Fallen One (Book three of Alfireán age)

- Echoes of The Past -

Alf's mind swirled and his eyes nearly bulged out of his head as he stared up at the massive, mystical creature.

Not only was Alfonso seeing a dragon for the first time, he was seeing thee dragon, Eldrin the Lord of the Dragons himself!

A rustling to his left and right drew Alf's attention as Drake, Rex, and Rinnia all dropped to their knees and bowed before the great beast.

"No!" Eldrin snarled, bearing his white fangs. "Do not bow to me. I am not worthy of your homage. Get up," he growled, his dark red scales shifting and rippling as his serpentine head reared forward.

Rex, Drakovian, and the princess scrambled back to their feet and the brief flare of anger in the dragon's eyes faded away. Sadness filled his eyes once again as he watched them find their footing. "My legacy is one of death and destruction," the Great Lord of the Dragons muttered, gazing across the desolate plain of solidified rock and lava. "There is no glory or honor left in these old bones, only regret and sorrow," he added tersely while the last of the debris from the fallen tower and his entrance floated down around them.

Flakes of ash and soot coated Alf's clothes as the forlorn Eldrin turn away from them and stare off towards the horizon. His slitted pupils blinked away the dust and tears gathered in the corners of his eyes.

Once again, Valarinnia jerked her head sideways at the dragon, motioning for Drake to say something, but this time the prince completely ignored her.

Alfonso fidgeted. He wanted to talk to him, but he wasn't at all certain how one should address a dragon, much less the Lord of the Dragons himself. And for the life of him, Alf couldn't think of anything to say anyway.

Eventually, Eldrin's eyes returned to them, and he scrutinized the group thoughtfully for several moments. "It has been many centuries since I have seen the outside world," he said, his warm, hot breath washing over them. "Would one of you mind showing me your story, so I may see the world once more?"

Before anyone could utter a word, Alf stepped forward. "I would be honored to tell you my story," Alfonso volunteered, answering before his mind had time to register what he was saying.

Eldrin drew back his head and stared at him in consideration for a moment, then nodded.

Lowering his head, the Great Dragon shifted closer to him, and Alf felt the ancient being's hot breath as he stared up into his fierce, golden eyes.

"Dronfar," Eldrin whispered. The word flowed from his mouth like wind from a tunnel and the world seemed to shake as a wave of force slammed into Alf, washing over him and permeating his entire being.

Suddenly, Alfonso felt completely calm and at peace, even to the point where he could no longer move. It was almost as if he had been paralyzed by a powerful spell but not quite.

The earth rumbled under his feet as the dragon's long tail rose off the bubbled ground like a mighty tree trunk springing to life. Then with a whistle, it flicked straight towards Alfonso's forehead.

Olivia gasped in horror and Alf stood there calmly as the razor-sharp tip of Eldrin's tail zipped forward and came to a sudden stop just as it touched his brow.

A single drop of blood trickled down Alf's face, and Drake and Olivia watched in growing concern while he held his ground.

"Ondurnunon," the dragon breathed, and the world shift again at the use of the ancient Dragon language. As the first syllable left Eldrin's tongue, the drop of blood running down Alf's face began to bubble and boil. Then as the dragon finished speaking, the blood evaporated into a mist that floated skywards.