Of Princesses And Dragons (Book #1 Finished)

The Song In The Mountains

    "Close your eyes." I said and she did. She was tiny as I engulfed her with my wings. I walked her into the cave. It was dark and smelled of brimstone and water.

I had never been here before but every dragon knew where and what it was.

The Cave of Eternal Flame. Stories had been told down generations. It was a holy place for the dragon race.

As I walked deeper into the cave the flame grew closer. It was bright and flickering.

The flame was located in the middle of the lake, the lake reflected gold and silver. Around it you could see relics and memorial of those who had come before us. I took a deep breath and my wings retracted. I felt a cold breeze and reminded myself that going nude in caves wasn't the best idea.

She stood wide eyed as the huge cave devoured how tiny she was.

    "Syferus? It's beautiful... Where are we?" She asked as she approached the flame. I took her hand.

    "Long ago this flame belonged to the first dragon king. He was the strongest of any dragon, dracon, or holy man that ever lived. He was known to have hundreds of wives and concubines..."

I saw her roll her eyes at that part and I pulled her closer. "...one day the mighty king was wounded in battle and retreated to this cave. There was an elven woman who found him and nursed him. He soon fell madly in love with her. Our king returned with his elven love to be rejected by his people. They mocked her and told him he could never have a elven queen.

He kept her close until one day he was dying of old age. She took him in his human form back to where they had met upon his request. There he took his flame, gave it to her, and married her in this cave with the witness of a holy man. He soon died after and melted into what is now that lake."

    "He then made a law that any dragon who loved another that was non-dragon would come here and be married under witness of the eternal flame. The flame that birthed the dragon kingdom."

She turned to me. Her face was stained with tears.

   "Syferus? I....I'm so Happy." She threw her arms around me. I chuckled.

    "Will you marry me princess?"
She grabbed me by my neck pulling me in close and kissing me. I guess that's a yes. My heart started to beat wildly and being nude didnt help. I had to pull away. I was the one blushing now.

    "There's still a ceremony my princess," I waved her towards the lake. She nodded and turned away. I shifted my eyes away, I had rarely felt nervous, but she was undressing and I was way too happy about that.

    "Are you coming my king?" Her voice was a low bass seductive tone. I shivered and had to force myself to stay calm. I looked up to see her slender figure gliding into the water. Her body was ingulfed in silver and gold and I have never wanted to hoard a treasure until now.

I almost tripped over myself into the pool. I was being clumsy. Where had all that confidence gone?

I swam to the flame a few yards in. Every dragon could feel this flame. It was sacred and holy. She swam behind me as I felt her body press against mine. I stiffened. I bit my lip to think straight.

    "Aura, please come here," she swam around me to the flame. "Hold out you hand with mine." We locked fingers and thruster out hand into the fire. I could see her shut her eyes in expectation of burning herself.

Instead the flame was cool and felt like water. She opened her eyes to see droplets of blood drip from our veins.

I pulled our hands away. The fire roared to life. And image took form. This was not part of the stories.

I swam back forcing the princess with me.

In the fire there was an old man. He was aged far beyond a number of years. His eyes, one silver the other gold. His beard hung to the end of his robes. Was he a holy man?

He spoke.

    "You...Syferus, Dragon King." My eyes squinted. How did he know me?

    "I am Alderous. King of all kings...and now my son..you are king of all kings in my place. Welcome."  His voice bursted through the cave. It was loud and powerful. The voice of a king.

    "Alderous....as in...the first dragon king!?" My voice cracked in wonder. Great job on first impression. I was naked, nervous, and three times smaller than the image in the fire.

    "Yes. I am your ancestor. You my son, have come as I did to love another creature."

I nodded. I wasn't taking any chances on my voice cracking again. "You also have gained the power I bestowed upon you. You will be a great king." He smiled. The fire softened around him setting the cave in a low auburn.

    "My king...Alderous.... My father... He didn't tell me much of who I was. I am still lost at who I am."

He shook his head.

    "You are his son, as he was his fathers son and so on. A dracon is born with powers, all different and unique— unlike lowly dragons who are not born with them. You have been blessed with the power to protect your kingdom. A dracon is born when it is his or her time. I will tell you that, you have not yet reached that point. But you are on the right track.

Take this." He reached forward and I drew closer. He took my hand in his and there was a bright light. Bright like the one where I saw my mother and father.

Everything went dark...or more so I saw light. I couldn't see and everything around me was white.... Was I blind?