“How does he know we’re here?” Fenn asked in wonder.
“The Imperials. They are linked to the King telepathically. On the day of their induction, they bind their mind, body, and spirit to him,” Soothe explained as we neared a corner. He stopped, all of us falling in line next to him.
His face sobered. “When we round this corner, we will enter the Royal Courtyard. The courtyard is enchanted by dragon magic, which is almost impenetrable. Until you bind yourself to the King, your magic will be useless, so please don’t try anything,” Soothe advised.
“Noted,” Zane assured. Fenn and I nodded.
The lava continued flowing past us in narrow canals, lighting the cave to a fiery brilliance. All of the dragons kept their heads pointing forward, never stealing a glance in our direction. I was tempted to check if they were even real.
“This is surreal, seeing a real, living, breathing dragon. They are huge,” Fenn whispered to me.
“I know,” I replied as a bright, sunny light washed over us.
The courtyard was indescribably magnificent. The bleak, stone floor was covered in lush, green grass. Exotic flowers rose up in lavender, pinks and yellows. Glowing butterflies fluttered from plant to plant, their light illuminating the petals they sat upon. Dragons of every size and color cordially walked to and fro, most of them pausing to stare inquisitively in our direction. Even humans graced the courtyard, regally dressed, also stopping to have a look at us. It was an underground garden big enough to make even the dragons appear small.
My gaze roamed up towards the crystals that hung from the cave’s ceiling. Each crystal created a tiny rainbow that seemed to be a source of light. In awe, my eyes earnestly tried to take it all in.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” spoke the soft voice of my mother. I followed the sound of her voice and found her standing to the side of my grandparents. Ancient scripture was carved along the base of the stone they sat upon. My mother was in her human form. Mahogany-colored hair cascaded down her ivory skin in slight curls. It was almost like looking into a mirror, but her eyes matched the skies.
I stepped forward, swallowing my nerves and smiling as I gazed up at my family. “But how?” I asked, my voice quivering.
“This form is only for a short while.” She took a step forward and regally showed herself. “I wanted to see you like this, the way I carried you and held you when you were but a hatchling. As Princess though, I will have to return to my natural form as we begin our preparations for Zordon’s attack on our home.”
I didn’t know what to say.
“Come forward,” my grandfather beckoned. His golden crown gleamed underneath the cavern light. Without thought, I bowed. Then I moved closer, until I was a few feet away from them. My eyes came to their chests as I gazed up.
My grandfather’s eyes were gentle and the color of chestnuts, blending with his forest green scales. Brown spikes ran along his back and down his tail, ending with one large, menacing spike.
My grandmother was an ice blue color, her eyes as white as the purest snow. She was smaller than my grandfather and had raised humps where her spikes might have been.
“We have waited a very long time for this moment,” my grandmother’s satin-smooth voice spoke. “I am Naveena, and this is your grandfather, Darian, the Dragon King.
My grandparents slowly bowed their heads, lowering their large bodies to the floor. The sound of movement behind me reached my ears. I spun, watching as one by one the Draconta took to their knees, bowing before me. My cheeks turned red as my eyes fell on my friends and family who were now on their knees, watching me proudly.
Myrdinn spoke from beside Eralise. “Shift, Little Flame, show the Draconta who their Progeny really is.”
A smile grew on my face as the scales raced along my arms. I leapt into the air, my wings spreading out. Shreds of clothing floated towards the cavern floor.
In front of the Draconta, I finally felt at home within my scales.
“Magnificent,” my grandparents said in unison.
My grandfather’s head stoically lifted as his voice bellowed, “Draconta, meet your Progeny, my granddaughter, Aurora Jay Megalos — the new dawn.”
A hushed murmur spread throughout the crowd of dragons and humans, their gleaming eyes scrutinizing all of me. “Tonight we will celebrate. Go and spread word!” he joyously commanded with a hearty chuckle. Humans and dragons disappeared into the many tunnels that made up the cave, their cheers rumbling the cavern walls.
“Come closer, daughter,” Eralise invited, speaking over the crowd of cheers. I glided forward, landing only inches away from her as I tucked my wings under. “I have missed you.” Her head tilted to the side, eyes misting over. “You were just a hatchling the last time I touched you with human hands.” She rubbed her hand along my face. The warmth of her motherly touch sparked throughout me as my own eyes brimmed with tears. This was all I ever wanted. My parents, all of us together.
Myrdinn reached out, grasping my mother’s hand and pulling it towards his mouth. He lightly kissed it, his eyes radiating admiration. “Our Little Flame is home, safe and sound.”
My grandfather avoided this exchange, looking away as my father’s arm wrapped around Eralise’s waist. Naveena, however, did not hide her aversion. Her eyes rested on Myrdinn’s arm with a scowl.
“We have so much catching up to do,” my grandmother said coolly. “Come, let us show you around.” She gave one last menacing gaze in my father’s direction and then turned, heading towards a tunnel following Darian.
I looked at my parents, confusion decorating my brow. My mother’s head hung while my father gave me a forced smile. I was about to ask what that was about, but my grandmother turned.
“Come,” Naveena called, waiting at the other end of the courtyard. I motioned for Fenn to follow.
