by Nira Steele
A round of laughter broke out. Then Ariel stepped forward and pressed a hand to her chest.
“The Dragon’s Eye has told me more about the royal family than anyone has in years. I cannot thank her enough for it.”
Dropping her chin Andie could not help but be embarrassed by her nickname. Ariel delighted in using it which only made it worse of course.
Smiling warmly, Willa moved up next to Andie.
“The fates sent this young woman to assist us,” she declared to the group. “Her presence here has been invaluable - do not let anyone convince you otherwise.”
Pressing her lips together Andie kept her head bowed down. Completely humbled she did not notice Tessa stepping away from her.
When Andie heard her name being called out, the little blonde had moved out onto the platform. Standing in the afternoon sun she was glowing with a pale luminescence. It was easy to forget how surreal Tessa looked when you spent your days with her. She really was exquisitely perfect, almost like a living doll.
She was looking straight at Andie as she broke into one of her big warm smiles. Then she closed her eyes and raised her hands up into the air. Andie felt the pressure, as if the atmosphere was being compressed.
Tessa instantly disappeared. In the blink of an eye she was replaced by something incredible.
A little white dragon.
Andie’s mouth fell open. Then her eyes started watering as she felt her whole body overheating. She could not contain herself - this was the ultimate prize….
Tessa was absolutely beautiful. Small and perfect, just like her human form. Dipping one of her shining white wings the little dragon bowed her head.
Andie needed no invitation. She ran over and threw her arms around Tessa’s neck.
“You’re gorgeous,” Andie choked out, squeezing as hard as she could. Pressing her face against the smooth warm scales she listened to Tessa’s breath travelling down her neck. It was a softer sound than Darius, gentle and soothing like a breeze.
Then the edge of a wing started nudging her back.
“It is time for you to depart,” Willa said gently.
Reluctantly Andie released her grip, sniffling loudly as she rearranged her bags. Everyone moved out onto the platform and surrounded them with their warm smiles.
“I have a makeshift harness,” Marcellus announced as he moved forwards out of the group. Producing a long leather strap he hooked it around Tessa’s neck. Running both ends through a large metal cord lock, he then asked Andie to take her position.
“Hop on just in front of her shoulders lass,” he instructed her.
Tessa lowered herself right down onto the tiles. Once Andie had swung a leg over Tessa’s neck, Marcellus attached another strap to the gleaming clasp.
“This will stop ye from falling off,” he declared as he whipped it around Andie’s waist. “We can’t have ye going for a tumble again.”
Andie began blubbering as he expertly hooked her in. Pressing one hand to her mouth, she could feel her skin oozing with sweat. She knew she must look a mess but what was the point in worrying about it? There was no way she could control her reactions. She wasn’t ready to leave Lunaris or say goodbye to any of these people.
Then the body beneath her smoothly rose up.
“Hang onto the harness if ye need to,” Marcellus advised as he stepped back. “Hook ye boots up under her wee wings to keep ye self in place.”
Andie followed his advice, bending her knees to bring her feet up. Wiping her face with the back of one hand she blinked through the haze of tears. She could see Marcellus’s smiling face as he raised both hands into the air.
Then his palms began to glow. Looking around Andie saw everyone doing the same thing. They were giving her a Draconarid farewell.
She stared at them, drinking in the surreal scene.
The magical image disappeared as Tessa turned to face towards the sky. Moving to the edge of the platform she extended her wings to their full range. As they reached the precipice a gust of wind rose up to meet them….
They were suddenly airborne. Tessa had lifted off smoothly, letting the updraft carry her away.
Within seconds they had moved out beyond the shields. Andie felt the familiar icy blast as Tessa’s ivory horns vanished from view. Her shining white wings quickly retracted, sending them into a vertical dive.
Andie winced as she regretted not putting on her goggles. Then she realised she had also forgotten about her gum.
