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Chapter XLVI - Change of Heart
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Author's Note
Warning: This chapter has a sex scene between two dragons. It is not graphic and very brief, but I still wanted to warn y'all.
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Icy waters splashed into Isolde's face, tingling her spine. They traversed across her body, seeping into her gown. She felt the droplets under her ribcage.
"Ayy… who's done this?" she shouted, coming to fruition. Wiping the water from her eyes, a blurry figure came into view. "Athena…?" she gasped.
The girl helped her mother up off the floor. "Henri said you fainted."
Henri's traveling coat slid off of the woman's body as she rose. "That I did," Isolde said.
The woman turned her head around, taking in her surroundings. Henri sat in the corner with Sir Claudius, their foreheads pressed together. The dragon had drifted off into a deep slumber once again.
Isolde whipped her head around to face her daughter. "Where did you run off to?" the woman asked, her eyes stern.
The blossoms of Athena's cheeks wilted. "I went to find… a friend of mine and Sir Claudius."
"A friend, ya say?" Isolde put her hands on her hips, arching one of her thin brows.
"Y-yes." Athena twisted her head, peering toward the rocky entrance to the dungeons.
Sunlight filtered in; a skinny, yet curvaceous, black figure stood in the spotlight.
Isolde squinted, then her eyes widened once she made out the sight. "A woman? I thought we were the only ones who knew of Sir Claudius—"
"Not a woman, Ma." Athena grasped her mother's hand. "She's another shapeshifter."
Isolde's mouth fell open. She let go of her daughter's hand, standing still in shock.
Athena bent down to grab the coat, then sprinted toward the front entrance. Heart of the Flame stared Athena down as she paced toward her. The girl covered her eyes with one hand, extending the coat with her other.
"Put this on," Athena demanded.
"What? No," Heart of the Flame retorted.
"Do. It."
Heart of the Flame humphed, then wrapped the cloak about her slender figure—flapping it over her body with contempt. "I don't understand why I have to do this."
"Because me Ma would have a fit if she saw yer bare body!" Athena whispered, her voice hoarse and her eyes bloodshot.
"Ah, so that's your mother?" the woman said, smirking. "Why did I imagine her being more… catlike?"
Athena rolled her eyes. "You know I was born human, Heart of the Flame."
"I know. I know." The pale woman turned her head, her eyes moving away from the fireplace and Isolde. She squinted, and her blue eyes glowed in the darkness of the dungeon. "Is that…?"
"Yes," Athena responded. "Come on. Let me introduce you to my Ma." The girl moved forward, heading toward the fireplace, her head hanging low.
Heart of the Flame followed behind her, but her eyes remained on the far corners of the dungeon, on that black, slumbering figure. Mountains of gold were on each side of him, and a small man sat in front of him. Heart of the Flame raised a brow.
"Ma, this is… 'Heart of the Flame'." Athena winced, looking back and forth between the two women.
Isolde glanced up and down, from the woman's bare feet to her otherwordly hair. "Is that your real name?" she asked.
"No, of course not."
"I didn't think so."
"And what is yours?"
"Isolde Everleigh."
"Really? You don't sound English."
"I'm not. I was born here and married an Englishman."
"Intriguing." Heart of the Flame raked a few fingers through her hair before her expression changed. "I could care less, though."
Isolde crossed her arms, then lifted her chin in the air.
"There is one thing I'm interested in, however. How did you end up with a shapeshifting daughter?"
"The púcaí granted me a gift for my good deeds. A shapeshifting daughter."
"Wouldn't that be more of a burden than a gift?"
"She is the most precious gift I've ever received." Isolde's chest puffed up. "And might I ask how you became a shapeshifter?"
"I'm so glad you asked. All blue-eyed dragons have special gifts. Mine is shapeshifting."
"So you're really a dragon then?"
"I suppose you could say that."
Isolde leaned up against the fireplace, drumming her fingernails across her arm. "So, Athena—" she kept her eyes on the woman in front of her, "—why have you brought 'Heart of the Flame' here?"
