by C. K. Rieke
“I hope they made it in time,” Kera said. “I really hope they made it.”
“Me too,” Lilaci said.
As they approached the garden, they came to its high walls, and as Kera seemed concerned how to get the commander down safely, Lilaci already had her boot on his back. She thrust him down the wall of sand with a stiff and sturdy push. Kera looked up Lilaci in shock.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“He’ll be fine, he’s tough.”
He rolled down the hill into the bushy gardens below, filled with flowers of brilliant colors under the starlight. Wincing in pain at the bottom, he still refused to cry out, although he did give Lilaci one angry look, she only glared back with a wicked fury. Although he was in a weak state, this was still the man who caused her so much pain over the majority of her life.
As they strode down the sandy walls into the garden, Lilaci and Kera went and took Veranor by the arms again. The green grass was soft under their feet as they approached the cave. Lilaci looked over at Kera, who almost seemed nervous.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“You think it’s in there still? You think it’s still alive? My whole life has been leading up to this point. I don’t know what I’m going to do if it’s not there. I feel like I’m going to have to start all over again.”
“You won’t have to start from scratch,” Lilaci said. “You have us, and not to mention one of the Six is finally dead. I’d say that’s a good start.”
“Whether there’s a dragon down there or not,” Veranor said. “Things are only going to get more treacherous from here on out for you— for us.”
“What do you know about what we’ve been through?” Lilaci said, spite heavy in her heart.
Then a loud scream of pain echoed from down in the dark cave.
Veranor looked up at Lilaci, seemingly wanting to defend himself, but he irked in pain, and blood flew from his mouth to the sands with a wet cough.
“Let’s go,” Lilaci said reluctantly. I hope this is the right decision. This may be what the Garen Pixie was talking about in that last whisper, about on in the darkness coming to light. Will he become an ally like he promised? One thing’s for sure, if he’s lying, I’m going to enjoy killing him. And I hate to admit it, but he was right, things are probably only going to get tougher for us. The Six— The Five— are going to come at us with everything in the Arr they can muster. There’d better be a dragon down here still.
They entered the darkness of the tunnel, and a hallowed murmur echoed from the cave, yet no more screaming in pain. Lilaci hoped that Roren and Fewn had gotten Burr to the fountain in time.
Without even a thought, a dull purple fire lit in Lilaci’s free hand, illuminating the cave in a marvelous light the color of lilacs.
“You know,” Veranor said, as if in a stupor, “maybe this was our destiny all along. We were supposed to find each other for all of this to unfold like it is.” Again, another harsh bloody cough. “It was destiny that brought you to me, destiny that the Sanzoral was given to you after its slumber for so many years, and it was destiny that brought Kera into our lives.”
“Come on,” Lilaci said. “If you moved your feet a little bit, that would help.” Perhaps he’s growing delirious from loss of blood, but those words make me want to drive my sword into him. The thought of fate re-uniting us makes me want to kill him. I thought that part of my life was over, so that I may move on and live my own life. To have Veranor back in my life makes a knot form in my stomach. This is the man who manipulated me for so many of my years. He almost now, seems sorry for the way things happened. He may feel remorse, but I will never forget what he did to me.
They struggled to carry him further and further down the winding tunnel, until a dull light began to appear from a turn up ahead. Lilaci and Kera mustered their strength and pushed forward, dragging the man down the long tunnel. He weighed more than the two of them combined. His head slunk low, and he was on the brink of death. A shadowy figure appeared ahead, with sword drawn. Slight murmurs were heard of a frantic conversation ahead.
“Lilaci?” Roren’s voice called out.
“It’s us,” she replied. He ran up after them, he seemed shocked by Kera and her companion. He looked at Lilaci who looked back with unsurety, “Give me a hand, will ya?”
He didn’t argue, but took the commander’s arm from Kera, and the two of them began to drag him further down, and closer to the fountain. The light grew brighter from the torch ahead. And as they rounded the corner, the first thing Lilaci saw was the dragon egg, lit in the beauty of the torchlight. It appeared the same as it was the last time she saw it, all that time ago, back when she first met Roren. After he saved her life, and they went out together to find Kera. Then she spotted Burr, leaning against the wall of the cave, the boils seemed to be fading slowly from his skin and face.
