Chapter 11

'Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world. Loving yourself starts with liking yourself, which starts with respecting yourself, which starts with thinking of yourself in positive ways. The more you love yourself, the less nonsense you'll tolerate.' ❤❤❤❤ VISITING THE MERMAID KINGDOM ❤❤❤❤ Rae gasped. She almost sat up, but Jorkallun hands prevented her from doing so. "I figured I would wait to see one last sunrise, and then I could do it. But when I sat and saw the sun begin to light the sky, I began to realize that I was about to throw everything away - my future, my life, and if nothing else, the chance to see one more sunrise. For what? For people who weren't going to matter in a few years anyhow. Even my problems." "So, what did you do?" Rae find herself asking. "I took control. From that moment when I decided not to jump, I took control. You know what Rae, I learnt something that very day, when you decide that you wanted things to change, then you would have to make them change yourself." Jorkallun said. "You are right." Rae said after a while. "So, do you want to talk about it, why you tried to end your own life?" The silence seemed to stretch out the more when she asked that question, she thought that maybe Jorkallun did not hear or he doesn't want to talk about it. She was starting to say something when Jorkallun beat her to it. "Jason and I were best friends, everyone thought that we were brothers separated from birth. I introduced Lolly to him as the girl I intended to get married too. He went behind my back and got engaged to her. That night I wanted to jump was their engagement party." Jorkallun finally said. Rae widened in shock. "He didn't tell you why he did that?" She asked gently. "No, Jason didn't. He was cool with it, and I hate him for that." Jorkallun voice was filled with hate. "Sorry to ask but I thought Dragons has mates, I mean the gods gave each and everyone of us mates who will complete us, wasn't Lolly your mate?" Rae asked curiously. "No, we Dragons choose our mates ourselves. Once we fall in love with someone and we see that person as your better half, during the mating ceremony, we mark them and they become ours forever." Jorkallun explained. "Oh, so you get to choose who you want to spend the rest of your life with?" Rae asked surprised, she didn't know of this, she needs to start reading more about Dragons history. "Yes." Jorkallun briefly answered. "Was Lolly Jason's mate?" Rae wanted to find out. "No, I don't think so, we do hang out with Lolly and her friends before I officially introduced her as my mate to be. Jason would have told me if she was his mate the first day he met her, he knows it will hurt me but he will tell me. But he rather went behind my back to engage Lolly." Jorkallun said. "What about Lolly, do you still love her?" Rae asked and prayed to the gods his answer should be No. "No, after what she did, I don't love Lolly anymore. Rae found herself smiling at his answer. "So since dragons can choose who they wish to be with, what do you think of me?" Rae decided to ask that question. Jorkallun laughed out which surprises the hell out of Rae. The bright moon seem to make Jorkallun red hair glitter as he threw his head back to laugh, his long hair flying in the wind. His laughter sounded like music to Rae's ear. She couldn't help herself but fall in love with the pretty boy, she wished at that moment that Jorkallun should tell her he loves her. "What's so funny about what I said?" Rae asked pretending to be angry at him. Winnie MandelaThe laughter quickly died as it was replaced with his favorite frown. "Rae, the flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all." Jorkallun said looking up at the stars. "Meaning?" Turning his head to face her, he lifted up his hand and caress her cheek, he smiled. "Meaning you are like a flower waiting to bloom, but I can't be the one to make that happen. Everyone has his or her soulmates, in their lifetime, you just have to be patient, because when it comes, it will bloom, and when it blooms, it will be the most rare and beautiful amongst all." Jorkallun said then withdraw his hand and the smile was gone. Rae wanted to grab his hand and put it on her cheek, but she couldn't as Jorkallun continue. "The first day I saw you in school, I was drawn to you, because you weren't scared of me and even spoke back at me. I was happy you did so and that was why I had allowed you to sit with me, not because of you beating the vice principal but because you reminded me of myself. I then realized why I was drawn to you was because you reminded me a lot of my late younger sister. I see you as my younger sister Rae." Jorkallun said. Rae felt her heart breaking into tiny pieces as she heard Jorkallun, covering up her crestfallen face with a bright smile. "So what happened to your sister?" Rae asked. "She died years back, she killed herself." Jorkallun replied. "Why would she kill herself?" "She caught her soulmate with someone and that left her devastated, he ran away with the other girl and my sister couldn't bear the pain it caused her, by her mate rejecting her, she killed herself. I traced that idiot and kill him together with the fool." Jorkallun said. "I am so sorry about that." "That's okay, it's all in the past now." Jorkallun said. "I don't know if my grandma will forgive me for raising my voice on her." Rae said. "Don't worry Rae, she will. All I want to say is that you should listen to your grandmother, maybe what she is hiding from you might be dangerous or might put her to death." Jorkallun said. "She may tell you now, but are you ready to know the secret?" "I am afraid of hearing out the secret she hides, what if it will endanger me." "You don't have to be afraid Rae, you have an elder brother now, I won't allow any harm to come to you." "I will bear that in mind Jorkallun, I am glad I have a dragon as my brother…." It hurt her when she uttered the word 'brother'. "....who will always protect me from danger." "Yes, and not only me, you have the backing of the whole Dragon kingdom, one of these days, I will take you to my kingdom." Jorkallun said, getting up to his feet, he held out his hand to Rae who grab it and get up. Walking a few feet away from the edge of the mountain, they stopped. "I should take you home, your grandmother will be worried sick by now." Rae nodded her head. "I am so glad you came looking for me." Rae said with a smile. "You should smile more, it makes you more handsome." "I will carry that in mind Rae." Jorkallun