Lost in the emotions of her departure it had completely escaped her mind. Within seconds she would start running out of oxygen. What did it matter though - she had nothing to look forward to in the human world. Just the dreary existence which she had been so happy to leave behind. Perhaps this was a fitting end to her adventures here?
As she began growing lightheaded Andie let the sensation wash over her. She could barely breathe as her bag straps cut into her chest. Andie could hear the creaking of leather as the harness dug into her waist.
Closing her eyes she let her final image be a view of the forest rushing towards her.
Then Tessa levelled off. Extending her wings in one smooth movement she brought them in line with the ground.
Slowly Andie sucked in a long deep breath. It seemed her time to be leaving the earth had not come yet. Repositioning her bags she managed to ease the strain on her back.
Gazing around, she savoured every detail of the magnificent landscape. The deep green valleys crammed with trees forming a blanket of dark foliage beneath her. The snow-white peaks glowing all around, so stark and pristine against the cobalt blue sky.
This really was living.
The tears were gone now, blasted from her eyes by the wind. She could feel another kind of wetness though, scattering across her face like tiny raindrops. There were no clouds to create any rain so where was the moisture coming from? Then she realised….
Just the thought of those huge violet eyes shedding tears was heart-wrenching. It filled Andie’s chest with such an ache she could barely breathe.
Then a deep thump pulsed through the air all around her. As Andie’s ears began faintly ringing she flicked her eyes towards the sky. Who or what made that kind of noise?
Tessa responded to it with a rumble. It was so deep it sent vibrations rippling through her entire body.
Scouring the sky, Andie tried locating the source of the sound. Then she spotted it far above them in the air. A large white dragon was shimmering in the vast expanse of the blue. Smiling, Andie gazed up at the silhouette.
Andie could not be sure who it actually was. She knew who she wanted it to be though.
“Goodbye, your majesty,” she whispered.
✽✽✽
In a short time her aunt’s quirky little cottage came into view.
Tessa did not need any instructions on where to land today. Passing straight over the grey roof she swung around in a smooth curve. Slowing her speed she then descended into the large back paddock. Flaring her wings at precisely the right time she almost floated down into the centre.
“Wow!” Andie exclaimed as they touched the ground. “You really do fly beautifully.”
A gurgling sound erupted beneath her. It filled Andie with such delight, as she knew exactly what it meant coming from a dragon. An urge rose within her which she found impossible to resist.
Cooing, she threw herself forward over Tessa’s neck. Letting her bags tumble to the ground Andie pressed her face against the smooth white scales. Closing her eyes she savoured the burbling sound underneath her.
They stayed like this for several minutes. Neither of them seemed willing to let the moment end. Eventually Tessa did begin to wiggle her large white scaly form. Andie loved it of course but she knew what it meant.
She did not move though. It had dawned on her this could be the last time she ever saw a dragon.
When she refused to budge, Tessa started flicking her head to the sides. Dropping right down into the grass she began squirming aroun
d quite strongly. Andie continued to hold on tight so Tessa began rumbling in protest. Pulling one wing in close she then started rolling over onto her side.
Andie finally got the hint and reluctantly slid off. She then stood there for over a minute as she worked out how to undo the leather harness. As she began to unhook the long strap a large reptilian head snaked around to watch. Once Andie had freed herself she turned her attention back to Tessa.
“You really are the prettiest thing,” Andie breathed at a big violet eye.
Tessa was much smaller than Darius with a noticeable softness to her features. She did not have those huge armoured brows arching right over her eyes. Her scales were smoother too, the overlapping more like snakeskin.
On closer inspection Andie realised the apparent gentleness was a ruse. Tessa had some savage inclusions she had not seen at first. Several of her front teeth were visible, the sharp points running down the sides of her jaw. They were hard to see as they were the same colour as the rest of her. That tail was pretty nasty too when you got to the end of it. No conical bulb this time, just a mass of sharp spines sticking out.
