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“I wish that I could see the Celestials,” I said to Belle, looking longingly up at the darkened sky, which was only covered with the black branches of the trees arching over each other, creating almost a dome around us.

“My mother is up there,”Belle said, motioning toward the Celestials. She started flapping her wings slightly, only hovering off the ground to a small degree.

“What was she like?” I asked, wanting to know more about Belle’s past.

“She was pink like me.”She thought for a moment more before saying anything else.“She died a long time ago. I never really got to know her.”I could feel the ache in her voice, wanting to get to know her mother but not being able to. I wanted to ask about what happened to her, but didn’t want to pry into her past.

“Tell me about your old division,” I said. She mentioned that she was kicked out for being a weak link. Wouldn’t the older dragons understand she was only a child and too young?

“It consisted of my father and a few other dragons. Our division used to be large, but then we got split up.”

“How did you get split up?” I asked, curiously.

“There were these creatures that we had never seen before. They were black with holes in their wings and large fangs and talons. Their horns were long and curly as well.”I stopped right in my tracks from what she just said.

“You’ve seen them?” I asked, insisting on an answer.

“What are they? My father had no idea what they were, and we had never heard of them. He said something about them being from the Old Religion.”

“They are Deathlies,” I told her, my hands becoming clammy with anxiety. “That’s why we’re going to the dragon gate. I need to stop them.” Belle huffed and looked at me. “Where was your division going? Why did you come this way?”

“We were moving to an unfamiliar land. One far from here.”

“But why?” I asked curiously.

“We needed to seek protection. Dragons are being sought after. Magic from our own religion started to turn against us, forcing us out of our own lands.”

I didn’t realize what magic from the Old Religion could do. I only saw small snippets from when my grandmother used it, but she was never able to do something as substantial as forcing dragons out of their own land. That would require a lot of magic and from a lot of wielders. The Old Religion believed in combining forces between humanity, including those that practiced magic, as well as the Scalekind.

“They aren’t honoring the religion that their magic is derived from,” I said.

“Exactly. The checks and balances are starting to become out of control. The Scalekeepers put consequences in place for the dragons to not be killed, yet the curses have come to mean nothing. Scalebornes used to be seen as gods, being protected from the mortal touch, but now that means nothing as well as you would know. There are going to be some heavier consequences soon, but my division knew that the consequences would be so great as to hurt us all. I just know my father was scared of what was going to happen. Not a lot can make him scared.”

I knew that Scalebornes used to be seen as gods and used to be worshiped as deities, but I didn’t know the rest. What couldheavier consequences even possibly entail? Something big was going to happen, but I wasn’t quite sure what it would be. Was the consequence the result of the Deathlies killing off the lands to make them unlivable?

“You mentioned something about a Scalekeeper? What is that?” I asked, the word familiar from conversations with Nana.

“I probably shouldn’t tell you,”she trailed.“But Scalekeepers are those that live through the dragon gate. They are the ones that harness the dragons and the deadly creatures of the world. All hidden through their portal. By reaching the egg, they will be the ones granting you your wish. However, remember, everything comes at a cost with them.”What did she mean through a portal? Dragons and deadly creatures? I had never heard of this portal before. Was it access to the gatekeepers ofEzu1 orHaxnau2? What did she mean everything came at a cost?

“I thoughtEzuandHaxnauwere found in the Celestials?” I questioned my religion.

“Ezu is. Sort of,”she said.“The portal is similar to our world, but a little different. Nothing to get wrapped up about.”She stopped, not wanting to say any more on the matter. I realized that she saidEzuand notHaxnau. Where was the portal toHaxnau? Her snout was pointed past the trees, as if searching in the Celestials.“Do you miss your parents?”she asked.

The loaded question hit me like a bag of unexpected bricks. “No,” I said. “They treated me differently. Sometimes I forget that they are my parents. My mother and father know almost nothing about me. I have never been seen as a priority. Sometimes I don’t even recognize them when I go into the castle grounds. They’re just familiar faces with unfamiliar spirits,” I whispered, hating the feelings that I had for them. I wanted to love them, and I wanted them to feel like my division and family. But the words didn’t feel true as they exited my mouth. Therewas something there emotionally that I couldn’t quite grasp. Maybe Damian was right. Maybe I was doing this only to prove something. “Do you miss your father?” I questioned her.

“I miss being with other dragons, but I didn’t miss my father,”she said upfront.“What makes you want to go to the dragon egg?”I sighed, unknowing how to respond to the question.

“At first I wanted so badly to take on the responsibility of the kingdom that was supposed to be mine. It wasn’t even about helping them, but proving that I was good enough to do so for my father. I guess I grew up believing that I was never good enough. I wasn’t good enough to be queen or heir to the throne. There was some sort of push of responsibility for what I wanted to be, something better for my father and to earn some sort of approval for who and what I was. Now, I think it is because I wanted to prove to myself that I could accomplish such an enormous task. However, I’m still not sure.” I wasn’t sure. There were so many reasons that I was out. I wanted to leave my tower. I had a responsibility to save my kingdom. I wanted to prove that I could be queen. So many reasons, yet I couldn’t distinguish precisely which one it was.

Belle didn’t say anything and just smiled, soaking it all in. I was almost glad that she didn’t say anything, because I didn’t want to talk about it anymore, either.

***

The dim morning light was creeping up along the mountains and the trees. It was a thin color of blue, hiding away the moon and the Celestials. It felt a little chilly; the wind grew heavy in the air.

I rubbed my arms to bring the color and warmth back into my skin. Goosebumps rose along my arms, covering every stretch of my body.

The wind that brushed past our faces was heavy and cold. We were close to the water. I could taste it in the salt in the air. The trees started thinning, showing we were approaching the fisherman’s town, Evler. We were so close. I could feel it.