And Then There Was Light

The moment Merlin summons the courage to reveal himself, the colt becomes enthralled by him; his enthusiasm and glee is contagious, causing my gentle smile to broaden as a deep chuckle rattles my sides. “He is a dragon,” I explain patiently, dropping my head further to grant the umber colt a better view. The dragon in question watches inquisitively as the youngling spreads his wings in an eager display. He cranes his head sideways for a moment before slowly mimicking the action, stretching his wings out to their full span which isn’t much given his small size, beating them twice in the stagnant air as he offers a curious trill. Merlin may not be the most sociable of creatures, particularly to those he doesn’t know, but the dragon is certainly trying, especially when his sickly state was taken into consideration. Another chuckle wracks my sides. “And he says hello to you.” His name is Efren, he proclaims, and I give a nod of my head to acknowledge it.  My following question seems to stump him if only for a moment, and the way he hesitates, even seems to try and avoid it, proves only to further my concern. When he instead turns the question on me, my expression faltered, the corners of my lips turning downward into a sorrowful frown, though not an ounce of judgement floods my eyes as I absorb his words. It has barely been two weeks since Suli fled into the everlasting night, yet the damage her absence has already done is devastating. I feel empty, broken in a way that I can’t explain, as though I can never quite be the same man I had been before the fall of Helovia. ”I am,” comes a softly spoken, solemn reply, ”But I have had no luck in finding her yet. She is a dragon, just like Merlin, only green in color.” I yearn to know just why Efren is alone, where his guardians are or if he even has any. Had he come from Helovia, or was he from here, wherever exactly here was? But I fear causing upset, and so when I continue, I choose my words with caution. ”I fear it may be getting too late to continue my search for today, however.” Here, I press that warm smile back to my face, hoping to ease the lines of tension from the boy’s features. “Perhaps you could help me come morning?”

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