Aeris had no clue what to do with herself. Mr. Thomas gave them the week off and she had nowhere to go. Work was her escape from Windor, from her past. After the last incident, everyone was keeping their distance from each other and it made everything tense. She liked being able to avoid the awkward conversation, but the tension in the room was unbearable.

It didn’t help her usual distractions, flying and reading, were not an option. Terran and Maxis didn’t know she could read and she wanted to keep it that way. Flying was restricted in city limits. Even with a license, flying for fun wasn’t allowed.

She decided to go for walks instead. Terran refused to let her go alone. That didn’t bother her. What did bother her was every dragon she passed staring at her like something they hadn’t seen before. Being a rare species, it was likely the case but this felt different. They all wore the same expression; the look of someone in awe as if seeing someone famous. Even when she attended noble parties, no one looked at her that way. Soon, it became too uncomfortable so she stayed indoors.

Janine hadn’t given up her research. She went back to the library and borrowed the books anyway, hoping to find something they could use. Aeris decided to help her which turned out for the better as she understood the books better than the young woman did.

All they learned was the Call was a mysterious power that let a Matriarch command a “lesser” dragon to do her bidding—something they already knew.

When they decided to return the useless tomes, two humans stood outside the front door. Aeris recognized the two humans immediately, they were the ones accompanying the Dracaena. Her stomach sank. “How may I help you?”

“Her grace desires your presence,” the first human said.

“Yeah? Well, you can tell ‘er--” Janine began.

Aeris nuzzled the young woman. “It’s okay; I can handle this.” Turning back to the guards, she said. “I’m sorry, but I won’t be seeing her.”

“It wasn’t a suggestion,” the man said, reaching for his rifle. Aeris stepped in front of Janine.

The second human grabbed his shoulder. “Please excuse him. He’s...new. May I come in?”

Aeris nodded and stepped aside, keeping her gaze fixed on the first man. Janine didn’t hesitate to slam the door in his face once the other man was inside.

The second human walked to the middle of the room. He then spun around and fell to his knees. “Please, come with us. The Dracaena does not tolerate failure. If we go back without you, I might be killed.”

“That’s a little extreme, ain’t it? You can’t force her to go.”

“You don’t understand. Once, one of the kobolds filed one of her claws shorter than the others, so she used him to file down the rest. And my old partner had his legs pulled off for accidentally stepping on her tail.”

Aeris felt nauseous and Janine clapped a hand over her mouth.

The man scooted closer. “If I don’t bring you back, she will come to collect you herself, and she will likely not be gentle about it.”

“Who won’t be gentle about what?” Maxis asked as he entered the room. Windor and Terran followed right behind him.

“Oh, Snowflake is being asked to come see this Dracaena person,” Janine said.

Windor and Maxis’ jaws dropped. Windor recovered first. “Hold on. Are...Are you saying the Dracaena? The Dracaena is...here? And she wants A—Snowflake?”

“You know them?” Terran asked.

“She’s basically the leader of the Dragonlands,” Maxis said slowly. “But why is she here?”

The situation felt even more disconcerting seeing the large Nightstalker nervous about something. She had never seen Maxis worried about anything.

Terran whistled. “I didn’t know you were such a big shot.”

“I’m not,” Aeris said. “I had never even heard of a Dracaena until I met her a few days ago.”

“You met the Dracaena?!” Windor cried.

Janine chuckled nervously and played with her hair. “We ain’t tell you guys about that?” When the three males shook their heads, she added, “Oh, well--”

“I hate to cut this short, but her grace does not to be kept waiting,” the man said. “Please, Snowflake, you must come with me.”

“All right, I’ll tell y’all when we get back.”

“No, just Snowflake, miss.”

Janine raised a brow. “Well, Snowflake and I are--”

“The Dracaena requested her and her alone. I cannot guarantee your safety should you come along uninvited.”

“It’s okay, Janine,” Aeris said. “I’ll be fine.”

