AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Flecks of gold pierced my eyes.
The golden egg. It was really here. How was I able to see it?
Reaching it, I peered at the dome. Golden intricate details were carefully carved throughout the outside of the relic. Picking up the egg, the warmth of it puddled my fingertips. Glistening particles of gold danced in ethereal swirls, pirouetting through the air with an enchanting grace.
My eyes remained fixed on it, filled with wonder. Locking gazes with Belle, she nodded her head, reminding me of its powers.
I remembered what Aurelia said about the one wish that the egg held. Only one wish that could be granted to me.
If I wanted to, I could wish for Sebastia to come back to life. I could wish for my town to never have been destroyed. I could save my parents, my neighbors, and my fiancée. I could save everyone and reverse the effects of what happened that night.
But then, I wouldn’t have been able to meet Aurelia. I wouldn’t have been able to be with her. Her laugh rang through my ears. The quirky way she wriggled her nose when she spoke flashed before my eyes, along with her smile. She was my gold. And I didn’t need anything else.
A realization occurred to me. I needed to accept my past. Let them move on. Allow myself to move on. Aurelia was my here and right now. I wanted to have a life with Aurelia. My Queen. Not just for myself, but for the people of her kingdom. Her destiny was not yet fulfilled.
“I wish for Aurelia to come back to life,” I muttered as I held the golden egg. I wasn’t sure if that was how it worked or would even work.
I held my breath, waiting for something to happen. Glancing at the sun filling the sky, and the clouds dancing across, I shifted my feet, nervous that it wouldn’t work.
The saltiness in the air was thick with the elevation. My breaths were quick, passing the lump forming in my throat. Glancing below, I watched as the waves crashed, the open sea ferocious, drifting from side to side.
A glimmer drew my attention. Before me, cascades of golden light danced as the egg unfurled, dividing into four sections. Each side was dedicated to one of the four elements. On one part, intricate designs of fire adorned the relic, accompanied by ancient inscriptions. Another flap revealed water-themed motifs, with undulating waves. Meanwhile, engraved depictions of swirling winds and rugged mountains, as well as lush greenery of vines, adorned the remaining sides of the gleaming golden relic.
The egg grew warmer, making me wonder if the effects of it were starting.
Waiting for something to happen, I felt a soft vibration beneath my feet. I almost didn’t notice it, at first, until it got stronger. It only took moments before the very pebbles on the ground started shaking, the soft clatters mirroring a hum.
The Earth was quaking. My knees wobbled, wanting to give out. A heavier hum came from the earth, rattling the dirt and rocks beneath our feet, opening up a gaping slit. Cracks spluttered throughout the hill, rocks falling, a roaring sound ripping through the sky.
From the mountain’s cleft, a radiant glow spilled, illuminating a figure suspended in mid-air before me. Her presence was ethereal, her aura similar to a god’s.
She was angelic; the strands hanging from her pinned up shimmering white hair blew in the wind, flowing alongside the slits of her deep black dress. The color was so dark, as if it were pulled straight from the depths of the ocean, untouched and unscathed, seamlessly rushing behind her, as if she was in harmony with the chaotic wind, in unison with its element.
Her face was smooth and young, her nose and ears slightly pointy, without the human touch of a curve.
“Damian,” she said breathlessly, her voice like a melody floating in the wind. Her eyes were as golden as the sun and radiated brilliance as they pierced into my own.
“Who are you?” I asked, still holding the open egg in my arms, light protruding from its surface.
“Norilusclaicem2Satas3Railumen4,” she elegantly sang inSatas Lerma. “I am Norilus, the Dragon Scalekeeper,” she said again, her language changing to my understanding. Her voice was smooth as a river, sweet sounds to my ears. My eyes never wavered from her presence, unable to look away. Herface looked to be of glass, seeming to be an imitation of sleek untouched water, glossy and reflective to the touch.
Was I dreaming? Was I dead? Did the wish reverse and take my life to balance the universe? Thoughts raced through my head, making me feel stuck in time, stuck in a trance. “She’s alive, but she is still wounded. You will need to get her to safety,” her words a dancing melody as they reached my ears.
I sank to my knees, knowing that Aurelia was alive. Thank the curses. “Where? Where do I need to take her?” I stuttered with hope.
“You don’t have much time. Take her to the Scalebound colony. She will be safe there.”
“The Scalebound colony? I don’t understand,” I said, my lips pursing in confusion.
“You will find them on the other side of the west mountain,” she said, her arm elegantly pointing to the opposite side of the Forbidden Forest.
I thought about how we would get there. We wouldn’t get there in time. She was losing a lot of blood. “How? She’s going to die again before we can even reach it!”
“You’re talking as though the Scaleborne hasn’t connected to a dragon that can take you.” I glanced over at Belle, who stood over Aurelia, protecting her body.
“I… I don’t understand.” I shook my head, my responses delayed. “I thought only Scalekind could see you. How am I able to?”
There was a glint of a smirk on her face as she said, “Scalekind are those with dragon blood. If you remember correctly, you were transfused with dragon blood.” My eyes narrowed. Dragon blood? Transfused?
