28. AURELIA

Chapter twenty-eight

AURELIA

" I can't believe he just left us like that. We had an agreement, and now he thinks that he can just go and break it," I complained to Belle, as she snuffed a small whiff of fire from her nostrils. "I am just glad that I have you." I was. She was everything to me. We complemented each other.

There was a strong pull in my heart toward Damian that longed for the comfort of having him around. Not wanting to miss him, I shook the thoughts away.

In the obsidian cloak of night, we veered away from the small town and made our way to the fisherman's town that lined the sea. The hushed ambiance enveloped us, undisturbed by the aftermath of the fire. Even the shadows held their silence, being driven by fear of what the dragons were capable of.

I thought I knew everything about dragons. At least, I thought that I had learned all about them in my readings. However, that was not the case. Maybe they had more of a reason to be hated than I originally had thought.

I could still hear the crackling of the flames flickering behind me as we trailed on. The moon was non-existent on this side of the forest, with the trees covering the sky, not allowing any form of radiance to enter. I flicked my hand, creating small flames for a little more light.

"I wish that I could see the Celestials," I said to Belle, looking longingly up at the darkened sky, which was only covered with the black branches of the trees arching over each other, creating almost a dome around us.

"My mother is up there," Belle said, motioning toward the Celestials. She started flapping her wings slightly, only hovering off the ground to a small degree.

"What was she like?" I asked, wanting to know more about Belle's past.

"She was pink like me." She thought for a moment more before saying anything else. "She died a long time ago. I never really got to know her." I could feel the ache in her voice, wanting to get to know her mother but not being able to. I wanted to ask about what happened to her, but didn't want to pry into her past.

"Tell me about your old division," I said. She mentioned that she was kicked out for being a weak link. Wouldn't the older dragons understand she was only a child and too young?

"It consisted of my father and a few other dragons. Our division used to be large, but then we got split up."

"How did you get split up?" I asked, curiously.

"There were these creatures that we had never seen before. They were black with holes in their wings and large fangs and talons. Their horns were long and curly as well." I stopped right in my tracks from what she just said.

"You've seen them?" I asked, insisting on an answer.

"What are they? My father had no idea what they were, and we had never heard of them. He said something about them being from the Old Religion."

"They are Deathlies," I told her, my hands becoming clammy with anxiety. "That's why we're going to the dragon gate. I need to stop them." Belle huffed and looked at me. "Where was your division going? Why did you come this way?"

"We were moving to an unfamiliar land. One far from here."

"But why?" I asked curiously.

"We needed to seek protection. Dragons are being sought after. Magic from our own religion started to turn against us, forcing us out of our own lands."

I didn't realize what magic from the Old Religion could do. I only saw small snippets from when my grandmother used it, but she was never able to do something as substantial as forcing dragons out of their own land. That would require a lot of magic and from a lot of wielders. The Old Religion believed in combining forces between humanity, including those that practiced magic, as well as the Scalekind.

"They aren't honoring the religion that their magic is derived from," I said.

"Exactly. The checks and balances are starting to become out of control. The Scalekeepers put consequences in place for the dragons to not be killed, yet the curses have come to mean nothing. Scalebornes used to be seen as gods, being protected from the mortal touch, but now that means nothing as well as you would know. There are going to be some heavier consequences soon, but my division knew that the consequences would be so great as to hurt us all. I just know my father was scared of what was going to happen. Not a lot can make him scared."

I knew that Scalebornes used to be seen as gods and used to be worshiped as deities, but I didn't know the rest. What could heavier consequences even possibly entail? Something big was going to happen, but I wasn't quite sure what it would be. Was the consequence the result of the Deathlies killing off the lands to make them unlivable?

"You mentioned something about a Scalekeeper? What is that?" I asked, the word familiar from conversations with Nana.

"I probably shouldn't tell you," she trailed. "But Scalekeepers are those that live through the dragon gate. They are the ones that harness the dragons and the deadly creatures of the world. All hidden through their portal. By reaching the egg, they will be the ones granting you your wish. However, remember, everything comes at a cost with them." What did she mean through a portal? Dragons and deadly creatures? I had never heard of this portal before. Was it access to the gatekeepers of Ezu 1 or Haxnau 2 ? What did she mean everything came at a cost?

"I thought Ezu and Haxnau were found in the Celestials?" I questioned my religion.

"Ezu is. Sort of," she said. "The portal is similar to our world, but a little different. Nothing to get wrapped up about." She stopped, not wanting to say any more on the matter. I realized that she said Ezu and not Haxnau . Where was the portal to Haxnau ? Her snout was pointed past the trees, as if searching in the Celestials. "Do you miss your parents?" she asked.

