Dragon’s Heart Stone
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The stone was cold. I felt the chill on my face and hands, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was as if it were a part of me now. Like I’d always been here like this was my home. The sun had set when we arrived, leaving the world in darkness. There was no moon, and I could only see a few feet around me with my magic.
I sat on the grass, facing the cave mouth, and let my mind drift free. I imagined that I was the dragon. That I was flying over the land, hunting for prey, and I could feel the power in the air. It was like being a part of something larger than myself, bigger than my body, or even my magic.
This was the true power of the dragons, to be more than just what we were. To be a part of everything, and nothing at the same time.
“This is amazing,” I said softly, looking out over the landscape. “It’s like a dream.”
“You are a dream,” said a voice from behind me.
I jumped up, spinning around to find a young man standing there. He was beautiful, with long blonde hair and green eyes. His skin was pale, almost translucent, and he wore a dark cloak. It fell from his shoulders and pooled at his feet, but I could see the outline of a dragon within it.
“Who are you?” I asked, trying to hide my fear.
“A dreamer,” he answered. “But not your dream. A dream that is yet to come.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
He smiled. “Nothing. You are the dreamer. It is your choice.”
“Why do you keep calling me a dreamer? I’m not a dreamer. I’m just me.”
“Yes, you are,” he said. “But you are also something else. Something that has never existed before.”
“And what am I?” I asked, curious.
“A dragon,” he said. “A dreamer. And the first of many.”
***
“Dragons!” I shouted, jumping up and down. “I can fly! I can fly!”
The other dragons huddled around me, watching as I soared high into the sky. It was like a dream. All of my senses were heightened. My hearing was perfect, and I could hear the wind blowing through the trees and the rush of blood in my veins. I felt the warm sun on my scales, and I breathed in the scent of the sea.
I spread my wings wide, letting them carry me higher and higher until I was flying over the land. I saw the mountains, the rivers, and the forests. I saw the people who lived on the ground, and I smelled the smoke from their fires. The wind blew gently against my scales, and I looked down upon the world below me.
It was beautiful. I’d never seen anything like it before. I flew higher and higher until I could see the ocean. I swooped down and dove into the water, swimming with the dolphins, who laughed as they chased me. I swam beneath the waves, watching the fish swim around me. It was like a dream.
Then, I felt the pull.
I pulled back up, turning my head to the side, and then I fell.
It was as if gravity had changed. I dropped like a stone, and the ground rushed up to meet me. I hit the earth hard, rolling over and over until I finally came to a stop.
The dragons circled above me, and I turned to look at them. They were all staring down at me, and I couldn’t understand why.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“You’re not a dragon,” said one of the dragons. “You’re human.”
***
I jumped up, shaking my head. “No, I’m a dragon! I’m a dreamer. I can fly! I can do magic!”
They all stared at me, but I couldn’t understand what they were saying. I was a dragon. I knew I was. But I didn’t feel like one. I was human. I was just me.
“I don’t get it,” I said. “Why am I not a dragon?”
One of the dragons walked toward me, his tail wagging. He knelt down, and I could see that he had blue scales. He was young, maybe eight or nine years old. He reached out and touched my hand, and I flinched away from him.
“We are sorry,” he said. “We did not mean to frighten you.”
“But how am I different?” I asked. “I feel like I’m missing something. Like I’ve been cut off from myself somehow. What is going on?”
“You are the first,” he said. “And you will be the last. The first of many.”
“How am I the first?” I asked.
“You have come here from another time to a world where dragons no longer exist. You are the first of many, and it is your choice. Do you wish to stay here? Or do you wish to return to your own time?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “I think I want to stay. This is beautiful. It’s like a dream.”
He smiled. “Yes, it is. But we must go now. We will come back again, but it is your choice. Your choice to stay or to go.”
I thought about it for a moment. I didn’t know if I wanted to leave. I felt like this was the only place I’d ever known. And I wasn’t sure I was ready to go back home.
“You’re right,” I said. “I’m not ready yet. I need some time to think about it.”
The dragon nodded and then he stood up. He waved his tail, and the other dragons flew away. I watched them fly into the sky, and I wondered if they would come back again. I hoped so.
“Come,” said the dragon. “Let us fly.”
***
I walked through the woods with the dragon, following him as he led me toward the sea. It was like a dream. Everything was bright and beautiful, and I felt at peace.
“Do you know where we are going?” I asked.
“Yes,” he said. “We are going to the sea. You will be safe there.”
“Will you come back to visit me?” I asked. “I don’t think I can leave. Not yet.”
He shook his head. “We will not be able to come back. But you can come back here whenever you wish. Here, in this place. The world has changed, but it is still beautiful.”
I followed him down onto the shore, where the waves crashed against the rocks. There were fish swimming around my feet, and I bent down to scoop one up. It was cold, and it squirmed inside my hand.
