by Katie Cherry
Kukane slowed, his emerald eyes trained on her face as his face grew serious. "I spoke with Makuahine."
"Yeah, I'm aware," Myra sighed impatiently.
"I was able to glean more from her regarding the King and Queen of the island dragons." His voice lowered, causing it to thrum deeply as he spoke, and Myra shivered involuntarily. "We knew that one of the pair would be part Old One and part island, but we did not know anything of the second dragon. But, last night, Makuahine answered my question." Kukane stopped and stepped in front of her, causing her slow steps to cease entirely. She didn't realize her head was lowered until he lifted it with a finger beneath her chin. They were standing close. Too close. Myra could smell the sweetness of his skin, like honey.
"W-what did she say?" Myra stuttered, trying not to stare at those emerald eyes, but having nowhere better to look. Certainly not his lips or his chiseled chest.
"...The other dragon meant to lead us is one who embraced the magic of the Old Ones... pulling them from their human life. They are an outsider to the island dragons." His head slowly dipped toward Myra's, and panic flared through her. Ripping out of his grasp as she stumbled backward, she panted, shaking her head. This isn't happening. This guy cannot really be thinking I'm meant to be his Queen. I am engaged!
"No," she said as he took a step after her.
Kukane frowned, looking confused. "What is wrong, Myra? You are clearly the dragon Makuahine spoke of. You-"
"Don't even say it," she growled, taking another step back.
"Not saying it will not change the fact that everything points to you being the Queen," he murmured, trying to calm her, though his words only made her panic further. I am not the Queen of these dragons! I am just a girl who wants to get home to her dang wedding.
Oh, what have I gotten into here? I just wanted to keep them from exposing dragons to the world. Now they want me to be their leader. Which, I suppose, could accomplish my goal of keeping them here...
"T-the King and Queen," she began, looking back up at Kukane and trying to not freak out when she realized he'd come a little closer while she was panicking. "Are they... do they need to be... like... together?"
Kukane tilted his head at her curiously. "Well, yes, how else would they lead the dragons as one?"
Myra swallowed hard and took another step back, only to find a tree blocking her escape. Her breathing picked up a notch but she pressed on regardless. "T-then I will have to d-decline your... offer. I'm already engaged to someone else. I'll be marrying him. So I can't be your Queen." When he continued to give her a blank stare, she continued, her voice quiet now. "Sorry."
"But... you must. The dragons need a Queen. They need you."
"And I'll help them how I can, but I can't be their Queen!" Myra barked, exasperated. What's it going to take to get the message through this guy's thick skull?! "I came here to help them. To help you all. No one will listen to me that taking this magic into the world will only destroy you. But that's how I can help. How I will help. And that is all you are getting from me!" As she finished, she spun and leapt into the air, unleashing her wings as she did so.
She quickly flew to an empty part of the forest, glancing behind her to make sure that Kukane hadn't followed her. To her relief, she found herself alone.
She landed hard on the ground beneath the trees, sending a shock wave through her body that made her teeth knock together. Tears already stung in her eyes, and her heart rate was definitely still pounding too fast. Pulling her wings up, she wrapped them around herself, creating a tent over her head to hide in. She was already alone in the forest, but the wing barrier still made her feel a little better.
She never was one for confrontation. It always made her feel sick to her stomach and anxious. Kukane had forced that on her. She hadn't had a chance to escape before she was forced to confront him. Everyone expected too much of her. She had been so foolish, taking on this mission in the first place. She had felt so strong, so confident in herself.
Now, though, she knew that however strong she had become, she wasn't strong enough to deal with being a Queen- or getting these dragons to see that she isn't their Queen. She can't even deal with one dragon at a time. She hadn't convinced Mala yet, Kukane was definitely not of the mindset to listen to her, even if she could get a word in edgewise... and it wasn't likely that any of the other dragons would listen to her either.
Still, she had to try. Even if it took talking to every single dragon individually.
