FEATURED: Obscura (ft Koharu Rikka)
With the appearance of the Dragon Queen, dragons appeared throughout the lands of Chrysathelia, shattering the peace that the mortal and divine worked so hard to preserve and nurture. The City-State of Lunaer, of course, would be ravaged by war itself. It was said two military commanders went missing as a fearsome dragon of flame wreaked havoc, declaring himself “the king.”
The military of Lunaer fought back with all their might, but this dragon possessed a fearsome strength, being able to summon and control corrupted beasts to fight at his side. For weeks on end, the people of Lunaer lived in fear for their lives as the battle raged on.
Cascade Lan’vive was a young and sickly boy, around the age of 13 or 14. In his childhood, he fell with a deep, deep illness, with no way to be cured. Although he was rejected and pitied for his illness, he found peace by the shore. The sight of the glittering waves every day was his comfort. He would swim every day; the ocean was his friend.
However, as the dragon came to cause destruction upon Lunaer, so did the waters nearby stir with destructive storms. It was no longer safe for Cascade to live by the ocean, but as the oceanside dwellers were evacuating, he was engulfed by the storm, left behind to drown in the ocean.
Within the depths of the sea was another dragon – there she resided in her own pitiful resentment, swirling around in her raging storm of emotions. It seemed Cascade’s fate was to die within her rampage, but she took notice of the boy who had ended up in her domain. His very presence snapped her out of her mire of distress. His body, weak – a flicker about to die out. But in that flicker was a spark of light, as his heart called out to her. His energy resonated throughout the dark waters, calling to her.
She realized this boy was much like herself. That feeling of rejection; being cast aside – it was the resonance between the two.
She realized she wanted to save the boy, but she didn’t know how. Only having become a dragon recently, alone in the deep sea, she felt like she was only capable of destruction. But in that resonance of their hearts, she poured all her power and being into his soul; an instinctual reaction to try to save him.
…
There, light engulfed the deep sea as she found herself in his mind space. A vision of the inside of his being; he stood in the distance amidst a white haze. Then, he collapsed one knee onto the ground, and then two; holding onto his chest. She ran towards him, kneeling down to hold him.
“Are you… okay?”
“Guess this is where I die.” A forlorn look to the ground. “At the hands of a… dragon…”
The white haze had seemed to glow, and it flickered; becoming darker.
“I am… Aeginarra. What’s your name?”
“...Why does it matter to you?” He looked up at the dragon, and sighed. “Cascade.”
He examined her appearance more; a body covered in blue scales; black horns protruding from her head– he had never seen anything like her before.
“You’re one of those… dragons. What do you want? Just kill me already.”
Aeginarra flinched.
“I’m already done with this life. This is where it ends, anyways.”
“I didn’t… No, that’s not…” She trailed off.
Those words cut at her heart. She remembered “that person” telling her how powerful she could be, conquering over others. “That person” who was always at her side, who rejected her. But, she never wanted to hurt anyone at all.
“I wanted to help you.”
“What are you even saying? I’m as good as dead anyways.”
The surrounding whiteness flickered, dimmer; yet dimmer. She felt hopelessness in this boy’s soul; the light dying out in these last moments.
“...I wanted to give you my power. So you could live.”
“Huh?”
He looked up at her. She met his eyes, pleading; hopeful there was a chance.
“I don’t know if I can help you… I don’t know if this will even work.”
“Then why are you bothering with me?”
“Because I believe there’s a chance!”
Aeginarra’s words echoed around him, reaching his core. It was in that moment, he realized that their hearts had resonated. This woman, though she looked unhuman; like a beast – she had such a heart of compassion not even Cascade had felt from other humans. This woman had hope in him. For what, he wasn’t sure, but it was something important to her, that he felt she had to do.
“This power… Great as it may be, if you could accept it, you could live.”
The lights flickered back to life, as dimming fog around them shone once more.
If there was just one chance, for a new life beyond the shore…
Cascade opened his eyes.
…
Drowning in the sea, the raging storm came to a close. However, the young and sickly boy was already deep in the water, almost dead – all alone in the darkness.
Though, just as the raging storm dies, so do calm waters return. As he came to, he realized that he was alive. Breathing; surviving underwater.
He was alive.
“I’m so glad you were able to live, Cascade,” a voice from within his mind said.
“Huh?”
Realizing what had just happened – who that voice was, why she wasn’t in front of him anymore – he looked around instinctually.
“Oh… Aegi… narra, was it?” He asked again.
“Yes. Now, there’s something I want us to do. Shall we return to the shore?”
Cascade nodded, and swam towards the surface.