The Dawning of Fate
Chapter 34

Having a dragon peer through your eyes wasn’t something you could easily describe. Nor was watching the life drain out of a person’s eyes as they choked on their own blood. Some things, you just have to be there for. When Amondis and Tahla finally made their appearance, I was reaching my limit. As we wound our way through the throng of bodies, the pain that was merely a throb before began increasing in intensity. Instead of just my hands and head hurting, my gums and stomach ached terribly. It felt like my insides were rearranging themselves but surely that couldn’t be safe even if it was a part of the transformations I was to endure.

Zan seemed to be doing just fine, I thought with a bit of envy. It wasn’t really fair to be upset at him since we both played equal parts in the ritual. Though the pain I was experiencing was a result of his DNA so I was due to be a little angry. Knowing what was happening to me didn’t make any of it any better than I thought it would. The knowledge brought me some mental comfort but it didn’t outweigh the physical dis-ease.

Kyrin still hadn’t made an appearance by the time we got to the long lines of ticketing booths at the south port. You’d think, with all of their advanced technology, these extraterrestrials would have a more efficient dock and ticketing system. It all seemed so mundane to me. Then again, I’d take mundane any day over all of the recent excitement. Tahla and I stood sandwiched between Amondis and Zan. Somewhere along the way they had found Tahla a change of clothes and a cloak so there we all stood, covered in muck, waiting in a line to cash in our ticket. I would have to write a story about this someday.

I wasn’t naive enough to believe that my decoy would last very long. Even without that, Dronan would likely have his network spies positioned here at the port. I kept my head down and only moved in Zan’s direction. Which wasn’t hard really considering the fact that my vision was starting to blur from the pain. My lover kept close to my back as we went. I knew he could feel my discomfort, but there was nothing he could do about it now. His focus was on keeping us safe. The least I could do is stand on my own two feet. To be fair, Zan has gone through a lot since we arrived here on Niscus. To start, he didn’t even want to come. It was me who convinced him to come here to help Tahla. I don’t regret coming to get her but I’ll admit that we would’ve saved ourselves a heap of trouble. Something told me though that it would only be delaying the inevitable. Our clash with Dronan was a forgone conclusion.

The chaos of noises began to blend together until all I could hear was a constant hum. My vision swam and I swayed. Zan’s strong hands were there to keep me upright. He was reliable like that. I loved that about him. A heavy lethargy settled over my body making my limbs feel as though they weighed more than what my body was capable of carrying. Worry flooded my mind and it did not belong to me. I placed my hands on his in an attempt to console him and let him know that I was okay. It was a lie. I definitely was not okay. Tears prickled in my eyes and they gave temporary relief to the pain there so I let them fall. Their journey wasn’t far. The mud, which had since hardened on my face, soaked them up.

“I am very sorry, little mate. We will care for you properly soon enough.” He spoke to me and at that moment, I longed to be in the realm with him. I wanted to climb on his powerful back, seated on his majestic body, and feel the way his purr vibrated my entire body. There, in his world, there was no pain. There, I would replace peace.

“Is your pet ill?” A feminine voice asked somewhere nearby. “I’d be happy to purchase her from you. For a discount, of course.”

In and out the voices faded around me. I could feel Azandum’s sharp anger and I recognized the soothing timber of his voice and the low-pitched drawl of his brothers but now I couldn’t even hear the words clearly. Sound rushed by without penetration. I was so out of touch with the world around me. So this is destiny’s reward, huh? Matu must be laughing gleefully in her cushy goddess temple or wherever the fuck gods resided. I’d have words with her if she ever dined to show herself in my dreams again.

There was a commotion and then I felt my body being jerked until I was thrown over and met with the familiar feeling of a hard shoulder pressing into my stomach. I swore I could feel the blood rushing through my body as I hung upside down.

“What’s–” The words died as bile burned up my throat, forcing itself out of my mouth. Liquid gathered in my eyes I emptied the minuscule contents of my stomach. A constant whine reached my eyes and I realized that it was my own voice, apologizing to Zan for leaking on him.

“She needs a healer, Azandum!” The voice sounded a lot like Kyrin, but where did he get back?

Zan’s response was lost to my ears. I lifted my hand, intending to wipe my mouth, and felt the gentle scrape of hard nails –claws– against my skin. I would never be the same again. The thought settled like a weight amidst the pain rampaging within my body. The old Echo…was dying. She was dying at this very moment and a new version was birthing herself through the fire in my veins. Who would she be? How would she act?

My body has decided that it couldn’t stand anymore, the urge to just let go encompassing me. Somewhere in my mind, I found the irony of being tossed over an alien’s shoulder on the same planet funny. Another, this thought quieter than the rest, wondered if Azandum would still accept the new version of me when he fell in love with this one. Heat burned through my veins as I succumbed to the darkness. Just before my consciousness faded, I heard his voice.

“Your effort was admirable. Now, you will release what belongs to me.”