Andie could not help but smile at her amazing friend. Just like the real Tessa, her dragon form had hints of her true nature. Reaching out Andie began stroking one of the spinels extending from her cheek. Briefly she imagined it decorated with a purple ribbon.
She smirked, realising it would not be wise to share this thought. Then another idea came to her.
“Hey, wait here!” Andie blurted out. “I’ll go and get my home address for you. Keep it as a backup in case you have trouble finding me. I’d give you my phone number too but I doubt you could use it.” Dashing off she headed towards the back gate. “I’ll only take a few seconds, just hang -”
Then a blast of air rushed over her. Looking back she saw Tessa taking off.
“Tessa?” Andie breathed as she saw the white dragon launching skywards. Bouncing straight up into the air she quickly climbed right over the house. Her smooth white scales caught the sun, reflecting it brightly for the briefest of moments.
Andie wanted to yell out something - anything to make her stop. But she said nothing, completely lost for words as she watched Tessa flying away. Where had her voice gone? Clutching her chest Andie watched intently as the little white dragon disappeared.
She was gone. It was so sudden.
Staring breathlessly Andie kept looking for her.
After a few minutes the adrenaline began wearing off. A gloomy sadness set in as she collected her bags from the ground.
Numbly she shuffled towards the old wooden gate. Slipping her hand through the access hole she lifted up the creaky metal catch. Sullenly Andie plodded through the back yard. She felt so detached she did not notice if any of the animals were around. Slumping her way up the back steps, she crossed the veranda and stood at the door.
None of this felt real to her. She did not feel like she belonged here anymore.
Slowly she retrieved her house keys and unlocked the back door. Gazing around Andie shuffled forwards into the living area. Unhitching her bags she let them slide down absently to the floor. Everything seemed the same as it was yesterday, nothing had changed since she was here with Darius….
Sucking in a huge breath she barrelled towards the laundry.
Somehow it was comforting to see those ugly striped shorts again. Staring down into the hamper Andie considered whether to pick them up. Then she had done it, holding them to her nose before she realised what she was doing. They were fresh though as Darius had only worn them for an hour after bathing.
What was she doing? This was ridiculous. Grimacing to herself she dropped them back into the basket.
Andie returned to the living room and tried to forget what she had just done. Flopping down into her aunt’s favourite chair she let its faint smell wash over her. The old lounger still carried the scent of her aunt’s perfume. It was a luxurious soft blend which she acquired during her overseas travels.
Andie stayed there for the longest time. The house was quiet now. So peaceful, yet so very lonely.
There was nothing left of Andie in Lunaris now. She did not leave anything behind, not one single trace of herself. It had never occurred to her to leave Tessa with a token of their friendship.
This was the problem with reflecting. Once something was over it was too late to remedy anything. All of the errors, all of the oversights - Andie had so many of them. They spread across her mind like a virtual smorgasbord of regrets.
She had forgotten to ask about several things before leaving. The most pressing question was about the vast plains which she had seen. Despite the horror of her fall she could still remember them quite vividly. If those grasslands were real then there was some serious shielding going on. The interior of Nevari’s central mountain range was reported to be nothing but icy peaks.
As the sun sank low the cottage fell into shadow. Andie did not turn on any of the lights as she wanted to sit in the darkness. Gazing out at the deepening sky her mind was consumed with thoughts.
Tessa believed Darius had talked to them. Who exactly? Terenus, Laurentius? Perhaps it was Overlord Tiberius? It was impossible to know now. Why had nobody considered telling her about this? It was the whole point of her being in Lunaris.
She sat there for ages, losing herself in a sea of unanswered questions.
Eventually the call of nature forced her to move. Rising heavily from the chair Andie fumbled her way towards the nearest light switch. Heading for the bathroom she saw her reflection in her aunt’s antique cabinets. A sad woman was looking back at her with thick clumps of dark hair unravelling from her braid.