“I’ll see you when you get back,” my mother said to me with a sad smile. Myrdinn bowed his head approvingly and then pulled her towards a tunnel behind the throne.
“Zane, Soothe, Gwen, follow me,” Gabe directed, pointing them towards a small tunnel just behind the throne.
“See you soon,” said Zane, shooting us a hopeful smile.
We smiled back and then raced across the courtyard. The remaining humans and dragons all bowed as we passed them by. Their faces were filled with a renewed faith. I hesitated, attempting to smile. These were my people.
Directly across the courtyard, we entered a dusky tunnel, illuminated by the lava that careened through the channels. “This tunnel takes us further into the cave where we keep the armory. The Draconta humans forge our armor and their weapons using the heat from the volcano,” my grandfather explained, his voice echoing off the curved walls of the tunnel.
“How is it that we aren’t burning?” Fenn marveled.
Darian chuckled as he turned back and said, “The same way you are able to conjure things. Magic. This volcano is enchanted by our magic.”
“So long as the King lives,” my grandmother added pretentiously amongst a loud clanging sound of metal and hammers. The smell of smoldering embers that wafted through the air was heavenly. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, feeling tiny flames ignite along my fingertips.
“Ahh, here we are,” Darian indicated with his snout as we neared a brightened archway. A room appeared before us, the roaring fires along the back wall coating the space in orange. “This is the armory. We supply the highest quality armor you can find not only to our people, but to the Market as well.”
Men covered in soot dipped swords into pools of fire and then hammered away as their magical energy poured into the steel. Others took the finished weapons and poured vials of potions onto the steel. As the blades absorbed the liquid, they began to glow in vibrant reds and soft blues.
When Darian cleared his throat, everyone looked up and immed
iately bowed.
“Draconta, meet your Progeny,” he said proudly as his gleeful eyes met mine. Again, a hoard of eyes stared at me wondrously as the heat burned behind my scales.
“Hi,” I stammered awkwardly.
One of the thickset men walked towards us, carrying a set of polished daggers in his hands. He stopped in front of us, offering his hands out and bowing his head. My family crest was etched into the hilts. I took the from him. The moment I touched them, fire wrapped around each slightly curved blade. I swirled them in my hands as he bowed and walked away.
“Your grandmother and I had these made for you. The blades are enchanted to catch fire whenever you hold them in your hands.”
“Thank you,” I said as Fenn peered over my shoulder to look at them. The man returned with a belt that held the sheaths. I wrapped it around me and tucked them away.
Darian chuckled and said, “Please, resume, we don’t want to keep you.” I smiled as the men bowed once more, their eyes still gazing curiously at me.
We headed back out into the tunnel that sloped farther down. “Now to the Great Hall,” he announced, his steps rumbling the ground beneath us.
“Great Hall?” I asked, astounded as I looked to Fenn. “You mean there’s more?”
My grandfather’s humble chuckle began again as he said, “All the Draconta resides in this cave. Our livelihood depends on staying together. It’s what Gidius would have wanted.”
“Who’s Gidius?” I asked.
“The fifth Fate. Our creator,” he replied proudly. The tunnel began to widen, and a bright light shone at the end of the passageway. “We’re almost there.”
The Great Hall was even larger than the courtyard. It opened up and dropped hundreds of feet into the earth. Small niches were carved in rows all along the walls like tiny caves. “This is where we sleep,” Darian explained as he leapt off the ledge and into the open air. Naveena followed suit. They turned and faced us. “Follow us. We’ll show you to the Stone.”
“What about Fenn? He can’t fly?”
“We know,” Darian said bluntly. “He can’t see the Stone either. Only the royal family.”
I turned to look at him.
“It’s cool, Rory. I wanted to check out the weapons anyway.” He lightly kissed my cheek.
“You sure?” I asked hesitantly.
“Go,” he laughed.
When I turned back to my grandparents, they were watching us, heads cocked to the side. My grandmother smiled at Fenn before he turned and headed back to the armory. It was the first time I had seen her smile at a human, leaving me even more confused.
I followed them, letting the warm air drift beneath my wings. “Where to?” I asked, secretly thrilled to be in the air with my grandparents.
“To the Lair of the Stone,” Darian called out as he flapped his majestic viridian wings and nose-dived. His mirrored scales reflected the coppery light of the lava, making him look almost like a meteor falling from the sky.
I smiled and looked to my grandmother who winked at me, flapping and then diving as well.
We flew deep into the Hall, twisting and turning with every corner that appeared. It was a maze of underground tunnels designed to trick intruders into thinking they had gone the right way, only to reach a dead end. The farther down we went, the brighter the tunnels became from the gleaming lava that magically floated up the walls towards the entrance of the Obsidian Chasm.
Enchantment was pungent in the air. As we passed the many decoy tunnels, I began to notice something. I could see the enchantments the Draconta used. They looked like a faint shimmering barrier that sparked when touched.
“How can I see the enchantments?”
“You are of royal blood, Little Flame,” Naveena called over her shoulder.
Duly noted.
