I turned so that I could watch Theseus then tore into the deer and ate until I was full. Once my stomach was full and my anger sated, I walked a few feet away and lay down to lick my muzzle and paws clean. Something seemed familiar about this situation, but during the years I’d spent as a wolf I’d gone on many hunts with the small wolf packs, so I pushed the thought away and changed forms. “I’m going to the river to bathe.”
I jogged back towards Blu and then past him to the river. I shivered at the cold water and Blu plugged one nostril, snorting a jet of fire into the river around me, warming it instantly. I sighed happily and then started tossing him the fish which he’d killed in the process. I washed my body and then caught a few more fish for Blu before walking to the shore. I closed my eyes and called to the flame of power which resided deep within me. The flame brightened and then purple fire covered my body. I held the flame around me long enough to dry my body and then dressed and put the talisman back on.
“Your control over your fire has improved,” Blu said as he used one of his large talons to pick at bones in his teeth.
I finger-combed my hair and smiled. “I had been working on it daily. The last thing I need is to offend the Council by accidentally shooting a flame at them.”
Blu laughed. “Yes, that would be considered a grave insult.”
I smiled. “Fira didn’t like it much when I shot his nose with my fire yesterday.”
Blu laughed, shaking the ground and me. “It was a good tactic, but it’s never pleasant to have foreign fire on you.”
“Have you learned to use your fire to deflect another’s?” asked Theseus as he walked to the river and cleaned the blood from his body.
I watched him as he cleaned and grew angry at my incapacity to be interested in him. “Yes, I have. Have you?”
Theseus stood up and red flames surrounded him in a mini tornado. “As you can see.”
I envisioned fire covering my hands and purple flames covered them instantly. I formed two giant streams of fire from my hands to his body and watched as the blue and purple flames swirled together and then my purple disappeared from his body. Theseus inhaled as he prepared to attack me back, but Blu snorted two twin jets of blue flames between us. “That is enough, hatchlings. We must rest.”
“I was just playing,” I grumbled.
Blu sighed at me and lay down. I climbed between his leg and body, underneath his wing and curled up into a ball. Theseus cleared his throat, and I smiled at him. “Come on. Blu won’t mind if you lie with me here. He’s large enough.”
Theseus smiled and climbed beside me, curling around me.
“Good night, hatchlings. May your dreams be pleasant,” Blu whispered as we drifted off to sleep against him.
The rain poured like a giant waterfall down my face as I scanned the forest. I wiped at the rain, but nothing helped. I put my hands over my eyes and screamed in frustration. I tensed as a wolf howled nearby, answering my scream. I walked backwards into the cave, pressing my back against the wall. My heart hammered against my chest, threatening to break through. I wiped the water from my eyes and stared at the black opening of the cave. Lightning flashed, allowing me to see outside, and my entire body stilled. A large black wolf stood in the doorway sniffing the ground. The wolf turned its head towards me and sniffed three times quickly. I tried to slow my breathing, but the adrenaline was pumping too quickly to allow it. The wolf walked into the cave and whimpered. I shook my head and closed my eyes. The sound of bones snapping and popping echoed in the cave. I hugged myself tighter, fear consuming my rational thought. A familiar male voice whispered, “It’s alright. I won’t hurt you. I’m your mate.”
I woke up gasping for air, and my head throbbed in pain. Theseus whined beside me, and I realized he was now in wolf form.
“Are you alright, Hatchling?” Blu asked. “I feel that you are in pain.”
I groaned. “My head…hurts.”
Blu placed his nose against my head and exhaled. In a matter of seconds, the pain was gone, and I relaxed against Blu and Theseus.
“Thank you,” I said as I fell back asleep.
Morning came faster than I wanted. I felt drained, emotionally and physically. The pain in my head was still present as was the pain in my entire body due to the connection with the werewolf prince. I felt it stronger than ever and knew I needed to see him soon, or I felt as though I would break.