The loaded question hit me like a bag of unexpected bricks. "No," I said. "They treated me differently. Sometimes I forget that they are my parents. My mother and father know almost nothing about me. I have never been seen as a priority. Sometimes I don't even recognize them when I go into the castle grounds. They're just familiar faces with unfamiliar spirits," I whispered, hating the feelings that I had for them. I wanted to love them, and I wanted them to feel like my division and family. But the words didn't feel true as they exited my mouth. There was something there emotionally that I couldn't quite grasp. Maybe Damian was right. Maybe I was doing this only to prove something. "Do you miss your father?" I questioned her.

"I miss being with other dragons, but I didn't miss my father," she said upfront. "What makes you want to go to the dragon egg?" I sighed, unknowing how to respond to the question.

"At first I wanted so badly to take on the responsibility of the kingdom that was supposed to be mine. It wasn't even about helping them, but proving that I was good enough to do so for my father. I guess I grew up believing that I was never good enough. I wasn't good enough to be queen or heir to the throne. There was some sort of push of responsibility for what I wanted to be, something better for my father and to earn some sort of approval for who and what I was. Now, I think it is because I wanted to prove to myself that I could accomplish such an enormous task. However, I'm still not sure." I wasn't sure. There were so many reasons that I was out. I wanted to leave my tower. I had a responsibility to save my kingdom. I wanted to prove that I could be queen. So many reasons, yet I couldn't distinguish precisely which one it was.

Belle didn't say anything and just smiled, soaking it all in. I was almost glad that she didn't say anything, because I didn't want to talk about it anymore, either.

***

The dim morning light was creeping up along the mountains and the trees. It was a thin color of blue, hiding away the moon and the Celestials. It felt a little chilly; the wind grew heavy in the air.

I rubbed my arms to bring the color and warmth back into my skin. Goosebumps rose along my arms, covering every stretch of my body.

The wind that brushed past our faces was heavy and cold. We were close to the water. I could taste it in the salt in the air. The trees started thinning, showing we were approaching the fisherman's town, Evler. We were so close. I could feel it.

"We are near the water! We just have to get through this fishermen's town," I cheerfully told Belle.

That explained why it got colder. We were closer to the sea.

The town loomed in sight, its silence profound with the muted sensations.

"Have you ever been here?"

"Nope," Belle quickly replied.

We came into the clear view, passing the remainder of the trees, and entered what looked like a broken and beaten-down town. It looked and felt like no one lived there anymore, lacking life and sound. The streets were barren, without a trace of a single soul.

The town was small, with only ten buildings surrounding a large cobblestone walkway down the center. The homes were different from the ones back in the town that were set to flames. These houses were less sturdy, and malleable to the touch, while the others were built from bricks and stones supported by a wealthy backing.

The small houses resembled shacks, their structures and weathered exteriors crumpled with age. They were built with hay and wood and had wooden stilts, making them sit higher in the air. It made me wonder how many storms they have had for the need to make the houses higher than the water itself. There was nothing on the streets; they were only bare with some trash blowing in the wind. The hay built around them was filthy and not taken care of. I had never seen houses assembled such as these.

The only thing I could hear was the ringing in my ears from the silence, and the slight wind, blowing the golden strands of hay that sat as the roofs, from side to side, in a rhythmic dance.

No one.

The coldness in the air sent shivers down my spine.

"Something doesn't feel right." Belle looked at me with her similar golden eyes and agreed. We were both slightly hidden behind a group of trees, but after not seeing anyone, we left the patch of foliage, deciding to make our way to the shore quickly.

"Let's find the island." I stepped forward, seeing myself in the town if anyone were to peek from their windows.

The color scheme felt rotten with dirty pastel colors, making everything dull and dead. I didn't know what I was expecting, but I expected more life from being close to the sea. I had dreamed of seeing the ocean for as long as I could remember but found myself disappointed in the surrounding town, which fueled my excitement.

I stepped carefully, watching each window and alleyway around me. No one could see us. We had to make it past the water to the island. But how? That was why I needed Damian. But I didn't need him now. Belle and I would be able to figure it out.

It was a ghost town. The streets were made of cobblestone and a dark gray, lifeless sand.

Dead and unnerving.

Mine and Belle's steps were the only noises. The sounds of our footsteps ricocheted throughout the abandoned town, leading the vibrating clammer straight to us.

Nothing.

We made our way to find the water's shore, any sign of being closer to the island.

My heart pounded with excitement. This was it! I was so excited to reach the water. I had been waiting my whole life for this moment. It was a dream that I'd had forever with Cora. To see the water. To see the expanse of it.

My mind was so focused on reaching the island, finding the egg, and saving my kingdom that I didn't hear the sounds of footsteps behind me and the hand that quickly covered my mouth.

My eyes fluttered with darkness, the life draining from my body.

1. Ezu (Eh-ooh): Heaven

2. Haxnau (Hah-nah-woo): Hell