"To break the curse, Ma."
"How's she gonna do that?"
"Athena? How's she gonna do that?"
"Athena."
Flames reflected in the girl's eyes. Her head bent slightly forward. "She's gonna mate with 'im, Ma." Her lips remained open after the musky air of the dungeon sucked the words up.
A log fell, stirring the flames. Ashes flew, soaring to the black night ceiling, and became stars.
Athena made a sound, but the sound turned into a small choke in her throat, meaning she hadn't meant to make the sound. The little girl suddenly spun on her heels, leaning into the fireplace, and the heat slapped her. Like being in the middle of a blizzard at the top of a mountain, fully clothed, but without a mask and facial gear. Ashes that would later become stars stung her cheeks like harsh, wintry snowflakes. The bites left red bee stings.
Isolde's raised brow and curled lip fell; she uncrossed her arms. She reached out to wrap an arm around her daughter but pulled back. "Athena…" she grimaced. "Are you sure this is what you want?"
"Yes, Ma," Athena said, her eyes watering from the heat pounding against her face. "She's going to mate with him, and that's that."
Henri had only heard the last bit of the conversation. He lifted his head at the new information, turning his neck. But his face was like the faces in dreams—formless, expressionless, lifeless. Wrapping his fingers around Claudius's nostrils, he carefully and quietly shook the dragon awake.
Heart of the Flame cleared her throat but kept her eyes on Athena's sulking form as she spoke: "And we will form a new clan. He, the Patriarch. I, the Matriarch." Her eyes fell. She sighed a low sigh so that Athena and Isolde would not be able to hear. Closing her eyes and breathing in deeply, the woman finished: "The plan is to create a new duty so that Sir Claudius will no longer have to terrorize humans, and I will no longer—"
A low rumble shook the dungeons. The night sky rattled. Meteors fell, landing all upon the cobblestone ground. They broke into bits, scattering. Some of the meteors caught the stars, and thus created a shooting star.
All heads turned in the direction of the sound.
Henri slipped away from the monster and ran to the fireplace where the three ladies stood. He hid behind Isolde. The man's face went cold and his eyes drained, turning white, as a meteor landed on his head. He scooted closer to Isolde and yanked on the back of her dress. The woman pulled him into an embrace, as well as Athena, sheltering the both of them.
As the castle rumbled and shook and meteors fell from the black night ceiling, Heart of the Flame looked behind her and all around. But no one was there to protect her. She put her hands over her head and crouched down.
And then, the low rumbling transformed into a growl, constantly growing higher in pitch. The black figure in the corners shifted, his legs scraping the ground as he attempted to stand. His mouth moved, skin flapping up and down from the vibrations of the growl. Next to the flaps of skin, daggers protruded from his lips.
Slowly piecing his body back together, the beast found his footing. His eyes burst open, and the massive pupil darted about the dungeon, chasing after his prey. The beast closed his mouth and sniffed the air. And then, his pupils landed. Right next to the fireplace. There.
Charging forward, the dragon locked his eyes on Heart of the Flame's throat. All of his feet pounded against the ground, leaving claw marks on the cobblestone.
The pale woman reared back, falling on her side. She put a hand in the air.
Athena broke free of her mother's grasp, pushing against Isolde's strong arms to lunge herself over Heart of the Flame.
Claudius, noticing the sudden change, dug his claws into the ground, successfully slowing himself. His head jolted forward, and his massive body fell to the floor with a thud. He skidded across the stone. After stopping, Claudius shook his head, wobbling it from side to side. His eyes landed on Athena.
The vibrations returned. Claudius stood up on all fours again, pacing toward Athena. There was a quiet kind of rage in his eyes. Shoving his gargantuan head in her face, he growled.
Athena stood still, even with his steaming breath fogging her vision. Her nostrils flared, her eyes narrowed, and her hands balled into fists at her side. She leaned forward, only centimetres away from his midnight scales.
"You'll not be layin' a single claw on her, Claudius," Athena declared.