Janine looked like she wanted to argue further, but she nodded silently.

****

She had told Janine everything would be fine, but she feared never coming back. This dragon was different from anyone she had ever met.

The guards led her to a large hotel on the far side of the city where the human nobles lived. According to them, the entire building was being by her for the duration of her stay and no humans were allowed to stay there. Most of the staff had been removed as well. Even growing up around nobles, it shocked her anyone possessed this much power.

The Dracaena’s room was the suite on the top floor. Most of the furniture had been removed or pressed against the wall, cutting off any hope of escape. Large colorful cushions took up the empty space in the middle of the room.

The moment she stepped inside, the guards left and closed the door.

She felt the pressure return before the Dracaena appeared in the opposite doorway. “Ah, you’re late. Did my Dragoons have such a hard time tracking you down?”

“Your what?”

“The humans who accompany me. They’re known as Dragoons, and they answer only to me. They are tasked with protecting me at the cost of their lives and seeing to it my needs are met.”

“Oh,” Aeris replied, not understanding any of it. Servants were nothing new to her, but this didn’t feel the same especially remembering what they said about her reaction to failure. She decided not to question it.

Sareen strode forward and Aeris fought the urge to back away. It had to show because the dragoness smiled.

“Relax, child. Do you really believe I would summon you to grant you the honor of being slain by me?”

Aeris shook her head.

“Good. You possess some sense at least.” She sat on a cushion in the middle of the room and waited for Aeris to join her before continuing. “No, the true reason I summoned you is because I have the solution to your dilemma.”

“You do? What is it?”

The Matriarch chuckled. “I already assumed you hadn’t discovered it. But before we begin, would you like something to eat or drink?” She continued when Aeris shook her head. “Very well, then. The Matriarch you’ve been searching for is yourself.”

“I...what?”

“You’re a Matriarch. A newly awakened one, I suspect. Tell me, have you been afflicted with unexplained headaches? Or sudden bursts of anger?”

Aeris shrank away and nodded. The realization of what was happening struck her again. If I’m the Matriarch, then that means what happened to Caroline and Janine was my fault.

“How long and how frequent?” Sareen repeated, a slight edge in her voice.

“It’s been a few months, but it doesn’t happen a lot.”

“And you truly never suspected it was your Call? Although I’m not surprised. As a domesticate, this is the last thing that should have crossed your mind.”

“What do you mean?”

“The Call is a manifestation of your will; your desires and needs made reality. Domesticates are trained and bred to be submissive and bow to the whims of others. Their Call is suppressed. But not yours. Despite your upbringing, you’ve still managed to awaken your Call.”

“But why?”

She smiled. “Why are females the only ones who can bear eggs? Why do we have four legs when the humans have two? Why do we need the Call at all with the gifts we possess? Some questions do not have answers and some do not require one.”

“I’m sorry, but that doesn’t answer my question.”

“No, it does. Just not in the way you expect. Then I shall offer a different response: does it matter? You are one of the select few who will not be denied. Even amongst clan-borns, it is a rare power. Embrace it and know you stand above the masses.”

That wasn’t the answer she wanted to hear. Again, she stood out, differed from the other dragons. The color of her scales, the special treatment she received from humans, being able to read, being a domesticate, everything separated her from everyone else. She didn’t want to embrace it. She hated it.

She was distracted from her thoughts by a noise behind her and turned around. A drake walked to the center of the room and sat down.

“Now we shall begin your training. I want you to give him a command using your Call.”

“What training?”

“Why else do you think I summoned you? Domesticate or not, it is my duty as Dracaena to teach you to control your Call. Normally, you would be expected to learn on your own, but if you are influencing others without realizing, it’s imperative you gain control.”

“How? I didn’t even know I had a Call until you told me.”

“What is it you desire for him to do? Let your will come forth. Since you still have not mastered it, you may wish to issue a verbal command.”

Aeris stared at the drake with no idea what to say or how to use her ability. She couldn’t recall ever using it before.

