Wide-eyed and baffled, he walked towards her and sat on the chair across from her, pulling it so close their knees almost touched. Locking his eyes onto hers, he asked in a slow and clear voice, “why ignis?”
“Because that is what I make,” she said, staring back into his eyes as if beyond those hazel moons was a world she once knew, a life she had once lived.
She felt things never felt before, and started remembering images too wild to be real. She suddenly felt lightheaded, and was unable to retain her straight posture.
“I’m sorry; I’m not feeling very well. For a moment, I thought I was – “
“For a moment you thought you were what?” he asked, placing his hands on the edge of her knees, as if in anticipation of something long dreamt of and hoped for.
“For a moment I thought I was…someone else,” she said, hesitant and intermittently pausing, as if trying to remember words she never learned or ever knew.
“What person were you thinking of?” he asked, moving even closer and now tightly gripping her knees. “Who did you think you were? What words came to mind?”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Crown, I really am. I don’t know what’s come over me, I don’t think I’m feeling very well. I think I need I need air – “she said, suddenly getting up and moving towards the window, gasping and breathing heavily.
Crown quickly got up and ran to fetch her some water from the cupboard over the coffee table, and offered her a glass with ice while opening one of the windows for air. As she leaned in to take the glass their fingers touched, igniting a whirlpool of memories in Kelly’s mind. She dropped the glass and it fell to the ground, with Mr. Crown quickly kneeling next to her in attempt to help her breathe. On her knees, gasping, she remembered.
“Factorem ignis,” she said. “Ego factorem ignis.”
Upon hearing her words, Crown looked up in silence, shut his eyes and whispered the words, “Finally”. Wrapping his arms around Kelly, he helped her get up and seated on his chair. The, in a tone of relief, he turned his gaze to the two stone-made statues by his desk and uttered the words, “Summon him.”
Kelly, regaining her energy and trying to catch her breath, looked up from the floor to find the two statues moving. They were changing form, shape-shifting like pieces of clay into figures she could not make out. And then they started to get clearer, transforming into creatures she’d only known to be in medieval fables or childhood bedtime stories. At first glance they were grotesque, covered in sharp bone and coarse scales. They were from another world, from another time. They were unearthly, almost unnatural. She knew what to call them, but dared not speak the name.
“This can’t be. I must be going mad,” she murmured.
“You are not going mad, Kelly Ambers. You know not only what they are, but who they are,” said Mr. Crown.
“I don’t, I can’t,” Kelly said, her voice trembling and her gaze unsteady.
“Yes, you do. Say the name.”
“Please, stop. I can’t. I don’t understand what’s happening.”
Mr. Crown took her hand and held it tight between his palms. Looking her in the eye, he said, “Kelly, it’s alright. You’re not going mad. You’ve been here before, and what you remember is real. Say the words. Say the name.” Turning towards the two transfigured statues, he asked, “Tell me, Kelly. What are they?”
“Dragons,” she muttered, “They’re dragons.”
“Yes. That’s correct. That’s what they are. That’s what we all are.”
Speechless, Kelly watched the two figures stand in the middle of the room, performing what seemed like a spiritual ritual she could not quite understand. The two figures held each other’s hands, and bowed so that their foreheads gently touched. They then started to recite spiritual hymns in a language Kelly could not understand, a language that was unknown to humans.
“Don’t be frightened,” said crown, holding Kelly close to his chest as she stared wide-eyed unto the dragons’ unfamiliar practices. “It’s an ancient language. Originally a Latin dialect, passed and morphed throughout generations.”
“Nos invocabo te ducem nostrum, Nos invocabo te ducem nostrum,” they whispered. “Non expecto conspectu tuo.”
They called upon him – their leader, King Damien, holy heir of the Throne of Flame and guardian of the Valley of the Dragons.
The air was silent, the winds were at rest. Then suddenly, he appeared – A large and majestic figure in bright and blinding flames. Mr. Crown, as well as the two dragons, quickly kneeled to the floor, their heads bowed in humble respect.
“Welcome, Your Grace,” they all said.
A loud and frightened shriek was heard. It was Kelly, on the floor with her arms wrapped like a veil around her head. And then she heard it, a sound so fine and so familiar.
“Do not fear me, my child. For you and I are much more alike than you know.”
Chapter 2
Hearing those words, Kelly slowly lifted her head, her arms still wrapped around her neck and pressed tightly against her chest. As the brightness of the flames receded, she could begin to see the figure more clearly, more vividly. Taking a first glance at King Damien, her skin went pale and her jaw dropped in both fear and astonishment. She did not know what she was looking at, what form of creature was standing before her. What godly work is this? What wretched part of nature could have conceived this? She thought. Observing the creature from the ground up, she witnessed something more unusual, more extraordinarily unreal than the other two dragons.
