Chapter 10 #2
“It was their Song. The Song of Guardians. A melody older than creation itself. Born of the stars. Carried by the breath of dragons. A song only the chosen could hear… and only when the world needed them most.
The first Guardian was ours—born here, on this very Isle. Born of dragon blood and starlight’s breath. She carried the Song in her heart… and when the darkness came, she alone stood between the end… and everything we are.
The sky split. The void clawed at the edges of creation. And she sang.
Her voice rose like fire, and the Song answered.
She held the line—until the darkness was driven back.
But… Guardians are not eternal.”
Valyndra’s voice softened, threaded with sorrow, while Phoenix’s voice carried hope and determination.
“Eventually, even she was lost to us, her Song fading into the wind, carried beyond our reach.
Yet the Goddess left us a promise:
When the stars grow dim and the world again stands on the edge… the Song will rise.
And with it… the next Guardian.
You will know them not by their power… but by the fire they carry—and the melody only they can hear, calling them home.”
Valyndra exhaled slowly, the final words hanging heavy in the air as Phoenix trembled at the new knowledge that filled her with a sense of calm and purpose.
“And now, child… the Song stirs. It calls to you.”
Phoenix closed her eyes for a heartbeat, letting the truth settle deep in her chest. She no longer felt alien and alone in her body. She felt… peace.
“I hear it… and I’ll be ready.”
The next morning sun sparkled off the sails of the airship, turning the pale canvas a golden hue. The ship gently rocked against the docking. The sounds of the crew’s laughter mixed with Carly, DJ, Stone, and Roo’s excited voices as they boarded the magnificent flying vessel.
Phoenix stood on the dock gazing upward. She had never seen anything like it—an enormous medieval sailing ship, complete with rigging and wooden decks… only this one had wings that expanded outward.
“Remember, if any of those damn pirates come to offload their wares, make sure it wasn’t stolen from any of our vessels. Carly wanted me to remind you to give the Elemential ambassador and his wife our apologies for not meeting them for dinner, and—”
Draegor patted his son’s arm. “Don’t worry about a thing, son. You just focus on finding Phoenix’s friends. Your mother and I have a little bit of experience running a kingdom,” he dryly commented.
Phoenix turned when Valyndra stepped closer to her and held out her arms. Her throat was tight as she hugged the older woman.
“Thank you… for everything,” Phoenix whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “For helping me find… me.”
Valyndra cupped her cheek, her golden eyes shining. “The journey’s just beginning, child. But you’ll never walk it alone.”
Draegor grinned, his hand gentle on her shoulder. “I second that, Phoenix. It has been an honor to meet another Guardian Protector, but it has been an even greater honor to meet such a lovely young woman. If you ever need our help, we will be there for you.
“Hey, Phoenix, come on. Mom said we can help steer the ship!” Stone hollered.
“Carly!” Drago roared, his expression changing to panic as he hurried up the gangway.
“If those two grandsons of mine get you into trouble, let me know. And if you don’t mind, help keep an eye on that granddaughter of mine. She’s too smart for her own good, sometimes,” Draegor added in a gruff tone.
Phoenix laughed, blinking back tears. “I think I can handle them, and I promise to keep an eye on Roo.”
With a final hug, she turned and boarded the airship. Fifteen minutes later, the wind caught the sails and the deck shuddered beneath her feet. The sailing ship picked up speed, gliding across the water before it rose—higher and higher—leaving Isle of the Dragons behind.
Phoenix stood on the upper deck, leaning against the polished rail, staring out at the vast expanse of blue sky. Below, the land rolled away, wild and beautiful.
Laughter rang out, pulling her attention to DJ, Stone, and Roo, who were racing across the deck with wooden swords as a wildly fluttering flock of paper birds weaved around them.
“Prepare to be boarded!” DJ bellowed, jabbing his sword at Stone.
“Roo! Take the wheel! We’re pirates now!” Stone whooped, racing toward the helm.
“I am the captain!” Roo shrieked, her wild curls bouncing as she swung around a mast and jabbed her sword at both boys. “And I say… we plunder the dragons!”
