Half Heart Hero: Rise of Sifa [Book 2]

Sisu's siblings

From above, Raya glanced down at the boat. She saw the small people tilted up toward them watching in curiosity.

In seconds, they had left the boat behind. The dragon raced through the air, her body rippling like a wave. On her back, Raya clung to Sisu's fur for dear life.

As they flew, the sun lit the rain clouds from behind, making them glow with inner magic. Below Raya saw the Kumandra River snaking through the hills and forests, Sisu seemed to be following. Raya was in awe. "Where are you taking me?"

Sisu didn't reply. Just then the clouds ahead patted. Raya saw an island in the middle of the river with a shape rising up from a great natural stone archway. For a moment, she realizes Sisu was talking her to Heart. She was taking Raya home. When they reached the Chamber of the Dragon Gem, Sisu sailed through the open road. She landed lightly inside and Raya climbed down from her back.

A lump rose in Raya's throat as she looked around. The once glorious home of the Dragon Gem lay in ruins. Stone pillars were scattered across the floor like fallen trees. There was a crack where the Druun had emerged. Shafts of sunlight came through holes in the crumbling walls, puncturing the gloom.

She didn't want to see it this easy, a reminder of how badly they had failed.

"Sisu, why did you bring me here?" she asked, fighting back tears.

"This is where it all happened," Sisu replied softly.

Raya swiped at her eyes. "Yeah, I know. I was there."

"No. This is where it all happened five hundred years ago." Sisu pulled down some foliage that was covering four giant dragon statues. Her eyes were full of love and sadness. Raya looked at the stone dragons. For the first time, she realized they looked like Sisu though they were much bigger. "I want you to meet my brothers and sisters. The real mighty ones," She told Raya. "I miss them."

"I never knew they were here," she said, bowing.

Sisu pointed at each dragon that we're given by the names. "See that classy-looking one over there? That's Amba. I got my glow from her." She turned to another statue. "And that's Pranee. She's a shapeshifter. Jagan, fog." Sisu looked up at the dragon above her. "And Pengu. He's our big brother. He brings the rain," Sisu sighed. "We were the last dragons." Raya moved closer as Sisu began her story. "All the other dragons had been turned to stone. We were drowning in a sea of Druun. But my oldest brother Pengu refused to accept defeat. This is where we'd make our last stand... united. So, one by one, they combined all their magic, creating the Dragon Gem." She paused for a second. She remembered that Pengu gave her the dragon gem when she and her siblings were the only ones left alive before they turned to stone. "I don't know why they chose me. It could have been any of us. All I know is I trusted them...and they trusted me."

She took a deep breath and sighed.

"When they put their faith in me, it empowered me beyond anything I could imagine. The same can happen with Namaari."

Raya looked down. "I really wish I could believe that. I once thought that we could be friends."

"After all this, maybe you can be."

"Even if she wanted to help us, how could I possibly trust her?"

"But if somehow you could, you wouldn't just bring your ba back," Sisu said. "You'd also bring back his dream. Kumandra."