The crater of Mt Belphezar shone red against the dark sky. On its slope, overlooking the lava, stood a magnificent granite palace with crimson beams and golden roofs. Its countless towers reached for the skies and its yards comprised thousands of gardens with pink and purple blossom trees and fragrant flowers. The palace gates were decked with golden dragon statues. One lofty gate led onto a stone path into the centre of the volcano crater, where a three-storey temple stood, crafted of granite and containing crimson beams and golden roofs like the palace. It was the Dragon Temple, the famous dwelling of the Dragon Priestess, who relaid the Dragon Gods' will upon the world.
Tama marvelled at the view from Ronna's back.
"Alright, I'll admit it," she said, "this palace looks amazing! Much better than that of Hasurei."
"Drahs, the people of Drahvelt, are blessed by the ancient Dragon Gods," Ronna replied. "They believe their kings and the Dragon Priestesses are closest to the gods, so they revere them like heavenly beings. Naturally, they built this lofty palace and the golden temple for them."
"It does look like a demigod's dwelling!" Tama said.
Ronna descended to a golden terrace, which opened to peach gardens from one side and the crater full of lava from another. In the lava, sat the red dragon Tama recognised from last night – Beilung, Ronna's mate. He was as big as Ronna, with black cogs on his back and a pair of black horns on his head. His claws were black too. His belly was bright yellow. He folded his wings and gazed at the terrace with shimmering golden eyes. Unlike what Tama saw last night, Beilung wasn't a dream spirit but awake. It was the first time Tama beheld a dragon up close in full flesh, and it was awe-striking.
"Ronna!" Beilung grunted in his low-pitched voice, brightening up at the sight of his mate. "You've brought the girl too!" He noticed Tama on Ronna's back.
"I promised!" Ronna chuckled, playful and flirty around Beilung.
Ronna landed on the terrace and Tama jumped off her back. However, Tama remained near the dragon, wary of the surroundings. The terrace connected with a sumptuous bedroom through giant glass doors, but the light was off, so little was visible. Near the balcony balustrade was a dining table with two white armchairs. The table was full of delicious dishes, some of which Tama had never seen. She noticed two empty plates and cutlery on the table, which increased her unease. She wasn't ready for a date, especially with a stranger from the enemy kingdom! Thankfully, no one was on the terrace other than her and the two dragons. Relieved, Tama turned to Beilung and waved her hand at him.
"Hey there, Beilung!" She smiled. "It's nice to see you again!"
"It's a pleasure to see you too, human!" Beilung replied. "Thanks for agreeing to come!"
"Oh, I was never asked!" Tama glared at Ronna, whose mischievous grin deepened, exposing her fangs. "But," Tama retook, "I'm glad it's just the three of us! Now, can we please leave?" She turned to Ronna. "I can't stay in the enemy territory!"
"But, you just arrived!" sounded a deep, mild voice behind her.
Tama whipped around. A tall man in his mid-twenties stood before her, his pale yellow hair falling down his back and shoulders. He was dressed in white silken robes, carried a golden satin coat, and had a crimson cloak of pure cotton wrapped around his shoulders, tied on the front with a golden chain. Tama couldn't make out his face – it looked fuzzy. She figured it was because of the limitations of Dreamscape – if she met a stranger in the dream state, whom she'd never seen in real life, she wouldn't know how they looked unless she established a trusty relationship. The same was true with Ronna when they first met – the dragon's face looked blurry for Tama until they formed a bond.
Nevertheless, the young man's voice sounded like a melody to Tama's ears. His spiritual body looked alluring, almost ethereal. She understood what Ronna meant when she said humans were destined partners if their dragons were mates. At the mere sight of this man, her heart fluttered. On a subconscious level, she knew he felt the same. There was an unspoken understanding between them.
Still, Tama hesitated. Judging by the man's noble clothing and comportment, he was a high statesman. He was from the enemy kingdom, and now she was in their royal palace. She crossed the protective shield to get here, which meant her spirit couldn't return to her body unless she crossed back, and now that this statesman knew about her arrival, leaving here might be difficult. What if he alerted the Dragon Temple? They'd capture her spirit and she'd never wake up! Why did Ronna ever bring her here?! She should've jumped off her back when she had a chance!
"I-I must go!" she said, backing away to Ronna's arm. "Please… I need to return!"
She couldn't see the man's face but sensed his dejection. Her heart churned, which was a reflection of his feelings rather than her sentiment.