I tried to keep up, to remember every left and right that we took, but it quickly became impossible. My grandfather explained that traps were set along the way to hinder or even kill those who were after the Stone. Skeletons of fallen thieves lined the tunnels.
We slowed as a blazing light flooded the end of the tunnel. I stopped abruptly right before the end, staring into a churning pit of molten lava. Across the river of lava, my grandparents sat on a wide ledge that held an open-mouthed doorway. Their massive bodies took up most of the space. I quickly flew over to them, hovering next to them.
“Beyond this doorway is the entrance to the Lair,” my grandfather explained, turning his wide body to face me. I fluttered back to give his tail some room. “You will pass under an enchantment woven by Gidius. Only royal blood, or someone accompanied by royal blood, can pass under this enchantment.”
“What happens if you aren’t royal blood?”
“You will see,” Naveena sneered.
On the other side of the doorway, Imperials lined the edges of the tunnel. The enchanted barrier was only feet away—little sparks of light bubbled down, cascading like a waterfall in shimmery blues.
“Ready?” they questioned with a smile.
I nodded as my grandparents disappeared underneath the enchantment. I took a deep breath and followed, bracing myself as the enchantment covered me. I felt nothing.
“Welcome to the Lair of the Stone,” Darian announced, his voice wrapping around the Lair and rumbling like thunder.
My foot slipped off the edge of whatever I had thoughtlessly stepped onto. My eyes trailed down to discover that we were standing on a floating piece of stone. A single, miniscule piece of stone that barely fit the three of us.
“Watch your step,” my grandfather advised as he stepped off the edge of the stone. Another piece of stone reappeared underneath his front claws. “They only appear for —”
“Let me guess, for the royals,” I finished, trying to steady my racing heart. A low-bellied chuckle was his response. “Can’t we just fly to the Stone?” I asked grudgingly, feeling unstable on the small stone.
“These steps are the only way. Unless of course, you want to end up like them,” he said, his head gesturing to the intruders below us.
As I took my first step, I glanced down and noticed humans wandering around the pit of the Lair like mindless zombies. I didn’t like how the stones dropped a few inches when weight was added.
“The enchantment makes them go crazy?” I whispered, horrified. Naveena nodded absently. “And you just leave them here?”
“It is punishment,” she replied pointedly, her tone clipping. “We have to protect this Stone, Aurora. It is our duty.” She paused, waiting for Darian to take the next step before nimbly jumping forward. “These humans who dare to defy our law deserve nothing more than a future as grim as this. You understand, don’t you?”
I nodded distractedly as I watched the ragged, dirty humans. Some fell, tripping over the bones of other humans as their eyes stared hungrily up at the Stone. There was no getting out of this pit, at least not for them. Their wailing moans mingled with the smell of decaying flesh.
I felt nauseous. “But they are humans. They are living beings. Isn’t there some other way?” I protested, not willing to let it go. Especially not after the way Naveena had looked at my father earlier.
“They broke our law,” she repeated slowly.
A small wisp of smoke trailed from my nostrils. That gave me the push I needed to ask what had been bugging me. “Not to be rude,” I said, trying my best to keep my temper in check, “but do you have an issue with humans?”
She stopped, almost stiffening. Darian glanced back at me looking thoroughly amused. “Your grandmother has no issues with humans, Little Flame,” he assured, still smiling. “Almost half of our Draconta are made up of humans.”
“But I saw the way you looked at my father,” I mentioned quietly as I took the next step.
She sighed heavily.
“I have an aversion to your mother and father’s relationship, Aurora, not to humans. What they did,” she began, her tone filled with disgust. I cringed. But she continued, “My daughter is the Princess,” she said unwaveringly. “For her to choose a human form over her true self—I regard that as disrespect. We are an example to our kind. We don’t want the other dragons getting any ideas. It goes against everything Gidius stood for. Everything he sacrificed for us.”
I bit my lip, feeling slightly burned by her words. “What does that say about me?” I asked faintly, ashamed of the tremble to my voice.
Her eyes instantly softened. “Oh, Little Flame, you are of our blood. I would never disown you,” she recanted, her words tinged with regret. “I just haven’t adjusted to your mother’s choice. It’s nothing against you or your father.” She turned slightly in my direction, nudging me lightly with her nose. I took her loving gesture, rubbing my hand along her glassy snout. “Now come,” she said tenderly.
“How did those people even get this far?” I asked, breathing through my mouth instead of my nose in an attempt to avoid the smell.
“Most were men who disguised themselves as Draconta,” Darian answered as he leapt off the last stone step, followed by Naveena, and then it was my turn.
A huge gap lay between the last step and the column that held the altar for the Stone. I gulped. I couldn’t fly if I were to miscalculate. I glanced down and then back up at my grandparents who were watching me questioningly.
I sucked in an encouraging breath and went for it, landing with a light thud right beside Naveena.
“Behold, the Stone of Immortality,” Darian said in admiration.
In the center of the column was an altar made of Lapis Lazuli, made of the same stone as the altar in the other realm. The crystal blue Stone of Immortality hovered right over the top of the altar, encased in blue-tinged fire. There it was, the thing I needed to protect. The reason for Zordon’s current mission.
Embracing the Flames Page 24