The Mateless Dragon King

Vehiron

Flashback - 198 Years Prior

-

Valen’s POV

My vision came out of the darkness. Again.

“How many times are we doing this?” I asked the Trials out loud, frustrated.

But I realized I was standing in the sacred grove. The grove was empty, which was strange because the High Priest, the General and Lorian should have been waiting for me to emerge.

‘It wasn’t very nice to stab me, was it?’ I heard a voice in my head. I spun around quickly, finding myself to be completely alone, before looking up right into the yellow eye of the golden dragon I had just stabbed. I grasped for my sword over my shoulder, to find it was not there anymore.

He stood on the roof of the citadel, which, if it weren't built of stone, couldn't have held his weight. His massive neck lowered his head into the grove so he could look down at me. I couldn't help but peak under his chest, finding the scale I removed in the prior vision was intact and there was no blood.

I was at a loss for words. I always thought Azariel was fearsome to behold, but this dragon must be ancient.

‘Vehiron,’ I heard in my head.

“What?”

‘I am not ‘this dragon,’ my name is Vehiron.’ He said 'this dragon' at a higher pitch to mock me. The dragon was in my mind?

‘Well yes, it’s not like I have a human tongue to speak out loud. You don’t have to speak out loud either. I can hear all your thoughts.’ He said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

‘I passed the Trial,’ I said in my mind.

‘Yeah, with flying colors, it seems.'

'You are my dragon? We are the new king?' I was trying to make sense of everything still.

'Of course we are. The Gods really like you, by the way. I mean, you're all lawful good, save the children of the world single-handedly, duty before self, all that kind of stuff. They love it, you got them eating out of your hand.’ This dragon really confused me. Azariel was always so serious, and this dragon seemed...

‘...way better, I know.' he completed my thought, not using the words I was going to use, but he continued talking over my thoughts, 'You’re going to have to stop comparing me to Az. I mean, you see my color compared to his? Way better. Also, he was so small, he could sit down in this grove with you, my body is way too spectacular for that.'

I really didn’t know what to say. Was this chatter going to be in my head for the next few hundred years, maybe even a thousand years?

‘Don’t worry about it, you’ll grow to love me.' As he spoke, I moved closer to him, running my hands along his scales and horns, familiarizing myself with his form, which would soon be one of my forms, as well.

‘Your Trials were pretty boring though. Although your second Trial. I liked that one, at least the last part of it. The first part was gross. But did you see Mate?' a rumble echoed through his throat, 'Oh I can’t wait to find her for real. She is a goddess. We will worship the ground she walks on.’

‘You saw all my Trials?’

‘I share all your memories now.’ He responded. I nodded in understanding.

‘So what do we do now?’

‘You walk back through the arc,’ he said, nudging his head towards the glowing arc. ‘Our consciousnesses will merge into one body. Most people merge here, in the spirit realm first before going back through in beast form, but I am too big to even fit into the grove.'

I started down the stone path toward the arc.

'It is going to be hilarious going through in human form, they are going to think you failed!' A deep chuckle echoed in my mind, but I didn't think it was funny.

As I walked back toward the arc, Vehiron stretched his head and neck up to the sky and roared. When I looked up to see him in all his glory, I noticed one red and two silver lights reflecting the sun in the sky: more dragons. They answered him with their own roars that sounded almost melancholy. Was he saying goodbye before he came with me?

I stepped through the archway, feeling the darkness take hold one last time before my eyes came back into focus. I was still in the sacred grove, but this time, everyone stood there waiting, eyes wide with anticipation.

“How did it go?” General Thalor asked, as he approached and clasped his hand on my shoulder.

‘Let’s fly,’ I heard that annoying voice in my head. ‘And I’m not annoying.’

"It is okay, Valen. Not everyone was meant to become a shifter," I felt Lorian's sadness in his voice, trying to comfort me.

“I need to go outside the citadel,” I announced. The General furrowed his brow, confused.

