Dedication: To all the victims of the horrifying events that occurred during the past few days. #PrayForTheWorld
IMPORTANT: There's a bit of a time lapse here. I had to do this, because I couldn't really think of a way to move on with the story after the previous chapter, which was discouraging me from continuing with it. However, I don't think it's too difficult to follow (please tell me it isn't? xD ).
Chapter Twenty Five: Tainted Time
STATUS: Not Edited.
"I freeze and burn, love is bitter and sweet, my sighs are tempests and my tears are floods, I am in ecstasy and agony, I am possessed by memories of her and I am in exile from myself."
― Francesco Petrarca, Canzoniere: Selected Poems
"Ray, how long have I been here for?'' I asked as I lay on my back and squinted at the sky of the fire domain, which always looked like it was bleeding the tones of the sunset.
"A month!'' Ray responded excitedly.
"And you are yet to name your dragon!'' Shimmer reminded me, and my gaze fell onto the snoozing, blazing reptile curled at my side. It had burned a circle through the strangely soft igneous rock ground beneath us. The landscape in the fire domain was mostly volcanoes and igneous rock flooring. Sometimes, you could even see the lave boiling and softening the ground. There were no rivers, but only lava streams that gurgled and bubbled almost everywhere. Strange soot colored plants with beautiful, yet burning fragrances grew almost everywhere.
I had only been out of the grand, fire castle only a handful times and had already seen several creatures that were only supposed to belong to folklore and myths.
The Gothic castle was composed completely of dark fire, and seemed to float on a mound of igneous rock. I never thought fire could be black, before I saw the castle. Now I knew that flames could adopt shades of multiple tones due to the differing hues that composed of different portions of the interior of the castle.
The fire realm was dark, beautiful, dangerous and I absolutely loved it.
I found out that no one except the fire folk, and other fire creatures could survive for too long in the realm. The flames of the place would consume them. Only with the security, and invitation of the fire folk could any non-fire creature enter or exist the realm. And invitations were analyzed by the fire council before they were agreed too.
My dragon had grown bigger, fiercer and beautiful in the time that I had been in the realm. I was no longer scared of the beast that I was told, was only a part of me.
But I hadn't named it yet.
"You should name it Skipper! Or Fang! Oh, oh! Or Fluffykins, or-"
"I am a dragon, not a dog, Shimmerium,'' the dragon hissed at Shimmer, while its eyes were still close, "And I am not fluffy.''
"You feel a bit fluffy-"
"GET YOUR DISGUSTING HAND OFF OF ME, YOU FIEND. WAIT TILL I GROW UP, I'LL BURN YOU SO BAD, THAT FANCY HAIRSTYLE OF YOURS WILL TURN INTO A BALDING HAIRLINE.''
I chuckled and stroked the head of the dragon as I continued to hear their banter. It was strange how incomplete I felt without the presence of the dragon.
"Era!'' I straightened as I heard the call and turn to look at Lizadorah, who was racing towards the lava river I was laying next to.
"Hello, Lizadorah,'' I smiled and scooted away from the blazing flowers at my side, so she could dip her feet in the lava river, with me. I had grown quite close to the fire woman over the past month. She had helped me get over my sorrow about leaving behind my past life, and my best friend, Andrea.
Lizadorah grinned before she folded herself besides me. "Done with your duties for today?'' I asked her and she nodded. "Forgive me for sounding rude,'' she began to say as she kicked off her shoes and rolled her pants back, so she could dip her feet in the lava as well, "But...when will you be assuming your duties, Era?''
The dragon besides me stretched on its hind legs before it skipped into the lava and began to dive, catching strange fish like creatures and tearing them apart. I considered her question for a second before I answered it, "I don't...I have no idea how to do any of it. I mean, just a couple of months ago my biggest worry was getting through high school with good grades and now...now I'm sitting in a entire different freaking realm, with my legs in lava and staring at a dragon that I feel like I couldn't exist without. I don't understand anything. I don't know anything. I'm really confused.'' I curled my hands into fists as I pulled my knees into my chest.
When had I started to feel so...so...unsure?
"I understand,'' Lizadorah said as she smiled gently at me, "But remember, Eres Nyle will always be there to guide you. And I'm quite sur-''
"Eres Nyle?'' I echoed, "Who's th-?'' It took me a little more than a second to remember who my mate was and I chuckled. "Oh my gosh, I just forgot who Nyle was,'' I laughed, "I must be seriously confused.''
Lizadorah nodded but she studied me worriedly. "This...isn't the first time that has happened,'' she reminded me, ''Are you sure you're alright?''
"Yeah, I'm just mighty anxious and confused,'' I confessed one more, "You could do one of those cool brain analysis things you do if you still aren't sure.''
Her eyes almost popped out of her skull.
"NO!'' she gasped, "I would never do such a thing to you, Era! Eres Nyle would be greatly angered and-''
I might have sounded like I was kidding before, but I hadn't been. My mind filled up with a fog that seemed to have settled in it sometime in the past two weeks. Initially, I had figured that I wasn't ready for the responsibilities, and that it was probably just my anxiety manifesting itself in my mind. But then, after I had noticed how silent Valentina had become and how I couldn't feel her in my mind anymore, I had grown worried. Further on, I had begun to do things, act a certain way, forgetting things that were important to me and saying things that I would never do. It was almost like I was changing into someone else, and it was scaring me. The thing that terrified me the most was that Nyle's touch seemed to make me feel ill. I had lied to him, told him that I wasn't comfortable sleeping in the same bed as him because I was shy (which wasn't a complete lie), when it was actually because he had begun to repulse me. I felt disgusted when he was around me and sometimes...sometimes I wanted to attack him, and I didn't know why!