The dragon's neck reared back, and he pounded his front legs into the ground. Snorting in her face, Claudius shifted to the side, skulking away from the fireplace. He paced back-and-forth, his mouth wide open, growling to himself.
Athena humphed, then turned around, helping Heart of the Flame stand. "Are you alright?"
The lady stood, although wobbly on her feet. She nodded, her head shaking.
"Good. Well," Athena pressed her thumb against her chin, then twirled her hair, "you've got to stop bein' afraid of him for this to work. That goes for you as well, Henri."
The man shivered, still holding onto Isolde's skirts. "I- I'll try," he managed to spew out.
"We've all got to calm down for this to work," she said.
"I'll make some tea," Isolde said. "Come along, Henri."
Athena nodded in concurrence with her mother.
Isolde strutted off, with Henri following behind like an unsure toddler. He crouched over and wrung his hands together. But soon, they disappeared, and the dungeon door slammed shut.
Immediately after the echo of the door slamming evaporated, Claudius jerked his neck to face Athena again. He bared his teeth together, and his head seemed to become narrower, like a serpent, as his mouth formed into a snarl.
"Claudius…" Athena cooed, reaching out for his chin, though she still stood stern to protect Heart of the Flame. "Please do this," she whispered, tears growing in her eyes.
The dragon's eyes softened, the deadly, icy blues melting into calm spring water. He leaned into her rose petal hand and shut his eyes.
Heart of the Flame's breaths slowed. She drew nearer to Athena, watching over the girl's shoulder.
The only sounds that could be heard were the trees and tall grasses rustling outside as well as the crackling of the fireplace.
One of Claudius's legs buckled, falling underneath his chest. And then another. He reached out a front arm to hold himself up, but it was no use.
Athena removed her hand from under his chin and backed into Heart of the Flame. Both ladies took several paces backward as Claudius collapsed on the stone-cold floor. The castle shook as the boom echoed all over. His outstretched arm almost touched Athena. She sat down and placed her cheeks into his scaly palm.
"I'm sorry, Claudius," she cried. "But I have to do this." Her eyes glowed, the firelight reflecting in her tears. Droplets of fire streamed down her face.
Heart of the Flame wrapped her arms around herself, backing away even further from the two. It was such a pretty picture, the two of them, all wrapped up in one another. Beauty and the Beast.
And she was the one who didn't belong.
The dungeon door slammed. Heart of the Flame whirred around.
Isolde came down the steps with a tray of steaming tea. Henri followed behind, with one cup already in his hands. The color had returned to his face.
The woman strolled over, handed a cup to Heart of the Flame, and then set one down beside her daughter.
"Thanks, Ma," Athena said, stroking Claudius's face with the back of her hand while he slumbered.
"Of course…" Isolde replied. She placed the tray on the ground next to the fireplace. Then turned to take another look at her daughter. "Athena," she called.
"Yes?" The girl didn't even move her body in the slightest, only stroking Claudius's cheek.
"I…" Isolde had hardly ever stuttered in her life. "I just…" The dungeon seemed to fall all around her, closing in on her to finish the sentence. "I'm so sorry, Athena…."
The girl paused. She took a deep breath. "It'll be alright," she whispered, her back turned to everyone.
Henri sipped on his tea, but his brows furrowed. He looked to Isolde. "I suppose we should go," he said.
"Where?"
"I don't know. Another part of the castle perhaps."
Isolde nodded. She walked up to her daughter and stroked her hair, took a glance at Sir Claudius, then turned away.
Henri took slow steps, plodding along on the stone floors. He walked like a ghost up to Sir Claudius and Athena. "I'm sorry, my friends," he spoke. "I only hope that this will work and that you both will be… happy."
"Thank you, Henri."
The man felt like he was wading upstream as he walked out of the dungeons. Everything in his being fought him and told him to go back and stop the whole thing from happening.
Heart of the Flame waited for them to leave. She listened as their footsteps disappeared down the hallway. Then the lady shuffled over to Athena. Her shadow fell over the girl.
