“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
“Okay, I heard you, but I don't understand.”
He exhaled heavily. “I love you, you know this. And I know you feel something for me too.”
“Yes.” Mikko sighed. “Getting married doesn't seem like a good idea, though. Soon I'll have to face Lee again, and if something goes wrong…”
“We'll have had those brief moments of belonging to one another.” Ichi cupped her cheek with a hand. “A week, a year, a millennium, I just want to be your husband. Your family. We belong together.” The smell of tears filled his nostrils. Great, she's going to cry. Not what I was going for.
She turned away from him, waving a hand in front of her face. “I'm sorry.”
“Not interested. Got it.” He'd respect her decision, but he wouldn't ever like it.
“No, I'm sorry I'm crying so much.” She chuckled softly. “I'm trying to keep control of my emotions so I can articulate what I want to say, and all I want to do is bawl my eyes out.”
Ichi opened his arms. “Go ahead and do so against my manly chest. I can wait for you forever.”
Another laugh left her beautiful, delicate lips — a sound much preferred to her sniffles. She moved closer, lying against his shoulder. Then she whispered, “I want to be with you.”
“Will you marry me?” he asked.
“Yes.” She lifted her face to his and kissed his jaw. “Because I love you. I've been so afraid to let myself feel anything for you because of who I am… what I am. Is there a place for someone like me to get married?”
“Obviously there is. I'm thinking the beach.”
Her lip quivered. “My parents were married on the beach here.”
He leaned in and met her lips with his own. “Even more perfect.”
Chapter Thirty
I can't believe I'm doing this. Mikko had to pinch herself to make sure she was still awake. I'm getting married. Never in a million years did I ever think this would happen. Ever since she was little, she'd dreamed of it happening. Knowing she was different from the other dragons gave her a hard dose of reality.
The wedding was happening; the whole thing was real. A dragon priest was called shortly after Ichi proposed and all of the paperwork was drawn up so the two could be wed the next day. She did not wear a puffy white dress, and he did not wear a tuxedo. Neither one of them dressed up, period. The whole event would be casual, much like she preferred. She wanted to spend as much time with him as possible before returning to the daunting task ahead of her.
Teo kissed her cheek as he gave her away. “This is perfect,” he said.
His words calmed her and reassured her of any doubts. He escorted her to Ichi, who stood in the same place her father had the day he’d married her mother. Mikko knew this because she could see the ghosts of her parents.
Her mother was crying. “We're so blessed to be here to see this.”
“And we're so proud of you,” her father added.
“This is crazy,” she admitted, more talking to them than anyone else. No one but she could see them, however.
Ichi laughed. “My dad once said that the crazy decisions were always his best ones. Over thinking complicates things.”
“And love is illogical,” she said.
“Something like that.” He took her hands in his own and gave them a squeeze. “I love you and I'm going to support you in everything that happens until the day I die. I'm pretty sure I loved you the moment I first saw you at that party. The closer we get, the more I know it’s true.”
Mikko closed her eyes, listening to his words and drowning out the rest of the world around her. She wanted to savor the moment. Her happy days would soon be replaced with those of stress and horror. Every good memory she had would help her survive the trials to come.
She leaned up and kissed his lips. “I loved you the day I first saw what was in your heart, in the garden. You were always in the back of my mind. I followed the wind because I needed to be with you.” Whatever happens, you will always be my place of peace — a gift from God to serve as my reminder.
And as much as she wanted to share that thought with him, to confess it, fear got the better of her. If she admitted aloud the tribulations that were destined to be in her future, it would sour the moment. She didn't want to think about only having Ichi for a week or the possibility of her failing. Remaining focused on her dream of a long life with him is what would help keep her strong, give her a personal goal to achieve.
“Were those your vows?” the dragon priest asked, looking between the two of them with a raised eyebrow.
“Sure,” Ichi said. “I think that covers everything in a nutshell. She's stuck with me for life whether she likes it or not.”
Nodding, Mikko kissed him again. “Ditto.”
“You're supposed to wait until after we're married to do the kissing thing. Haven't you seen any chick flicks?”
“Stop talking then so he can marry us already.” She rolled her eyes.
The priest frowned and waited a few more seconds. “I bless this relationship and declare you married before God and according to the laws of our kind. Go ahead and go back to kissing?”
Mikko puckered her lips, readying herself for another small but tender moment with her now husband. Instead, Ichi draped an arm around her waist, dipped her, and crushed his lips against hers with a fierce passion. A fire she was happy to reciprocate. Her fingers tangled into his hair as she trusted her heart to guide her through the kiss. The rest of the world melted away and she was positive she was in her own personal heaven. No more fear or doubt. Only joy remained.
Chapter Thirty-One
Ideally, Ichi would have taken his new bride far away for her honeymoon. The two of them would escape from everything and live happily ever after. He knew none of that would have pleased her, however. Mikko was set in achieving her destiny, and he planned on being supportive of her decisions even if some of them were frightening to him.