His feet were similar to those of wild vultures. They were large in length and in width, covered in thick black skin and ending with sharp, pearl white claws that would cut off a human’s head in a single blow. His legs seemed as though they were made of nothing but muscle. Almost six feet tall and as thick as the trunk of a tree, they too were covered in silver scales, as sharp as diamond and as shimmering as pearl. His torso was a bulk of coarse tissue, covered in the same kind of scales that extended to his arms and wrists. His hands were beastly looking and seemed as though they could engulf her entire body in a single grip. Watching his chest move with the strength of his breathing, her eyes moved all the way to his head, which almost touched the twenty-foot tall ceiling of the office. His eyes were a glistening blue, almost resembling the color of seawater. For Kelly, they seemed like the only part of the beast that took away the fear. They reminded her of something – or someone.
He suddenly spread his wings, which reached all the way to the ceiling and throughout the width of the room. They were different from the rest of his body, not a horrific silver covered in coarse scales, but rather a glorious bright blue, almost transparent. Through the thickness of the King’s wings, Kelly could see white veins moving throughout. They almost looked like streams of cloud moving about the sky.
“They’re beautiful,” Kelly whispered, bewildered and out of breath.
She was in awe, staring in absolute marvel at what was now one of the most beautiful sights she had ever laid eyes on.
“I could have appeared in human form, so as not to frighten you,” Damien said. “But I chose not to. I wanted you to see me, to remember me for what I am. Do you remember me?”
“I can’t quite remember,” she said, her voice soft yet shaking in confusion. “All I know is that I feel something, something very strange.”
“What do you feel?” he asked.
“I feel…nostalgic,” she said. “As if you were part of a home I had once known.”
Damien gave a soft smile, his eyes shimmering and slightly teary.
“How about now?” he said.
Suddenly, his entire body caught fire, burning again with bright and blinding flames. This time, Kelly placed one arm against her forehead, but only to shelter her eyes from the bright flames. Removing her hand from her face, she saw him – in his beautiful and most familiar human form. He appeared in the form of a tall Caucasian man with dark brown hair and fair skin. His eyes, however, were exactly the same – a shimmerin
g bright blue, the serene color of seawater. Her heart melted.
“I know you,” she said, finally rising up from the floor and standing on her own. “I know you, how do I know you?”
“Yes, yes, Kelly. You do know me,” he said moving closer to her. “Who am I, Kelly? Think, think!”
“I knew you from when I was younger, didn’t I?” she said.
“Yes, you’re getting closer. Kelly, you must remember!”
“Your Grace, if you can just tell her –” Mr. Crown muttered, in fearful hesitation.
“No! She must remember on her own!” said Damien, his voice slightly angry with Crown and a little frustrated with Kelly’s inability to remember. “Come on, darling. What do you remember?”
Kelly moved closer to Damien, looking straight into his eyes and trying to remember when was the last time she saw those blue pearls. She raised her hand, touching Damien’s face and slowly tracing her fingers across his skin. She came across his freckles, small brown dots resembling the constellations.
“Your freckles, they remind me of someone I used to know,” she said, staring deeper into his features, trying harder to remember. “They remind me of – “
“Yes? Yes, what do they remind you of, Kelly?” Damien said, knowing she is so close to finally remembering.
Suddenly, it came to her – an image so vivid, yet so fast and so fleeting. She could remember being young, perhaps seven or eight years old, looking upwards at the clear night sky and overwhelmed by the wondrous stars. Then she could see a hand holding her, hugging her, embracing her. Look my dear, the sky has so much to tell us today, said a voice. These are called constellations, aren’t they magical? It said. She could then remember her seven or eight-year-old self turning her head, and looking upon the man’s face, Damien’s face.
Like your freckles, Daddy! She said, tracing her small fingers across his face. Look Mummy, Daddy’s freckles are like constellations on a fiery night sky!
Her memory, ending with the dim figure of a tall woman with long hair, brought back a whirlpool of images that although seemingly mismatched were in fact the beginning of a long story she was yet to recall.
“Constellations on a fiery night sky,” she said, smiling, he eyes almost teary.
“Yes! Yes, my darling. Constellations on a fiery night sky,” he said, sighing in relief, tearful with joy.
“Was…was that you?” she said, her voice low and unsure. “Was that you? Is that you?”
“Yes, my child. I am the father you never got the chance to know,” he said, almost in a state of grief and sorrow.
“But how can this be?” she said, eager to understand. “My parents died in a car accident when I was five. That’s why I moved in with and was raised by my grandmother. This…This doesn’t make any sense –” she began to again shake in confusion.
“My dear, will you please sit down?” he said in a gentle and fatherly tone. “You’ve gotten through the hard part. What matters now is that we have found you, and that you remember.”
“I remember many things. Things that don’t make sense. Things that sound so dreamlike yet feel more real than anything else.”
“I know, my child. They are, however, very, very real. You must not doubt that.”
“You must tell me everything,” she said impatiently.
“I will tell you everything,” he said. “But now is not the time, and here is not the place.”
“What do you mean?” she said.
“What I mean is, I cannot tell you now, not before I show you.”
“Show me what exactly?” she asked, her voice again lowered in a fearful tone.
He extended his hand, offering her to take it and said, “Do you trust me?” Looking into his eyes, and feeling the warmth that they ignite in her heart, she couldn’t help but feel safe – completely and utterly safe.
