Mysteries Beyond (Dragons RTTE Fanfic - Sequel to Deception)

Chapter 24

You opened your eyes to the sound of rhythmic waves, rushing to and from the shore. With your eyes at ground level, you could see small torrents of sand drifting across the beach with the sea-breeze. But the boulder, along with Amethyst and Sclera's resting forms, shielded you from the spray of sand. Your back was propped up against something warm and familiar which, on waking up properly, you realized was Viggo. His arm was wrapped around you, keeping you close. You would never admit it to his face, but you had missed this. Turning your head slightly, you saw he was still asleep. He had looked tired when you saw him last night, and his current body language seemed to be one of relief at finding you. You laid back down, just enjoying the feeling of being near him again, and closed your eyes to focus on the rushing of the waves.

Something jerked in the sand next to you, and you immediately opened your eyes and bolted upright to see Amethyst and Sclera rousing. Something had startled them. You heard a small groan come from Viggo as he awoke too, pulling himself up into a sitting position next to you, leaning his back against the boulder. Peering over the rock, you searched for the source of the dragons' alarm. There on the beach, just a few paces from you, Vulcan approached with something in his hand. As he reached you, he looked down at you and Viggo, his eyes unreadable, yet seemingly intrigued by Viggo's arm, which was still wrapped round your shoulders. You saw Viggo and Vulcan exchange strange glances for a moment. Neither one of them wanted to be the first to avert their gaze.

"Hi Vulcan." you said casually, trying to lessen the awkwardness which now prevailed.

"Good morning." he replied simply. Again there was a pause, and no one dared move. Vulcan's eyes darted around frantically, as if trying to work out how to word what he wanted to say.

"I thought you might be hungry." he said after a while, holding out a basket containing food between you and Viggo. He seemed as if he was about to leave, as you thanked him and accepted the basket of food.

"Why don't you eat with us?" you added, gesturing to a space in the sand beside you and Viggo. Vulcan gave a slight nod, before making his way round the boulder to sit with you. As he did so, Viggo cleared his throat and quickly recoiled his arm from you, shuffling to the side, so that the three of you now sat in a triangle structure. There was one big sea bass, that you threw to Amethyst and Sclera to share, which Vulcan watched with amazement.

You ate in silence for the first few minutes, Viggo and Vulcan avoiding each others' eyes.

"So," you said eventually, after swallowing a mouthful of breakfast, "do you know anything about this?" you asked, spreading the letter containing the riddle out in the sand between you.

"The riddle is a guide to a hidden dragon world, which is locked beneath the sea." Vulcan said. You looked at Viggo.

"We found something like that!" you replied, "It was weird, the currents were swirling in a circular motion, and there were glowing lights shining through the water from within. "

"That is the gateway between the world of vikings and the world of dragons." Vulcan continued. "Only those who truly understand both dragons and people can open it."

"How? Why?" You couldn't help the questions flooding out of your mouth.

"Long ago, when dragons and vikings lived in harmony, the gateway was unlocked, and both traveled freely between the two worlds. But after the rise of the dragon hunters, centuries ago, huge destruction befell the hidden world, and the entrance was sealed to prevent further ruin of the dragon world. The dragons we see in the world today are the ancestors of those who were locked out of the dragon world when it was locked in ancient times."

There was another pause, as the weight of what Vulcan had just said sunk in. You felt Viggo tense up at the mention of dragon hunters, the words clearly a poignant reminder of his past.

"Who locked it?" you asked. "Who locked all those vulnerable dragons out when they knew the dragon hunters were lurking?"

Vulcan sighed. "It's a long story."

"I've got all the time in the world." you answered bluntly. After days of putting it off, he was going to give you answers now, whether he liked it or not.

"Dragon shifters." Vulcan said slowly "They are the guardians of the gateway - they understand what it is to be both human and dragon - and therefore have the ability to open the gateway to the hidden world."

"Then, that means you have the ability to open it!" you exclaimed. Vulcan shook his head.

"It's not that simple..." he closed his eyes for a moment to think, "Dragon shifters are rare and, even then, only a few are destined with the ability to unlock the hidden world."

"Why is all of this of importance now?" Viggo questioned, "This hidden world you speak of must have been locked for centuries."

Vulcan glared at Viggo, his lips sealed.

"Vulcan..." you sighed, mentally willing him to trust Viggo as you did. Did he honestly think you would be stupid enough to allow Viggo to hear this if you didn't fully trust him?

"The time has come," Vulcan proceeded, "for the hidden world to be unlocked once more."

A/N: Sorry this chapter is a bit short - I'll try to update again soon! Hope you had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!