The Chesterton Challenge: Day 20

Welcome to Day 20 of the Chesterton Challenge! If you haven’t already, make sure to explore the creations linked in the notes of yesterday’s post.

Today’s Optional Prompt is: Spirit

Because yesterday was Pentecost, but I didn't think of this word's Chestertonian prompt potential until today. There's the Holy Spirit, the spirit of each individual person, ghostly spirits, being in good/bad/holiday/etc spirits. If you want, there's even the alcohol kind of spirits (very Chestertonian). Pick whichever definition you like to inspire your creative works.

Whatever you create, make sure to show us or tell us about it by reblogging or replying to this post. (Don’t forget: anyone is allowed to join in the fun at any point during the Challenge.)

Now go forth and create!

“So if Glaive and Gyvael are teaching us how to fight,” Shard said, “and Vesper and Vannasai are giving us flight lessons....”

“Our lessons will be about your soul-bond,” Legacy said, retying the bit of string holding her long black hair out of her face.

“Soul-bond?”

“My mother told me about that!” Shynael piped up eagerly. “That's the magical bond you make when you choose a mate, right?”

Linygae trilled softly, looking down at the smaller dragon with amusement. “Yes, but that's not the kind we're talking about.”

“It is similar, though,” Legacy said, crossing her arms comfortably over her chest and leaning against her dragon's shoulder. “The soul-bond between a human and a dragon is a magical bond that makes the two almost a single entity—not to be entered into lightly, not easily broken without...dire consequences. And just as between two mates, we cannot have more than one soul-bond at a time. Which is why none of us,” she swept a finger in a big loop to include all of the Ambassadors, even the ones not currently present, “can have a mate.”

Shard was sure his cheeks were as red as Linygae's scales, and he would have been more than happy to drop the subject, but Shynael was curious as always.

“We can't have a mate? But my mother told me that's what I would do one day, when I'm fully grown—leave the nest and find a mate. She said that's the way of things.”

“She was right,” Linygae said, humor still lingering in her voice, “for an ordinary dragon. But we Ambassadors are not ordinary dragons—or humans.” Her amber-colored eyes slid over to glance at Shard. “Was there not a moment when you accepted Shard into your soul? When you chose him for your own?”

Shard looked up at his dragon, remembering when he first held Shynael's egg in his arms, staring between it and the enormous body of the dragon who had ripped through the village. The desperation in her eyes as they met his, as he reached out a hand towards the egg...and then a moment of clarity, of peace, as if she knew somehow that he would never harm her son.

He wondered if that was the moment his soul had become bonded with Shynael's, that moment when he had chosen to cup the fragile egg in his arms and take it to safety, rather than dashing it against the ground like so many others would have. Or maybe the moment had been when he'd first seen the baby dragon struggling out of the eggshell, eyes bright and heart beating with life. Or maybe it was the moment he'd decided, once and for all, that he would protect the life that had been entrusted to him.

Shynael cocked his head to one side and looked at Shard thoughtfully. “I...almost forgot,” he said slowly, “but...I think I heard you. In my egg. I heard you talking, Shard. I don't think I could understand you yet, but...you said something, right up next to the egg, and it was like...I woke up. That's when I started to hatch, I think. Like I was trying to get out and see you.”

“Oh,” Shard breathed. “I'd forgotten all about that. People were starting to gather, and I was afraid they'd see your egg and take it from me. So I hurried into the chapel, and...I don't know why, but I said, 'Don't worry. I'll keep you safe.' I didn't know you could hear me....”

They looked at each other for a long moment and smiled. In that moment, Shard could feel the soul-bond between them without a doubt. It was like reaching out into the darkness, and another hand slid into his. The hand of a little boy with black hair and golden eyes, looking up at him with Shynael's toothy grin.

Then he blinked, and he was looking at his dragon once again.