Dragon Aster Trilogy

23: LAST WISHES



Sybl woke to find that she had fallen asleep against Cirrus’ chest, and that they were on his bed. She remembered the first time she had awoken in his arms as it still sent a flash of heat through her.

“It looks like you’re feeling better.” Cirrus rested his chin on her head. “And you have had just enough sleep to give me the time I needed to sort things out.”

“Huh?” Sybl asked sleepily.

“It seems that there should be little trouble handing my title to Cecil, which would be the best choice as his mother was supposed to be High Priestess a long time ago. We just need you to make it official.”

“Why me?”

“Well…um… There’s just the question of Rose.”

“Ugh,” Sybl said, fully awake now as she got to her feet.

“Sybl…”

“I told you I don’t want you to give up your title. Can’t you just leave Cecil in charge till we get back?”

Cirrus didn’t answer.

“We are going back to the Suzerain Continent, right?”

Cirrus still didn’t answer.

“Oh no, we are not doing this. Damek has to be stopped. Everyone agrees on this. The last Gate may very well be on the Suzerain Continent. On top of that, I promised everyone I would come back.”

“Alright, if that’s what you want. But I won’t leave Cecil temporarily in charge. We leave my title with him.”

Sybl shifted her weight to her other foot. “Are you trying to keep me here with the promise of being Queen?”

Cirrus sighed with his hope for it, then looked to the door when someone knocked. He went over to open it and to his surprise, Kenshe was there. “I wasn’t aware you came along…”

“I belong to the Caelestis, why wouldn’t I?”

“No, you belong to the new Order with Kas and all of them on the other side of the world. Do they not have enough for soldiers to do over there?”

“Might I speak to Sybl?” Kenshe asked, avoiding his question.

“What’s wrong?” Sybl asked, walking to the door.

“The escort that was supposed to return from the Efereal Mountains made it back to the Atrum, but Nephena turned on Kas and he was taken.”

“Taken? By the chimeras?”

“No, by the Falls. They attacked in an attempt to kill us all off at the same time, unfortunately for them, Nephena made one hell of a mess of their plans. Gwa went after Kas after reaching me in the city, and they’re here now.”

Sybl pressed her fingers to her temples as she tried to think straight, but she was too worried about Kas. She walked past Kenshe and towards where she could sense her soultwin.



Kas could feel Sybl’s thoughts search him out, and he sat up on the bed in the room they had loaned him in Toria. Just being inside a castle of dragons felt unreal.

Sybl didn’t knock on the door as she opened it and stepped inside. “Kas, are you alright?”

“I have felt better,” he answered, leaning his back against the dark wood headboard.

“How did you get captured by the Falls? Is Xirel and the others alright?”

“From what I know, yes. We will not have to worry about the Falls anymore. It was destroyed when the volcano it was built into erupted.”

“What? I didn’t even know there were volcanoes on Aster that could erupt.”

“Aragmoth is fatally injured, Sybl. The world is freezing, the Keol is overheating, and the volcano is just the beginning of the end.” He knew he was upsetting his soultwin even more and pulled back the rest of what he was going to say.

“There was a Gate at the Falls, wasn’t there?”

“I did not see it myself, why?” Kas asked.

“Because there is something you aren’t telling me about the Gates.”

“What Gates?”

“I have to get to Earth, Kas.”

“Why?”

“What…?” Sybl shook her head to make sure she had heard him straight.

“There are millions of Sentry on Earth. If you pass through one, you will be defenseless against any number of them who have sided with Damek. Moon will disintegrate if he gets near the sunlight as well as your dragoon. I have seen where this ends, sister. It ends with you destroyed, and me left here without you. I will not endure that kind of pain again.”

“There won’t be a world left if Damek isn’t stopped now.”

“Once Damek has the festra, he will take the three thousand names bound to it and go to Earth. What happens to that world is not out concern. If anything, we have bought Earth more than enough time to prepare for his arrival.”

Sybl paced back and forth, frantic. “And when Earth is dust and ashes, where do you think he’ll come back to? Kas you aren’t making any sense. I need you to help me.”

“No, you do not. You will always do what I think is wrong. If I tell you to stay, you will go. If I tell you to stop, you will only become more determined to move forward. It is over, Sybl.”

“I don’t believe that! We can still save Aster.”

“No, sister. We cannot. It is…too late.” Kas stopped as everything went dizzy for a moment. He didn’t want it to end like this; his last words to his soultwin that of anger and mistrust. “Aragmoth is almost dead…and soon…I will not be able to exist in the realm of the living.”

Sybl stopped fuming and caught his shoulders to keep him sitting upright. “Kas? Kas look at me.”

“I am sorry…you have to see me like this. I had hoped to be far away…when…”

“Kas!” Sybl shouted at him, catching him before he could fall against the bed. “Kas! What’s wrong? Someone help!” she cried at the door. Two dragoons ran in, before one ran back out to get a Healer. “Kas! Kas what do I have to do? Where are you hurt?” He didn’t answer, and she lifted his legs and lay him down on the bed. She couldn’t heal him if she didn’t know where he was injured.

His hand found hers, and he smiled as he set it down over his heart. “Do not cry. Just…listen. Please.”

“Kas!” Sybl cried, not knowing what to do. His body wasn’t absorbing her aeri.

Cecil ran into the room and quickly tried to figure out what was wrong with him. “Sybl, what happened?”

Sybl felt Kas’ grip let her go, and she sank to her knees as it felt like he was taking her heart into death with him.

“Sybl!” Cecil shouted at her, then shook her shoulders. “Sybl!”

She blacked out just as Cirrus reached them and took her from him. He immediately tried to somn with her, but something was blocking him out. “What happened!?”

“I don’t know—she’s going into shock!”

Cirrus pressed her against him as he closed his eyes and followed after her by the Mei they shared, praying that he could bring her back.