The Dawning of Fate

Zan and I spend the next two weeks working on my alien etiquette and during this time we’ve gotten to know a lot about each other. We’ve sort of fallen into a pattern where we get up, eat breakfast, and I go study while Zan goes off to who knows where. I don’t bother to ask. He’ll tell me if it is something important. I’d like to think we’ve become friends or at the very least, acquaintances. Of course, I still find him insanely attractive but after such an intense kiss I realized that my heart is in a vulnerable state right now and Zan is a prime candidate to set me up for a whole lot of hurt. I still can’t explain why I feel drawn to him. The strangest thing, however, is the crazy-ass dreams I’ve been having since I got here and the random moments when I feel like my body is not my own. Other than that, I like it here. Truly. Is it bad that I don’t want to go back to Earth?

“Echo,” Zan calls, breaking me out of my thoughts. I jog up from the library.

“Yea?”

“In here.” I follow the sound of his voice towards a bedroom I haven’t been in before. As I look around, I see that this is his bedroom. There’s nothing personable about it besides a pair of shoes by the door and the research tablet on the bed. Zan walks out of the bathroom with an annoyed expression on his face.

“What’s wrong?”

“I wish for you to place one of your braids in my hair,” he demands. I stare at him for a moment then look at his hair and see that it isn’t as tamed as it normally is. He’s not willing to admit his failure.

“Just one?” I ask, trying to hide my laugh behind my hand.

“No, actually I would like two. One on each side of my horns,” He nods decisively and sits on the bed. I snort and cover my mouth quickly when he shoots me a narrow-eyed glare. When he sits on the bed and I stand in front of him, we’re at eye level. At this proximity, I can feel his warm breath fanning over my skin. I close my eyes and inhale his scent. He seems to be doing the same. Shaking my head clear, I take the parts of his hair and begin intertwining them carefully. The silk strands flow through my fingers with ease.

“So, I was thinking,” I begin as I move to the other side of his head.

“Hm?” He intones with his eyes closed.

“I was thinking that you could give me some combat training.”

Zan’s eyes fly open and land on me. I smile sheepishly. “Why?”

“Because I want to be able to protect myself."

“I will protect you.” He declares and I nod agreeing with him.

“Yes, I know you will but I will feel better knowing that I don’t have to depend on you for everything.”

My fingers brush against his horn by mistake and Zan responds with a sharp intake of breath and his eyes narrow dangerously. I drop the finished braid and stumble backward. His eyes remain locked on me until all at once they fade into blackness. He shakes his head as if trying to dislodge something then looks back up at me.

“I apologize. I just wasn’t expecting that is all. Tumerian horns are very sensitive,” he explains. I dip my head in acknowledgment and move around him to pick up the research tablet. Turning it over to show the chrome material on the back, I hold it out to him.

“Have a look.” I take a step back and watch as he looks at his reflection. As if it was possible, the new hairstyle makes him look even more attractive.

“I like them. Thank you and in return, I will give you the combat training you have asked me for.”

“Really?” He nods. I shriek excitedly and dart to my room, pulling on my shoes before running outside.

Zan walks out moments later. “First rule of combat. No screeching,” he groans. My laughter turns into confusion as he does the exact opposite and pulls his shoes off, leaving them on the porch. “You leave yours on. They offer your tiny feet better support,” he supplies, spotting my confusion.

I begin stretching my body out and Zan looks at me with an interesting expression. “What?”

“Is this what you Terrans do before a battle?” He asks with amusement sparkling in his black depths. I roll my eyes.

“It’s called stretching so that my muscles retain their flexibility. Not everyone is made from rock.” Come to think of it, I have no idea what people do before going to war. Pray maybe?

He chuckles as he walks down the steps and stops a few inches away, studying me. “Hit me,” he says suddenly.

“Excuse me?”

“Hit me. I need to determine your strength. It will not hurt me, I assure you.”

I stand up straight. “Maybe not but it will hurt me. Have you seen yourself?”

“I will take that as a compliment, thank you,” he replies haughtily. I scoff in incredulity. Zan raises an eyebrow at me expectantly. I groan and look around the yard before my eyes settle back on him. He’s really going to make me hit him.

I plant my feet on the ground and raise my fists. Zan cocks his eyebrow at me. I ignore his stupid smirk and connect my right fist to his chest. As to be expected he stands there, unphased.

I am entirely grateful for the fact that he isn’t making fun of me. He just inclines his head for me to continue.

“Again,” he prompts. “Do not stop until I say so.”

I punch him again and again, alternating between arms. As I get more comfortable, Zan becomes my punching bag at the gym and I start shuffling my feet while my fists get into a nice flow. They extend and snap back faster as they keep going. Instead of one punch at a time, I’m landing two or three. My right arm swings around and powers into his side. A small grunt escapes his lips.

“You may stop.”

“Sorry,” I say as I wipe my forehead. That was refreshing. He waves it off.

“You have more strength than I initially hypothesized but we will need to build upon that in time. You are smaller in size thus making you quick on your feet which you will be able to use to your advantage. However, your movements are imprecise and sloppy. But do not fret, little Terran, we will make you a formidable opponent.”

