Purple Dragon [REPUBLISHED]

Chapter 26: Destiny

Amasya's mind churned as it tried to wrap it around Radisha's words.

"You don't mean," she started, awestruck.

"The Amethyst Egg developed into a real egg. By the time I came across it, a baby dragon was already developing. It disguised itself as a normal Androsythian egg."

"My whole life, I never knew," Amasya murmured. A slight breeze brushed her snout. Her stomach fluttered inside of her, and she felt the impulse to throw up.

"I had one of the agents of the Order plant the Egg in the perfect spot."

Amasya's heart pounded, hardly daring to breathe.

"Yes," Radisha said softly, reading her thoughts. "One of our agents volunteered to care for the dragon inside the Egg. It was perfect. She had not gone Rogue, but she was one of our spies."

Amasya's head snapped up as the blood drained from her face. "My mother."

"Elethea was one of the bravest, smartest, kindest dragons I ever knew," Radish said in sympathy. "I was so sorry to hear about her death."

"My father killed her," Amasya said flatly. "I knew it all along. He found out about her secret and he killed her."

Radisha said nothing and Amasya knew she had guessed right.

A whimper escaped from her mouth. It hurt a little, knowing that she wasn't her mother's biological child. But she knew that was silly. No matter what Floressa said, Elethea had been her real mother, blood related or not.

"Yes," Radisha said. "You have all the magic the Egg once held. Surely you've noticed."

She thought about all the times she should have died, the aura of power that radiated around her whenever she got angry, the strange color of her skin...

It made sense now. Kind of.

She was still flabbergasted. How could you go from nothing to something?

"Were you the stranger that Xaria and Cass met when they were abducted?" Amasya asked.

Radisha nodded. "Chief Eira found out about the Order and you. She was going to crush us and kill you. The Order was in its early days. We were still assembling. She could destroy us. So I had to make her a deal."

"A deal?"

"A deal. I had to promise her that if she refrained from killing us, we would take out the other legions and put her on the throne."

"As queen of the whole country," a lightbulb flickered on in her brain. "That's why she stole Warriors from Boreala. She needed an army!"

Radisha nodded sorrowfully. "Her 'project' cost many lives. Too many. That's why the ice Chief needed to go."

"You're the one who told Cass to assassinate Eira?" Amasya rumbled. "But it's practically a suicide mission."

"I understand. But Cass is one of our brightest agents in the Order. The Chief must die."

"I don't think I can take this," Amasya grappled with the conflicting thoughts. "I'm part of a plan to do....what?"

"Take back our country, Amasya," Radisha said firmly. "My country. Your country. Bring back the peace Oabria once enjoyed."

"What about Keslin?" she asked. "Rinwell is going to invade. The summer is over! And I can't exactly tell Naysa that I am the Amethyst Egg. She'd imprison me."

"Oh," Radisha said dismissively. "That. Don't worry. A simple fix." Radisha closed her eyes and concentrated. A strange breeze blew across Amasya's face. Magic stirred in the air.

Suddenly, Naysa materialized beside her. The Chief gasped. Burn scars rippled across one of her legs from the wildfire that ravaged through Rinwell camp.

"What..." Naysa stuttered, looking frightened. "What am I doing here? Who are you?" Amasya looked at Radisha, concerned. Radisha waved her worries aside.

"Don't worry. She's dreaming. But she'll remember this encounter." Amasya nodded and stepped forward.

"Chief Naysa," she began. Naysa's eyes narrowed to slits.

"You!" she gasped. "The cripple! What are you doing here? Your time is up. My troops are rallying to invade soon."

"Then you'll tell them to stand down," Amasya commanded. Naysa laughed harshly.

"You would dare tell me what to do? Who do you think you are?" she sneered. "Certainly not a princess. You're just a filthy Rogue."

"I," Amasya said angrily. "am the Amethyst Princess." Amasya had no idea if that was an actual thing, but it sounded about right. Naysa snorted.

"Princess? Amethyst? Are you as loony as that wack job Gadarine?" Naysa's face scowled. "You're nothing. Lower than a Servant, you abnormality!"

Radisha bellowed, "You will address your princess with respect." Fear flickered across Naysa's face as she flinched.

"That's where you're wrong," Amasya said softly to the cowering dragon before her. "I am your princess, born from the Amethyst Egg. I am the rightful ruler of Oabria, and I've come back to take back my country." The symbol on Amasya's forehead blazed a blinding light as heat radiated off her skin. Power and energy crackled in the atmosphere around her. This was right. She accepted herself, her birthright, and her crown.

The color drained from Naysa's face. "What? The Amethyst...no! You're crazy!" Her eyes darted from Radisha back to Amasya. "You're insane! That isn't possible...that's not...you can't..."

"Look into my eyes and tell me I don't mean it!" Amasya roared. She glared into Naysa's frightened gaze. "I am a member of the Order of Odida. You will tell your soldiers not to attack."

Naysa's head bobbed jerkily up and down. "Yuh, yes. I will do what the crip-I will do what Her Highness asks of me."

Amasya fixed her glare on Naysa and lifted her chin ever so slightly. "My name is Amasya."