When an outsider wanders into her small world Saphira is dragged into something huge. The fate of the world is on her shoulders. Will the world rise, or will it all come crashing down?
Updates every Wednesday.
Firefly sat at Dawn's engraved oak desk. She stacked his mess of papers and books into the pile and rubbed at an ink stain furiously. Next to the stain was a worn leather book. Its pages were yellowed, and its cover peeling. In fancy, looping letters was the name Aubade.
She opened the book to the first page, the bindings making a cracking sound. The first page beheld the same name again, but this time shaded and wound with flowers and vines. Firefly flipped the page, careful not to rip the thick paper.
There was a realistic charcoal drawing of a small dragonet. Her face was in an expression of immense joy; her mouth open and eyes closed. She had a paint-like marking behind her eyes and on the undersides of her small wings.
Firefly turned the page again. This picture was likely supposed to be a copy of the one before only it looked to be drawn by a dragonet. At the bottom was the name Aubade again, in large, nearly unlegible letters.
The door opened, startling her. Dawn walked in, muttering furiously under his breath.
"Stupid scouts. Trained to have the eyes of an eagle, and yet they can't see the difference-" Dawn looked up, stopping as he noticed her. He looked at the book in her talons, his eyes narrowing. "Where did you find that?" he asked, his voice cold.
Shock pulsed through her at the anger in his words. "At your desk," Firefly said quietly, closing it and carefully putting it back on the desk.
Dawn walked forward, snatching the book off the desk. She could feel his anger quite clearly, but she asked anyways, " Who-who is Aubade?"
Dawn paused, his shoulders rising as he took a deep breath.
"I-I'm sorry-"
"No. It's fine. I should have told you. Rather than you find out from someone else," Dawn sat down on the bed, setting down the book. He patted a spot on the bed beside him.
Firefly stood from her place on the chair, a pit opening in her stomach as she put the pieces together. She sat next to him, resting her tail over his.
"Do you remember earlier when you asked who I was painting?" Dawn asked, twisting the ring on his claw.
Firefly nodded.
"That was Auroral, as I told you earlier. Auroral was-" Dawn's voice hitched, tears brimming in his eyes.
Firefly rested her wing over him; a comforting gesture.
"We were married. About three years later she- she had an egg. That was Aubade," Dawn took a shuddering breath, tears streaming down his face.
"Aubade was perfect in every way. I was happy with my life. Aubade and Auroral- they were my world. I wanted nothing more than to be with them forever. I didn't go to work for a long while and- and," Dawn raised his head, his cheeks wet with tears. "They killed them. That b-beautiful thing th-that had come into my life- it was gone. Forever. I will never get to see them again, Firefly. Never."
Tears had begun to brim in her eyes too. " You will see them again though. In the afterlife."
Dawn laughed, the sound choked and hollow, "that's exactly the problem. I can't die. I couldn't die if I wanted to. Belive me, after their death, I tried. That's why being a god is so horrible for me. I will live forever- without them."
Firefly let her tears fall, leaning her head against Dawn's neck. She twined her tail around his, whispering, "You will see them again someday. I just know it."
. . .
Saphira entered the room she shared with Eclipse, taking a deep breath. The silvery dragon was sitting on the bed on the far wall, writing on a sheet of parchment.
"Back are you?" Eclipse said, not looking up.
"He doesn't hate me anymore. King Helios also said-"
"Hold up," Eclipse shifted, looking up. "King Helios? you met the god of the sun- without me?"
"Dawn said not to get you-"
Eclipse hissed, narrowing her eyes, "continue."
"King Helios said we were to leave to attend the council of the gods in two days."
Eclipse stared at her, awestruck. "We are going to the council of the gods? Us?!"
"That's what he said, yes."
"You don't seem at all excited."
"I'm not. The gods fight, like every time they meet. I do not have a wish to be smited. Smoked? Smitten?"
"Yeah, yeah, I do not wish to be smitten either. By the way, the servant just told me that we are to dine with Helios and his council."
"When was this?" Saphira asked, throwing herself onto the mattress.
"An hour ago," she replied, returning her gaze to the parchment. "Was he scary?"
"Who? Helios? Dawn?"
"The both of them."
"I suppose. Helios had the same aura as Dawn but, it was less like he was trying to be scary. I think Helios just didn't feel like hiding his presence," she replied, tilting her head to the right. "Although, I think Dawn does suppress his power most of the time. Dawn is... I think he's a good dragon."
"Hmm," Eclipse smiled looking up at her, a mischievous glint in her red eyes. "Do you, perhaps, like him?"
Saphira twitched, her face burning, "What! Why do you say that!" she exclaimed.
"Oh I don't know, you've been hanging out with him like all day, and now you're rattling on about him," Eclipse shrugged, a smile tugging at her lips.
"No, no,no. You've got this all wrong. First of all, I think he's married-"
"He's not." Eclipse said confidently.
"He is. He wears a ring, and don't you see how he looks at Firefly?"
"Firefly...?"
"The purple dragon."
"She doesn't wear a ring, and she obviously hasn't been here very long."
"Well I'm sure he is-"
"Have you seen another dragon with him other that Firefly?" Eclipse let out an exasperated sigh.
"Nova...?" Saphira said.
Eclipse let out a barking laugh, startling her.
"Sorry, it's just-" Eclipse snorted again.
"Are you making fun of me?"
"They don't like each other. Not in that way."
"Oh. Maybe we'll meet his partner later. At dinner."
"Maybe," Eclipse sighed, as if she were tasked with caring for a dragonet.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Love the book? Vote, comment, and share with your friends!
