Authors: Rain Oxford
Never think that. Your mother put you first, but
Sujike and his family hunted dragons for sport. This would have happened even
if your mother did not need my blood; she was just an excuse for him. It was
more my fault that your mother and sister were dead than yours. For my part in
their death, I am sorry, but words are all I have left to give you.
The last part was a bit cryptic, but that could be
expected coming from an ancient dragon.
You have no fault at all for my
mother’s death, or my sister’s. But how did I survive when nobody got the
blood?
Light returned and we were in my father’s bedroom. My
mother was in bed, heavily pregnant and my father sat next to her. They were
both crying.
“He just explained to her that I was dead and she
would not be getting the treatment she needed to save you,” Anget said.
I didn’t have to turn to know she was behind me. I
did turn, though, because I was still in awe that I had a sister, and I had to
check to make sure she was still real. “How are you here if you died?” I asked her.
She smiled, but it wasn’t a happy smile. “Because you
are in the Land of the Dead.”
My mother screamed with pain in between short,
gasping breaths and held my father’s hand as he yelled for Mokomo, who burst in
with his medical supplies. I turned away; I didn’t want to see my own birth.
For what seemed like forever, she screamed and cried
and it was truly the most horrific thing I ever had to sit through. I heard my
mother begging my father not to let her baby die and wiped tears from my eyes
when her screams ended.
There was no baby crying. My father begged my mother
to open her eyes and the servants were scrambling around in despair… and there
was no baby crying. After a while, the doctor removed my mother from the room
and my father sat on the bed, ignoring everyone else. I had been staring out of
the window for hours, listening to the world come crashing down around me.
Why did I have to see this? Why did my life have to
cause so much pain? Why couldn’t she have taken the treatment and lived?
“Never, ever think that.”
I thought it was Rojan, so it took me a moment to
respond. When it suddenly clicked in my head that it was a woman speaking, I
turned to see my mother, looking at me for the first time in my life.
“It was not the first time; I saw them take you away
before my eyes closed for good,” she said. I couldn’t move from the window
seat; I was frozen absolutely still. When she moved towards me and put her arms
around me, I expected her to be cold and hard like a corpse… but she was soft
and warm and I could hear a heartbeat beneath her skin. “This is the Land of
the Dead, but it is sometimes difficult to remember that I died.”
“Because of me.”
“No, my baby, not because of you. I made a decision.
I knew I would die, but I also knew your father would save you. Nothing could
have saved me, but there was a chance you, and I made that choice. I will never
regret it. I knew before you were born what kind of man you would grow up to
be. You have already changed so many lives for the better and you are just
getting started.”
“Not now that I am here,” I argued. At least I would
have my mother and sister, but I felt like I was letting Dylan and Sammy down.
I would have my time when I died to be with my family, but Dylan was family
too, and he needed my help. I had to get back to him.
My father suddenly got up and pushed all of the
servants out of the room. In his arms I could see a newborn baby, never opening
his eyes, crying, or moving. I listened and could hear a sluggish, barely there
heartbeat and strangled breath. The baby would die within the hour.
The desperate man pulled a book off of the shelf,
still being meticulous with his cradling of the baby. He locked the door. My
mother put her hands over my ears and leaned her forehead against mine. “You
cannot hear this,” she said as everything was flooded with blinding white and a
horrible ringing started in my ears. It cleared as quickly as it had started.
“What happened?” I asked as my father cleared away
candles and books into a leather sack. He opened the sliding glass doors to the
massive balcony and then he returned to the bed to rock the baby as if he were
crying.
“He used magic to summon Rojan.”
Within a few minutes, Rojan landed. He was imposing
as a person, but as a dragon, he was magnificent. Unlike Blood, this dark,
forest green dragon looked like he was built for battle.