reply with a brief smile which melted Rae's heart, without wasting much time he transformed into his red dragon. The dragon opened his claws and waited until Rae had entered it, he lifted his claws, hovering it over his huge head and gently placed her there. He roared into the night and flew. Rae held unto the dragon's neck she was sitting tightly as it flew towards her house, she realized she was really far from home. Sighing in bliss she hugged the dragon tighter. Maybe one day Jorkallun wouldn't look at her as his younger sister but rather as his lover. She hopes. ____ Lillian was more than happy when she saw Rae. She thanked Jorkallun profusely for bringing back Rae and he later took his leave, biding Rae and her grandmother good night, he changed into his dragon and disappeared into the night. They entered inside the house. "I am so sorry I yelled at you grandma." Rae apologize to Lillian. "Don't say that, you have every right to get angry, I shouldn't have slapped you, I am sorry Rae." Lillian said as he pulled Rae to herself for a hug. "Don't ever run off like that my child, I was very worried." Lillian said as she kissed Rae forehead. "I won't again." Lillian smiled. "About the secret I am keeping, I will tell you that now." "No granny, I am not yet ready to hear any secret for now. I will ask for it one day, but not today." "Are you sure?" "Yes, very sure granny." "Okay, if you say so. Go to your room and rest." "Good night granny." "Good night Rae." ____ The next morning met Lillian cooking and Rae walking down the stairs to the kitchen, she has taken her bath and changed into one of her tomboy clothes before making her way downstairs. "Rae you're awake, hope your night wasn't stressful?" "No, I slept like a baby." Rae answered with a smile. How can she tell her grandmother that she dreamt of Jorkallun all through the night. "I can see that in your face." Lillian said as she returned the smile. "Breakfast is almost ready." "Okay. Grandma, I really want to go outside today, please don't say no." After thinking about it, Lillian shrugged her shoulders and turned back to her cooking. "You can go outside Rae." "Yes!" Rae screamed and hug her granny once again. "Thank you Grandma, I love you." "Yeah love you too, but that is after you have finished your food." "Okay, that's no problem, I have been inside this house far too long that I now know where the rats family lives." Rae said as Lillian began dishing out their food. "Now I will have to hunt them down." Setting their food on the table, she gestures to Rae. "Come and eat Rae and leave those poor rats alone." "Whatever granny." Rae reply and sat down and begin to eat. Lillian sat down and ate her food in silence. "You sure you don't want to hear the secret?" Lillian asked one more time. "Nope." Rae answered without hesitation. "I don't want to hear it now, probably when next I asked, you can tell me." They ate their food in silence, soon Rae was through with her food and quickly packed their plates to wash, today she felt like not using her magic. She was set to go. "Grandma, I am off." "Okay, be careful Rae, and when you're in trouble that is bigger than you, don't forget to….." Interrupting her. "Hit my bracelet, I know that grandma." Rae said. "Be back before lunch time." "I will." With that Rae left the house, finally she was free. With Lillian's direction to the Mermaids kingdom still fresh in her mind, she set out towards there. ***** Jason sat down beside her mother as he held her hand. Seeing his mother in this way had hurt him. His mother was bedridden and couldn't speak neither could she moved any part of her body except her hands, which she moved once in a while. The only part of her body that move where her eyes. Whenever Jason looked at them, he felt as if she was trying to send him a message, he had tried to read what she was trying to speak to him through her eyes but couldn't. Her strange sickness had been a secret that the whole kingdom wasn't even aware of, Tamara had told them not to reveal it to anyone until she's cured. "Jason." Tamara voice said behind him. "Your father needs your presence immediately." "Can't he come here himself and discuss with me whatever thing he wants to discuss?" Jason growls as he noticed his mother's hand stiff hearing that voice. "Don't you dare growl at me child, I was with your mother the day she gave birth to you. You should be scared of me and not the other way round." Tamara answered. "I am not scared of you Tamara." Jason said coolly as he turned to her. "The others may be scared, but not me." "You should call my name with respect boy." Tamara said in anger, no one had ever called her by her name except her master, Jason should count himself lucky. In truth, she couldn't harm Jason, not because of her master but because her powers couldn't penetrate the Tribrid wolf. Both of them were staring hatedly at each other, waiting for who to give up. "Your father wants to see you quickly and I am here to give your mother her herbs, I want to be left alone with her." Tamara said finally diverting her eyes away from Jason. "Giving her the drugs while I am here shouldn't worry you, I am her son after all and I am not moving an inch." "Don't make me force you out of this chamber Jason." "I would love to see you do that Tamara.* Jason replied with a smirk. ***** Rae was breathing fast but smiled nevertheless when she saw the huge daek Cave staring back at her. She ran all the way here. She entered the dark cave and said out some magic words. A magic light appeared before her which brighten up the cave. Going further and further, she came out in an open place where the early sun rays was seen with different size of caves. Putting off her magic light out, she walked further. Everywhere looked so old, dirty and bushy. She heard a splash of water and followed the sound. Getting to where she heard the sound from, she stopped as if she was in a trance. Right in front of her was a mermaid, who was splashing the water with her white tale and was smiling. She was sitting at one of the biggest open caves around Rae, the cave was filled with the water she was splashing herself. Didn't her grandmother told her all the Mermaids were killed, who then is this mermaid she was staring at. She was really confused. "What trouble you my child?" The mermaid asked without turning. Rae eyes widened. Did the mermaid sense her, but how come? "W-who are you?" The mermaid lady finally turned to look at her. She was very very beautiful. "My name is Selena and I am your Ancestors."