Chapter 38

Amy looked around her on the busy cobbled street; the white beige tower behind her, Liam to her left, Jeremy to her right. Amy finally realized her impact and influence in this world. Draegun and Earther’s a like accumulated, snapping shots, taking photos.

“Mom look, it’s that human mage, the Arbellornddaryn raid party member”, a young elven boy cried out int the Ddyllewech tongue, pulling on his mother’s arms.

Amy smiled at the young elf with short golden hair. Even though she had slept for most of the flight from Dduraduum until here. Yet still, she was exhausted from moving, moving, constantly moving every day and every night. After meeting Jeremy, she wanted so desperately for him to know she was well and thriving. Not out of spite did she force herself, but she wanted his regret and guilt to lessen, his burden to lighten. She wanted him to be proud of her and praise her. With such thoughts and feelings, she stepped forward. Instantly, taka taka taka taka: the sounds of photos being taken as she kneeled in front of the boy. Amy wished she had a robe to wear, like what she envisioned a real mage to be, overflowing with dignity. But that was fantasy, and this is reality, her clothes well designed and made for raids, were worn by many raid participants. She felt self-conscious, she looked like a homeless person, her clothes ripped and torn. Splits in her pants along the thighs, calves, holes in her shirt, on the side of her waist, exposing her smooth lightly tanned skin. Dirt and smudges were on her face, hair dishevelled.

“Fu ddumarynde lle?”, Amy asked, translated as, ‘do you want a picture’, fluently in Ddyllewech with a sweet smile.

Speechless the boy nodded while looking down, trying to peek up unnoticed.

“Dumeyn llwe tal?”, she asked with an even sweeter voice.

The mother pressed the child to speak. His head tilted; his large sparkling blue eyes widened.

“Ellon Dumeyntwy”, ‘Ellon is my name’, the boy responded.

Amy ruffled the boy’s soft downy blond hair, “Let’s take a picture”, Amy put her arm on the child’s shoulder.

Taka taka taka, pictures were being taken

“Oh right”, the mother retrieved her tablet that was hung in the air, clutching it nervously.

Snap. Amy smiled as she saw Ellon’s beaming face. Taka taka taka taka taka! Several more photos were taken. Amy waved. Taka taka taka taka taka taka! It was noon, the suns hung above in the blue sky; clouds crawled lazily, slowly, across the sky. It was an impactful scene for Amy’s debut.

Amy glanced back at Liam looking for affirmation. He nodded with a wink holding his thumb up.

“You look so cool”, the child remarked happily, his English clumsy, making him even more adorable to Amy.

That’s right, her appearance carried the same weight as watching a sweating celebrity athlete on earth give the game winning ball to a young fan in the bleachers. A young elven woman approached her, around the same age as Veve, Amy guessed.

“Hello, my name is Shyryla”, her blond hair blowing in the warm vibrant spring wind, “Would you have a moment?”.

Amy glanced at individuals behind, with tablets suspended steadily in the air. They were taking video. ‘A news interview?!!’, the thought hit her like a lightning bolt. She was trying to step out, but still that was a little bit much. Her face was bright red, she turned, her eyes pleading, saying ‘Save me! Save me!’, towards Liam. Her dignity had deflated entirely. He responded with a chuckle and stepped forward.

“Well done!”, he whispered as he passed, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Amy could smell the ramen still fresh on his breath. Her stomach churned; she was hungry. Her old skills and persona came back, her party allowed her and Jeremy to disappear while Liam once again caused a distraction. They avoided the detection of gluttonous monsters, members of the black horde looking to consume life, flesh, and blood; disappearing from a crowd was like a cheap parlor trick.

“I want to eat!”, Amy said as she skipped along happily, far, far, far away from the crowd.

She was completely immersed, and a part of this world now. She felt it in her heart; she was living her secret fantasy. And most of all, ‘Jeremy is here’, she thought to herself as she turned to Jeremy with a beaming smile. Her exhaustion having faded away, leaving her wired as her adrenaline had spiked at thought of being on national news.