Entering the bedroom took much contorting on his part
and… well, the doorway took considerable damage. His wings, massive and with
sharp angles, were tucked as tightly as he could manage against his slim, but
enormous, frame. His neck was long and horns angled back from his head. From
his head, down his spine, and ending at the tip of his long tail was a row of
spikes. Out of his nostrils he snorted smoke and the wood beneath his clawed
paws scorched and creaked.
The transition into his person form took a mere
instant. “Why have you called me here?” he asked and crossed his arms,
completely unashamed of his nudity. Obviously he couldn’t wear clothes when he
shifted.
“One of my children is dead because of you. My wife
is dead because of you. You can save the life of my other child. You owe me
that.”
“I killed neither your wife nor child. I owe you
nothing,” Rojan said, his tone leaving no room for argument. Whereas my father
could out-argue anyone, Rojan’s shear presence demanded compliance. Whether
this was an aspect of dragons or just Rojan, I had no idea.
Predictably, my father said nothing. I knew my
dragon’s true feelings, true regrets, but nothing except for cold indifference
showed on his face.
Rojan looked at the baby and held out his hands. My
father hesitated, but must have realized there was only one way to get Rojan’s
help. He handed the infant over and Rojan took him with a gentleness I had
never seen before.
There really was nothing to consider
, Rojan
said in my mind.
I knew you could be saved. I had nothing left except for my
guilt. Given the chance to save a child, of course I would. You needed me and I
had failed everyone else. What better way to spend my life than protecting
someone whose future was taken before he could even see it? There was nothing
left for me; I had lived my life well, better than I had ever expected. I
worked hard for what I had, for my freedom. To see that your life was taken
before you even had it was horrible, unforgivable. I could give you your life,
and protect you from some of the suffering I endured. It was never a choice for
me.
“His mother had already used magic to extend his
life,” the Rojan who stood in front of my father said. “She used an ancient and
outlawed spell. My blood alone would not be able to save him, but the spell
will allow him to assimilate my blood into his DNA, my soul will strengthen
his. I will do this, but you must understand that your son will be part dragon.
He will have incredible power over fire. Other dragons will seek him out to
determine just how many dragon traits he attains. Some will try to kill him.”
“Is there a way to suppress the dragon part of him?”
my father asked.
“You are asking me if you can suppress me.”
“He would be ridiculed as a child if he acts like a
dragon.”
“He would also be extremely dangerous when he is made
angry,” Rojan agreed, “but I will not tell you how to suppress what he will
become, for it would make him miserable.” Even when he was about to give his
own life for a child he didn’t know, he wanted me to be happy. It made me sick
that I had made that girl subdue him.
“As long as he lives, I don’t care,” my father
declared.
“Why would you call me? You want him to be as much a
sago as possible, why summon the most powerful dragon around? You have to know
I could never be completely suppressed. He will have much of my personality,
and many of my motivations.”
“You are a king among dragons, are you not?” he
asked.
I rolled my eyes. Even before I could open my eyes
for the first time, he was pushing for me to be king.
“My bloodline is the strongest that ever existed and
ever will. For that, others of my kind either follow me or hunt me. With my
blood, he will be the same. He will be capable of leading others, and no one
will be strong enough to defeat him, but I warn you that if he is anything like
me, you will not be pleased,” Rojan cautioned.
I could see it in my father’s eyes as he brushed the
warning off.
He thinks you mean that I would be too strong for him to
handle.
I know, and I knew it then, but he was wrong. I
knew he would not be pleased because I spent my entire life trying to avoid
leading. Since I was trained by my parents to lead, I never wanted that much
responsibility. I only ever wanted the power to control my own life, not anyone
else’s. With my blood in you, that desire to be free was passed on. You would,
unfortunately, never make a good king because you would always be looking for
your own path.
Thank you for that.
Along with my yearning for freedom, my
dominant-protective tendencies, and weakness to the cold, my blood assimilated
well enough to pass on minor shifting abilities, including the claws, teeth,
and eyes. One thing I really wish I had passed on to you is the ability of
flight.
