Page 20 of To Spark a Dragon's Love
I growled to myself as I was forced to squeeze between a crevice. Stone and rock scraped my skin as I sent my shadows out before me, finding the right path that would hopefully lead to the center of this goddess-forsaken mountain where I could be in direct contact with the flow of Earth’s energy to meet her needs.
Deeper and deeper I inched into Her, making my way in complete darkness as I went.
Slowly, I rounded a jagged corner.
The ground fell from under my feet.
My wings shot out on either side as the shadows formed solid to keep me upright while I searched for a sturdy ledge above the boiling magma pit.
Hellfire’s heat licked at my feet as I drew on the scaled skin of my beast, shifting to the dragon form before my human skin melted from my bones.
I was in no hurry to experience that again.
“You called?” I asked as my snout elongated before my tongue became the dragon’s and my mouth filled with fangs.
Sometimes I only had seconds before she answered.
I braced myself against the growing, swirling, cackling static that made the magma burn hotter and could almost imagine Her saying,“You came.”
But that was foolish.
Earth never spoke to me or anyone anymore. She couldn’t. Not while She was in this state.
Her pulsing energy raged, rising higher. I shut my eyes as Her essence burned brighter than the glow of the liquid mantle, preparing myself for the hit.
I was still the guardian. Though not as young or powerful as I once was, but I could take it.
I blew out a plume of smoke and then inhaled deep, expanding my lungs as my talons gripped the ledge I’d found.
Earth’s frantic song of destruction bubbled and hissed as it continued to fill the cavern.
I exhaled.
Then I breathed her in.
Guardian magic gathered around me. A cooling bluish-green to meet her fiery-red. It ached to soothe as I accepted Her pain.
Pain.It was everywhere.
White hot and scorching, my insides burned as She screamed. Her pain was blinding agony with no other release.
My knees buckled before my magic gave out. My body failed me before my will could. Each joint of mine twisted and ached with the pressure of absorbing the shock of Her release.
She carried so damn much of it.
The pain. It never stopped.
I took all that I could.
The ground crumbled beneath the weight of my beast as my dragon whimpered, losing breath. Skin-flaying heat intensified as Earth screamed louder. My magic began to fade. Red grew hotter. Rocks and dirt hissed into the magma below.
I squeezed my eyes tighter, panting as I sucked in a shaky inhale, and sent out one last pathetic wave of soothing magic, praying it would be enough.
Just as it dissipated—just as the ledge groaned beneath me, about to give—I felt the tell-tale cooling kiss of Her acceptance. The storm would calm for one more day.
“Thank you,” I whispered as my wings trembled and stuttered, trying to keep me upright.
Earth’s benevolence never failed to amaze me. She knew I was weakened. That I couldn’t absorb like I used to. But still, She accepted my offerings.
