Draikan: The World of Dragons

~ 43 ~

~ Chapter Forty Three ~

Growing up, I had to make a lot of decisions. However, none were as difficult as the one I'm trying to make right now.

Should I walk through the portal and risk my life? I really want to make the jump through that twisted hole. But I'm just too scared. I've suffered so much the last few weeks, that I'm terrified to just gamble my life away.

I looked at Kaeden to my right. He stared ahead, where the fairies were. To me, it looked like he didn't want to turn my way.

To my left, Xenon stared ahead as well. Libelle, on the other hand, met my gaze with such aggression. I can see the frustration behind her brown eyes. Her hands curled in fists at her side.

"Well? What do you want?" She angrily spat out. Why is she so mad?

I flinched at her tone. "I don't know."

That was the truth. I honestly don't know what I want.

"Well I do," she said as she turned to Xenon. "I married you because I loved you at one point. But then I went through the painful process of turning into a monster. Then carried and birthed your little demon. Eventually I was forgotten in this world where everyone only cares about their carnal desires. If it's not violence, it's sex. And if it's not sex, it's death. I'm tired of it all! I had no one. So I've succumbed to my role as a meek leader who did all the chores with the other women. Guide them to be submissive.

We're precious? Yes. But only to breed like common animals to keep your dying species alive."

Libelle began to walk closer to me with angry tears pouring out from the corners of her eyes. "Suddenly you show up. Something impossible happened. Just like Elvenia said, I was the last to come before they blocked the passages through space and time.

There must have been a way to go back. So I made a deal."

Kaene snapped his head to his mother with a look of horror. He took a step closer to her and asked, "Mother. What did you do?"

I glanced quickly over to Xenon and noticed how hurt he looked. I kinda felt bad for the old guy. However, neglecting his partner soon after she delivered her marital duties was cold. No woman should be forgotten or treated the way she was treated.

Libelle walked past us and got closer to the portal. "I regretted choosing the illusion of love over the comfort and happiness of home. I should have fought harder like you Kaida."

Xenon finally gasped in fear and held his hand out. "Libelle don't get any closer to that!"

I instinctively stepped back in fear. Xenon's voice was loud and strong. It held authority. Even Kaene backed up.

Libelle looked over her shoulder. "I offered the fairies a deal. Open a portal for me and in return the Kelpie will be released. They can destroy him once and for all."

I'm so confused. I thought the fairies wanted the Kelpie trapped in a ring to prevent him from doing evil? I was told he sent out his sirens to bring him people to kill.

I finally spoke up. "Time out!" Everyone turned to look at me.

Gosh, it felt like speech class all over again. Bunch of eyeballs staring at me expectantly.

"I thought the Kelpie was supposed to stay in the ring and what I did was bad."

A loud sigh came from Elvania. She walked closer to Libelle and said, "The dragons want to keep that being in the ring. It was the only way to keep themselves from going extinct.

The dragons are of no use for us anymore. After the war, our ancestors asked them to make sure the ring wouldn't come to the wrong hands. Then we realized the Kelpie still had power through it.

If the dragons were smarter, they would have used it to destroy us. The very beings who created them. We're like god in these lands. And no one is going to stop it."

Xenon finally spoke up. "You asked for the ring years ago. We said we'd give it to you if you opened the portal. We were birthing more men than women. And the sirens were moving around killing us.

You refused."

"Of course we did. We don't need more of you monsters." Elvania looked at Xenon directly in his eye. "I don't know how this human came about in our world. But she served her purpose in breaking the Kelpie out.

And as for you," She turned to Libelle and smiled evilly at her. "You'll get what you want."

We all watched as Elvania pushed Libelle through the portal.

It all happened so fast, yet slowly at the same time.

I gasped and lifted my hands over my mouth in shock. Kaene yelled out for his mother. And Xenon.

Poor Xenon. He tried running towards her. His arms outstretched in agony for his woman. But he fell over as Libelle shrieked and entered the abyss.

The hard thud from his knees landing on the floor made me wince.

Kaene made a step towards his dad, however, he was suddenly pinned down by a large man. He wore gold earrings on his pointy ears. He was shirtless and wore a gold metal skirt that barely covered his important parts.

This man was ripped. I doubt anything would fit him.

He pointed his long spear towards Kaene's neck.

"What's the meaning of this!" Kaene yelled out.

Elvania didn't look our way. Instead she looked down at Xenon. "I said I don't need you things anymore. And just to let you know." She crouched down and whispered loudly, "Libelle made a stupid mistake in trusting us. She's probably dead now."

As much as I didn't like Libelle and always questioned her motives, I kinda felt bad. She was used and tosses away. Elvania bluffed about the portal actually sending her back home. Now she's dead as a result.

That could have been me if I made the same choice.

But now what do I do?

*** *** ***

It felt like an eternity of all of us standing here, allowing our thoughts to run wild.

However, only seconds have gone by.

Elvania stood up from her crouched position. She watched proudly as the man before her succumbed to his anguish. Xenon began to cry out in pain from losing his wife. Probably regretting how he treated her as well.

The fairy raised a hand. Another female fairy appeared in a flash and brought Elvania a knife.

I gasped in fear and called out Xenon's name.

I wanted to run towards him but suddenly large hands held me back. They wrapped around my shoulders, squeezing the air out of me.

Kaene also fought hard against the men restraining him.

Out of nowhere, more fairies were popping out all around us. Each and every one of them holding a weapon.

Elvania raised her hand high while Xenon finally looked up. His eyes glowed angrily. His body began trembling. Little smoke was coming out of his nostrils as he began shifting slowly.

Elvania brought her hand down but a sudden roar pushed her a few feet away.

Smoke began swirling all around us. I couldn't see anything. But I felt the ground trembling. The sound of loud stomps could be heard. As well as the flapping of wings.

I couldn't really see anything yet, but instinctively I knew that Xenon's dragon form was bigger than any other I've seen so far.

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A/N

Posted: 4/23/23