THE FIRST REALM: RED — The earth beneath her feet

One morning, she woke certain that she must leave and went to tell Yaseee.

He looked at her fondly.

“Your time in the Red Realm is over. It’s time to ascend to the Orange Realm.”

Skyblue did not quite understand the word “ascend.” She had thought the journey meant going forward. She kept the question to herself; there would be time to understand.

Before she left, she was given a magical torch. The elder dwarf held it out to her with both hands.

“This flame will light your way and keep the passion within you alive. The passion to live each day fully. It will help you return home and, when the time comes, accompany others on the journey back to theirs.”

Skyblue thanked him. She embraced Yaseee and the friends who had come to see her off. She had arrived afraid they would turn her away for being a dragon; now she found it hard to leave them.

Beyond the last houses, she saw Helio circling overhead.

Before taking flight, she went to a stream to drink. In her reflection, she discovered a few iridescent blue scales. They were the color of her crystals and of the beings she had seen in her dreams.

She turned a little, seeking the light.

‘Perhaps it’s a reflection.’

Then she sensed something else: a red wheel was turning inside her body, at the base of her spine where her tail began. As she attended to its movement, she felt a new steadiness, as though invisible roots connected her to the heart of the earth.

She stood still. The water flowed, birds sang behind her, and the wheel went on turning gently. She felt safe and secure.

She looked up at Helio, drew a breath, and spread her wings.