Still in awe over what he sacrificed for me, I nearly
missed what he said.
Dominant-protective? Those are two different things.
Not for dragons.
Why are dragons weak to cold when we can just heat
our fire inside us to keep us warm?
That is not how it works. You are unable to shift,
but you have dragon fire in person form. Dragons cannot use their dragon fire
in person form, or shift their claws, eyes, or teeth. They can only keep
themselves warm in their true form. Mountain dragons and others born into cold
climates have adapted a resistance to it.
Since you are not a full dragon, yet you share
dragon blood, that makes you an abomination in the eyes of many dragons. Others
will see you as my son or even a reincarnation of me, and instinctually follow
you as a leader. Still some may think you are pure dragon who can control his
fire in person form and assume you are the most powerful dragon ever born.
Either way, not a good idea
, I decided.
Anget put her hand on my arm. “It is time to go
home,” she said.
“I agree.”
That voice was unforgettable and could never be
mistaken for another woman’s. I turned to see Divina standing next to my
mother, looking determined and a little frustrated. Still, I was shocked to see
her.
“Why would you come to save me?” I asked. Even though
I was Dylan’s friend, I didn’t think Divina particularly liked me enough to
come into the spirit world to get me.
“Because Dylan is out there causing havoc trying to
save you, and he would risk his life to get to you. I figured if I came and got
you, then he would stop. There are some things more important than Dylan.
Unfortunately, I don’t know what they are anymore. Say goodbye to your mother
so we can get out of here.”
It was astonishing that a god understood the need to
say goodbye to loved ones, but I wasn’t going to waste the opportunity. I
hugged my mother for the last time and we both cried, then I hugged my sister.
“I can’t believe you are my sister.”
“I am just a memory now… but that is all I ever
wanted to be; remembered. Now you know I existed. I made foolish choices and I
hope you never make similar ones. Keep thinking and acting with your heart and
you will be fine.”
* * *
The flash cut our goodbyes short and we landed in a
dark, underground room with Dylan and Edward. “Here’s your stupid friend. Will
you stop trying to tear yourself apart now?!” Divina demanded of my friend.
Dylan looked to be a little in shock. “Um, thank you
for saving him, but…” He pointed to Edward. “Did you save him, too?” He
definitely seemed confused, and I was completely lost.
When did Edward need saving?
“No, actually, I haven’t been saved, I am just on
rent. It is nice to see you again, Divina. Always a welcome sight when I return
from the grave,” he said.
Something was wrong; Edward didn’t talk like that.
Use your nose
, Rojan advised.
I did, and realized what was off. That was definitely
not Edward. He smelled similar, and he looked identical, but his scent was
different. For that matter, Dylan looked nearly identical to Edward and this
man.
This was Ronez… Dylan’s dead father.
“Please don’t flirt with my girlfriend, Dad. I think
I need some water,” Dylan said. “Mordon, this is my father. I opened the void
to try and find you and Ronez was standing there. I’m happy to see you three,
honestly, I’m just a little overwhelmed.”
“You tried to open the void when you knew what could
happen to you?” I asked. He nodded absentmindedly, swaying a little. I moved as
if I were going to steady him, but instead slapped him as hard as I could on
the cheek. He went down, but he deserved it. “You stupid idiot!” I yelled.
Dominant-protective tendencies
, Rojan muttered
to himself. Despite my best efforts to ignore his pain, I reached down and
helped pull him back to his feet.
Divina snorted. “I agree with you. Maybe a few more
beatings and he will stop being so stupid all of the time,” she said.
“Divina,” Ronez admonished. “Men do not like to be
bullied by their women. You should be nicer to him because he’s the man and you
are just the little lady.”
“I never really liked you,” she taunted, glaring at
him.
“I guess those were pity kisses then? That’s fine
with me. You should pity me more; I’m dead. That’s pretty pitiful. Kisses?”