Burying The Past

Flying with Lucian was easily becoming one of Visenya's favorite things. It was exhilarating, daring, and made her feel like a true badass. There was one dragon left in the world, and only she had the luxury of riding him... in more ways than one.

However, all the fun and thrill had been sucked right out of her as soon as she realized where he was taking her. He circled around the perimeter as he made his descent, looking for the safest place to let her down amongst a land of ruins. The lower he got, the more Visenya's heart began to squeeze inside her chest.

Eventually, he found a spot that was as good as it was going to get and lowered his wing close to the ground for her. Since she was a Lycan, she would usually jump down a few feet with ease, but there was too much sharp rubble for her to stumble upon in her delicate human form. At least, that's how Lucian saw her, even though she was no delicate human at all.

Visenya gazed at the sight around her, a view that was difficult to digest, if she were to be honest. The old Dragon Empire, once reduced to scattered pieces of dust and brick, now stood as a commemorative graveyard for those who had lost their lives there.

This was Lucian's daily ritual for the past several months - digging up his kin and giving them proper burials. Many of the graves bore headstones engraved with words that undoubtedly came from Lucian's own hands. Knowing that he returned here every day to relive this tragedy weighed heavily on her heart.

It was then that she noticed his intense gaze, studying her every expression as if he were reading a book. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but suddenly this imposing and fearsome man no longer seemed so mysterious to her. The very same man she had once believed to be devoid of a heart, now revealed that he did, in fact, possess one.

"Follow me," he gestured.

Lucian led her to the sacred Dragon Temple, or what was left of it, rather. The structure had collapsed during the explosions, leaving behind a gaping hole. She began to move towards the edge to peer into the abyss below, but her intentions were halted as he firmly grasped her wrist.

"The soil is unstable," he cautioned. "Years of rainfall and corrosion have weakened it further. Every time I venture any further than we are now, it begins to cave in on itself."

She gazed up at him, witnessing the defeat etched in his eyes. "There's something you want down there, isn't there?"

A heavy sigh escaped his lips. "More like... someone."

As if she didn't already feel bad enough, she now felt even worse, knowing he had been unsuccessful in obtaining the remains of someone who was obviously very dear to him.

"What's the plan?" She asked, her tone encouraging.

Lucian picked up the long, thick rope from the ground and pulled it out of the hole. It was clear he had already attempted to climb down there to no avail. "I can tie this rope around your waist and lower you down there," he explained. "I'll have to be in my dragon form, hovering from the sky because if I put any of my weight on that soil..." He trailed off, his words heavy with implication.

"I understand," she replied softly, her empathy for him evident in her eyes.

She raised her arms up at her sides, signaling her readiness for him to tie the rope around her. He hesitated, fiddling with the rope in his hands. There was a flicker in his eyes, a look she had never seen before, as if he were locked in an internal struggle.

"This... isn't an order," he murmured, his voice filled with sincerity. "You don't have to go down there if you don't want to."

Visenya had to take a double look just to confirm that those words did indeed come from his own lips. Was he really giving her a choice? He had never bestowed such a courtesy before. As she gazed back at the dark, eerie pit in the ground, she realized there wasn't much to consider. She saw the sincerity in his eyes, knowing he wouldn't be angry if she refused. But how could she say no, when there was even a small chance that it could bring him some peace?

"I want to," she readily agreed.

"Are you sure?" He asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

She nodded, a soft, captivating smile playing on her lips. "Yes... I'm sure."

He took a deep breath and carefully began securing the rope around her waist and thighs, forming a secure seated harness. After giving it a few firm tugs to ensure its stability, he unfastened the small satchel from across his chest and placed it over hers.

"I don't expect you to find all of the bones, just as many as you can. Put them in that bag and give the rope a firm tug when you're ready for me to pull you up," he instructed.

"Tug the rope, got it," she replied, confirming her understanding.

He then looked her dead in the eye, as serious as ever. "The very second that hole begins to cave in, you tug this rope and shift into your wolf immediately. No second thoughts, no hesitation, no ifs, ands, or buts... is that clear?"

"Yes..." she replied.

"You shift that instant, tell me that you understand," Lucian emphasized.

"I understand," Visenya acceded.

