Chapter 30
“Hey Mate, you’re as rare as I am,” Fionn said, looking at Hunter.
“Not quite, pet…right Oracle?”
“That is correct,” Oracle replied. “Fionn, what do you know about your mother’s family?”
“Not much…I never met any of them…at least as far as I can remember. I know she has a sister and brother who wanted custody of me,” Fionn said, “but obviously they didn’t succeed.”
“Pet, were they in the courtroom during the hearing?” asked Hunter.
“Nope, only my father’s brother showed up.”
“Your mother was an only child,” said Oracle. “The sister and brother who claimed to be related to your mother are actually your grandfather’s step-children from a previous marriage.”
“You mean they’re not related to me by blood?” asked Fionn.
“Not even a drop,” Oracle said, smiling.
“Way before your mother was born, your grandfather married a widow with two children but never adopted them because he expected his new wife to bear a male child who would carry on his line. Unfortunately, it was not to be, because she died. Vexed at his bad luck, he sought another woman, hoping she would give him a male heir. While visiting relatives, he met your grandmother, and married her. Unfortunately, they only had one child together…a girl.”
“My mother,” Fionn said.
“Yes,” Oracle said. “She was still a young girl when, your father, on a trip abroad, met your grandfather and as part of a business deal, agreed to purchase the young girl who would become your mother.”
“Why did he pick her?” asked Fionn.
“Your father found out she came from the oldest, most respected dragon clan so he made a generous offer which was accepted. When your mother came of age, your father returned to claim her and took control of her hoard. Once back in Scotland, Artur MacDùghlas set upon getting the heir he always wanted,” Oracle said.
“But all the babies died,” Fionn murmured.
“Yes, except you,” Oracle said.
“Why was Fionn’s mother sold when she was so young?” asked Hunter.
“She was the last child her mother could have,” Oracle explained, “and her husband was angered that she had not produced a male heir. So he sold the child to punish her.”
Jackson then asked. “You mentioned Fionn’s mother came from the oldest dragon clan. Other than bragging rights, is there any other significance to that?”
“Yes, there is. A white dragon must be a descendant of that clan.”
Hearing that, Fionn’s eyes widened so much he was sure they were going to fall out of their sockets. “No way! It can’t be…my mother never said anything.”
“Your mother was protecting you; most dragons don’t know about this because it has been so long since the last white dragon was born. But it is true, Fionn, the only white dragons that were born throughout time all came from your mother’s clan.”
“Why only from that clan?” asked Hunter.
“In the beginning, when gods were creating beings for earth, the Goddess of the Moon wanted a creature to represent her there, one who would remind all who saw it of the moon and its power, so she created a white dragon.
When other gods saw it, they also decided to create dragons…
seven in total…but none could make a white one.
That color was reserved for the goddess of the moon.
“From those seven, the white dragon picked its mate, forming the first dragon clan on earth. When this happened, the goddess of the moon gave great powers to her dragon…powers that the white dragon shared with the other dragons but not equally…keeping more for himself. So any dragon born to the white dragon’s clan is more formidable than dragons of other clans. ”
“Why are white dragons so rare?” asked Hunter.
“After the first white dragon died, several thousands of years passed before the goddess sent another one,” Oracle replied.
“Why? What happened?” asked Fionn, enthralled with Oracle’s story.
“No one knows…maybe because something else held her attention, or maybe because the seven dragon clans were enjoying peace and prosperity…gods never explain their actions,” Oracle said.
“But then, after years of peaceful co-existence, trouble began brewing among the clans over how much territory each had. Because the white dragon clan had the most, others became jealous. When an acceptable solution could not be reached, the clans became divided, sides were taken and war broke out. When death and destruction finally reached proportions the gods could no longer ignore, the goddess of the moon created another white dragon to end the conflict.”
“Was the second white dragon different from the first one?” asked Jackson.
“Yes…the goddess of the moon gave the second one a dangerous supernatural power, allowing him to end the war,” Oracle explained. “From that point on, a white dragon, also known as a lunar dragon, represented danger, death and rebirth.”
“If that’s true,” asked Hunter, “what’s the danger Fionn’s facing?”