Blu and Theseus ate quickly and after I forced down a few bites of food, we set off into the air again. Blu sang softly in the language of the dragons as we flew and after a few minutes I started to fall asleep again. Theseus wrapped his arms around me to keep me from falling off and I let Blu’s magical song put me to sleep, healing the parts of me that it could.
I woke when Blu started rumbling beneath me. I recognized his angry growl and was instantly alert. Theseus stood on the ground beside Blu in wolf form, his fur puffed out as he snarled at something in the distance. I started to climb off of Blu’s back, but he snapped, “Stay there.”
I frowned. “What is it?”
“I landed to get water for you both and a group of strange vampires surrounded us,” Blu said.
“Why don’t we just fly away then?” I asked softly.
“Because we have archers with us,” said a melodious voice which sounded vaguely familiar. A man with white skin and golden designs stepped out from the tree line. I didn’t need to be near him to recognize that he was Sidhe.
“What do you want?” I asked. “And why are you working with vampires?”
The man smiled and there was something nagging at the back of my mind about him. He looked familiar somehow. “I was sent to intercept you.”
Theseus changed forms and let his wings out. “You will not take her, traitor.”
Blu roared and shifted his back foot. The signal. Blu had taught me this signal the first day we met. I screamed in rage and used all of the power I could without draining myself to send a ring of sunshine outwards away from my body. Vampires screamed and disintegrated in fifty puffs of ash. The Sidhe roared and jumped up to come at me, but Blu and Theseus shot him with their fire, forcing him to protect himself and drop to the ground.
Theseus jumped onto Blu’s back as Blu continued to spray the man with fire and then we took off into the air and zoomed away. I looked back, but the man did not follow us, though we all knew this wasn’t the last that we’d seen of him.
“How did they know where we were? How could they have known we would be heading this way?” I asked with a frown.
Theseus sighed. “That would probably be my fault.”
Blu’s head whipped around, murderous intent in his eyes. “You have two seconds to explain before I chomp off your head.”
Theseus looked at me with pleading eyes. “I made a call to the werewolf prince, but spoke quickly before asking if he was alone. He has an ally who is a vampire, but sometimes his ally has minions around him who are not loyal. I should have asked first if it was safe to speak, but we were in a rush and…I am sorry.”
Blu spoke rapidly in the language of the dragons, which meant he was saying harsh things he didn’t want me to hear.
“You should be more careful next time,” I said softly, “Apparently, I’m wanted by the vampires.”
Finally, we reached the end of the landmass and flew out over the water. The ocean spread out before us in a seemingly endless expanse. The winds blew the scent of salt up to us, making my nose tingle and me sneeze. The sea was powerful and silent. It was eerie and yet reassuring. The only difference from the preternatural takeover and from when the humans ruled, is that now the ocean was much cleaner.
We flew in silence for the next two hours, passing over the sea and mountains until we finally came to the Lair. The mountain before us was the largest in the world, its peak over twenty-nine thousand feet high. It was also hollow. The dragons used their magic to hollow out the mountain yet maintain its stability.
The entrance was over fifteen thousand fe
et from the base and only accessible by air. It was also always covered in snow which made it a massive sight of splendor. Blu told me that there used to be other mountains around it, but the dragons thought they made a route for unwanted visitors so the dragons destroyed all of the mountains within a one-hundred-mile radius, leaving the behemoth dragon’s nest by itself.
Blu approached the mountain slowly, making a wide arc so the guards had time to come to him and check him out.
Two dragons roared and then swooped down from above where they’d been making lazy patrolling circles. The first dragon was green and large, but still smaller than Blu.
“Welcome Draco-Blu. We are honored to escort you in,” said the green dragon.
The second dragon, a gold colored dragon, glided besides Blu’s left side. “Hail, leader. I am honored to be in your presence yet again.” He was closer to Blu’s size and as I recalled, one of Blu’s friends.
