44. The Realm of Dreams
forty-four
The Realm of Dreams
*AZADEH*
T his can’t be real. It’s impossible. But all the while I try to find logical reasons as to why Favian can’t be here in person, it slowly settles in that he is. Joy fills me. I haven’t met him before; I didn’t know about him, yet it feels like I’m finally meeting a long-lost brother.
“Come here,” Favian chuckles and hugs me. He pats my back before he lets me go again. “You look fabulous. Being in love suits you.”
“Well, I do have a wonderful lover,” I wink.
Favian smiles gently, and I realize he truly looks like an older version of Elio. Both of them look kind. But while Elio looks innocent and cheerful, Favian looks to be much more serious. In Favian’s eyes, there seems to be a fire. I bet if provoked, he can unleash his beast, too. “You look pensive,” he says. “What’s going on inside your head?”
“It’s just… you look so different from the werewolves,” I admit. “Are all dragons like you?”
“What?” he sounds amused. “Weak?”
“No, that’s not what I meant,” I chide him.
“The wolves are a lot about bodily strength,” he admits. “And dragons are, too, just not about raw strength. We are more athletic and used to being agile. In our dragon form, we are very powerful. As for me… I look so weak because I have been locked in for a long time.”
“And you are a golden dragon?” I ask.
He nods. “It’s because of us, because the royal lineage consists of golden dragons, that the whole dragon shifter population was in danger. So many lost their lives, because we were hunted.”
“What’s so special about the golden dragons? Why were you hunted to the point you almost went extinct?”
“Golden dragons are necessary for other dragon shifters to receive their dragon spirit, if you want to call it that way. For each shifter, we test the element they are most responsive to and then grant them a blessing, and they will receive their dragon form. Unlike werewolves and other shifters, our dragon form does not have its own voice, though. It’s truly more like a beast within us.”
“Wait a moment,” I stare at him in both awe and shock. “You are like a deity? You are to the dragons what the Moon Goddess is to the werewolves?”
“I’m not as powerful as a deity,” he explains. “We do have a dragon deity, Aengus. He grants us our mates. Like all shifters, we have fated ones. It’s just that the royal lineage is granted a particular blessing.”
“Which allows you to give other dragon shifters their dragon,” I conclude. “You are a dragon prince, aren’t you? Elio told us you are.”
“Actually, I’m their king,” he explains. “If it weren’t for the woman in white and the evil witch binding my mind and power, I would reign now.” He pauses. “My father was... I don’t want to say that he was a good man, but he wasn’t bad either. Unfortunately, he also wasn’t the strongest ruler,” he sighs. “Some say he was na?ve, and didn’t understand the danger.”
“You mean when the witch first started to target the dragon shifters?”
“It started with a battle,” he explains. “Something riled up my fellow dragon shifters; it was as if they weren’t themselves anymore.”
“The wasteland,” I say. “This is where the battle happened.”
He nods. “From there on, things went downwards. My father tried to keep our kingdom going, but our powers diminished. Due to most of the golden dragons being dead, we couldn’t grant blessings anymore, and many shifters were without their dragon, which means they were easy prey. My father was tricked by the witch and killed, and then it was just me and Elio left. At that time, I wasn’t old enough yet to have my powers, which is why the witch wanted to get my father out of the way. She thought if she captured me, she could easily manipulate me. I sent Elio away to hide somewhere, and before she could take my body over completely, I locked my own spirit in this world. This is my very own realm of dreams. She didn’t, and doesn’t, have any power over my mind, yet. The necklace she put on me prevents me from waking up on my own, and keeps me locked in here, waiting until I’m too weak to keep up my guard. My power is diminishing, and sooner than later she will be able to tear my guard down.”
“And then?” I ask nervously.
“Then, she will make me her pawn and use me to create more shifters that follow her every word. Dragons are powerful, and it could mean the end of many shifters and the world as we know it.”
“How was she able to do that?” I ask.
“The woman in white, she’s existed ever since sorrow existed. The witch who woke her up and preyed upon her grief made her a pawn. She is very old.”
“She made him a pawn? This means Artio wasn’t the only creature being awoken and used against
their will?”
“Artio woke up too?” he asks. When I nod, he frowns. “Then the witch is running out of time. She is searching for something. Because she might be able to manipulate Artio, to make him aggressive, but she can’t use a deity, even a lesser one, the same way she uses the woman in white. A deity is still a sacred being, and deep inside, Artio might already battle the spell. Whereas the woman in white is just the manifestation of sorrow, of pain.”
“Then she isn’t Cailleach?”
“She is, and she is not,” Favian explains. “The witch merged them together. Cailleach herself isn’t evil, she is a divine being. She is said to have created these lands. The thing is, she has always been part of this world, whereas a deity like Artio has lived in his own realm. Artio isn’t roaming around here regularly. This made it easier for the witch to attack Cailleach, bind her, and then merge her with that sorrowful creature we know as the woman in white. It gave the latter more power to seek her revenge.”
