Star Protector

Every year on the morning of my birthday I drown in a lake of stars.

My dream always started with a large red-eyed beast flying around the treetops in the dark sky. Searching. My chest tightened with each controlled breath; afraid the beast might hear me. It drew nearer. I tried to back away but my dress caught on a tree and I stumbled backward onto the dry crunchy leaves of the forest floor. Arms shaking, I looked up knowing the creature heard the rustle of my fall. It looked straight at me. The bruises on my hands throbbed when I tried to get up. Outrunning this beast was not an option; I was only a child. The dark figure drew nearer. I stopped and braced for impact.

White light flashed between me and the creature stalling it from moving forward. Its massive wings towered over its large body moving it up and down with each flap while the bright light faded. Its eyes were now yellow. I turned to look for the origin of the bright light. Amidst the forest trees stood a woman. Her face was framed by a red cloak. Her dark beautiful eyes tugged at my heart. I wanted to go to her. Then my dream skipped forward. Warm air caressed my face and tousled my hair. I was flying. For a moment I felt free as if I were born to fly, until I started spiraling downward toward a speckled surface. The sliver of the moon shone before me. It rippled. My chest clenched with fear of drowning. And then I wake up shaking uncontrollably.

Today was no different. I lay in my sweat, breathing profusely with my eyes shut. Why do I have this weakness? I hate this. Why can’t I control it? The bed bounced and I felt a warm fuzzy body move onto my chest, followed by hot dog breath. I couldn’t move or speak. My muscles ached and I waited for my heart to relax and my lungs to remember what real breathing felt like.

I heard birds singing. With my eyes still shut tight, I focused on the sound, shifting my thoughts away from my vulnerable state. It will be sunrise in a few hours, but something was missing, or rather someone. Like a hammer hitting my heart I remembered - my mom was gone.

You see, she died yesterday. There was nothing I could do. The village doctor tried all sorts of concoctions with herbs and spices to heal her. I wanted to take her to a hospital for treatment, but we couldn’t afford it. We couldn’t even afford to send me to school. She taught me all she could, and I read every book we could get our hands on. But she kept getting weaker until she couldn’t leave her bed. No more short walks from our little house to the base of the mountain to sit and look at the starry night.

We had our special spot that she always took me to. She would always say, “Estrella, this is where I first knew that I loved you.” I remember when I first saw a long row of bright stars soar across the sky. She told me., “Those are not stars, those are satellites.” We always went to our spot on my birthday. Usually after my annual “episode.”

I opened my eyes and stared at the softly lit ceiling with a sudden realization. It's not my birthday until tomorrow. The nightmare came early this year. I sat staring until my emotions revived. Who cares? Mom isn’t here to comfort me in my weakness or light 13 candles for me to blow out this year.

“I miss her already, Tarak,” I said to my dog, finally being able to speak. “What’s the point anymore?”

I pondered her last words. “Estrella,” she said, lifting her hand to touch my long black hair. I remember moving closer to her bedside. I gently held her hand. Her breath was short and airy. “Your room… hidden…” She paused to breathe. “I should have told you... where I first saw you.” She breathed again. “Love you.”

“Where you first saw me?” I furrowed my brow. “Mom, do you mean where you first knew you loved me?”

Her words didn’t make sense. She was my family. For as long as I know, she and Tarak have been all the family I’ve ever known. I pushed the memory aside trying to will the pain away with it. How can I feel so much pain when I feel numb inside? I sat in silence lost in empty thought. Tarak nuzzled into me, keeping my thoughts alert. I looked at him. “It’s just you and me now boy.”

Tarak stood on the bed and licked my face. “I’m up, I’m up. No lick.” I pushed myself up into a sitting position. Tarak jumped off the bed. His large furry body walked to the corner of the room. His stark black and deep red fur waved with his movements. Like my hair, his fur was black with a blue sheen. He sniffed the ground and looked at me. His brownish-gold eyes reflected the dusty morning light. He lifted his large paw and rubbed it on the floor. “What is it, boy?” I pushed off the bed. The floorboards creaked with my movements. And then I saw it; a faint light glowed beneath the floorboards. I rushed over and knelt on the floor next to Tarak looking down at the light. My fingers squeezed between the wood slats and pulled the board loose. The light seemed to be reflecting off a white stone intricately held within the winding body of a bronzed blue dragon. Beneath it was a leather satchel. I picked them up and placed them on my lap. Tarak sat next to me.

“Mom must have put these here,” I said looking at the items. I lifted the leather flap. Inside lay a brown envelope with writing on it. I reached in and pulled the thick envelope out to read the script.

