Perilune

Chapter 15

Amaris's eyes landed on her fallen friend as she gawked at the world beyond the cell.  She decided a fitting first use of her freedom was to bury them.  With a burst of flame the wall of the cell was vaporized, leaving an exit large enough for Amaris.  As she stepped out of the cell, Amaris glanced around the ledge, selecting a sunny spot.  She found a seed which a nearby tree had dropped, and placed it in his palm, curling his fingers around it.  With a claw she moved enough Earth for the burial, placing him to rest before returning the soil to its place.  "Thank you for your kindness.  I shall remember you, Kiden."  The clouds danced in the wind to pay their respects.  The birds sang in reassurance.  The life surrounding the grave was in celebration of continuation; it was the highest honor Amaris could bestow to the dead.

For a moment she too was lost in the landscape, her thoughts impossible to separate from one another as she marveled at the scene surrounding her.  She wondered if the world had grown more beautiful in her absence, or if her memories had simply warped in the darkness.  At the sunlight's touch, Amaris sighed in contentment and brought forth magic which hadn't been necessary in millenia.  Her markings changed. 

As Lyra reached the end of the hall, she was stunned by the sight of Amaris's true form exposed to the sky.  Her white markings were like mirrors now, the vibrant hues of her surroundings reflected across them as if an impressionist decided she belonged within the landscape.  Lyra smiled at the look of wonder in Amaris's eyes as she paced forward slowly, wondering if the moment should even have interruption.  Amaris's eyes turned to her as she stepped into the sunlight.

Amaris shifted to her "human" form, nearly toppling Lyra as she collapsed into her arms, tears dripping down her face.  She sniffed, and laughed as nothing she could think of was an adequate expression of her joy or gratitude. "I love you."

"I love you too. I told you I can't just sit by and let someone I care about suffer..." Amaris was stunned to see worry appear upon her face.  "I'm not sure what happened.  The moon piece disappeared, and these marks appeared simultaneously; the curse didn't transfer, did it?"  Lyra offered a forearm for examination. Amaris's heart soared at the sight of the marks, her wildest dreams alive before her.

"That moon piece was summoned here as it was cursed; it simply returned to its place when that curse was lifted," Amaris traced the markings with her fingers as if touching a deity, "As for these, it is not uncommon for dragons to use a piece of their celestial body to select their mate.  It reacts to only one soul; these marks mean we are meant for one another."

"It didn't react right away," Lyra said, wondering if she ought to feel unworthy.  The marks remained regardless. 

"I suppose there was a question left to answer," Amaris mused.  She had more to say, but punctuated her thoughts with a breathless kiss.  Her fingers left small tears in the fabric of Lyra's dress as the desire to remove it grew. Amaris held back; the light was too bright and the world too big to remain in their cell for such a sacred moment.  She'd take her lover somewhere beautiful.

"Freedom calls to us.  Do you mind flying?"

"No, why do you ask?"

"It didn't occur to me to ask before."  Amaris shifted back to her true form.  She held out a hand, and Lyra clambered onto her palm. Amaris held Lyra against her heart, careful to form an adequate shield from the wind and cold with her fingers before taking flight.

The kingdom of Anaviosi burst into a wildfire of panic, every heart pounding alongside every foot as as their collective nightmare emerged from the mountain.  Screams filled the air as it smothered the sky with its wings.  Every breath was held in anticipation of the vengeance which would befall them.  The sunlight scattered across the dragon's scales to render it nearly imperceptible against the sky as it took flight.  Panic grew as it disappeared from view, the gusts of wind from its wings leaving only rustling leaves to mark its position.