Chapter 1. The Fall
CHAPTER 1. The Fall
I never intended to fall in love with a dragon.
It was never supposed to happen.
I was pacing the floor of the throne court. Waiting for the God to arrive.
Being an angel, I was never supposed to fall in love. But my treacherous heart betrayed me the moment I saw him on that temple that fateful day.
The wait was killing me. I was so nervous, after all I was the youngest angel, in our world. I am only a teenager, one hundred and fifty years only. Surely father will forgive me. I will beg, if I have to. Right?
My whole body was shaking from fear, although us angel don’t sweat, I felt sweaty. I can’t help but imagine the wrath of God.
" OH Shivaya, please have mercy”. At the exact moment, father came straight through the door.
Wearing a dark blue robe, with intricate design woven with gold threading. Crown of moon adorns on his head, his cascade of locks reaching his back. He was the epitome of beauty. Fair skinned, sharp jaw yet a soft smile playing on his full lips.
But the most alluring feature in him was his eyes. His iris was like a moving galaxy. I was mesmerized by my creator. I quickly bowed down.
“You summoned me, Father”. I asked, controlling my nerves, but the pounding in my chest betrayed me.
“Rise.” he said calmly. His face relaxed as ever. He didn’t say anything after that, but his eyes tracked my every movement. He was waiting for me to say the forbidden truth; I have been hiding since the past century. But as we all know, he knows everything. Yet he awaits my answer.
I moist my lips & swallow my tears hard. My throat was dry as a desert. "I am sorry father, I didn’t...” I gulped the lump in my throat. “I didn’t know how it happened”. My voice came out small and weak, I was looking at my hands, willing them to stop trembling. Tears were falling freely down my cheeks.
“My dear child, look at me” he said softly. I looked up but towards his chest, I couldn’t meet his eyes, I was a coward, yes.
He lifted my chin up, so I can look into his eyes.
When I looked up at him, I only saw pure love & acceptance from him. Nothing more, nothing less. I couldn’t take it anymore, I melted into my creator’s arms, like a scared child. “I am sorry, I am sorry, I am sorry....” rambling apologies poured out of me.
Father caught me in his arms, holding me carefully, "Sshhhh... I am not angry at you.” he said, his voice ever so soothing. I looked up in disbelief, hope, gratitude, “really, father?” He smiled softly, like he has a secret, only he knows, which is true. “But... you have to leave Nirvana, for the greater good” he said softly.
I jerked back, it felt as if he had just slapped me across the face, hard. I fell to my knees, begging him and crying. “Please father, I am sorry, this is my home, I don’t want to leave Nirvana, please father, I am sorry.” At that moment, tears came back again, hands trembling, pounding in my chest increased so fast that one might think of having a heart attack. But I wasn’t having a heart attack. It wasn’t possible for us angels.
He kneels down to my level, his voice cooing, trying to calm my panic, "Astrella, my child, I am not mad at you. I am giving you a chance to get what your heart desires,” he paused, “your dragon”. His hypnotic eyes capturing mine in place, my whole body went rigid.
I was speechless for a moment, gathering all the energy left in my body, “You knew?” I asked shamefully.
He had a twinkle in his eyes, two pools of galaxies staring back at me, calming me down. He wiped my tears with his thumb, then caressed my cheek, like a father does to his scared child to console them. He gave me a tender smile, Softer than the clouds. "I made every soul in pair my child. Two bodies, one soul. They are incomplete without each other.” His swirling eyes bore into my soul,” and you my special angel is his couplulette”
I was so out of my mind, that it took me a moment to register what he was saying. He chuckles at my confused expression, picked me up softly and sat me down on a plush cloud. He took a seat across from me, goblet filled with bhang in his right hand.
My throat was as dry as a desert, I gulped and looked at his goblet. He followed my gaze and snapped his finger. A goblet brimming with Ambrose nectar appeared in my palms. He chuckled and joked. “Sometimes I forget, you can’t use your magic in here.” his eyes soft. I giggled and relaxed a bit in the cloudy fluffs. I gulped half the goblet in one go.
“Thank you, father”. I hesitated for a moment... Trying to gather some words. He waits patiently as always, like he has all the time in the world to listen to you. Ready to take all your problems away.
“I am confused father.” I said finally. “I don’t know what to make of it.” I suddenly remembered that word. "couplulette”? ... I whispered. It came out more of a question.
He smiled like he was going to blow my mind, “When dragon share their breath weapon with a human, they are called rider. The human should claim the dragon in the arena, if they are chromatic dragon, like yours my dear. Because it’s not in their nature to submit, one has to earn the dragon. When the dragon yield, the seal which separated their power, breaks and their power combines. Then they make a bond with a bonding ritual. Where they combine blood.”
I keep on staring at him dumbfounded, with this information. "Rider? I read something about it in a book, deep into the mountains of Agaabora”. I blurted. He laughed and nodded, “Always curious, aren’t you? It’s DRAGON GRANTH, you will need that book, it was stolen for a reason.” he said, shaking his head with an expression of disappointment, which only appeared for a moment, but I caught it.
He continued "then there is the beloved flame, human or dragon who is only created for them. Who share their heart, soul and mind. But not their magic and power”. He was excitedly telling me about this, like this was something some fairy tale.
I drowned the rest of the Ambrose nectar, and the goblet filled itself again. I blinked and took another sip, I heard him chuckling in the background, *he is having his fun. *
He sighed, as if, he is in a beautiful dreamland, “and then I made you, especially for him. To rule beside him. His perfect half. Just like my Shakti.” he looked at me tenderly. "You both complete each other.” he smiled softly.
“You share his heart, soul, and mind. And not just that you are his rider too who share his magic and powers. Hence, couplulette, his other half in every way.” he said and sat back, waiting for me to say something. I was loss of words, I opened my mouth, but nothing came.
He huffed in amusement, then said “It’s a promise of two souls to each other, for every birth, in every timeline. Meeting again and again. It’s an ancient contract between souls, before time itself.” his eyes never left mine. “Until they finally meet. You and your dragon rebirth many times, in different timelines, but one lost the other before bonding.” the silence which came after his words was so deafening, my ears started ringing.
I couldn’t breathe, move or articulate any words, my mind went numb. *I took multiple births to unite with my soulmate, but not once did we succeed? *
He continued “but there is a catch”. He paused for a moment for me to register this.
Confusion must be evident on my face, because he smiled, as if he had a trick up his sleeve, or he was about to rip the ground beneath my feet, I couldn’t decide.
“You must give up your wings, Astrella.”
