"Where are you, Akira?" I questioned, feeling the sting of being forgotten. "Why have you severed all ties with me, and why am I still trapped in this dragon form, plagued by these perilous emotions?" I suddenly no longer wanted to leave this world where I had found a new purpose beyond the prophecy that had brought me here. The idea of leaving felt too risky. After all, I had ceased aging. Fortunately, my form appeared mature, and Freya, with her maddening kindness, was so good to me.

Her kindness was so profound that I found myself reciprocating her feelings. I was falling hopelessly in love. She wasn’t even human, and neither was I anymore. I had adapted to the nature of this world, leaving behind my previous life, and trying to erase the memory of heaven. Eventually, I gained a royal status in the palace, serving the queen. But my role was not merely that of a servant; I had become her lover. She confessed her feelings to me in the most unexpected way.

One day, as we practiced our wind mastery in the arena, she challenged me to a race. The arena was too small for our speed, so she led me to a secret exit from the kingdom. We emerged outside, facing a vast canyon. She smirked and said, “So, you think you’re fast?” I laughed nervously and responded, “I was kidding, you know.” She ignored me and said, “Let’s see if you can keep up with me.” Then she leaped into the canyon and soared through the air. I followed her without hesitation.

The canyon was a labyrinth of rocks, perilous obstacles and wind. The air howled and echoed around us, creating an eerie atmosphere. The walls were unstable and crumbled as we flew past them. She was swift and agile, knowing every twist and turn of the canyon. She tried to shake me off by taking sharp turns and sudden dives, but I always managed to catch up with her. We reached the end of the canyon and found ourselves in a valley, surrounded by open space and silence. It was just the two of us.

I shouted, “You let me win, didn’t you?” She pretended not to hear me and said, “What? Speak louder!” She was close enough to hear me clearly, so I said, “You slowed down on purpose!” She laughed and said, “No, I didn’t. You’re fast.” I thanked her and said, “Thanks to you. You taught me well.” She smiled and said, “Of course. I’m proud of you. Now follow me, if you can.” I said, “Wait, I want to enjoy the view.” She didn’t wait and flew away to another place I didn’t know. I followed her, keeping a higher altitude in case I needed to dive after her.

She disappeared behind a wall that had a small entrance. I tried to follow her, but the passage was narrow and dark. There was only one way to go, so I couldn’t get lost. I reached the other side, but she was nowhere to be seen. I looked around, confused. I was about to call her name when she sneaked up behind me. She clung to the rock face and bit one of my wings. “Ow! What the hell?” I turned around and saw her holding me by the wing with her teeth. She kept me balanced in the air while I flapped my other wing. I said, “Hey, what are you doing?” She couldn’t answer with her mouth full of my wing, but I saw her eyes. They were gleaming with mischief and malice. She wanted to hurt me for fun. I said, “Oh no, don’t you dare.” She let go of me and quickly attacked me again, trying to make me crash into the rocks. But I dodged her in midair by dropping lower than she expected. Now it was my turn to flee and hers to chase.

 

We switched roles from hunter to mere prey. Before, I was the hunter. Now she was. And she was enjoying it. So was I, in a way. It was a thrilling game of life and death. I had to fly fast or be at her mercy. I flew back to the canyon and then ascended above it. I looked around and saw her closing in on me. She was less than a hundred meters away from me. I changed my strategy and flew towards her instead of away from her. She didn’t flinch and kept flying at me. When we were about to collide, I summoned fire around me and blinded her with flames. Then I passed by her and escaped from the canyon.

I executed the plan flawlessly, creating such a distance between us that she had no hope of catching up. But she refused to give up. She pursued me relentlessly, even as the sun dipped below the horizon and painted the sky with fiery hues. It was a breathtaking sight, but it soon turned into a nightmare. Out of nowhere, a colossal bird swooped down and struck me with its razor-sharp beak. It was way more than three times my size, with brilliant plumage and a bloodthirsty gleam in its eye. I recognized it vaguely from my brief glimpse of the forbidden fallen kingdom of the Wyverns. Back then, it had ignored me as a human. But now, as a dragon, it attacked me as if I was its prey.

I dodged and weaved, trying to shake off the avian menace. But it was faster and stronger than me, and I felt my energy draining. My wings, started hurting and burn like hell. Fear gripped me as I lost sight of Freya. I had no choice but to fight back. I ignited myself in flames when the bird clawed at my wing, hoping to scorch it. But to my astonishment, it did the same. It burst into flame and matched my heat. It was a phoenix, a creature of legend and myth. And it wanted me dead.

I was about to launch a barrage of ice shards at it when it made a surprising move. It disappeared into a cloud of fire, then reappeared right in front of me. It slammed into me with full force, tearing off both my wings. I barely felt the pain, only the shock. I was falling, plummeting to the earth. I screamed for help, but no one came. I braced myself for impact.

