The Dragon's Kiss

Chapter 7 - A Mistake

Her feet touched the ground again, and she let out a gasp, opening her eyes. She realized they had already travelled over the trees, and were now on the other side. 

"See. I told you. You're gonna be fine," Haco said softly.

She felt his breath on her forehead, realizing how close they were. His hands lingered on her waist, sending a shiver through her body, as her heart beat quickened. She blinked up at him, before stepping back. Haco cleared his throat, looking away from her. His expressions mirrored hers, both of them avoiding each other's gazes.

"We're here," he mumbled, glancing up towards the temple.

She did not reply, her eyes on the ground.

"Ashley?" he frowned, stepping towards her. "Are you okay?"

"Yes." She nodded, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. "Let's go." She met his gaze, tucking her hair behind her ear, before she glanced up at the temple. Her mouth parted in awe at its beauty. It was an antique building, around two stories high, with a dome-shaped roof. The pearly white walls of the temple glittered under the blue moon-light, and it radiated an ominous shine, almost enough to light up the entire area around it. Carved into the top of the domed roof was the figure of a flower, a splendid rose, blooming.

Ashley squinted her eyes at it, when an exhaustion washed over her senses, and a light blinded her all of a sudden. 

She saw the temple again, but this time, the sun shone gloriously in the sky and the singing of birds filled the air. At the top of the heavy stairway that lead to the entrance, stood a girl, almost her own age. She had her back facing her, as her luscious, blonde locks floated around her like smoke. She was clad in a dark ruby dress, that tailed behind her, covering half the steps. A cluster of gold and blue butterflies danced around her, as if she was the sweetest flower in the garden. They seemed to worship her as their Creator, following the motion as she slowly waved around her hand. Ashley's gaze focused on the ring on her finger, a huge blue stone at its top. It dazzled, directly into her eyes, making her wince and close them shut. 

When she opened them again, there was darkness around. And a very worried-looking Haco stared down at her, his hands holding onto her elbows. She blinked up at him, still trying to recover from the piercing throb in her head, as her knees buckled under her. He saved her from the fall, pulling her securely to his chest, as she held onto his tunic.

"What's wrong?" he asked, studying her carefully.

"I--I... I don't know," she muttered weakly, closing her eyes. "My head hurts."

"You're tired," he said, a deep frown on his face. He picked her up into his arms, his hands wrapping around the back of her knees and her waist. She leaned her head on his shoulder, as her head spun, making it hard for her to keep her eyes open. "Belina will know what to do," he whispered, before briskly walking up the stairs. Ashley glanced up at him, her eyes drooping shut as she fought to stay awake. For a second there, she thought she saw someone else, a man with raven hair, and white skin, staring down at her with soft brown eyes. But as she blinked, he was once again replaced with Haco, his eyebrows furrowed in concern. Darkness clouded her vision, and she finally gave up, slipping into oblivion. The last thing she heard was a raspy, feminine voice, ushering Haco to get her inside.

- - - -

Ashley slowly opened her eyes, feeling as if a weight was placed upon her chest, restricting all movements. Her body felt sore and weary, as if she had returned from some tiresome adventure, after slaying werewolves, and... dracones. The reality of her situation came crashing down upon her, and she immediately sat up, looking around in alarm. She was on an old-fashioned bed made out of nothing but white wood, severely missing the comfort of a mattress. She felt a throb in her back, and a scowl crossed her features. The room was airy, and practically empty, with high, white walls and a number of large doorways. The smell of ash and burnt wood irritated her nose, and she scrunched it up, disgusted. Where the hell am I? she wondered, gliding off the bed. It felt slightly higher than she expected, so she turned around to glance at it. Her eyes widened slightly when she found it to be levitating in mid-air, on its own.

"You're awake," Haco's familiar voice startled her. She turned around, her gaze instantly dropping to his shirtless body, before she looked away.

"And you're naked."

"I'm not naked," he replied, frowning. "Well, only half-way."

"Where are we?" she asked, looking anywhere but him. She hugged herself as a weird feeling rose up her chest, making her restless and uncomfortable. Maybe after getting a good nap, her senses were starting to work again, and she was realizing the gravity of what had happened to her. But her body felt far from rested. If anything, she felt even more tired now.

"We're at the Temple of the First Caster," Haco explained, walking up to her. She discretely took a step back, gulping, as it became harder for her to keep her eyes glued to the floor. "How are you feeling?" He closed the space between them, placing his palm on her forehead.

Ashley glanced up at him, before stepping back again. He frowned at her action, but did not say anything. An awkward silence hung in the air as they stared at each other, both of them unsure of what to say. Finally, someone else decided to speak up, breaking the ice.

"How do you feel?" a stern voice questioned. 

Haco moved aside, allowing Ashley to see the frail woman who had just entered the room. The first thing Ashley noticed about her was the hostility and judgement in her golden eyes as her scrutinizing gaze scanned her body from top to bottom.  

