Page 92 of Taloned Heart

And then Abraxas watched them all die. He watched as they bled and they screamed and they cried out for the crimson dragons to save them. He knew the struggle as the dragons fought their way through hordes of humans and elves and other creatures who had tried to imprison them.

And he knew the moment that Attor did. The dragons would fail. They were the monsters in everyone else’s story. None of the creatures wanted them to be here, because then there was nothing that could stop them. Until they realized even swarms of ants could destroy a rat, and that was the end of it.

They had realized, if they wished, they could all kill dragons. They could destroy them and hunt them and turn them into little pieces of what they once were to use in magical spells and to make themselves feel more powerful.

Just like the dragons were.

Abraxas nearly wrenched himself out of the memories. He wanted no part in this, because his heart was near breaking and all he could think about was how cruel and unjust this had been.

The dragons had suffered protecting themselves. They had suffered because everyone had wanted them to suffer.

All the memories flattened then. They smoothed out of heartbreak and blood into nothing more than a dragon staring down at himself in a pool of water. And Abraxas saw so much of himself in that massive head. The scars, the haunted eyes, the way the weight of the world seemed to weigh upon his shoulders.

Attor spoke, and his voice was like thunder. “This memory is for you, and you alone. I do not know who you will be, or what madness has brought you here.” A burst of fire flared behind him, and shouts erupted in the middle of the message. “But I need you to listen to me. War only brings more war and hatred. Our people failed to realize this, and once we did, it was far too late. Bring about a new age. An age of dragons who listen and learn and make time for the others that live in this realm. A place where dragons can... be. Without having to fight. Without having to hold to the old ways.”

Abraxas winced as another blast of flames erupted behind the dragon’s head and he knew,he knew, this was the moment Attor had died. The moment that the crystals had barely stored and perhaps it was his blood that had drawn the memories to their sharp edges.

“We hid them,” Attor added, his eyes slanting behind him before he stared down into the water one last time. “We hid the eggs. In the mountains. The Stygian Peaks the mortals call them. They are all throughout the lands, tens of them. Enough to restart everything should this... should this...”

The memory ended there. It snapped to a finality that made him flinch back so hard that Abraxas jerked himself away from the crystals.

There was more, he knew. More he could see and learn because the crystals were still glowing bright, bloody red.

If he wanted, he could dive back into those memories after he got his bearings, but... Damn, he wasn’t sure that’s what he wanted. Abraxas wasn’t sure he could handle more.

And the longer he was away from the thrall of the memories, the less he thought he wanted to see. He knew his people had suffered. He’d seen that suffering firsthand now, and perhaps... Perhaps part of learning these new ways and acknowledging that the old ways were dead, was taking care of himself first.

He knew where the crystals were. Attor had given him all the knowledge he could need, while understanding that there needed to be space for Abraxas to digest what had been given to him.

He knew, without a doubt, this was the right way. Someday he would return. Someday, he would come back and learn more from his ancestors and take their memories into himself.

But right now, he needed to heal.

He needed to give his mind time and understanding to grow and learn and...

Gods, there were more eggs.

There were more dragonlings to find, and he knew that was important. More important than this war, but he couldn’t split himself into two people.

He already had a family to protect. He had a dragon and an elf and dragonlings who still needed to be looked after, and he was a fool if he risked their mother’s life. Tanis needed to know this. She needed to know that there were more eggs for them to find and gather and that they needed to...

He was moving out of the cave before he even realized it. Until he stood beside Attor’s skull and stared into the dark spots where the dragon’s eyes should be. And then he bowed, low and long, even though the dragon was no longer here with him.

“I will return.” His voice boomed through the cavern. “I will come back to honor your memories and your bodies. I will not leave them here, but first, I must save this kingdom as you all wished to do. I must piece it back together with honor and life. And then I will ensure that your bodies are remembered and your final memories are safe.”

Then he fled that cave of darkness. He flew through the skies without care if anyone saw him, because this was the moment he needed. This was the time when the entirety of Umbra needed to see a crimson dragon once again.

Landing hard on their island, he didn’t stop until he stood but a few breaths from Tanis. “There are more,” he said, breathing hard and his eyes wild. “There are more eggs.”

Only silence was his response as Tanis paled even through her scales. She swallowed hard and then said, “What did he tell you?”

Tears pooled in her eyes and he thought perhaps she might faint. He twined their necks, holding hers up with his as she tried to catch her breath. “More... of us? There are more of us?”

“In the mountains.”

“I cannot... I can’t...”

“You will go with Rowan,” he ordered, already knowing that she’d agree. “You will search the mountains for these eggs and you will bring them home with you, Tanis. You will.”

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