Echoes of a Dragon

Night has settled over Privaria, and all is quiet across the realm.

High within the citadel of Aerion, Xiana sleeps, resting in Aerion’s arms.

Yet, even in slumber, she *feels* a voice calling to her.

Deep within her dreams…Xiana crosses into the Dream Realm.

✨✨✨✨

The Dream Realm—where so many wander while they sleep. Xiana finds herself standing in a familiar place: the keep that once belonged to Kalon. Yet now it appears ghostly, transparent, fractured.

As she walks through its spectral halls, she hears a familiar roar—though far weaker than she remembers. She heads toward the inner sanctum.

When she pushes open the doors, she is not surprised by what awaits her.

Kalon…or rather, a ghostly echo of him. He looks at Xiana.

“Where is my hoard?” he asks.

“After you died, the other dragons took what they wanted. My father guards the Artifacts of Gudan now—except for the Gaze of Gudan. Rienzen has that,” she replies.

“Pfft. Of course he would take it. Sanctimonious blowhard,” Kalon mutters.

“I see death hasn’t softened you in the slightest—not that I expected it would,” Xiana says.

Kalon narrows his eyes.

“Tell me about Aerion Lysander.”

“What do you want to know?” Xiana asks, folding her arms.

“Do you speak to him as you spoke to me? With harshness?”

Xiana lifts a brow.

“When we first met, you wanted nothing to do with me. For the first six months of our marriage, all you did was provoke me and try to dictate my actions—especially telling me not to socialize with the people of Hodian. It wasn’t until I recovered the Gaze of Gudan that you warmed to me. And even then, you continued to poke and prod at me. You wouldn’t allow my best friends into your keep, as you repeatedly made clear. And though you told my parents they were welcome to visit, they both knew you only said it to be polite, and that they should never actually accept.”

Kalon merely shrugs.

“It was *my* keep,” he said.

Xiana rolled her eyes.

“Yes, I know. You reminded me of that every day,” she replied with a sardonic smile.

Kalon looked at her closely.

“You love him, don’t you? The Gryphon.”

“Yes, I love him. I’m in love with him—and he feels the same for me,” Xiana said.

Kalon could see the truth in her eyes and hear it in her voice.

“I was never capable of giving you what you wanted. Still… I find it strange that Gudan would join a Gryphon and a Vaelborn,” Kalon said.

“It isn’t strange to me—or to Aerion,” Xiana answered.

Her words seemed to startle Kalon.

“And why is that?” he asked.

“Love. Gudan *is* love,” Xiana said softly.

Kalon understood her meaning, but he refused to confirm or deny it.

“Xiana!” a voice called.

“Aerion!” she breathed, rushing out of the inner sanctum.

Standing in the spectral hall was Aerion himself. Xiana ran into his arms.

“How did you know where I was?” she asked.

Aerion smiled. “My Fire Diamond, you are the other half of my heart. I will always know where you are—and I will always follow.”

Xiana smiled as tears slipped down her cheeks.

Aerion looked up and saw Kalon.

“Greetings, Kalon,” Aerion said.

Kalon gave a simple nod.

“I’m not going to question anything—I see love before me,” he said. “Yes, I did care for Xiana, but I did not love her as you do. I was not capable of it. I never gave my heart to her the way you have given yours. And…I was dishonest as well.”

“What do you mean?” Xiana asked.

Kalon shifted into his human form—but not the young, handsome figure he once showed her. Standing before them was an elderly man, partially hunched, supporting himself with a cane.

“This is what I truly look like in human form. I could make myself appear younger, of course—but I never bothered,” he said.

“Is that why I never saw your human form again?” Xiana asked.

“No. The reason you never saw it again is because I hated taking human shape. I still do, whether young or old,” Kalon said, and with that, he resumed his true dragon form.

Kalon continued studying Aerion.

He could see that Aerion was nearly as old as he was, yet there was an exuberance in him that defied his age.

“I have a young heart,” Aerion said.

Kalon raised a brow. “You read my mind?”

“No thoughts are hidden in the Dream Realm, Kalon,” Aerion replied.

Kalon looked a bit sheepish; he had not known that. Kalon slept, yes—but he rarely dreamed.

“I only wanted to see Xiana one last time. To know if what I heard in Elysium was true—that she had fallen in love and married a Gryphon,” Kalon said.

“Understandable,” Aerion said.

Suddenly, the Dream Realm began to fade…

✨✨✨✨

Xiana and Aerion opened their eyes at the same time and looked at each other.

“Somewhere in that cranky soul of his, there *was* love for you,” Aerion said. “But as he admitted, he wasn’t capable of giving you the deep love you deserve.”

Xiana nodded.

“Agreed,” she said softly. “Though I also think he was just…curious.”

Aerion chuckled. “I think so too.”

“I also think he wanted to officially say goodbye to you,” Aerion added.

“Same here,” Xiana said.

“By the way, why did you tell him you have a young heart?” she asked.

“Because he sensed that I’m just as old as he is,” Aerion answered.

Xiana smiled. “Bravewing, I don’t think of you as old.”

Aerion laughed gently, taking her hand and kissing it.

“I love you, Fire Diamond,” he said.

“And I love you, Bravewing,” she replied, before they kissed.