Page 59 of The Magic of Destiny
The dragon in question sniffed in a way that led me to believe he might have been crying. Maybe he was? I didn't know anything about dragons.
“Who has been capturing them?” I inquired, addressing the dragon instead of Sloane. I didn't want to be rude. If the dragon could understand our language, then I could very well speak to him directly and treat him with respect.
‘Asrael.’The voice was deep and guttural with a slight lisp, likely due to the long tongue in his mouth that flicked out every so often.
“Holy shit. He's talking to me!” I blurted out, my eyes wide in shock.
‘Yes, my queen. It is an honor to meet you,’he replied.
“What's he saying?” Fischer asked, stepping closer to me. His hand slid into mine and he squeezed reassuringly.
“You can't hear him?” I looked between Fish and Sloane, but both of them shook their heads.
‘They will hear when I wish them to,’Vaeryn rumbled.
“Ah... he said you'll hear him when he's ready for you to…”
Sloane chuckled at the dragon's snark.
“Why did you call me queen?” I asked the dragon, meeting his eyes straight on.
‘What else would I call the fated one? Our kind has been waiting a very long time for you,’he answered, as he lowered his head to the ground right at my feet.
“Is he kneeling? Bowing to you?” Fischer exclaimed, his voice full of wonder and awe.
“He keeps calling me his queen, the fated one. He says his kind has waited a long time for me. This must be tied to the prophecy?” I kneeled and reached a shaky hand out, waiting to see if he'd object to me touching him. But there was no protesting. My palm pressed against the bumpy skin near his nose. By the stars, I think my entire body could fit in his mouth.
“Friend, can you tell us all your story? The story of the dragons? We've been in the dark for months, trying to figure out what everything means. We're always a step behind Asrael, and if we have any hope of fixing”—Sloane gestured to everything around him—“this, then we need all the help we can get.”
‘Very well.’
Fischer gasped, obviously hearing Vaeryn’s words now too, and I gave his hand a squeeze. It was pretty bizarre hearing a dragon talking.
‘There was a time when the dragons and demons co-existed with respect and honor. We were allies, working together to ensure that each race was thriving. This was many centuries ago. After King Thane took the throne, it wasn't long before rebellions started. This demon, he is no king. He doesn't deserve the title, and his brother Asrael? His brother is even worse.
‘Asrael led armies to slaughter the insurgents. His thought was that by crushing the rebellion beneath his heel, it would deter any others from getting ideas. All it did was cause people to be sneakier with their plans.
‘Eventually, with the help of Khol the Merciless, the majority of Asrael's followers saw the error of his ways. He was—is—a power-hungry egomaniac. One evening, Asrael came to the dragons in that mountain over there, the tallest peak toward the North. He met with our elders, my own father included. He offered many incentives. More freedom to hunt whenever we wished, gold, gems, all sorts of treasure. We'd heard whispers of the atrocities he'd been committing and wanted no part in it. When we told him that, he was very upset.
‘Asrael left the mountain that day, determined to find a way to control us. Over the next couple of years, dragons started going missing. Mostly the younger, smaller ones. The demons began having fertility issues, but they weren't the only ones. There haven't been any naturally born dragons in years. We've been hunting our missing dragons, but we've yet to find them. I fear for the ones who have been taken. Asrael only cares about one thing: power. Once he has it, what use will he have for dragons? What atrocities has he already committed against my brothers and sisters?’
“I can't wait to kill that son of a bitch,” Sloane growled, and the spines on Vaeryn's back prickled.
‘He cursed the dragons, but due to his narcissism or blinding obsession with power, he chose to ignore the fact that we are protected by the stars. Fate herself keeps watch over dragons. We are a rarity.’
“Why would he curse you then? Why risk it?” Fischer asked.
Vaeryn released a dragon chuckle.‘The desire some men feel for domination and supremacy outweighs common sense. Only when a man, or woman, can balance the weight of providing for their kingdom in a selfless way, will they succeed at leading Besmet.’
“And you think I'm that person?” I exclaimed, stunned. “I have a home, a life.” How could I be the queen of another realm? Was that even something I wanted? I loved Emerald Lakes... but I had never known anything aside from it. Thanks to Laurie, I’d never had the desire to leave. Maybe when all of this was over we could do some traveling. All of us.
‘I have no doubt you're the one. What the future holds remains to be seen. The destination can't be changed, though the path to that point depends on choices that are made.’
Sloane, Fish, and I looked at each other. There was a heaviness to the air now that spoke to the intensity of the situation. The way the wind swept through the canopy, the leaves themselves rustling with anticipation. Whatever we were going to learn here this morning, I knew that on a bone-deep level, it would be a turning point. Hopefully one that gave us the upper hand for once.
“The prophecy speaks of saving a race,” Sloane added, running his thumb over his jaw in thought.
‘Indeed, it does. By saving one, you may save all. The curse of the dragons can only be lifted once this current injustice is stopped.’
