Indebted

57

Atticus had felt his heart stop when he had seen the bright white light erupt where Esti had been. The white starburst so blinding nothing could be seen through the light. When the magic blast had finished Atticus had blind spots in his vision, leaving him nearly blind.

The dragon in Atticus quickly ensured those healed, restoring their vision. To see for the first time as Esti's dragon, Opal unfurled and cracked her wings. A metal harness made of metal breaking and falling to the ground. There was a brief sound, thin and carried the distance on the wind, the sound of someone screaming. Atticus watched as the witch who had held Esti captive appeared to be turning to dust and blow away on the wind. As though she had burned away in an invisible fire.

Opal's scales glittering like gemstones under the morning sunlight. Atticus briefly worried that Esti's dragon was misformed in some way. Far smaller than any dragon known to be. Her tail too long in proportion to the body, the flipper like feet apparent even at this distance.

Atticus heard Joe move beside him. "Beautiful. So much magic in the air." Briefly distracting Atticus from watching Esti. Atticus thought Joe looked and sounded almost drunk now. Joe's eyes were locked out on the ocean surface.

Atticus turned his head, Theo was looking serious. Arms crossed over his chest, jaw nearly vibrating with tension. "How many Joe?" Theo asked.

Joe needed to shake his head. Like he needed to clear cobwebs or daydreams from his mind. "Too many to easily count when the lines are so twisted together, more than two dozen I would guess." Joe managed to report. Though his eyes never left the point on the ocean surface that was holding his attention.

Atticus couldn't see anything but the normal waves on the sea. Theo, Joe and Atticus were all resumed running at speed towards Esti. It didn't matter how fast they ran, the fight was over before they arrived. All watching As Opal tore apart the Mercenary who had been carrying Esti while small dragon after dragon marched from the sea onto the beach attacking the other hyena's who were still standing.

The dragons moved as a perfectly in sync unit, and even moving as fast as they could, Atticus, Joe and Theo arrived after all the fighting was over. The small dragons eating their kills, cleaning the beach. After the tide rose and fell there would be no sign anything had happened on this beach at all.

Opal shifted back to Esti, relinquishing all control. The dragon already knew all, this time was for Esti. Thanks needed to be paid for the role she had played in restoring the earth dragons; For what she had suffered to get to this moment. Though the fool mated to Esti did not seem to understand. Theo and Joe, having knowledge of traditions and customs, knew the weight of this moment, and were holding Atticus back, as Esti began to go through the motions of getting dressed once again.

Esti watched the first dragons start to make their exit out into the wide world to grow and find their own way in a world that had changed endlessly while they had remained trapped in the sea. Opal knew, neither Esti or her hapless, idiot mate had any idea. To simplify everything for Esti, Opal used a magic barrier spell to keep the nuisance men away for the time being. This was time for Esti.

While three newly formed dragons accepted names as given by Esti, and told her the actual truth of her life. Opal experienced the depth of human emotions as Esti learned that her father had lied, cheated, stole and taken any possible advantage possible in service to the return of the earth dragon lines.

Estella had not been her father's beloved daughter, she had been a pawn.

Alric had been willing to use Meera as his ticket to legitimacy in the court. A sacrifice to a larger cause. Too bad for Alric that his bride felt the exact same about him in return. Alric bonded the only earth dragon left to the daughter Meera had born, a child that was never his. Only for Meera to cast a spell to conceal everything, from all the very next night. Following the instructions of a nearly mad witch who could see the future in her dreams and written the dreams into a journal. Meera's many times removed ancestor.

Esti's twisted origin story had been revealed. Nothing she knew had been real. Everything she had believed had been a lie. Opal knew Atticus had predictably fallen for Esti. His dragon deeply attached to their mate. Atticus was not fated to Opal, his dragon was aloof but acceptable.

Atticus had pounded on the barrier the entire time it was present. Literally falling forward onto his face when it had finally been lifted by Opal when Esti seemed to have had a chance to process what Jade, Alabaster and Indigo had told her.

Theo and Joe made a more dignified entrance. All three men could easily see, that Esti had been changed by her experiences. She was not the small, scared girl she had been. Esti had grown. All Atticus had wanted was to run to her. To breathe in the scent that was Esti, that only he had been able to scent. She had to have been made for him, and he for her he beleived.

Atticus felt how much she had changed, and was rendered frozen in fear. Watching tongue tied as Esti ordered Theo and Joe around, dismissing them easily from the beach. Theo hesitated, but at Joe's suggestion the mated dragon men were quickly doing exactly as Esti had bid. Atticus felt his lips turn into a painful smile as Esti told Theo to tell the townspeople she was a thief, and to compensate them with a stack of bills from her own coffers. The money she was intended to live safely on for all her days.

Atticus could feel how much it hurt her to know that she would be relegated to being the darkest gossip in town for generations. A lie that was needed. No matter how much it hurt her. Then Atticus felt as her eyes, and full attention turned towards him. Hearing Esti's gentle voice, level an even saying, "We need to talk." Atticus felt his heart stop. He didn't know which direction this conversation was going to go. He was nervous; the change he could see in her eyes, in how tall she stood now. Esti had faced all her fears, multiple nightmares and was standing on the other side. He couldn't decipher her complex emotions. Terrified she had outgrown him.