The last thing he wanted to do was watch her get hurt. Their time together was precious and fragile; it needed to be cherished and treated with the utmost of care. There was so much about what Mikko had to do that he didn't understand, but to him, that's what made him most qualified to be her husband. He loved her and not any kind of preconceived notion of her that came from reading an ancient prophecy.
Most of the past three days had been spent in the hotel room. Ichi selfishly wanted to take up as much of her time as possible. They ordered room service and played cards until all hours of the night. When everyone else was asleep, the two sneaked around the halls or played on the beach under the moonlight. Of course they made love, but they did so much more than that. For three days, all that existed in the world was them. They were the most beautiful three days of Ichi's life.
On the fourth day, the phone rang.
“Yeah?” Ichi answered, rolling his eyes at Mikko as she watched him from across the room.
“I'm sorry, sir, I know you said you didn't want to be disturbed unless it was important,” the concierge said.
He let out a heavy sigh, hoping his annoyance came through. Why couldn't the staff get to the point? “Yes, I did say that, and I'm guessing this is important or you wouldn't be bothering me now.”
“Of course, sir, I have a Tai Oceina who wishes to connect to your room phone. She insists it's of life or death importance. Is this a call you want to receive or should I tell her you're unavailable?”
“We'll take the call,” he mumbled. “Mik, it's for you.”
Frowning, Mikko walked over to the bed where he lay and took the phone from him. “Hello… Hi Grandma… Yes, we're having a good time… I'm sorry you couldn't be there too… I don't want to be rude, but what's going on? You didn't call me just to shoot the breeze.” From there Mikko was silent for the remainder of the conversation. Outside of an occasional “yes”, “okay”, and “uh huh”, she didn't share a thought. Finally, she ended with, “I understand and we'll be
there soon. Good night, Grandma… Don't apologize. I know you couldn't avoid interrupting… I'll see you soon… Love you too.”
She hung up the phone and ran her hands along her thighs. Her face was expressionless and difficult to read.
“We're going to Oceina now?” Ichi asked.
Mikko nodded. “My grandmother had a dream. In it she was told that we needed to be brought to Oceina City as soon as possible. The time is here, I can feel it. In a few more days, I'll be seeing him again. If she hadn't called, I would have gone on my own. She said it was imperative that I bring you with me and not leave you behind, however.”
“Would you have? Left me here, I mean?” He could barely ask the question as his chest tightened with heartache.
“I don't want you to get hurt,” Mikko choked out. She took in a deep breath and blinked away her tears. “Please, I don't want to talk about this right now. We don't have to go right this minute. She only wants a day with me to help me be ready, to pray with me. Give me this one last night to simply be your wife and not the Great Dragon.”
He kissed her forehead. “What's the Great Dragon?” He smirked and kissed along the side of her face and to her lips. “I love you.” And until the sun rose, he made sure to show her how much.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Mikko's honeymoon bliss had been extended for another day. Ichi flew her to Oceina City in the evening, arriving while her relatives were sleeping. The next day was spent making small pleasantries with her grandmother, showing off pictures, and giving the few details of the wedding ceremony that she had. Being married was wonderful, Ichi made for a great lifelong companion, and her heart was so full of love for him. Mikko couldn't remember the last time she'd been so fulfilled and no longer lonely.
The happiness had to be put on hold for a moment. Lee was coming for her and at any moment he would be displaying more of his power in an effort to taunt her. As much as she wanted to spend all of her remaining time with Ichi, she needed to be focused and prepared. So during her last moments of resting, Mikko spent her time with her grandmother in deep prayer and meditation. Through this she entered into another dream.
In her meditative state she found herself standing on a grassy hill. In the distance she could see Oceina City. She smiled as she looked down on it. The glass buildings were always a sight to behold. They sparkled like gems, but were tough like mountains.
“I'd be happier to be here if it were under better circumstances,” she said, despite the fact that she was alone. Speaking her thoughts aloud helped them feel more solid.
The grass crunched behind her. Facing the sound, Mikko found a young man approaching her. He was Inero, around seventeen years old, and wearing the old Inero Royal Guard uniform. The only reason she knew as much was because she had seen pictures of her grandfathers from her mother's side in them, as well as a few in a museum in Inero City. Something about the young man was familiar, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what.
Slowly, the young man approached her. His gaze was slightly unfocused as if he was disoriented.
“What's your name?” he asked with a voice she could barely hear.
“Mikko,” she said.
“What?”
“Mikko. My name. And yours?”
“Matthias,” he said and then frowned.
The realization hit her all at once. Matthias, she’d had a grandfather who had gone by that name. Am I in the past? Is that even possible? Of course it is, I'm in a dream, anything is possible. But why am I seeing this, having this conversation? She looked back at Oceina City.
He moved to stand at her side. “Where are we?”
She smiled at him and pointed to the buildings. “Home.”
Mikko didn't have much control over what she was saying. The words were spoken before she had time to think about them. She knew they were the right things to say, however. Something inside of her was guiding her conversation. Oceina City was home for her now. It was the last place standing, and its beauty made for a great place where she could settle down with her family. The city was rich with history and promise.
