Filed to story: The Chosen Saga Novel PDF Free
The Air Chosen is right Young Mother; you are a gift to the world. Never doubt yourself or your heart. Keep faith in yourself and those around you.
A strong feeling of love and acceptance coursed through her body and then she felt Earth withdraw from her mind.
Araiya must have zoned out while listening to the element because she came back to Shavon shaking her and asking her what was wrong. “Calm down. I’m fine. Earth just spoke to me again. She felt that I was doubting myself and felt the need to reassure me, I think you two would get along great.” Araiya patted her friend’s back. “Let’s go see how the others are faring. Are there a lot of unmated dragons?”
“Sort of…” Shavon trailed off and looked to Amara for some help.
“Dragons are a dying civilization. Dragons can no longer produce dragon kind. If by the smallest chance a baby comes to be, it’s just human with a little extra. Some dragons are blessed enough to have multiple mates, but since no more dragons are being born fewer and fewer remain unmated.” Amara started walking back up the ramp toward the upper floors of the keep.
“So, what happens when there are no more unmated dragons?”
“Well, eventually the dragons will stop taking mates, and we will cease to be. No dragons mean no new Chosen.”
“How often do dragons take more than one mate?” Araiya couldn’t even understand how that was possible. After seeing Talon and Shavon together, adding someone else to their mix seemed wrong.
“It is very rare. There are only a small few. The first was the All-Mother actually. She had the father of all dragons, but after a while the Goddess showed her a path to her human mate. It was the start of the Chosen but also the downfall of the dragons. It is a sad story for another time.”
They reached the top of the ramp and walked to a giant ballroom. The door was open, and to get into the space you had to walk past a line of people waiting on either side. A corridor made up of men and women silently standing side by side. Araiya looked at Shavon and raised her eyebrow.
Shavon leaned closer. “These are all the unmated dragons; everyone walks in and if their mate walks by they step forward. Sometimes more than one step up, a potential bond but not a true mate. A familial bond also makes them overprotective, so if that happens, the dragon will also step forward. Once you have walked through one of the mated will see what type of bond was felt.”
“A familial bond, but how?”
“Araiya,” Shavon laughed, “you were just told that Chosen are descendants of the All-Mother or her human mate. That’s how. Now watch.” She turned and watched Amara walk in.
“Wait, can a dragon from Earth be mated to some anointed by a different element?”
“It’s rare but it has happened. The Chosen will lose their affinity for the element they were chosen for and gain one for the dragon’s element. Stuff like that only happens if the Chosen has been around for a long time and decides to go with a potential bond over a true mate. Dragons don’t really die of old age, but some have passed away. So, some assume their true mate is dead.”
Amara had finished walking through and one dragon had stepped forward. A man walked up behind him and tapped his shoulder. “Potential mate bond.” Amara nodded and walked away, and the dragon stepped back into the line sighing.
“Every year Roky steps forward when Amara comes, and she declines to acknowledge it every year. She has been around for a long time, and he is hoping she will finally accept,” Shavon whispered. Araiya felt terrible for the man but understood Amara. If she had a mate, she wanted it to be a genuine mated pair like Shavon and Talon.
Talon walked through and every dragon stepped forward and he laughed so hard he bent over at the waist.
“He loves coming to these things, it’s protocol so every dragon has to step forward every time until everyone is through. It gets on everyone’s nerves.” The mated dragon went to each dragon and got the same response of familial bond. “Did you want to go next or wait for me?”
“I’ll go last. There always seems to be a ruckus after my turn.” Shavon nudged her shoulder and walked through, and every dragon stepped up again, giving the same responses as the last time. Once everyone stepped back, Shavon waved her down and Araiya straightened her shoulders and walked down the aisle, not looking at anything until she was done. She forced herself to turn around and dropped her head. Every dragon had stepped up. The mated dragon started and one after another the dragons gave one of two answers: familial bond or potential bond-mate followed Araiya. Everyone was surprised, including the dragons.
“This has never happened before, Chosen…?” The mated male stepped over to her.
“My name is Araiya; I am Chosen Araiya.”
“Well Araiya, this has never happened before. You might get lucky with one potential bond, maybe two familial bonds, but never this. Even I feel a bond with you. I think it’s a familial bond.”
“I don’t know what to tell all of you except that I didn’t even know I would have a mate.” She looked over at Amara. “If I have potential bonds does that mean I will have a true bond somewhere?”
“If a potential exists that means a true mate also exists. If the dragon has passed, we do not know.” Amara was staring at Roky, and Araiya caught a glimpse of almost longing on Amara’s face. Roky was one of Araiya’s potential bond mates, and Amara seemed a little hurt by it. She looked sad for a moment, and then her face settled again.
Araiya turned and looked at the mated dragon. “Excuse me, but what is your name?”
The man was startled, and his eyes focused on Araiya. “My name is Emerald, but everyone calls me Emmy, Chosen Araiya.”
“Araiya is just fine. Emmy, I have a question, do the elements know who is bonded?” He nodded his head. “Do the elements speak to all their Chosen and dragons?”
“Not all Chosen, but the elements speak to all dragons. Not all the time, and not about specific questions more general feelings and stuff. Can I ask why you are asking?”
“I have a hunch, but I wanted to ask first.” Araiya closed her eyes and tried to reach Earth for the first time. She felt a soft brush in her mind and heard her voice.
Yes, Young Mother, do you have need of me?
I was wondering if you and the other elements talk.
Yes, young one, to keep balance in the world and in the soul. We talk to each other and the Goddess. Why?
Do you know who Chosen Amara’s true mate is?