Chapter 8

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Serafina's Perspective

Days have passed since Atomic's blow out with Ted. It's left all of us on our toes. We almost want danger.

I looked at myself in a mirror this morning, and I didn't know it was me.

My body is corded and muscular, my hair lightened to a pale, turquoise green by the sun. My gown that I never changed out of after the burning of my town is dirty and bloodstained. I have cuts and scars all over.

The others are different, too. Ella has calmed down since we first met her. Atomic is, well, not the same.

We fly over the ocean, my feet tingling with excitement as I gaze into the crystal clear blue.

''Can we please stop? I need the water!,'' I whine.

''Where do you purpose we stop? We are in the middle of an ocean,'' Alex hollers back.

''There is a beach coming up. Small, uninhabited, and chilly,'' Ella says.

''Let's stop there,'' I say.

**********

I run into the water, my skin crying for moisture, my wings folding.

I dive under, and joy fills me up. Fish dart between my wings, tail, and legs as I swim. My scales glow, forming patters on my back. My hair plumes out behind me. I smile, diving for deeper water.

The water gets colder, the pressure higher. This is my home, the depths of the ocean. Angler fish and jellyfish swim by.

I see rocky canyons in the distance. Warm jets of magma shoot out of the sea floor.

As I swim further, a path appears on the sea floor. All around, the ground is raised, like a red carpet. I follow it.

A red coral throne is at the end of the path. Sea green sea silk billows behind it. Jellyfish rest on the throne, illuminating it. The creatures of the deep bow down to me as I swim by.

I sit on the throne, apprehensive. And as I sit, a blue whale sings in the distance. I feel her song resonate off the cliffs. Turning, I see her and her pod, singing. The magma jets stop. And I swim to the surface as fast as I can.

As I break the surface, I see Ella calling to me. I wave at her. She looks at me, concerned.

''You're pale,'' she comments. Majirica snorts warm air onto me.

''Your clothes,'' Alex exclaims.

My clothes, indeed. A beautiful gown of deep blue sea silk is my new dress. A platinum mantle rests on the gown, decorated with black marble, opals and sapphires. A red coral crown is on my head, the same coral as the ghostly throne.

And  then they fade away, my tattered dress replacing them. Atomic runs over, pointing.

''I know who you are, Serafina,'' she says softly.

''Who-who am I,'' I ask.

''The lost Queen of the Deep Sea dragons. More specifically, of all the water dragons.''

''No. I don't even know who my parents are,'' I whisper.

''But I do,'' Atomic says.

''They are Andromedella Cerulea and Raz'cof Bystrom.''

They are the king and queen of the Water type dragons. Were, before humans killed them. They are not my parents. But they are.

''How do you know that,'' I ask.

''Seventeen years ago, Andromedella and Raz'cof were killed in battle. Their egg was said to be cursed, because a human hatched from it. They had no idea you became a half dragon in proximity to other half dragons. When they died, their baby was stolen. By Blossom, apparently. Ever since then, the kingdom has been in an uproar. But when word of us started spreading, the battle stopped. They are looking for you, Serafina. We need to go to them. They know you are half dragon now, and will be a wise ruler.''

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