Dragon Born: Book I of the Tendaaren Chronicles
Chapter 35: Epiphany

Alyenna found herself riding on a golden dragon. The sounds of battle raged around her. The world was black with smoke interlaced with dragon fire. Screams of the death and anger ricocheted through the sky. Alyenna was trapped in Eleanor’s body again, unable to control her own movements. This time she was terrified. This was too familiar. Too real her heart dropped as she realized what would happen next. Cameron was barrelling towards her on an ebony dragon with fiery eyes. She felt her arm lift her shield blocking a cascade of fire from the dark dragon. Her arms shook with the effort and her hands were burning from the inferno that engulfed the shield. Alyenna was terrified.

She tried to scream for Baellnar, but that was not the name that came out of her mouth. “Cameron! Please, it’s me!”

“You are an imposter! You are Scelestra in disguise.” His eyes were scarlet and glowing. Alyenna had read about the eyes of the claimed but seeing them. Seeing their anger and their hatred. Seeing their demonic nature stabbed her heart with an icy realization. Baellnar was right. She knew Cameron’s love for Eleanor. It had been a hundred and fifty years since her death and he had doomed himself to isolation. A self-imprisonment built from guilt. This man before her had Cameron’s face but Scelestra’s soul. The combination was chilling. She could feel Eleanor’s fear. She could feel her heartbreak at the same realization.

“Cameron please!” She begged, “remember our vows, the one word that we would hold sacred. The one word that would ensure that you know it’s me.”

Another barrage of fire nearly threw Eleanor from her saddle. Alyenna could feel her shaking from the efforts of the war as well as from the crushing realization that she would have to kill or be killed by the one she loved, and she could not bring herself kill him. Alyenna watched in horror as the ebony dragon careened towards them from underneath. Eleanor pulled away just in time. The wind from the dragon’s wings and the heat from his body assaulted their skin. Alyenna froze. their skin? No, it cannot be.

Eleanor only defended herself. She fired only warning shots and desperately called out his name. Her pain was Alyenna’s pain, her anguish was her anguish. It felt like hours, but in reality, the battle lasted a few short minutes. Eleanor was bleeding heavily her blood was intermingled with the black demon blood of those she had slain. Alyenna could feel their body weakening. She could feel the dragon beneath her wavering through the air. Her movements were sluggish. More and more attacks began hitting home. Her shield was knocked from her hands.

Eleanor tried so hard but nothing was working. Cameron would not hear her. She cried out his name, his nickname, that special word they shared. Each attempt only made those demon eyes grow brighter, more determined. Alyenna knew what was next. She desperately tried pushing herself awake, but nothing worked. Alyenna was screaming. Eleanor was not. Eleanor stared at the last fiery attack, a wave of acceptance coursed through them. Alyenna fought inside Eleanor’s mind, she knew she was only a witness; but, she did not want to die. If she died in this dream would she wake up tomorrow? Was this how it ends?

She could feel the heat of the flame as it tore through the smoke barrelling towards them. Eleanor dropped her arms and just waited. Waited for the fire to engulf her. Waited for her pain to end. No! I am not ready to die! You may be but I am not!

The flame engulfed them. Alyenna felt their body knocked off the dragon and then a very familiar dream became her reality. She was falling through smoke and bursts of rainbow flame. She plummeted past the blood covered mountains, past the glowing eyes of hungry demons who looked at her descent with the glee of victory. She heard the laughter of Orcs and then the horrifying sound of vicious feminine laughter. She fell past a woman with red eyes and a gorgeous dark gown. Alyenna knew her name. It had been a part of her nightmares for longer than she could remember. It had been the boogie woman of two lifetimes. Those eyes and that face meant death, it meant betrayal, and this time the gorgeous grim reaper had come from her.

Eleanor was screaming, but Alyenna was glaring at the monster who smiled at her impending death. If I make it out of this you will pay for this. All of this. I know you cannot hear me but you will pay for all of this, you are the reason no one can be happy, and you are the reason I exist. Alyenna knew now. She knew who she was. She understood everything. She turned herself over to watch the bloody ground rising up to greet her. The blackened ash coated fierce spikes of the torn ground. The ground was rising and falling in a tumultuous rhythm. Aagi was controlling it she could see the fire-haired dwarf. His eyes wide as he watched her fall. He tried desperately to soften her fall. The ground beneath her began to bubble and liquify. It was not enough. Then she watched as he was swarmed by a horde of demons.

She felt like she was hitting cement. She could feel white-hot agony as every bone in her body shattered. This really is the end. The pain was so much she could not handle it. She could not handle the searing agony that consumed her soul. They could not figure out what was worth the pain and heartbreak of betrayal or the knowledge that death was coming and it would be the end of everything. That everything they had done was for nothing.

She saw a familiar face. This one had hazel eyes and auburn hair. He looked at her shattered body with tears. He collapsed next to her screaming. Her dragon plummeted towards them and could barely control her fall enough to land next to them instead of on top. Her body was shattered and bloody. Her legs were torn to pieces. Great gaping wounds created by the enormous maws of other dragons. “I am sorry old friend.” Eleanor’s voice was weak and whispering. Her body was not able to even say her last words. Alyenna knew that the words never actually made it out. The dragon’s eyes whirled and began to still. The rainbow began to fade and turn a deathly grey.

Then more pain. How could there be more pain? She looked down at the source of the pain and saw a great gaping hole in her chest. Her heart was in Allabandar’s hands. He had torn it from her chest and it was glowing with white light. He ran to her dragon. Her eyes almost completely grey and held it before her. Her mouth opened and rainbow fire engulfed Eleanor’s heart. Their body was on fire. A rainbow fire that mimicked the one around her heart. She heard a scream that echoed through the smoke. It was Cameron’s scream calling for Eleanor. She did not answer him. Alyenna no longer felt movement, and all she could see was a battered and broken body before her. One with silver armor and golden hair. She was now high in the air and looked around her. She was in Allabandar’s hand.

How am I still alive? Came a ghostly voice. Eleanor’s transparent form was hovering in front of Allabandar. Her glowing hair was floating around her.

“you are not,” Allabandar said sadly. Looking at the ghost of Eleanor. “Your time has passed.”

He held up Alyenna in his hand. A rainbow shell formed gently around her. Slowly hardening and concealing her vision. “It is her time now.” He waved his hand beckoning to a pair of guards. Alyenna felt her heart tighten as she saw the faces of her parents running towards them. They were wearing silver armor that matched the armor of the rebellion’s guards. “Take this somewhere safe.” That was the last thing she saw, and then the egg hardened and her world went black.

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Alyenna woke up screaming in Baellnar’s arms. He was rocking her and shouting her name. Magic whirled around them, Alyenna recognized it. It was a silencing wall. Aagi was pacing wildly in the room. She stopped screaming. The pure sapphire eyes warmed her heart. These eyes were not rimmed in demon’s red. They were simple and kind, and now they were filled with relief.

“What the hell was that!” He yelled squeezing her tightly.

“I understand now,” Alyenna whispered. “I understand everything.”