Osgur lead them to the guild: the bastion in which they would take refuge. It was a hurried meal. Nothing was spoken; nothing was said; with each mouthful, each morsel entering their mouth, the fatigue grew. In the cafeteria of the east wing, they devoured food. Chan, Wan, Veve, Shatira, Sean, Osgur, Glyn, Satriana, Lorenn, and Jeremy were all present.

Tap, tap, tap. Amy roused drowsily. Slumber clinging to her frame, trying to suck her back in to the hall of her own dreams, beckoning, persuading.

“It’s time”, Amy heard Osgur’s deep voice, his tusks giving a gruff timbre.

Dragon Elder Council, it was like going to debrief the president. Amy shuddered nervously. Still, it was unavoidable. She sighed as she pushed Glyn her roommate, in the female lodging within the east wing, off the bed.

“Unghh”, Glyn moaned sleepily.

“Ughh”, Amy grunted as she pushed Glyn.

“Unghh”, Glyn moaned sleepily.

“Wake up”, Amy said with a stern tone.

“Unghh”, Glyn groaned.

Thud!

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“Oww”, Glyn complained sharply as Amy shoved her off the bed with a giggle.

Amy was fidgeting nervously; her hand tapping her thigh softly. She could understand now why robes were not preferred, not practical for combat. It was cumbersome. The outer white robe, and a softer lighter inner light blue robe that Liam had recommended for formal occasions. His foresight was amazing.

The arched hall stretched before, white smooth stones underneath. The height and breadth of the passage was astounding in scope for Amy, only standing at five foot one inches; it was built for dragons to walk through. Surprisingly her flowing robes made not a whisper, not a shuffle. Although, the steps of the party did echo off the stone walls. The large structure she had seen upon her arrival and many days after, Amy looked around at her party all equally silent, nervous, and in their own thoughts.

The light of the magic lanterns lining the passage, ended giving way to the fresh morning suns peaking over the top of this coliseum like structure. The warm sunlight hit her face as she emerged. She stepped on soft grass. Wan, Chan, Sean, Glyn, all reverted to their dragon form as proper etiquette dictated upon entering the council amphitheater. The very air seemed to vibrate and tingle. The feeling of formality, of tradition pressed upon them. The gravity of such an event burdened their shoulders. This was the governing body of The Tower of Arbell.

“Wahhh”, a gasp escaped Amy’s lips as she purveyed her surroundings upon reaching the center.

Twenty dragons lined the opposite side. All perched above them looking down. Above them all was one dragon. He stood proudly like an immovable mountain. Blue scales, beige scales on his belly, white scales on his chin, a token of the long span of his life. It was the same dragon at the raid stadium. It all seemed like a distant memory, like the last finger of smoke from a snuffed candle.

“The Elder Dragon Council will commence”, he said with a voice the shook the air and filled the theater, “I am Ddyllan, head of the Draeg Llwengafaryn”

As the dragon introduced himself, he bowed lowering his head while turning his wings up. It was a grand spectacle. His large appearance, his dignity seemed to burst from the perch that had been hewn out of solid rock. Amy and the whole party bowed as well.

“And rise”, Sean uttered softly guiding them on proper manners.

“I am Liam, Elder of Magic, I am their sponsor for this assembly”, Liam said with a solemn tone.

Amy was about to bow again before Sean’s voice interrupted her movements, “Don’t bow. Once is enough”.

As the other twenty Dragon’s offered their names, smirks began to appear on their faces, somewhat dispersing the rigid atmosphere.

After the introductions were over, Liam alighted from his perch. Landing in front of the party.

Amy noticed his long thick tail shifting from side to side. He had a sleek form as a dragon. The reddish, blonde hair replaced by two long black horns. He turned around craning his neck. His light green eyes moved quickly, intelligently viewing the party members. His face was wider, his skull flatter, but still it had traces of his human features. He had a pleased expression. Smoke streamed out of his nostrils as he breathed.

He turned, he began his address to the council, from the floor of the chamber as was customary, “Brothers and Sisters of Ddyllewech. We have made a shocking discovery. According to the report of the Arbellornddaryn raid party have bravely brought unto me, the same ones who stand before you, have found remnants of the lost clan of Draegun. As you can see these two white dragons here are surviving members”.