"I'm fine," Ashley replied with a frown on her face, as she tried to guess the woman's age. She looked to be in her forties, with her caramel brown hair and dull eyes, yet the way her voice sounded, she could easily be older than seventy. 

"So she lies too," she spat with distaste, her gaze moving to Haco.

Ashley's eyes narrowed on their own accord, as she too glanced at him, a questioning look on her face. "Who is this old hag?"

Haco's eyes widened, before a scowl formed on his features. "Speak with respect," he hissed, glaring at her. "This is Belina. She's the reason you're even able to stand right now." His tone was hushed. He walked over to Belina, an apologetic look on his face. "Forgive her words, Belina. She isn't in her right mind."

"Of course I'm not," Ashley announced before Belina could say a word. "I've been kidnapped, restrained, attacked by a freaking dragon, forced into an electric vortex, and flown over a group of trees. I also haven't eaten in God knows how long, my body feels like it's burning, and this annoying stench is making my head spin!" Tears pricked her vision, and she took a deep breath to hold back the cries. "I am tired, and I am confused. I want to go home." Her voice broke towards the end, and she closed her eyes, covering them with her hand.

Belina and Haco shared a look, before Haco let out a sigh. He walked over to her, and gently took her arm, making her glance up at him. His blue eyes bore into hers, as he nodded at her in reassurance. "You're gonna be fine, Ash. Calm down."

She gulped, sniffing, before she took a deep breath again. She then nodded at him, biting her lip.

Haco moved away from her, unblocking her view of Belina again.

"She's not the Daughter of Light, that's for sure," Belina stated, crossing her arms over her chest as she stared at Ashley.

No s**t Sherlock, Ashley thought, but did not say it.

"How can you be so certain?" Haco asked. "Serena chose her. It cannot be in vain."

"Serena made a mistake, I do not," Belina retorted, her eyes narrowing to slits. "Just look at her, Haco," she seethed. "The Goddess of Castery was beautiful. There are thousands of books and journals dedicated only to descriptions of her beauty and her grace. And you bring me this pale-skinned, satanic girl and tell me she's the Daughter of Light?" she scolded.

Ashley blinked, gaping at her. Ouch.

Haco let out a tired sigh, running a hand through his wet hair. He then stepped closer to Belina, his eyes downcast. "I have failed you, and our people. I made a mistake," he said softly.

For some unknown reason, Ashley felt guilt tug at her heart. Maybe the one in his voice was projecting onto her, or she was going completely insane, but she lowered her gaze, feeling uneasy.

"This was not a mere mistake, Haco. You have committed a fatal error, one that could get us all killed."

"I know..." He gulped. "I thought that after living in the human realm for centuries, the Goddess may have adapted to their ways. I was running out of time, and I had to make a decision. So I followed my instincts. I was wrong."

Belina silently stared at Ashley for a moment, the room so quiet that Ashley could almost hear her own heartbeat. A thick tension hung in the air, as Belina slowly walked towards her, her hawk-like gaze focusing on Ashley's lips. Her eyes narrowed slightly, as she leaned in closer to her, causing Ashley to take a confused step back.

"What are you doing?" she muttered, staring at Belina suspiciously.

"Are you using some kind of castery?" Belina asked, frowning.

"No, how would I? I'm a human being," Ashley replied, glancing at Haco who mirrored her expression.

"This isn't the natural shade of your lips, or your hair. Is it?"

"You didn't think my lips were naturally a deep purple, did you?" Ashley asked, staring at the woman incredulously.

"Actually," Haco muttered, "we did. Is it not?"

Ashley scoffed, looking away from them. "Of course it isn't. And no, not even my hair is a natural black. I have ugly light brown hair."

"You have been fooling us!" Belina roared, tightly grabbing her arm. Ashley winced in pain, looking at Haco for help, but he stood rooted in his spot. "Revelare divignem vultus."

A bright light filled the room, and Ashley closed her eyes, waiting for something to happen. She expected some kind of pain, maybe stinging, or anything else, but the light simply faded away after a short, uneventful moment. Belina let go of her arm, and Ashley quickly scrambled away from her. She glanced at Haco, to find him staring at her with his mouth hanging open. Ashley gulped, rolling a strand of her hair around her fingers and glancing at it. It was a light brown, the black she had dyed it with vanished without a trace.

"You have got to be kidding me," she muttered, biting her tongue.

"That's your true form," Belina mocked, crossing her arms again. "You're just a plain, ordinary human. Nothing but dull. Dull eyes, dull hair, and dull lips."

"So being satanic was better, I guess?" Ashley snapped, glaring at her. "What do you want with me, woman?" she sighed.

"I am yet to decide." She turned to Haco. "Let's have a word in private."

She strode out of the room, and Haco immediately tailed after her, without sparing Ashley a glance. She let out a frustrated groan, before walking back to the floating bed, and climbing into it. She plopped down on it, when it disappeared all of a sudden, landing her straight onto the stone floor. Ashley winced in pain, letting out a yelp. "I hate you!" she yelled, mentally cursing the old, wicked woman. She knew she was the real reason behind her miseries. That damned witch. 

