Dragon of Legend: Destiny (Published)

Chapter 33

Redemption flew with a sense of urgency. His neck was stretched and his eyes were glued ahead. She's not dead. She can't be. Even though he felt Akira's limp form hanging from his mouth, he refused to accept the fact that she was gone. The dragon flew faster than he ever had before, heading right for the mountains with no idea why; he just had a feeling that that was where he had to go.

Time ceased to exist as he arrived at a snow-covered peak of one of the smaller mountains. He landed, his paws sinking into the snow with a soft crunch. Gently, he put Akira's body down.

Lowering his head, he turned his rider onto her back. He gazed down at her with pleading eyes.

Get up, he pleaded. She didn't move.

Redemption turned his head towards the scenery to his right. There, green grass covered the fertile black soil like a blanket would a bed. It was the place where flowers were still able to bloom and clear streams of water flowed, the place where Haiden's evil had not yet reached. Despite its beauty, the white dragon didn't seem to notice.

Shaking his head, he let out a roar. He felt as though a large hole were being torn in his heart, as if a part of him had just gone, disappeared. Yet another part of him refused to let his rider go.

His whole body shuddered as he let out another roar. This time, his roar sounded more like moan, conveying his heartbreak. And then, Redemption began to glow. It started as a small light from the tip of his head, but it became brighter and brighter, spreading over his body until it seemed that there was a white light radiating from him. He let out one last agonizing roar, unaware of his own state. The roar echoed off the sides of the mountains, and the light radiating from him suddenly gathered together and shot towards Akira. It hit her in the chest and spread over her, bathing her in a dazzling white light.

Redemption froze, watching as the light seemed to lift her body a few inches off the ground. Then, as suddenly as it had come, the light disappeared, and she fell limply back to the ground. Blinking, Redemption realized that, to his utmost astonishment, Akira's clothes were no longer stained with blood, but were white once again. Every frayed edge and ripe was gone. Her right arm no longer lay in an awkward position, and her cuts and burns had been replaced with smooth, flawless skin. Her face, covered in bruises before, was now smoother than ever.

For a moment, Redemption watched, holding his breath as hope filled him. He did not know what had just happened, but it was certainly out of the ordinary. Yet as he waited, nothing other than Akira's appearance changed. She still lay there, deathly still.

Emptiness filled him. The white dragon let his head drop onto Akira's stomach, careful to keep most of his weight off her. He lay down, resting his head on his rider as he gazed full of love at her face. He closed his eyes as he tried to keep another wave of grief within him. It looked like he would have to let her go after all.

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Complete darkness surrounded her. There was no sound, no wind; it was as if the world had turned into nothingness. Then, like a small glow bug lighting up the dark night, a small light broke through. It stuttered, almost going out, and then grew stronger.

Akira stared in wonder. She reached out a hand for it as it came closer and closer, growing brighter. Suddenly, it was all around her, dazzling her with its brightness and bathing her in its warmth. She stared around in awe as she found herself standing in the middle of nowhere. It was white all around her, above and below; there was not even a speck of another color. There was no up, no down, no left, no right, just white – a pure white.

Akira looked down and raised a hand, staring at it. Her eye widened as she realized that she could see it. As she glanced down at her leg, she noticed that the cuts and the burns were gone. Her red, blood-stained clothes were white once again, and she didn't feel even a hint of pain.