Chapter 63 Dominic
The dragon is making the ground tremble and shake. As it stands up and stretches, trees and bushes are cut in half by its wings. The mountain is awoken by its roar. I’m trying hard to grab onto its scales so I don’t fall off. Leaves, twigs and rocks are flying all around us. It breathes out heavily and soars straight up into the sky.
Everything happens extremely fast. The dragon’s speed is like lightning. Minutes later, we are already miles away. Above the clouds, I look down from its back. We are passing over mountains and hills, rivers and lakes. I have never seen a dragon before. Its enormous size and power amazes me. It looks strong and healthy. And I have a feeling that it was waiting for me there, as though it knew that I would fall down right onto that spot.
Even though I’ve never met this dragon, I feel a special connection between us. I can even feel how happy it is to be up in the sky. It flies up and down and swirls as if it wants to show how skillful it is.
Its skin is rough like rock, and its wings are striking against the wind like it owns the sky. The glow of night is climbing up around us. Only one star is shining brightly, but the star is so close to us. Seconds later, as the dragon continues to fly, the star gets even closer. Then I realize that the star is shining at the top of a castle, a huge, crystal castle located above the sky. The star not only illuminates the whole building, but also an entire city. The city is glowing, as if it’s made of countless diamonds. A city above the sky!
I can’t believe what I’m seeing. I rub my eyes and make sure it’s not a dream. The dragon is taking me there!
We fly past the bright star and circle above the city. My eyes simply can’t adjust to the piercing brightness of the city itself. A sparkling river runs through it. We come close, and finally land on the ground. It seems that the city is surprisingly empty. I’m standing on a balcony protruding from the castle, overlooking it all. Then, a woman’s voice from behind me attracts the dragon’s attention. It quickly waggles over to her. A beautiful woman with glittering skin comes forwards. She’s extremely tall, like a goddess walking out of a legend.
“Dominic Burton. You are finally here. We’ve been expecting you for a long time,” she says to me.
“Who are you? And why you are expecting me?”
She caresses the dragon’s neck, and it whimpers like a puppy. “I’m the queen of the dragons. And you are in a land called Dragon Breath.”
“The legendary dragon city?”
“You are right. But as you can see, the city is empty. My race has been in a long, deep sleep. Since the Great War, the moon has disappeared from the sky. My remaining power keeps this city from vanishing. But I was close to losing it, until you met the werewolf princess. Everything changed, and the Morning Star appeared again at the top of the castle.” She nods at me elegantly, grateful.
“I didn’t do anything.”
“No. You chose to save the princess that day, when you first met her. That changed everything. Now the Moon is coming back, and it’s unstoppable.”
“Why I am here?”
She comes close to me. And suddenly puts her fingers on my forehead. “To help you.”
An immense power transmits from her fingertips into my body. The fire inside me is blazing and pouring out. I can feel the Phoenix spell finally breaking apart. The intolerable burning becomes a warm and natural feeling, as if all the cold inside me is driven out and vaporizes into the air.
“You are back now.” She speaks with delight. The dragon roars up to the sky.
“What do you mean? And I wasn’t asking for any help! Why did you do this?” I feel angry, even though my body feels so good.
“In your past life, you were a knight of Dragon Breath. You vowed to protect this city and our race. There is fire inside you. You are the flaming star. You have the power of the sun.”
Everything sounds absurd. I’m frightened by every word she says. “I’m not what you say. No. I am a Burton, the eldest son of Nicolas Burton.”
She crackles. “Yes. That horrible man did an awful thing to you, changing your blood at such a young age. But now, you have a choice. You can feel your body, it’s different right? You are coming back. This is the body of a Dragon Breath warrior.”
I feel a heat crawling across my body. I feel every muscle is getting stronger and more powerful. My heart is pumping with actual blood. Every cell in me is alive and moving fast. This is not the body of a Burton anymore. “A choice?”
“Yes. The ancient world was held in the balance by three powerful races. The dragons, the werewolves, and the elves. The world was lead by these three kingdoms. There was peace in the magical realm until the werewolves were wiped out by the humans. In this life, you made a choice to stand by your family. But look what you have done. You magical beings are just like the humans before. Nothing has changed. Souls are still suffering. But now, since you have decided to help your enemy’s princess, you have earned yourself a chance to choose. You will decide on your route now. Protect the woman you love, or your family. Become a dragon warrior or a fallen star.”
She continues, “I am glad that I could see you again. I truly believe that you can bring our city back.” She caresses the dragon again. The dragon lets out another roar.
“Please have this.” She hands me a map, “This is a map that will lead you to two gemstones. It is essential to find them. You will know the right time to use your power on the stones. And please, keep the location of the city a secret, as your brother and uncle are searching for us. It will bring disaster if they really find us. Good luck.”
I take the map, and on the parchment, there is a shiny spot glistening in a desert. There are cloud and rain symbols changing constantly on the map. And when I lift my eyes to her and the dragon, they are already gradually vanishing into mist. The city suddenly disappears. And I’m falling away from it, through the sky.