A Dragon's Plight (ONGOING)

CHAPTER 8

Bodyguards chosen for their superior fighting skills surrounded the cowering members of the High Council who were seated a few meters from where I was standing. The guards were in their dragon forms and posed as if ready to attack.

I blinked to clear my image of them. Nagtataka ako kung bakit may takot at gulat sa mga mata nilang lahat habang tinitingnan ako. Hindi ba't dapat ako ang matakot dahil ako ang pinaparusahan? Napahawak ako sa ulo ko nang sumakit 'yun. At nagulat ako nang mapagtanto kong nagawa ko iyon nang walang kahirap-hirap dahil hindi na nakakadena ang aking mga kamay. Tiningnan ko itong mabuti at pinag-aralan ang balat nito. Scales? Why are my arms covered in scales? I looked at my body and was a bit slow in realizing that I had finally transformed into my dragon.

I looked around the gymnasium to make sure I wasn't dreaming. Every pair of eyes are on me. Almost all of them are scared. My gaze automatically searched for a friendly face and when I settled them on Kuya Alaric, I suddenly feel relieved.

Nasa may pintuan pa rin siya sa bandang likod ng silya ng mga opisyal ng High Council. Akma akong hahakbang papunta sa kanya nang umabante ang mga bodyguards para umatake kaya napatigil ako.

When Alaric and Freya saw the guards movements, they opened the doors before morphing into dragons. Pinagtaka ko ang bola ng apoy sa kanilang buntot. Wala namang kahit sinong dragon ang may ganun.

Bago pa makalapit ang bodyguards ng High Council, nalipad na ng dalawang dragon na kaibigan ko ang distansya sa pagitan namin. Alaric landed in front of me in defense, while Freya guarded my back. They gave out a loud roar that seemed like a call to me.

"Protect the vessel!" Alaric shouted in human language when more dragons with flaming tails arrived. They formed a tight circle around me.

I looked at each of them carefully and was surprised when I could recognize them despite their dragon form. Only those who can transform into dragons can recognize their fellow dragons' human and dragon form.

I saw the guard who treated me when Clarisse attacked me in prison and my regular customer at the coffee shop I worked at who always gives me big tips. I didn't even realize he was a dragon. Pero ang pinakakinagulat ko ay nang makita ko si Tita Selina at si Rigo na kasama ng mga dragon na nagbibigay proteksyon sakin.

"Anong ibig sabihin nito?! Selina? Rigo?" Sigaw ng lider ng High Council nang makilala kung sino ang dalawang huling dumating sa panig namin.

Hinarap ni Tita Selina ang kanyang asawa habang naglakad palapit sakin si Rigo para alalayan ako nang muntik akong matumba dahil sa gulat. I noticed that his flame was bigger and is burning brighter than the others. His black dragon scales were so shiny that they seemed to be changing colors when the light hits them.

"Sinabi ko sa'yo noon Harvey na pagsisihan niyo ang ginagawa niyong pagmamaltrato sa batang ito, 'di ba? Dumating na ang panahong tinutukoy ko. All the evil you have shown this child will be returned two-folds unto all of you. Dahil naniningil ang karma." Narinig kong sabi ni Tita Selina gamit ang malamyos niyang tinig.

"Anong ibig mong sabihin? Kayo ba ang tinutukoy mong maniningil ha, Selina? Hindi pa ba karma sakin na kabilang pala ang asawa't anak ko sa mga grupo ng traydor na matagal nang tinutugis ng High Council? At anong maitim na mahika ang ginamit niyo para magkaron ng kakaibang anyo ang dragon niyo?" 'Di makapaniwalang sigaw ni Harvey.

"Black magic?! You dare accuse us of sorcery? A mere member of a clan's council dared to raise his voice to one of Dragonian Army's elite?" Sigaw ni Rigo sa kanyang ama. "Are you so blinded with greed that you forgot the markings of the army who upholds all of our kingdom's laws?"

Nalito ako sa mga naririnig ko. Wala akong maintindihan. My mind feels clouded and my body is so weak that I can't stand on my own. Para akong bagong silang na sanggol.

Isa lang ang makakapagpaliwanag sakin ng lahat kaya tinangka ko siyang tawagin. "Ku-kuya Alaric." Bulong ko. My throat felt raw. It feels as if I breathed fire throught it.

Napalingon silang lahat sakin nang magsalita ako. Pero isang tao lang ang pinukulan ko ng tingin.

I felt Rigo's arms around me tense pero pinilit ko pa ring humakbang papunta kay Kuya.

"Kailangan ko ang Kuya ko." Sabi ko kay Rigo nang maramdaman kong pinipigilan niya akong makausad.

Imbes na hintayin akong makalapit, si Kuya Alaric na mismo ang sumadya sakin. "Don't move or speak too much. You're still too weak. 'Wag kang mag-alala, Lia. Wala nang mananakit sa'yo."

I tightly clutched his arm to convey my worries. "What's happening to me? I feel strange, I feel as if I'm on the verge of bursting. My whole body is tingling and I don't have any control over it." I whispered to him.

Napatingin si Kuya Alaric kay Rigo na para bang siya ang sagot sa lahat ng katanungan ko kaya tumingin din ako sa lalaking nakayakap pa rin sakin hanggang ngayon.

"We have to get you out of here, Lia. We need to go back to our haven." I saw Rigo glance at some of the dragons with firetail, giving them some sort of silent signal, before he looked at Kuya Alaric again. "Retreat isn't something our army is used to but the vessel's safety is our priority."

He scooped me up and quickly flew towards the exit.

I closed my eyes to savor the feeling of flying up in the air without effort. But closing my eyes was the signal my mind was waiting for before slipping into the void of unconsciousness.

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When I came to, the first things I saw were fluffy white clouds. They were hovering right above my face. I couldn't believe how close they seem to be that I lifted a hand to touch them. When I saw my human fingers, everything that happened came rushing into my mind.

Napabalikwas ako ng bangon. And saw that I was on a bed in an unfamiliar room and surrounded by floating clouds that came in through an open window. Just one look at the view in the opening and I realized that the place they brought me to was in the sky.

I tried to think of an answer as to where I might be, but all I can recall is an old children's tale that my parents used to read to me when I was young. A tale about a princess dragon that holds the elusive dragon's heart and her dragon knight who lives in a castle in the sky.

I kept on hearing my parents' voice telling me the story in my head.

"Each one of us has souls and sometimes that soul lives on forever. When the world was still new and people were still few, there were stories about two dragon lovers whose soul was too great that their bodies might die, but their soul remains alive years after. It is said that these two souls are reborn after facing death so that they may continue their love and they may serve as guides to their race. They reign the dragon kingdom on earth, but they reside in a castle up in the sky for their protection because a great many creature wishes to possess the power that the female dragon has. You see, she is the keeper of the dragon's heart that is a legend among all. No one knows the dragon heart's form, but all knows its existence. Some said that it was given to her by the gods, but some believes that it was formed by the love the two dragons shared......"

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