Chapter Six
Resolved in her decision once more, Myra finally lowered her wings from around her head and took a breath of fresh air. Nothing is lost yet. It's only been a day. I still have weeks to talk some sense into these dragons. Still, she couldn't help but heave a sigh as she got back to her feet and pulled out her phone. "Some road bumps have come up thanks to their insistence for a Queen. No one's listening to me so far. But I'll keep working on them so I can come home to you. <3" Hitting send, she tucked the phone back into her pocket and straightened, turning to face the direction she'd just come from.
Here goes nothing.
And nothing did really happen.
For two weeks.
Day after day, she went from dragon to dragon, trying to bond with them. Sometimes she was successful, and sometimes she wasn't. Especially once word spread about what she was trying to do. Many dragons wouldn't talk to her at all at that point, or would pointedly change the subject if Myra ever brought up humans or the dragons' plans to integrate with them.
Still, she did manage to talk with a decent number of the dragons. She would tell them about the Old Ones' history with the humans, recalling what Jasper had told her back when she was being introduced to the concept of dragons still existing in today's world. She would recount how the humans would hunt everything, but especially anything they considered dangerous. They had to be the top predator. They were only comfortable at the top of the food chain.
Some dragons, at that point, would argue that they don't and wouldn't eat humans. In fact, they ate far more fruit than they did meat in the first place.
Most of them just could not wrap their minds around the humans being anything but happy to see them and ready to embrace the magic that they'd lost due to centuries of neglect. They were out to save the humans. How could anything go wrong? The few who believed Myra, like Mala, insisted that Myra would be able to talk to the leaders and convince them not to hunt the dragons.
No one was able to convince the other regarding their perception of the issue, and their solution.
That, unfortunately, wasn't the only thing irritating Myra over the two weeks since she'd arrived. Kukane still insisted she was supposed to be his Queen, and therefore his mate. And as soon as word spread about the new information about their Queen, every single dragon on the island was of the same opinion.
It was terribly lonely to be fighting such a battle on all fronts on her own.
"I just don't understand why our Queen is so unwilling to step into her role and lead us into the human world," the dragon she was talking to grumped, his voice rumbling through her mind.
Myra sighed. She felt she did that whenever she breathed the past two weeks. Everything was so infuriating. "Like I said, I'm not your Queen."
"You are a dragon... of sorts." He paused, running his gaze up and down her body, lingering on her crimson wings, before returning to her face. "You should feel duty-bound to assist your own."
"I do. Why do you think I'm here, trying to save your lives?!" she groaned.
"You are fighting your role. This is why you are upset. You would see, if you would just open up your mind to Makuahine's prophecy of you. She-"
"What if your stupid prophecy is wrong?" she growled, standing abruptly and drawing the attention of the nearby dragons, who watched her curiously. "What if your magical volcano doesn't know everything! Besides, it's not exactly clear, is it? It doesn't say that I'm the outsider with the magic of the Old Ones. You just assume I am. What would happe
n if I gained the power the island gives, like Kukane did with the Elders' magic? What would you do then? Change the prophecy again so it fits what you want to happen?"
The dragon leapt to his feet, his eyes blazing in anger. The dragons circled around them tensed as well, and Myra gulped, afraid she had pushed too far. Makuahine was like a god to these dragons. There was a reason they named her 'Mother.' And she had just insulted her and their belief in what she 'tells them.'
"You dare to insult Makuahine? To question her guidance? ...You may be correct. You are not suited to be our Queen."
"Whoa, let's all just take a step back!" Kukane's voice echoed in Myra's mind as he plunged into the group beginning to press up against Myra. He landed between her and the amber dragons, mouth open in a terrifying roar. Even though Myra knew he was coming to her rescue, she couldn't help but scramble back from him anyway. "Calm down. Myra is still an outsider here. She is still learning our ways. She will understand. Be patient," he growled, turning to face the dragon she'd been talking with specifically. "Do you understand, Koa? You are not to attack Myra over your difference of opinion. If anyone wants to get at her, you go through me!" he continued, turning to stare at the rest of the gathered dragons. One by one, they lowered their heads submissively and backed away.
