You're Not the Only One With Secrets - "YNTOOWS" by Lucia Roberts (best ebook reader for surface pro .txt) 📕

Silence.

The look on Elder Malachai's face is a mix of shock, awe, and dis-belief. The look then disappeared as quickly as it came; as if he already knew something: the answer.

“What did he say?” Why the hell he is being so calm is beyond annoying me.

“No. That's all he said. I hadn't even asked him a question. He just wrote 'no' as if to say that he wouldn't talk to me but yet he wrote on the floor, with my pencil, so I didn't know who else to turn to that might have an answer or even a way to get one… so... I ran here. I have no idea. I didn't think any of the Companions could do such things. He is simply a spirit animal!”

I got up to pace but paused in mid stride when Elder Malachai said softly “No, he's not.”

“What do you mean he's not?” I said in a low, shaky voice.

“Your Vishnu, My Child, is not just a spirit animal.” I tried to follow where he was going with this.

“What is he then; if he's not indeed the spirit animal that I've grown with for nineteen years?” I could see that Elder Malachai was sympathetic towards my inability to grasp the situation by the soft and sad look he held upon his face.

“What do you know about dragons My Dear?” he asked as he got up to walk about the room.

“He's a dragon?!?” I exclaimed.

“You must learn to not jump to conclusions so quickly Amaranth. But, no. Vishnu is not a dragon. Now will you please tell me what you have learned of dragons in your studies?” I took a breath after letting out the one I had been holding. I began stating the knowledge I had gained as Elder Malachai has asked.

“Dragons have been extinct for some time now; but when they were alive they would protect our towns. They used to be watched and raised and counted as a Fae family job that would be passed down only to heirs of said family. A dragon must have a spell put on him to be raised to full growth. If he does not have this spell put upon him, he will experience a premature death.” I pondered if I had forgotten anything when Mordecai broke through my thoughts. “The name of the family has been lost within the past as the family name died with the dragons themselves.”

“Very good; but, wrong. Dragons are almost extinct. There is one or two more out there in our world somewhere. Do you know anything else of our absent protectors?” I thought.

“The last heir to the family of Dragon Watchers was lost. We do not know if the family has passed the job to a different family, nor do we know the place of the lost heir.”

“True” he said. “We do not know what happened to said heir. This dragon that is too lost, is young. He is in need of the spell and is probably out looking for a Dragon Watcher this day.” I was aggravated.

“Is there anything else that you can remember?” I could find no relevance to Vishnu and I within this discussion unless Vishnu was a dragon; but I continued.

“Dragons are the world's only shape-shifters; besides Centuars and Selkies. They can change at will and are able to be identified by a trademark smell and birthmark somewhere on his body; those details of what are also lost within time. Oh, and they are only male.” I sighed but stood straight and tall as Elder Malachai paced around me in circles and semicircles.

“You are tense as well as confused. Why?” he asked. I was about to burst at this point. ‘No yelling, no yelling, no yelling’ I told myself.

“I do not see this conversation's relevance to my situation. Vishnu has nothing to with dragons, we don't know where the dragon is, Vishnu has no birthmarks, and I know nothing about a dragon. I don't understand and you aren't telling me anything that at this present time I find useful.” I let out a breath and tried miserably to control my temper. “At least in a way I can decipher at this time.” I added. The slightest note of a smile tugged at the corner of his cheek.

“Oh, but it does My Child.” I was about to try to find someone else... or give up. Maybe Inteus... not that he likes Vishnu or anything but he may understand this mumbo jumbo better than I.

“How, Elder Mordecai; how is this at all helpful?” He stopped walking in his odd shapes and put his hands my shoulders. His wings gave a slight flutter.

“Amaranth, we have to take Vishnu and find this dragon; or dragons…” I started shaking slightly. He seemed to falter at the thought that there could be more. He wasn’t the only one who did.

“Mali, why is Vishnu acting funny; and how does that make him important in this sudden quest to find a missing dragon that may or may not exist when we don't even have the one thing that can save him?!?” I was not supposed to call him by just his name (much less the name I called him as child, but I was desperate and feeling quite young) now that I was old enough to know the respect of adding Elder before it, but, my history with him poured into me from my memories of he and I; when I was younger and he cared for me, when he told me everything straightforward and simple.

Elder Malachai thankfully overlooked this and dragged a fist endearingly down the side of my face and said “Oh, My Dear, we already do.” I stood as still as I could manage but a part of me needed the little pieces of comfort that he gives me now so I let my face moved to fit into his hand as it brushed my jaw and cheek so softly. “Go home Amaranth.” I opened my lips to protest but he then spoke again. “Go home and give Vishnu a pencil and paper and ask him to write his name. Then, tomorrow after you rest, come back and see me. Bring this paper he writes on with you.” He kissed my forehead. “Go. Sweet night, Amaranth.

I solemnly left Elder Malachai's dojo; walking slower than I ever have before. I needed time to mull things over in my head; see if I missed any key things that Elder Malachai may have slipped into the conversation while my mind was too flustered to catch on.

He asked of dragons and said that one or more may still exist. He said that we and Vishnu must find the lost heir to the Dragon Watchers' family. This seemed urgent. Why, though, I haven’t the slightest idea. I am the only Fall Faerie; I have nothing to do with dragons except that if they were still around there would be one close to protect this town and myself. But there aren't any, so, that isn't it ither.

By the time I get to my front door I still don't have any theory or clue that my mind can truly comprehend. The trip felt useless but there was something tugging at my heart about Vishnu... a feeling that maybe after all of this time I may really know nothing of him. I've trusted him with my life and maybe I've overlooked things of grave importance. Could I have? Didn't I used to tell myself that things aren't always as they seem; not to trust anybody? There was also a little voice telling me that there was something bigger here. Something that may be too big for me to handle and a whole lot of emotions will be involved.

I am not looking forward to this, I realized. I almost want to forget that this has ever happened. But, sadly, it's too late. I have instructions from Elder Malachai. I must face this. I take a deep breath, hold it for as long as I can, and then let it out slowly as I push open my front door.

“Vishnu?” I stepped through the door timidly. I may have thought it odd at any other time, but, I found him lying in the same spot he was sitting when I left; pencil on the floor beside him and the word 'no' etched on the floor in front of him. I let my breath out and turned into my study. I took a piece of paper from my drawer and sat down on the floor in front of him and his word; cross-legged. I so did not want to do this. I helplessly pushed the paper toward him and he looked up at me, not moving his head but just his eyes which made him so innocent and sweet but I saw pain building there as well. It made me even more afraid. “I'm going to stand up and turn to face the front door” I began; telling more myself than him “and I need you to write your name, your real name, on this paper. Elder Malachai asks it of us.” I couldn't bear to look at his eyes again so I spun up to my feet quickly and crossed my arms over my stomach to, maybe, hold all the butterflies inside me...or maybe they're worms; I can't tell.

While I listened as Vishnu picked up the pencil, stood and made the pencil leave its marks on the paper, I felt my heart rate grow higher with each scratch. I heard the pencil fall to the floor and I slowly turned around. I instantly knew that something huge was going to change in my life when I saw a multitude more than the six letters it took to spell 'Vishnu' on the paper that lay at my feet.

I shrank down slowly as Vishnu turned his face from mine, as if he could not bear to watch me but then had to look back, as he searched my face and eyes that read the name Lord Sairyn Ambrose Arrowrept written in a slightly cursive-calligraphic hand. Vishnu, or rather, Sairyn made a low purr-growl in his throat as if to draw me to look at him. Just then, somewhere sewn in-between all of my confusion, I swear I heard