Touch of Flame

“Queen Hiroshima was a vicious rule, brutal in her ways of setting order and punishing. It was said that she was the one to start the enslavement of humans and she built her kingdom on human labor. Every morning she would watch over her kingdom from the third floor of her mansion while standing on the balcony and feeling immense pride. She even ordered a statue of herself to be built.”

Ravina guessed that statue would be built by humans.

“One day as she stood on her balcony watching all the slaves working for her and building the statue of her, she took notice of Arshan among the working slaves. She asked for him to be brought to her and decided to make him her personal slave. But Arshan refused that kind of slavery and Hiroshima tried to bribe him with gold and silver and when it didn’t work, she tried to intimidate him with punishments. But even that didn’t work either.”

Ravina continued to listen with a frown.

“Hiroshima was angry that this man wasn’t bending to her will but she was also fascinated by him. Keeping him by her side slowly began to change her as a person. He influenced many of her decisions and softened her heart. After a year, she made him her king and they were deeply in love. Arshan released his people from enslavement and new rules were established. But Hiroshima had many enemies, even amongst her friends and family who didn’t want a human as their ruler. They planted seeds of doubt in her about her husband and set a trap to make her believe her husband was being unfaithful.”

Well, this was a great story. Ravina could see the happy ending.

“Hiroshima fell into that trap and killed Arshan. Grief and anger made her go back to her old ways, but this time she released her wrath on all humans. But the truth doesn’t stay hidden for too long and the lies about her husband came to the surface. To avenge her husband, Hiroshima killed her family and friends who betrayed her and then she killed herself.”

Ravina could only blink when the story ended. It was so sad and tragic yet she wasn’t very surprised. They lived in a cruel world. She expected no less.

She looked at Hiroshima in the picture. She was a beauty and Arshan…She still kept staring at him.

“He looks familiar to me although I have never seen his face.” She said.

“Perhaps you have seen him in a distant memory of a dream.” He told her.

“How?”

“You might not believe in this but we believe that when you die, your soul still remains on earth. It goes on a journey to a higher level or a lower one. Sometimes some people might feel familiar because you have known them in another life or perhaps this is you.”

What?

“Are you saying… I am born into a new body.”

“You could be. We can never be certain about those things but some of us believe that dragon tamers are reborn as dragon tamers again.”

Ravina frowned. So if she believed in this, she would be reborn into endless lives of tragedy. Thankfully, she didn’t believe in this.

Chanan rolled the paper and put it back. He looked for the next one. This one was a female dragon tamer. In the painting, she sat on a bench in a garden, leaning into the male dragon.

“This is Kanefer. Another vicious ruler during his times until he met Tereza. A brave woman who rebelled against his rule and was captured to be killed. Kanefer was curious about the young woman who had gathered her people to criticize his ways so he wanted to see her before her execution. Well, I think you know what happened when he laid his eyes on her.” The priest smiled.

Ravina just waited for the tragic part.

“Tereza was not an easy woman to win. She was very firm with what she wanted and Kanefer provided her with it in hopes to win her heart, because unlike dragons humans don’t have an instinct that makes them choose a partner. She was his breedmate but he was not hers. He knew her heart could be taken by another man if he didn’t take it.”

“I am guessing he won her heart?” Ravina said looking at the picture.

“He did. During their rule was the happiest time to live as a human but there was a rise of other dragons and war broke between different dragon clans as to who was to rule. It is as you said, it won’t be easy for a king who takes a human as their partner to rule.”

Ravina sighed.

“Does the third one have a happy ending?”

“No.”

“Then what makes you think this time will be different?”

“It might not. But things are a little different right now. Humans have become more intolerant of tyrannical rulers whether he or she is amongst themselves or one of us. They have partly taken back their power, even without a dragon tamer. Your father started this revolution. I think it is the beginning of something.” He said.

Revolution? Beginning of something?

“I have tired you.” He smiled. “Let me bring my flute.” He stood up and left with his papers.

Ravina sat thinking of all the information she received but inside, something in her was just silent. Perhaps she was tired and the weather up her somehow made her want to lay down and sleep.

Strangely, Chanan came back with a mat and a pillow. He lay out the mattress. “An afternoon nap is needed sometimes.” He said.

Such behavior should alarm her. Sleeping up on a mountain, alone in this temple with a man who laid out a mattress for her and offered to play the flute, was very strange yet she lay down.

To her surprise, Chanan went outside and played the flute from there, letting the sound fade a little across the distance and reach her softly, lulling her to sleep.