Once again, I was met with a darkness my Dragon eyes couldn’t pierce. I could feel the ground beneath me, but not see it. The vastness of this space was outside my understanding. I felt that, even if I did have the ability to see, I would still not be able to see all of it. I would
still…be unable to grasp it.
The moment the Ancient dragon’s voice resounded out, I could feel my body respond. My very blood followed his will out of respect for him. I could feel so many gazes, but his gaze was the most profound, and the most terrifying.
I could at least take a guess at what rank the others were, and be confident that I was right, But him?
Never, his voice alone was enough to kill the entire cohort if he wanted too, A single thought of his could kill us.
And yet, he was still not the strongest one on this planet. A planet filled with so many powerful beings I couldn’t even see myself comparing to yet, and in a couple of years.
I cowered in front of his voice, So what would happen to me once I met Lanesha, in the flesh, and not as a projection this time? All the times she had visited me were in a form insulting to her true power. A humiliation.
But now, I would be graced by her true body, her true power.
“Ugh…”
I felt cold, A chill. As I continued my trek, I could feel her power flow throughout this entire place, like blood. Through this realm.
I began to feel cold, a chill run down my body as I felt what the others felt. The cruelty of cold. An icy feeling enveloping my body, breathing air that held small blades of coldness that would ravage my lungs, stripping me of my breath and balance.
Cold mist escaped my mouth, my dragon heart, excited and afraid, tried to keep my body going. And it was accompanied by my will.
[Fifty more steps, prince.]
The voice of the dragon… I could hear it once more, as the frost ravaged my body, forgetting that I was its prince. It was like a cruel enemy.
Nevertheless, I bore through it, as I lost feeling in my toes and my fingers, my nose and ears as well. Numb.
Numb…
The numbness expanded, and I could barely make out his words.
[Ten more steps, prince.]
‘Am I still moving?’
I thought, as I lost feeling in my legs and arms, my limbs were all numb, and the jittering of my teeth did not stop, releasing an annoying and embarrassing tune.
I tried to breathe, but it was painful. I could feel my tongue, throat, and lungs bleed and that blood freeze in a second. Sealing the small wounds, but also inflicting greater pain.
[One more step, Prince.]
What are you saying? My mind feels…frozen. No, it is frozen. And just like that, I felt the tether that connected me to the ground disappear and my body hit by biting wind, and I felt the tether once again as I collapsed to the ground.
And the coldness went away, taking the darkness with it. A dim, blue light was now present, showering me and this cold hell with its radiance. It came from blue flames hidden in obsidian lanterns in the sky of this…palace.
I recognized this… The patterns on the wall, although much larger than the ones I was familiar with, The waterways at the sides, with glowing lights meant to guide one through his way. The floor, the ceiling… Actually, I couldn’t see that yet.
It was the Jade Palace, the one I had…only much, much bigger and greater. My Jade Palace would be an insult to this hallway…which was it’s size. This hallway was the size of his entire castle.
The waterways, to the side, glowed with their magical light and beckoned him to follow.
[Follow the light, the queen awaits.]
The dragon spoke for the last time, and Alan could feel his presence, that was like a suffocating noose tied on his neck, as well as a protective armor from the dangers of the world to leave.
He was now alone, in this gargantuan place, where his queen was waiting. His mother.
He took a step, and felt as if the entire area around him warp. He felt as if he traversed the distance of multiple countries with a single step. The surrounding area that changed was proof. He heard cries, the cackling of thunder trapped in icy prisons. The roars of beings that could not be fathomed, all trapped in this…prison.
The balcony of this palace, the garden, the rooms that populated it. All that were in his own palace as well… He crossed them, until he finally reached.
A door of a smaller size than the one at the main entrance, but of much more profound power and worth.
The door to the throne room, and on it, was the engraving of a dragon of frost that tore the skies apart, held thunder in its jaw and brought a giant of lightning down. Standing on top of it’s body, basking in the glory of the frozen hell.
The diamond like eyes, the fearsome maws and the terrifying maw, the tail that could sever souls.
The door opened, and when it did, Alan could only kneel, power left the space behind it that simply forced him too. That forced his blood, his body to kneel and only think of praise.
‘Tik’ ‘Tok’.
The sounds of footsteps, each with enough magnitude to crush planets, resounded, getting closer to him. He could not look up to see who it was that was walking towards him… But did
he need to?
The queen had descended from her throne, to greet her chosen and her son.
‘Tik’ Tok’.
A supreme being, in the flesh, in her home, in her palace surrounded by loyal subjects, each with power. Each that would die for her, do anything she told them too.
He was included, as well.
‘Tik’ ‘tok’.
The footsteps, finally stopped. And Alan could see the ends of her dress, but even so he did not raise his head. It would be discourteous, and it would be a disgrace to her.
Her soft hands touched his hair, his ears, and flowed down like water to his cheeks.
Lanesha raised the face of her ‘son’, and Alan could finally see her, in her truest form.