Prince of Dragons

Chapter Thirty-Six

Darkness. It completely surrounded me.

Endless.

Ever growing.

I died. I knew I did—after all, who on Tyndarus wouldn't have? Those injuries were fatal, as I knew deep down they would be. And I paid the price for them.

So, was this the afterlife? The road towards it? I swear they said something like that in a book somewhere, since I wasn't in paradise—or whatever some people believe. It was a void, yet there was a bottom. I could...feel a floor beneath my feet. Or...would I have feet? Didn't they get melted? Or damaged? Could ghosts have feet?

That's what I was, right? I was dead, so surely I was a ghost, or spirit, or whatever...right? Where was Cryone, deity of death? Why haven't they showed up yet to ferry me into the afterlife? Did they even exist?

I snorted, then jumped when it echoed over the dark expanse. I really did not like that. Not one bit. I turned around, to see only more darkness.

Gods, was this really all we get after death? Just a void of creepy, never-ending darkness?

I sighed, and nibbled at a lip that really shouldn't have felt as real as it did. I looked left. Darkness. I looked right. Again, more darkness.

I dragged my hand down my face, and picked a random direction before I began to walk. Surely I was going to run into something at some point, right? A wall, or edge, or something. I continued on, and on, and on, and eventually I began whistling to myself, just to drown out the sound of pure nothingness around me. I then began talking to myself. I first yelled at myself for all the crap I did wrong, and all the dumb mistakes I made as a kid...then adult. I then began loathing myself out loud for the misery I went through. Losing Davian. Falling in love with Cyrus, only for him to betray me. Running away from home, making mother and father wonder if they've lost yet another child.

I stopped walking.

For not telling Alaban that I...loved him.

"I...love him," I muttered to myself—my voice echoing all around me. I sighed heavily and looked towards my feet. "Dammit, I am such an idiot. A self-loathing idiot." I dragged my hand down my face once again and then ran it through my hair. "If I wasn't so selfish, I could have told him how I felt. Gods, and now it's too late."

Despite being...you know...dead, I felt my heart clench tightly in my chest. Alaban. I wonder if you knew how I felt for you. Did you see it with the way I gazed at you and admired you? Did you hear it in my voice? The fondness I felt? I want you to know I loved you, Alaban. I want you to know that.

I sighed, once more and lifted my gaze to a skyless-sky.

"Drakell?"

I jumped, my heart leaping in my throat as another voice echoed around me—scaring the...well, you can't scare the life out of a ghost, could you?

But...that voice...why was it so familiar?

I turned my head, and froze dead in my tracks when I saw Davian, although...he...seemed translucent. Fuzzy around the edges.

"D-Davian?" I asked aloud in disbelief. Why was he here? Why was he here?!

"Drakell, I-I....where are we? What is this place, why-why do you look so pale?" He reached out towards me, only to gasp when his hands went through me.

I had a heavy feeling of fear in my heart, as I stared at him, and his young, handsome face. "Y-You...are you ok? What happened? H-how are you here? P-Please gods tell me y-you didn't die."

Davian's eyes went wide with disbelief, and he opened and closed his mouth before finally speaking. "W-What? No, I'm not...what are you talking about, I'm just fine, I-I..." He then went quiet, his ruby gaze intensely searching mine. A moment passed. And then another, before a wave of fear passed through those ruby eyes. "N-No. Y-You....no. No. Drakell...."

"I'm...I'm dead...Davian."

Tears began slipping down his pale cheeks, and I could see the gears in his head working—my heart clenching when he finally hiccupped a sob, his hands falling over his mouth. "N-No! No...No. H-How? Y-You can't be dead. You can't. I-I....gods, Drakell."

My heart clenched tightly down my chest, and it took everything in me not to start bawling like a baby. I walked closer to him and placed my hand on his cheek—causing him to gasp when my cold palm touched his flesh. I felt my heart lurch at the warmth of his skin, and I could feel a rhythmic beat pulse around him. He was alive. He was ok. Yet somehow, he was here.

Oh. Right. He was blessed with magic too. How could I have forgotten that?

"I am so proud of you. I want you to know that."

Davian began sobbing, and I felt a couple cold tears slip down my cheeks, as a deep emotional pain grasped me—holding me prisoner to its intensity. I pulled Davian into a hug and held him tightly as he sobbed and cried, his body shaking in my arms. "I love you, Davian. You'll be ok. I know it. Mother and Father are not going to let anyone hurt you. So you will be ok."

Davian looked up at me with teary eyes and opened his mouth, only for the darkness to suddenly be alit with vibrant white light. I immediately turned to look at the light that appeared behind me, only to gasp and turn away from its intensity. Yet when I opened my eyes...Davian was gone. I then slowly turned, willing myself to keep my gaze open, and gasped at the impossible sight before me.

The light...was a being of impossible size. Massive. Stretching. An finite, and infinite height that messed with my mind. And when I focused, the being appeared...feminine...a being of impossible beauty stared back at me with intense, yet kind crystal blue eyes. Long black hair framed a delicate, pale face, so long that it seemingly melded with the void beyond.

Strangely...I wasn't scared. I felt strangely calm and relaxed as I stared at the impossible sight before me. I wondered, if but a brief moment, if this was Cryone coming to whisk me away for good. However, as soon as the thought crossed my mind the being chuckled—her laugh like a wispy, eloquent melody.

I am not them, a voice filtered through the air—though the being's lips did not move.

"T-Then...w-who are you?" My voice was but a whisper, yet the being heard me with incredible clarity.

I blinked, then gasped when the being appeared before me; smaller...shorter than me. Her slender body was covered with a star-like wispy silk, and her inky black hair pooled around bare feet.

She stared at me with crystal blue eyes and smiled. Her presence felt motherly to me...and a peaceful calm settled over me, causing me to feel safe, and...welcomed. "I am Davina."

A/N: Holy FRAZZLE-NUTS new number, who dissssss? And awwwwww poor Davian Q-Q poor baby need all the hugs right now. And who be this new laddddddyyyyyy? Huhuhuhu

Alsoooooo, feast ye eyes upon this here drawing I diddddddddd! I hella proud of ittttt!

Anywhoooo, hope you all enjoy the chapterrrrr! Lemme know what you thinkkkkkk!