The Exiled Dragon
Her Dragon

Odessa

The warm body beside me wasn't near as hot as my usual heater. In fact, the lack of hair had me troubled as I quickly sat up before I even had a chance to open my eyes. The place where I sat wasn't in bed, but on a thick pile of emerald green grass. Tall trees with vines and tiny leaves swept the ground, moving with the movement of the world I was now in. They swayed gently, tapping my bare feet and long white night dress I wore.

The purring behind me quickly reminded me I wasn't alone, and I was dangerously close to whatever was behind me. It wasn't as deep as Creed's dragon and the heat of its breath blew out through its nostrils, causing my curly hair to twirl around my neck.

"Heckers, what am I in to now?" I muttered, finally turning to see a bright purple eye with pearl like scales surrounding it. Its pupil dilated a few times to catch a proper vision of me with my mouth hanging open. "H-hello?" my questioning greeting only made the large head back away. Scales moving underneath my lower back had me scooting away.

I had been sleeping upright on this massive pearl dragon. The light that filtered through the trees hit the scales at such an angle. Small little iridescent rainbows lit up her scales. That's right her, because for some reason in my mind that was what I dubbed her as.

Her head leaned back, giving me the proper angles to see how big she was. Her lightly purple talons were massive, her scales rippled down her, similarly to Creed. The top of her head held massive spiraling textured horns. Small white feather like tendrils went down her neck, just like Creeds. Her wings were leather-like but also patchy areas of small feathers.

She was beautiful, her head regal and proud. Her rumbling that I felt from her body radiated into my chest. My chest. I could feel her like she was a part of me. My sudden realization made her feather brows rise with surprise, and I felt that too. Her emotion. Surely it couldn't possibly be that.

"Can I feel you?" I rubbed my chest to see if the feeling would go away, but it didn't. "The dragon nodded her head, her snout rubbing up against my forehead. "But why? Why can I feel you and where am I?"

The surroundings were close to that of the forest on the mountain where Creed and I lived. Magical, all of it was magical. Even down to the purple moss that continued to let out lights while my new companion's tail swiped around it. She watched the lights, snuffing her nose, causing the lights to disperse so quickly.

"And why can I feel you?" If a dragon could smile, I think this was it. Her lip curled and her teeth scratched an itch around her forearm. Watching her intently, I feel a range of emotions running through me. Excitement being the most prominent and then love. It was the love that felt for Creed only magnified that much stronger.

"Did Creed do this to me?" Her excitement grew as she looked at the sky. A dark dragon circling over head left shadows around us. Letting out a roar, she snapped her large fangs a few times before the dragon making a slow descent down to the thick trees that surrounded us. He landed with a thud and with one glance into this matte black dragon's eyes, I instantly knew it to be Creed's.

"Jiminy Cricket." Creed's dragon walked forth. It's gentle foot steps walking towards the pearl one, now that I just realized was mine. Both of their heads touched. My dragon still kneeled on the ground as the Black Dragon purred and rubbed his face all over her. My heart felt ten times bigger. Could I feel the Black Dragon's emotions too?

Covering my mouth, I watched them lovingly, almost preening with each other. "You are my dragon," I pointed to the pearl one now looking towards me. "And you are Creed's," speaking out loud. "I have a dragon now?!" I squealed, both dragons chests rumbled.

"She indeed is your dragon, a beautiful one, too." A man's voice that reminded me of my own father came from behind me. Turning and seeing this said man, it actually was him. His hands were in his slacks, larger than for his healthy average frame. He had on a typical 'dad' collared shirt, his hair slicked back. He was younger, healthier, livier, and the smile on his face made the lump in my throat to appear.

"Dad?" I heaved in a heavy breath.

"There's my princess." Both of our eyes became glassy. My legs took me to where my father stood, and I reached around his neck and pulled him close.

"Oh, dad!" I cried into his shoulder. His lips kissed the side of my head. Something he always did when he was proud of me. "How are you here? Everything is so crazy, I don't know what..." My voice cracked, taking in the deep smell of his old cigar he tried so desperately to hide and the brandy that still tainted his breath. "How are you here?!" I begged again.

His hand pushed back my crazy curls, his eyes filled with sincerity. I took a mental picture of his bright blue eyes and the tiny crow's feet that he had visibly gone away. He was so healthy, his skin glowed and even his upper body looked stronger.

"I guess those drunken nights telling you about dragons and faraway places was worth telling 'eh?" I let him go.

"You knew about this place? This Bergarian place?" I muttered. His smile came down to pursed lips and glances over to the dragons now curled around each other. They both laid their heads on each other's backs, not caring for the conversation unfolding.