“None. The danger is within the dragon world,” Oracle said.
“Are you saying Fionn was sent by the goddess of the moon to save all dragons?” asked Hunter. “And from what?”
“I will answer your question shortly, but first, there is more to tell.
The gods took note of how well the white dragon stopped the war and restored peace, so when the next dragon conflict occurred on earth, they begged the goddess of the moon for another to help them.
She agreed, and from then on a white dragon was born every 500 years; its mission was to insure peace among dragons.
“What happened to change that?” Hunter asked, puzzled. “Why did two thousand years go by between the last white dragon and Fionn?”
“The last one was killed,” Fionn said.
“By who?” asked Hunter.
“Other dragons killed him,” said Jackson.
“How?” asked Hunter. “He had a supernatural power, right?”
“He had yet to receive them and I will explain that later,” Oracle said.
“But you should know that, for hundreds of years, the hostility between dragon clans had diminished, so few dragons ever had cause to meet a white one.
Over time, the dragon world forgot the reason for their existence until finally, white dragons became the stuff of legends and myths.
Each story was more frightening than the last…
one even claiming that a white dragon would enslave the dragon world.
“When the last white dragon was born two thousand years ago, his parents kept the knowledge of his birth a secret, fearful someone would believe the myths and try to harm their child.
But by the time he became an adult, their worries had faded and so, when their son, Draco, announced his desire to travel around the world, his parents gave their blessings.
“The young man was overjoyed, but before he left, they warned him not to reveal his white dragon to others.
Assuring them he would not, he set upon his travels, enjoying adventures in new lands and cultures and becoming acquainted with many different species of paranormals.
Raised in a home filled with love, Draco had only love to give to those he met…
and it was that love that caused his demise.
“Flying over some mountains at night, he saw a young boy caught in a bear trap. Landing, he shifted and, after freeing the boy’s leg, he became alarmed at the amount of blood he was losing.
Knowing he had to get the injured lad to someone who could help him, he shifted back into his white dragon and flew the boy to an isolated mountain village nearby. ”
“So that’s how the other dragons found out about him,” Fionn said.
Oracle nodded. “Yes. Realizing his mistake, Draco left quickly, hoping the isolation of the village would keep his identity from spreading.”
“But it didn’t,” said Fionn. “Ki told me the white dragon was killed by other dragons.”
“Unfortunately, yes. Some traders arrived a few days later and villagers told them what happened. Then it was only a matter of time before word reached the dragon world. Fearful that the myths were true, some dragons hatched a plan to kill Draco.”
“According to what I’ve heard, they succeeded,” Jackson said.
“How come?” asked Hunter. “What about his supernatural powers?”
“A white dragon only gets his power when he claims his mate. That had not happened yet,” Oracle said, with sadness in her voice.
“The goddess of the moon was so upset, she swore she would never create another white dragon. She blamed herself for not adequately protecting him. Even though the Fates insisted it was not her fault, the goddess was heartbroken. She came down to earth and, cradling the broken body of her beloved white dragon, ascended into the night sky, vowing he would have eternal life.”
“And did he?” asked Fionn.
“Yes,” replied Oracle. “Even today, Draco, her white dragon lives on in the sky, a brilliant star-studded constellation that revolves around the North Pole and is always visible in our hemisphere.”
The room fell silent. Thinking about the white dragon, Fionn knew he had to see his ancestor, so he turned to Hunter. “Mate, can we visit him?”
“Sure,” Hunter said softly, intuitively knowing why his mate wanted to go. “Maybe after the court hearing.”
Nodding, Fionn thanked the Fates for giving him a mate who could understand his feelings so well.
“Oracle,” said Jackson, “what changed the goddess of the moon’s mind? Why now, after two thousand years, has another white dragon appeared?”
“Evil has gained a foothold in the dragon world,” Oracle said.
“At first, the gods didn’t see it or if they did, ignored it, thinking it would only affect a few weak souls.
But it soon became an epidemic; evil, under the guise of greed, began digging its tendrils into many souls, strong souls, turning them black.
And the infection was spreading so rapidly, the gods were distraught and turned to the goddess for help.
But she refused, unwilling to risk the life of another of her white dragons.