Chapter Three: Giselle
My, my. I can't wait to meet them. Ryuujin smiled. She was glad to know the Mistress trusted her enough to send her with Areiya. Plus she got to meet people from Earth. She didn't know what they would be like. She had never traveled into other dimensions before, only Areiya was allowed.
Oh I hope they're not weird. And I wish Ryo's double will be-- She paused thinking of her half-brother. Uhh, nicer.
Ryo was never mean to you, a voice told her. He's just never had the time to talk about it. Besides, it was as much of a shock to him, too. And you two were never at the same place. He was needed at the center palace and you had your Dragon Rider training.
It was Sad-Eyes, her Wingblood which meant he could talk to her telepathically. He was in his small form, so she could carry him around.
Yeah, but he became distant when he found out. He use to be my best friend when ever I visited the palace or when he would come home.
You need not worry. I'll fireball him if he's not nice. So, are we there yet? the little dragon asked. This carriage is stuffy. It would have been much faster and better if we flew. Plus my wings are sore. This small box is too small for me.
"Sorry Sad-Eyes." Ryuujin said aloud. "We might scare 'them' away. Don't worry, once it gets announced that I'm here the city folk won't be surprised with a dragon flying around the city. Besides I think we're here."
Ryuujin looked outside to see a beautiful sight unfold. Of all the palaces in Rystona the center palace, Jezar Castle, and it's city, Turan, was the most abundant place. It was also the capital of Rystona. With the Corin River bordering the city and Lake Saylise right beside it, Turan looked like the most beautiful place on the planet.
******
Where is she? Areiya thought. She's late again. I hope she and Sad-Eyes didn't go for a detour.
"So Areiya, what can you tell us about this Ryuujin?" Ryo asked, just to pass the time.
"Funny you should ask. Well, she's nice and gets along with everybody. She doesn't like nosy people and she's your half sister." Areiya murmured the last part.
"What? Ryo has a sister?" Kento laughed. "Hey Ryo I'll volunteer to babysit for y'."
Ryo was, however, silent. He stared at Areiya as if she had grown another head. Areiya was in distraught. She had hoped that he would be glad. Ryuujin had liked Ryo like a brother even when they didn't know. She was so delighted by the news, but Ryo seemed to fade away from Ryuujin ever since the news came.
"What's the matter Ryo?" Mia asked silently.
"Umm, nothing. Areiya how is it that she's my sister?" Ryo asked, his voice coming back.
"Well, you're from the Wildfire clan. That means that you were in a dragon egg while developing. Your father and mother had two eggs, but the one containing Ryuujin became lost somehow. And you were born as an only child. Now a dragon egg can sustain a child for a long time so the one Ryuujin was on kept her alive, but without proper care the egg would't hatch. We don't know what happened to her surely, but we have a few guesses. She's three years younger than you, because she didn't hatch when she was suppose to. All we know is that a merchant found her and brought her to my Mistress' lair. We classified her as a Dragon Rider and brought her to the Latra Mountains.
"We still had no clue her true identity until it was her fifteenth birthday. That's when Dragon Riders get their Wingbloods, kind of like a witch's familiar, but they're telepathically linked. It's a big ceremony every year and all the trainees that year get theirs."
"So they get dragons?" Robyn asked.
"Not really. The dragons choose their partners. But when it was Ryuujin's turn, no dragon chose her; at least not any ordinary dragon. She was so disappointed. I was there. The elders thought this peculiar, of course. The Imperial Dragons that year were not there. Rage, the leader, had needed to meet with the other familiars of the five Imperial Clans--that means your clans." Ryuujin pointed to the Ronins.
"That night after the meeting, Sad-Eyes, youngest son of Rage felt something that was telling him to go home. He had told Rage this and they immediately when home as fast as their wings could take them. When they got home the elders meet them and told them about Ryuujin's predicament. Sad-Eyes clearly knew then what the feeling meant. So did Rage. This confused him because only the Wildfire family can have Imperial Dragons. So they called her and asked her if she knew anything about it. Of course, the poor girl had no idea.
"Now Rage had a nagging suspicion about Ryuujin and he wanted to test it. He knew about the missing egg. The only thing that can prove that she's a real Wildfire is if she can retrieve the Heartstone from Mt. Inferno. Mt. Inferno was an active volcano and it still is. Now I was there and I protested, but Ryuujin wanted to do it. And she did. She got through and the Heartstone with her."
