Page 34 of Draekora

Just then they flew through a flurry of clouds and out the other side, bringing a new island to Alex’s vision. This one was like a rocky, open-air auditorium, a huge amphitheatre made out of glossy black stone. The jagged edges of the crystalline surface gave the island a foreboding feel, or perhaps it was the small group of draekons waiting restlessly upon the variously sized black outcroppings interspersed like viewing platforms around the amphitheatre.

Is thattraesos?Alex asked, recognising the rock.

You know whattraesosis?Zaronia asked back, sounding surprised.

Alex shook her head even though the draekon wasn’t looking at her.Just that it’s some kind of black rock.

It’s not just a rock, Alex, Xiraxus said in a familiar eye-roll tone.It’s pure darkness, pulled straight from theabrassaand solidified into crystal form.

You’re saying this stuff is basically, like, congealed black hole matter?

Pulled from one, yes, Xiraxus answered as they began to glide down into the centre of the amphitheatre.The only thing that can destroy it is pure light energy from beyond the stars, otherwise it’s completely impenetrable. To us, it symbolises the ages—those that have been, those that will be—because even when we have long since passed, it will still remain.

Struck by the poetry in his words, Alex imagined she could almost feel the power of thetraesosas Xiraxus landed on a stage-like ledge right beside Zaronia.

Not entirely sure what she was supposed to do, Alex remained astride Xiraxus waiting for instruction and tried to ignore all the glowing eyes staring at her. Every single draekon around the amphitheatre was watching her intently, some of them with curiosity, others with barely suppressed hostility. It was because of the latter that Alex kept a firm grip on Xiraxus, wondering what she’d gotten herself into this time.

Zaronia took a step forward and, in a loud voice that echoed throughout the rocky auditorium, she spoke in her earlier language of clicking, scratching and rumbling sounds that Alex unconsciously translated to, “I, Zaronia, born leader of Draekora, call this Kyvalon to order.”

Your mother’s the leader of the draekons?Alex asked Xiraxus, wincing a little at the strange, almost gritty sounds of the Draekoran language.What does that make you?

One day I’ll inherit her position, he answered.But not for many ages.

When Zaronia began welcoming the different draekons in attendance, Alex asked,Can they all hear us speaking like this?

No, just me, Xiraxus answered.Mother too, since I’m of her blood, which gives her a partial linking to ourvaeliana, but it requires great effort on her part to listen in so she won’t do it without cause. The others can’t hear our mind-speak.

Alex found that a small comfort. After all, she was still adjusting to having someone else in her head—she didn’t want to think about a whole herd of draekons invading her thoughts.

“This Kyvalon has been called to address the enactment ofvaelianabetween Xiraxus of Draekora, and his mortal, Alexandra of Freya,” Zaronia said in her harsh, guttural language.

Alex frowned at that and asked Xiraxus,What’s she talking about? What do they need to address?

“Draekoran law states that it is forbidden for a draekon to bond with a mortal,” Zaronia said before Xiraxus could answer. “Furthermore, it is equally forbidden to travel with any other race through theabrassa. It is up to this council to decide if the punishment for these crimes shall be enforced, and if so, to see it through.”

Punishment?Alex asked.What punishment?

“After their defence has been stated, we shall put it to a vote,” Zaronia said. “If the council does not rule in their favour, the mortal shall be executed. Immediately.”

Twelve

“Xiraxus, you may now state your casebefore the Kyvalon,” Zaronia said.

Xira, you need to tell me what’s going on, right now, Alex pleaded, digging her fingers into the ribbing of his neck.

It’ll be okay, Alex, Xiraxus told her.I won’t let anything happen to you. And neither will Mother, despite how indifferent she sounds.

His easy confidence calmed Alex enough that she loosened her frantic grip, moving with him as he stepped forward to address the crowd.

“Respected elders,” he said, also speaking the scratchy language of his race that translated effortlessly to Alex’s ears, “I ask that you would open your minds and allow me to share my memories with you. You will see why I had no choice but to enactvaelianawith Alex. Do you consent?”

Alex was surprised by how formal Xiraxus sounded while speaking to what Zaronia had referred to as the draekon council. Perhaps it was only when he spoke her tongue that he sounded like the teenager he technically was.

When the general consensus came back with those in attendance willing to share Xiraxus’s memories, the draekon whispered in her mind,This might feel strange.Just go with it.

And with that as the only warning, images assaulted her mind—images of Xiraxus flying lazily through the clouds around Draekora before being suddenly yanked upwards and into theabrassa. The memories played out as if on fast-forward, showing him being flung out the other end where everything was a blur of distressed flashes, as if he was skipping over parts of the memory. But then the images cleared again to reveal his panicked spiral to the earth, only just managing to slow his descent in time to avoid hitting the ground. It was there he saw the ‘Golden One’—Aven—waiting with a small group of Meyarins. On Aven’s order, theGarsethlaunched the Moxyreel net at Xiraxus, who roared in fright as he became ensnared. He was able to untangle part of his wings and fly a considerable distance away from immediate danger before his exhaustion from both theabrassaand the strangling net caused him to fall to the earth again. That’s when Alex entered his memories, and it was fascinating for her to watch their encounter from his point of view, especially given his inability to fully understand her words. Until then, his knowledge of the common tongue had been limited to the teachings of other draekons, and since none of them had spent much time amongst humans, their comprehension was basic at best.

What followed were the memories of a visibly terrified Alex freeing him and healing his injury—whereby all the draekons in attendance broke into disbelieving murmurs at the sight of A’enara—before he sensed Aven’s approach and the closing of the Void, taking to the air with Alex in his grip. As Alex lost consciousness, they entered theabrassaand were enveloped by darkness. Sometime later a blinding light lit up the darkness as Xiraxus recited a string of melodic words in another foreign language. All Alex knew was that they translated to say, ‘Heart I give you, soul to share, strength and mind, both here and there. Forever and always,vaeliana.’

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