Chapter 91 - My Story

Zell awoke with a throbbing pain in his skull. He felt like his head was going to split open. As he opened his eyes, he found himself in a dimly lit chamber with walls of stone and dirt and a ceiling of the same. He was laying on a dirt floor with a makeshift pillow made of leaves and a blanket of threaded grass. The mysterious dragon woman from earlier was sitting across the room staring at him as he stirred to life.

She had put on a white toga that seemed to be common on these islands. "Oh good, you are awake." She said smiling. "I was afraid you may never wake up."

"What happened?" Zell said. "My head hurts so much."

"You tried to force yourself out of the barrier." She answered. "You cannot do that. It was created to repel any force applied to it equally. In other words you punched yourself and knocked yourself out."

"I pack quite a punch then." Zell said.

"It seems as if you do." She laughed. "I saw you fly backwards a good distance, and you have been out cold for two days."

"I see, so I am trapped here then." Zell said.

"Yes, but only until you find inner balance." She replied.

"I am going to kill your brother for tricking me." Zell said.

"Such aggression." She replied. "Is that your reaction to anyone that wrongs you? That they must die?"

"Yep, you are definitely related." Zell said, getting up and rubbing his head. "I am in a hurry, tell me how to get balance."

She frowned at Zell. "No thank you for caring for me while I was unconscious?" She asked.

"You're right." Zell said with a sigh. "Thank you."

"Half hearted but better than nothing." She replied. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am the white dragon named Qamra."

"So, Qamra, why are you in this jungle of balance?" Zell asked. "Your brother called you his wayward sister."

"Yes, well that is a long story." Qamra said. "I doubt you want to hear it."

"No, tell me." Zell said. "We are trapped regardless; I might as well know about the dragon who I am trapped with."

"Alright." She replied. "Years ago, tragedy struck our people. We white dragons have lived in peace among the humans for generations upon generations. The humans we cared for and lived with have all had peaceful lives. There has been no violence, no crime, none of the horrors that normally plague the human experience.

Until one day we found someone murdered in the street. As the dragon in charge of that island I felt responsible, I felt like it was my duty to find justice in their horrible situation. I searched for clues and interviewed the people who found the body, but sadly the killer left no evidence or witnesses. Then another body turned up, followed shortly by another. There was a mass murderer free on my island, and I could not find a way to stop them.

I struggled and searched everyday and night. I patrolled the streets, just hoping to find a clue, something that would lead me to the killer. I stopped sleeping and eating. I became completely obsessed with my quest to find the killer.

One chilly night on my patrol I heard a scream from one of the houses. I rushed over to find a freshly murdered person and the murderer standing over them still covered in blood, licking their knife clean. The sight sickened me to my core, and I could not fathom the depths of depravity that humanity could fall into. What is worse is I knew the killer.

He was my friend or at least I once thought he was. I had known him my whole life, he even helped me with my investigation into the murders. To find out he was the one who did it, broke me inside. I felt betrayed and I was bewildered, lost in thought. I had so many questions I needed to ask him, but he took advantage of my confusion and rushed towards me with his knife. Instinctively I defended myself and disarmed him, causing his knife to land on the ground. However, it got stuck face up on the floor and the act of disarming him caused him to lose his balance. He fell and impaled himself between the eyes with his own knife.

In an instant my friend was dead, but he was also the killer I had given up everything to find. Because of who he was and how I did not see it, I felt responsible for all the people he killed and because of how he died, I blamed myself for that as well.

I lost my inner balance because of those events. When a white dragon loses their balance, they are no longer able to transform into their dragon form, nor can they call upon their holy magic. Without my balance I was no different than a normal mortal. My brother sought to help me and used creation magic on this part of the jungle. He wanted to give me a place free from interference where I could come to peace with myself and regain the balance I once held."

"I am sorry for everything that happened to you." Zell said.

"You did not cause it." Qamra said. "Why would you apologize for it?"

"I was just… never mind." Zell said with a sigh.

"So, what is your story?" Qamra asked. "You must have an interesting one for my brother to have sealed you in here with me."

"Well, mine is a very long story as well." Zell said.

"Well, you might as well tell me." Qamra said. "Just as you wished to know me, I wish to know you."

"Alright." Zell said as he began to tell Qamra everything. He told her about his past life on Earth, the murder of his family, his rebirth and everything that had happened since.. Her eyes widened and teared up at various parts of Zell's story as she took in every detail.