by Unknown
Solana's smile faded a little. “It's time for what?”
Someone in the back of the crowd passed up two silk robes. They traveled until they made it to the front of the crowd and the woman proudly presented them to Solana.
Trying her best not to offend anyone, she accepted the robes. “T-thank you?” “My daughter will come to guide you to baci in twenty minutes, Phaya Naga.” “Um, okay,” Solana agreed.
The woman pressed her hands together and gave a short bow, then closed the door of the room, presumably so Solana and Rexajon could change into their new attire.
Solana walked to the bed and shook Rexajon awake. Rexajon groaned and looked at her. “What's that in your hand?”
“Robes for baci,” Solana replied. “Everyone in the village just stopped by to drop them off.”
Rexajon frowned and sat up. Solana handed him the larger robe. “But what about the orb?” Solana
sighed. “I think it's going to have to wait until after baci.”
Rexajon groaned again. “I certainly hope baci means breakfast.”
“You and me both.”
Joking aside, they were expected in twenty minutes and only woke up less than five minutes ago.
They slipped on the clothes they were given, then freshened up their appearances.
Rexajon watched as Solana ran her fingers through her hair to get rid of the tangles. "Your hair has gotten longer," he noted.
Solana nodded. “It what happens when I don't cut it for two years,” she mumbled nonchalantly.
“Care to elaborate?”
“Not particularly.”
“Solana.”
She sighed and shrugged. “I put myself in a time bubble for two years so I could memorize every spell we had. No big deal.”
Rexajon's eyes widened and his nose flared with Solana's recklessness. “Very big deal,” he hissed.
“Remember that conversation yesterday about being able to do something and knowing not to do it. A time bubble falls into that category. People have died in time bubbles!”
“I had it under control,” Solana argued. “I'm the Sun Dragon of the Dragon Union. I think I can handle a little time bubble.”
“Then why are you eighteen instead of sixteen?”
Before Solana could give a retort, there was another knock at the door. She shot one last defiant glare at Rexajon, then went to open it.
A little girl of about ten stood in her of her. She pressed her hands together and gave a long bow, pressing the tips of her fingers to her nose “Hello, Phaya Naga,” she chirped with a smile. “Are you ready to go?”
Solana smiled softly at her. She nodded. “Please lead the way.”
She followed the little girl. Rexajon jogged to catch up. “Phaya Naga?” he whispered.
Solana shrugged. “They've been calling me that since this morning,” she whispered back.
They followed the girl out of the bed and breakfast to see that all the villagers lined both sides of the street. They clapped and smiled at them as they passed.
Solana looked around at all the smiling faces of the villagers, then took in the scenery for the first time. The village was quaint but beautiful. The houses were an array of different colors. The smell of food floated faintly through the air.
She noticed two golden statues of a dragon-like creature decorating the house they were walking towards. She suddenly knew what Phaya Naga meant. The village knew they were dragons.
She smiled softly. These humans knew they were dragons and still, they welcomed them with open arms. It was kind. It was refreshing. It was encouraging.
The little girl led them through the path of people, then up the stairs to the large house in the village.
The villagers filed in after them.
Solana and Rexajon soon learned that baci was a ceremony performed for respected guests complete with dancing, blessings, and yes, food.
Solana and Rexajon spoke to the locals, exchanging stories and laughter. They learned the traditional bow and how to greet people properly in Lao.
Many of the children asked for shows of their magic, which Rexajon complied with by showing them a few basic spells that playfully levitated them in the air.
One of the older boys invited Solana to dance, and to her surprise, Rexajon encouraged her to have fun.
That was when she found out that she was a terrible dancer. She opted to sit for the next song.
Solana, Rexajon, and the villagers celebrated for hours.
Eventually, the time came for the final tradition. “Hold out your hand,” the woman from before lightly commanded. Solana and Rexajon did as she asked. The elders of the group took turns wrapping white strings on their wrist.
“For good luck,” one of the elders informed them.
“For blessings,” another one said.
"For long life," another said kindly.
“And we hope that you can bless us in return with temperate weather and a bountiful harvest, Phaya Naga.”
Solana's smile faltered. That was not in their ability to control. She glanced at Rexajon, knowing that he thought something similar.
She felt terrible. She accepted this wonderful village's kindness, but could not provide what they wanted most in return. "I-I," she said slowly.
Rexajon spoke before she could. “We cannot make that promise,” he admitted. “But we can help.”
She frowned. How did he suppose they did that?
He continued, “Has anyone in the village experienced powers since we presented ourselves to the world?”
It took a moment, but one person—the little girl that guided them their raised her hand. Then another. Then multiple people raised their hands until a quarter of the village's population admitted to new powers.
Rexajon slowly nodded, suspecting as much. “Alright,” he said. “I will train you, so that you may use your powers for good. So that you may help the village succeed this year and many years to come.”
The villagers cheered, all excited by the notion of being trained by a Phaya Naga. He raised a hand to stop them. “In exchange, my princess needs an escort to Khone Falls. Will a boat take her as far as it can go so that she may find the third magical pole of Earth and save my mother?”
