Page 46 of Embers to Flames

Inside the palace, the air is heavy with anticipation. We walk through the grand halls and make our way to the throne room, where the King awaits us. Approaching the throne, our steps echo throughout the room. Theo releases my hand, and I feel the loss of his firm and confident grip. We bow in respect to the King, our heads lowered, our eyes fixed on the marble floor.

“Princess, please come forward.” The King’s voice trembled with sorrow and urgency as he met my gaze. His eyes are filled with unspoken pain, a heavy burden hanging between us. “I fear I have terrible news to share. A devastating fire has ravaged your beloved home on the island of Bahulya.” He pauses, his emotions threatening to overcome him. “And I regret to inform you that your grandmother’s cottage was consumed by the flames. There is… there is no sign of her survival.”

The world around me stops spinning as the King’s words hit me like a physical blow. A deafening silence fills the room, as if time has frozen in that very moment. My entire being is flooded with an unbearable mixture of grief, anger, and disbelief.

Not Meemaw. Not her. Please not her.

Not the wise and compassionate woman who raised me. Who taught me everything I know. How can she just be gone in an instant, reduced to ashes and rubble?

A tear escapes from my eye and rolls down my cheek, and then another, and another, as I fight to control the overwhelming emotions that threaten to consume me. The tears stream down my face, as my mind is overcome with images of Meemaw’s cozy cottage, the familiar scent of her cooking, and the soft warmth of her embrace.

I let out a sharp, gut-wrenching scream, my legs buckling beneath me, and Theo catches me before I hit the ground. The room begins to spin once more, but now in a blur of colors and shapes as I gasp for air, my chest tight with agony. Theo wraps his arms around me tightly, his steady heartbeat against my back trying to soothe me through this excruciating moment. The heavy silence in the room is almost palpable, and I can feel the weight of every person present bearing down on me.

I wipe the tears from my face and notice that the King has risen from his throne and approached us. He is standing before me, his regal bearing softened by his concern for my well-being. He reaches out a hand to steady me, his gentle touch, filled with compassion.

“Your grandmother was a beautiful soul, and she will be sorely missed. But know that you are never alone in this world. We will support you through this time of grief, and I promise that we will find out who is behind this.”

His words, though well-intentioned, only fuel the fire within me. The image of my grandmother’s cottage in flames, her life cruelly snuffed out, is too much to bear. My handsclench into fists, my nails digging into my palms as I struggle to contain the storm of emotions raging inside me.

“Don’t… presume… to know anything… about her soul,” I seethe at the King, my face twisted with fury. “I will not rest until I find the monster who took her from me. And when I do, they will pay for their sins in blood.”

My heart begins to shatter once more as my thoughts move to Eulee, I had left her with Meemaw. “And what of my wolf? Where is she?”

The King’s expression softens as he shakes his head, “I’m afraid I have no information on her current whereabouts. It is possible that she may have been inside the cottage with your grandmother.”

My tears continue to spill relentlessly down my cheeks, I turn to face Theo with a sense of urgency. “We need to go, now. I have to see it for myself.” I implore him, my voice trembling with desperation.

Theo grips my hand tightly as he pulls me up to stand, his eyes fixed on mine “I believe it would be quicker to travel by air.”

I nod, my heart pounding in my chest as we make our way out the palace doors and Theo begins to shift into his Dragon form. I watch in awe as his skin transforms from flesh to shimmering scales, his limbs stretching and contorting into powerful wings. He leans down, allowing me to climb up onto his back. As he takes to the sky, I cling to him, my heart soaring alongside his mighty wings.

The wind rushes by as we soar over the mountains, their immense peaks evoking a sense of purpose within me. The treacherous path demands determination, but I’m resolute. My heart pounds as we approach the remnants of Meemaw’s cottage.

“I’ll keep watch out here,”Theo’s voice echoes softly in my mind.“Don’t worry, take all the time you need.”I sense a gentle rumble of reassurance as I dismount from his back.

The remnants of the cottage before us is a haunting silhouette against the twilight sky. The once vibrant and lush garden is now a charred expanse, with blackened stems and leaves crumbling to ash at the slightest touch. The air is thick with the acrid scent of smoke that clings to the back of my throat, a stark reminder of the tragedy that had unfolded.

The cottage itself is a skeleton of its former self. The stone path that leads to the front door is fractured, with heat-scorched flowers lining the way, their colors bleached by the intensity of the fire. The door itself lay off its hinges, a burnt testament to the ferocity of the blaze that had consumed all in its path. The walls, once adorned with climbing roses and ivy, are now scorched and bare, the wooden beams exposed and smoldering. The roof is caved in, leaving a gaping hole through which the darkening sky peeksthrough. Fragments of the life that once thrived here are scattered amidst the debris: a half-melted candlestick, the charred remains of a rocking chair, a singed photo frame with the glass cracked and the image within lost to the flames.

I step closer, the ground crunching under my boots, a mosaic of destruction lays out at my feet. I can barely recognize the kitchen where Meemaw had lovingly prepared countless meals. The hearth, once the heart of the home, is now just a blackened pit. Pots and pans that had hung above, ready for use, are now twisted shapes, melded together by the heat. The table where we had gathered for so many joyful occasions, is reduced to a few charred legs and a pile of ash.

Everywhere I look, memories flicker like ghosts in the ruins. The laughter and warmth that once filled the space seems to echo in the hollow emptiness. It was a place of love and learning, now silenced and still. As I stand amidst the wreckage, a chilling breeze begins to blow through the ashes, carrying with it the scent of burnt wood and the faintest hint of singed fabric. I shiver, not just from the cold, but also from a deep sorrow that wells up inside me.

A soft rustling of leaves and twigs underfoot stirs the silence. I pause, my breath catching in my throat, as a familiar figure emerges from the edge of the forest. Theo stands tall and vigilant, his posture exuding an air of unwavering protection. His eyes glow like molten gold, sharply focused, reflecting a fierce determination. With his wings slightly unfurledand his muscular tail swaying gently, he is ready to act should anything threaten my safety.

“It’s alright Theo,”I whisper through his soul.

Bright blue piercing eyes lock onto mine, and for a moment, time stands still. Eulee bounds towards me, her paws barely touching the ground. I kneel down, wrapping my arms around her thick fur, the steady beat of her heart syncing with mine. “I thought I had lost you too,” I whisper, my voice trembling with emotion. Eulee nuzzles my cheek, her soft whine a balm to my aching soul.

Theo lowers his massive head close to mine, his scales shimmering in the moonlight.“She saw everything.”His voice resonates in my mind.

“How can you know that?” I ask, looking back and forth between him and Eulee.

“There exists a bond deeper than sound between animals,”He begins, his voice a gentle thrum in my mind.“It’s a connection that transcends the spoken word, a language of the heart and soul that only those who share the wild’s breath can comprehend.”

I watch, fascinated, as Eulee sits attentively, her eyes never leaving Theo’s. Then, she leans into me, her presence a comforting weight. I realize that this silent conversation has been happening all along, a symphony of the wild that I am now privy too.

“So, what now?” I ask, my voice barely a whisper.

---