Encante felt odd to be worn by another after so many years. Miradash rarely took off his stone. After Isaan had told her it was her mother’s necklace, she treasured it like a precious keepsake.
The world around him seemed so much duller through Amethyst’s eyes. Then again, it could be Encante just realized that his curse was the reason Calosa was dead. He couldn’t even remember the damned Goddess’s face and she was the one that killed him. Her and his traitorous brother. The scoundrel still tried to ruin him. After hatching together, they should have been closed. What happened between them? He couldn’t remember –or he didn’t want to. Eons passed since he hatched and he couldn’t remember most of his hatchlinghood.
Time moved so much slower when he was trapped inside of his tiny captivity. The centuries in paradise with his satyrs felt so long ago. Was it because Mira took so long to break through her enthrallment? Or did the shard of his soul that belonged to her mother circle endlessly in the void? Either way, it had been thousands of years since he felt this alone.
Without a proper Vessel to attach himself to, Encante felt cold and vulnerable.
“Can you hear me, one called Amethyst?” He searched through her thoughts.
When the orc didn’t respond, he swam through her memories. It was how he connected to his hosts. Every new sight and sound made him infinitely more curious. His people were never so bold and careless. He spied on the relationship between Amethyst and her wife, and jealously overcame him.
Dragons lived for millenniums unless they were slain. There was always time to change. In these short lives, the tiny two-legged creatures had to express themselves or they would die before they could. Their love was bold and boisterous compared to the cold mating of dragons. It was one reason he enjoyed his Calosa so much. His Chosen knew how to communicate with him. She helped him understand these weird creatures and showed him a warmth he never felt on his own.
Perhaps that was why Mira did not handle others well. She was raised much like he and his brother: to serve. Love was nonexistent and mating was only to reproduce. Only for Encante, his existence was to serve those around him and protect the magical creatures that once filled the world. For Alcante, it was to serve him as his loyal aide. Maybe that is what drove his brother mad. Their father would never give him the throne. Alcante was a puny dragon compared to his older brother and could only serve as council if he wasn’t protected.
“You found her? Where is she?” Amethyst’s voice boomed through the dark abyss.
Only his Vessel’s voice and sights were clear to him. When he was attached to another, it felt like he was kept in a bag against his will. Amethyst’s heartbeat echoed in his chamber and Encante focused on understanding the voices.
“She did….”
“But …. she… there?”
“Her place of comfort in Vimgraunt was at the temple. It makes sense,” Her voice said through the echoing emptiness, “Still, I should be the one to take him to –”
Encante felt another hand touch the stone. The brief connection with the delicate fingers sent him a memory of an emerald eyed elf. The one that called themselves Emerald, he remembered. The soft voice was clearer when they spoke as they warmed his stone.
“I need him to understand what’s happened. I don’t think he can hear us clearly unless we touch him.”
“Good, you remember,” Encante chuckled, “You were always Calosa’s favorite.”
The other people’s blurry voices became clearer as more fingers touched the surfaces of the black stone. The faint memories of another elf, Skymara, and the yellow orc Tiero spread across his stone’s surface. He focused through the watery echo to listen.
“She’s losing control,” Em spoke plainly, “You know it as well as we do. She is behaving manically.”
“How long until… she can’t control herself?” Tiero asked.
“She has been wary since I first met her,” Amethyst grunted, “In fact, she asked me to kill her should she lose herself.”
“Does she feel it happening, then?” Skymara asked.
“Feel what?” The younger orc’s confused voice spoke.
“I do not know if they know what could happen. It has been centuries. If he lost many memories, then –”
“Encante,” Em spoke plainly, “If Mira loses control, she may become a merawl.”
The word triggered a memory. Calosa sprinted through a forest with her people behind her. Her hooves galloped wildly as they chased someone. Once the hunting party broke through the glade, the satyr fell to their knees and screamed. Calosa yelled back to get help, but it was too late. She pulled Encante’s corporeal form into existence and pulled the mask over her face. They ran towards the man together, weapons drawn. His voice tore apart as he exploded into a black mass. The foaming skin slathered away as a monster stood where the man once was. The hollow eyes and undulating limbs turned to face them before it sprinted towards them.
“No!” Encante yelled as he saw the memory, “Not her.”
Em moved his fingers from Encante as the memory faded.
“What is that?” Amethyst asked, “I don’t recognize the language.”
“The monsters from the Unclaimed Isle. They’re origin,” Skymara sighed, “They are formed by the people who are overcharged with magic and lose control. They are near impossible to kill the stronger the person was. Calosa was nearly killed by one that came from a minotaur. It nearly almost ripped her in half.”
“That’s why Sapphire sacrificed himself?”