"Whenever you're ready, Heart of the Flame. Just say the word, and I'll leave." Her face was gaunt, drawn up, like a freshly-dead corpse—mouth stiff, eyes soulless, cheeks hollowed out.
"Oh, Athena…" Heart of the Flame knelt down. "I am waiting for you. Take all the time you need."
The girl looked up at Heart of the Flame, saw in the woman's face that she was being genuine, and slowly began to slink up from Claudius's grasp.
His claws fell to the floor once she removed herself, hitting the ground with a thud.
"Athena, you know there is a chance this might not work," Heart of the Flame said.
"Why is that?"
"The dragon elders may not accept our new clan. That is a very likely possibility, but I should hope not since my new duty is very honorable."
Athena's features shifted. "You never told me what your new duty will be."
"I never did, did I?" The woman looked down at her potential mate. "Well, it will be to protect the forests."
Athena lifted a brow. "From?"
Heart of the Flame sighed, facing away from the girl. "Progress, I suppose, as you humans say." She laughed. "I hoped perhaps our clan's duty would be to use our gifts—such as our shapeshifting—to not terrify the humans, but rather inform them of what they are doing to our forests. Our homes. So that they might not destroy us, as well as other forest creatures and life."
Looking down at the ground, Athena said, "Haven't you tried scaring the humans away? Fighting them? Burning down their supplies?"
"Don't you think we already have?" Heart of the Flame retorted, spitting. "Why do you think my old clan was formed?"
Athena's eyes widened. "I… I didn't realize."
"I recognized that it wasn't working. There are not enough dragons left to take on all of the humans and their machines. After we would kill one troop and demolish all of their machines, more would just come back. With weapons this time, to fend us off. Many years ago, when I was just a fledgling, we dragons could take on hundreds of humans with their meager weapons. But now, it's an entirely different battlefield. We cannot withstand these new guns. The old ones, yes, but not these." Heart of the Flame's head sank.
Athena walked near her and placed a hand on hers.
The woman's face tilted upward, and she smiled. "I hoped that… somehow we could speak with them as humans. Claudius's oral skills and my own…" she giggled, "methods of persuasion." Heart of the Flame winked.
Athena blinked, confused, but went on: "And what will you do if the elders do not accept?"
The woman's head sank again. "Find a new mate, I suppose, and try again."
Athena's eyes widened, and she pulled away from Heart of the Flame. "So, you think Claudius will be the reason why they do not accept?" Her voice became higher in pitch. Panic etched her voice.
"I'm afraid so… He may be the son of one of the most respected clans but… he is most known for betraying his kind. His tale is known throughout dragon clans far and wide. But he is also the only known blue-eyed dragon that I could find. I hoped that maybe, just maybe, the elders might see that he has changed. I meant to tell Sir Claudius of the new duty, but he banished me before I could do so. I can only hope that he will agree with the duty once he finds out about it." Heart of the Flame winced, her shoulders falling.
"I think he will," Athena replied, a small smile at the corners of her mouth. "As you said, it is an honorable duty."
"And you are alright with this?" Heart of the Flame asked.
"Yes," Athena said, looking down at her love. "Anything to break the curse, even if he doesn't want to do it."
"What if he doesn't forgive you, or me?"
"I don't care. As long as he is alive." Athena's eyes turned cold, as cold as the stone floors.
Heart of the Flame nodded. She shut her eyes.
Turning away from the woman, Athena knelt down and placed a kiss on top of Claudius's head. "You will be healed soon, my love." The girl arose, then exited the dungeons.
After the door slammed shut, Heart of the Flame took off the coat and immediately transformed into her dragon state. She prepared for the mating ritual by placing more logs on the fire and blowing flames onto them. The elders' souls would arrive in the flames, and their council would commence right after Sir Claudius had finished. If they agreed, the two would brand one another. She would probably have to force him to brand her.
Heart of the Flame looked down at her future mate, watching as his chest rose and fell. Stone scales formed all across his tail and back, almost reaching his heart.