My Beloved Estrella, don’t open until you are 13.

The handwriting was not familiar to me. I considered the possibilities before putting it back in the satchel. My hand grazed something cold and hard.

“What’s this?” I pulled out a brown rock. It was long and oddly shaped. I put it back in. I looked at the bronze dragon again and the stone it possessed. It looked like some sort of pendant. The stone had hundreds of white sparkles in it, like the starry night sky. I looked closer. A blue light shot out of the stone onto my face.

“Aa!” I dropped it and scooted back. It landed face-up on the floor. The light expanded from the stone toward the ceiling. A figure appeared in the beams of light. It slowly became clearer. There before me stood the hooded woman from my dreams.

“Estrella,” she said. Her voice was soft yet urgent. Her eyes smiled with love. How did she know my name? “Estrella, I’m sorry.” Her voice sent currents to my heart. “I wish I could be there with you. I love you so much. I had to protect you. You are my daughter.”

I stared at her. Repeating her words in my head, ‘you are my daughter.’

The look in her eyes changed. She looked around her before turning back to me. “I don’t have much time. When you are older and ready, come find me. I cannot tell you how in case this falls into the wrong hands. But I have left you clues like the ones in this satchel. Please come find me. I miss you already.” The figure faded as the stone drew the light back in.

What just happened? I sat stunned in disbelief, yet somehow, I knew it to be true. Does that mean the dream I have had every year is not a dream – but a memory? That can’t be right. That beast in my dream couldn’t be real. It looked like a dragon and dragons aren’t real.

I picked up the pendant by the leather string and placed it around my neck. Tarak barked and ran to the front door. He jumped up on the door. “Do you need to go out?” He barked again. “Okay, buddy.” I stepped into my boots by the door before opening it, the fresh morning air seeped in. I expected Tarak to scamper off to his spot to do his business but instead, he snatched the satchel out of my hand and ran.

“Hey!” I ran after him up the path toward the mountain. “Tarak! Bad dog, come here boy.” I shouted. I tried not to trip on the various rocks and branches along the way. “Tarak, come!” I saw him standing by our stargazing spot. He stood by a small boulder, panting and wagging his tail. “Tarak. Drop it.” I breathed heavily. The dog put the satchel down and pushed his nose into it until his head was completely in the satchel. I imagined the envelope inside and his sharp teeth tearing it to shreds and I would always wonder what was written on it - and who wrote it.

“Tarak, no! Leave it.” I ran up to him. He pulled his snout out. He was holding the rock in his mouth. “That’s not a toy. Dumb old dog.” I picked up the satchel and looked inside. The envelope looked to be in one piece. I sighed and sat on the boulder. “What’s gotten into you?” He tilted his head and looked at me with his big eyes. “That’s just a rock. Who knows where it’s been.” Tarak trotted over to me and placed the rock in my lap. He backed away, not taking his eyes off the rock, and wagged his tail. Like he wanted me to throw it. I picked it up.

“Ugh!” I said, wiping the slobber off my hand. I lifted the rock to throw it when I noticed something different about it. The slobber seeped into parts of the rock I had not noticed. I held it in front of me. A thin line curved down along it like a river. Partial tree-like markings appeared.

“Tarak what is this?” I asked, knowing he couldn’t answer. “This looks like a map.”

Tarak barked. I think he didn’t like that we were not playing fetch.

Then I remembered the woman’s words. I have left you clues in this satchel.

The sound of the nearby stream caught my attention. I ran over to it and splashed cold water onto the rock, it seeped into the rock’s crevices revealing a map. The shape of the rock looked like the tops of the mountains before me. I held up the rock lining it up to the mountain skyline for a perfect match. There before me was the river and the tree line.

“This is a map!” I said to my dog. The markings on the rock pointed to a spot at the base of the mountain. Walking up to where the map led, I found a small dead-end cave. I looked at Tarak. “Got any ideas?” Tarak tilted his head. “Of course, you don’t. What am I even doing?” I sat down on a boulder. Tarak walked up to me and rested his warm fuzzy head on my leg. I instinctively rubbed behind his ears. I ran my fingers across the letters of his name embedded on the bronze plate of his leather collar and scratched underneath it.

“What am I doing Tarak? I had a mother and now she’s gone. What’s the point anymore?” Tarak nudged me when I stopped petting him. “I mean look at me. I’m in some random cave talking to my dog. What do I expect? That you’ll somehow say ‘Estrella, everything is going to be okay?’” The stone hanging from my neck started glowing. The blue light shined on the cavern wall revealing an intricately carved arched doorway.