He looked her over for a moment, the apprehension still present in his eyes. Then, he put some distance between them and took his dragon form. Before she had a chance to react, she found herself suspended in the air above the treacherous pit. His enormous wings beat powerfully above her as he slowly lowered her into the depths.

As soon as her feet touched the bottom, she relied on her wolf senses to sniff out what she came for. It guided her to the farthest corner of the cave, where heaps of rock and debris were piled together, a mere inconvenience for a strong Alpha like her. With precision and strength, she deftly moved each shard of brick from the area that called to her the most.

With determination, she continued to dig through the gravel and soot, and there, emerging from the earth, she caught sight of the remnants of a skull. As she uncovered more, the identity of who she was digging up became clearer. It was not the skull of a dragon, but rather that of a small child, too young to shift and protect itself, too innocent to survive the horrors of that day.

A wave of resentment towards her father surged through Visenya. She didn’t think she could resent him any more than she already did, but this brought her to an all-new high. She took her time, carefully excavating the dirt surrounding the skeleton, ensuring that its delicate structure remained intact.

She heard the whooshing sound of soil and rocks sliding down around her, a clear sign that the hole was beginning to cave in. With a surge of adrenaline, she dug even faster, disregarding the fact that she was deliberately defying Lucian's orders. The more she dug, the more the cave threatened to collapse upon her.

In a sudden jolt, her body jerked upward, causing her to gasp. It wasn't the impending collapse of the pit that worried her; she knew she could survive that in her wolf form. Her panic stemmed from the realization that Lucian was already lifting her out, and she hadn't completed her task yet.

With the cave mere seconds away from crumbling, she made one last desperate leap forward, snatching the skull from the dirt just as she was hastily hoisted into the air. Lucian managed to pull her out just in time before the earth closed in and swallowed her whole.

Setting her down on steady soil, he shifted into his natural form and strode over to her, his face twisted in anger. "What the hell was that?!" He raged. "Didn't I make myself clear? You were seconds away from being buried alive down there!"

“It wouldn’t have killed me…” She replied softly.

"That's not the point!" He blared. "You could have been seriously hurt!"

Her head tilted to the side, carefully analyzing his every word. If she didn't know any better, she might have thought that Lucian actually cared about her. But perhaps that was a far reach, her heart holding onto unrealistic hopes.

"My apologies," she faltered, her voice trembling with guilt. "I just... I didn't want to come up empty-handed."

Gently, she removed the skull from the satchel and placed it in his hands. As he cradled it, his mood turned dreadfully doleful. With a tender touch, he swept his palm over its surface, mirroring the way Visenya would caress the top of Synora's head. Tears welled in her eyes, imagining the pain she would feel if their roles were reversed.

"I tried to get more... I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice brimming with regret.

He shook his head, dissolving her apology. "This is more than enough... thank you."

A soft smile graced her lips as she responded in that sweet, subtle voice of hers, "You're welcome."

In that moment, their eyes locked, both exposing a bit of their souls to one another. A strong desire surged within her to reach out and offer him comfort. But she suppressed those instincts, convinced he would only push her away.

They both looked up at the sky, feeling the soft drizzle of the rainfall. Lucian grew a bit anxious, knowing that he needed to work quickly. He made his way to the burial ground and stood over the small grave he had already dug up. Visenya followed closely behind, her eyes locked on him as he took one last look at the skull in his hands.

"He begged me to come to the temple with him that day. He was so desperate to summon his power... to learn how to shift at just ten years old... like I did. But I refused. I told him I had better things to do..." Lucian's voice choked on his last words. "And that was the last thing I ever said to my little brother."

Visenya was left speechless. She struggled to find the right words, not knowing where to begin. The weight of such guilt would tear her apart every day of her life if she were in his shoes. She didn't believe that anyone should have to carry that burden, not even Lucian.

As the rain started pouring down, he gently placed his brother's skull into the open grave. With a firm grip on the shovel, he began burying it quickly, determined to finish before the hole turned into a muddy mess. Visenya stood there, her heart heavy with helplessness, until she noticed another shovel nearby. Without hesitation, she picked it up, ready to assist.

In that fleeting moment, they looked at one another, a silent understanding passing between them. Together, they carried on with their solemn task... laying little Mason to rest.