Love and Dragon

Every day I dream, every day I see myself high up in the skies.

I see the world all of it, I see how beautiful the world is. I feel closer to the sun, I feel closer to everything, and I am in bliss.

What if I told you my dreams are real, it is not a thought in my head where I go to hide but a place in the future which I have already been

No matter what I say, you won't believe me, no one will, I do believe me, I do believe the air brushing my skin, these white scales that tear through the wind, this saddle that holds me steady I do believe it is not a dream.

Because this is my world now, this is where I live, this is the only place I am happy.

this is my truth. this is my peace.

But not for long, my eyes slowly open to see my aunt's face her expression blank, and her white hair falling over her face, there is no smile, no frown, nothing. just as she had been ever since I was a child.

The only time she had talked for long was when she told me my father's name and my mother's name.

She never told me anything about them I never asked as I could see her eyes each time she called their names. And I mean the only time she called their names.

I could see the hurt in her eyes and the pain reborn as her thoughts wandered.

My aunt had taken care of me ever since I was a baby, I was hoping to take care of her now.

Find a good boy and fall in love and get married, she would be peaceful knowing she had raised me right, and maybe if the family grew bigger she will fall in love with life again, but all these plans had fallen with me on a faithful afternoon, I and Lily had gone to tend to our sheep's together.

Until one of my lambs got stuck on the side steep of a steep hill, it was normal for me, it was an easy thing to do as I had done it countless times and succeeded but this time my luck had run out and I was bare and feeling the air rush past me as my weight pulled me downwards, I could see my end, I could feel my heart race as the rocks below looked me in the eye, just for a moment I wished she had told me, I wished I had met them even though it was once before whatever happened to them.

I was lucky something caught my cloth for a split second and then it let me go again, I thought I was saved, I thought the rocks would not get to touch me but I was wrong, I hear a thud, it is my body hitting the ground, I don't hear any bones break, the only thing I hear is Lily shouting if I am okay.

My eyes close and I wake up in my aunt's room, I don't know how I got here, but I am here anyway.

I can't tell for how many nights or days I have been asleep before I woke up before I became this before everyone began to call me 'Fay the cripple who lives with her mad aunt' I wished they would forget about me or my aunt but for some reason, we became the only two names in the town and my aunt never seemed to one day rebuke anyone for their words.

I can hear the rumor from my window I can hear them chirper like birds hitting on wood.

Aunt Anna puts the towel away and brings breakfast closer to me.

The funny thing here is I can only use my eyes and ears, the rest of my body seemed not to know me anymore.

My feet are numb, and my hands don't move either, Aunt Anna places her hand one under my neck and the other supporting my body as she heaves me into a seating position.

I can hear her breath like she just finished racing against a horse, she puts me on her chest and began to feed me. I don't grumble.

I eat and smile, I don't want her to feel bad, she has been through a lot and she is still going through something worse.

I try to be brave because she is brave I try to be like her, I eat eagerly hoping it would end quickly and she would be set at ease.

I feel tears dropping, but I don't hear her sob, I don't see her face.

I feel my heart squeeze, and I understand the tears, they are not because I am a burden, I understand why they fall in silence, she feels like she will lose me too.

I wait until she adjusts my back on the bed before I kiss her cheek.

That is the only gesture I could offer, my hands could not wipe her tears so I let my dry lips graze her cheek.

She smiles and her face brightens, my heart skips and begins to pound faster.

For the first time in my life, my aunt smiled at me.

Will you teach me how to do that?

I asked her.

What?

To smile like you.

Her sobbing increased for some reason maybe I had said the wrong thing, I was only trying to make her smile more, I wanted her beautiful dimple to show itself often, and I wanted to see her eyes light up as they just did.

I am sorry I apologized, I did not mean to make you feel bad I tell her, I just loved the way you smiled, I could feel my heart glow.

Stop it she said and walked out of the house I have never seen her this way before and she had reacted to me more than I had hoped for.

I was anxious about where she was going and what she would do.

If I had legs right now I would run after her to make sure she was okay.

But now I am just stuck here, like a bag of hay.

Sitting here all alone I was wondering what had happened to my aunt she was still out and it was noon already, even while I was okay she had never left me on my own for this long.