I stood up lifting my hand against the cold mountain wall. My fingers ran along the wall and into an impression to the right of the arch. It was the same shape as the rock map. I placed the rock on the wall and pressed it in. The archway lit up like lava carving each detail. There within it was an open doorway. “Tarak, come.” Tarak followed me through the doorway and into a large misty warm cavern. The mountain wall closed behind me. I took a deep breath.

“Stay calm,” I said to myself. I heard water. Maybe it was a way out. I took a few steps forward through the mist. My foot slipped and I fell forward. Tarak grabbed the back of my shirt with his teeth. A wave of hot air hit my face. I stared at the velvet river of lava flowing far below me. Tarak pulled me back. “Good boy.” I looked over the ledge again. A waterfall flowed out of the cavern wall down into the lava creating steam. “Good boy Tarak,” I said again. Tarak barked, turned, and disappeared into the mist.

“Tarak, no!” I stood looking into the mist where he had been. “Tarak, come here boy.” I waited, afraid to move. A large dark figure flew up from the mist and around the tall cavern. Its large wings beat around in the air as it flew. The mist cleared with its movements; it was the same beast from my dream.

I stood in silence hoping it wouldn’t notice me.

“Aw”, a deep male voice said. “I didn’t realize how much I missed flying.” The dark beast hovered in the air and looked directly at me. I took a step back. “No need to worry. Estrella, it’s me.”

I noticed the collar on him was the same as my dog's. “Tarak?” I thought toward the dragon, too afraid to speak.

“Yes Estrella, it’s me”. The dragon didn’t move his mouth.

“Wait, did you just read my thoughts?” I said out loud to the dragon.

“Only the thoughts you project to me. Estrella, it’s time I take you to your real home. To where you came from. Do you trust me?”

“Of course, I trust you,” I shouted up to him. “You’re my dog. You’ve saved my life many times. I have so many questions.”

“I’ll try to explain along the way. Let’s go.”

Tarak flew down at me. Get on.

Instinctively, I ran up onto a tall ledge and jumped, Tarak flew beneath. I landed on a leather saddle on his back.

“How do we get there?” I projected my thoughts to Tarak.

A water portal. Hold on. We spiraled upward through the cloudy wet mist. The ceiling of the cavern sparkled and turned like a starry galaxy spinning into darkness, my stomach tickled inside until we splashed upward out of a large lake into a different world.

I gazed at the dark sky and the glassy water below us.

“How is it nighttime already?”

“Our realm is different from earth.”

A winding river divided a large patch of forest in the distance. We coasted down close to the water gliding seamlessly through the air. I looked at my reflection. My dark complexion blended in with the water. I lifted my arms into the air. “This is amazing!” I put down my hands. “Tarak, was I born here?”

“Yes.” He continued to glide above the water.

“Why were you after me when I was a child? I remember being afraid and trying to get away.” I looked at his beating wings next to me.

I felt his body breathe in deeply. “I was cursed by a sorceress. All dragons were. Your mother broke the curse on me and instructed me to take you to a safe place.” He glanced back at me.

“That would explain your eyes turning yellow. But your eyes are blue now.”

“Dragons can sense danger. We can turn our eyes yellow when we feel we need to alert others to be cautious. They must turn red when being controlled.”

“Why were you after me?”

Tarak didn’t say anything. “Tarak?”

“Something is wrong”. Tarak glanced back and his eyes were yellow for a moment.

“What is it?” I looked around, not sure what I should be looking for.

“The sky and land are darker than they should be. He flew toward the forest.”

“Well, it is nighttime.”

“That’s just it. There were so many things that lit up so brightly at night. Floating flowers and creatures. And the stars.”

I looked up at the sky. “I can see stars.”

“Our stars are different here. They are brighter. The stars are very important to our world. Dragon riders called Star Rallies collected the elements with the amulet like the very one you are wearing.”

I felt the weight of the bronze dragon on my chest. “Elements?”

“The elements are a source of power. Harvesting them from the stars keeps the stars healthier. The elements amplify one’s talents and inner power. It is even used to barter and trade within the community.”

“What happened? Why was the sorceress after me?” The forest drew nearer.

Tarak sighed. “There was a prophecy given to the sorceress:

A choice you’ll have for bad or good

To build, prosper and grow.

Or risk power misunderstood

Will lead to the overthrow.

Your choice, in time, will be revealed

Will darkness or light spread?

The stars a part may they fulfill.

Or become the rooted dead

Of thirteen years, your course will fall

from one who charges alone.

The star and flame will conquer all.

And lost things will be known."

Tarak stopped.

“What does it mean?” I asked him.