A thrilling grin spreads across my face. “Can’t wait.”

“We will start by perfecting your form. Widen your stance so that your body is in alignment,” he coaches as he walks around me. I follow his instructions. His foot appears beside mine and nudges it further away from the other then. His eyes study me carefully before he nods.

“Now crouch as if you are about to attack.”

I lower my body slightly with my right foot forward. Zan circles me before stopping beside me.

“I am going to touch you,” he warns before his hand appears on my back. The warmth from his fingers causes tingles to spread down my spine. He begins by guiding me into a tauter position.

“Your body must be in alignment at all times. You must remain in balance so that the power from your attack flows through your entire body. Stand up straight.”

He returns to stand in front of me. “Widen,” he barks. I spread my feet. “Crouch.” I lower my body. “Stand.” I come back and so the process repeats. I practiced standing and crouching for the entire afternoon until the sun started to fade and an orange glow took over the sky. Zan gathers his shoes as we walk back into the house. A much-needed shower is in the works.

“You did well today,” he praises as we stop outside my room. “Tomorrow we will work on a few basic stances before you begin your studies."

“Okay and thanks again for training me. I really appreciate it,” I say leaning against the door frame.

He nods. “Anything for you, Echo.”

My heart rate picks up and a blush heats my face. “Goodnight Azandum.”

“Rest well, little Terran,” he responds, backing away and fading from my vision.

After a nice hot shower, I cuddle up with Thunder and allow sleep to welcome me with open arms.

I’m standing in the meadow once more. Instantly, I look up to the sky but I don’t see the dragon anymore. The rain still pounds heavily against the earth, soaking the land.

Why do I keep coming here?

A bright light hovers in the distance and I find myself moving towards it. As I get closer, the light takes shape, forming into a woman with unworldly beauty. Her features are delicate with the slim nose and cupid’s bow lips. Strangely, her eyes hold no color and they make me feel uncomfortable as they settle on me. The airy white dress blows in the wind. It almost hurts to look at her and I find myself wanting to bow.

“Hello, Echo,” the celestial voice speaks. I know that voice. It’s the voice that speaks in my head when I’m running from the dragon.

“How do you know me?”

“I have always known you,” she responds. As I look at her, I can’t help the sense of familiarity that I feel. Whoever she is, she has an aura of calm about her that rolls off her in waves, encompassing me in warmth. The rain suddenly stops and the blinding sun sweeps across the meadow.

“Who are you?” I ask.

“I am merely a guide.”

“Are you the one bringing me here?” She nods. “Why?”

“To help you accept the fate that awaits you. Allow me to show you something.”

All of sudden, a small pond appears in front of us. The water starts to ripple and images start to build before my eyes.

In the images I see the goddess-like woman beside me standing before an enormous black dragon. There is pleading in the beast’s slitted eyes. The water ripples and shows the beast again but this time it is lying in a cave. It’s like I can feel his hopelessness. Suddenly a woman stumbles into the cave and collapses. The beast studies her with interest. She has a mauve purple shade of skin and deep black waves of hair. Her frame is so small compared to the beast. The dragon roars and slices its leg with a talon then feeds the woman his blood.

Oh my god, I’m going to be sick.

The water ripples and it shows the woman alive and heavy with a child before the image changes, showing the child much older now. I gasp as I see the creature they gave birth to looks very similar to Zan yet different all the same.

The images fade but I keep staring at the pond. “Why did you show me that?”

“Because he is your fate,” she says, staring behind me.

I turn around and come face to face with a mammoth purple beast.

The next morning during training, Zan has me warm up with the crouches then he proceeds to teach me different positions to hold and how to transition my body between them. My mind constantly drifts back to the dreams I’ve been having. What do they mean and what does it have to do with me?

Suddenly my foot is kicked out from under me and I screech as I go flailing backward. Zan grabs my arm mid-fall and pulls me back upright.

“Next time, I will let you fall. Focus.” I nod and get back into position. The flow of the positions sort of feel like the steps in a dance.

My mind wanders again. Who were the woman and her dragon lover? Why does this guide lady keep mentioning my fate? Did the dragon’s blood make her healthy again? How did they even make the child? A blush tints my cheeks at that.

“Echo!” Zan bellows and I wince in fear as I’m snapped from my thoughts.

“Sorry,” I squeak.

He sighs and runs his hands through his hair. “What plagues your mind this sun?”

I debate whether to tell him but ultimately decide that it couldn’t hurt. “I’ve been having these weird dreams for weeks now. They’re not like regular dreams with random events. I’m lucid in these and I remember everything. They started every once in a while but now they’re almost every night. It’s stressing me out because I have no idea what they mean!”

“My people are very rigid in their beliefs, and we have a saying,

Dreams are the bridge between the body and the spirit.

I’ve never really committed to a lot of the beliefs that most of the elders have but my advice to you is to look inside yourself. Perhaps you do not understand because subconsciously you are afraid of the outcome.” He shrugs noncommittally.

I chew on that thought for the rest of the day as I go about my tasks. If dreams are a bridge, then whose spirit does the dragon belong to?