Crossed

Chapter 1:

(Authors note: there's one death in this chapter)

Small flames collide with the music as the guests of Dargonvalley entertain themselves by dancing with their partners. The living as well as the dead, how unseen and unknown they are. The Dargonvalley Residence belongs to the dragons of Dargonvalley.

The dragons are ancient royalty, the youngest one's only being a century under the care of their elders. They rule with wisdom and power, doing everything to provide safety to their younglings and us humans who they allowed to reside inside the borders of their territory. Beside their rulings and protections the dragons enjoy a Dance every now and then and they had started entertaining us humans one monthly.

"Hey, there you are!," I look towards the sound of my girlfriend 's voice, she was almost running up to me from somewhere between the crowd of people inside The Residence. "Hey," I wave at her with a small smile. "Why are you standing here so... sad?," she asks as she leans against my side," I lost you in there." "It's a little... too crowded in there for me right now," I say," but I've been enjoying watching from the outside in." "Okay, well... would you want to grace me with one dance before the night ends?," she asks, holding out her hand," it would be a shame if we didn't?"

I give her a small smile before offering her my hand which she takes. "The High Queen chose a beautiful night," I say. "She really did," I can see her smile between the small lights floating around the garden. "You look absolutely bewitching tonight Iliana," I tell her, watching her goofy smile becoming even wider. "Ahw, thank you love," she says," you look stunning, I wonder who did your make-up, I might have to hit them up someday," she winks. I laugh before spinning her around.

"Miss Iliana! Wren!," we stop our dance and look back at The Residence. "Oh hey Torren," I say," you're not dancing with your friends anymore?" "No... we were wondering if Miss Iliana wanted to do puppet show again?," he now looks at her. "Oh yeah sure thing buddy," she says," we'll be right in there." "Thank you, thank you!," he says and hugs her before running back to his friends. "We'll dance some more here under the stars later tonight, when the kids are going back home, I promise," Iliana says. "Yeah," I say and we walk back into The Residence.

I watched Iliana put on a show for the kids with their toys and her Anthropomorphic powers for about half an hour. She danced while puppeteering the toys the kids brought with them, following the music and using the lights from the flames to tell her story. Then it was done and she, together with the toys, bowed and let them walk back to each of their owners. "It's now time for all of you to go back home loves," she says," Wren and I have been appointed to guide you back home so pack up your stuff."

"Will we get another puppet show?," one of the kids asks. "Yeah, when the time is there," Iliana says," but not tonight anymore, it is becoming very late for you all." "Not even one-," the little one was cut off by a loud noise coming from back at The Residence. "Wren?," Iliana looks at me. "Give me a second," I mumble and focus, I feel souls leaving the grounds of the earth," we gotta get the kids to safety," I say. "You do that," Iliana says," you know where to go for hideouts, I'll go back to help." "But Iliana-," it didn't matter, she couldn't hear me anymore," okay, come kids."

"Everything will be okay," I tell them when they're in a hideout," just stay here and everything will be okay, you will be safe." "Are you going back?," one of them asked. "Yes, I'll have to," I say," but I will come back here, I promise." With that I made sure they were all in the beds before leaving them safely.

I had ran back like my life depended on it, The Residence was being attacked but I couldn't see how. I ran inside, trying to find Iliana but to no avail. Then I saw one of the strangest creatures attacking the dragons and some of their left over guests. "GET OFF!," I yell before running at some of the wounded, trying to safe them before they're too far gone.

"Archimage Wren!," I look up from the body I had tried to safe. "Queen Mirialla?," I look at the dragon Queen," I'm sorry I can't- they're all too far gone," I say. "They left," she says. "Left?" "Yes," she looks back," The Residence is in ruins but... come with me," I get up and follow the Queen, past dead bodies and people healing others but it's not many," I'm so sorry," she says and just then I see what she means.

It has been hours. Hours since I started magicking my way to getting Iliana back to earth, back to me. I almost burned out the last of my power when she suddenly breathed again. "Ana!," it came out as some sort of deformed cry. "Wren...," she coughs once," you gotta stop," her eyes open just wide enough. "What?," my voice was trembling," no, I'm not giving up on you, I can't do that, I-" "Please, I'll won't recover from this and you're already almost put out," I wanted to say something again but she stopped me," please, it's time to let it happen love..."

"Please... don't say that...," I feel hot tears leaving my eyes, if they could they would probably burn my skin. "Here," she reaches to her head with one of her hands, pulling out her hair ribbon," take this and find me again, I want you to find me again," her voice was getting quieter and more painful as the seconds ticked away. "Please...," I whisper but she softly pushes her ribbon into my hand. "I'll see you again sometime Wren," she says, the words barely leaving her mouth when I see her soul leave her body and float away...