The entire time, there were no thoughts in her brain nor stirrings in her soul, nothing. This was just a duty. This was just a deal she had made with a human girl. Just a way for her to begin the clan she had always dreamed of. That's all.
She drew nearer to his side and nudged at his hind legs with her snout. She grabbed at one with her teeth, pulling it out from underneath him.
Claudius's breathing picked up, and his heart thumped faster.
Heart of the Flame quickened her pace, beginning to pull him over onto his side. She tugged at his hind legs until he flopped over onto his back. An "Umph!" exited from his mouth. The female dragon began to panic, hoping he wouldn't fully arouse.
His light red underside was completely stoneless. Only scales and skin. But if she didn't get this over with now, the curse might traverse there next. His eyes were still closed.
Just get it over with. Don't look at him and get it over with, she told herself.
Placing herself on top of him, the female dragon commenced the ritual. Everything was foggy and glowy, like early morning when the dew and mist rolled over the hills. There was something in her stomach and chest that pushed her onward, some primordial pulling and tugging. She closed her eyes, not daring to look at him. Only the blackness of night and nothingness.
He stirred beneath her weight. Tossing from side to side, Claudius made low rumbling sounds.
Keep your eyes shut. Keep your eyes shut.
Heart of the Flame slowed down, as she felt Claudius awakening. She peeled her eyes open, and the world was mushy at first. Hot, like when prey is first opened. Steam and water and wild feelings in the pit of one's stomach. The feeling that you had to sink your teeth into your prey, that you had to finish mating.
But then, Heart of the Flame looked.
In Claudius's eyes, there was something she had never seen before in a dragon. Humans, and prey, of course. But never dragons.
His eyes were sunken in, and far off, looking in the distance and yet looking nowhere at all.
He knew what was happening, but he let it happen.
The female dragon stopped, picking herself up off of him and backing away. She backed into a shelf of letters and quills. The pages fluttered into the air and the ink spilled. Slipping over the ink, the fell to the ground, landing on top of all the parchment paper.
I can't.
Heart of the Flame transformed into a human once more. Ink covered her stomach and bare chest. She picked herself up off the ground and threw the coat over her body, before flying out of the dungeons. Claudius flipped himself over slowly, watching as she went along. He still had the distant, far-away look in his eyes, but now he was confused more than anything.
The dungeons were silent momentarily, until Athena broke through the doors, sprinting toward Sir Claudius. She stopped, skidding on her heels when she saw his still-silver tail and back.
"Claudius… Claudius? No…."
"Athena, I'm sorry." Heart of the Flame followed right after. She walked up to Athena, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder.
Athena stood stiff and still. Her shoulders lurched. "We had a deal," she whispered, her eyes stuck on the dragon in front of her.
"I know, but I just couldn't—"
"We had a deal!" Athena shouted, whipping around and slapping Heart of the Flame's hand away. Her face turned blood red as she seethed, stepping toward the older woman.
"Athena, please, listen to me." Heart of the Flame put her hands in front of her.
"He has to live. He has to. He has to!" She began to falter with her steps. "If you don't mate with him, I'll— I'll…" Athena collapsed on her knees, at Heart of the Flame's feet. She sobbed on the ground, her body lurching up and down. Her hair cascaded over her back, looking like rivers of tears falling over her. "No, no, no, no. It's not true. It can't be true…" The girl shrieked, the shrill sound causing more meteors to fall out of the night sky.
The sound rang in Sir Claudius's ears, causing him immense pain.
"Please… he can't…." Athena cried.
A hand touched Athena's back, rubbing up and down in a soothing manner. "Athena… my precious inion," Isolde said. Wiping away a tear, the woman hummed to her daughter. "There's nothing more we can do."
Henri trekked not far behind Isolde, coming down the steps. His head was lifted, looking over at the fireplace where Sir Claudius's silvery-black figure lay. Soon, Henri lowered his head.
