Page 130 of The Divide that Binds Us

“Who are you?”Rio asks.Even his voice resounds around us.

“Did you know the first humans to walk on Zeala were also dragons?Because of this, the first Superiors were dragons who took on the form of a human,” Donven says.“We are the last of that kind.”

“And we wanted to personally thank you for saving us,” Stena adds.

Gravity must be out of shape because my hair is just floating in all kinds of directions right now like I’m underwater while my mind is reeling.Rio’s eyes look unnaturally huge, but that’s probably just his face.

“I don’t understand,” I whisper.“Humans and dragons are two separate species now, and you’re telling us there was a time when the two forms were one?”

Donven looks down.“It’s forgotten history.The Light of Judgment created this world from nothing; the first species it created was dragons as you already know.What you didn’t know was that dragons were created with the ability to shift into humans.The only problem was we were created with a price for being too perfect.We carry the life of the world in our bloodstream.All pure dragons and human shifting dragons do.”

This is a time where I’d think I’m on an awful psychedelic trip and want to wake up, but no matter how many times I widen my eyes, nothing changes.

Rio glances around, eyes wider from whatever the hell he’s thinking about.

“At some point that connection was broken, and dragons were born without the shifting gene, and humans were born with no ties to being a dragon,” Stena explains, biting their lip.“It was probably evolution and the dilution of the gene, but the history became lost with those changes.”

“Drake...”Rio whispers.No one pays him any mind.

“But if the first Superiors were dragons, wouldn’t that be common Superior knowledge?Each successor absorbs the memories of their predecessor, so the memory of all of this would be in there, too.”I scratch my cheek gingerly.

“That’s true, but have the Superiors said anything to Zeala about it?”Stena asks, surveying both of us.“No, right?Just as I thought.”

“If it’s not too much trouble, we’d like to ask for a favor,” Donven says.

Rio and I briefly eyeball each other.

Stena smiles.“We haven’t connected with pure humans in a while, except for one young girl.We’d like to ask if you can revive this ancient knowledge.If you need our help as proof, please let us know.At the rate the world functions now, it’ll only be a matter of time before Zeala truly dies.”

I nod, hair and clothes waving in every direction possible.

“We’ll do everything we can,” I tell her.Amongst other things on my list, of course.

Like finally beating the crap outta Rio and pulverizing Ultima.

The entities nod simultaneously.

“Thank you!”Stena squeals, quickly catching and collecting their excitement.“Believe it or not, despite everything we still adore humans and will do anything to keep them safe.If you ever need help, please call upon us.”

“How do we do that?”Rio dumbly asks.

Donven and Stena smile widely and reach to poke right below our collarbone.

Look within your hearts.

My last blink shifts the whole scene and I’m back on Donven’s back.We slow down the circling flight in tune with Rio and Stena, so our descent begins.

The dragons finally disperse, and I honestly don’t care.We didn’t think about where they would go.Some were pets and I have no clue who the owners are, and some were found in the wild, so they’re free again.Rio and I hold on tight to our rides as they stop and nosedive back to the gray blob of Sapphire Island.I’m holding onto the yellow crooked horns of Donven, and Rio has clawed his fingers onto the scales of Stena as their downward speed picks up.

Just when I think we’re never going to stop and burrow right into the ground, the dragons halt suddenly as I anchor my grip, so I don’t fly forward.We’re back in front of that nasty hotel.

They land with a quaking thud that sets off alarms in several nearby cars.There’s enough space for them without causing damage to buildings or people, but Sapphire has always been an empty void of space to do things...like tame dragons.

I pat the horns of Donven and go the front route to slide from between their eyes and down their snout.I catch myself on the dusty ground and watch Rio lose his grip.He falls probably ten feet before quickly shifting into lightning to break his landing.

Stena and Donven take flight, joining the other dragons flying about around the island.

Rio wipes his clothes and approaches me with a warm smile, but reality seeps in the closer he gets.The last few months have been hell because of him.We may have worked together, but he will always be my rival.My biggest hater.

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