Author Kim Cormack : Canadian Science Fiction Authors

Let There Be Dragons

Lexy broke the silence by saying, “I didn’t know about the plot to make you a Dragon. I understand why it had to be done but, I didn’t know beforehand.”

Lexy wasn’t one to sugar-coat things. She would have told her if she’d known and chosen to keep her mouth shut about it. Kayn met Lexy’s eyes as she disclosed, “I knew we had to kill our enemies during the Testing but when he slit my throat…I guess on some level, I never believed he’d be able to do it. When I woke up, I felt nothing but all-encompassing rage. I killed everyone that crossed my path until I caught up with him. I’ll never be able to forget the expression on his face as I embraced the hollow sensation within myself and slit his throat. I was lost for a while after that and my memory of that time is sketchy, to say the least. All I can recall is the warmth of the blood as it sprayed on my skin and how good it felt. I fought and died over and over until the pain didn’t matter anymore. When Kevin coldly tossed me into a room full of demons, I was eaten alive and that was the moment I understood we were both gone.”

There was a long drawn out silence before Lexy clarified, “You’re not gone. Your perception of everything has been altered. All you have to do is embrace the change and accept the new version of yourself.”

“How do I do that? I used to imagine myself as a noble creature, a golden stallion or perhaps a lion. I know better now. I’m a hurricane, a plague, I’m an apocalypse. I am a Dragon. I’m a method of destruction.” Kayn knew Lexy understood what she was saying because she was also meant to be a method of destruction.

Lexy pointed to the lush landscape before them and exclaimed, “We can burn this field to ash if you want to. My instinct has always been to burn it. Even though you are meant to be a warrior, you will always have a choice. We choose to work with the Clan, instead of against them. We choose right over wrong. We choose when to be a lion and when to be a Dragon. We choose to be warriors instead of methods of destruction. You’re still the same person. You just need time to sort through what happened to you during the Testing. Some of the dark things you’ve done will stay with you always, those acts are important. You now know that you can survive the darkest of times. You will always know you led your Clan through that dark place and came out on the other side. You found your way back to the light because you’re a survivor. You can choose to be a lion. My attachment to Grey allows my Dragon to sleep. I know having Zach as your Handler, might be complicated. It takes time and it’s not always easy. You’ll both make mistakes while you’re manoeuvring through this situation you’ve found yourself in.”

Kayn felt a tickle and noticed a tiny red ladybug walking across her barefoot. She had the urge to step on one foot with the other but didn’t. Baby steps. She glanced up at Lexy.

Her fellow Dragon teased, “Is that big bad ladybug bothering you?”

It was bothering her. It was a reminder that she’d changed on the inside. She’d been happy with who she was as a person. She was funny and dorky and a little bit strange and now she was just angry. She was enraged by the beautiful colours in the sky. She was furious that the bumblebees hadn’t heeded her warning and settled back down in the flowers around her. Their buzzing had once been a soothing song and now it was as irritating as someone methodically scraping their nails down a chalkboard. Once again, she fought the urge to stomp on the tiny insect. It remained there, taunting her as it continued its ticklish stroll across her foot. Lexy playfully shoved her and the ladybug spread its tiny wings and flew away. Now, she wanted to punch Lexy right in the face.

Lexy winked and teased, “I wouldn’t try it. You can’t take me, Brighton.”

She wasn’t sure about that anymore. She’d never felt stronger. Lexy had obviously hitched a ride on her train of thought again. She was grinning at her and shaking her head as they continued their stroll into the scenic backdrop of the in-between.

They wandered aimlessly for quite a while in silence before Lexy continued her, it’s good to be a Dragon speech, “Being a Dragon isn’t a bad thing. The good and the light need Dragons to do what they can’t. They don’t want to step into the dark. Not even to do what’s right. It’s not always light outside when it’s time to make a stand for what is right. Dragons can be beautiful things when properly attended to. I love my Dragon and occasionally, I let it out to play. My Dragon enjoys the kill. My Dragon’s a warrior and that’s what warriors do.”

She’d enjoyed the kill. She heard the rustling of footsteps in the grass. Kayn spun around, it was Grey. She saw the apology in his eyes before he attempted to speak.

Grey shook his head and confessed, “We didn’t know about what Kevin had been asked to do, until after the three of you were already in the Testing. They were right not to tell us.”

It wasn’t an apology. With his concerned expression, she knew he hadn’t known of the Clans plans beforehand. Kayn didn’t want to talk to anyone else right now nor was she feeling like a, ‘you just need to take time to smell the roses’ speech from Grey. The talk with Lexy about Dragons had helped but right now she needed to be angry. The fury within her made her feel strong. Grey cautiously inched closer. Kayn scowled at him. Her furrowed brow, a silent suggestion that she still required personal space.

He paused, gave her one of his overly charming grins and disclosed, “Kevin was ordered to kill you. It was a means to an end. You know I liked the kid. In destroying you, he more than likely destroyed himself. He was asked to do this to help you evolve into what you needed to become to survive. Your survival outweighs the trauma you went through, in the long run. You don’t see it now, but someday you will. The plan was set in motion so the three of you could make it back home. People tend to lose their marbles in the Testing. It could be that Kevin lost his while trying to do what was best for you.”

He was ordered to kill me. Kevin had said the words but she hadn’t believed him capable of doing it. She’d been lying to herself about so many things.