She was always watching from a safe distance.

Wait she could just be seating out front, it hit me.

Aunt Anna!! I called

Auntie!!!

But I don't hear any answers, It seemed quiet outside too. is everyone okay?

Did she get into any kind of trouble?

Just as I was thinking hard I hear her open the door slowly, her eyes looked red, and I could tell she had been crying.

"I am sorry for all I said earlier, I apologized.

"It is not you dear child," she said.

I could hear her soft-toned voice, she moves closer and rubs my hair.

You sound just like your father, he could not say two words that would not swoon whoever he was talking to.

Promise me child that no matter what happens, you will stay alive and well.

Yes, I promise I Said.

Just then I felt something in my shift I could hear a sound, or a tune one which was strange but yet familiar, if I did not know better I would say I was humming it.

What is it my aunt asked?

Nothing I replied to her, I wanted us to continue this conversation, it was the first time but something in me was certain it won't be the last time.

"Auntie", please help me lie down I beg her.

She moves my weight slowly until I am comfortable on my back again.

She drags the bear-skinned covering over me and I close my eyes.

There he was waiting, he always hummed his way into my dream to drag me to my reality.

Here I am free, here I can walk and fly with him.

He turns and we lock eyes, his beautiful golden iris sharp as a predator scans my body, I could see myself through his eyes, I could see every and anything he sees.

I can hear his thoughts and he can hear mine, he knows I am in pain, and that is why he is here, that is why my dreams have started with him after I fell ,he is here to comfort me .

Where shall we go to valigan, tell me where would you like to see.

I smiled rubbing is white scales.

"You tell me fey ,I am here to fulfill your wishes,say the word and I shall follow evert letter."

I love being around you valigan ,let's just fly around far deeper ,this time I want to go to a place I have never been I want to see people I have never seen .

Where would that be he asked,I could tell it was rethorical.

But I arranged the saddle and hopped on his back stepping on his wings .

Valigan was big enough to carry ten people on his back .

Someday valigan we will have friends .

Someday is just any day he says.

There I screamed let's go there. I pointed towards a building high up into the clouds .

What would you like to go there fey ?

It looks really dangerous .

Are you scared of a small dark fog ,you are so big and strong ,look you have antlers and you could pretty much poke anyone with it .

Fey if we go to a place we aren't suppose to we would not be able to return if you stay here for long you won't be able to go back to your real body either.

Tell me about it I said ,I have been wanting to ,you know I said my lip curled up my eyes darkened as he lowered himself down,he flipped over ,my head was facing the earth when he charged towards the dark clouds.

As we got closer I could see the clouds had thunderstorm but still valigan wasn't going to stop.

His heart sank when he heard I wanted to die but still he was willing to charge into the storm with me,I felt responsible, I felt I owed him.

Valigan we should not die today ,I don't want you to die today,I said .

If you die on the real world I will too,I am a part of you and you are a part of me.

But don't worry we won't die ,it is just a storm ,it is not our first nor will it Be our last ,are you ready fay ? Valigan asked .

Yes I am I responded gripping the hold firmly on my saddle as valigan shot sthrough the storm so fast I could swear we vanished and appeared just on the other end where whe clouds were clear .

I looked back still stunned by the display ,I asked ,"what just happened ?

We passed through it ,we are here a faraway land one you have not seen before he said .as he slowly turned and I was now upright .

Where is this place ?

I guess you will have to find out by yourself later .

Let me show you the best view he says shooting into the cloud I could see the whole city like a small hamlet from this distance .

And then we drop with so much speed I could swear he was tear through the air .

I was enjoying the falll until we dropped low to one of the towers and then I looked through the window and a man seated with piles of books in front of him .

Valigan what are we doing here ?

"Asking for help ,9ne which he would be glad to give ."

What do you mean ?

Look at the books ,I used the eye of the dragon to look at the faces of all the books on the top.

The all had a drawing of dragons ,he was reading histories about dragon .

How is he going to help me valigan? I asked confused.

Let him see you first ,allow me go lower .

Move lower I say to him.