Areiya finished with a proud smirk. Ryuujin was like a sister to her. She was the one who took care of her while under the Mistresses care.
"Wow, what a story." Robyn commented. She looked over at Ryo to find him looking in deep thought. She was puzzled by his expression. She thought that Ryo had always wanted a family. How come he looks so doubtful?
^Knock Knock^ came from the door.
"Excuse me, your majesties. Lady Ryuujin is here."
"Ry! How are you?" Areiya hugged a girl with long purple hair.
"Rei! I'm glad to see you again." the girl answered. She turned to the gang and curtsied. "Hello my name is Ryuujin Wildfire. It's a pleasure to meet you all."
As she stood there smiling at them Robyn noticed her eyes. They were different colors. The right one was blue and the left green. Before anyone can say a word to the girl the old man from the council room, Lord Pars, interrupted.
"Princess Robyn? It is time for your dancing lessons," he informed her and went away.
"I take dancing lessons?" Robyn asked Areiya.
"Whoops, I forgot." she frowned. "Princess Robyn is one of the best dancers in Rystona. She teaches dancing."
"But I can't dance!"
What am I gonna do? I can't dance! Robyn thought. This is not my day.
"Princess Robyn. How are you, your Highness?" asked a girl when Robyn went in the room. "I'm ready for "Giselle". I hope I get the part."
"Umm yes." Robyn mumbled. "Areiya? Do you know their names?"
"Well, not really. But I think I know who that one is. She must be Diana. Robyn, I mean Princess Robyn, has told me all about her. She's her prized student."
"Do you know what they're talking about?" Robyn asked again.
"Yes, the Ahsa-Ai Festival is coming up. Every year there is a demonstration at the city. The princesses have different ones. Princess Robyn's is dance, Princess Kayura's is song, and Princess Mia-- the Gedam. That's an instrument. Anyways, with her dancing there is also a long ballet that her students will perform. She always has auditions for it and that must be today." "Okay so I don't have to dance. That's good." Robyn sighed.
"Uh, not quite," a small voice spoke up. It was Ryuujin. "You have to demonstrate which move it will be. I've seen her do this only once. I'm sorry."
"Thanks Ryuujin. At least I don't have to embarrass myself by not knowing that. Man, Kento is not going to let me live this down," Robyn whined while looking at the group that gathered by the door of the dance room.
The others were there gawking at the size and beauty of the room. The roof was a dome shape, like those things from Arabia. Two walls were covered up in glass and the rest had gorgeous mosaics of girls dancing.
"Well, maybe you can pretend to faint." Ryuujin said. With that said she took a seat next to Areiya at the side.
"No thanks. I already did."
"You better start." Areiya said. "They're getting restless."
"Diana," Robyn called. "Please tell the others we're starting."
Diana quickly gathered the students. They all formed a line in front of Robyn and gave her their apt attention. Robyn was looking green--again.
"Okay cla-"
"Eeeeeehhhhhhh!!!!!!!!"
A shrill scream interrupted Robyn's unprepared lesson. She looked at where the sound came from. It was coming from outside the hall. Robyn didn't know what was going on. She looked over at her companions. Before they bolted to the door, Robyn noticed Ryuujin was missing from her seat. The Ronins were there first. It looked like nothing was wrong. The blatant shrieking came from a servant. Ryuujin was beside her with something cradled in her arm. "Ssshhhh!!!! You stepped on his tale. Of course he'd flame you." Ryuujin told the servant. "He's not accustomed to flying inside."
"Ryuujin!" Areiya yelled. "I told you to keep him with you." Areiya turned to the spectators that gathered in the hall. "It's okay. Nothing to see. I'm sorry."
"Me too." Ryuujin said. "He was getting impatient so I let him fly inside."
"Who?" Kayura asked. "And what?"
"Sad-eyes."
The girl showed them what was in her arms. A small bluish snake looking creature with jade green wings was curled up in there. It looked up and it stared at them. Its eyes were a golden hue. Robyn gasped as she looked into them. She felt a sudden surge of emotion she can't describe, but she knew it was going to make her cry.