“The Sorceress thought someone, who can charge alone will turn evil, control the dragons and take over the realm. She gathered all the elements from the people telling them it was for their safety. But too much power changes people. She used the power to control the dragons and round up the children to find the one who can charge alone.”

“Why the children?” I asked.

“Infants can Naturally charge alone until they can run. She rounded up all the toddlers and tested them one by one and took over the dragons. Then your mother broke the curse over me and beckoned me to be your protector. I don’t know what's happened since.”

“Where do we go?” I asked as we soared through the trees.

“We need to find where she’s storing the power –“

A whipping sound followed by a heavy net wrapped around us. We dropped to the ground. A dark figure jumped on top of Tarak; their sword aimed down at him.

“No!” I shouted. The intruder drove the sword into Tarak.

Tarak howled.

I wiggled free. The net was obviously designed to only catch a dragon. I climbed up and heaved myself at the intruder. “What have you done!” I pushed him off Tarak causing him to stumble and fall to the ground.

I grabbed the hilt of the sword, closed my eyes, and pulled. Warm currents of energy coursed through my body as I pulled the sword out. I opened my eyes to see my hands glowing, a blue hue resonated before fading. I looked down at Tarak’s wound. It was slowly healing itself.

I raised the sword to cut the ropes, but I was pushed to the ground. I wrestled with the hooded figure. I pinned him down and held the sword to his neck. His hood fell off and I stared at the young man’s perfectly chiseled face. Dark black hair accented his tanned skin.

He looked at me. “You don’t look like a Specter.” He tried to push me off. He looked to be about my age.

“What’s a Specter? And why did you stab my dragon?”

His expression softened. “Are you going to kill me?”

“Not if you won’t kill me or my dragon.”

He looked at Tarak, the net still around him. He lifted his head and looked at him with his silver-blue eyes.

The boy looked back at me. “He’s not cursed?”

“No.”

He stared at me for a moment. “Then we have a deal. I won’t hurt you or your dragon.”

I searched his eyes for any sign of distrust. I looked at Tarak. He nodded.

“Deal.” I stood up still holding the sword. I watched him get up.

“How did you do it?” He asked, wiping the dirt off his leather jacket.

“Do what?” I walked over to cut Tarak’s ropes. The wound on his back finished sealing up like he had never been stabbed.

“Heal your dragon.” He pulled out a knife and approached Tarak. I gave him a look. “Don’t worry I’m going to help. And since you won’t give me my sword back, I need this.”

“There’s no need for that,” Tarak said. I could tell the boy heard him too. “No sense in wasting a good net.” Tarak transformed into a dog and trotted out of the net.

“Why couldn’t you have done that earlier?” I asked him.

He transformed back into a dragon and stretched his wings. “I was wounded. I can’t transform until I am healed.”

“I still don’t get it.” The boy said. “If you’re not a specter, what power did you use to heal the dragon?”

“He has a name,” I said. “I don’t know how I did it or if it was even me.”

“Sorry,” he said looking up at the dragon. “What is your name?”

Tarak

“Ah. That means Star Protector, right? I’m Altair. And you are?” He looked at me.

“Leaving, with my dragon.” I turned and walked toward Tarak. "I need to find my family."

“Wait, do you have any idea what’s out there? We could use a dragon.”

I kept walking.

“Look,” Altair’s voice now carried a level of emotion. “If you help us, we can help you find your family.”

I already had one hand on Tarak, ready to hoist myself up. “Who’s we?”

“Tell me who you are first.”

I turned and looked at him. “My name is Estrella. Who’s we?” I looked around concerned this was all a trick and that I could be ambushed at any moment.

“Those trying to defeat the evil sorceress. Everyone was scattered and went into hiding. It’s been so many years, most of us have given up hope. I didn’t know there were any good dragons left. I barely remember seeing a dragon without red eyes. I was very young when the curse happened.”

“Why do you need a dragon? Can’t you take over one of hers?” I asked.

“We tried, but we couldn’t break the curse.” He stepped forward. “We need a dragon and star power to destroy the strangler tree in the swamp and release the power back to the people.”

“What did you do with your power?” I was curious.

“I used to be able to think of where I wanted to be and could appear there.” He paused. “Please, we’ve tried everything, but it is guarded by dragons. If we had a dragon, we might have a chance.”

“Why should I help you, you tried to kill him.”

“Please, the people are sufferi-“

Something overcame me. I fell to the ground. My fingers pushed against the dirt to stabilize. Was I having another attack?

Altair walked over and placed his hand on my back. “Are you okay?”

