12 Midnight (12)

Caeli stared at the creature for a few moments, stunned by the realization she had made.

He needed something, but what?

He asked her not to be frightened, and strangely, seeing how sad and forlorn he was, it was becoming easier to do.

He hadn't hurt her, but where were her friends? Were they ok?

"My lord, I apologize for any pain I may have unknowingly caused you, but I need to know that my friends are safe. You understand, don't you?", she asked the beast hesitantly, still unsure of how much she could push before making him angry.

The dragon skull looked down to the ground and then slowly at her.

A thick tendril emerged from his back end like a tail and floated to the water. Gently touching the surface, ripples multiplied and an image slowly appeared on the surface.

Caeli crawled to the waters edge and saw her friends fast asleep in the cottage that they had been staying in. Aurum was coiled tightly in the center of the bed and Brego stood, eyes closed, next to the window of the cottage that he'd put his head through to join them for breakfast and dinner.

"Is this an illusion?", Caeli whispered reaching out a hand and delicately touching the water. The image warbled from the ripples her touch made but her friends did not vanish.

"No Caeli, it is a projection of your friends through time and space. When I regained my intelligence, I also acquired, or perhaps recovered, many abilities. Slowly I've been finding them but my past is a haze. I haven't been able to remember anything since before....", he wasn't sure if Caeli knew the aura she emitted. She herself had said that she possessed no magic, "before I was able to regain sentient consciousness."

He was sure she did not realize that her magic itself had reinstated his consciousness.

That he had crawled through her magic covered trail, consuming it like a starved creature, languishing in it like it were an oasis.

Better to leave that small fact out of the equation for now.

"Before? So before, you were not able to speak, you were unable to use all of the magic spells you've been casting.", she replied staring hard at the ground trying to understand. "Only recently you've been able to do these things?"

The beast nodded his head slightly.

"Before I was simply a beast, driven by instinct only.", he answered haltingly.

"I suppose that negates my next question.", she said to herself.

The skull tilted his head to the side. The way he did it reminded her of some of the dogs that she would feed treats to in the village. The idea made her smile inwardly. What a strange creature.

"What question is that?", he asked.

"Who are you my lord?", she whispered turning her head to look at him directly.

Her intent gaze froze him. The power of it shocking. She couldn't realize the effect she had on him.

*Who am I? That's a very good question.*

"To be honest Caeli, I don't know. One day I felt like I had woken from sleep devoid of dreams even. Suddenly I was aware of my surroundings but little else. As time went on I was able to feel things, the grass under my feet, the rain on my body, but my thoughts never extended past observation of fact. It was akin to being an animal if I had to describe it. I felt hunger, I felt pain but little else."

She stared at him, her heart went out to the beast. She couldn't imagine what life would be like if she couldn't dream, couldn't feel the joy of splashing in the stream, or tasting ripened fruit.

"What changed?", she asked.

"I have encountered a plethora of magical power, for one reason or another it is restoring my faculties. Only recently have I recalled my time roaming the land as an animal like creature. I regain pieces and parts, very slowly.", he said cautiously, hoping she would not ask where the magic was found.

"So you have no idea where you are from or what your life was like?", she asked sadly. What if this creature was a beast accidentally named and suddenly given sentience? Belonging nowhere to no one. No home or family to speak of. No purpose even.

Suddenly Caeli felt a sinking feeling.

Had she done the same thing to Aurum? Had she made life worse for him?

She refused to think that. Aurum's life had been in danger. He was her friend.

"I only meant to ask as I'm not sure what your name is my lord.", she said trying to steer the conversation away from a topic that was likely difficult for him.

"I have no name, not that I can recall that is.", he said sardonically. "Although, I would appreciate it if you did not feel as though you needed to say "my lord". ", he softly chuckled.

A slamming in his chest began. He had never laughed before. In his time watching Caeli he had seen her do it often with her companions, the sound of it reminded him of the bubbling sounds that small silver streams made.

How could he ever be away from her side?

How could she ever feel the same?

He imagined what it would be like to have an endless supply of her laughter and light. It made him think of what life would be like without it.

"My lord?", the fairy like woman asked.

"I apologize, I became lost in my thoughts. I find that happens quite often now that I can think straight."

"I was asking you, what would you like your name to be?", she smiled sadly.

"I suppose I don't know any for frame of reference. Aside from you and your companions, I don't believe I've heard any others.", he realized suddenly. "Caeli, I would be honored if you chose a name for me.", he said seriously.

"My lord, I'm not sure that's such a great idea... ", she said, shocked that he would ask a stranger like her to do something so significant. "The last time I named someone.. they changed... quite a bit actually."

The skeleton grew closer and closer to Caeli's side, his eyes glowing red with intensity.

"Please.", he whispered to her, only a breath away from her.

She could hear the yearning in his voice. Perhaps this was what he needed, a name. She only hoped that she wasn't making a grave mistake.

"How do you feel about Raven?", she asked hesitantly.

"Raven?", he asked.

"In the village where I am from they are large and beautiful black birds. Your body reminds me of them. Black and shining in the moonlight.", she said with a half smile. Her memories of home bittersweet.

His heart wrenched, at her smile and at the consideration she took in choosing a name. Could she really think of him in comparison to something she thought was beautiful?

He nodded.

"Alright then, from here on out your name shall be Raven."

The beasts body began to vibrate, the ground around him shook as though the power coming from him would shatter the ground.

Caeli jumped to her feet and backed away as quickly as she could, walking shin deep into the water.

The entire earth seemed to shake as the water rippled around her legs.

The creatures body began to thrash back and forth, as though he was fighting something off. Or perhaps being struck.

Standing, the beast roared into the night sky and suddenly the shaking halted.

As things began to still, Caeli noticed that he had grown larger. It was hard to believe as he had already been massive by anyone's standards. As she observed him, giant wings unfolded from his back, shaped like dragons wings. His body was now covered in black feathers that reflected blue and green in the moonlight. The skull had become more ridged, sharper in some places compared to before.

As he opened his eyes, she could see that they now resembled a reptiles, the irises still a glowing red but with a golden slit in the center.

Caeli felt her mouth open in awe. Was this creature a dragon? She had noticed the skull of his head was shaped like a dragons but now, wings and reptilian eyes?

It seemed impossible. All the dragons in existence were known to be the rulers of one of the continents. The time where dragons were numerous and roamed the lands had long since passed.

So who was he?