Blu hummed respectfully, confirming my belief. “I am happy to see you again my friend.”
The golden dragon tilted his head and flicked his tongue out, trying to catch my scent. “You must be the girl Draco-Blu is so fond of.”
I bowed my head out of respect and then smiled at him. “I am Chandra, friend of the dragons.”
The green dragon asked, “How are you faring at the moment?”
I bowed to the other dragon and said, “I am doing alright. My pulse is faster than normal and there is a pain in my head and heart, but nothing too serious.”
The dragons glided as they approached the entrance and then formed a single file line with the golden dragon first, then Blu and then the green dragon. They landed inside the opening, which was only wide enough for one dragon with his wings fully extended to land at a time. Blu followed his friend through a pitch-black tunnel which made Theseus and me growl nervously. I hated confined spaces, especially ones under the ground. My head throbbed as I recalled walking down a narrow staircase underground with a man in a situation very similar to this.
I screamed in pain as I tried to recall his name or what he looked like.
Blu stepped out of the darkness and into the open mountain where the dragons lived. We stood on a ledge which dropped off to the bottom of the mountain. Rock outcroppings jutted out every twenty feet or so which served as nests for the dragons along the walls of the mountain. The nests were scattered along the full height and circumference of the mountain’s walls.
Theseus grabbed me and jumped off of Blu’s back, being careful to keep me from the edge and set me down in front of Blu. Blu and the golden dragon pressed their noses to my head and started humming.
The man in the staircase was connected to me. I recalled being able to speak telepathically with him, which was abnormal. I had been afraid, and he started glowing. He glowed because he was a Sidhe! He was tall and he had markings on his upper body…
“Hatchling!” Blu yelled. “Release the memory! Release it before it tears you apart!”
Release it? Why would I release it when I was so close? I could almost see his face. I could… Pain ripped through my body and stole the breath from my lungs, not even allowing me to scream.
Theseus bit my arm, and my eyes flew open, releasing the memory from my grasp. Blu and his friend hummed loudly, their magic wrapping around me in a soft whirlwind. The pain eased and then disappeared, allowing me to breathe.
“Speak to me, Chandra,” Theseus whispered, “Please, say something.”
I lay in stunned silence a moment and then whispered, “Ow.”
The three dragons and Theseus exhaled in relief simultaneously, ruffling my hair with their combined releases of air. Blu rested his muzzle on my chest and whispered, “You need to be careful, Hatchling. That was too close.”
I patted his muzzle reassuringly and then stood up slowly. “I’m sorry.”
Theseus cleared his throat and the dragons turned to look at him. “Would it be alright if I flew down with you instead of riding?”
My eyes widened, and I looked at Blu hopefully. “Please, Draco-Blu. It has been so long since I’ve soared,” I pleaded.
Blu locked eyes with his friend a moment as they communicated telepathically and then nodded. “You may follow us down to the floor level.” Blu looked at me with concern and asked, “Are you sure you’re alright to fly?”
I smiled and nodded vigorously. “Yes!”
Blu and the other two dragons sprang up and away from the ledge, extended their wings and soared over the giant expanse of the open mountain. Theseus pulled his shirt off over his head and then walked behind me, tearing open slits in my shirt so I could let my wings out while still keeping my shirt intact and covering my upper body.
I walked a few steps away from him and closed my eyes, calming my mind and body. Power flowed within the mountain and it generously lent me energy. I pictured my back and imagined my wings sliding from the two slits and expanding outwards. My back pulsed and then my wings were free. I opened my eyes and marveled at the colors of my body.
Theseus grunted and I watched as his body glowed and then his wings released. He smiled at me and then launched himself from the ledge.
I squatted down and then jumped up as high as I could, letting out a victorious cry of glee as I soared. I zipped past the others and made a circle around the entire mountain. If my calculation was correct, the area of the base of the mountain was at least twenty-five hundred square feet. Theseus flew after me and then folded his wings in and plummeted down towards the bottom. I followed close behind him but pulled up early to circle one more time before landing on my feet on the stone floor.