“Why does she hate me so much? The woman in white, I mean.”
“I don’t think she hates you. I think she wants to get rid of you, because you are the key to waking me up. It almost happened already when you sought me out actively before.”
“Wouldn’t that put you in danger, though? Being woken up now?”
“No, because if you wake me up, it means you might be able to get past her spells. I’m not a normal dragon shifter, which is why she resorted to mind games to break me. Once I’m free of my chains with my mind still firmly in place, I will have most of my power. I’ve been spending years here and am old enough now to shift. You would need to remove the necklace, though.”
“I almost woke you up?” I ponder. “That must have been when I was meditating,” slowly realizing that it indeed means I can help Favian. I can help him return to the living; to save him and his people. “But, what about Favia?” I ask. “Elio, your little brother, told me that he doesn’t know a Favia. You don’t have a sister, but I saw her.”
“Oh, that,” a smile curls Favian’s lips. “As the reigning dragon prince…” he pauses, “I am two sides of a coin.”
Here it is again! The two sides of a coin from the prophecy. “What does that mean?”
He smiles, and while he is still smiling, his body changes into…
“Favia!” I blurt out.
“Oh hello, little butterfly,” she smirks teasingly at me. “I’m the other side of the coin. You could say, in a way, I am the personification of Favian’s dragon. His third form.”
“But, I thought dragons don’t have their own entity?”
“Normal dragons don’t,” she sniggers. “But, I’m a divine spirit, blessed by Aengus himself. When a golden dragon is born, one of us will be gifted to them as guidance.” She looks at me insistently. “You need to wake us up, young Princess.”
“But how? I’m caught here too.”
“Find out what the woman in white is seeking revenge for,” she says. “Everyone sees her as evil in person, but she started as a sorrowful woman. Begin there.” She smiles. “Goodbye for now. My strength wanes, and I’ll be going into hibernation until you wake Favian up.”
I can only stare at her as she turns back into Favian’s male form. “So?” he asks.
“This is amazing,” I breathe out. “You are literally two people; you can shift into another person! And said other person is an actual dragon deity. I’m not surprised anymore that the witch wants you.”
“Did Favia tell you what you are supposed to do?”
“Yes, find out what the woman in white is looking for, and why she is doing what she is,” I say.
“We can only do it because you are here,” he says. “I’m too weak to meditate on my own and track her down.”
“I have a plan now,” I say, getting up. “Let’s get to work.”
“And, what’s the plan?”
“Find out what’s truly forcing the woman in white’s hand. Then, I will try to give her what she is looking for, and put her and Artio back to rest. Then, I will wake you up.”
“You can do that?”
“Wake you up? You said I almost did-”
“No, that’s not what I meant,” he says. “Can you put their minds to rest?”
“I’m gifted too,” I admit. “My general, the man who raised me like a father, he kept telling me stories. I thought they were fairy tales, but I’m starting to believe he told them to me for a reason. The princess in his stories was able to bring life, death and peace.”
“And you know how to do that?”
I smile slightly. “I’m not sure how to do that yet, but I believe I will learn this on my journey here.”
*ALANA*
I nestle myself against Ros, her warm fur engulfing me, while a bone-deep tiredness keeps me constantly at the brink of exhaustion. I can hear voices around me. At first they seemed so far away, but they are getting more and more persistent.
“Wake up, my little girl,” a voice that sounds like my father begs. “Don’t leave me.”
I won’t. I want to tell him that I won’t, but no matter how hard I try, I can’t open my lips to talk. I can’t even move. And while I still ponder what to do, I feel myself getting dragged to sleep, cuddling against Ros, who is caught in a deep slumber herself.
I wake up again to other voices. I recognize Kilah as one of them. Her head leans against my chest, and she cries. She keeps apologizing for things she said or did, and professing how much she hates herself for how she treated me. All things that don’t matter anymore, I can’t even remember why we never got along.
Simin is here too and keeps talking to me, telling me stories about her home. And I want to cling to her words, as the fairy tales from the desert are new and exciting to me.
But no matter who talks to me, I can’t bring myself to dive up into consciousness again. And once more I drift into a deep sleep until I wake up again to warm arms engulfing me.
“My warrior girl,” a well-known voice reaches me. “You need to come back to me, now,” she says while brushing over my hair. Flinn and I have our red hair from her, but mine is more fiery than his, making me look like the spitting image of her.
Mom.
“Your friends and family need their Warrior Princess,” she says quietly. “Tynan needs you because he is going to do something very dangerous. He needs your support.”
What’s the reckless idiot doing now?
“Hm,” she hums. “Why don’t you wake up and ask him?”
What?
“What do you mean, ‘what’.” She chuckles. “You need to ask Tynan yourself what he plans on doing.”
“Mom,” I begin.
“Yes, my sweetheart,” she says as her scent reaches my nostrils. It’s the first time I can sense anything.