“No, no, no—,” Fewn said, standing up and walking towards Lilaci. “No, no, no! What are you doing? What are you thinking?”
“He needs to drink from the fountain,” Lilaci said. “Give us a hand.”
Fewn scoffed and looked around the cave and laughed as she seemed flabbergasted. “What spell has he got you under now? You know he was the one who sent us to find and take Kera, so she could be killed right? He’s the one who sent the Scaethers out after her to kill her, and you? He was the one—”
“I know, Fewn,” Lilaci said in a serious tone. “Trust me, I know. We may need him though.”
“But he’s the bad guy,” Fewn said, begging for Lilaci to listen to her.
Lilaci looked around at Kera, then the others. “I think it’s safe to say, we’ve been the bad guys too.”
Veranor let out a moan that made him sound like an old man, dying. Lilaci began to drag him forward, Roren helped. They walked right at Fewn, who stood between them and the fountain.
She reluctantly stepped aside. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Lilaci and Roren approached the fountain, waist high. She looked into the clear water as it lay motionless in the stone fixture. She looked at Veranor once more, letting the decision roll through her mind once more. Then, she grabbed his long hair, holding it tightly in between her fingers, and lifted his head and dunked it into the cool water, letting it splash out and land on the sandy tunnel floor. She pulled his head from the water and threw him to the ground. They all watched eagerly in anticipation. A moment later, he gasped, and inhaled the air deeply. His eyes shot open wide, and his breathing returned, and his cough faded. He crawled over to the tunnel wall and sat up against it.
“Amazing,” he said softly. “Absolutely amazing, this is truly a magical place.” He looked up at Lilaci, and then turned his gaze to Kera. He bowed his head. “Thank you, young lady. I am in your debt.”
Kera bowed her head slightly, and then all watched her as her attention turned to the egg.
She took a slow step towards it, and then another, and then one more. As Lilaci watched her, Kera lifted her right hand and place it on the egg. The moment she touched it, there was a stirring motion beneath the membrane. Then she lifted and put her other hand up onto it. Lilaci could then hear the heartbeat beat quickly from inside the egg.
Kera dipped her head towards the egg, as if she was going to kiss it, but then she began to move her lips.
“As you once were the greatness that soared the skies, let the old prophecies come true. Let another Age of Drakon return. Let your wings soar the skies. Let your fire purge the lands of all evil wrought by the gods. Let your fury avenge your lost breed. I will give you life, I will light the way for your vengeance, as I fulfill my destiny. As the prophecy is fulfilled, I bring forth the wrath of the dragons once again in the Arr. For once you are free and returned to the skies, from the prophecy, you will become my Serpentine Risen.”
Then, as delicately as a mother kissing her newborn, she dipped her head and let her lips fall onto the egg. Then, mere seconds later, a crack split the side of the egg, and a l
oud hiss echoed from inside. Lilaci, Fewn and Roren all took a step back. Burr and Veranor looked on with astonishment. Kera lifted her hands from the egg and stepped back to Roren’s side.
“It’s still alive,” she told him. “I can feel her, I can feel her spirit.”
“Her?” he asked, then he smiled. “Her.”
A loud crack sounded, and a claw ripped through one side of the egg. They all watched silently as the claws, wings and teeth tore at the eggs’ outer membrane. It snarled and hissed as it tore at its cocoon, ready to spur on the butterfly. With one final burst forth, the dragon freed itself from the egg. Its long neck tensed as it pushed with all of its might and landed on the tunnel floor beneath the egg and pedestal. It was roughly Kera’s height as it squirmed and twisted in the thin mucus that covered it. It began to roar then, a furious roar that echoed throughout the chamber.