Eventually, the dragons all left, and Kukane turned into a human and looked to Myra to make sure she was okay. She instantly straightened her spine and glared at him. "I can take care of myself, you know."
"You sure are a stubborn one," he sighed, again running a hand through his hair. "I was just helping."
"You know what would help? Dropping the whole thing where I have to marry you and be a leader of all these dragons. I wouldn't be getting nearly so much heat from everyone if they stopped demanding I be their Queen."
"And I have told you. I do not decide. It was Makuahine's decree."
"You know what, screw that stupid volcano and her 'decisions' regarding me. There's only one way I'm agreeing to lead these dragons. And it's not as your Queen. It will be on my own terms."
"And how do you mean to do that?" Kukane groaned tiredly. "The only way you can be the Queen is if I am the King."
"No. Not if I become like you- with Elder magic and magic from the volcano." He froze at her words and looked at her as though she were insane, but she pressed on before he could say anything. "You were born from the volcano, right? You all were. Clearly, it's dragon friendly. If she gives me magic too, then I will have access to both kinds of magic, same as you. The prophecy would no longer apply to us. It would apply to one of us, and someone else. An outsider. A transitioned mutt. Once I have island magic, that doesn't fit me anymore."
He stared at her in bewilderment for a moment, his mouth hanging open in shock. "And just how do you intend to do that? Makuahine gives life, yes, but you cannot just... take a new life from her."
"Perhaps she could prove that she is worthy and able to handle what such a gift would bring," Mala cut in, walking up to them. "Then, if Makuahine deems her capable, she could very well be gifted to receive our magic as well, and be reborn as an island dragon."
"Prove myself worthy?" Myra repeated, glancing back and forth between her and the reluctant Kukane. "And just how am I supposed to do that?"
"Well, there are trials that Kukane had to overcome to prove he was worthy to be King," Mala began, fixing Myra in her gaze. "If you insist on being Queen without him, you would need to prove yourself with the trials as well. I'm sure that if you were to pass them, you would also be worthy of becoming an island dragon, should Makuahine deign to transform you into such."
More trials. Awesome. As if the trials for becoming Dragonkin weren't bad enough. I guess these dragons do actually have similarities to the Elder Dragons. Kukane paled and stared at Myra as though begging her not to go through with it. She wasn't sure if it was because he was worried about her or his standing as the dragons' future King. Either way, the look only pushed for her to take the leap.
"Alright, fine," she finally said, crossing her arms over her chest. "What are these trials?"
Chapter Seven
"So... I'm now about to undergo some kind of trials to become something like these new dragons. Apparently they won't listen to me unless I'm their Queen, but obviously I'm not going to be doing things their way and marry Kukane. I'll do anything to make it back to you, but I also need to make sure we can survive in a world with these new dragons. They're headstrong and aren't listening to me. It seems this is the only way. But don't worry. I'm sure I'll be fine." Myra paused, staring down at the phone screen with a frown. None of this was fair to Rhys. She was keeping him updated, but trying to keep him from worrying at the same time. This, though, was a little more difficult to downplay.
Especially since, if she did pass all their tests, they'd be tossing her into the volcano.
A tear slipped from one eye, but she pushed back the worry rising in her. I will survive this. I have to. Besides, they wouldn't be tossing me into the volcano unless they were confident in my ability to... well, not die in doing so. Gritting her teeth in determination, she hit send on the text and zipped the phone into the backpack. She'd rather it not melt in the volcano. If she did make it to that point, of course.
"Are you ready, Myra?" Mala asked, walking up beside her.
"As ready as I'll ever be," she responded with a half smile that didn't feel very sincere.
"I trust you slept well?"
"Considering everything, yes, actually," Myra replied, letting out her wings so they billow behind her. "So, where are we going for these trials?"