“I trust you,” she said firmly as she extended her hand, taking his.
***
Mr. Crown led Kelly, King Damien and the two dragons towards a door in the office that led straight to the stairwell of the building. Next to the stairwell was an elevator that took them to the top of the fifty-story building. It was sunset, and the sky was morphing into a golden yellow.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been this high above the ground,” Kelly said, looking fearfully across the city that now seemed more like a dream than a life she was actually living.
“I hope you have a strong stomach then,” said Mr. Crown, leaning into her ears and smiling.
“Stand back, Kelly,” said Damien in a gentle smile. “Don’t be afraid.” Then, looking at the two dragons he said, “Fly over ahead of us, and warn the others that we are on our way.”
The two dragons, standing at one end of the rooftop, quickly ran with unimaginable speed towards the other end. Collecting speed as they ran, and right before they reached the edge of the building, they suddenly spread their wings and soared in enormous power off into the sky and disappearing between the clouds. Kelly, covering her mouth in astonishment, gave a loud gasp.
“Crown, Kelly rides with you,” said Damien. “And don’t you dare drop her. She’s my only child.”
“I would guard her with my life, Your Grace,” Crown said, looking at Kelly like she is a precious gem that cannot be lost, making her blush momentarily.
“He’s a good man,” Damien said to Kelly. “Trust him.”
“I trust him,” she said, quickly looking at Crown and then to her feet.
“Stay close behind,” Damien said authoritatively.
Damien’s wings swayed with such force that it almost turned the wind into raging hurricanes. Kelly sheltered her eyes from the strong storm, kneeling on the floor so as not to fall. Looking up, she found Crown extending his hand with a smile.
“Shall we?” he said.
She stood up and waited, assuming he would also change form. As his body caught fire, he transformed into the most elegant of dragons. His neck was long and graceful, wings a large yet smooth white, with a tail that swayed back and forth as he moved. He was not in any way frightening. He’s beautiful, she thought.
Crown knelt down to the ground, and offered her his back to ride.
“Whenever you’re ready,” he said.
“I can’t believe what I’m about to do,” she said, still somehow hoping this could all be a long dream that she could wake up from.
She got on his back, and wrapped her arms fast around his neck. Closing her eyes, she could feel a grand force as he lift off the ground and soar into the air, above the city, and through the clouds. Too afraid to open her eyes, she gave a sudden shriek and cried, “This is mad!”
Suddenly, feeling Crown’s body fly more swiftly, more steadily, she tried opening her eyes. Opening one eye, and then the other, she found herself soaring above the clouds, with an infinite distance ahead.
“This can’t be real! Is this real?” she cried.
“I told you you better have a strong stomach,” Crown said in a jokingly manner. “Don’t let go.”
His wings swayed with faster and stronger rhythms, as the wind blew fiercely into Kelly’s eyes, forcing her to keep them shut. Minutes passed by like seconds, until Crown abruptly said, “Hold on tight, we’re close to landing!”
“Wait, but I’m not read – “
Crown soared down through the clouds and closer to the earth. Before she knew it, they were flying across water. What lay ahead took her breath away and left her speechless, almost in shock.
***
As Crown slowly landed, Kelly could see what she felt looked like a paradise, an unearthly heaven, a valley that looked as though it was pulled straight out of a fairytale. Situated between two large mountains was a wide village, covered in different kinds of trees and eccentric flowers and fruits unknown to humans. At the top of the mountains were bulks of snow that ran soft and smooth down the hillsides. A wide river ran throughout the valley, dividing itself like tree branches throughout the entire village. What is this pla
ce? Where am I? she thought.
Finally, Crown reached the ground and they were both welcomed by a heap of dragons, old and young, each carrying signs of greeting. It almost looked like an unearthly festival, a grandiose welcome that she was not sure she was worthy of. From the crowd appeared Damien in his large and majestic form, his eyes shimmering as ever.
“Welcome, my dear, to Valley of the Dragons. Welcome to what was once your home,” Damien said, greeting her as she came down Crown’s back.
“This is so unreal,” she said, almost out of breath.
“Things will soon prove themselves even more familiar,” he assured her. “Don’t worry.”
She was approached by all shapes, sizes, and colors of dragons, all speaking a language she could not yet understand, yet in a tone of happiness and hospitality nonetheless. Young dragons ran towards her, giving her flowers and strange plants. She was flattered, smiling with a feeling of warmth and ease. She did almost feel like she was indeed home.
“Come, let me show you around the valley,” said Damien, taking her hand.
“I’d love to, yes!” Kelly said.
Suddenly, a loud and coarse voice shouted, “Stop!” The crowd was silent, and the festivities died down. From the crowd came out another dragon, almost as large as Damien, covered in what seemed like gold, silver and pearls. On her head was a tall crown, with a peculiar symbol on the top. Kelly was frightened. But even more than frightened, she was astounded by the dragoness. She truly represented royal blood, something grand and majestic. Kelly was taken aback, feeling the authoritative presence of the creature almost crush her to pieces.
Love of A Dragon (Exalted Dragons Book 1) Page 2