Lilaci was herself surprised by the violence of the hatching. She watched as the dragon’s tail battered against the rocky ground, until the rock nearly began to crack from the force. The dragon had a long red streak along it arching back. Its scales were a dark gray like clouds in the night sky, although they glimmered from the golden torchlight as it thrashed. Its eyes were wide, a yellow, orange and red like a brilliant dawn. Curled horns came out of the back of its head, six of them, and its teeth were narrow and white as it roared. She’d never seen a dragon before, and it was even more menacing than she'd imagined. . . And this was only a baby.
It let out an ear-piercing roar, and as it ran down the corridor, it suddenly stopped mid-roar, and the dragon convulsed more. Thrashing wildly, it let out a gasping sound, a short of breath type sound as its wings flopped against the ground, and the dragon’s eyes shot wide. Kera had to step back from being hit by its movements. They all watched as the dragon tried to roar, but only wispy gasps left its maw.
“What—” Kera said. “What’s wrong? What’s wrong with it?”
Burr stood and walked over to her side, watching the dragon flail. He then said in a gruff voice, “It’s dying.”
“No,” she said, a look of blank shock on her face.
Lilaci watched helplessly, as tears swelled in Kera’s eyes.
“No, it can’t,” Kera said looking up at Burr. “Demetrius, help it.”
“I don’t know how,” Burr said. “I’m sorry lass. I don’t know what to do.”
Her eyes shot over at Lilaci, “Help her. Do something save her.” Lilaci only returned a look of regret.
“Roren, please. Fewn, Veranor. Someone save her,” Kera cried, but no one responded.
“I’m sorry, Kera,” Veranor said over from the side of the cave, still leaning against the rock. “If it is meant to die, then there’s nothing we can do to save it. You— you would be the only one with the power to keep death’s fingers from grasping at her.”
Kera looked again at Lilaci, but Lilaci had no words to console her. We’ve come all this way, only to find a dying dragon. Kera must be crushed. I wish there was something I could do. I wish there was something I could say.
The dragon continued to thrash violently as it struggled for breath, its eyes stared into Kera’s briefly, and then its struggling began to slow. Its wings didn’t flap as hard, and its tail began to slowly wave back and forth. Its long neck rested against the cave floor, and then— it lay still. Its eyes looked into Kera’s one last time, and then its eyes shut.
They all stood around, speechless, saddened, and stunned. The one thing they’d worked so hard to find and bring to life, now lie motionless in death at their feet.
“No,” Kera cried, tears rolling down her cheeks. She went down to touch the dead dragon, and Burr put his hands upon her shoulders to keep her back, but she fought free and lay upon the dragon, holding it in her arms. She sobbed uncontrollably, “I was so close. Don’t die, please don’t. I need you.” She continued to sob, and Lilaci saw Fewn was tearing up watching the scene.
Lilaci then looked over to Veranor. “Commander, you’ve read the Great Serpentine Prophecies in the Book of the Unknown, correct?” He nodded. “What did they say, did they say anything about this happening?”
“No, nothing about this particularly,” he said.
“Well, what did they say?” Fewn asked.
“They say someone like Kera would come and re-raise the dragons,” he said. “There’s not much written about her.”
“Well, what specifically did they say?” Lilaci asked. “They didn’t say anything about this moment at all?”
“No,” he said. “I’m sorry. They just said that the Dragon’s Breath would arise someday to resurrect the dragons and bring about the destruction of the gods. That’s the synopsis you already knew.”
Lilaci then whispered, “The Dragon’s Breath . . .”
She then went and knelt next to Kera, putting her hand on the girl’s back as she laid, crying onto the dragon. “Kera,” she said softly.
The young girl turned and wiped the tears from her eyes. “She’s gone, Lilaci, she’s gone.”
“Kera, I want you to do something for me.” Lilaci went and knelt on both knees by the dragon’s head. Then she put both her hands under its chin and neck and lifted it towards Kera. “I want you to try and breath into the dragon’s mouth.”
Kera gave a confused look.
“The Dragon’s Breath . . .” Roren said to himself softly.
Kera looked around, trying to understand what Lilaci was asking her to do.
“Go ahead, girl,” Burr said.
“It’s worth a try,” Fewn said.
“Breath out deeply,” Roren said.