“Yes. She would have died. It was a battle for claim over a section of land. The minotaur was… large.”
Encante remembered it clearly. The horns gored his lover.
“What happens if…” Tiero’s voice trailed off.
“Then, we would try our best to kill her,” Em said, “Whatever she became would likely kill anything it saw. We would have to try and get enough people away.”
“I’ve seen the small form. So far, she’s been able to keep from a complete transformation. Let’s hope she’s still able.”
“Because I’ve been taking over!” Encante hoped his yells would be heard.
“What should we do about…”
He ignored their words and searched his memories for anyway to save Miradash. He could not let Calosa’s child be harmed this way. He owed his queen better than that. She made him promise to save her. Prophecy be damned, Encante would protect Calosa’s youngling.
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“We should get him back to her,” Em spoke as a hand wrapped around the stone, “I told her I wouldn’t tell you where she was.”
“Then… get…”
“Tourn…. stand…”
The voices faded away as he rested upon another. The emerald eyed elf tapped his captivity like an old friend knocked upon his door.
“I will get her some clothes and stay there. There is no need for all of us to go,” Em paused, “She is safe at the temple. The young goddess-soul said something about a sleepover?”
The laughter echoed through the empty abyss around him. Em’s connection to the world around them helped Encante see through thoughts clearly.
“Mira is safe, old friend,” They whispered, “Let’s get you back to her.”
The voices faded as he was carried away. Encante searched through the strange elf’s memories. The whimsical displays of magic and adventure dated back centuries. He ignored all things previous to what he wanted to know. Seeing the Unclaimed Isle through the elf’s eyes eased his mind. As his beautiful satyr welcomed them into her homelands, the triplets joined their culture willingly. Em, in particular, took it upon himself to learn everything about her people.
Encante saw small children sprint about with the elf. All types of magical creatures from the isle took them in with open arms as they shared information. Em could form fantastical illusions to explain themselves and entertain. They were not a fighter like their brother or a scholar sister. They wanted to connect. They wanted to learn. The creatures they encountered did not judge their odd existence.
Not even Emerald knew if they were born a boy or girl, as the triplet’s mother always found the third child a different gender every time she checked on babies. As they all grew older, it became apparent that Em’s powerful illusion magic started at birth. Their siblings only manifested later. Em spent so much of their time feeling isolated or used for profit. When they came to the isle with their brother and sister, the world changed for them.
Calosa opened her arms and accepted the elf for who they were. She spoke of changelings and other magical creatures that took the form of others at will. She even introduced them to the last one she knew. If Emerald had not already pledged to Saceida at their mother’s insistence, they would have taken the oath to Encante and been at Calosa’s side until the end. They regretted it ever since she had been lost.
Em understood completely what the loss of Calosa meant to Encante and to her people. The cheery angel with a magnanimous attitude was beloved by everyone in her care. In her four hundredth year when she met them, she had as many people to lead as she did years. Yet, she still found room in her heart to accept more.
“Friend, if I can be frank?” Em’s mind echoed into the abyss around him, “Calosa would be furious with you.”
Encante barked in laughter at the audacity of this puny creature. What could he possibly do while trapped inside of this rock?
“I know you are searching my memories for her. I loved her too. Not as you did, but in my own way,” Em huffed “If you took Mira as your next Chosen, she would be safe. You and I both know that.”
The memory of Sapphire’s demise played in Em’s mind. Calosa laid with the top half of her twitching violently and tried to reach for her lower limbs that barely clanged to her torso. A lilac scaled man rested over her bottom half and screamed at the four elves behind him to do something. The blue-eyed elf hugged his siblings and kissed his lover before he knelt at the dying satyr’s side. Sapphire spoke softly to the woman, and she shook her head. Calosa was ready to accept her fate, but Encante was not. He begged her to let the elf help her.
Sapphire’s body burst into a dazzling display of stars. As it flew towards the stone that rested on her chest, the satyr brutally seized. Her skin bubbled as the power entered her. She screamed in pain and gripped Encante’s arm. Her body violently snapped back together and Encante’s form snapped from reality. As Em watched in horror, Calosa stood and grappled at her blistering body. Before she could react, a dark mist burst outward from her. She fell to the ground, unharmed and unconscious. A draconic cloud soared above them. As it landed next to her, Encante’s humanoid shape returned. He scooped her into his arms and held her limp body against him.
“You took that energy from her. If you hadn’t, she would have become a merawl,” They paused, “Are you prepared to let Mira face the same fate? What if you can’t control her anymore? I can tell you’re struggling. She doesn’t have a grasp as her mother did. She needs help. Is that not what the Great Protecter wanted when she forced you to accept Mira?”
