• Silence…all there is now is silence…
    But you like the silence, little one. You like the cold, quiet abyss.
    I wasn’t complaining, my friend. I wasn’t complaining at all.

    The papery rustling of leather wings fills my orb of silence and the harsh scraping of scales and talons on the smooth stone floor makes the earth vibrate beneath my scarred fingers. I can hear the sounds of deep breathing. It comes as the full, menacing breath of a giant, but its touch is as warm as the most pleasant of summer days. The beating of a monstrous heart also pulses the air. Slow and steady it beats, resting, not dancing, I lie my head on the scaly body beside me so the sound engulfs me. Even though the scales break my skin, I rest peacefully with the one I know- the one solid figure in an ever-fluctuating sea of uncertainty. His slow, steady breathing, his rising and falling chest, the rumble of fire in his stomach, and his hauntingly beautiful song make me feel at peace.
    As I rest, the body beneath me shakes lightly and a soft chuckle joins the sound of a beating heart. It is the laugh of a father watching his stubborn child. I am that stubborn child, and perhaps he is a father to me. He is all I have in my barren existence …my Marrel.

    You are not of my breed, little one. A deep, rich voice says to me through the black. Your kind are meant to interact with their own, not curl in the dark to waste away their lives. I scoff and turn away. I want to hear only his heart beat or nothing at all. His words are so sharp and truthful…I have always hated that about him. I’ve hated him only for his honesty, and his wisdom. Hide in the shadows with me all you like, but you are still one of the world outside, my lovely pet.
    I close my eyes and bring my arms up over my chest. I display such signs of weakness when I feel vulnerable, and admitting that outside my haven is the world I belong in makes me feel very vulnerable indeed. It is my worst fear, the nightmare that haunts me behind my resting eyes. If I sleep, they wait there…visions of a human life I can’t distinguish from reality or the horror of my own mind.

    Outside myself, away from my lovely companion, my existence bears no merit. I have no path in life on which to leave my mark. There is no past or future for me to learn from or look forward too. There is naught but the dark of lonely, empty dreams. While all the world carries on and is always moving forward I am still. With my feet rooted by anger, regret, and fear, I cannot continue on in any direction. If I look for the stars of memory, there are none for me to follow. If I wait for the rays of hope to peek over my minds far horizon, I shall waste away before the dawn. For me, the world is an abyss with no truthful whisper, no hopeful sunrise to illuminate the dark at my feet. There is not even the silvery glow of the moon in my night to cast shadows of fears and ghosts in my heart. I only feel fear that is unexplained. Perhaps it is there because of the past I lost, or it is there because of the future I lack. I do not think even my ever-wise Marrel knows the answer.

    What are you waiting to find, my love? Marrel asks me, covering my body with his massive wing. I suddenly feel warmer, and my body relaxes ever so slightly. You stay by my side as if waiting for me to tell you the answer to a riddle you’ve been puzzling over for years. I growl deep in my throat as a warning. Such nerves my companion knows he shouldn’t touch, no matter how badly they need be addressed.
    Watch your tongue, my friend. I warn, lifting my head and sitting up indignantly. Must you burrow through my empty heart to get me to find something that simply isn’t there? Again Marrel laughs. He teases me so, but my dragon only does it out of love. I growl again, out of childish embarrassment, and bear my teeth in a sign of dominance. Marrel beat his mighty wings and I shook my head from the force of the wind. With determination in my step, I stand up on my feet and prepare for any banter of any kind. Be it a battle of wits, or agility, I prepare myself against my foe. And then, just when Marrel had gotten to his feet as well, talons poised and wings stretched out in a magnificent display of grace and power, my body uttered a rumbling gurgle of hunger.
    Both of us were still for a moment, and then Marrel let his body fall to the floor as he was overwhelmed with laughter. To hear a dragon laugh is one of the most precious things in the world. Their voices are such music, and to feel the joyous song in their hearts, to hear them overflow with such happiness… Despite my humiliation and anger, I want to embrace him and let his joy pour into me. Yes… although I have nothing to cling to, I have him, and I have longing. I long for his laughter, his music, his warm wings. I even long for his wit, his charm, his mannerisms.

    I heard that, my darling pet. Marrel laughs at me. I close my eyes and bow my head in a sign of defeat. I know what he will ask of me next. So, once again, your body implores you to leave your sanctuary to find sufficient sustenance. Will you willingly venture out yourself, or must I send you out by force? I gaze deep into his ruby eyes and smile a smile that only he can see. I smile a smile of love, of regret, and of fear. I promise him I will return in my own quiet way. I am have to much pride to show such emotion outwardly, and he knows if all too well. Marrel seems to know me better than I do at times.
    I shall return, my love. I approach my dragon and touch my nose to his snout. His black and red scales glisten in the darkness with a light all their own. I hate to leave him, but when he asks it of me, I must.
    I force myself to turn away and with agonizing steps, I leave the solace of my dark. My padded feet carry me past my own veil of illusion into the world outside- the world I am forced to reside in. All too suddenly, a pale light pieces my serene peace. It is uncomfortable, but not painful in the slightest as I brave my fears. In truth, the only time I enter this plane is if my survival depends on it. To survive is my first and only priority. That is how I manage to leave him. That is how I can face the light of day.
    Continuing onward, I catch a whiff of something in the air. The sweet smell of flowers… it smells of lavender and lilies. I know that scent. Not knowing how or why, I move faster out of my cave. The light grows brighter, the smell of flowers and rain grows stronger. I can now feel the cold sting of a wintry wind on my nose. At last I reach the opening and I blink my silver eyes again the morning sun, although it is shrouded by dense, grey clouds. I have returned to my world, and all looks the same as it did when I left it. An expanse of rolling meadow stretches out beyond my cavern, with not a tree to mar its fair splendor for miles around. In the harsh bite of winter, the vegetation still stands in coarse, dead stalks that crumble beneath my feet as I step forward. I can still smell the flowers. Where could such a scent be coming from?

    And then I see her…

    A young woman, with long flowing hair as majestic as the mountains, yet as gentle as a rippling brook, stands beside a large stone monument. Her eyes are filled with sadness as she stares at the carving of a dragon and a wolf laying side by side. With her, wrapped in her black shawl for warmth is a young boy with golden hair and eyes of deepest sky. From them I can smell the teasing scent of many a flower, many an herb, and many a sorrowful memory. I want to withdraw, but I don’t. I am entranced by them. What is keeping me here? I can’t explain. I call out of Marrel to help me, but he does not answer. I feel frightened without him in the presence of these strangers. Then the woman turns to look at me. When my own silver orbs meet with her rich, moist eyes, filled with devotion and awe, I feel myself fall into a pit of despair. I feel my body become weightless, I feel my feet leave the ground, and as Marrel’s laughter filled my ears, I begin to remember…