"I didn't know the name, and I didn't know how to get there, but I made a friend in Ireland who was, in fact, a dragon." My eyes widened. "I saw him flying over one day as I took a hike in the nearby woods. All the locals stayed away, saying it was haunted, but you know me, I needed an adventure and, behold, I found one!" He threw his head back and laughed. "He appeared right before me, thinking I would run away, but I didn't. I stood there and tried to capture every detail with my mind before he mindlessly ripped me to pieces, but he didn't." Dad winked, causing me to laugh.

"There was an entire tribe of them." he waved his hand. "They were hidden by magic and for some strange reason, this dragon shifter thought I was safe to bring back with him. He said he felt something," dad put his hand to his chest. "In here, that I was supposed to be there." Dad pulled me to the side of the woods, the dragons now sleeping peacefully. I didn't think twice about leaving them because they had each other to look after.

Dad continued to lead me through the forest until a cliff appeared, showing the large lands before us. For miles you could see castles, one that looked like the Light Kingdom in the distance, the darker area to the south, and many forests and birds flying in the air.

"They explained to me a land such as this, the fairytales that were true, about gods and soulmates." Dad waved his hand. The dragon dare say that I even had a mate, rare for a human, but that I had one! I wanted to go replace her. It sounded too good to be true, but the dragon, known as Rozure, said it was not my time to have her. That my mate was no longer here in either realm. She had passed away from a sickness. My mate, Sorin, had come to Rozure, her brother, in a dream, telling him the Fates would bring me here and was to give him the message. That I was to make a choice, that their Moon Goddess could pair me with another dragon mate or wait for her like she had decided to do for me." Father bit his lips, picking up a stone below his feet and throwing it over the cliff. "I chose to wait until the next lifetime, for her."

“You had a mate all along? Then why did you go with Mother?"

Father's eyes winced at hearing me speak of her. "She is not your mother," he spat. "A vessel that carried you, but nothing more." Father's eyes furrowed. "She was a dumb prostitute that spiked my drink the night before I went venturing into the woods. She stole my money, she did. Once he found out she was pregnant, she sought me out and I took care of her, because of you." Father pulled me into his embrace, his lips touching my hair. "I knew you were my daughter the first time I laid eyes on you. I didn't ask for a DNA test because I knew I would always be your father. I wanted to protect you, keep you away from her, so I kept you hidden as soon as I heard she went to try and awaken some sort of witch gene in her body." Both of my dad's hands landed on my shoulder.

"She wanted you back when you turned sixteen. I had a spell placed on our apartment. Even if I wasn't there, I thought you'd be safe. I'm sorry I didn't tell you all this sooner!" His voice cracked. I pulled him back into my arms, the brandy seeping through my nose.

"It's not your fault. You thought I was safe. You got so sick you didn't even know your own name," I chuckled. "Everything has worked out just fine. I've got a mate too," I sniffed.

"That you do," his laugh went through his bones. "And I approve. He is a magnificent dragon." A moment of silence went between us as we watched the setting sun.

"Do I get to meet your mate?" I cooed. "The one you waited until your death to meet? It's pretty romantic." I clasped my hands together, setting my hand on them, looking up at him dreamily.

"You want to meet her, huh?" I nodded. "It's hard to believe that I have a mate, and a dragon to a male human, well, was a human," he smirked. I choked.

"You are a dragon too now!?" Father laughed, head turning to the woods.

"Not as impressive as your dragon, but a dragon none the less." Father's arm raised, his palm facing up, waiting. Sorin, with chestnut brown hair and golden highlights, came walking out in a blue sundress. Father gripped her hand, pulling her towards me. "Nice to meet you," her voice carried through the cliffs. "You are more beautiful than your father has told me."

"Wow, I'm so glad he waited," I took her hand in mine. "Because I don't think I've ever seen him this happy." Her smile brightened, giggling at my cheesy lines.

"Me too, so happy that he did." Her hand trailed his cheek, which immediately turned red. My dad was such a hopeless romantic. "I hope we can be one happy family, even if it is, in your dreams."

"So this is all going to disappear when I wake up? You and dad?" Both of them looked at each other, clenching hands.

"We will be in here, princess," he pointed to my heart. "Now that you are a dragon, a supernatural now, you can see us in dreams much more vividly, just like we are really there." My sad smile wobbled. Keeping my composure was becoming harder.

"Hey, princess, don't cry." Dad's arms wrapped around me. "We will always be there for you, even when you don't feel it," he whispered. "There are a lot of challenges for the both of you. Just know you are strong, you always have been, but now you have got the brawn. You aren't just a helpless human in a world full of supernatural powers. Creed gave you this, wanted you to have it so he could always have you." I sniffed, my eyes looking over his shoulder and at Sorin's. "We will always be here," she whispered. "But now you must go." I shook my head, holding tightly to dad. "No, not just yet," I begged.

"Your mate is waiting," father kissed my cheek. Before he came back into my line of vision, he and Sorin had faded into the setting sun. The heavy breathing behind me held that of Creed and my dragon, both lowering their heads and touching each side of my face.