Zenora, The Dragon's Fury
32. Home Again

Noliyah began to chant, using ancient Elfish words to conjure up a portal.

She had been healing my body for the past few hours and was determined to send us home this night. I told her that it would’ve been alright for her to do it tomorrow, so she could gain some energy. But she was right, Brock was probably worried sick by now. Not knowing where I was all this time.

My soul had been brought back into my body, at which I instantly felt a lot of muscle cramps from the inability of moving the last two weeks. The pain of it was going to last for a while, but I was glad I could finally go home again.

Bright colours appeared on the ground, they weren’t all purple or completely white, but all possible colours you could imagine. I don’t know what it is, but each time I went through a portal, it was a different colour.

Well just like the other portals, again runes and words of the ancient language appeared on the ground. Noliyah nodded us to step on it, and so, we did. We held each other tight, as the wind and stars began to swirl heavily around us.

They lifted us from the ground for a short amount of time, until the rush of wind blew us to our destination and released us to the ground again.

When the rush of wind had left, we looked around us, trying to figure out where we were.

We were outside, and it was night, so everything was pitch black. We had to see a landmark in order for us to understand where we were, but since it was so dark, we couldn’t see a thing.

“I’ll fly up, maybe I can see something from the air.” Cirilya said, before turning into her owl.

After a few minutes she returned, squeaking loudly until she landed on the ground again, shifting back.

“You won’t believe where we are right now.” She said, with the widest grin upon her face.

She took me by the hand, and supported me a bit with walking, as my muscles had to regain their strength yet. We walked for a few minutes into the direction of the moon.

We reached the base of a mountain and Cirilya pointed upwards, to a cave at the side of the mountain.

“This is my cave!” I yelled to her.

I was surprised that Noliyah took us here, what could be the reason?

“Yes, and guess who is inside?” She smiled again.

“No, really? My little girl? Ayinthur?” I asked her, but before she replied to me, I had forgotten all about my muscle cramps and ran up the ramp leading up to the cave.

All huffing and puffing I reached the entrance, totally exhausted, but extremely excited to see them again!

We walked inside and in the back I could see the light of a burning fire, with in front of it my blackest, shiniest, most annoying, yet kind and beautiful...

“Yes...” Ayinthur waited for me to finish my sentence, which I mind linked to him.

“Dragon.” I said out loud.

“What? No idiotic name for me?” He asked me.

“No, not this time. Thank you for rescuing my daughter, Ayinthur.” I gave him a hug around his neck when I had said that.

“No problem Emily. I'd do anything for the fate of Zenora.” He said.

Another sentence of which I needed to know what he meant. I know that he meant something about my daughter being part dragon, but there was something else that he wasn’t telling me. He still had the blockage on his mind, so I couldn’t tell what it was. Soon, I will ask him.

I walked pass Ayinthur, to finally see my girl again. What I saw next amazed me, to say the least.

The egg that I gave birth to, had grown in size exponentially! It was twice the size as when I gave her to Ayinthur!

“How is this possible? How long until she will hatch?” I asked Ayinthur, while walking around the egg, touching the scales and feeling the warmth.

The egg wasn’t completely purple anymore. Along every separate scale, the edge was slightly golden coloured and the centre of each one of them was turning lighter, almost transparent. It was almost if I could see through it, but there wasn’t anything to see, maybe not until later.

“Normal dragon eggs are larger, as dragons are large creatures. But as she is half human, half dragon, I’m not sure how big the egg will get. And about the hatching time, I don’t know exactly either. There has never been a hybrid between a human and a dragon before.” Ayinthur replied.

“The Goddess was really mental, when she thought of this!” Cirilya spoke behind me.

She was. The Goddess made my daughter to be part dragon, even though I gave up my dragon powers to heal Ayinthur. Besides that, how was I able to sway Hayden away from the egg when we were still at the castle? Or how was I still able to read minds and have the warrior’s strength? These were all still questions that were roaming through my mind, but I don’t want to summon the Goddess for only my questions. She is busy with plenty other things I assume; I am not her only creation here.

