Floating
A dark empty void
Pain
Slowly the smell of mud and water cut through the pain and Calder felt himself beginning to awaken. His throat felt raw. His head was pounding. He was laying on something cold and damp. Wet stone. His head began to clear, and the faces of his family entered his mind. He remembered water. He remembered screaming.
Rearing up Calder opened his eyes panicked, "Mommy!" His voice was raspy, his eyes were trying to adjust to the dim light around him. He was in some sort of cave, no sunlight visible. The dim light was coming from clusters of small mushrooms that Calder had never seen before which were glowing faintly.
"Your mother is gone Young One." An unfamiliar voice echoed from behind him.
Whipping his entire body around Calder saw a pool of water. A long serpentine body coiled in the pool lead to a large head laying on the ground outside the water. The body was covered in different shades of blue scales that shimmered in the light like the sunlight across the waves as they hit the shore. Fins protruded from the beast's head from behind it's large green eyes like horns that stretched out and up as a mantle framing its face. Fins the same colour decorated down the body to the end of the tail that was barely visible. There was a sad look on its face at their eyes met.
Feeling as though his lungs were full of water Calder found himself struggling to breathe. Gone? The faces of his family flashed through his mind in disjointed memories. His magic lashed out in denial with angry tendrils of water.
"Calm Child. Breath in slowly and deeply." A warm ring of water encircled Calder. As he was embraced Calder felt his magic begin to calm. He focused on breathing deep, his breath hitching part way. "That's it, nice and slow. Let the water sooth you." He let his body sink into the water around him and Calder let the tears fall in ragged breaths.
Calder couldn't say how long he sat there, letting the tears fall as he mourned his family. But as the water fell to the ground he felt better. More stable.
"How do you feel Sweetling?" The beast's voice reminded him of crashing waves. Slowly he approached, absentmindedly playing with some water droplets with his magic.
"What are you?"
The beast rose slightly, a deep rumbling echoing throughout the cave as though it was laughing. "I am one of the ancient sea serpents, a relative of the dragons of the land. My name is Cordelia." Smiling her voice softening she brought her head down to eyes level with the child, "And your name is?"
"Calder." Whispering as he reached the dragon, looking up curiously. "Where am I? Why am I here? What do you want from me?" Calder couldn't hide his nervousness, but he still stood tall, looking Cordelia in the eyes as best he could.
The rumbling echoed through the cave once more, "So many questions from one so young." Cordelia locked eyes with Calder. "This is my home." Her voice lowered and Calder could see tears in her eyes, "I heard your cries and felt your magic reaching out towards me during the storm. Sensing your potential when I arrived, I brought you here."
Calder looked down as his feet, dropping the last of the water. His voice cracking as he spoke, trying to hold back tears, "Why didn't you save anyone else?"
"Oh child." Wrapping part of her body around Calder, offering what comfort Cordelia could. "Your magic protected you. By the time I arrived, everyone else was long gone."
Without conscious thought Calder leaned into Cordelia's neck whispering, "What happens now?"
"Now, if you desire, you will stay with me and you will train. I sense great potential in you."
Smiling Calder felt his magic brighten at the thought of being used more, "I would like that."
As the pair grew closer, a bond began to form; the special bond between dragon and dragon slayer.
~~A New Life~~
While Calder would never forget his birth family, Cordelia slowly became like a mother to him. Unlike his parents, who he knew feared his powers, Cordelia taught him how to embrace and use them. There were still days where he desperately wished he could show Emily and Dustin what he could do and the loss of them still cut deeply. Lessons kept him distracted and as time went on the pain lessoned. With Cordelia's help Calder was able to better understand the power inside him.
"Humans often refer to this power as magic." Cordelia began to explain, head facing Calder as her body laid along the edge of the cave.
"So there are other people who can do what I do?" Calder questioned. He had seven orbs of water floating around him; by doing this he was strengthening both his control and power.
"Not exactly like you young one." Cordelia laughed, "Especially after you become a full-fledged dragon slayer." She nuzzled Calder with her nose, making him giggle. "Humans, like dragons, have the ability to manipulate magic differently depending on their needs and abilities. Some humans require the use of items to use magic, like the celestial mages. Others channel their magic through their bodies like we do."
Calder sat and thought to himself for a moment, changing the shape of the water dancing around him. "So there are many different types of magic. Does this mean that anyone can use any type of magic?" He looked at Cordelia, head tilted slightly.
"Not all humans can use magic. However, while those who can are still children, most can choose a type of magic to focus on. It grows harder as the human gets older to learn different types. Some children, like you, are born with an affinity for a certain type or element. This means that any other magic they try to do will not be nearly as powerful as their affinity. And remember, even if two people learn and use the same type of magic, their styles will be different. No two people have magic that is exactly the same."
Silence enveloped the underwater cave as Calder processed Cordelia's information.
"Are there other dragon slayers?"
"Yes, Young One. When you get more used to your powers I will introduce you to the one being trained by a friend of mine."
Calder smiled, "Okay, I can't wait." He let out a long yawn, practicing starting to drain him.
"Time for sleep." Cordelia shifted so that Calder was laying against her, vanishing the water in his hands.
Calder pouted, "M' not sleepy Delia."
"I'm sure you're not my sweet."
Tomorrow Calder will finally be meeting another dragon slayer, but after being away from humans for so long he was nervous. What if this other dragon slayer didn't like him? Cordelia had told him that the dragon was one of her old friends-what if they didn't like him? Would Cordelia leave him?
Sensing the panic deep inside himself Calder tried to calm himself like Cordelia taught him. Taking deep breaths, he reached out and pulled water towards him. As it swirled around him he focused on the way his magic felt coursing through his veins and felt himself slowly relaxing.
"Are you ready to go Sweetling?" Calder couldn't hold back the smile that crossed his face at hearing Cordelia's voice.
"Yes Delia."
Together they swam through the ocean and Calder felt dirt beneath his feet for the first time in over a year.