The villagers murmured among themselves. Khone Falls was the bane of their existence. It made trading with others harder and it was dangerous for boats that were unlucky to get caught in its currents.
Solana bit her lip nervously, wondering if the villagers would agree to help. Were they asking for too much? Her heart raced as she waited for their response.
Eventually, a middle-aged man spoke."We fishermen will take her where she needs to go," he volunteered.
Solana smiled excitedly and all the nervousness she felt before disappeared. She looked at Rexajon.
The next orb would be cultivated by the end of the day.
Chapter Eleven
The fisherman took Solana on the Mekong River, giving her a chance to see Laos's beauty from the water. The wind blew lightly, catching her hair and playing with it before moving on to another lucky person.
She chuckled. Maybe she was the lucky one. The wind blew towards her instead of behind her, so she did not have to smell the fish piled on the boat behind her.
She scratched her wrist, pushing aside the strings wrapped around it. She would have ripped them off, but she promised the villagers that she would keep them on for three days for good luck. She needed all the luck she could get, so she was eager to agree, but that was before she knew how itchy they were!
She looked at the water below. Surely no one would blame her if they...accidentally fell off, right?
Before she could, one of the fishermen called her from the front of the boat, "Princess!"
She looked in their direction, and they gestured for her to join them. She walked over, dodging a couple of piles of fish along the way.
She met them at the front of the boat and wrapped a hand around the rail. She looked out to the river
ahead, then back at the fisherman. “Are we almost there?”
The fisherman nodded. “We can't get closer or else the current will pick us up and we'd fall down the waterfall.”
“I see,” Solana said. She certainly did not want them to wreck their boat or endanger the people on it. “Then I will take it from here. Would you all be able to wait here until I return?”
The fisherman nodded. “Yes, Phaya Naga,” he replied. “Do you need someone to go with you? We have skilled divers on the boat.”
Solana flexed her arms to test her strength. She was almost fully recovered from the teleportation
stunt she pulled yesterday, more than strong enough to transform and swim. Once she touched the orb, her strength would increase tenfold. It made no sense to risk the lives of the people on the boat for something she could do alone.
She shook her head. “No, everyone should stay here,” she decided. “I'll be okay.”
She gave an assuring smile, then climbed onto the rail of the boat. She jumped and on her downward dive, she transformed into her dragon form.
She splashed through the water, soaking the ones she left behind on the boat but did not have time to feel bad about it. The current already caught her, speeding her swim up significantly.
She moved in the water like a snake, scanning the area ahead of her for any sign of the falls. It did not disappoint.
It was like seeing the end of the world. All of a sudden, there was no ahead, only down. Even her powerful wings would not be able to withstand the torrent if she were unfortunate enough to get caught under it. She would have to catch the cliff behind it on the way down or fall.
Alright, Solana. You get one shot. Don't mess this up, or it's going to hurt.
She swam up to the surface to take a deep breath, then she dived again. She let the water carry her until she fell over the edge.
Now!
She reached both hands behind the waterfall until her claws scraped the rocks behind it. She dug them deeper.
The gallons upon gallons of water hit her head-on. She winced. It felt like getting slapped in the face over and over again, even through her tough skin and scales. She could feel herself slipping, no match for the force of nature.
She gritted her teeth and dug her hind claws in, too. She was stuck, which was a good and a bad thing. The water could no longer push her off, but she could barely move.
She also could not breathe, unless she wanted to run the risk of drowning. She could barely open her
eyes. No wonder this orb was never cultivated. Only a fish could withstand these conditions. A very brave fish.
Soon, the pain of the water violently hitting her face dulled into an ache, which left room to focus on her burning lungs instead.
She needed to get out of here. Fast.
She readjusted her head so the water could hit the back of her head instead of the front of her face, so she could have an easier time opening her eyes. It created quite the headache, but it accomplished the mission. She could open her eyes and see behind the waterfall.
The cliffside was wet from the water, making it easy to see what caught the light the best. She spotted the orb in second, lodged between the rocks. The only problem: it was a solid two feet away from her arm.
She would have spat a curse if she did not risk drowning to say it. If she let go of the cliff now, this waterfall would certainly punish her for being so overzealous.
Come on, Solana! Think! You've come too far to give up now!
She groaned and her tail whooshed behind her as she thought of any solution to touch the orb without compromising her position.
Wait a second! Tail!
She turned her head slightly to look at the long tail behind her. She smirked. No one ever said she needed to touch the orbs with her hands. She loved loopholes.
Maneuvering her tail, she lifted it but found that her dexterity with it left much to be desired. She would definitely have to practice tail exercises after this. Did those even exist? They would after today.
She grunted as she clumsily moved her tail under the waterfall and against the rocks behind it.
Quickly deciding that she would not be able to simply touch it, she took a wide approach and swept the entire cliff-side with her tail.
It was enough to get the job done.