It had been a long time since Encante remembered what Calosa saw him as. He never wanted to be in another humanoid form again if she didn’t see it.
“I know you can’t speak to me because I am not your Vessel,” Em whispered, “But unless you want Alcante to destroy everything you’ve ever loved, you need to accept the prophecy and take Mira as your next Chosen. Until you do, everyone will be in danger.”
Encante growled. He couldn’t handle losing another person like he did Calosa. What if he failed her, too?
“You are her people’s Great Protector,” They snapped, “Act like it.”
Encante heard clearer voices as Em stepped towards them. As Mira’s hand touched the amulet, the world exploded into colors and sounds again. He could finally see through his Vessel’s eyes. Her memories swirled in his mind freely and Encante no longer had to focus on hearing. He seamlessly merged with her again and sighed at the relief she felt. Mira stared back indifferently at the elf as Em handed her a bag.
“Here are your clothes for tomorrow. I’m assuming if it is not to your liking, that you can stop by before the tournament to change,” They smiled, “I hope you have a wonderful night. Both of you.”
“Goodnight,” She nodded.
“Are you not –”
She narrowed her eyes coldly, “Goodbye.”
Her thumb reached up and rubbed against the stone. Encante felt the familiar kindness that her mother once showed him in the same way. This little one looked so much like her mother, but they were almost nothing alike. Calosa was kind, open, honest, and caring. This child was cold, distrustful, distant, and heartless. It was hard for him to consider binding his soul to hers.
“I’m sorry,” Her mind whispered to him.
“It is okay,” Encante spoke sadly, “I know why you did it.”
“I shouldn’t have left you.”
“I left you first. I needed time after… that revelation.”
“I understand.”
Mira habitually rubbed the stone and the two were quiet with each other. Encante decided to try the next subject.
“Also, I should not have commented on your mating rituals. I understand it may be odd with a –”
Mira sighed and ran her hands through her hair, “Let’s not talk about that.”
“Agreed. I will find myself elsewhere during your mating rituals.”
“Please stop talking about it,” She covered her face with her hand.
She walked along the temple halls with the young prophetess as her close shadow. Encante disliked the girl’s connection to the woman that killed and trapped him. But Mira took comfort in the halls of the temple, so he kept his opinions to himself.
“He’s over here,” Talia pointed, “Our healers said they are making good progress. I checked on him after dinner.”
“Thank you.”
They walked down the sparkling stone floors towards the infirmary. Healers in white robes skittered about those laying in beds. Mira searched for the boy called Reggie. As the young girl grabbed her hand, Encante felt the foreign power enter his Vessel. He growled and the girl yelped.
“I do not want her in here.”
“Sorry, Goddess-Soul,” Mira knelt, “He does not like you.”
“I understand,” She pouted, “I just want to hear him.”
“I do not want her to hear me.”
She patted the girl’s head, “He’s grouchy.”
“Grouchy?! Do you not understand that this is not a child—”
Mira and Talia chuckled at his angered barks. Their noises caught the attention of the people still awake in the room.
“Are you here for Reggie?” One of the healers walked up to them, “You’re the one that saved him, right?”
“Yes.”
“He’s this way,” The man waved her down the long room.
Each step caused her heart to beat harder against her chest. Encante always wondered why she had such odd reactions to ordinary tasks. This boy was not the one she cared for. She had no connection to him. Why did she feel so protective?
“He hasn’t responded to much, but he’s alive.”
“Thank you,” She sat at the chair next to his bed.
Mira moved the hair from his face and thought of Pallik. This boy was shorter, darker skinned, but they had the same haircut. She wondered if Pallik would have tried to join the tournament. She chuckled because she knew her friend would have tried to convince her to. He would have fought her to come along to the capital. Pallik would’ve lost his mind at the wild adventure she had the past two months.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you,” Her voice trembled as she thought of her lost friend.
“He is okay,” Talia patted her leg, “I made sure. I promise.”
Mira took a deep breath and shook her head, “No… My Pallik is dead. Will I ever meet him again? In his next life?”
“I do not know,” The girl sulked.
“Can you promise me that I can save her if I… follow my path?”
Encante was intrigued by this and scanned her memories. Like a large display, he zoomed through the moments he had missed since she took him off. When Mira asked about saving her mother from the void, he felt his surroundings collapse into him.
“We can save her?”
“I cannot promise that you can,” The girl yawned, “But I promise you will be able to try.”
“Miradash,” Encante felt his voice shake, “We will save them. All of them. Just vow that we will save your mother first.”
“I swear.”
Encante was not ready to bind his soul to her, but if there was any chance he could save Calosa, then he would help this little one succeed in her destiny. He just needed more time to prepare himself.