Athena continued to weep, and spit came out of her mouth as she formed words. "I only wish that… I could speak to him just one final time." The girl heaved, hardly able to get a breath in. "I tried so hard to save him. I tried. I tried." She rolled over onto her back, looking her mother in the eyes. "But he couldn't save himself."
Isolde sat her daughter up, held onto her, and stroked her hair. "Shh, shh… it's alright. It'll turn out alright."
Henri sat down to join the two ladies and put an arm around the both of them. All of the tears he had been holding in poured out; the dam had broken.
Outside the dungeons, the sun fell. Its golden streaks painted the land. Heart of the Flame turned to face the small opening that led to the outside. A rock juggled within her throat, until it rose and rose, turned to water, and came forth out of her eyes. She walked past the three of them and near to Sir Claudius.
He looked at her intently, his body shriveling up.
Sighing, the woman spoke: "I should have done this long ago. I am sorry for that, Sir Claudius." She bowed her head, reached out a hand, and placed it upon his forehead. "The transformation won't last long, but it will give you at least enough time to say goodbye."
Claudius nodded in understanding. A barely-noticeable smile formed upon his mouth. His eyes changed.
Through sobs and tears, Heart of the Flame initiated the transformation. Her eyes closed, and her skin turned a bright red, almost like a burn from the sun. Her inner body glowed: her ribcage was visible through her skin, gleaming a deeper red.
The brilliant color shocked Henri, Isolde, and Athena. They stood up as their bodies were caked with the color of the sun at dawn.
Flames spiraled out of the woman's hands, and her bright red eyebrows turned into tiny fires.
His scales lit up, and the heat of the flames made the silver melt away, running right off of his body. The remaining scales then disappeared—a small puff of smoke was sent into the air each time one went away. His tail receded, vanishing into his back. Eventually, the dragon became covered in smoke, and all that anyone could see was his enormous form shrinking—each body part becoming smaller and more humanlike. His legs lost their curve and stuck out straight, and so did his arms. Then his neck dug down into his spine until it was the appropriate size for a man.
Finally, his face and the features lifted upward. His snout flew up and turned into a nose, and his mouth became smaller and shifted up to the higher part of his face. All of his scales poofed away, leaving red flesh before pale human skin grew back. The eyes that everyone had come to know lost their size and became more like an oval than a circle.
Removing her hand from his forehead, Heart of the Flame backed up. She took the coat from her body and placed it over him before stepping away into the clouds of smoke and darkness.
Still huddling together, Henri, Isolde, and Athena stood up and pressed onward toward the man. He was sprawled out on the ground, face down, but breathing. Alive. His long black locks billowed in the slight breeze coming from outside.
Athena separated herself from the group, taking cautious steps on her own to be nearer to her love. She crouched down, touching his smooth hand and spreading her fingers over his. "Claudius. Claudius," she whispered, sobbing. "Please wake up, Claudius."
Muffled noises came from the floor. Isolde and Henri flocked to his side, helping Claudius sit up. They pushed him until he could sit up on his own.
The man opened his eyes, bright as the blue sky. He turned to Athena, who sat at his side, her hand still wrapped around his.
"So, you've all come to see me?" he said, his voice weak and hoarse.
"Oh, Claudius!" Athena cried, throwing herself at him and kissing him all over.
Isolde gasped, her eyes becoming hawklike again. But the hawk eyes did not remain for long before they filled with tears again.
Henri crept over to the man's side. "Yes, we've all come to see you, old friend." He cried, patting Claudius on the back.
"I'm so glad you all could make it. This is how I always wanted it to be," Claudius said, his face twisted in pain, but a weak smile had made its way onto his face. The man turned around, looking off into the distance. "Heart of the Flame…" he called. "Where are you?"
Athena, Isolde, and Henri all looked at one another with fear in their eyes. What was Claudius doing?
"I'm over here, Claudius. But I'm not coming out. I'll just stay here until the transformation wears off."
"And when will that be?"
"When I haven't the strength to keep you human anymore. I will try for as long as I can though."
He nodded his head, turning back around. "Very well then. It is what it is."
