Chapter 17
Something was wrong; I could feel it as I stirred back into the land of the living and tried to process what had happened.
I knew that I wasn't in the meeting room anymore, no sound of discussion filling my ears as we talked about whatever we needed to get on the same page as others.
There was no sound of shuffling as people got comfortable or the occasional sniffle and cough while Jonah led the discussion, and I answered what I knew truthfully.
There... was nothing, and it didn't process through my groggy mind that I was nowhere near anyone else until I opened my eyes to be blinded by a bright light.
Quickly, I closed my eyes and groaned, the feeling of this strange soreness covering my body like the quilted blanket I normally used when I slept at home.
Home... a place where I needed to get back and help with the chores that I hadn't done the day before, but it was also the place where I didn't know how to get back to.
After a while, the soreness became bearable, and I was finally able to stir and open my eyes to check out my surrounding.
Slowly, I sat up and looked around to notice that I was in a meadow spotted with an array of different colored flowers ranging blues, grays, reds, pinks, and golds that shifted with the coming of a soft breeze.
I closed my eyes to the breeze and felt it gesture for me to follow, so I stood and started to walk in the direction that it wanted me to go before running when it picked up speed, feeling its urgency.
I ran as fast I could, my bare feet touching the ground softly and not making any noise to alert others that I was there.
All too soon, I came to a halt in front of a drop and ignored the wind as it tried to push me across the ledge. "Wait," I hissed, hoping that it would stop trying to push me where it wanted me to go. "Let me get ready. Let me prepare myself for a second."
The wind pushed me in that direction one last time before backing off, understanding my need to prepare myself for whatever came next. It didn't back off completely, playing with my brown hair and dress while I took a deep breath.
I closed my eyes and nodded my head, making up my mind to jump. I took a couple of steps backward and opened my eyes, feeling determined. My heart pounded in my chest, the steady beat going thump, thump, thump as I prepared myself to take a leap of faith into the realm of the unknown.
The wind gently blew around me, and I had this feeling that it was encouraging me to jump. It was excited, nervous, even as if it knew what laid underneath the ledge and knew that I wouldn't get hurt.
Again, I took a deep breath and let it out before starting to run in that direction with the wind pushing me, feeling my hesitance, and not letting me stop again and think of my next step.
I didn't let myself think either as I got to the edge and jumped, praying that nothing bad would happen to me because my mother couldn't handle another heartbreak.
I grunted when I landed on something hard and warm, instantly opening my eyes when I noticed I had closed them. I was clutching something; I knew that I was, but it took me a moment to realize that I was clutching something that was moving faster than I had ever moved before.
Stunned and not knowing where my head was, I looked down to notice that I was clutching and riding something scaley. Slowly, I lifted my head to notice that these golden scales went all the way up until it reached a face, a face with an eye turned towards me.
Dazed, I let go of the scale in front of me and rubbed my eyes to make sure that I wasn't dreaming or imagining such a magnificent creature that I had never seen and only heard about in passing.
"Dragon," I whispered, surprised that the wind didn't carry my voice away with it. I felt the cr- dragon underneath me shake from a chuckle and clutched at the scale again with one hand.
The dragon, a female, stayed patient while I got my bearings and bowed her head when she noticed me looking more aware of my surroundings than I had been moments before. She waited for me to do something, and I had a feeling that she wanted me to take down the mental block I had around my mind.
Slowly, I let it down and waited for the female dragon to say something. I kept my gaze on her and watched as she slowly turned her gaze back up front.
"Hello, Princess," she said, her voice soothing and comforting. Her voice reminded me of a mother, and I liked it a lot. "My name is Yamaron. I am the Dragon Mother and happy to, finally, make your acquaintance after watching you for so long."
I frowned, not knowing if I liked the sound of being watched, especially from a dragon who knew everything about me, including the memories that I had gained again about that night so long ago.
The Dragon Mother sighed and looked at me when I didn't say a word. "He shouldn't have done that," she said. "It was for your own protection."
I nodded my head slowly. I had so many questions running through my brain, so many thoughts that I had no idea how to ask, and I was impressed that the Dragon Mother didn't get annoyed with me.
"Where are we going?" I asked, hesitantly, settling for one that seemed like something I could ask.
"To your dragon, of course," she replied. "He will not be able to fly just yet, but he will be able to grow faster than normal dragonlings. You are going to need him."
I frowned and nodded my head, staying silent. I knew that I would need my dragon, but I had no idea what I was going to need him for. I didn't know that much about Dragons; neither my father nor Jonah teaching me anything about them.
"You will be taught about them once you connect with your dragon," the Dragon Mother said.
She disapproved of me not learning about dragons until now; I could tell by the way that she felt.
"Why this information wasn't given to a daughter of the Hargen Tribe is beyond me, but I can promise you that you will receive it. "
"Thank you, Dragon Mother," I said, relieved. "I am forever grateful."
The Dragon Mother chuckled as she slowly started to circle, gliding lower and lower until she finally landed in a clearing, unlike the one I had found myself in when I woke up.
"You may call me Yamaron, Princess," she said, laying down and letting me slide off before standing.
"We will see each other often because I will be training you and your dragon. "
I offered her a small smile before looking around and taking in my surroundings. I noticed that there were more trees around us than the meadow I had woken up in with a rock in the middle, sunlight sparkling on something that looked like my dragon egg.
Yamaron nudged me towards the dragon egg. "I will help you hatch him and age him up until he is about three months. He will be able to start training then. You won't be able to start riding him until he is about six months."
I nodded my head and walked towards the dragon egg with Yamaron following me. Taking a deep breath in, I placed my hands on either side of the dragon egg and felt complete before looking at her, waiting for her instructions.
Yaramon leaned over me and placed her nose on the top of the egg, closing her eyes. "Close your eyes and focus," she said soothingly. "Once you two are "bonded," then you will be able to wake up."
I gave her a weird look. "What do you mean by "bonded?" Are there multiple steps?" I asked.
Yaramon opened one eye and looked at me, unimpressed. You will understand what I am saying when you finish, Child." Her voice had a soft warning in it, and I could tell that she did not want me to question her any further. "Now, close your eyes and focus on your dragon."
I bit back a huff and closed my eyes, concentrating on the dragon in front of me. My hands and back grew warm, and I shuddered as I felt magic travel from my hands and all the way to my feet, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up.
Power crackled around us, and it felt as if my heart was splitting into two different directions before receiving another half from somewhere else. I could feel this presence around me and had a feeling that this was my dragon, the dragon that was in the egg.
"Awake," Yaramon said, finally. "You two have bonded. Good luck; we shall see each other again."
The power that crackled around us sparked, forcing me to move forward and creating this blinding white light that I could see behind my closed eyes.
The world felt like it was spinning faster and faster, and all I could do was cling onto my egg for dear life and pray to the Great that I would survive this.
And, then...
...I woke up back where I once had been before, gasping for air.