The City
There was something about this place. It was different; maybe it was the scenery, or the fact that it was raining. I'm not sure.
I feel souls and a presence. Shadows seem to pass me. They're in the shape of flying creatures with bat wings. I hear the clanks of knights' armor and queens crowns and the tapping of boots against the cobblestone path.
A person with sweeping robes and a dark face walks past looking suspiciously at me, who was obviously not from the area.
I step through the heavy foot traffic that is on the road, heading toward the ruined palace. I had personally seen it lit up by the flames from dragons as the people and armies fought over the magical land.
I was well known around here as being Akaroa's trainer. I taught her everything she knew about fighting and war. I taught her not to eat people and which lakes would kill you and which ones would not.
But I'm not just her trainer. I'm her friend. I'm her family.1
As I pass the ruined gates, I see the burn marks that outline the dragon shape. Akaroa's shape.
Ever since then, she's been lame on her hind left leg. Her scales on her back are no longer the shimmering gold they once were, but instead a bland sandstone grey, like the dried mud, or the desert sand.
The water features in the palace's walls no longer work.
The clean white walls are stained black with blood and soot. Reminds me of Akaroa.
The spires have fallen, and the walls have cracks in them, and the beautiful tapestries that once were are no longer.
I glance down at the burnt carpet that was once so grand, leading up to the thrown, daring anybody who saw it to come closer.
The repair work is going well. They say it'll only be a few more months before the palace will be looking beautiful again. The dragons are helping the non-winged people lift slabs of marble and quartz up to the damaged rooftops and floors.
Light Leaf trees are being planted in the garden again.
I fell to the ground as something pushes me from behind, and I reach out so I don't hit my face on the damaged ground.
I roll over and see Akaroa's dragonett standing there looking proud of herself
"Oh, you're so cheeky, you silly dragon cub." I say. Even though she's only three months old, I know she can understand me.
"Where's Mummy?" I look around and try to spot Akaroa, but my friend was nowhere in sight.
"Meep!" She replies and starts doing figure eights on the floor before looking at me and sticking her tongue out.
"Come, little one, we'll go find Mama." I say with a sigh.
She chirps again and follows me as I get up and walk over to the entrance of the Grand Hallway.
It was one of the only undamaged parts of the palace, which I am grateful for. Portraits hundreds of years old hung along the wall.
Queen Sunshade the First with her dragon Grassweaver; Queen Battalion the third and her angel bird Fishcatcher; King Light bright the First and his pheonix Sunfire, and so on so fourth.
Firetrainer and I walk down the hallway to the stair well that leads to one of mine and Akaroa's favourite spots.
In a few months Firetrainer will be too big to walk down this hallway, and she will have to access the spot from the outside.
By the time I reach the top, I am out of breath and have to take a break before I step out into a second hallway.
"Meep moop?" Firetrainer asks, and I nod at her.
"I'm- I'm fine," I pant and start to walk through spacious passage.
The door at the end of the hallway isn't grand, or gold plated, or anything. It just looks like a normal door.
I push it and it swings open, revealing Akaroa serenely sitting there, admiring the war-ruined landscape.
Firetrainer skips over to Akaroa and sits herself down under the bigger dragons' wing, and I walk over to them and sit down, too.
"I'm not sure if this world will ever be the same," Akaroa said. I nod in agreement.
