Chapter 28 #2
“As Souls bond, so do Spirits. Never fear falling,” Ilkiz intoned with a resounding boom.
As the dragon opened her mouth, flames of Power erupted, engulfing Azahara.
Yet, she did not burn; instead, the fire stimulated her senses, and her skin absorbed it like the warmth of the sun.
The roaring echoed in her ears, but it brought no pain.
It resembled the call of a mother bear, beckoning her cub.
In that moment, Ilkiz was bringing her home, and Azahara surrendered to the embrace, feeling the profound connection.
There was no pain nor was there any discomfort.
It felt right, and as the flames faded and her eyes opened to see a space above her where Ilkiz used to be; a sudden feeling of being whole took over her.
It was like waking up from the perfect night’s rest, without a dream or nightmare to disturb her.
Like after having sex, and not only was she satisfied, but so was her partner.
A sense of accomplishment washed over her for doing absolutely nothing, and she allowed it to engulf her.
She blinked before looking down to Rah, who had his arms crossed over his chest. The satisfied grin on his face made her smile.
“You look strong,” he commented.
As she began to stand, her eyes drunk in her completely bare body. The flames, they had been real. All of her clothes had burned, and all that was left was dark ash surrounding where she stood.
“Do not fear,” Ilkiz’s voice reached her ears, now much gentler than it had been in the room. The soft caress to her earlobes was soothing. “He will not touch you.” She swallowed and met his gaze.
“Turn for me. I want to see your Connection.”
For some reason, she hesitated to speak, as if fire might erupt from her throat next. Gathering resolve, she turned, presenting him with the view from behind.
She heard his footsteps approaching, and she stiffened.
“Incredible. Yours is dynamic, much more so than mine was,” he remarked.
The heat from his hand triggered a defensive reaction, prompting her to swiftly turn and grip his wrist. “I wasn’t going to touch,” he defended himself. “You can speak. Let me hear, please.”
“Be kind to him. He did not get to meet the last Keeper. He is in just as much awe as I am of you and your power, Azahara.”
Licking her lips, she parted them and spoke, “Creep.” While the sound of her voice wasn’t too far off from what it sounded like prior, there was a subtle echo that sounded ethereal, naturally gliding her singular word to new heights.
Rah laughed, “Fair enough.”
Azahara smiled then, “I want to see it.”
He led her to a mirror, albeit broken, but enough for her to catch a glimpse of herself. The sight of her bare body still induced a wave of nausea, the awareness of what had been done to it haunting her. She quickly turned around, stealing a glance over her shoulder.
Stretching from nearly the base of her spine to the back of her neck were black markings resembling wisps of smoke. A singular upward angle, as if she were aflame. The intricate design stayed within the confines of her spine, not venturing beyond the expanse of her back.
“It looks like smoke,” she commented, tilting her head to try and see a different angle.
“It looks like paint,” Rah said, also tilting his head. “Like someone took a paint brush and dragged it up your back, and just used all the paint until it ran out.”
Ilkiz chuckled, “Everyone will see something different. Even you when you look. Rah loved to paint before he became the Keeper, so while not too far off from its original design, it makes sense that is what he sees.”
“It is weird not hearing her,” Rah said, looking at her through the mirror. “I can only tell she is talking to you, by the wonder in your eyes.”
“It feels sort of like the winnox, but clearer,” she mused, uncertain. Suddenly, a realization struck her, and she turned. “Rah—wait, what will happen to you?”
He sighed, and with a relaxed smile, he said, “I’ll pass on.”
Her heart thumped against her chest, quickening its pace.
He tilted his head towards her, the smile never leaving his expression.
“It’s time,” he uttered, and the burning sensation behind her eyes intensified.
“While I’ll be gone from this world, you know better than anyone that it is not the end.
I will join the other Keepers. From what Death has told me, there is a special place for us.
I’m hoping that there are beautiful women there,” he chuckled, “maybe I’ll be lucky enough to find someone like you. ”
Azahara smiled brightly, feeling tears brimming in her eyes. “They’d be lucky,” she responded. He playfully waved his hand at her and mockingly twirled fake hair around his finger. “Jeez, you are so strange,” she teased, eliciting laughter from both of them.
“We will need to go. You will need to summon me and ride before your body begins to feel the pressure of two Spirits.”
“It’s time to go,” Rah said, stepping towards her. “I will see you off, and I’ll alert the Spirit Riders of your return.” His hands were cold as they pressed against her shoulders.
“Why does it feel like I’ve known you for longer than a day, Rah?” Azahara asked, her hands coming up to his chest, feeling the tears burning down her cheeks.
“It’s because, while not physically, we have always been connected. Along with all the other Keepers,” he placed his hand onto her cheek, “Miss me just a little bit, though, it makes me feel like the Star that I am.”
His lips pressed against her forehead, and she laughed through her sobs.
“Ilkiz, give the girl some scales! By the skies above, you are testing a man’s resolve not to look!
” Azahara swung her fist, but he swiftly transformed into a mouse and scurried a few feet away.
Upon returning to his original form, she felt a peculiar sensation, as if something were moving up her body.
“These are scales and should really be worn over clothing. I would normally tell you to embrace yourself, but Goddrick ruined that for you.”
White and red scales, intricately layered, adorned her skin—spanning across her breasts, down her stomach, and raising from her flesh.
They continued over her hips and down between her thighs, eliciting a gasp from her.
The sensation was akin to ants crawling across her skin, and every second of it was an experience she despised.
“Those will stop nearly any man-made weapon,” he grinned, and as she looked at him, he began to fade.
“Rah!”
“Ah, shit—” He looked at his hands, clearly able to see beyond them, as though his body was becoming translucent. “That happened fast.”
She ran over to him, asking urgently, “Where do we go?”
“I’ve let them know you are coming out, but you must ride first. No matter what, do not go to them.
As you exit this temple, you will regain your other gifts—it won’t be as bad as it was when we took them.
” Her hand reached out to his cheek, still able to feel him.
A handsome smile adorned his face. “Do me a favor, hmm?”
“Of course,” she said as he slowly continued to disappear.
“Call me Rahmulous, just once.”
Azahara laughed through a few droplets of tears. “You are such a weirdo, Rahmulous.”
“I’ll see you later, cutie.” With a wink, he grabbed her waist and pulled her to him. A bright light engulfed her, and before she knew it, she was free-falling, nothing but the solid ground ready to meet her in mere moments.