Penthos: The Guardian Sea

Chapter Four: Why Could It Not Be Me?

Years passed, and the child Anora aged slowly, as many of the bloodline of dragons do. Closely monitored almost every second of every day, Anora was noted by the king and his wife to be of the element Earth.

     By this time, almost 20 years after the prophecy was made, word of this “oceanborn earthchild” had reached even the furthest corners of the Infinity, rumors of the identity of the new Guardian whispered in even the most remote of Realms.

     A new Guardian was sure to be bred of a royal family.

     But . . . which one?

“What do you think, Fi-fi? Could it be her?” Jhordyn turned from the fire, rubbing his eyes.

     The queen was braiding her hair by the vanity mirror, eyes staring not at her reflection, but at the brush sitting in front of her. “It’s possible. She is powerful for a six-year-old.”

     Jhordyn took a step toward her, hand coming down to point in a random direction. “AND she has the power of earth. She was born by the ocean--”

     “Love,” Serapheme said, cutting him off, “don’t get too excited. There are plenty of ocean Realms in the Infinity. And just as many earth demons in them.” She finished her braid and dropped her hands to her lap. She sighed and took the brush to the tail of the braid.

     Jhordyn strode over to her side, took her hands in his own, and kissed her. He set the brush aside and stood her up. “Don’t be so sad, sei leije,” he said, using the Lu’va term for ‘my love.’ He kissed her again, tracing her spine delicately with his fingers. Serapheme shivered and kissed him rougher.

     Suddenly, Jhordyn broke off the kiss and swept Serapheme up into his arms, carrying her to the bed. “I love you, sei sarifjeme,” he whispered into her human-looking ear, calling her his angel.

The queen donned her casual dusty blue gown for the day, the silver braided straps hugging her shoulders perfectly. She placed the looping chain of silver in her hair with care, a sign of royalty in the ocean Realm.

     She sighed and looked at her hair, which hung loose and long about her, down to her waist. The white-blonde curls framed her face. She looked about seventeen. She smiled at her reflection and turned from the mirror, placing a hand on her stomach. She began humming a lullaby. “Dearest child, it is time to announce your arrival.”

This began a succession of births that expanded the royal family. Their next child was a full dragon with black hair and grey eyes, a little girl they named Iressa. The third was a red-haired blue-eyed boy named Jaime, followed by brown-haired Kalyb and blonde Marlamen II. This is the story of the sixth child, a girl with rare eyes and light brown hair. Her name meant ‘little light.’