Dragonsoul

Chapter 43

A shiver ran down Leonie's body, like a wave rippling on the sparkling surface of the ocean, as she forced herself to recollect what she wished to eliminate from her memory. She revisited visions which she wanted to keep buried in the depths of her heart.

Finding it difficult to grasp the past nightmares firmly enough to be able to give an adequate account of them, she started from her freshest one.

The said nightmare was still so fresh in her mind, that Leonie could remember all the details as well as vividly recall the sensations of terror that gripped her heart.

As she finished recounting her tales of horror, Toras started asking questions as she expected.

"Do you know the little girl?" He asked gently.

"No, I don't think so. Why?" Leonie asked.

"Well, for most people, nightmares are a representation of their fears, worries, sometimes even themselves. That girl sounds like she might be the dream version of you, or at least your pain." Toras said.

"No! She was evil or soulless. I am neither. Please tell me that I am not any of those two things!" Leonie yelled in exasperation.

"No, of course not. I've known you since you were a child. You are the furthest thing from an evil being that I can imagine," he said.

As he said that, he started stroking his chin lost in the lake of his thoughts. He looked stunned, and Leonie did not consider being able to surprise the great Mage into silence to be a good thing. Yet, she waited for the next question to come patiently, but with growing fear.

Rimar's eyes were her consolation, as always. They were her guiding light, and instead of spiraling into fear and self-doubted, she decided to focus on them. She basked in the sunshine of love that was radiating from Rimar's very soul.

There was a flicker of something familiar at the very edge of who Rimar was, but Leonie was unsure what it could be. She thought that her eyes were playing tricks on her since Rimar's enormous orbs were brighter than ever.

While there seemed to be a veil of doubt covering the Mage, Rimar was more confident than ever in their strength, which was clear from his posture and the light emanating from his eyes.

"How about your previous dreams? Do they differ significantly from this one?" Toras asked.

He seemed unaware that he was intruding on a special moment between a girl and her dragon. The very idea that there was something he could not fully comprehend gnawed at him hindering his ability to judge when he was intruding on a precious moment, yet again.

After all, having lived such a long and colorful life, Toras thought that he had seen all there was to see, only to realize he might as well have been blind.

He failed to notice the love he had for Amitola for the longest time. As justifiable as that was because he had no notion of what love was, he could not easily overlook his other mistakes.

Toras was mistaken in his assumption that he knew everything there was to know about the oncoming danger. It was clear to him that he should have understood sooner that no matter how helpful his Elemental was at times, she never shared everything.

As Leonie considered her previous dreams, she realized that she felt ease at facing the fears that the nightmares brought that was not there before. Her heart was lighter upon voicing her dreadful nightmares, and she hurried with her confessions, yearning for more relief.

"Yes, there were a few differences. Generally, my nightmares start with darkness and end the same way. However, the newest one was different. It started so innocently that it had me fooled for a moment that it might be a good dream." Leonie said.

Toras began pacing to absorb the revelation. From the expression on his face, it was apparent that something was not as he assumed it would be. Something bothered him.

"What is it, Toras?" Rimar asked after the great dragon got tired of the Mage's odd behavior.

"I am missing something. My instincts are telling me that there is a piece that I am not seeing. Yet, I am unable to find it." Toras said.

"Perhaps you are just overthinking things, as Mages are prone to do?" Rimar said, flicking his eyes towards Leonie so quickly that Toras was the only one to notice.

"You are quite right, quite right, indeed. The two of you are more than ready to face whatever evil throws your way, and you have my help. Besides, you had the best teacher. Me." Toras said happily.

"Modest as always, Toras," Rimar said sarcastically.

Toras, in turn, bowed exaggeratedly as if graciously accepting a compliment. The compliment that was never really given.

"You've had a long day. I'll let you rest while I ponder the future. Leonie, remember what you learned from my books, your power comes from within. Active powers are not necessary to banish evil. Use your loving heart to remove the evil's spell from your dreams. And Rimar, never forget that you are her light! You are to guide her if she ever loses her way. Together, you are unstoppable!" Toras said enthusiastically.

"Thank you," Leonie said emphatically.

In those two words, she wanted to express all the gratitude she felt towards him for the years he spent teaching and encouraging them when the rare few even communicated with them since Rimodar's death.

Sometimes Toras did not possess the sensitivity that Rimar had when it came to sensing the feelings of others, but he always tried his best. Never had he purposefully hurt them, and Leonie was grateful for that since many others had done quite the opposite.

Leonie was aware that, in his odd way, he cared about all of them, and she wished she could dispel the grain of dislike towards him that tainted her heart. However, it was not easy to do that. The feeling was there because he was alive when her father was not. She was angry at him for being able to love her mother when that possibility was forever lost for her father.

"You're welcome, my dear. I must go now, duty calls. Your mother has said that the Gatherers wish to meet and whom better to preside over the meeting than the grand old me. That way, the meeting is sure to stay peaceful. That is if they don't want me to turn them into chickens like that one time that pirate from Black Rose tried to rob me..." Toras said.

"Ahem..." Rimar cleared his enormous throat to bring Toras back from his musings.

"Ah, yes, off I go. Farewell, and do not fret, we can defeat anything." Toras said.

When he exited the cave, Rimar let out a frustrated sigh.

"That guy sure can get lost in his memories," he said when he noticed Leonie's questioning look.

"Yes, but he must have so many memories, they must be difficult to control," Leonie said.

"Well, he should try harder," Rimar said grumpily.

Leonie started giggling since she had never before seen a pouting Green Scaled Dragon. It was a strange sight to behold.

"What is your problem with him? I thought you two were on the same page." Leonie said.

"I don't have a problem with him. I don't approve of some of his actions, that's all." Rimar said.

"Like him loving my mother? Why not? Don't you think she deserves to be happy after all that she had been through?" Leonie asked.

"Yes, she deserves to be happy. You all do. Toras is merely not the right man for her." Rimar said, looking at the ground.

"Why not? Is he a bad person?" Leonie asked.

"No, not bad, just... Don't you find it odd that your father's friend would suddenly fall in love with his wife? Is it not too strange for him to suddenly want to become her husband?" Rimar asked more impassioned than Leonie had seen him in a while.

"I guess not. I think it would be strange for me for anyone to become my mother's husband equally. However, she deserves to be happy. Promise me that if she chooses Toras, you won't stand in the way." Leonie said.

"I promise," Rimar said more calmly.

He snuggled closer to her as another shiver ran through her exhausted body, and they sat like that, enjoying each other's company in silence.