The Dragon King

Chapter Nine

Meadowpeak

Levi stared down at the palm of his hand at the faintly glowing blue as he traveled west. Many times the light had faded and he had to change direction, but he continued on barely stopping to even catch his breath.

The words of Rumplestiltskin echoed in his mind keeping him going. "You, my boy, are our next dragon." How? How was that even possible? He was a dragon?

Why hadn't Mother ever told him? Because she wanted to keep him safe? Well, where was she all those years growing up? Snow White had tortured him for many many years, but Mother didn't seem to be too worried about it back then.

A sudden thud from behind brought his mind back to the present.

"Ouch!"

He turned around to find Elyssa lying on her stomach in the dirt. She grunted as she pushed herself upward. "You okay?" he asked, bending over offering her a hand.

She pushed his hand out of the way as she stood to her feet, her brow furrowed in anger as she stormed past him.

Levi watched her with a puzzled look. What was that all about? "Is something wrong?"

Elyssa continued to march on. "Nothing!" She crossed her arms with a huff not bothering to stop.

He jogged forward to catch her, and gripped her arm gently. "Hey, what's going on with you?" She didn't respond. "Is this about not being the only dragon anymore? I thought you would've been thrilled knowing you weren't the last one. Now there's me, this Rokoda guy, and maybe even more."

"I'm not upset about that, Levi!" She yanked her arm away and turned his back on him.

Levi was perplexed. What else would there be to be upset about? Had he done something to offend her? But what? "Would you please tell me? You know I'm not good at guessing what's wrong."

She sighed as she turned back around to face him, but her expression never changed. "I'm upset because of how you treated your Mother."

He took a step back shocked. "What? Why?" He pointed to himself. "My Mother betrayed me. She kept the biggest secret of my life from me. I mean, how could you not tell your son that he was a dragon? Or that he wasn't an only child? That's kind of important!"

She balled her hands into fists and threw her arms down to her side. "She was trying to protect you, Levi! Like a mother should! She didn't want to see you get hurt."

"Oh really?" He swiftly pulled up his sleeves on bother arms and showed her his bare skin revealing the burns he had gotten over his years of torture. "She cares about me, huh? Doesn't want to see me hurt? Then where was she when this happened to me?" He shook his arms in anger as he took a step closer, and shouted, "Where was she?"

Elyssa took a step back, tears welling in her eyes.

Levi shook his head as he lowered his arms. "She wasn't there. She wasn't protecting me. If it wasn't for you, I would be dead. You saved me from Snow that day she tried to kill me. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here today."

Elyssa lowered her head for a brief second before raising it just enough for him to see her glare. "Maybe she didn't save you from Snow all those years ago, but she's kept you alive for the past three."

She hugged herself as a chilly breeze blew by, and a single tear tickled down her cheek. She turned and walked a few steps before stopping and calling back, "at least you still have a mother to love."

Levi's head drooped as Elyssa walked on. She was right. Elyssa had just watched her parents be brutally murdered, and he was thankful to still have a mother. How could he have just treated her the way he did? Yes, he felt betrayed for the secrets she kept about his older brother and who he was, but she was his mother. She deserved his love and respect and he treated her like garbage. He wished he could go back and tell her he was sorry, but now, he didn't know if he would ever see her again.