“Don’t touch them,” said the dragon. “They’re very fragile. They could die.”
I put the fish back into the water. I couldn’t imagine killing something so small. I wasn’t a murderer. I’d never even killed a spider.
The dragon turned to look at me. His eyes were blue, and he looked sad.
“Are you scared?” he asked. “Do you wish we had stayed in the forest?”
“No,” I said. “I’m not scared. I just don’t want to leave this place. I’ve never seen anything like it before.”
“It is beautiful, isn’t it?” he said. “But we must go now. It is time for you to return to your own world.”
I took a deep breath and nodded. I didn’t want to leave. But I knew that I would have to eventually. And when I did, I’d come back here again. I could feel it in my bones. This was a special place. It was different from any other place I’d ever been.
I looked around at the sea and the sky. The sun was shining, and the breeze felt good on my face.
“You know,” I said, “I think I’ll stay here.”
The dragon smiled. “That’s what you wish to do?”
“Yes,” I said. “I want to stay.”
“Then it is decided,” he said. “Welcome to the new world. We are happy to have you here.”
***
When I woke up, I was lying on the beach. The sun was warm, and the waves were crashing against the rocks. I sat up and stretched. I looked around me. My clothes were gone, and I was naked. But I felt like I was home.
The dragon was sitting next to me. He was holding his head in his hands. His scales were a dull gray, and he looked as though he’d aged ten years overnight.
“What happened?” I asked. “Why are you so old?”
“I am dying,” he said. “My time is near.”
“Oh, no!” I cried. “Are you going to leave me alone? Are you going to abandon me?”
He looked at me and sighed. “I have loved you since the moment I saw you. I would never leave you. But I have lived a long life, and I am ready to die. It is my choice, and I am not afraid of death.”
I reached out and touched his paw. “You can’t die,” I said. “I don’t want to live without you.”
“I understand,” he said. “And I am sorry for that. But I have made my choice.”
I grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. “No! Don’t leave me! You can’t!”
“We must go,” he said. “There is nothing more I can do here. Nothing more you can learn. If we stay, you will only be sad.”
I let go of him and fell to my knees. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. This wasn’t happening. I didn’t want to lose him. Not now.
“Please,” I said. “Don’t leave me. Please.”
“It is time for you to return to your own world,” he said. “If you wish to see me again, you must go there.”
I shook my head. “No,” I said. “You promised you would come back to visit me. You said you’d be here.”
“I know,” he said. “But I am dying. My time is running out. And I cannot be reborn unless you are there with me. If you want to see me again, then you must return to your own world.”
I buried my face in my hands. “Please,” I said. “Just give me another day. One more day. Just one more.”
“It is too late,” he said. “My time has passed. I am done.”
The dragon lifted his head and looked at me. His eyes were still blue, but they had grown sadder.
“I am sorry,” he said. “You have been good to me. You have made my last days so much better than I thought they would be. I will miss you terribly.”
“But—” I said. “What about all the things you taught me? What about all the magic? Will you forget everything we’ve talked about?”
“No,” he said. “I won’t forget. But I am not the same dragon anymore. You can’t expect me to be. And I will not be able to help you when you need it most.”
He turned away from me and lay down on the sand. He was breathing hard, as though he’d just run a long way. I followed him and sat down next to him.
“Please don’t go,” I said. “I know that you’re ready to die, but I’m not ready for you to go. I love you, and I don’t want you to leave me.”
He lifted his head and looked at me.
“Do you really love me?” he asked.
I nodded. “Yes,” I said. “I love you. I always have. And I’ll never stop loving you.”
“Then I will stay,” he said. “We will both live together forever. It is what we have wished for all these years. Now we can make our dreams come true.”
“Are you sure?” I asked. “You don’t have to do this. We can be happy in my world.”
“I am sure,” he said. “And I am grateful to you. But I cannot be reborn unless you are there with me. So you must go back to your own world.”
“Okay,” I said. “Let’s do it. But if you ever change your mind, you can always come back. You can always find me.”
“I promise,” he said. “I will come back to visit you. You will see me again.”
“That’s okay,” I said. “But I want you to know that I loved you. And I’m so sorry I didn’t understand sooner.”
He sighed. “It is all right,” he said. “I love you too. Now it is time for me to go.”
He lifted his head and stretched his neck out toward me. Then he opened his mouth and blew his breath into my face.
I felt myself floating up through the air, as though I were flying. The sky was dark, and stars shone brightly above me. The wind blew through my hair, and I smelled salt water. I looked down and saw the beach. I had no idea where I was going. But I knew that I would be all right. I felt calm and peaceful.
And then I saw him.
He stood on the shore, watching me. His eyes were still blue, but they were brighter than ever. He was smiling.
“I love you,” he said.
“I love you too,” I said.
I touched his cheek, and he kissed me.
The End