Omega's Rebirth-Chapter 417: A Trick of Mind ()

Neveah awakened to the feeling of a hand stroking her hair affectionately, and the very moment her consciousness was restored, her mind presented a vague memory of the night before.

That warm embrace, tender whispers lost to her subconscious mind, a scent that was so familiar, it had long registered itself in her heart... even when it should have had no place there.

The memory was unclear, perhaps a dream, Neveah could not be sure but what she was certain of was the fact that she had thought of a name...a name that should not have been on her mind.

Her mind had recognized that presence, even through the haze of sleep,

But now, knowing there was indeed a presence beside her at this moment, Neveah was not certain she wanted to look.

What would she do if it had only been a dream? What would she do if it was not a dream at all? Neither of these questions were easily answered... because neither of the feelings they triggered were right.

’It couldn’t be...’ Neveah did not dare complete the thought, her eyes slowly fluttered open in apprehension, settling on the figure seating by her bed.

It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the bright lightening but they soon did.

"Narx?" Neveah asked in confusion.

She did not intend for her words to come out with as much surprise as they did, but she could not retract them once they had already been said.

Menarx’s expression turned even more guilty than it had been, taking Neveah’s tone to be in her displeasure.

"Beloved." Menarx said, a guilty smile on his lips.

Guilt, Neveah felt was more rightfully fit to be her own expression.

"You came back, I had thought..." Neveah began to say but trailed off.

’Thought what exactly?’ Neveah asked herself.

What exactly had she thought? That a certain black scaled dragon had magically appeared so far away from where he should have been?

Neveah was not certain why she recalled an entirely different scent, worse still, why her mind would choose this time of all times to play this trick on her.

Was it because Menarx had left in rage and her heart sought comfort and chose to find it elsewhere?

Was it because she had recently been feeling so empty and devastated that her mind conjured up an attempt at soothing itself?

And if it was, why was it him of all people? Neveah did not know what she would have done, or said if it had truly been him...

She had no idea how she would have reacted, or explained anything at all... she truly did not know. And so now that it had just been a trick of her mind, why could she not help this crushing feeling of disappointment?

"Forgive me, Veah. I should not have left the way I did, it was wrong of me to hurt you like that." Menarx said apologetically.

Neveah sucked in a deep breath, shaking her head slightly.

Even if he did come... even if he magically dropped into her space, what exactly would it change? Neveah had already begun a life that did not include him, she could not uproot everything.

And would he even be worth it? He who mistook her for another woman? He who held another in his heart so dearly... his true bonded?

Whatever it was, it was best not given another thought... this was the only conclusion Neveah could come to.

"Narx, you did not wrong me. I do not expect every moment to be perfect and smooth sailing, that only happens in tales. There will be times when we each need to sort out our feelings, I understand that." Neveah dismissed Menarx’s apology with a shake of her head.

"Even so, this will not happen again. I cannot bear being away from you..." Menarx admitted with a small sigh.

"I should hope so..." Neveah murmured, she left her words hanging and did not complete them.

Menarx did not seem to mind since he leaned forward and claimed Neveah’s lips, kissing her tenderly and with all the adoration his heart held for her.

The worrisome thoughts on Neveah’s mind flitted away and her unsteady heart calmed.

There was a love that came like a fiery storm, strong and overwhelming, it burned everything in it’s path, including common sense, leaving one helpless to it,

This kind of love made the heart weary, yet was hard to escape... impossible to forget even when it reached it’s end,

And there was a love that was calm and tender, warm and soothing. It was careful, patient, nurturing and protecting, it banished all doubts and eased the heart with no trouble.

Neveah who knew nothing of love was slowly beginning to realize that love came in different forms and neither was less powerful than the other.

Neveah whose heart had been left cold and frigid for most of her life was slowly beginning to realize her heart had now come to recognize both of these distinct feelings.

"Veah, I said nothing of it because I knew you were most unhappy in the keep at the time, but the academy sent in word." Menarx began as he pulled away.

Neveah raised a brow in question, unsure what Menarx was getting at.

"They believe you are ready to undergo the second merging...it would be a step closer to completing our bond and this is also what I want, but the decision is yours to make." Menarx relayed to Neveah.

Neveah thought over it for a moment, she had heard from Lord Skiren back in the Everburn cave that every rider would go through three mergings to be fully bonded to their dragon.

The merging of fire, a bonding of flame... this was the first merging Neveah had been granted in the Everburn cave.

The merging of blood, a bonding of scale...it was the second merging where Menarx’s reversed scale would be merged with Neveah.

"The three mergings are granted during the course of five trials, if my knowledge is correct. I have only been through one trial and I was already granted the first merging..."

"I have four trials left, but even so, the academy truly approves of the second merging?" Neveah asked in surprise.