AllFreeNovel
Share Us
A dream within a dream. That’s what the Celestial Realm was.
All of the magical beings here were beautiful and youthful, though he could sense that they were far older than him, yet ageless as well. They came in all shapes and sizes, but they were always dressed impeccably, and they were always polite, friendly and smiling with carefree…
Joy was not the right word.
Perhaps it was contentment and tranquility. Sometimes it was mischievousness, for thexian nüloved to giggle and whisper secrets amongst themselves.
This was a place where there was no lack, no want, no pain and no regrets.
But only if you let go of your dreams, emotions and desires. Only if you accepted your role in the Universe and made peace with it:
To be a dragon of the gods. A tool and a weapon. A savior to some, destroyer to others. No questions asked.
If you simply did as you were told, had no attachments to anyone or anything on earth, then your existence would be as peaceful and serene as this magical realm promised.
But…
If you strayed, if you broke the rules, was too stubborn or greedy and yearned for more; if you gave in to your emotions, to incendiary things like anger, resentment, yearning, sadness, regret…
And most of all,love—then this would become the loneliest, most frustrating existence. For it was endless, and there was no way out.
Lancelot was not immune to the inducements. He felt the pull of the realm, the illusion, aided by the sweet nectar of the magical peach.
But only for a moment.
For no matter how cool and serene he appeared on the surface, inside he was a dragon in love. Even if he didn’t quite grasp the concept of love fully yet, couldn’t describe what he felt to save his life, he knew he felt it.
He knew that Arthur was his Mate. And Arthur was still out there, not within this realm. He would never wish Arthur to be trapped here with him, no matter how much he yearned for his Mate. Because he wanted only the best for Arthur—freedom—and because he wanted to be with his Mate, he longed for freedom too.
Thus, despite all the attractions to stay, he knew he needed to find a way out. But he was cool and collected enough to bide his time.
He tested his own limits in this realm. After a few days of existing in human form, he stood on the bank of one of the countless lakes and tried to transform into dragon. No one stopped him.
He swam and frolicked as dragon, feeling strengthened by the water that was not quite water. Like the waterfall Arthur had been trapped behind before, the water wasn’t “wet.” It didn’t feel real like it did on earth.
Nothing felt real here.
The bottom of the lake was very deep and covered with freshwater mussels that opened to reveal gigantic, multi-colored pearls. Crystals glittered on the floor in a dazzling array.
Even though he wasn’t a treasure dragon like Rui, all dragons coveted treasure. He could have spent a lifetime at the bottom of this lake, reveling in the endless treasure trove.
But his heart reminded him to not lose himself. Not forget what was most important to him in the entire universe:
Arthur.
Turning back to man, he walked tirelessly for many days and nights, simply exploring. Though he didn’t cover as much ground as a sky dragon would, he still saw plenty.
There were men and women here, though they weren’t human. He did not know where they lived, for there were no houses, no villages, only pagodas, palaces and other ornamental structures.
People sometimes gathered in groups for picnics and festivals. Then, they simply disappeared, returning to the mists that would take over a scene like curtains coming down at theold theater that Annie and Merlin took him and Arthur to a couple months back.
There were other magical creatures here. Mermaids, sprites, unicorns, fox spirits, and so much more. There were also ordinary creatures like the sort that existed on earth, but somehow larger than life. Giant turtles as big as boulders, rainbow-colored peacocks, humming birds that actually sang cheerful songs…
But most of all, there were dragons.
When he and Arthur had been trapped here before, he’d sensed that they were not alone. He’d heard sounds echoing in the fathomless cavern, and knew that they were made by very large, dangerous creatures.
He’d never seen any of them. And he didn’t see any now. As a dragon himself, his awareness of them was much sharper than before. He could tell when one was near, but he couldn’t pinpoint their location.
