The Dragons' Crystal

Chapter Eight

"Oh Allira! How nice of you to join us."

I raised my head, taking a long look around me. I was in a building with a ceiling I couldn't even fathom reaching. It towered high above me, murals that I could barely make out painted on it. The walls were just as far apart, the windows tall and wide. I could see clouds directly outside the window, floating more towards the bottom. The floor appeared to be marble, though it wasn't nearly as slippery. This place felt familiar to me. I didn't feel afraid here. Without my own control, my head moved towards the front of the room. 

"You aren't going to find me." I said in a voice different than my own. It appeared I wasn't in control of this situation this time around. " No matter how hard you try, I'm safely hidden. You will never use me like that again."

"Now, now. Is that anyway to treat your king?"  A man stepped forward. He was grinning maliciously  at me. The ponytail at the base of his neck moved as he chuckled. Violet eyes landed directly upon me. He was dressed in robes I'd consider ceremonial. The sleeves hung low, as did the entire gown. 

"You aren't the ruler of me anymore. You no longer have me." I took a step away from him. "I will do whatever it takes to keep your hands off of me. My power is no longer your own!"

"Why, my dear?" The man tilted his head. His grin made me uneasy, only growing with each passing second. "Don't you remember all the fun we've had?" He waved his hand, briefly revealing his skin from underneath the robe. 

I winced, memories that weren't my own seizing my mind. 

I could feel the pain, screams, and sorrow from thousands. I heard their cries and their last breaths. They had been begging for mercy, cowering beneath the power of the man before me. 

"The only one that had any amount of fun from those days was you. You and your ancestors have fooled me for many years, but no longer! I can't stand by and watch as you do this to your own people simply to strike fear in their hearts. They deserve so much better than you offer!" I shook my head, my hands closing tight in fists. An anger was swelling within me. "No longer will I sit by in ignorance and let you go through with all this. It isn't right. This? This is too far!"

"Allira, it isn't nearly far enough!"

"Your time is running up. Someone will go against you and by then, it will be much too late. Your reign is coming to an end and what a better place the world will be by then. I don't think what you've done in the past is forgivable. Keep going down this path and you'll be sent to meet your maker." I placed my hand out towards the man. "This conversation is over."

"Don't think you're well hidden." The man's teeth grinded together. Veins were starting to appear in his face, most prominent in a V in the middle of his forehead. Red coloring filled the space between. I could have sworn I saw a flicker of fire beneath the color of his eyes. "I'm going to find you."

"I think otherwise."

My eyes opened slowly. I stared at the ceiling of the hut, a thick haze still over my eyes from just waking up. The light of morning was pouring in from the cracks of the walls and between the curtains on the window. It gave me just enough time to go back over what I had just dreamed before it was time to leave. 

I recalled the scene it had taken place. I had never been there before, for that I was certain. The man I had been talking to had been my father. What exactly were they talking about? Some kind of power? Why did this woman, the one who sounded identical to the woman I watched almost every night turn into a crystal and fall out the window, not want to help my father? What was she so against?

Why had I heard so many screams? All the pain that had filled my head. What exactly was this woman? 

If anything, this dream fueled my desire to leave. Clearly, there were more questions that I hadn't thought of before. Finding my father would solve and answer each question I had. Perhaps I'd be the one to help him find this crystal and bring it back to him. I briefly smiled at the thought. 

Though, why was I so unsettled by him in the dream? When he had smiled at me, I could have sworn disgust and fear had filled my chest and mind. I had wanted to cower away, but the woman kept me centered. I was seeing things from her view, however. Maybe that was just how she felt about him? But, why?

What was so bad about my father? What kind of person was he?

Letting the questions fill my head and distract me from what I had to do next, I got out of bed and fixed the blankets. Whoever would be staying here next would be lucky. I already felt happy for them, knowing they would find their home just as I thought I had. They would find their friends and family here. They would be able to make a life for themselves here. How I wish that could have been me. 

Pressing on, I gathered all my things and carefully placed each one into my pack. I might have been packing slower than usual, stalling to think of any reason to stay or hoping that someone would come knocking on my door and force me to stay. The pain of yesterday was gone, making it easy to consider staying again. What would happen the next time I felt that pain again? If I was going to stay here, I'd need to avoid Darius like the plague. How easy would that be? My shoulders slumped. He was the only one I was drawn to, besides Finn whose powers worked without any conscious effort of my own. Living here and not seeing Darius didn't seem like a good idea. I needed to forget about him and get as far away as possible until this was over. It was in our best interest. 

I buttoned up my jacket, securing my gear around my body. I tried to focus on the task at hand. I needed to think of which direction I was going to head towards. The possibilities were endless. I slung my pack over my shoulders and onto my arms, facing the door. It was time. I couldn't let anyone stop me, as hard as it might be. I couldn't make this hard on them. 

I opened the door and kept my eyes low. If I didn't make eye contact with anyone, perhaps they'd leave me alone. I lifted my head only once to check where the path was. Once I found out, I made a straight line to it. To my relief, it didn't appear that tons of people were up yet. It must have been earlier than I had first thought. I didn't mind though. It just made this part easier. I turned my back to the camp and walked in the opposite direction of it; the opposite direction of Erstonia. I needed to press onward. 

The memory of Darius bringing me here the day before repeated in my head. I wish I could have gone back and told myself how I should have declined the invitation and continued on from where I was. I would have saved myself the ache. 

In a matter of minutes, I found myself back on the main trail. 

I held tight to the straps of my pack. 

"I'm coming, father."