''Lizadorah,'' I turned around to her and gave her only my most sincere expression, "This is a request. Nyle told me that you can analyze someone's mind and find irregularities, or the causes behind changes. ''
My words seem to have an affect on the fire woman, who diverted her gaze from me and swallowed loudly. ''But I would be disobeying Eres and I-"
"I was very close to hurting Nyle yesterday,'' I confided in her and almost broke eye contact when I was met with her bewildered and horrified expression, ''I know that's not normal and I don't know what's going on and I can't hear Val-...my mind does not feel normal anymore. I-I...I need your help. I ask this to you as a friend, not a fire goddess or whatever you all seem to think I am. I really, really need your help.''
"Era...I-I..."
"Please, Liza. Please.''
I had recently begun to comprehend the extent of my abilities, and so I used them to tap into her mind, restraining myself from doing it too deeply, she deserved her privacy after all; reading minds was addictive, it required restraint and control, something Nyle had taught me the very first week I was here.
She was hesitant, but I could feel her acceptance to my request growing. I tapped out of her mind the second I felt her comply with my plea.
"Okay,'' she finally said and I smiled, "But we must do it tonight, when Eres is busy assessing the prison.''
-
"Eres Nyle must know about that,'' the dragon chided me as I washed the burns off my leg, "This is the fourth time this week.''
"I know,'' I said as I begun to treat the wounds with the crushed leaves of a plant that -Ray had excitedly informed me- could cure any flesh wounds, "But...what could I possibly say? How could I tell him that I don't...I don't react to him the way I use to, anymore? Plus, shouldn't he be able to feel this anyway? We have a connection after all. And he admitted he's able to feel anything I feel. Then how the hell am I able to hide all of this from him? Gosh, I'm so freaking confused!''
The dragon said nothing but merely slithered in the air towards me, and rubbed its head against my cheek. ''I am you, and I know nothing,'' it said.
"I know that, too,'' I almost sniffed as I gritted my teeth in frustration. My legs burnt for a second before the skin repaired itself and no longer were there any burns on my flesh.
"You should leave, Eres Nyle will get suspicious. He has arrived,'' the dragon informed me and I sighed. I had felt a slight prod at my mind, but it hadn't been as strong as it used to be when he would arrive.
My heart clenched painfully in my chest and I almost gasped as I placed my palm upon it.
What is happening?
"Era, stay strong,'' the dragon whispered as it melted into my skin and I felt myself grow strong again.
What is happening?
-
The bathroom door clicked shut behind me as I closed it. I smiled at Nyle and he smiled back, but I could almost see the fire in his eyes harden and I know.
He noticed how strange I have been.
"Did you finally name your dragon?'' he asked me and I shook my head, staring at him. I wanted so badly to touch him, hug him, love him and yet, I wanted to push away from him, snarl at him, destroy him.
My heart ached as it fought against itself, and I almost gasped aloud at the pain that pulsed through my chest.
Nyle's eyes narrowed at me and I could tell he was confused. He couldn't feel my pain, for some reason, but he could tell that I ached.
I think.
It subsided suddenly and I almost let out a sigh of relief. Thank god that's over.
"How large has your dragon grown?'' Nyle asked and I stretched my palms away from each other as I tried to depict its size.
"This much, I think,'' I said and he frowned.
"Do you find that you are able to regulate your abilities to a higher degree than you were prior to your arrival here?''
"A bit,'' I answered honestly, and I could almost feel his unease at the fact, "Is that wrong or something...?''
"It...it is most unusual,'' he replied before he sighed, "I must be departing now. Farewell, love.'' He moved to kiss me and I felt as if a foreign force had seized me, when I turned my cheek towards his lips. He raised his eyebrow and I smiled, "We need to get to know each other better, remember?''
"Oh, how cumbrous of me. I apologize,'' he grinned at me and I felt desire curl in my stomach.
Seriously? Just a second ago I was repulsed!
WHAT IS HAPPENING?
"It's okay,'' I responded and almost cursed aloud when he disappeared into a column of smoke.
-
I decide to have a nap that afternoon. My body had begun to tire easily, and I was suddenly swept with a bought of fatigue. I needed to rest.
As I drift to sleep, my mind drifts off into a dream like state and then I see it.
The dream that changes everything:
It's cold.
I don't know where I am, but it's cold.
My breath illuminates the darkness around me for a second before it disappears again.
''Hello.''
I turn and I see her.
Her hair is the color of wheat, while her irises seem to glow in the a tone similar to a thunderous sky and stand out against her pale skin. She wears a dark cloak that almost seems to swallow her petite frame. Her features are elfin and although her ruby lips stretch into a smile, I feel a sense of unease trickle over me. She seems so familiar, yet I hold no memories of her.
"Do you know who I am, Delilah?'' she asks, and I frown at how familiar her voice sounds.
"No?''
"You seem unsure,'' she comments before she grins kindly at me, "We are very well acquainted, you and I. I, unfortunately, can only communicate with you in your dreams now. I have grown much too weak. Your current environment is not kind to my kind.''
"W-what?'' I stammer, "Wh-what is that supposed to mean?''
"Delilah,'' the thunder swirling in her irises seems to sparkle, "I have lived in your mind ever since you were born. It's me, Valentina.''
Author's Note:
Hello! I am so, so sorry for the radio silence on my part! I have been so utterly and completely busy. However, I have recently come up with a plan for this story that will definitely be helping me to update sooner.
Maybe I should come up with an update plan?
Well, I am considering doing one and if I do finally go through with it, I shall be updating on a weekly basis. Maybe every Saturday?
Anywho, I hope you liked the chapter! I made it a bit longer to make up for my absence! :D
Thanks for reading!
Lots of love,
_AcrossTheUniverse_