The Dragons' Crystal

Chapter Thirteen

"Really?" Darius' eyes sparked. It was as though I had reignited the fire inside them. "You think you might know where she is?"

I paused. "I think I might have some clues, but I don't know where she is." I hesitated. I hadn't told Darius about my dreams just yet. I had first thought he was going to think I was insane, but given the new situation I doubted he would even blink. It would all sound normal to him. "I've been having these dreams for quite some time now. The first one, I was in a body of a woman that wasn't me. She was yelling at this large dragon before her, talking about how she wouldn't stand for his actions any longer. In the middle of their argument, she transforms into a crystal and lands onto the edge of the window. A voice always tells me to push it, so I do it. The crystal falls out of the window and the dragon transforms back into a man." I rubbed my arm, taking in Darius' silence. "You remember my mission, right? To find my father?"

He gave a single nod, his hands holding his chin and mouth. His eyebrows were pushed together, according lines building around his face. 

"It was because of that dream. I... I believe that man is my father."

That got his attention. He glanced up at me. "Really?" A smile lingered on the edge of his lips. "That would explain your eyes, then."

"My eyes? What about them?" I tilted my head, finding my curiosity growing. I thought I had been the one dealing all the information, but it seemed Darius would know a little more than I did.

"Those born and involved with the dragons all have violet eyes." Darius sat up straight. Just as I was about to point out that his eyes were far from violet, he briefly shut his eyes. When he opened them, they shined a brilliant similar color.

I gasped and leaned back, my excitement swelling. Perhaps I was going to find my father faster than I had originally planned. "Then it's true! That really is my father I'm seeing!"

"What did he look like as a dragon? Do you remember? I might know who he is."

I recalled the dream, remembering the details of the dragon that had always terrified me at first. "He was large. I had to strain my neck to look up at him. The top of his body was mainly black and his chest and stomach were red. In between each of his scales there was fire. The spikes along his back were all red and-"

"That's not your father."

As I looked to Darius, I noticed how pale he was. "I'm sorry?"

Hesitantly, he met my eyes. "That's my  father." 

Was that why I felt such pain when Darius and I touched? Were we actually siblings? "You don't know that, Darius. What if it is?"

"It can't be. I was the youngest of my parents. Father was loyal to my  mother, surprisingly. She would have had his hide hanging above the fireplace if he did. I suppose the chances are still there, but they are slim." Darius looked over me. "Can you transform? If you are truly my father's daughter, you'd be able to transform."

"I... I don't know. I've never tried." I stood, wondering how one went about it. "How do I try?"

"You don't. It's as natural as breathing or moving your arm. It's part of you." He tilted his head. "If you can't think it and have it happen, then it isn't who you are."

I wanted to prove him wrong. I would have loved to be able to find out exactly there all the answers about my family. Fate would see it differently. No matter how hard I commanded my body to transform, it didn't happen. I sighed and sat back on the log, defeated. "Then if he isn't my father, why do I have these dreams?"

"Were there any other dreams?" Darius leaned forward again, glancing back at me. "Anything else involving my father? Or the crystal?"

"There was another, yes. The dragon- I mean, your father called me Allira. I was once again a woman that wasn't me. In a voice that wasn't mine, I started telling him he would never find me; that my power was no longer his. It was my own. He said that my time was running out." I explained, half-wishing I was able to simply show Darius the dreams instead of having to explain them. It appeared he could make more sense of them than I could. At least he understood what was happening, whereas I was just now finding out the entire story. 

"Allira?" The smile returned to his face. "Allira was the name of the spirit that sacrificed herself to be put into the crystal when it first came around. You know, I'm beginning to think that maybe there are less clues in your dreams than there is a strange reoccurring theme. You see things from the crystal's point of view. I... I think Allira is reaching out to you. She wants you to find her."

"Me? To find her?" I briefly thought it over. I was just a  human. What importance did I play in all of this? I couldn't turn into a dragon and the man I'd been seeing in my dreams wasn't my father in the slightest. It appeared as though I didn't even come from the land of dragons like Darius had either, despite my eyes. It was discouraging, as again I was left without a trace of where my real father was. What would a crystal spirit want with me? If she was looking to take down Darius' father, why wouldn't she reach out to Darius instead? Someone with pure intentions that was able to wield her power and restore all that had been lost. Why me?

For the second time in my life, I was questioning why I was the odd one out. First with the looks in my village, and now with the crystal trying to get me to find her and not someone more qualified and knowledgeable on the topic. Was this normal for someone my age to go through? I sighed. Nothing felt normal anymore. I had just left a camp that was filled with people all different from one another in everyway possible in different stages of life. 

What did normal even mean? Who set the standards for what normal meant and who it worked for? Was it just what the majority of people did, liked, and looked like? What about places like Darius' camp, where no one was alike? What would be the considered normal there?

A hand hovered over my knee. 

"I don't want to touch you, in case it hurts, but I want you to know that I'm here for you." Darius said softly. "I know this is overwhelming. I'm sorry you thought he was your father, but be thankful he isn't. Odelle, you serve a purpose in this. The crystal is calling to you for a reason. I'm not sure what the reason is, but it's there." He slowly withdrew his hand, lacing his own fingers together. His head tilted up towards the trees as the wind blew, causing some pieces of snow to come soaring our way. It pelted our faces, but it wasn't unbearable. It stung slightly, but there were far more important things to worry about than snow. "Think of it this way. Myself and my father have been searching for the crystal for many, many years. We haven't found a single trace. And you? You've been having direct dreams as Allira and know a portion of our history? That's more than most of the people back home know, Odelle. So many are lost and kept in the dark. If you still want to go in search of your father, it's okay. I understand. I just want you to know, that if we find the crystal soon she might be able to tell us more about you. She might be able to answer all of your questions."

I thought it over. "I haven't seen her location at all. How would I know precisely where she is?"

Darius smiled, turning his body towards me. "You have me. If you have a connection to her, you'll know when she's near. I'll help you. If you find the crystal, I can overthrow my father and heal my kingdom and restore it to its greatness."

"You really think she could answer my questions about my family?" I stuck on that subject. Was it even possible for something to know all that?

"You must forget how powerful of a spirit she is." Darius teased. He stood, placing his hands on his hips and grinned down at me. "Well? Are you in?"

I swallowed, chills running down my body. A bit of excitement filled me. This was new and completely unexpected. I might still find my father after all. 

"Without a doubt."