Athena nestled closer to Claudius, and he put an arm around her. "I know how hard this is, my love," he said, wincing, tears welling up in his eyes. "But… I can't live this way anymore."
She choked, leaning into him. "Why not? Why not?" the girl cried.
"Because… I don't want to. I can't take it anymore," he cooed, shushing her. Claudius took the back of her head and pressed it into him, petting her hair and kissing her forehead. "I wish—that I could be human for you, Athena. But I cannot."
Athena continued to cry, but the more he spoke, the more she calmed down. She listened to the thumping of his heart in his chest, like she had all those times before.
Claudius looked up and extended his arm out to Henri Clermont. The other man took it, wiping away tears with his other hand. "My friend, I'm so glad you've come. I never got to say goodbye to you."
"I know, and I'm sorry—"
"There's no need to apologize at all, dear old friend. All I ask is that you are here now. I wish we could have long chats like we used to, but I'm afraid that just isn't going to happen. Just know that, whenever you… whenever you have a difficult customer who you can't get through to, I'll be there. Guiding you along, giving you the right words to say."
Henri nodded, grinning through the tears and the ache in his chest. "Of course, mon ami," he said. "I'll never forget you, Claudius."
The man's gaze shifted over to Isolde, who stared at the ground. "Mrs. Everleigh," he said, "I know we have not always been on the best of terms, but I hope you can see that I love your daughter dearly."
The woman nodded, her eyes still on the floor.
"I wish I could love her until the end of my days, but I cannot. However, I can rest knowing that you will."
Isolde looked up, her face red and puffy. She smiled at Sir Claudius.
"Thank you for taking care of the two people I care most about. Without you, Mrs. Everleigh, I would not be who I am today. Thank you."
They each bowed their heads to one another, before Claudius rubbed the nape of Athena's neck. "Oh, my Athena, my Athena. I'm so sorry it had to end this way."
She lifted her head, in a sort of daze. Her lips were all wet and purple. "You still have time to change your mind."
Claudius bit his tongue, but he closed his eyes and shook his head. "Athena…" he sobbed, fighting the tears. The man looked up, his eyes watery and glistening. "I would rather die and be remembered fondly by few, than live and be feared by many."
"But you still have time to change your duty! Oh, Claudius, please consider! Heart of the Flame will tell you all about her duty. She will—"
"Athena."
"It's just wonderful. You can help save the forests—"
"Athena," Claudius snapped.
She stopped.
"I don't want to be a dragon at all. Besides, you have a life of your own to lead. You don't need me here holding you back."
"Claudius…" she cried. "You've never held me back."
He sighed. "Oh, Athena. I can't do this. I can't. Why can't you understand that? Why make me go through with things that I don't want to do?"
The pain in his eyes became too much for Athena. She slid away from him.
"I'll always love you, Athena, even in the spirit realm I'll love you. But I can't live like this anymore," he pleaded with her.
Isolde pulled her daughter into her chest. Athena sank, folding her arms into her mother. "Shh, shh, child," she cooed, swaying back and forth. "There's nothing else to be done."
A rising pain formed in Claudius's legs. Like sacks of coins were weighing them down.
Baring his teeth together, clenching, he powered through the pain.
Heart of the Flame called suddenly: "I can't hold it much longer, Sir Claudius!" Her voice was barely above a whisper. She began gasping for air.
The man's body lurched. His veins turned blood red. He fell to the ground, soon becoming lifeless.
Athena screamed. Isolde wrapped her arms around her daughter and carried her away. The girl reached out an arm, fighting to return to her beloved, but she wasn't strong enough to escape.
Henri stood up, backing away from Sir Claudius. He turned away and followed after the two women, his head hung low.
After they had exited, Heart of the Flame released her hold on Claudius's human form. She walked to him while he transformed for one final time, kneeling over the man.
A wave of peace settled over Claudius's eyes, the peace that death brings. He gasped for air, but couldn't get the sound out. Then his lips formed the final words:
"Thank you…."