"It's alright, Tama!" Ronna's caring tone sounded. She wrapped her tail around the girl, pressing her softly to her arm. "I wouldn't bring you here if it was dangerous. You can trust Beilung's boy!"
"Yeah, it's safe here, I promise!" the man said, encouraged by Ronna's affirmation.
"How are you so sure?" Tama asked him. "Your king is powerful. He might've already detected my presence!"
An amused smile flickered on the man's blurry face.
"If he were a threat, I'd never have asked Beilung and Ronna to bring you here," he said. "As I told you, it's safe."
He held out his hand, a jade ring shimmering on his finger. After some moments of hesitation, Tama heaved a sigh and took it. With such an expensive ring, he was of a high stance at the court, which meant he must know the king's weaknesses. Her heart longed to stay with him, so she ignored her mind's worry. His smile deepened when he sensed her palm in his. He invited her into one of the armchairs and took the other. Tama heard Ronna's excited grunt from behind her. The green dragon cuddled up with Beilung and watched the two humans hanging out, proud of her success. Tama couldn't help smiling at Ronna's antics. She eyed the dishes on the table and wished she'd been awake. They'd be so much more delicious in real life! Nevertheless, Dreamscape allowed her to have a sense of taste, so she took a strange-looking meat dish onto her plate and had a bite. She moaned with delight.
"It's heavenly!" she cried out.
"I'm glad you like it!" The man smiled. "It's a beef steak cooked by a dragon's fire."
"Wow, that sounds like a cool cooking method!" Tama muttered through her full mouth, her eyes wide with amazement. "I wish we had that in Hasurei!"
The man laughed. He leaned on the armrest with his elbow, placed his cheek on the back of his hand and eyed Tama with interest. Tama figured he was fascinated, even though he couldn't see her face just like she couldn't see his.
"So, may I know your name?" he asked after moments of silence.
"Isn't it polite to say yours first?" Tama countered with a smug smile.
"Alright, that's fair!" The man chuckled. "Well, then… I guess, call me Draki?"
"Fine, Draki! I'm Tama," she answered, adding another chunk of meat to her plate. "Now, since you seem a decent dude, I might as well ask: what's your king like? I mean, in person."
"Oh?" His smile faded. "Why do you ask?"
"Well, it's for a friend." Tama shrugged. Mellowed by the delicious food and the cosy feeling around Draki, and with her rationality somewhat blocked by the dream state (which only allowed a person to act upon their first instinct), she opened up. "She's sick, and yet her mom is marrying her to your king! I'm worried."
"Oh, you must mean Princess Amida?" Draki's smile reappeared, but now it frightened Tama. It seemed malignant, almost heartless. "As much as I'd love to indulge my soulmate, whom I've had the pleasure to meet, certain information is classified and I can't share it," he said. "But, I'll tell you one thing… Because the sooner you come to terms with it, the better." He stood up, walked over to the startled Tama, placed his hands on her shoulders and whispered: "The moment your friend sets foot in this palace, she won't be coming back… ever."
Tama sensed chills on the back of her neck. From up close, Draki's hands seemed to be covered in claws. She gulped, barely able to contain her shivers.
"Y-You mean, Amida will…" she couldn't bear to finish her sentence.
"Why else do you think our king would accept a sickly wife? You seem a smart girl, I bet you were worried because you already knew," Draki replied, a grim smile on his lips. He looked at the horizon, where the first rays of the sun painted the sky. "Oh, I see it's our time to part! It was nice meeting you, Tama, even if briefly."
Before Tama could answer him, Ronna scooped her up with her tail and placed her on her back. She flapped her wings and ascended the skies, heading to the Hasurei Kingdom. Tama sensed another bump through space, which meant they'd crossed the protective shield of Drahvelt. Freed from the shield's constraints, she felt her spirit longing to rejoin her body. Her head went dizzy and her vision blurred. The flapping of Ronna's wings became less and less audible. Soon, it all went black.
Tama reopened her eyes. She was lying in the bed in Princess Amida's room, but her body was sweating and her heart was pounding. She glanced at Amida by her side, who slept soundly. The dream replayed in Tama's mind, the vile words echoing through her memory:
"The moment your friend sets foot in this palace, she won't be coming back… ever."
She felt a lump in her throat. Tears filled her eyes.
There's no way I'll let that happen! She glared at the canopy. Just you wait, Draki! We'll see who laughs in the end!
A knock came on the window glass. A familiar white pigeon had perched on the sill, carrying a small piece of parchment in the box attached to her leg.
Mom! Tama jumped up. She's sent her reply!
She ran to the window, hoping for some good news.