Touch of Flame

Ares took his journey to the mountains following the path his dreams had shown. He had to figure out what those dreams meant and the strange thing that happened to him.

He had left Richard behind, telling him he needed to take care of his affairs quickly but he was on the road for two days and now he was confused about where he was.

As he continued on his horse, he became to recognize the place he arrived at. The wind was cold up on the hill and he was surrounded by mountains. He followed a path he discovered leading up and soon a temple came into sight. The one he saw in his dreams. It was exactly it.

He halted in disbelief. What was happening to him? Did the experiment with the dragon blood do something to him?

He continued further and then dismounted his horse when he arrived. He strained his ears, but everything was completely silent, only the wind blowing and some birds chirping here and there.

Carefully, he walked toward the temple, ascending the few stairs and arriving at the entrance. He looked inside but it was empty. The temple only had two walls on opposite sides, painted with blue and orange skies.

Ares stepped inside, the scent of amber reaching his nostrils. There was incense burning near the walls, so someone must have been here. As he stepped further in, he suddenly sensed someone behind him.

He was swift to draw his pistol and turn around with an aim. His eyebrows furrowed when he saw who it was.

It was her. Ankine.

Slowly, he put the pistol down. “Ankine?”

“Yes, My Lord.”

She was real, draped in orange and red. She smiled. “You are finally here.”

He put the pistol back in his pocket, not sure where to begin with his questions. Ankine stepped inside, watching him curiously. Her eyes scanned the length of him as she walked around him.

“You are as I thought. Not a normal human. Or perhaps, not even human.”

He followed her with his gaze as she walked around him. “What do you mean?” He asked. He knew having dragon blood had changed him.

“Your parents?” She asked.

He wasn’t sure what she was asking. “I never knew them.”

“You were a pirate?”

“Yes.”

“You felt at home near the sea.”

“Yes.”

“You almost died many times. Drowned to be specific but you survived.”

Now he was even more confused. “Yes. How do you know all of this?”

“I have dreamt of you.”

“Why?”

She continued to walk around him. “It is what I do. I foresee when the next dragon tamer will appear and you are one, My Lord.”

He didn’t know what to think of this new information. “And you are a special one. The one who carries the ancient language. The power to command dragons.”

Oh, now this was crazy.

“I know no ancient language.”

“Not yet. Everything is locked within us until triggered. Just like you recently found out about dragon tamers and it brought you here.” She came to stand before him, her eyes and posture firm and her arms crossed behind her back. “We need to unlock the power in you and I am here to help. We are here to help.”

We? He looked around and he was suddenly surrounded by more of them draped in the same fabrics.

“I am just here to get answers. I don’t want to unlock anything.”

“I thought you risked your life for your people. I am telling you that you can command dragons.” She said.

He didn’t believe this nonsense. He looked around at the others. They watched him with calm eyes. He looked back at Ankine, “And what are you?”

“A dragon. A white dragon. We are from the X clan.”

He nodded.

“If I am a dragon tamer then that means I am a breedmate.”

She smiled. “You know.”

Now, this was nonsense!

“And you know who the person is?”

“I do.”

But he didn’t want to know. He should leave now before things got out of hand.

“You are dragons. Why are you helping me?”

“We are priests. We wish for peace between your people and ours. Now you decide what you want to do. The power is in you to make a change. It is your fate and destiny.”

He just stared at her. His fate and destiny? He would not have believed a word from her mouth if he hadn’t seen her in his dream and she miraculously healed them and he somehow found this place.

“What do you want me to do?” He asked.

“I need you to stay here,” she said.

“That will be difficult. I am needed some…” then he stopped remembering what she said. He was doing all of this to save his people after all so if staying here would be better he would have to consider it.

“Alright.”

Ankine took him to a small house near the temple. It was made of tree and painted in white and brown. It was warm as they entered with minimal decorations that were mostly paintings and plants. Ankine provided him with a room, clothes, and food. “Let me know if you need anything else.” She told him. “Rest and then we will proceed with the rest.”

The rest? What was he doing here? He began to question his sanity.

Once she left, he took off his heavy weapons and clothes and slid into the pair of trousers she brought him. But there was no shirt. Only a vest? The male priests were clad differently. Maybe it was the way priests dressed by their males only wore a vest?

He put the silky vest on and then looked outside the window. He was surrounded by green hills, trees, clouds, and mountains. The air was different up here, the weather colder. Tired from the long ride, he put his pistol under his pillow and decided to take a nap

Being a pirate, he had learned never to fall into a deep slumber. A part of him was always awake, ready to slay at the hint of any threat.

After his nap, he left the house and walked back to the temple. He wondered if it was safe for him to walk around. These dragons wanted peace but not all of them did.

“Did you rest well?” Ankine asked who was outside the temple, tying ribbons to a tree.

“Yes.”

“Come, I shall introduce you to the rest,” she said.

He followed her into the temple and she introduced him to the other priests. There was an old, bald man with a white beard. His name was Behzad. Then there was Naya, a young woman or not so young but she looked young and had similar features as Ankine with darker brown eyes and black hair. Then there were two young-looking men, Aram and Neroken. Long dark hair tied in a bun, and similarly brown eyes.

He had never been surrounded by so many dragons in their human form. Behzad gave him a book. “This is the ancient language. It might help unlock your memory.”

“I have no memory of an ancient language.”

“Your past life memory. The souls travel until they complete what they were destined to do.”

“Alright,” he said, deciding not to analyze too much of this information and just take it and see what happens. He was doomed anyway unless she could heal him completely.

He opened the book and looked through the pages. Nothing familiar. It was a bundle of confusion. He glanced up, “and what if I don’t unlock this hidden memory?”

“We believe in you,” Ankine smiled.

Oh well. She was smooth for a priestess.

“There is no rush. Try to study it while you are here,” Behzad said.

“And what else will I do besides studying?” He wondered.

“You are a breedmate and a tamer. The first step will be to meet your destined one. Release her from the chains and tame her.”

“Chains?” He would get to the “tame her” part later.

“Your destined one is of royal blood. A Katharos. The purest Katharos female in existence. After her family was killed, she was supposed to take over the throne but it never happened. She was cursed. No one can release her except for the one who can tame her. Her breedmate.”

Ares laughed. “Is this a folklore?”

None of them flinched. They remained serious.

“Alright. Why are not all the other untamed beasts not cursed?” He asked.

“Let’s just say, there is more to the story. You might learn as you get to know her,” Ankine replied.

More to the story?

“So you want me to release her? Let me guess. She is of royal blood and the throne is hers. You want me to help her get it back.”

She gave a curt nod.

“But is she on our side?”

“That is what you will have to work with,” Ankine said.