The trees broke my fall somewhat, cushioning me until I landed in a small clearing. I looked around frantically for the phoenix, but it was nowhere to be seen. I made a fatal mistake: I didn’t run for cover while I still could. I was exposed and vulnerable. An easy target. I saw its shadow first, cast by the setting sun. It was perched on a tree, watching me with a predatory stare, waiting for me to bleed out or finish me off. I backed away slowly, hoping to gain some distance. I wasn’t ready to give up yet. Then it noticed me moving. It flew down and seized me by the head.

I attempted to reason with the creature, hoping that it was not merely toying with me before delivering the final blow. “Forgive me. I did not mean to trespass on your domain. I swear I will never return if you spare my life. Please.” The bird gave no sign of understanding, only a dreadful screech that pierced my ears. It wasted precious moments with its display of fury, and I seized the opportunity to summon shards of ice around me. I infused them with the wind element, making them whirl towards the beast, but it seemed unfazed. It enveloped itself in flames once more, scorching my skin. Or rather, my scales. I felt the heat sear into my flesh, sending waves of agony through my body. My ice shards melted before they could reach their target. I realized I had to change my strategy: create a single, massive ice spear and hurl it with all my might. But there was a risk: the spear could pierce the bird and hit me as well. I had no other option, though. Freya was nowhere to be seen, and I had to act fast. I conjured the ice spear and launched it at the infernal creature, hoping for the best. The bird released its grip on me, but I had only made things worse for myself. The spear impaled my tail, pinning me to the ground. I quickly summoned fire around me, hoping to heal my wounds. Slowly, my wings began to regenerate, and my tail freed itself from the bloody icicle. The bird was not deterred by the fire, and it swooped down on me again. This time it clamped its talons around my head and tried to rip off my newly regenerated wings with its beak. I summoned more spears and threw them wildly. I did not care if I hurt myself. I just needed to get it off me. It let go again, but not before severing one of my wings and grazing the other with one of my own spears. I cried out in frustration, “Will you just hold still, you oversized, colorful chicken?” I did not wait for it to attack again. I kept summoning more ice spears, aiming and shooting them at the beast, but it was agile and hard to hit. I hoped that my barrage would keep it at bay long enough for me to heal my wings again and fly away. As soon as I felt strong enough, I took off into the air, flinging more ice shards and spears behind me. I focused all my energy on this last assault. The bird seemed ready to take the hit, but when one of the ice shards reached it, it vanished in a burst of fire.

I had no choice but to flee from the monstrous creature once more. It was beyond my power to defeat it. I soared higher and headed back to the canyon , hoping to find Freya and return to the kingdom with or without her for the sake of my own life. "Where has she gone?" I wondered aloud, longing for her presence. Perhaps she knew this land better than I did and could ward off this fearsome predator. As I was being pursued by the colossal, colourful chicken, or the "fiery phoenix" as it were, I spotted her. I cried out her name, “Freya!” She answered, “I’m on it.” I reached her side, and we switched places. She flew in front of the phoenix and commanded, “Solara, stop.” The phoenix incredibly, obeyed and halted, then uttered a word, “Queen Freya. Why?” She explained, “That’s not a threat. You can let him go.” Solara questioned, “A shadow dragon, since when is that not an enemy?” She replied, “That’s not a shadow dragon. He only resembles one. Now listen to me and stop attacking him, okay?” Solara demanded more explanation. “Do you know him?” She replied, gazing at me with affection. “His name is Raphael, and I love him.” She wanted me to hear it on purpose.

Solara paused in midair and said, “I didn’t know. My apologies, Queen Freya. I wish you happiness with your love. Farewell.” And she vanished in a blaze of flames. I thought, “Finally, she’s gone.” But to my surprise, she reappeared behind me and asked, “So, sorry for everything. I’m Solara. Who are you? Raphael isn’t it?” I was caught off guard and almost summoned an ice shard to strike her, but I took a deep breath and tried to reply politely, “I’m Raphael, and I think we’ve met before. I called you shouting about a month ago while I was flying in the valley. I wasn’t a dragon then. I was a human.” She asked, “What’s a human? I don’t recall such a being.” I explained, “Of course you don’t. They don’t normally exist. Maybe you saw a primate-like creature without a tail, flying with a pair of light wings, and wearing some clothes.” She thought about it and said, “Oh, yes, I remember. You were in the valley that day. You’re lucky. I was about to attack you then, but instead I just called for Red, and then… I don’t know what happened after that.” I told her, “He found me the next day and captured me. His name is Ferox, right?” She replied, “Yes, that’s him. Anyway, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Raphael. Again, sorry for attacking you, and congratulations on winning the queen’s heart.” Freya was listening to all of this, and I felt so embarrassed. I said sheepishly, “Oh yeah, thanks, I guess.” She replied cheerfully to both of us before leaving: “You have my blessing. If you get married someday, don’t forget to invite me. Now goodbye and good luck.” And then she truly disappeared into a cloud of fire and didn’t show up again.

