Dragon Dreams

Chapter 12: A Friend (3/3)

Warmth soon spread across my body in the darkness. The shadows then lifted off the serene landscape surrounding me. Recognizing the dream, I was glad to see the familiar mountain lake bathed in sun once again. The scene solidified, currents of fresh air enveloping me with familiar scents of pine and cedar. I was standing on the water's edge, all four of my paws feeling the smooth, solid touch of the pebbly beach that separated the lake from the nearby forest.

I looked over to see Rofar standing nearby, absently watching the clouds. "It is good to see you again, Ayreth," he said, fixing me with his azure gaze. Being called by my dragon name stirred something within me. The name, like my body, felt more right as time went on. The blue dragon spoke again. "I am sorry for what happened to you when we last spoke. It was impossible for me to see the other magic, his magic, until it was too late and you were lost to me. What he used was a different sort of magic. He was able to manipulate your dreams, which is something I would never do."

"Ares," I hissed. The memory of that nightmare. Falling, helpless, into the black unknown. That night was the beginning of all my current troubles; it would haunt me with flashes of the darkness inside my mind. Darkness I was too happy to embrace when the black dragon attacked me. Ares was the catalyst for everything that had happened since, and I had a feeling he was correct when he said we would meet again. "Tell me what that was all about. Who is he? And what does he want with me?"

"It gives me no great pleasure to speak about this," Rofar said, eyes lowered to the stones at his feet. "But the time calls for it, after what happened. So, I will tell you what I know." He lowered himself into a sitting position, scales shimmering like colored glass. The words did not come easily—the dragon paused heavily, and his tail's restless movement showed his unease.

"Ares," he began, "was a human, like yourself. He became one of our kind a long time ago. Unfortunately, his family could not accept his new form and—it pains me dearly to say this—they tried to...to kill him. He escaped without great injury—physical injury, that is—and joined our clan. It is hard to describe how the loss of his family troubled him. But we did not give up. Surrounded by others of his kind, he slowly began to leave his grief behind.

"He fell in love. Eyliana was her name. She was like a sister to me. Gentle, kind, she made Ares incredibly happy, intensely happy. He loved Eyliana more than life, more than anything. In time, they had a son together. Stolvir was strong like his father and sweet like his mother. We thought they would live in peace, his past forgotten.

"Then, ten years ago, tragedy sought Ares out once more. He was out in the wilderness with his family, teaching a young Stolvir to fly, when they were attacked by human hunters. Eyliana died protecting her son, and Ares slaughtered the entire group of humans in his rage. He was shattered, never the same again. The things he would speak about, poisonous things. He was convinced that dragons were superior and should no longer hide from humans. In his mind, there should be places on this earth ruled by our kind, and our kind alone. It became his...obsession.

"Soon after, it was decided he could not live among us any longer. He was banished. We could do no more for him; his ways were set, as they still are. For his own safety, we hid Stolvir from Ares. The clan would raise the young dragon without the evil influence of his father. But, even after these years of exile, Ares still fights for his dream of dragon-rule. He has recruited a few others to his side, many of them former humans like yourself. He lures them with the promise of true power—I am sure you heard as much from him. We do not know his plans, but only believe his power to be growing. I wish I could tell you more, but for now you should know enough to fear him and stay away from him."

Those piercing, sapphire eyes stared at me in silence after the dragon finished. I swallowed and spoke. "He definitely tried to show his power to me and also get me to give in to my own aggression. Which brings me to another point. Ares is not my only concern. Do you know about the thoughts I've been having? I don't know how much of my mind is open to you, honestly."

"I only know what you tell me, young one. I am present with you now, in your dreams, but I do not spy on you."

I slowly bent my hind legs and sat, chewing on my troubled thoughts. Trusting Rofar might know how to help me, I tried to find a place to begin. "Well, these past couple days have been a bit crazy. After Ares had taken over my dream, he attacked me and...and I just lost my mind. It's like there's another side of me that I can't control. I fought him, and I used magic, and I felt so good doing it. Then, I really went over the edge, and he...he tricked me into attacking my sister in the dream. I was lost in the aggression, and I just...I killed my own sister. Then I woke up and decided I had to leave my home. If I weren't in control, I would be a danger to my family. So I ran away that night and flew up to Canada. Though, I was stupid and got myself seen by a man that I almost killed by accident. But I got away, and I'm now living in a forest and trying to keep a safe distance from people. I was so afraid; I couldn't do anything but run away."

The older dragon looked calm and spoke to me with comforting tenderness and understanding. "These thoughts are a natural part of being a dragon. Do not take offense, but your mind is like a hatchling's. The instincts and urges are strong, and there is little control over them. But, over time, you will learn to weigh your actions, as all dragons learn growing up. Are little human children not the same? Impulsive and often selfish when young, but they soon learn the rules and customs of society and adopt new attitudes. The feelings will always be there, I can tell you that, but it will only get easier for you to control them. Trust me, Ayreth, there is no evil in you."

Some relief welled up inside me. My stance softened a bit as the rigid tension dissipated; I felt my wings relax and spread slightly as my tail unbound itself from an anxious coil. "I'm glad to hear that, for sure. I was so scared at first, scared of what I could do. My family can't understand all the reasons that made me run away. I need to find a way to get back to them. I still just don't know what it will take. But things are starting to look a little better lately. I befriended a boy I met in the woods, and he seems like a good companion who needed a friend as much as I did."

A pleased smile appeared on Rofar's muzzle, softening his eyes. His tail scraped the ground, moving in a jovial arc. "That is good to hear. I am sure you and this boy will form a special bond. Dragons are very loyal. And, as your friend, I want to give you a last warning about Ares." I heard a soft sound as the blue dragon dug his claws slightly deeper into the stony shore. The sharp gemstone's hardness returned to his sapphire irises. "I regret to inform you; he will most certainly try to contact you again. As the newest dragon, you are a prime target. Needless to say, you must not listen to him. His plans are yet unknown to us, but we are working to thwart him. Ares' path leads to war and destruction, ours preserves peace. The dragons' place in the world need not be changed—you ought to see that. In the meantime, my priority is to see you through the difficulties and continue your training in the magical disciplines. But we have talked enough for one night. Perhaps you would like to take a flight with me?"

I did fly with him, and it was amazing, as always. We spent much of the time in silence, for which I was grateful. Rofar had given me much to think about. The turmoil of the past few days was starting to settle somewhat. Acceptance. That was something I would have to embrace going forward. The feral thoughts that made me feel less than human weren't going away—I would have to grow to accept and control them. Day by day, consciously or not, I had started this process of mental change. It was slow and gradual compared to my physical transformation, which had literally happened overnight. I thought back to the previous afternoon's time with Wes—running through the forest had reawakened my mind to the joys of my new body. What would I become when I finally brought my mind back under control? Would I even identify as a human? And would my family still see me as Josh, even if I didn't? Only time could unravel these mysteries. As I flew, the ground and sky melted together and the weightlessness of flight carried me back to the waking realm.    

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