Blu landed beside me and roared happily. If I smiled any wider, my face would surely split. Mid-smile, I glanced at the floor of the mountain more carefully. Blu had described the mountain for me before, but it was incredible to witness firsthand. The ground was solid marble and several large tents were set up along the outer edge of the floor level.
“Who lives in the tents?” I asked curiously.
“Friends of the dragons when they visit,” the golden dragon answered.
I turned to face him and said, “I must apologize for my rudeness. I have forgotten to ask what I may call you.”
The golden dragon’s lips pulled back slightly as he gave me a dragon smile. “Friends call me Fafnir.”
I frowned as I recalled the name from a story I’d heard. “Doesn’t that mean greed?”
Fafnir and Blu laughed loudly. Fafnir nodded. “Gold is not only my coloring, but my favorite treasure.”
I smiled. “Aw, so your treasure holds more than just jewels and virgins waiting to be devoured?”
Blu snorted. “He wishes he had virgins again.”
Fafnir sighed. “I do miss those days. Humans were so much tastier before they developed so many chemicals.”
I turned to the green dragon and bowed. “I have not forgotten you. What may I call you?”
“I am Ryuu.”
I smiled. “It is a pleasure to meet you Ryuu and Fafnir. I am honored.”
Ryuu and Fafnir dipped their heads. “We are honored to meet you as well, Hatchling,” they said in unison.
I’d heard Blu and Fira speak in unison before, but it was strange to hear other dragons do it as well. Blu said it was because of their telepathy. Sometimes they finished sentences for each other as well.
“Chandra,” said five voices at once.
I turned and watched as the five oldest dragons, so worn with age that they rarely flew and if they did fly, only made it as far as the first nests two hundred feet overhead, walked towards me. They were all bi-colored, the only multicolored dragons I’d ever seen before. Were they more powerful because they were bi-colored or had they become bi-colored after becoming the Council? I wasn’t sure since Blu never talked about it.
The dragons stopped a hundred feet away and held my gaze. I walked away from Blu and Theseus and dropped to the ground on my knees and bowed until my forehead touched the marble. I trembled inside, but I held m
y body tight as I bowed. I would not show fear to the Council. “It is an honor to have an audience with you, Council of Dragons.”
“We are pleased to finally meet the hatchling of Draco-Blu,” they answered in unison again. “Please stand, friend of the dragons, and be easy in our presence. You have nothing to fear from us.”
I stood up and bowed my head politely. “Thank you.”
“Please let us look upon your face.”
I took off the talisman to reveal my true face. The dragons stared at me and hummed in harmony as they each used their magic in sync to examine me.
I felt like a tuning fork that had been flicked. Their powers vibrated against me, infiltrating my mind and body. I tried to relax despite my fear so as not to disrupt their spell.
Images of events I did not remember started to play across my closed eyelids and made me cry out in pain. I fell to the ground on my side as the pain blacked out my vision. The images stopped and the dragons’ magic dissipated.
“You are not ready to face this on your own. We must wait for him to come,” the Council said.
Theseus picked me up from the ground where I was laying and carried me as he followed Blu towards one of the tents.
“Draco-Blu, I…” I began.
“Quiet. You must sleep and wait, Hatchling,” Blu said with concern and worry evident in his voice.
I closed my eyes and a smile spread across my face as I whispered, “I can feel him coming.”
Blu snorted in my face and the world went dark.
4
Chandra
“I want to see her!” yelled a familiar deep, commanding male voice.
“She is resting,” said Blu, growling.
“I’m awake,” I whispered because I knew both would hear me.
Blu stuck his head into the opening of the small tent Where I lay. “How do you feel?” he asked.
“Like I got stepped on by a dragon.”
Blu laughed. “You would not be alive if that were true, Hatchling.”
Artemis Lupine- The Complete Series Page 48