The Journey To Orillion

Chapter 6: News

There was a mass of tiny water droplets above the once full pond. Each individual droplet reflected the small amount of light in the room, scattering it all across the walls and ceiling. I started at it in excitement and utter amazement,  losing focus on holding them up. Gravity took over and the water cascaded down into the empty cube, filling it up once again with the same clear blue liquid. 

"Cami!" I say, looking over to her. Her expression was unreadable as she stared at the ever-present pool. She was muttering inaudible words as her blank stare continued. 

"Cami?" I say again, trying to catch her attention. 

"E-Esmeralda..." Cami said, looking at me in horror. She backed away from me, cowering away in fear. 

"What?" I was confused at her actions. What did I do wrong? 

"I-I think you may have r-royal blood in you, for I've never seen such a work by regular people," Cami said, kneeling before me. 

"Cami, that's absurd," I reply, completely dismissing the thought. "No one in my family is related to the nobles." 

"That may be true," she said, looking up at me. "But you may have gained it a different way." 

How do I gain royal blood other than being a noble? I ask myself. 

"Your dragon may be related to the dragon king, Karagra," Camilia said, reading my mind. My face paled as I thought about it. 

"But... wouldn't she tell me that? If I bonded with her, shouldn't she have told me?" I started thinking about Adracia's life story and what might have been lies. 

"Even dragons have their secrets," she simply replied. I looked at her, her gaze on the floor, as she continued to kneel. 

"Cami, please stand," she immediately did as I asked, standing up and directing herself to meet my chestnut eyes. 

"If what you say about Adracia is true," I say, reasoning her. "And I am of royal blood, then I shall dismiss the legacy of being evil and inconsiderate. I will rule with compassion and will always have an open mind of everyone I meet. I do not want to be cruel and unforgiving to anyone, ever." 

Cami came over to me and stopped before taking my hand in hers and pointing it over to the pond. "If what I say is true, then you must practice to become what is destined of you," I turned my head to look at the calm pond once more. "But this time, use pure will. The Dance of Concentration is for beginners, but never underestimate it's powers. I'm ready whenever you are." Cami went back to her spot across from me, fear completely lost in her demeanor. 

I closed my eyes and thought about what I wanted to do, and how I was going to do it. Something inside me shook open and a huge flame escaped from it's prison. It consumed my body and I rose my hand from the pool into a couple feet in the air, feeling power burst, but flow freely, from my fingertips. After about a minute, I observed my handiwork. A perfectly spherical ball floated above the dry hole it calls home. In the back of my mind, I continued feeding the trick with fire, keeping the water steady above it's resting place. Even though I never knew magic existed until today, I was less interested in it being magical, but more into that I was controlling it. Occasionally my focus wobbled, sending ripples through the water, but I closed my eyes and calmed it's small waves of rebellion. 

"Good," Cami said, observing how I withheld my new responsibilities. "I want you to hold it for as long as you can." My arm started hurting shortly afterwards for keeping it up, but I was more surprised at the exhaustion that started to absorb my body. I held up the liquid for as long as I could before my arms, and my entire body, gave up, making the water fall back into it's destined home. I fell to my knees, my body too numb to feel the pain. I then crashed to the side, lying down on the hard concrete. 

"Esmeralda!..." I heard Cami yell, but her voice and my surroundings were slowly fading away.