The Last Dragon

Chapter Three

        When I awoke, I was no longer in darkness. I blinked against the blinding light that flooded my vision. With a groan, I forced myself from the soft bed that lay beneath me. A silk dress hugged my frame. I struggled to piece together the events that had led me to this place. 

        My hand lifted to the center of my chest, expecting to find my skin singed from the flames that had pierced it. I felt...something. Only, it didn’t hurt. I traced the delicate outline with a fingertip. I couldn’t see it from this angle. The chill of the marble floor against my bare feet sent shivers up my spine. I had to figure out what had happened.

        “Hello?” I called, my throat seizing as I struggled to speak. I needed something to drink. 

        “Oh. You’re awake.” A feminine voice spoke from behind me. I twirled. One of the three Guardians that had met me upon my arrival stood there. How had she gotten behind me? There was no door that she could have entered from ...only solid stone. She clasped a dripping cup of water between her hands.

        I did not hesitate to snatch it from her the second it was offered. I downed the refreshing liquid, ignoring the way it burned its way down my throat. “What-what happened?” I managed to gasp.

        A smile spread across her face. “You’ve been chosen, Alyssa.”

        I didn’t understand. “Chosen? What do you mean I’ve been chosen? Chosen for what?”

        Her hand slid around the back of my shoulders. “Come with me. All shall be explained.”

        Fear bubbled in the pit of my stomach but I knew if I wanted to figure out what had happened in that cave, I   had no other choice but to follow her. She led me from the room. “Welcome to The Temple of Astor.”

        It was everything I’d been expecting ...and more. Giant stone pillars reached into the sky, the marble floor glistening and unmarred even by time. There were other women in the Temple. Not one of them would meet my gaze. Instead, each bowed in reverence as we passed. I assumed they were bowing to the Guardian at my side. I was wrong. 

        A little girl of about six dashed from the crowd. Hair the color of fire sprouted in every direction, her crystalline eyes staring up at me in silent fascination. There was something...familiar about this little girl. Her head tilted, tiny hands clutching the air before her.

        “Go ahead.” The Guardian at my side urged. 

        I scooped the child into my arms. She felt surprisingly light. Her palms explored my face, fingertips dancing across my skin. “H-hello there.” I stumbled over the words. “What’s your name?”

        She didn’t respond. Maybe she couldn’t. My eyes travelled to the Guardian who merely smiled. Fire erupted in the center of my chest. Nearly dropping the child in my arms, I staggered backwards. I glanced down. This little child’s hand had placed itself where I’d felt those marks. A light glowed between us. 

        “She is your destiny now, Alyssa.” The Guardian sighed. “She is the last of her kind.”

         Before I could inquire further, I found myself plunged into darkness once more. Only this time, I was not alone. I still carried the small, nameless child. We were no longer at the Temple of Astor. We stood in the middle of a charred field, the overwhelming stench of decomposing flesh all around us. I gagged, fighting the bile that rose in the back of my throat.

        Giant now wingless creatures lay around us. It was them that I smelled. Men dressed in shimmering armour stood a few feet from us. They cheered in victory. The sound of weeping drew my attention. I turned. Three women cloaked in white stood behind me. I reconized them. The same Guardians of Astor that had brought me to their precious temple stood behind me. Each bore a symbol that had been scortched into their flesh. One held an egg….the same egg that I had touched in the cave.

        Suddenly, I was in the temple. The three guardians now circled me, each bracing my slumped form. I no longer held the child. She stood beside me, tears streaming down her porceillian face.

        “You saw it, didn’t you?” One of the women spoke, her voice cracked. “The m******e….”

        “I-I do not understand. What is happening to me?”

        “Two thousand years ago, Dragons flourished in this land. They were mighty creatures who were both revered and feared. Certain maidens were charged with the duty of protecting these creatures once they emerged from their eggs. You are looking at three of them.”

        My lips popped. That was not possible. I looked from one woman to the next. They met my skeptical gaze with smiles. “Guardians live so long as their dragons do, Alyssa. We are connected you see.” The three sisters took hands. “My sisters and I are special….our Dragons knew their time was coming to an end. They gifted us with their immortality upon their passing that we might carry on their legacy...and protect the last of them.”

        “What does this have to do with me?”

        “Once a year, we grant one maiden the chance of becoming a Guardian.We scour the land for one we think might be worthy. She is then brought to the Temple. We never allow this maiden to touch the egg. We wait. Only one worthy can located the egg.”

        “But...but it was an accident.” I argued. “I….I fell and…” I stumbled over the words. This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening.

        “Destiny is no accident, Alyssa.” The eldest of the three responded, gripping my shoulders between firm hands. “You must name her.” She waved a hand towards the small child at my side. “The bond will only be sealed by the giving of a name. This is your duty now...she is your responsibility.”

        It was a responsibility I did not want. I did not ask for this. I was….I was no one. Who was I to be granted such a task? The small child took my hand in hers. She seemed to understand that, perhaps, I was not ready for the weight that had thrust upon my frail shoulders. Her wide, innocent eyes looked to me in a way I never thought possible.

        “I...I cannot.” I pulled my hand from hers.

        I’ll never forget the haunting look of sadness that passed across her face. I turned so as to not see the tears I knew where slipping down her cheeks. I hurried from the room, desperate to escape what destiny had in store.