“Here’s a little trick for you,” Sareen whispered into her ear. “Think of something that you want more than anything. That feeling shall be the catalyst that brings forth your power.”

There was only one thing she wanted more than anything. But the thought made her tense, the wood easily giving way under her claws. A pain formed in her chest as she thought of the eggs she never got to see hatch. She imagined what life would have been like if they were there with her.

Three faint outlines of young dragons formed behind the drake. They had celeste scales like her but their backs were turned. Her head began to hurt. She whined and stepped forward.

Please turn around. I want to see your faces at least once.

The hatchlings began to fade. The headache intensified. She hurried forward.

No! Come back! Please, look at me!

“Aeris!”

She turned to Sareen then quickly back to the hatchlings. Only the drake remained, blood dripping from his snout and his breath coming in hard starts. She didn’t feel much better. The headache grew worse as if her brain were being wrung.

“Drink from the bowl on the table, Aeris.”

Aeris hurried across the room and dunked her muzzle into the crystal dish, splashing the liquid on face as she took large gulps. It was clear but it didn’t quite taste like water. The taste reminded her of mint. She didn’t care as drinking it made her headache more bearable.

After drinking her fill, she turned back to Sareen. “What did you call me?”

Sareen tilted her head. “Aeris is your name, is it not? I know you prefer to go by ‘Snowflake’, but as only we present, I see no reason to refer to your sobriquet.” She laughed at the shock on Aeris’ face. “Come now, did you truly believe I can be so easily deceived? I’m far more well-informed than I have most believe on purpose. Much like yourself, I imagine.”

Aeris had no idea what she was talking about, but nothing could be done about the Dracaena knowing her real name. If Sareen wasn’t going to sell her out, she figured she could relax.

“But enough of that,” Sareen said.”Your will is even greater than I thought. A little more focus and you would have broken his mind—something that usually requires years of practice to achieve.” She nodded to the drake who walked out of the room on trembling legs. Once they were alone, she turned back to Aeris. “During your training, you seemed...distressed. What did you think of?”

Her tail wrapped around her legs as she stared at the claw marks on the floor. She didn’t remember making them. “I...I don’t want to talk about it.”

“That’s quite all right. Since your training partner needs time to recuperate, we shall conclude your lessons for today. However, you are to return in a week’s time to continue. Remember to drink lots of water and eat raw meat if you can.”

Suppressing a grimace, Aeris nodded.

“Good. Also, do not inform anyone of what we are doing. Should it become known an unstable Matriarch is among the populace it could cause a panic.”

As Aeris turned to leave, Sareen added. “Oh, and remember to clear your mind before going to sleep. Our minds are unshackled in our dreams and that makes you at your most dangerous.”

****

Aeris didn’t remember the walk home or even if she walked. She might have flown. Not that it mattered. Her mind was elsewhere.

It felt like a dream no matter how many times she replayed the events in her mind. She was not only a Matriarch but the one they had been looking for.

The moment she entered, everyone turned to the door. She had hoped no one would be waiting for her even though she knew otherwise. They couldn’t overlook that she had been summoned by the Dracaena.

Janine rushed over and wrapped her arms around Aeris’ neck. “Oh, you’re alive! I was worried sick! So how’d it go? What happened? You look ready to puke.”

“I...I’m a Matriarch.”

“What did you say?”

“I said, I’m a Matriarch. The one whose call has been affecting the dragons, it’s me.”

“Are you sure?” Terran asked.

Aeris nodded. “Sareen said so.”

“Who?”

“The Dracaena.”

“So you really were called by the Dracaena,” Maxis said. “So you’re a Matriarch now? Hard to believe with how meek you are. I would’ve picked up on it.”

“You can tell that just by bein' around her?” Janine asked.

“As clan-borns, we’re more used to it,” Windor said. “It’s like a certain feeling when you’re around one.”

Aeris quickly asked, “You mean like some kind of pressure?”

The two males nodded.