Gasps erupted; a hubbub of whispers travelled across the air.

“Whah??!!”

“Huhhh”

“Astounding, so the legends were true”

Ddyllan flapped his wings quieting the commotion instantly.

“Where were they discovered”, Ddyllan enquired.

“In another world, but the same world. From what I have interpreted”, Liam replied, “It seems to be our world before The Great Cataclysm”.

Wan stepped forward, “It indeed appears true. I am Wan Il, and this is my uncle chan Il. We are of the Il clan”.

Amy, still very much a student of biology, couldn’t help but notice the difference. She was sleek and long, thinner than the Ddyllewech. Her scales were sparkling white in the sun. Wan was wingless. It was shocking. ‘Could they fly’, she thoguht. Their form was more graceful. Amy was wondering if they could fly without any wings.

One of the council members couldn’t contain their curiosity, “Can you fly?”.

Then Wan began floating as she coiled around in circles moving through the air without a sound. It was like watching a loose knot move around in the sky of its own volition.

She landed and curved into an s shape, she had two long whiskers, that trailed backwards, but a softly curved elegant face, “We can fly through our momentum, and with a small amount of magic; though, we live deep underground. If the council would allow me to make a request. It is an urgent matter”.

‘They can use Magic while in dragon form. But no other dragon can do that’, as she thought these words, she caught Sean’s gaze. He must be thinking the same thing.

“Speak what you came to ask”, the largest dragon, the leader present replied.

Wan began to relay her clan’s situation, her history. The tone of her voice became grew sadder, grew more mournful as she progressed through her people’s plight.

“My father and mother were killed 21 years ago by the black horde”, She finished her presentation.

Amy watched as Wan wriggled, shifted, squirmed with her long sleek body nervously. The council including Liam had gone silent. Her nervous writhing increased as anger began to sprout on the faces of the council members.

Ddyllan lifted off from his lofty seat. As he neared the ground everyone moved hurriedly for him to land except Amy. With her hand on her wand, she stood. She looked up as his gigantic building-sized frame descending to land. Her carefully combed black hair which had grown down to her shoulders, was tossed as the wind from Ddyllan the dragon’s wings lashed out upon the grass. Amy met his gaze, though her human instincts had stubbornly denied her composure and made her legs tremble. This was the apex predator, the top of all dragons in Arbell; and even though Amy knew he meant no harm, she still could not quell her anxiousness. He lowered his head, with a wry smile and placed his snout close to Amy, his body circling around her. She could feel the heat from his breath as smoke escaped trailing up. She put her hand out to touch. And felt the strong scales in her hand. It was warm.

“Brave little one what do you have to say?”, he asked with the tone of a gentle grandfather, a wry look in his grey weathered eyes.

“No person should be forced to live a life like that”, Amy said while tears full of empathy and sorrow trailed down her cheeks, she could feel it in her heart, the handle of her wand was warm in her grasp, images of her nightmares surfaced, flashing across her mind’s eye.

Blood spilled indiscriminately, families being slaughtered, raped, and eaten alive. It was utter horror. She felt the influence of the wand, but it was incomparable to the feeling in her heart, so much so it seemed to reach every corner of her being.

She tightened her grip, determination and strength in her eyes: it was a culmination of all her experiences so far, all the kindness shown to her, and was distilled into one sentence “I want to save them!”.

A chuckle escaped; the dragon turned. The fellow council members nodded.

“Here is my answer little one. We will not forget our brothers and sisters. We will not forget the suffering of your people, our fellow dragonkin”, He turned to Amy, “We will honor your heart and bravery little one”, he lifted off the ground. As he gained altitude he growled, a deep growl filling the amphitheater, shaking the ground they stood on, “The Ddyllewech are going to war!”.

Amy watched as he rose up above the council tower off into the sky. His voice forcefully rang in the air, vibrating on the ground. Amy could feel the sound resonate in the soles of her feet, running up her legs and down her spine: The Dragon Roar of the head of the Ddyllewech clan, leader of the tower of Arbell was heard throughout Arbellorn. It was a moment a lone human Vietnamese girl, standing before a grand dragon, moved a whole tower to war: it was a moment that would be recorded in history.