Hidden Wings

Chapter 13

Hey, everyone! Thank you all for being so patient, and I'm sorry for the inconsistency in my updates. But anyway, I would like to dedicate this chapter to justme0786 . Thank you for all your support! ♥️♥️♥️ And for all of you who haven't yet, please go check out her writing!! Thank you and I hope you all have a great day/night!

Spry smiled and released Maria, lifting the Dragon Crystal from the ground. He smiled at her, then dropped it around her neck and stepped back.
As soon at the Crystal touched her scales, Maria's entire body started jerking rapidly as if she was in an earthquake. She cried out and dug her claws into the ground for support. Light was pouring out of the Crystal, illuminating purple scales that seemed to be shrinking, softening, and melting into white. Maria cried out again, then stumbled backward, hit the ground, and lost consciousness.

* * *

"...Are you sure it's safe?"
"Of course not! Didn't you see it?"
"Look! She has the Crystal!"
A flurry of murmurs broke out as Maria tried to open her eyes. She heard several gasps and the whispers grew louder, fading in and out.
"...this the one?"
"...wears the necklace. Maybe she's..."
"...protect us. The legends say so."
"...can't be her. Didn't you see..."
Maria tried again. Blurry shapes pressed in before her bleary eyes. She blinked and the shapes of dragons came into focus.
"Hey! Give her some space!"
Maria's heart lept. Spry! She tried to move her forelegs or her tail, but her limbs didn't get the message. Even her mind seemed slow, as if it were concealed by spider's silk. She closed her eyes and concentrated, then pushed up with her arm and managed to get her elbow underneath her. She looked around.
The crowd of whispering dragons had all stepped back at Spry's command. With some effort, Maria pulled herself into a sitting position. Spry came up to her. Why was he so tall? He took her hand in his talon and smiled at her.
Maria looked at her hand. It was a hand. Not a talon. She looked down at herself, wide-eyed. There was not a single scales on her whole, perfect, human body. She pulled her free hand up to her neck. No wound. No scar. Only, there was something. Her fingers traced down the cord and wrapped around the necklace's pendant, a silver dragon coiled around a deep blue gemstone.
She looked up into Spry's wonderful smile and felt her limbs flood with strength. She gave a little cry of joy and leapt to her feet, wrapping her arms around his neck as he enfolded her with his wings. I'm perfect. She let the thought dance in her mind. So very, very perfect. That moment should have lasted forever.
She finally, slowly untangled herself. "What happened with Vycan?"
Spry looked over his shoulder at the crowd, which had slowly begun to break up like water poured into paint. "The Queen is... talking to him. I mean, you can't keep a shapeshifter in prison. Even Queen Luna couldn't manage it, when Vycan was young and couldn't control his power very well. So, I guess she's trying to change his mind."
Maria glanced in the direction that most of the crowd was headed. "I don't think," she said slowly, "that it'll be as hard as she thinks."
She turned and started to walk with the crowd. Spryvern followed, watching her smooth, coordinated movements with fascination. But upon reaching their destination, they were met by fearsome-looking guards, preventing them from getting Vycan or the Queen.
Maria walked up to Whirlwind, easy to spot for her huge wings, and frowned at her.
The blue sky dragon glanced down at her. "What? I can't let you through until the Queen is finished speaking with Vycan."
Maria crossed her arms. "Oh, come on. Does she seriously think I pose a threat?"
Whirlwind shrugged and scratched the thick, armor-like scales on her neck. "Hey, I'm just following protocol."
"Ok, well, what does protocol say?"
The guard shifted uncomfortably. "The Queen's orders were not to let anyone through until she gives us permission. So quit trying to find holes to slip through. You're not coming in."
Maria tried one more time. "But I'm-"
"I don't care if you're the Princess of the Upper Typhoon Isles!" Whirlwind roared. "I'm not letting you see the Queen until-"
The guard next to her gave her a fierce dig in the ribs. The line of guards was breaking up, for the Queen had just finished speaking with her prisoner.
Whirlwind huffed something at the guard next to her and moved aside grumpily. Maria smiled at brightly at the sky dragon and walked through the gap she had created toward the Queen. Spry watched her uncertainly, but stayed where he was.
Angelica stood not far away, and knelt at her feet, bowing, was Vycan. Maria looked on in awe, but was too shy to approach. She saw Vycan rise, and then, to her great surprise, the Queen leaned in to murmur something in the dark dragon's ear. But what surprised her even more was what happened next. Vycan raised his head, looked Queen Angelica in the eye, and smiled.
There was something in his eye that let Maria know the second he looked up. Something was different. Something has changed, for the better, it looked like. She felt a smile of her own warm her lips. So this was what trust could do.
And then Angelica turned and their eyes met. The Queen beckoned to Maria, and she came willingly forward.