A gasp left Matthias's lips. “Your home?” His eyes were wide.
“Our home,” she clarified.
“Are you Inero?”
What a strange question. Then a soft voice within her said, Warn him. He doesn't know. He is dreaming the same dream while in the past and won't believe in good unless you tell him.
A long time ago, Mikko remembered listening to her grandfather Matthias tell of a vision he had of a blue-eyed Inero woman. The details were fuzzy, but she finally understood. God was bringing the two of them together to encourage one another. The shared dream was all a part of her destiny to unite all of dragonkind as well as put into motion the wheels of destiny. Her grandfather always said the woman from his dream saved his soul. She couldn't let him down, or anyone else.
He was just as much her family as the Oceina side was. Dragonkind was truly united through her. His gaze wandered over the city for a moment longer before returning to hers. “I need you to listen to me Matthias. The darkness is coming. It wants to take you away from the right way. If you let it, you could lose the chance for our people to be at home. There will be war, but there will be peace following soon after, for what will feel like for a long time. To God it will only be a blip. So is our lifespan when compared to eternity. Focus on the eternity, and everything else will fall into place. If you only pay attention to the short run, then we will not succeed. Do you understand?”
“I think so,” he whispered. He fell to his knees, his eyes drifting shut. His vision was ending, and soon she would return back to the waking world as well.
She kissed his forehead, longing for more time with him. Mikko had barely gotten to know him before his death. “You may think you've forgotten, but you will always know what is true in your heart. Do not feel unworthy, Matthias. There is still goodness inside of you. Love your wife, your child, and you will never lose sight of it. Everything will fall back into place if you let it.” The words had to have been Heaven sent.
More words were spoken by her grandfather, but she could barely hear them as her own vision began to blur. She was positive she had said more as well, but those words were also lost on her.
****
Mikko's eyes snapped open. She unfolded her hands and sat back on her haunches, lifting herself from the floor where she had been praying. Her grandmother was still lost in prayer, lying with her face down and hands spread apart in total surrender. Tears streamed down Mikko's face, and she cried quietly for a good five minutes before her grandmother rose from the floor.
“What's wrong?” the Lady Oceina asked, moving closer to her. She wrapped her arms around Mikko and cradled her close.
“Nothing is wrong.” Mikko dried her eyes. “I had a vision that my grandfather, Matthias, once had long ago. God used me to help him when he needed it most, and while he didn't say anything pertaining to my situation… I feel stronger. Like, if God can speak to him despite all of the things he'd done while he was alive, He can speak to me too. I'm not going to be abandoned either.”
Her grandmother kissed her cheek. “You're ready. I can feel it.”
“I just need to know where…” She gasped, a vision of the grassy hill from her dream once more filled her mind’s eye. “He's here. I need to go.”
“I'm not sure I—”
The building shook, followed by a low rumbling. Mikko stood and stared out the large full-length windows in horror at all of Oceina City shifting and rolling like waves in the ocean. She stumbled as the building quaked once more. Ichi came running into the room, panting.
“We have to—” He didn't get to finish his thought because she cut him off with a long, hard kiss.
She could only look at him for a few seconds before averting her gaze to the exit. If she continued to admire him, she would lose her courage and choose to stay behind with him. “I know. I'm leaving now.”
“Let me—”
> “This part I have to do alone,” she whispered. She stumbled into his arms as the building shook again. “Evacuate my family and keep them safe. I love you. I will be back.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Ichi watched his wife leave the room. Before he could say anything to protest, let alone tell her he loved her too, she was gone. The tremors from the earthquake were becoming closer together. He helped the Lady Oceina up from the floor and brought her to the door frame to help protect her from falling items. Each rumble seemed stronger than the last.
“How strong are these buildings?” he asked through gritted teeth as he tried to maintain his balance.
“They're strong enough to handle a quake, but if things don't let up soon…” the Lady Oceina said.
It's all going to come tumbling down. He picked her up and ran through the hallway to the stairwell. Probably not the smartest of things to do, but Ichi didn't think the rumbling would be stopping any time soon. If he had to choose between giving up and getting crushed in a fallen building, or at least trying to get out alive, he was going to try. It was faster to go up and out than it was to go down. All he had to do was get airborne.
The stairwell was alive with noise. Not only was the building cracking and crunching, but he heard children crying and frantic footsteps going both up and down the stairs. He ran to the roof. Others of the Oceina family line were there; the adult men were all transformed, their families boarding their backs so they could fly away. Ichi brought the Lady Oceina to one of the larger of her sons and helped her get on. The Oceina dragons had long, snake-like bodies with lots of room for passengers. There would be plenty of room for everyone to get out okay.
As the quakes got stronger, the building began to shift back and forth with greater force. It wouldn't be long until the foundation snapped completely and the whole thing crumbled to the ground. Ichi assisted the family, his family now, with getting everyone onto a dragon. His concern was more for the children and wives than for himself. If need be, he'd transform at the last second and maneuver around some debris.
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