Veil of Shadow and Rain ✓ [TSC #1]

Chapter 34 - The Prophecy, the Past, and The Ordinary World

'So ... we go in?' Jake asked tentatively.

'Well I'm pretty sure that - AAAARRRGHHH!'

Wren felt as if all the air was sucked out of her body - her mind was in a chaos - her body and soul were drifting apart from each other ... she was dying, she was dying, she was dead ...

Light. Light. Light.

She slowly opened her eyes and a glimmer of bright light glared down at her. She closed them again.

She knew she was on the floor. Snow was on the ground. It was cold and icy. She had to get up, but she couldn't - she'd blacked out. Was she losing her memory, or was it winter or summer?

Summer.

But somehow, it seemed to be winter here, wherever she was in.

She managed to force her eyes open. She saw a shiny triangle in the air slowly closing before her eyes. It was a portal - visible inside it, but not outside it.

She put her hands on the ground for support and pushed herself up. She was standing on a round stage, if that was what it was called. Faint light was glowing, and she couldn't see clouds or the sun or anything. But it was still bright. Then Wren thought she heard a huge sigh.

'Jake?'

No response.

She dragged her feet across the ground. 'Ladislaya?'

Another huge sigh was heard. Wren looked behind the rocks expectantly. Then there was a flutter of wings and something seemed to trudge behind Wren.

She turned around without hesitating, and saw an enormous Western dragon.

She stood rooted to the spot.

'What in the name of the devil -'

It was about twenty to thirty feet long, with huge, blue wings and large, scraping claws that could tear fifty humans at a time, and large nostrils that breathed out fire, and a horn that popped up on its head, and large, scaly scales on its body, with a dark colour of blue hue. Its wings were great and powerful, big and mighty and stJakeg as it was, and it could lift up at entire house by the size of it. It was simply enormous, and its eyes were a fiery red. It had huge fangs when the dragon opened its mouth and growled, and its feet - well, they were big.

Its footprints was about the height of one Wren.

'Who are you?' it said.

Wren didn't seem the least surprised he was talking.

'Wren,' she said. 'Who are you?'

'Syrax,' the dragon said slowly, walking around Wren in a slow, small circle. 'What brings you here?'

'I didn't come in here,' Wren said fiercely, clenching her fists. 'I came here by accident. Help me to get out!'

'Ah, that would be a bad idea, considering you're already here.'

'Do as I tell you to,' Wren commanded.

'I don't particularly have a master,' the dragon said. 'Do you know where you are, Your Highness?'

Wren stared at him in amazement.

'How'd you -'

'Yes, yes, even among dragons, you are very famous,' said the dragon in his slow voice. 'Moment you said you were Wren Carezby, I knew what we were talking about. Real talk.'

Wren remained speechless.

'Do you know where you are?'

Wren wanted to say, 'No, I don't, and I don't care,' but she figured it would take up more of her time. So instead, she said, 'I'm in the Land of Dragons. Where good, good dragons live in happily ever after. The end.'