“Ita is dead,” I say, my voice hoarse.
“I know, my dear,” she says sadly, hugging me towards her chest.
“She…wasn’t… my mate, but…” My voice trails off. Talking hurts.
“It doesn’t matter that she wasn’t your mate. It doesn’t make your feelings any less real or valid,” she says.
“I’m tired,” I say.
“I know, but you need to wake up now. Come, Alana, Ros.”
Ros’s nose curls slightly.
“They need us,” I say to her, fighting the pull that wants to drag me downwards into sleep again. “They need us to fight for them.”
Ros grumbles.
“We are not weak,” I tell her. “Ita called us her Warrior Princess. That’s what we are. Warriors. She died for us, and we will make sure to honor her sacrifice.”
Ros blinks her eyes open, looking at me tiredly. She doesn’t say anything, but I can see understanding in her eyes.
“Good,” my mother says gently. “And now, look at me.”
It feels like it takes me hours to force my eyelids open, but eventually I manage to open them slightly, the surrounding light almost blinding me for a moment. Once I adapted to my surroundings, I can see my mother lying next to me, holding me in her arms.
“Mother,” I blurt out. “Mom, you are here!”
“Of course I am here. Your father told me that you almost lost your life, and I dropped everything and returned”
“But, the research concerning Flinn, Ende and Caelan,” I say. “And the prophecy.”
“Nothing is more important than my children,” she says. “And this time, you needed me more than they did.”
I feel a coziness coming over me that I almost forgot existed. When Ita died, I felt my whole heart freezing, but now my mother is here, and I feel like not everything is lost.
“I’m tired,” I admit.
“Now you can sleep,” she says. “And when you wake up again, you will feel refreshed.”
She is right, because the next time I open my eyes, only a couple of hours have passed and I feel much more refreshed, and strong enough to sit up a bit. Ros is awake too, though still a bit weakened and tired. My mother is still here, finally explaining to me that I almost lost my life to the beast too, and that I was in a coma for three to four days.
“Is it true?” my father bursts into the room, startling me while my mother just laughs. “She is awake! You are awake!”
“Alana?” Kilah peeks into my room as well. She looks to the side. “Took you long enough.”
I remember how she cried over my bed, and smile at her. “Why don’t you sit with us?” I ask her.
Kilah’s eyes widen, and to my surprise she rushes towards me and Mom, and hugs us both. I thought I would never see you again, and you would die hating me.
I never hated you, I calm her.
One by one, all my family drops by. Endellion only visits briefly, though he looks tired. Actually, all of them look drained. After poking my father for a few minutes, he succumbs and tells me everything that happened while I was in a coma. From the young dragon Elio joining us, Endellion and Azadeh choosing each other, to Royan and General Shayan still missing, Endellion developing crazy superpowers, and Azadeh getting cursed.
“Alright-” I toss my blanket aside. “I got it.”
“What did you get!?” my father exclaims. “You should stay in bed.”
“You need me more,” I say. “And I can sleep at night.”
“She is right,” my mother says, much to my surprise. “I will go with her, so that she doesn’t overdo it. But walking around will do Alana good. She is a werewolf, and she needs to move. Now that she has awakened, her body will heal fast.”
Eye to eye with my mother, my poor father stands no chance. So, mom and Simin help me take a bath and dress in fresh clothes, before carefully leading me through the castle. She is right, I need to take it slow, because my body feels so drained. We visit Azadeh shortly. Endellion and Flinn are there, watching over her.
My heart aches when I see the worry on my brothers’ faces and how exhausted Azadeh looks in her bed.
The next stop is Tynan’s room. When he opens the door, his eyes widen in shock. Without muttering a word, he pulls me into a hug. For a few minutes, all my sorrow returns, and the both of us sob silently. “We sent her away with all our love,” he says quietly. “I made sure to burn one of your scarves with her, so that she would have a part of you with her.”
“Thank you,” I say quietly, trying to battle the guilt for not having been there when they sent her off to the goddess.
“Okay, Tynan,” I wipe away my tears and look at him firmly. “Now we go, and try to track down your mate.”
“You are going to be there with me!?” he exclaims. “With your support, I feel more confident!”
“Of course. Don’t waver, the bond is strong, and you love him, don’t you?”
He looks a bit flustered. “I do. Is that stupid? I haven’t known him for long, but...”
“It’s not stupid,” I reassure him. “But, don’t you dare die on me!”
A hint of stubbornness and confidence flashes in Tynan’s otherwise tired eyes. “There is no way I’ll die before losing my virginity,” he says seriously.
“Wait…what?”’ I blink at him. “No way you are-”
He looks flustered. “I just made out with a few guys and girls in the past, but never went the whole way. Hopefully Shayan won’t mind.”
“I’m sure he won’t.”
Tynan squeezes my hand. “Thank you,” he mutters. “Thank you for supporting me although you lost…” he pauses. “Thank you.”