Ashley stood up, rubbing her back, as she scowled at the doorway Belina had left through.

- - - -

Belina paced through the room, directing a glare at Haco every once in a while. He quickly wore his tunic, avoiding her gaze, his eyes glued to the stone flooring.

"How could you, Haco?" she finally spoke, looking more tired than annoyed now. "I spent years training you. Made you read all the books about her, everything. And you get me a weak little human? Do you know how this error may reflect on the other casters?" she asked.

"I know, Belina. I know what I have done," Haco replied. "Tell me how to make it right."

"You can't!" she snapped, before taking a deep breath. She walked up to him. "You know you can't. No one can, because that was our one chance."

"What about Divignus? What if we could get our hands on it?"

"If we could, we would have, by now. How do you propose we set foot inside the Draconian Palace? Do you not know how many of us have died trying? The second they detect a caster inside the Palace walls, he is tortured, and then burned alive!" She threw her hands up in frustration.

"There has got to be a way," Haco said through a clenched jaw. "The Goddess cannot be our only chance, that's ridiculous." He turned away from her, wanting to kick something. 

Belina let out a tired sigh. "We'll think about this later. For now, we need to decide what to do with the girl. If the casters find out you made an error in such crucial times, they'll turn against us."

"So what do we do?" Haco turned to face her again. "Do we lie to them? Say she is the Goddess indeed?"

Belina scoffed. "Like they'll believe that." She rolled her eyes. "They'll want proof. A demonstration, perhaps. They'll want her to show them raw power, which she does not possess."

"So now what?" he asked, growing impatient.

A shadow crossed her features. "We have to kill the girl."

"What?" a small whisper came from the doorway, causing Haco's eyes to widen. He glanced at her, his heart sinking in his chest when he saw the look on her face. Ashley stared at him in shock and disbelief, tears glistening in her eyes. "You're going to kill me to save yourself?" she asked.

"No," Haco said immediately, shaking his head. He stepped towards her, but she shuffled away, flinching. He clenched his jaw and turned his gaze back to Belina. "We can't kill her, Belina. I won't allow it."

"We do not have a choice, Haco." She stepped closer to him. "We pronounce her a trickster, and let the casters have their way with her. We cannot have them turning against us, not right now."

"So you punish me for your own stupidity?" Ashley asked, feeling bile rise up her throat. "How are you the good guys?"

"There is no good or bad when it comes to war, you stupid girl," Belina spat, glowering at her. "Thousands of us have died trying to maintain harmony, to end the rule of those cruel dracones. Another miserable life would mean nothing."

Ashley wiped away her tears, realizing it was now or never. She turned on her heel, wanting to make one last attempt to save her life, when she found herself unable to move. It seemed her feet had been rooted to the ground, as she tried hard to lift them, but failed. "What's happening?" she asked, her heart racing wildly in her chest. "Why can't I... Why can't I move?"

"Belina," Haco begged, taking her hands in his. "Please. We cannot do this, we cannot murder this girl. I am sure there is a reason Serena chose her, you have to have some faith."

"What are you expecting, Haco?" Belina asked. "You think she'll start sprouting out light all of a sudden?"

"No." He shook his head. "But I know she can be useful to us. There has to be something we can use her for. Maybe she could infiltrate the Palace and find out the whereabouts of Divignus. They won't be able to detect her, and she's a smart girl. I know she can fool them."

Belina frowned, glancing at a trembling Ashley. "She won't survive a second around those monsters. The best we can do for her is give her an easy death."

"She deserves a chance to try, to fight for her life," Haco argued. "You have to agree to this, Belina. I... I won't stand around and watch her murdered for my mistakes. I made a vow to protect her life with my own."

Belina gaped at him. "You can't be serious, Haco."

"I am." He gulped, glancing at Ashley. "She does not deserve to die. Not like this." He shook his head.

Belina thought for a moment, before sighing. A wave of her hand freed Ashley, who fell to the ground, her knees buckling under her. "So what are you planning to do? How do you think she's gonna find the whereabouts of the sacred flower? And why do you think we can even trust her? What if she rats us out?" 

"She won't. As for the whereabouts, I will find a way. I just need some time, and for the last time, your trust. I promise you, Belina, if she tries to cross us, I will kill her myself," he stated.

"Alright," Belina nodded after a moment. "But keep in mind that this is your last chance Haco. If this goes wrong, we will lose everything we have done until now. Including the trust and respect of our fellow casters."

"I know. I won't fail you this time."

Haco walked over to Ashley, and grabbed her arm, pulling her to her feet. Without another word, he dragged her away from Belina's chambers, turning a deaf ear to Ashley's objections and screams.

Belina watched the two retreat with narrowed eyes, until they disappeared from her view. She then walked over to the window that looked upon the Lake of Dragaria, and closed her eyes, allowing the cool morning breeze to ease her nerves. All she could do now was wait, and pray for Haco's plan to work. Because if it didn't, whole of Lyrous would end up in grave danger.

- - - - - -