I glared at the queen, feeling a mix of resentment and gratitude. She blinked and asked, “What?” I snapped, “Where were you when that Solara tried to kill me and almost succeeded?” She looked apologetic and said, “I lost sight of you. I’m sorry.” I was incredulous. “You lost sight of me? How?! You didn’t see that thing following me? It’s as big as an house!” She tried to justify herself. “I must have been still in the canyon, then I started searching for you, but I couldn’t find you.” I challenged her. “I didn’t hear you calling me, you know?” She explained, “I thought you were hiding on purpose. We were still chasing each other, weren’t we? I’m sorry.” She sounded sincere, so I relented. “Ok, fine, I forgive you. Don’t worry.” Besides, everything happened so fast that she might not have seen me get shot down. She still sounded guilty as she said, “I’m sorry, but hey, you are fast.” By then, I had calmed down. Seeing her almost in tears made me feel bad, so I said, “Haha, thanks, I know. You’re fast too.” She tried to hide her sorrow and said, “Oh, thanks, I guess.”

I decided to change the topic. I was tired of flying, and I guessed she was too. “All good, come on, let’s land. We’ve been flying long enough. Maybe we can put our wings to rest?” She agreed, and we landed near the end of the canyon, in front of the landscape, with the sun almost gone. I asked her a question that had been bothering me. “May I ask, when you told Solara that you loved me, was it for real or just to persuade her?” She appeared apprehensive, a hint of worry in her eyes. She gently rested her head on my shoulder, her voice soft as she answered, "Solara was right, Raphael. You've indeed earned my heart."

I pressed her further, needing to hear her confirm it. "So you genuinely have feelings for me? What is it about me that you're drawn to?" She replied earnestly, "Everything. There's not a single thing about you that I don't like." I couldn't resist teasing her a little, to lighten the mood. "So, the legendary Queen Freya, a widowed mother queen, has fallen for a shapeshifter, who is now a young king, huh?" She responded with hope in her voice. "Sounds about right. Be my king, Raphael. I want to love you in a way I've never been able to before. I want to let go of my past. I wish to have a new son."

Her last statement took me by surprise, but I didn't let it overshadow the rest of her confession. To keep the mood light and loving, I responded, "You're incredibly adorable, Freya. That's another thing I love about you. And you don’t feel cold-blooded anymore." She nestled closer to me, her voice laced with irony as she said, "Whatever you say, my little prince."

We sat there in silence, waiting for the sun to set. As I watched the sun dip below the horizon, I couldn't help but wonder about the future that awaited us.

Caught in a whirlwind of thoughts, I struggled to figure out my priorities. Certain aspects of this situation seemed unworkable. If the guardians discovered my whereabouts, I would need to flee, leaving Freya alone once more, a thought that filled me with guilt. My feelings for her were not as profound as hers were for me, but I had grown to care for her deeply, now having a newfound capacity for love.

As night fell, Freya succumbed to sleep. I nudged her gently, "Freya, it's getting late. Perhaps we should head back to the castle, what do you think?" She stirred but kept her eyes closed, feigning sleep. I teased her lightly, "I know you're not asleep. There's no need to pretend." She mumbled in a sleepy voice, "Sleep." Not convinced by her act, I insisted, "Not here. Besides, shouldn't we be worried about the guards? Aren't they likely to be looking for us?" She sighed, finally giving in, "Alright, we'll head back. But can we stay here a little longer?" I acquiesced with a smile, "As you wish, you are the queen after all." She responded warmly, "And you're the king." I jested, "Only if you insist." I continued to keep a lookout as we slowly started falling in the realm of dreams.

Our surroundings were far from secure. Suddenly, fire engulfed us, blazing fiercely. The flames transformed into the shape of a massive eagle, cackling menacingly. I quickly nudged Freya, "Freya, wake up!" Startled, she woke up and glared at the firebird. "Solara, please can you give us some space?" Solara cooed mockingly, "Awww, you two look so adorable together. But, as your guardian, I'm duty-bound to stay." I retorted, "I'm not sure if 'adorable' is the appropriate term here, Solara." She chuckled, "Well, for a shadow dragon, you're quite adorable too." Her incessant teasing was getting on my nerves. "That's it. We should head back in." I attempted to get Freya to move, but she resisted. "Let's stay here a bit longer. We even have our personal fire-eagle guard," she pointed at Solara. Solara nodded proudly, "Indeed, here I am." I sighed in defeat. "Fine, as you wish, princess," I responded, my tone dripping with sarcasm. She snuggled up against me and fell back to sleep. With nothing else to do, I followed her lead. I adjusted myself into a more comfortable position on the ground, careful not to disturb her, and closed my eyes. We slept in the open, in a potentially dangerous place, with our personal guard keeping a watchful eye on us. We must have been quite a sight!