two weeks, Jacob and Amber joining in with weapons training. He had come a long way; he hadn't mastered water bending yet, but that was to be expected after only a few weeks of training. Remi had come from one of the more isolated water bending villages that had been destroyed by Drago. His parents had been killed and his older brother taken as a slave. Remi had managed to escape but was later captured by the same hunters that Zoe was. Remi and Zoe had become even closer since they were no longer separated by bars, Remi regularly going to Zoe during the night when he had had a particularly bad nightmare. Zoe was yet to tell anyone what had happened verbally, but she had been able to show Amber, Jacob, their parents and Gus her memories by using a tricky piece of water bending that allowed her to create images in the water by reflecting light. She hadn't done anything of the sought since, wanting to try and push it to the back of her mind.

-o0O0o-

It took two months and nine days. Two months and nine days from their escape for them to return to the world Below. Zoe had strict orders to lie low and avoid engaging in anything that could result in her reopening her wounds from the healers, although Gus knew that these orders would not be followed as soon as Zoe saw a human or dragon in danger. Remi was coming with her, he wanted to go back to the world Below to try and start over. Zoe had decided that they would go to see Alice and Zeb first and hopefully Hayden would be there. Zoe wanted to ask them if Remi could stay with them until he was old enough to make it on his own, something Remi was not opposed to. Zoe was wearing her armour, just like last time, with the addition of a pair of gloves covered in Uri's scales to hide the few scars that had made it to her right hand. Remi was wearing leather armour that was made for him, along with a sword. Sharpshot was wrapped around Zoe's shoulders, Zoe's two bags and Remi's few belongings strapped to Uri's saddle. They wouldn't be able to travel large distances with the extra weight so they would have to rely on Uri's portals.

"Take care, and the next time you come back, I'd prefer it if you weren't delirious from blood loss," Gus smiled, pulling Zoe into a gentle hug, conscious of her back. Just like last time, the goodbyes took a decent amount of time, Remi getting his fair share of attention as well.

Just as they were about to take off, Jacob called out to Zoe, "take care of our new brother!"

"I will if you take care of our sister," she smiled.

"Deal."