He moves lower and the I see his face with my own eyes now , he raises his head to look at me, and surprised he jumped from his seat towards his window before he could reach us,valigan turns and we head back east where we had flown from.

Valigan what are you doing?

We have not said a word to him.

We have said more than enough, all he needed to see, all he needed to hear.

Now we wait for him to find you fey he will be able to heal us.

I fly back home and Valigan drops me by the grass field behind my house, just as my feet touch the green grass, my eyes open.

I look around the room

and I see the oil lamps being set up.

Aunt Anna turned to look at me, I wondered how she knew I had woken up.

"You have slept for two days straight, you have been doing that of late, are you okay?

She stopped and waited for my reply.

I have been resting, I think my body wants it.

I reply.

It isn't normal to sleep for two long days without eating.

I remain quiet, I don't say any more, I don't want to make up stories, I don't even know what to tell her.

Will she believe me that I go into my dreams and ride a white dragon to faraway lands, will she believe I just saw someone who is coming to save me?

Maybe I am becoming mad too like my aunt, maybe it is a family thing as the people of stickwood used to tell me.

Maybe she too had the things she was seeing, it could be more reason to tell her but I don't tell her.

This is a bad idea I don't see a reason to tell her.

If I have lost my mind telling her would make her lose it too for real.

She brings me food again, she first pulled my clothes off of me and then she began to clean my body with water and a rag.

After which she began to feed me the bowl of grain and soup.

It was still warm and I enjoyed it, I was just sad, I could not do much for her.

"I am going to get better, someone is coming with medicine for me, "I say.

Her brows furrow she looks slightly closing her eyes she asks me, "Are you sure?

Did you see anyone in your dream?

I managed a smile and she said: "It is just a dream ".

But the gods can certainly

make your dream come true.

I was trying to tell her about my dream, I was trying to tell her about Valigan.

But I dared not say, he is just my dream.

Auntie, have you gone far away from stickwood before I ask her?

"No,stickwood is our home, I don't think there is any place apart from stickwood.

I think there are places apart from stickwood, beautiful places I say but she doesn't believe, "I think if there are other places we would have found them out, and gone to live there if they offered a possible opportunity for us to have a better life apart from this gossip and that gossip.

We both chuckle and she sits me up.

If there is someone in your dream I hope he finds you, and heals you.

Thank you Auntie I say.

She goes out front and seats, she watches the sky and relaxes, I can see her from the room, and I can tell she is happy.

I ponder on the man in the tower, who Valigan had taken me to see, I wonder what he would use to save me.

How will he find me?

How long will it take to reach stickwood and who he would ask first if they knew who I was.

Is he a prince ?

A king?

Or maybe he had magic ,I have heard of people from distant lands who could wield magic .

Was that why valigan had taken me to him?

There was no one who could answer my questions .

I had many of these floating in my head as I sat hopelessly where she had left me ,I could see her sleep right there and as the day grew darker and darker the birds and chirping of insets played like an old war song .

A song without rhyme just tune, wait what do I know about wars?

I think this sharade with valigan is making me have irrational thoughts and I am thinking of things I am not supposed to think of.

I was never born in a time of war ,no one in stickwood has ever heard of wars or

songs that had it theme.

Strange things for a young girl to be thinking about in the middle of the night, sleep seems to have become a stranger and my thoughts have found company in the room with me .

I only fear for my auntie lying there in the cold as the night heaves the wind around our mountain dwelling.

I begin to hum the sound ,just as I had heard it in my heard ,the one that pulled me to valigan it was a secret I know even without us saying so.

My life there was all that kept me busy as I hummed.

This time hoping the man in the tower would hear me and come for me

But slowly I drift I to slumber once more and this time I see valigan again.

He is resting in the fields his flawless white scales beautifying the green fields.

You are late he said to me

But I just left and I do t think it has been half a day.

Yes you are late and we need to go now.

We need to go see the world fay we need to go see other parts of the world.

I want to go and see him again

No you can't you will have to wait until he finds you.

How am I sure he will find me.

Trust him to find you fay that is all be needs

Come hop on let's go and see some dragons

Dragon land?

No, we are going to meldonia.

That is where the dragons are. that is where I am starting my journey.