The Edelin Chronicles: The Search for Cindias

Chapter 25: I'm Going Home...

I slowly gain consciousness as I move on the flat, rocky plain. Wait... wasn't I falling out of the sky a few minutes ago?

I open my eyes to find myself at the top of a volcano, on a craggy cliff looking over the Dracinian countryside, flashes of red, orange, and scars of black, paint the scenery; while a man watches from the edge.

Dark skin, long black hair flowing in the breeze; fiery eyes examining the landscape. Draped in elegant robes, in either red, orange, or black.

Slowly sitting up, the man turns his head to face me, keeping his eyes fixed on the landscape.

"It's good to see you survived," he says.

Slowly standing up, I walk towards the man. My legs shaking as they take on new weight.

"You took quite a fall, you should rest," he remarks at my state. Grabbing my hand, softly pulling me downward.

"Thank you," I whisper. The man glances over at me for a second; snaps his fingers, and a small cup of tea appears in my hands.

"Drink, you need to save your voice," he replies. "I sense you have a lot of questions," a small smile appears on his face.

I nod and slowly sip the warm tea. My throat instantly healing from the amount of heat and lack of hydration my body experienced in the past few hours.

"Are you ready to talk?" he asks. I nod, setting the cup down. But, that just makes him laugh. "If you were ready to talk, you would have said yes," he jests. I smile a tiny bit, but something in the back of my head nags at me, like poking me with a stick.

"You sound familiar," I finally said. He stops looking at the horizon, turning his gaze to me, studying me like a foreign creature from a distant land.

"Let's say we've met before, though not under these circumstances, and I certainly didn't look like this," he gestures to himself.

Pondering what he said, I start to look over the options. Meeting before, not under these circumstances, didn't look like what he is now. I start to go through the list in my head; limiting it to only the Dracinians I knew, Helios, no; Ignis, no; Aiden, definitely not; Cindias, no... wait.

I look at his features again, long black hair, regal clothing, fiery eyes... it couldn't be. I look behind him, searching around his back for something not there, until two dragon wings sprout from his back, next to his shoulder blades.

"Cindias?" I ask. A small grin appears on his face; bowing his head in greeting.

"Pleased to see you again your Highness, though I'm not the person you may think I am," he smirks.

"But... I only heard you a few minutes ago, why do you sound so different?" I ask. Before something else nags at me.

"I'm not the Cindias you're thinking of," he replies, standing up, before covering his wings in a fire. A gasp escapes my throat.

"You were the fire spirit; the one the Fire Ruby summoned," I realize. Before continuing this train of thought, "you're the Cindias," I whisper.

"Correct, I'm the original; although I do particularly like the ones you have met," the landscape sweeps by, as we stand on the deck of the ship, the group huddled in a circle. "Helios and Azar are certainly good mentors and warriors," he gazes at the two Dracianian men.

"Azar?" I ask. He points to the current Cindias.

"His actual name, though I think it would be quite a shock for him to be called that name after 15 years of Cindias," Cindias chuckles. I slightly laugh as well, looking at our small group.