Cirilya walked up to the egg, feeling the scales and warmth as well. But then she closed her eyes, putting her ear on the side of the egg.

As I read her mind, I could hear the distinct beat of my daughter’s heart. My own heart fluttered by the sound. Just as the twin’s heartbeat calmed my nerves to keep me from using the Mage’s Fury, my daughter’s heartbeat ensured me that everything was alright with her. It gave me a safe feeling, knowing she was happily in that gorgeous egg of hers.

Ayinthur’s point of view:

When Cirilya touched the egg, I was feeling uncomfortable. The thought of anyone other than me touching her, wasn’t something I liked to see, but I allowed it, as I know that she means no harm. I have been nurturing and warming the egg for the past two weeks, I never leaved her side, besides getting me a fast meal or two. The need to protect her was there abundantly, so much so that I didn’t want to leave her at all. She has to stay close to me at all times.

Besides the urge to keep her safe, I could hardly sleep, the egg was constantly on my mind, as was my failure towards my family.

I know Emily wants to know everything I do. I want to tell her as well, but if I unlock my mind, she will be overwhelmed by all the information about my family, and my failure to them. My shame towards my deceased relatives is overwhelming me too, I can’t tell her about it yet. It hurts me too much, just thinking about it.

I lowered my head, trying to lie down on the cave’s floor.

“Hey! Watch where your dropping!” Emily yelled.

I looked behind me and saw that I unknowingly curved my tail around the egg, shoving Cirilya and Emily aside.

“I’m sorry, I have been alone with her this whole time. I guess my habit kicked in there.” I replied, while taking my tail a bit to the side again, but not too much, just so that they can sit near the egg.

I could see the frown upon Emily’s face as I almost didn’t want to give her enough room. But I didn’t care, this was my egg, mine to protect.

Emily’s point of view:

I know he has been keeping my daughter safe, but his obsessive behaviour is strange to say the least. He has been growling each time Cirilya or me touched the egg. Somehow it was cute, seeing him care so much, but she was still my daughter, she is coming home with me.

“Ayinthur, can you carry her again? Towards the castle this time?” I asked him.

“Can’t we just stay here? This is where I can keep her safe.” He said.

“You don’t think I can keep her safe?”

“Yes, but, well... I don’t know. Can we at least replace a place where I can be with her too? You know, not inside the castle I mean. I can’t see her there, as I can’t fit in.” He said, almost as if he was shy.

I thought that he was acting really strange, but on the other hand, it might be better to keep a dragon close by. My daughter is part dragon after all. We could replace or build a place for them, to both stay in.

Cirilya and I managed to climb on Ayinthur’s back and keep the egg in between us. We had tied ourselves with lianas from the trees outside of the cave, keeping the egg and us safely secured. Ayinthur slowly walked a bit forward, stepping out of the cave with us three on his back. He gently started to flap his wings, not wanting to lift off too fast to keep us steady seated.

Soon, we were off into the bright sky. Not a cloud in the air to be found, we soared slowly towards the castle.

I never took a moment to appreciate the view from up here. As the times that I was around in these parts, wasn’t in good times, it was always with sorrow and hurt. But now that we were gliding safely through the sky, with my daughter secured to my chest, on the back on a magnificent dragon, I awed at what I saw.

The beautiful green rolling hills, with the sight of snowy mountains in the distance, then a forest filled with amazing creatures and sounds, and the glimmering surface of a river, which reflected the morning sunlight.

The warmth of the sun made me slightly drowsy and then I had realised that we left Eleslas when it was dark, and we didn’t have a moment of sleep since Noliyah pushed us through the portal.

I tried to stay awake as I was holding my daughter between my arms, but soon I dozed off, falling asleep, while listening to the heartbeat of my precious girl.

Luckily, Ayinthur flew fast, so within hours we were reaching familiar grounds. With the sight of the extremely large castle in front of us, I sighed, finally home!