“Only a weak moment,” I said. My arms started glowing, the light spread to my torso. I stood up causing Altair to back away. As fast as it came on, it faded.

Wide-eyed and motionless, Altair looked at me with realization.

A loud noise erupted from the sky. It sounded like several dragons were headed our way. Altair looked up. “Specters,” he said with disgust. “They must have sensed –“He paused and looked at me. “You. Quick, to the trees.” Altair ran. I looked at Tarak. He transformed back into a dog and followed Altair. I felt something hit my shoulder. I took a step to run but my legs wobbled, and I stumbled to the ground. I turned to see a dragon bearing at me, its skinny scaly toes of his feet outstretched before darkness overpowered my vision.

I opened my eyes. I sat looking at the stone floor and cathedral-high ceiling. Rough dry ropes rubbed at my wrists.

“Finally, you’re awake.” A nasally female voice said from behind me. “I thought I’d never find you.” A slender woman with long dark hair stepped in front of me and grabbed my chin. Her pointy fingernails dug into my cheeks. A flowery perfume intruded my nose. “After all these years, here you are.” She let go and stepped back.

“Who are you? What do you want?”

A vile laughter escaped her. “I didn’t expect you to remember. You were so young. Your mother thought she could keep you from me.”

“You know my mother? Where is she?”

Her black boots kissed the floor as she paced before me. “Of course, I know your mother. After all, she is my sister.” She grinned at the confused expression on my face. “Too bad she isn’t here to see my plan play out, now that my star is here.”

“What plan?” I was still trying to free my hands from the ropes. My wrists burned from the movements.

“Taking over the entire realm. Sure, that’s not what I set out to do at first, but plans change.”

“What are you going to do with me?”

“You are the one that charges alone are you not? Like the prophecy said?”

I stared at her. My mind flashed back to memories of what I thought were weak moments. It wasn’t a weakness; it was a strength.

“You didn’t know?” She made a repeating clicking sound. “With your ability, I don’t need Star Rallies or amulets to collect power.” She turned and looked at me. “I just need – you.”

“Wait, what?”

“Take her to the dungeon.” Two guards untied me from the chair and forced me down stone steps into a prison cell. The hair on my neck stood up when the hinges grinded from the weight of the cell gate. It closed before I could run out. They left me alone. My hands held the cold steel bars of the cell gate and shook it. I hung my head in defeat.

“Giving up that quickly, are we?” A familiar voice said.

Altair stepped into the light with Tarak at his side.

“How did you –?”

“Escape first. Talk later.” He disappeared and appeared in my cell, he grabbed me before reappearing next to Tarak. I looked at him. “How?”

“Power must have transferred to me when I touched you while charging. This way.” We walked up to a large window and opened it.

We climbed on the ledge, looking down at the rocky valley below us. Tarak ran up to the window ledge and jumped out. “Our turn,” Altair pulled me out with him. Tarak, in dragon form, swooped and caught us.

“We have to take out the tree,” I said. “Where is it?”

Altair looked at me. “You talk like it’s your idea, but now’s not a time to argue. It’s over there.”

Far ahead stood a large black tree in the middle of a glowing green swamp. Its roots crept out of the water forming a ribbed trunk. Bare branches curved out in unwieldy angles. Light glowed within the many crevices that ran up its body.

“Tarak.” I projected. “Use your fire, I’ll use what power I have to hit it.”

As we got closer, hundreds of dragons flew out to guard the tree. One shot fired directly toward us, we disappeared and appeared on the other side of the attacking dragon.

“Altair, was that you?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“Can you get us closer to the tree?”

“I’ll try.”

We disappeared and appeared in several places making our way to the tree. Dodging dragons and fireballs until we were within range of the tree.

Right then, a very large dragon came between us and the tree. Altair stood up behind me. “What are you doing?”

“I’ll distract it. You take out the tree.” He disappeared. I looked up at the large beast. Altair was on top of its head.

We swerved around the distracted beast. Tarak now! Flame and light shot at the tree. It burst, exploding with a blinding light sending us backward. I held on to Tarak as he centered in the air. I searched for Altair. My eyes focused on a single movement. Altair was falling from the sky, unconscious.

His body fell behind a tall hill.

“No!”

“What’s the fuss?” Altair’s voice came from behind me.

“Ah! You scared me.”

He laughed. I woke up in time.

We watched the power zoom throughout the valley. From all over, people stepped into the open cheering.

“Look at the dragons,” Altair said. Their eyes were no longer red. “Thank you, Estrella. A promise is a promise, now we can find your family.”

A movement of course caught my attention. One dragon flew off into the twilight of dawn. The rider's long black hair waved in the wind.