Kera inched her way towards the dragon’s dead head being held by Lilaci, she inhaled deeply, and then she slowly pressed her lips to the dragon’s scaly mouth. She let out a long breath, blowing the air from her lungs into the mouth and throat of the beast. At first when she blew, nothing happened, but then her breath began to glow a faint white light. Soon, as she blew, her breath turned to a white wafting haze, almost like a light smoke.
“That’s the same light that was in the box of Whitewood,” Lilaci said to the others.
“By the Great Realm in the Sky,” Roren said.
Kera pulled her head back, and as she watched the last of the white wisps of smoke make their way into the dead dragon, they all waited. They all watched eagerly, but nothing appeared to happen. Lilaci looked at the head of the dragon, as not a muscle moved.
Is this it? Is this what we’ve come all this way for? Even if we were to find another egg, would this same scenario happen every time? Is this the curse of the dragons? Are they doomed to stay dead for all time? Is this—?
Then, Lilaci felt a strong muscle tense in her hands. The muscles in the dragon’s jaw and neck flexed and tightened. A strong breath of air left its nostrils, and its eyes shot open, showing the brilliance of their colors, with the sharp, black pupil staring straight into Lilaci’s.
Its wings began to move, and it struggled to get to its four feet, standing in between Kera and her.
“Lilaci,” Kera screamed in exhilaration. “You did it!”
“No, Kera, you did it.” This is it. The prophecy was right. Kera was the one. She truly is the one prophesized to save the Arr. We’ve done it. We’ve done it! Even with Fewn, her vision must have told her we needed Fewn alive because Veranor and Gorlen would use her to trap us like they did. They knew we’d go hunting after her without hesitation. There are indeed forces at play we are yet to understand.
They all watched as the dragon began to run to the exit of the cave, stretching its wings out wide. It let out a roar that echoed all the way down the tunnel. Kera began to run after it, and Lilaci, Roren and Fewn ran after her. They chased the dragon as it quickly ran back up the tunnel in the direction of the Hidden Garden. The dragon was far too fast for them to catch up to, but once they reached the mouth of the cave and exited to stand once again under the full moon and stars. They saw the silhouette of the dragon flying up into the sky surrounded by t
he bright, white moonlight. Lilaci put her arm around Kera, as Kera was speechless.
“You did it,” Roren said to Kera. “A dragon roams the sky for the first time in over one thousand years.”
They all watched in silence as the dragon ripped through the air like nothing they had ever seen before. A few minutes later Burr and Veranor exited the cave.
“How do you fare?” Lilaci asked Burr.
“Fine, just fine,” he said, his skin completely free of the boils and his blood purged of poison.
“That fountain,” Veranor said. “That’s one of the most valuable treasures in all of the sands. Wars could be fought over its mere existence.”
“Well, it’s gone now,” Burr said, staring up at the dragon flying through the sky.
“Gone?” Veranor said in shock. “What do you mean, gone?”
Burr responded, his eyes still fixed on the dragon. “The moment the dragon hatched from the egg, the fountain drained itself. It must’ve been the thing keeping it alive all this time.”
Veranor didn’t say anything more, but Lilaci knew he was upset by that news.
“So,” Fewn said to Kera. “What now? What’s next?”
“I don’t know,” Kera said. Then she looked around at her friends. “But thank you for all you’ve done so far. Even you Commander Veranor. We’d all be dead if it wasn’t for your bravery.” He bowed again to her.
“You want to know what’s next?” he said to Fewn. “This is only the beginning.”
“The beginning of what?” Kera asked.
“Why—” he said. “The war.”
“War?” Kera said softly, trying to grasp the meaning of the word in their lives.
“A war you’re done with,” Lilaci interjected. “You’re going to stay out of it. You’ve done your part.”
“The Second Serpentine Wars,” Burr said. “They’ve finally come. Now, the Knights of the Whiteblade can return. Now that a dragon roams the sky once again, the playing field is leveling.”
As they all stood under the starlit sky, in the light of the bright, full moon, in the center of the splendor of the Hidden Garden, Lilaci asked Kera, “What are you going to name her?”
