Incredulous, I looked down at the wild excitement blazing in our daughter's eyes, the fear minimal as the winds blew her hair from her braid, tangling itself on her glittering crown.
“If you enjoyed that, then look over to your left, little chickadee.” I said, smiling down at her with motherly pride and just the same amount of excitement even while guiding the shadows to race alongside the winged beast.
“Is that—a sky dragon?” Riella gasped. The awe in her voice was one of reverence.
“It is. Rather, a smaller version of the true ones. This one is a firedrake.” I said with just as much breathlessness. Taking in the sparkling hues of its red scales, its fearsome powerful wings and the bright orange orbs of its eyes, I watched as the beautiful creature glared with irritation and curiosity at us right before it burst into flame.
“I seriously hope you have a goddess damn plan, little umbra,”Emon growled again, still leaping from one shadow to the next.
I squeezed our daughter, leaning down towards her, concentrating on the horizon so we did not plummet from the sky, I raised my voice against the rushing winds, “Riella, you have been able to communicate with any living creature. I want you to try to communicate with the firedrake. Say these words exactly.Natrix Drakaina.”
“Dragon Queen,”Emon grinned in my mind, not surprised at all.
I narrowed my eyes on him,“You knew?”
Before he could answer, Riella assaulted me with big eyes over her petite shoulder. “But that is what Shen Shen called you!”
I pressed my lips together, that scheming braggart of a water dragon. “Yes, it is. Hurry now, before it decides to turn its fire upon us again.”
Reilla nodded quickly, turning back to the firedrake that was now indistinguishable from the flames pouring off of him. The stench of smoke swirling thickly, choking the air from our lungs.
“How did you know?”I whispered fearfully to Emon, if he knew then that meant the dragons were at risk.
Emon purred reassuringly,“Your secret is safe with me, little umbra. Although one day I do want to hear the story of how you became the ruler of the sky dragons instead of eliminating them as requested by your own queen. As always your strength and power captivates me. You are fucking incredible, Remnant Ezra Solaire Dark."
I hummed inwardly.“A tenuous rule based solely on giving them free reign of the Southern Mountains separate from the crown. A decision that cost me dearly."
“Would you do it again? If given the choice?”The seriousness in his question made me feel like there was a possible wrong answer.
I licked at my lips nervously, what did Emon actually know?“I would have found a way to save them…without the cost,”I replied with sincere honesty.
Emon grunted, launching himself onto the next shadows.
Within the seconds it took Emon to expose my truths, Riella had already conveyed my message and the firedrake answered. Flames died off its body, leaving behind nothing but a smokey trail and two giant orbs swerving to meet mine. Instant love and loyalty shining within them.
This was why I loved dragons. It didn’t matter who I was or what I had done in the past. The dragons were all connected spiritually and once you were a part of their family there was no escaping their infinite devotion.
I would have never slain the majestic beasts even under orders of the former queen but it had cost me and put everything I had worked hard to preserve in jeopardy including my own family.
"The ridge,"Emon growled in my mind.
Looking outward, I could finally see the large looming cliff I had noticed when we first entered. At first I thought it had been the Red Caps but those gracefully extended into a lavender blue sky. Elegant in their presence. These lands conquered each other, unwantedly the earth split and separated in a rough manner that wasn’t at all elegant…it wasviolent.
I frowned at the sound of drums and the presence of dark and red skinned beings that lined the cliffs ridgeline. I could just barely make out their massive wings tucked regimentally behind their backs, spiked with sharp talons, and their heads adorned with savage horns. Their entire demeanor was different from thecreatures we were fighting below. Calmer, more organized, superior, these were not beasts…but something different altogether.
The firedrake roared, calling out, and arcing over our bodies, sweeping to the other side of us. Its low rumbling continued. Clouds of smoke puffing from its scaled nostrils.
“He wants us to ride him down to the cliffs. He is bound to return and they want to meet us,” Riella called out to me, pointing down to the beings I had just been assessing.
I threw another sequence of shadow out for Emon to run along, pressing my lips together.
“Can we maedere? You did say we would fly on a dragon one day.” She practically bounced begging me, waving her spear, and I quickly wove shadow around the fang to prevent us from losing any of our souls today.
My heart, however, was stuttering.Maedere. She had called me mother in the ancient fae language, the first time she had ever done so.
Her pookah appeared on her shoulder, its ears twitching at me, red eyes laughing at my moment of happiness.
Emon snickered in my mind,“That spirit guide is a right bastard, an excellent manipulator but I need you to focus, my soulmate. Either give me more shadow before we meet our deaths with rutting monsters or we fly a firedrake that could incinerate us in seconds and will likely deliver us into another goddess damn mess.”
