Nixiesocean: I have to say, I'm disappointed. No reviews? Not one

I will not update this story again until I get five reviews. Is that so hard? All I want is a simple "hey, this is a good story. I like character X".

That takes, what, five seconds

Anyways…

Here's a review of the last seventeen chapters, told from Ceara's POV.

Chapter 18: Ceara's Story

Syan and Sara, although only five, knew we were in danger of our lives. They kept quiet and didn't complain. Sometimes I wonder if Dragon blood would be good for our Human young. At least they'd learn faster.

We still didn't know how to get into Dragonhold – or where it was. I needed to get to Ceara before Hyane and her minions caught us. They'd be merciless.

"Fiona." I said quietly. "Have you ever followed Hyane?"

"Yes." Fiona whispered. "But only once, I'm not sure I could find the gate."

Everett was speaking with his children. I narrowed my eyes in thee darkness. "There's a gate?"

Fiona shrugged. "It either leads to a second dimension or is truly the city behind it." She raised her eyes. "Why do you think the Dragons could hold this for so long after the decline of their Empire?"

I nodded in agreement. "How far, do you guess, we are from the gate?"

"On foot?"

"Yes, of course." I replied.

"A week or so, then we need to figure out how to open it." She said.

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Mira, like most Dragons, learned quickly. A week wasn't much time to learn for a Human to learn the basics, but was enough for a Dragon. Her newer lessons helped me keep my mind of the inevitable.

Him.

"No, no." I laughed. "Keep the dress in your arms and set the shoes down."

She giggled. "Of course, of course." She had set the dress on the floor and the shoes on the bed, blushed and switched them. "I'm just so nervous."

"About…?" I prompted. I sat on my vanity chair while directing her lessons.

"Oh… everything." She replied flippantly. "Mostly what you'll do when your lover gets here." My face fell. "Oh…" She whispered. "I'm so sorry…"

I looked at her soberly. "No, no. It's all right. It was might fault anyway." I bit my lip and looked away.

I felt a small hand on my shoulder. "Ceara." She said quietly. "Do you need me to leave?"

I turned back and threw my arms around her smaller frame. "No, please don't go away." Her arms moved to pat my back. I missed Ade dearly.

"If you want," Mira, who always seemed older than she claimed to be, whispered. "You can explain everything to me. I'm a good pair of ears."

I nodded and took my arms from the hug. She handed me the cup of tea that someone had left… when had it come? I smiled nervously and took a sip. "You could just take my history from my mind – I assume all Dragons can."

Mira blushed. "I wouldn't invade your mind, Dragon-Queen."

I patted her. "I was merely saying it's a possibility." I shook my head and wiped the tears that seeped out of my eyes. "I guess speaking helps bleed off the poison of it."

"That's what Mother said…" Mira whispered.

I waved a hand. "I will tell mine, then, if you want, you can tell yours." My lady-in-waiting nodded in confirmation. "I was born a few weeks before Aram and Ade. Aram is Ade's elder twin. As soon as I was old enough to understand, I vowed before my parents that I would guard Ade." Mira blinked. "The three of us were great friends, and we each had our own pursuits. Around the age of ten Human years, Aram decided he wanted to be a fighter, and that fit his personality: rash." The golden dragon sat as she watched me spin my tale. "Ade decided to be a scholar, perfect. He would be his brother's cooler side, the rational side. He is a bookworm-ish type. Only Queen Katharine II's persistence kept Ade from leaving the training field entirely. I became the quiet observer of the twin's antics. I would merely be a lady of the court, that is, to the Humans. I was training to be the Dragon-Queen of Dragonhold." Mira nodded to let me know she was still listening. "And that's where my tale begins.

"I knew I liked Ade, at least a little bit more than friendship, around the age of thirteen Human years. I dismissed it as merely the inclination of growth." I was well past Mira's age by now. "Ade, I never knew, liked me all the while." She gasped. I smiled. "Around the age of eighteen Human years, I started to realize that Ade was… not different, but, not exactly the way a coolheaded, younger twin advisor-to-be was supposed to act-"

"What do you mean?" She asked, eyes confused.

I set a hand on her golden head. "I mean, Mira, that there was something in life he had to accomplish… something staying at a palace in a docile environment wouldn't sate. He has a hunger for adventure… more so that his elder twin." Mira nodded in acknowledgement. "Aram knew he had to stay home. He knew he had a duty. Ade never had that pressure – not from me, not from anyone." I bowed my head. "We ran off. Ade wanted to escape, and I refused to allow him to leave unguarded." Mira nodded. She knew the vow. "In any case, we ran south.