The orb glowed brightly, enveloping the entire waterfall and her in its light. The glow traveled up the river until even the fishermen could see it back at the boat.
Solana felt her strength renew, then she felt stronger than ever. Suddenly, the pound of the waterfall was more of an annoying poke than the brutal beating it was before.
The water was still too much for her wings, but she had enough strength to use her limbs. She unhooked them from the cliff and climbed up.
It was a slow climb, but she did not falter. She was never in danger of falling like she was before. In a matter of an instant, she surpassed most dragons. She could only imagine what it would be like once she had the rest of her power unlocked with the cultivation of the fourth orb.
Once she reached the top of the waterfall, with a grunt and a final push of strength she launched herself into the air. She gave a powerful flap of her wings.
The excess water flew off her wings and caught the sunlight, creating a rainbow haloed around her.
The fishermen looked on in awe.
She flew back to the boat and hovered over it for a moment. She transformed back into her human form and landed safely on the deck. She was soaked. She was tired. Her face was red from the water pummeling her. But she glowed with power for everyone on the boat to see.
Once her body adjusted to her new strength, the glow subsided and she broke into a slow smile.
Three down, one more to go. Evelyn did not know it when she started this, but she awoke a sleeping giant. And now, the giant was ready to play.
Chapter Twelve
It took three hours after the third orb's cultivation for Rexajon to finish his magic lessons with the village people. It took two more hours for them to say goodbye to the beautiful, friendly people they met.
It took one hour after they left and returned home for Solana and Rexajon to find the video posted by one of the fishermen of the Phaya Naga creating a rainbow in the Laotian sky while eating dinner.
Solana paused the video and scrolled down to read the comments. “I have to admit,” she said with a chuckle. “I was nervous at first about the world knowing about us. We had a bumpy start, but I never thought they'd be so accepting. People are nicer now that they know the truth about us than they were when they thought we were human like them.”
Rexajon nodded his agreement between bites. "And they're so good with magic when someone shows them the ropes," he beamed. "Those students in Laos caught on so quickly, we were able to move on to level two spells in a matter of hours! I hated to leave them. They were brilliant!"
Solana chuckled. “Better than me?” she asked with a playful smirk.
“Better behaved, certainly,” Rexajon retorted. “And so willing to learn. Much better than the know-it-all I usually have to teach.”
“Someone's jealous that the student surpassed the master,” Solana teased in a singsong voice.
“Not likely,” Rexajon scoffed.
They laughed together. Solana's eyes softened. She loved the way Rexajon's eyes sparkled when he talked about his day. “Regardless, I'm happy that you're happy,” Solana gushed.
Rexajon nodded and returned to his food.
Solana spoke again. “That happiness doesn't have to end, you know.”
Rexajon frowned and looked at her. “What do you mean?”
"I know every spell you can teach me," Solana explained. "I'm all grown up. After the fourth orb, I'll be at full power. Your mission will be over. There will be nothing holding you to Wizteria, no princesses to babysit, no prophecies. You can stay here and train humans."
Rexajon sat silent for a moment. He never thought of that. “But the war—.”
“Is my fight,” Solana cut him off. “Not yours. I've taken fourteen years of your life without so much as a thank you, Rexajon. It's time to do what you want to do. And thank you, by the way. For everything you've done for me.”
“Princess...”
Solana cut him off with a smile. With it, they both knew Rexajon would not be joining her in Wizteria.
She stood and collected her empty plate. “And just think—this place is the perfect training facility,” she noted. “I've always thought that it should be full if it's going to have so many rooms.”
Rexajon felt a lump in his throat. When did his princess grow up so much? He did the only thing he could: he nodded. “Agreed, my princess. It's definitely a better use of space.”
He cleared his throat, trying to force away the ache of the proud tears that wanted to fall. “You should rest up. We set out for the Amazon tomorrow.”
“I know,” Solana assured. She disappeared to the kitchen to put her plate away, then returned. “And then there's Evelyn.”
Anyone else would have missed it, but a look of hurt flashed on Rexajon's face for a second. He repeated solemnly, “And then there's Evelyn.”
“You know I have to defeat her.”
“I know, I know,” Rexajon said with a sigh. “I just can't help but feel responsible. I should have been more clear in my intentions. Look at all the evidence piled against me. Even you were mad at me.”
Solana shrugged and looked at him sheepishly. “I didn't give you much of a chance to explain either. There's more than one side to every story. I forgot that.”
Rexajon chuckled. “You've always had a habit of jumping to conclusions.”
Solana crossed her arms and looked at him indignantly. “Name one time!” she challenged. “You thought Tyler was the one just because he wrote you a note.”
Solana scoffed as she walked out of the dining room. Rexajon followed her. “I was younger then.”
“It was a few days ago!”
“And yet, two whole years ago,” she said with a smirk. She jogged upstairs, headed for her wing.
“Good night, Rexajon!”
“Classic Solana,” Rexajon called after her. “Sleep the problem away!” “It's what I'm good at!”