"The Crystal has done its job well," she said, dipping her head majestically. "I am glad to see you in your true form."
Maria nodded, keeping her eyes carefully averted to the ground.
Queen Angelica made a low purring sound in the back of her throat, and then gently placed two claws under Maria's chin and lifted until the girl's gaze met her own. Maria suddenly felt very young, fragile.
"You are but a small human, daughter," said the Queen tenderly. "You may not have the strength for the trials that lie ahead of you. The Crystal is not large itself, but the burden it holds is heavy.
"We do not choose who the Crystal is given to. We only translate its call. And Maria, this time, it calls to you. Can you feel it?"
Maria clasped her hand gently around the Crystal. It wasn't tangible, this feeling. It was a sense, a sense of life within something that is normally so still and dead. Was it a call? She wasn't sure. "I feel something." She said to the Queen softly.
This seemed to satisfy the radiant blue dragon. She nodded her approval. "It will not beckon to another within these generations. If you choose to ignore its call, another Dragon Guardian will not be called within your lifetime."
Angelica knelt to be on eye level to Maria. "You do not have to respond to its call. You can return the Crystal to us and go on with your life as it was before. Or, you can take it with you back to your home, with the promise to help our kingdom as best you can, all your life."
All my life. Maria slowly rolled the words over in her mind, contemplating them. All her life.
Her life before the dragons had been simple, with its good times, and its bad times. Hardships and adventures. Laughter and tears. She didn't expect to loose any of that, but something had to be different.
If she left this world, this wonderful, beautiful, dragon-filled reality, behind her, and just went back to being a human... What would that mean for the dragons? She didn't think she could do that to them.
And unless she took this responsibility on, she wouldn't be able to reap the benefits. Her eyes searched the crowd of dragons for familiar emerald scales. Spryvern would stay here. She couldn't take him with her, as much as she wanted to. Letting go of the Crystal would mean saying goodbye. Forever.
That seemed like reason enough to her.
Maria came back to the world and looked up at Queen Angelica. "I'll do it." She said softly, and repeated herself, loud enough for all the watching dragons to hear. "I'll do it!"
Maria thought she would go deaf from the cheering. Every dragon was on his feet and clapping and roaring and twining tails with the dragon beside him. United. And suddenly a tornado of summer leaves and ivy and emeralds bore down upon her. She laughed and rested herself in Spry's benevolent embrace, closing her eyes and putting her arms as far around him as she could. He chuckled faintly at her attempts, bumping her forehead lightly with his snout.
Behind them, Angelica cleared her throat. Spry jumped and released Maria, stepping back to give her an encouraging smile.
Oh dear. A ceremony? I wasn't ready for this... She thought, taking her place beside the queen. Angelica took Maria's hand in her talon ceremoniously, adapting a solemn expression which was quickly taken up the rest of the crowd. Silence was a heavy blanket draped over everything. Even the birds seemed to recognize the reverence of the moment and paused in their chirping.
Finally, the Queen spoke. "Dragons of Blue Mountain!" She cried, her voice resonating like a clap of thunder. "Today we have the privilege of appointing a Dragon Guardian to protect our kingdom!"
The dragons cheered.
"She came to us by the talon of Vycan, who, whether by chance or design, led her to us. Vycan," she extended a talon to the dark dragon. "Is the one we can thank for bringing us our Guardian."
Vycan looked stunned. Slowly, tentatively, assisted by a sharp look from the Queen, the crowd began to cheer. They cheered for the one who had threatened them, attacked them, and been a source of fear for the kingdom for years. And now he was a hero.
The cheers died down and Angelica lifted Maria's hand into the air. "Dragons of Blue Mountain! Do you accept this daughter as your Guardian? Do you promise to give her your trust? Do you promise to accept her help and protect her from danger no matter the cost?"
There is something about fifty dragons all together vowing to defend you with their lives that really gets to you. Maria felt like she had been opened up and spread out on the ground for everyone to see and admire together. The thundering roar of the dragon's cry, "We will!" echoed in the air with a strangely beautiful resonation.
Angelica turned toward Maria and looked into the depths of her bright green eyes. "Maria. Do you accept these dragons' offer of support? Do you choose to take up this position and do all within your power keep these dragons safe? We will you defend them with your life?" The Queen's voice dropped an octave, so that only Maria could hear. "We stand ready, daughter, with open wings. These dragons, they could become your family. We have been waiting for someone like you. Will you come into our family? Will you trust us, daughter?"