Page 1 of Drakhana's Treasure
One
Kirralee
Steady, rhythmic bubbling sounds soothe me. There is the sound of the flow and the flares of small embers as they live and die on the river of fire.
The air holds an intensity, as if the volcano itself has a spirit. I know that it hurts some people to be this close to it, to sit in the raw essence of a deep cave. For me, the intense silence is meditative and the bubbling of the lava sends pleasure rolling down my spine.
I lean forward, reaching out towards the liquid fire. My hand dips into the flow, cupping and lifting glittering drops. I run my fingers through it, loving it. Letting it love me.
I am a fire dragon. Even in my human form, I know what I am. I belong here, deep inside the earth, talking to the magma. I know that I have a purpose and it is here in the silence of the earth that I will find it.
My fellow fire clan members live above, in the caves surrounding Crystal Peak. Some live as dragons in bare chambers where they have made nests with dried shrubs. Those who have chosen dragon form don’t speak much with others, although I have meditated with them occasionally.
Other caves are set up with some modern appliances. The majority of the community spends equal time in each form and they have made our ancestral home comfortable. I often wonder what our dead elders would say about the changes we have made. The holy word in the book of fire leaves no room for confusion.
Worship the fire, be the fire. Live as less than man but more than dragon.
To me this means live according to the environment and find peace within it. Become a higher consciousness than dragon and human. Become more than both.
I don’t think anyone reads the book of fire anymore. If they did, I’m sure they’d argue that exceptions can be made for electronic devices and modern comforts. I enjoy my soft bed and I like playing on phones and computers but nothing compares to the feeling of sitting with a river of raw lava.
The dragons use the power locked deep in the mountain to run our generator. A couple of our people are really good with tech and adapted a solar powered unit to run on the heat and momentum of the lava flow. I honestly don’t think that dragons should live in caves if they have to adapt them for their human shape.
I reach down and touch the lava again. I want to get in and swim, but I know if I do that, I won’t make it back to the surface in time. I lose myself in lava or fire. I can’t feel the edges of my own body. I seem to melt in it, becoming more than myself. If I give in and slip under her rolling waves, I’ll be there for hours.
I don’t want to go. I want to stay right here forever. I’ve worked hard at staying and now it can’t be delayed any longer. I have to go to Vegas.
At 17 all dragons are required to spend a few months in the city. Our kind moved into cities just as they were springing up, creating a wealth of real estate and business that our clan could draw on for generations. Over the years, lots of dragons abandoned the mountain to live as humans in the city.
I’m five years late, but I’m finally going. I can’t get out of it this time. All of us have to learn how to be human and how to behave amongst the population. I keep asking ‘why?’ simply because I don’t plan to ever leave Crystal Peak. I’ve been told it doesn’t matter. I have to be prepared.
I lean forward again, the rolling waves of dark rock caught in fierce orange glow giving me great comfort. I have to go in. I must. The lava calls me.
“Kiralee?” a small voice nearby shocks me out of my contemplation. I often become so enamored of my mental state I forget where I am.
“Yes?” I turn around slowly, blinking my way back to reality. The lava bubbles as I turn away, begging me to touch it. I turn my attention from it to look at the person behind me.
“Oh hello, Haywin.” My smile comes easily as I see my childhood friend coming closer. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m looking for you.” he says quietly. “Kirra, are you okay? It looked like… You were going to touch the lava.”
I stand up quickly, dusting my hands on my skirt.
“So, what if I did? I’m a fire dragon.”
“But we are not fully immune to fire. You could have hurt yourself.”
A sharp point of annoyance splits my heart. It is my nature to be giving, even tempered and considerate. I don’t often get excited or upset but the idea that a fire dragon could be burned by fire is simply ridiculous.
Caylon, an elder, flew into an active volcano a few years ago. He never returned and the elders forbade anyone to test their powers in such a way. I don’t think he was hurt or died, I think he became one with the blood of the earth. That would be the same as dying to most of my people. A shocking blasphemy to be uttered by those who are supposed to embody fire!
“I’m coming, Haywin.” I say softly. He turns to run up the tunnel and I follow slowly. It is true that some of us have been killed by fire. Very large, fierce explosions can wound us enough that the power of the blast is enough to tear us apart. Extreme radiant heat from man made, chemical fire is dangerous to our scales.
But lava runs in our blood. If we forget our true nature what stops us being burnt apart from within?
My heart is like a piece of coal as I head up the tunnel towards the caves I share with my parents. It’s as if my insides are becoming cold and sharp. Each step I take away from the lava causes me great pain.
I don’t want to go.