"Follow me. It's not far." She took to the air, and Myra followed just behind her. As soon as she did, however, the dragon suddenly banked to the left and pumped her wings hard. Confused and alarmed at the sudden change, Myra quickly followed after her, flying as fast as she could. She couldn't sense any danger, but Mala was certainly acting as though they were in danger.
As soon as she caught up with the dragon over the ocean water, Mala suddenly pulled in her wings and dove toward the deep blue. Myra pulled up behind her, startled, and peered down into the water. In another few seconds, she wouldn't be able to see the dragon anymore. Taking in a deep breath, she instinctively dove after her, hoping the decision wouldn't lead her to a watery grave.
Flying through water was incredibly difficult, and her wings began to burn before long. Good heavens. This is a better workout than climbing the cliff back at home, Myra groaned to herself, swimming deeper with her arms and legs as well as her wings, pushing to keep up with Mala and trying not to think of how distant the surface of the water was getting.
Through the murky darkness of the water, Myra noticed Mala turn and swim sideways. Myra followed, but frowned. Shouldn't we be going back up to the surface soon?! I'm running out of air... Swallowing her panic, she continued to follow Mala. Over the past couple of weeks, the two had become friends. She wouldn't let Myra die out here. Or would she? I did insult Makuahine, after all, as well as the dragon they all want as a King. I am, even now, threatening to usurp him. I suppose it's a bit tyrannical.
Much to Myra's relief, they entered an underground cave and begin heading back up. After another minute, they broke the surface of the water, both of them gasping for breath. After a moment, Mala led the way onto land, crawling up into the underground cave. As Myra followed her out of the water, she looked around curiously. There were multiple tunnels stretching out from where they were currently standing, most of them seeming to lead up, back toward the surface. Myra breathed an audible sigh of relief at the sight. Thank heavens we don't have to swim back through the ocean to get back.
"I take it that was one of the trials?" Myra panted, her hands on her knees as she looked up at the beautiful, glistening dragon.
"Indeed. I am pleased that you passed. It takes a lot of faith to follow someone into the unknown, and to fight your instincts in a timely manner to do so. You also had strength to make it all the way down here, again with
no preparation."
"Thanks," Myra replied, feeling relatively pleased. That wasn't so bad.
"The next trial is one that I will not be here for," Mala continued, turning her head from Myra to the caverns stretching from the cave. "You will need to find your way out and back to the surface. Returning through the ocean is prohibited. You'll need to rely on your magic to guide you through the tunnels. You have to make it back to the surface, where I, and the others, will be waiting, within two hours. Good luck." With that brief farewell, she turned and plunged back into the water, her long tail streaking behind her and sliding into the dark ocean with hardly a splash.
Sighing, Myra turned to survey the caverns. No rest for the weary, it seems. Still, she waited for a few moments longer, hoping to let the shakiness of her limbs fade before she continued onward. Looking around at the passages, she couldn’t immediately tell which would lead to the surface. Though that wasn't too surprising to her. These tests were to test the strength of a dragon, so she'd need to rely on her inner dragon to guide her through them.
Closing her eyes, she looked inward at her magic. Finding the gold swirling throughout her body, she smiled a little to herself, recalling how proud Rhys had been when she'd finally managed to see his magic back before she’d transitioned. I'll make it back to you, she promised him in her mind, pulling on the magic and letting it expand around her, flowing into the caverns. Every time she detected a dead end, she would pull back on the magic, abandoning the tunnel and ruling it out as a possibility. After a few minutes, she finally discerned two tunnels that made it up to the surface. Pushing to look a little further, she found a large gathering of dragons at the end of one of the tunnels, and only one dragon at the entrance of the other.
Recalling what Mala had said about her waiting with the others for her to surface, she confidently walked through the tunnel leading to the large group of island dragons, pulling her magic back from the other, and keeping the thread that guided her toward Mala.