Somehow it did not look like her. Had she lost weight? Probably not, it was just her riding outfit. Running her hands over her arms she savoured the feeling of the fine leather.
At least she had some evidence of her time with the Draconarid. This was great as without it the whole thing would have seemed like an elaborate dream.
Then her hand found the Dragon’s Eye Stone. Still locked into its wristband it felt like a permanent part of her now. During her time in Lunaris it had only ever come off when she bathed. She kept it dutifully strapped on, allowing her to see everything there.
Turning her arm over, Andie found the two little studs which held the band in place. Prising the snaps apart it came instantly free from her arm. As it fell to the floor boards Andie dived to pick it up.
Holding it reverently she gently prised the cover open. The huge Alexandrite was a reddish purple colour in the dimly lit room. It really was a beautiful gem, changing colour with the surrounding light. In the daytime it would transform into a rich greenish blue.
Andie loathed returning it to her aunt’s cabinet. What choice did she have though? She could not keep wearing it anymore. Still, it seemed so wrong to be hiding it away again. Over the years it had silently encouraged her, right from the very first moment she had seen it. There it was lying in the soft green grass….
“Time to go to bed,” Andie whispered. Gently she levered it from the wristband.
After placing the gem in its wooden box her mood became rather sullen. Well, more sullen really.
Andie desperately needed to cheer herself up. Finding her bags she started to unload her things. Maybe the sight of some Draconarid items would help to relieve the loss.
Her college satchel was filled with the items she had taken to Lunaris. She placed it to the side so she could investigate the other bag. Made of soft dark leather, Willa had packed it to the brim with items. Andie collected it up and carried it over to one of the lounge chairs. Sitting down she began removing its contents, examining every piece of clothing she removed. After extracting two long dresses her heartstrings were abruptly pulled.
Willa had packed her a small meal with a bottle of wine.
“Oh, thank you!” she crooned to the empty room.
Just beneath them was a small item wrapped in glittering fabric. When Andie unfolded it she found a
huge clear gem nestled inside. Was this a real diamond? Gasping loudly she held it up into the light. It seemed to have a tiny hole in its tear drop end which could be threaded with a slender chain.
Digging down further she discovered another carefully wrapped gift. Eagerly unfolding the smooth crisp paper Andie found a brand new dress inside. The midnight blue fabric slid between her fingers, glistening like the moonlit ocean. Then a little card fell to the ground from within the folds of the cloth. It had no writing, just a tiny image of a blue flower.
Her eyes started watering up. Waving a little white flag in her head, Andie headed to the kitchen.
It was time to surrender. Finding a large wine glass in the pantry she returned to the living area. Sighing heavily she settled back into her aunt’s armchair. Placing the bottle between her legs she held it in place as she drilled a corkscrew in.
Once it was opened Andie filled the glass almost to its brim. Cradling it carefully between both hands she took a long sip.
Then she began to think. It was time to find some hope for the future.
If Andie played her cards right she could still become an apprentice to her aunt. It could become a career which would keep her permanently connected to the Draconarid.
Thaddeus had said she could be summoned back to Lunaris in the future. She wasn’t sure why they would do this but she honestly did not care. The mere prospect of returning was all she needed.
There was also the great mystery of the baby dragon. Had Andie actually stumbled upon someone’s secret child? How was her aunt involved – was this some kind of illegal trading? Andie hoped Tessa managed to uncover some answers soon. It would give her a reason to come and visit Andie in Howland City.
It was little harder to be positive about Darius’s prospects. Why on earth had he attacked Laurentius like he did? Perhaps his conversation with the Lunarians had not gone particularly well. Andie hoped his chances of getting assistance were not affected. She prayed the Hunters’ Guild succeeded in tracking him down soon.
As she pondered these subjects Andie gradually started to become plastered. After refilling her glass she opened up Willa’s takeaway meal. Inside the little basket was a pile of her delicious savoury pastries.