THE ELEMENTAL CHRONICLE

Forty-Seven |

Forty-Seven | 

    At first nothing happened. 

    Then, everything happened all at once. 

    There was a noise, from both behind and above. The crystals glowed so brightly that they seemed not to know their own power and perhaps they did not because within a moment's time, those crystals created by giants exploded into billions of tiny little shards. At the same time, there was a noise from behind and when I spun, I watched something large and brilliant burst from the roof of the keep. 

Chaos. 

Screams. 

And yet, the royals didn't move from their spot as the shards like snow fell. 

I turned away from them, looking at the shadow in the sky that I could not decipher as the form of a dragon. I licked my lips carefully, looking at the dragon I recognized. Or rather, the drake I recognized. It seemed she had changed forms somehow. Drakes did not have wings after all, and yet, I could see them. A pair of wings no doubt made by magic. She was fast and large—far larger than I remembered and she was set on moving in this direction. 

"Ciara!" 

I snapped out of my daze as Orris called my name. As he did, I spotted a shadow that moved across the grass towards me. My body grew weak, as if the magic in my veins had been depleted and I fell to my knees as the assassin neared. Orris slammed into him, and then another appeared, and another. Each dressed in armor hidden under noble robes. 

Erik had planned better this time. 

"Ara!"

I turned my head as a shadow loomed over me. Before I could have final thoughts of death, Kahuna appeared as if from nothing, slamming her sword into the assassin's back. Blood splattered across my face. She held out her hand and I took it, standing on shaking legs. 

"Are you alright?" She whispered. 

I nodded. "Thank you."

"Cousin!" Aldrich puffed, reaching us. "Oh good! I was worried you got stabbed."

"No thanks to you," she muttered. 

He frowned. "I knew you had it; I would feel horrible to outshine our general after all."

The next events were rather fast. 

There was a roar, a strong breeze and then a dragon with a silver and ruby pendant around its neck. I looked up as the dragon snarled, landing on the grass, only feet away from our trio. It's skin was so cold it was expelling a frozen breeze and yet, when it roared it's mouth forced a great heat.  

As if time had slowed once more, I noticed a strange and unrelated series of events. 

King Edric did not move from his throne. 

    I do not know why he seemed unfazed and unfearful at all that was happening, or maybe this was his way of accepting it all. In any case, the king sat with an expression (I honestly had no time nor effort to contemplate) and he watched as the kingdom's ancient protective crystals exploded and the keep catch fire as the ancient dungeon dragon awakened for better or worse although, one could assume the latter.  

Orris had slaughtered all of the assassins in a spawn of two minutes. 

This made me realize that perhaps the arrogant, bumbling idiotry aside, Orris being a warrior and a duke had some merit to such titles. Perhaps I should apologize to him, although, such kind words would definitely go right to his ego. 

Aldrich was unconsciously standing on the body of an assistant like it was a carpet. 

As expected from the future king, it was still a rather humorous sight. 

Did he even see the corpse?

And finally, and most startling, my beautiful and loyal horse had somehow made her way over to us and now stood in front of me, squaring off in front of the large and snarling dragon.    

"Phoenix!" I gasped, moving to grab her reins. 

She stomped the ground as if I was the interruption. The dragon—Saphira snarled so loud, I pressed my hands to my ears. I presumed she was rather annoyed at the crystal thing, and yet, her snarls seemed towards my horse and not myself. Immediately, I moved forward, holding my arms wide in front of Phoenix. 

"Ara! Are you insane?" Aldrich gasped.  

Protecting a horse from a dragon? Perhaps I was and yet, Ebby hadn't warned me of any danger. I stood strong, staring at the dragon firmly so that she knew Phoenix was under my protection (although I wasn't sure what that meant to a dragon as old as the kingdom) and stood my ground. However, to my surprise, Phoenix let out a breath of air, nudging my shoulder. I turned to her, running my fingers over her snout. 

"What is it?" I murdered. 

She nuzzled me again, this time pressing her, and my head ached. 

Magic bloomed around us. It was warm and soft, and there was a voice that it brought like the flutter of a thousand moth wings and gentle falling leaves. I breathed slowly, accepting such a kindness and begged it to speak. When it did, I laughed as everything suddenly made sense—a clear and crystal sense that I felt foolish of not to realize before.  

"Yes," I murmured, hugging her tightly. "I see. Forgive me Phoenix, or should I call you the true name you go by? Pheonira. My beautiful Pheonira."  

She let out a noise that no horse could have made, and I opened my eyes. Her disguise fell away like the melting of fresh snow, and she stood to match her mother. Only she did not have wings (although, now as I stared at Saphira I noticed those wings melt away) and she was much, much smaller. The size of a large bear perhaps. 

I turned to Saphira and bowed deeply. "Forgive me."

She snarled, and Pheonira replied with a low growl. Guilt filled me. I had put them in a rather complicated situation. While it wasn't clear why Saphira seemed so angry with me, I'm sure I could make a list of reasons from placing her in a crystal cocoon to parading her daughter around with the face of a horse. 

Although, the irony that father's companion was secretly a drake was not lost on me. 

"Ciara!" Kahuna grunted; her hands wrapped tightly around her blade. "Ciara, come here. It is not safe there—it is not safe with—" 

With the fae. 

I winced, giving her a small smile. "It's alright." 

She frowned but didn't move forward. My eyes slid over to Saphira. 

"Forgive me," I repeated louder. 

The large drake grew silent. Those golden eyes flickered between Pheonira and then I could almost see a wave of sorrow fill her. She bent her head down and the little pendant slid elegantly off her neck. Then, without lingering, magic stinged the air as a pair of wings reached through her back and she lifted into the sky, disappearing into the clouds. 

I glanced at Pheonira with a frown. "Will you not follow?" 

She snorted more human-like than ever. 

My heart warmed. It was as if I'd charmed the very scales of a dragon after all.