‘Don’t tell them! Make it a surprise!’

I walked out of the sacred grove and through the corridors of the citadel until I was outside, the General and Lorian following, confused. The high priest and Lady Althea remained in the grove, waiting for Aric to emerge.

There was an open clearing just outside that was large enough. Vehiron told me once we were far enough from the citadel that we wouldn’t cause any damage when we shifted.

‘What do I do?’ I asked Vehiron.

‘Just sit back and let me forward,’ it felt strange to allow another consciousness to take control in my own mind, but eventually I managed to allow Vehiron forward enough that pain started pulsating through my whole body.

The pain slowly increased until I felt I would black out, and then it suddenly stopped. I looked out my eyes, realizing that they were not my eyes, but Vehiron’s, looking down on the General and Lorian, both frozen in shock.

When Vehiron shifted his massive body and stretched his wings, the two men both knelt on the ground, acknowledging us as the new king.

‘Well, let’s make sure the whole kingdom knows I am here,’ Vehiron started flapping his wings, gaining momentum to lift his massive body off the ground. As he started flying, I was surprised at his agility, given his size.

Using my memories to guide him, Vehiron flew east, flying low over the border outposts, roaring to get the attention of the soldiers posted there. They cheered as he flew past, amazed at the grandeur of their new king in his dragon form, even if they didn’t know the human vessel was me.

He flew over the kingdom’s northlands and over to the western border, where he flew low over the outposts again.

‘I am marking my territory,’ he said in my mind as we started crossing over the southlands.

Almost three hours after we left, we returned to the capital city in the center of our kingdom. He looped above the city a few times, roaring into the sky to announce himself to our city below. Through his keen eyes, I could see Caelorians, some pointing to the sky, some kneeling in respect or to pray, and some even crying.

I saw Vehiron eyeing the only spot on the castle large enough for him to land: the balcony outside the throne room. It was built large enough for a dragon to land on, allowing the king to fly directly in and out of the castle.

‘Welcome home, Vehir,’ I said in my mind as he lowered himself slowly, giving people on the balcony time to run out of his way.

Vehiron landed with grace unexpected from his massive size, his wings folding elegantly against his sides.

There was a moment of stunned silence before a cheer rose from the courtyard below, the crowd on the balcony joining in.

‘They love me already,’ Vehiron said proudly.

I saw General Thalor and my mother exit the throne room to come onto the balcony, the crowd on the balcony bowing as she approached Vehiron. General Thalor followed behind her, a set of clothing in one hand and his other hand on the hilt of his sword, eyeing the crowd and glaring at those who dare to be too close to the Queen.

Vehiron lowered his head to her in respect.

My mother cautiously reached her hand out to touch Vehiron’s face, and he shoved his head into her hand, his chest rumbling to indicate to her that he approved of her motherly touch.

“Valen,” her eyes glistened, “I never doubted you would be a great king. Your dragon is magnificent.”

She took a step back and dropped into a curtsy, something I never saw my mother do. As she bowed to Vehiron, all the men surrounding us knelt and the women dipped into curtsies.

‘Are you done?’ I asked him.

‘I love basking in glory, give me a few more minutes,’ he smugly replied as he felt me push my way forward in our mind to take control back, ‘Okay fine, but let’s fly again soon.”

I agreed. I want to fly often now.

Our body shifted back into my tall human form, still towering over every other person on the balcony. I felt exposed, being naked in front of so many people. But I wasn’t unfamiliar with it, watching my father arrive at the castle and shift naked, a servant always waiting nearby with clothes for him to throw on quickly.

The General handed me the clothes in his left hand and I put them on, “Your Majesty,” he spoke, “Your dragon’s name?”

“Vehiron,” I responded, once I figured out who he was talking to. The change in title was going to be difficult to get used to.

The General turned to face the crowd that was getting larger by the second, “People of Caelor! I present to you, King Valen and Dragon King Vehiron.”