“Wait, I’ve felt that myself around certain wyrms,” Janine said. She shuddered. “That Sareen made me feel like I was suffocating.”

“The Dracaena,” Maxis corrected. “Don’t call her by her name around other dragons, girl.”

The way Janine whirled on him, it was clear an argument was going to start, so Aeris decided to get out while she could. While Janine let Maxis know how much she didn’t care what other dragons were afraid of, Aeris slipped around them and into the hall. She held her breath until she made it into her room.

The shock of learning she was a Matriarch hadn’t worn off yet. The image of the dragons made it hard to breathe.

I don’t want it. If I have to see that just to use this power, I want nothing to do with it.

There came a knock at the door followed by Windor’s voice, “Aeris, do you have a moment?”

She sighed then turned to him. Even if she said no, he would just come back later.

He shuffled into the room, staring at the floor. “This is a turn of events, huh? We spent months together and I never thought you were a Matriarch.”

“What do you want?”

He flinched and tucked his head further. “I...I know I can’t be forgiven, but I would like to spend the rest of my life making up for it.” He bowed low and his voice changed from meek and fearful, to proud and unflinching. “I pledge myself to you, my Matriarch.”

“Windor--”

Still bowed, he shook his head. “Don’t. Please. I know exactly how feel about me. I wasn’t there for you, and being here now won’t make up for that. But I’ll spend the rest of my life trying.”

She tensed, her claws digging grooves in the floor. Part of her wanted to tell him no. She didn’t care for his promises or his needs. He promised before to be hers and when the time came, abandoned her. She had no intention of falling for it again. But another part wanted to say yes. To have him at her constant beck and call, order him to perform countless menial tasks only to watch him suffer. Deny all joys and pleasures and make him serve until he collapsed.

Those thoughts horrified her. She understood the pain of being seen as nothing more than asset. To be a tool and cast aside.

“You’re only saying this because I’m a Matriarch.”

He shook his head again. “You’re not wrong, but this is different. When a dragon pledges themselves to a Matriarch, it means only her Call will work on them. I’ll always hear your voice and ignore the others. If you weren’t a Matriarch, it wouldn’t work.”

“So you’re saying we’ll be linked?” she asked in a quavering voice. “But why?”

“Because it’s what I should have done from the beginning.”

She remembered the time they spent together. There was a time when was willing to give up everything for him. But before her stood a relic of the past, like a game she enjoyed playing as a hatchling. It brought up good memories, but she didn’t want to play anymore.

“Fine. I accept. What do I do?”

He straightened up and pawed at the floor. “Uh, I’m not actually sure. It’s been a while since I was last in a clan. I think you have to use your Call to command me.”

Her tail wrapped around her legs. “But, the last time I used my Call, I nearly killed someone.”

“I’ll risk it. Besides, if anyone deserves to kill me, it’s you.”

But I don’t want to kill you. A desire to be in control was required, but she didn’t want to to think about her lost eggs again. It hurt far too much and she couldn’t take it second time.

Their first date together came to mind. At the time, she was terrified of what could go wrong. More than anything, she wanted everything to go well. The memory made her chest tighten, but it was easier than imagining her eggs again.

She had no clue what to do so she went with the first thought that came to mind.“You will follow my voice and mine alone.”

Windor stared straight ahead into an unseen void. “Yes, my Matriarch.” He blinked and smiled at her before quickly looking back at the floor. “You did it. You really are a Matriarch.”

She tensed, her claws scraping the floor. “So what happens now?”

“That’s it, I think.”

“No, I mean now that I’m a Matriarch, what am I supposed to do now?”

He tilted his head. “Whatever you want.”

The answer caught her off guard. Up until now, she hadn’t thought about what she wanted, only reacted to the current situation. But now there was nothing to run from, no goal to complete, no one to see. Nothing held her to Strendor. She and Janine could anywhere they wanted.

But before leaving, there was one thing she wanted. She wanted to find Maggie again.