Phoenix burst out laughing as DJ yelped dramatically, clutching his chest and stumbling backward.
Drago groaned from behind her. “By the stars… Ashure’s definitely corrupted my children.”
Phoenix grinned over her shoulder as Drago came to stand beside her. “They’re pretty convincing pirates.”
“Don’t encourage them,” Drago muttered, shaking his head as Stone shouted something about ‘the pirate code’ and DJ fell backward over a coil of rope. “Ashure’s brainwashed them into thinking pirates are better than dragons. My ancestors are probably rolling in their graves.”
Phoenix snorted, covering her mouth. “To be fair… King Ashure does sound like he would be a lot of fun.”
Drago gave her a long-suffering look, then sighed. “Unfortunately… you’re not wrong.”
They stood in companionable silence for a moment, watching the kids’ chaotic game while the paper birds swirled like tiny messengers caught on the wind.
Finally, Drago asked quietly, “Did you find what you were looking for… at Arkla?”
Phoenix’s throat tightened. She nodded, staring out over the horizon. “Yeah. I did. Your mom… she’s a very special woman.”
Drago nodded, gazing back toward the horizon and his home. “Yes… she is.”
She smiled faintly. “Thank you… for helping me.”
“It… took me a long time to learn to ask for help. Once I did, I discovered that it made me a stronger, better leader,” he confessed.
“That’s kind of what your mom and dad told me. I’m lucky. I have my parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, but mostly my sister and my cousins. We call ourselves the Dragonlings. Even though all of us don’t change into dragons, it fits.”
Drago smiled, straightened, and turned to study her face. “A messenger arrived early this morning. He brought word from Orion. There seems to be a little bit of trouble.”
Phoenix’s head snapped toward him, heart leaping. “What kind of trouble?”
Drago’s lips twitched. “It appears a young dragon prince from a distant world and Orion and Jenny’s two boys had a little adventure of their own… and it’s caused a bit of an uproar for the King of the Sea Serpents.”
Phoenix groaned, already rubbing her temples. “Oh no… which one?” She winced. “If it’s a dragon, it can’t be Roam. That narrows it down to Zohar, Bálint, or Jabir. Out of the three, when you say trouble… okay, it could be any of them.”
Drago chuckled, his shoulders shaking. “They didn’t give a name… but from what I gather, it can’t be too bad or Orion would be threatening war.”
Relief swept through her, and Phoenix laughed. “If it helps, we normally don’t cause any lasting damage from our antics.” She turned, her gaze softening. “Do… do you think this Orion is really upset?”
Drago smiled, his expression fond. “No. He and Jenny are used to Dolph and Juno getting into mischief.” He tipped his head toward the horizon. “That’s where we’re headed now. We should reach the Isle of the Sea Serpents by tomorrow afternoon. I look forward to meeting your friend.”
Phoenix sighed. “I just hope everyone is okay.”
“I’m sure they are,” Drago said.
Phoenix smiled, her chest lighter than it had felt in days.
“You’re a good king… and dad. You remind me a lot of my dad and uncles.”
Drago chuckled. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
They stood quietly for another breath before Phoenix exhaled and looked up at him as he watched his trio and shook his head with a rueful expression of disgust when they shouted for the release of the sea monkeys.
“Goddess help me, where were they hiding those damn things?” he groaned.
Phoenix turned in time to see a bunch of cute, colorful creatures climbing the sails. Her giggles turned to laughter when the crew yelped in surprise and Drago shouted for them not to harm the creatures or the Empress of the Monsters would toast all their asses.
She sighed, watching the mayhem unfold. “If the others are having half as much fun as I am, then this is going to be the best adventure ever!” she giggled, turning around and lifting her face to the breeze.
No one noticed that slight flutter of gold among the paper birds. They were too enraptured by the antics of the kids and the sea monkeys. Fluttering up to land on a weathered beam, Aminta chuckled as she watched the chaos below with amusement.
Scattered across this vast world, her friends faced their own trials.
With Phoenix safe, Aminta soared into the sky, her wings shimmering, scattering golden sparks like a thousand tiny suns as she disappeared into the blue.
It was time to check on a certain young dragon prince who might be in a little over his head.