"We spent a good few days in the wild. It felt good to away from everything. Too soon, Asnarinith – a rogue Red – found us. We were captured before long. Asnarinith threatened to Drain me… and when I fought the ropes in protest, he rounded on Ade." Mira gasped, knowing full well what Draining did to Humans.

"He didn't!" She gasped. Realization dawned on her. "This Asnarinith… has he been acknowledged by you as a Dragon of the Court?"

I shook my head. "No… why?"

"Because…" She whispered. "You can hunt him for crimes against the well-being of all Dragons!" Of course. I knew that! How had I forgotten?

"May I continue?" I asked. She nodded, impatient. "We escaped, to make a long story short, and Asnarinith wounded. We ran off and found a Dragonblood. His name is Everett. He had a wife who died of a disease named Mia, and has two twins, Syan and Sara. They're Silver Dragonblooded." Mira nodded. "He took us in and in exchange, I made the garden bloom quickly and Ade helped to add onto the small two-room hut. We left on the sixth day, because I had a suspicion that Asnarinith would be back in a week.

"We hid and tried to escape, but he found us, and drug us before him again. This time, he wasted no time. He started the Draining on me.-"

"HE WOULDN'T!" Mira screamed, pounding a fist into the air furiously. "Not my queen! I'll flay his hide! I'll cook his oversized head in a pot and give it to the pigs! I'll-" I held my lady-in-waiting's flailing arms and looked at her through steady eyes. "I'll shut up." I released her arms.

"Thank you." I told her while she settled back down in her chair. "Where was I? Oh… then." The mere thought of saying what happened aloud hurt me. A tear slipped down my cheek. I pressed a hand to my cheek. Mira patted my loose one.

"Continue when you feel… I'll be here…" She whispered. I nodded, breathed deeply and sighed.

"Asnarinith… didn't expect Ade to know what was going on." A tear trickled down my cheek. "Ade penetrated the dome, after 'killing' Asnarinith, and found me. I tried to calm him, but the fury of emotions was too strong. He hugged me and kissed my lips." I bit my lip to keep it from trembling; then spoke. "And he – he died."

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We spent nights in forests, Syan and Sara thinking it to be a fine game to see who could stay quietest longest and who could get to sleep fastest. Sara fell asleep one night with her head on my thigh, sleeping soundly. This night, Sara had won the game. Everett's lips twitched with suppressed laughter as he saw my predicament.

I tried to move her, but Everett shook his head and Sara kept sleeping. Sometime during the night, she grabbed my shirt and held it close. I awoke with a crick in my neck and Sara still sleeping. I quickly looked around the campsite. Syan slept next to her father and Fiona was curled up under a cloak we found at Everett's.

I stroked Sara's fine blonde hair. Her hair was beginning to dirty, but the silver streak pulsed brightly. I smiled at her. I would like to have a child some day.

She awoke at that thought and beamed angelically. Her big eyes showed years of emotions. "I have a Papa already," She told me matter-of-factly. "But I'm sure Miss Ceara would-"

I shushed her.

A little while later, and we were off walking again.

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Tears ran freely. "I was grieving over Ade when I thought I saw the Goddess." Mira's eyes widened. "She gave me the gift of Life. I used it on Ade, only it wasn't the Ade I knew. He was different, more angry.

"We spent more time in the wilderness. Eventually, he found out he was truly the prince of Furde. He ordered me to take him to his home. I refused, and instead took him here."

"I had heard the Heir Apparent had arrived unannounced." Mira murmured.

"Somehow, in all of the chaos, he and Aram switched places and they were restored. So, Aram, Jade – who is Aram's love – and I flew back to the palace." Bitterly, I continued. "I was blamed for Ade's disappearance. I pretty much confined myself to my rooms. I was prepared to leave that night."

It was true. Speaking the story bled off the poison of it all. Mira was indeed a good listener. "Ade found me." I breathed in deeply. Should I tell her? "We spent about two or three hours together and I left. I came here, and that's where then becomes now."

Mira's brown eyes were wet with tears. "I'm happy for you. So, this Ade, he's who you love?"

I smiled at the ten-year-old. "Yes."

She grew confused. "Then why didn't you take him with you? Dragons can have Human consorts. If you love him, why did you leave him?"

I knew this question would come up. I responded in the best way possible: "I don't know."

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I refuse to update until I get… (thinks) 5 reviews.

I know you people read this!

Ok, well… review!

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