Just then, the sound of beating wings could be heard in the distance, a roar-like screech following as a shadow was cast over us. I looked up, knowing what I would see but not quite believing it until my eyes locked on the creature.
A dragon loomed above, circling us like prey. The underbelly of it was a stunning lavender, but its wings and what I could see of the rest of its body as it tilted were violet.
My head cocked to the side, eyes roaming from the dragon—which I was not nearly scared enough of—to Padon. The purple of his hair was darker, but the cloud around us had been the very same violet. A violet that matched almost the entirety of the Temple of Gods, which had been dedicated to…
“Padon,” I said, caution lacing my words. He looked back down at me, smiling glumly, as if he were expecting me to be terrified. But, when his eyes met mine, his expression changed. His lips parted, gaze widening. “Tell me you are not a god. Tell me you have not been making snide comments about the deities when you are somehow in control of life and death.”
Standing there, shivering in my flimsy pink dress, I felt stupid for not seeing it sooner. A nervous laugh was all he answered with before flicking his wrist my way. I looked down, watching as every single rosebud opened, flaring out to fill the dress. Then a cloak—my cloak—met my shoulders, the purple shadow-like magic disappearing in the breeze.
“I prefer Death and Creation. And it’s not my fault they made me look heinous for that sculpture. Just seeing your projected thoughts made me feel as if I should be working on a better exercise regimen.”
The dragon descended as the two of us looked at one another, landing with such force that the mountain itself shook. I moved my gaze, staring with awe at the creature. It was larger than I could have ever imagined, my head likely not even reaching its ankle. All four legs were rippling with strength, purple scales glistening in the teal sunlight. Its leathery wings still softly swayed, as if it were gaining its bearings.
Padon’s arm caught my peripheral as he moved to stroke the enormous snout of the creature. It hummed in appreciation, briefly flashing razor sharp teeth that were surprisingly white. Its nostrils flared when I subconsciously stepped back, those black eyes meeting mine. A tail studded with black horns that mirrored spikes swung towards me, stopping just short of my feet.
I felt the curiosity looming beneath terror, my magic beginning to hum. I wanted to try letting it seep into the creature and see what the mind of such a thing felt like, but what if it could sense me? What if it grew angry?
Still, my thoughts raced with how interesting it would be to speak to a dragon. Frost had never spoken back, but dragons, they seemed different. Otherworldly.
Padon seemed to see the war happening in my mind, because he reached out a hand and smiled, beckoning me.
“Allow yourself to thrive, Asher. Take this first step into becoming something more.”
Though I knew he meant allowing him to make me truly immortal with what I now knew was his life magic, I still closed the distance and placed my hand in his. The moment our skin touched, Padon visibly relaxed, but the emptiness that came with the connection made me think of Bellamy. Of the way my skin lit and sparked when it touched his. And I wondered if Padon had ever felt that, if he truly knew what love was.
Slowly, he brought our fingertips towards the dragon’s nose, stilling mere inches away. It sniffed loudly, scenting me. Then it bristled, leaning away not with hatred but with clear indifference.
Was it wrong to be more offended because of that?
“Drisha, you’re being rude.” His tone was scolding, a father speaking to his youngling. It was startling to hear him be so gentle without any condescension or ulterior meanings. Like seeing him for the first time, the real him.
The dragon—Drisha—huffed irritably, swaying her head back and forth. But after Padon flashed her a look of warning, she sighed and pressed her nose firmly into my still outstretched hand. Her skin was slightly damp, the scales like leather under my fingers. For some reason, that feeling reassured me, pushing me to let my magic free.
Hello, beautiful. My name is Asher. It is so wonderful to meet you.
Drisha froze, her eyes going wide. She stared at me for what felt like an eternity, all three of us so still we might have passed as statues if not for our heavy and slightly panicked breathing. Then Drisha did something that I had not expected but dared to imagine. She spoke back.
Hello, Asher. I’m called Drisha. Why is it that you smell mortal but have enough magic to level an entire galaxy?
I gasped, her voice sending chills down my back. She sounded similar to Wrath, an eerie and demanding voice that made me want to cower. But I did not, instead choosing to stand straighter, to smile despite the fright coursing through me.
I think you are overestimating my ability, Drisha.
Her head tilted to the side, sniffing me again after a moment. Her breath was hot, like the heat of a scalding summer day. It knocked me back into myself, unfreezing my mind and freeing me of the daze that was seeing an actual dragon.
Fine, not an entire galaxy. But a world, for sure.
“If you’re both done being rude, then we can leave,” Padon drawled, leaning onto the dragon’s leg and patting her scales nonchalantly.
“Leave? Like fly?” My voice was too uneven, raspy in a way it normally was not. I hated it, showing that I was breakable, fearful, weak. He smirked over at me, his arms crossing as if daring me. I growled, looking back at Drisha and purposefully speaking into her mind so Padon could not hear me.
Drisha, is it okay if I ride on your back? It seems I am being challenged by your friend.
A booming laugh split the air, the dragon’s head falling back. I jumped, my magic subconsciously throwing down my shields to prepare for what my body thought would be a fight.
“You’re odd, Asher. But yes, you may. Let me help you up, tiny.” My jaw slackened, surprised to hear her speak aloud. I should not have been so astonished, seeing as Wrath spoke to me out loud. It was not unfathomable. Yet it seemed even more strange coming from her.
Drisha used her arm-length talons to pinch around my waist, lifting me up and practically tossing me onto her back. The second my body hit hers, I began to slip backwards, sliding down her scaled spine and desperately searching for purchase. Just as my hand gripped onto one of her particularly large violet scales, something firm appeared behind me.
