THE MOMENT
"No one's going to believe me...," The realization struck Gloryanna as she watched the great crimson beast at the edge of the water. It was the most spectacular moment of her 38 years so far. As her smile grew wider, it occurred to her that she didn't want to share the secret anyway.
The enormous red dragon on the other side of the mountain lake sipped water peacefully. A golden moon that seemed closer than ever hovered in the pitch-black, starless sky. Its reflection rippled gently in the water. The Dragon's Moon was an ancient superstition that most people ignored.
Once every hundred years, a blood moon takes on an unnatural, brilliant golden color. It is said that the golden moon heralds a powerful dragon, and over time it became known as the Dragon's moon. During her entire childhood, her grandmother swore she saw the beast and would tell anyone that listened where to find it.
Unfortunately, no one had the patience to wait around for a hundred years. Gloryanna was the only one that loved to listen to her grandmother talk about the dragon. She took in every detail and had been planning this trip for years.
Although she decided not to go public with her secret, Gloryanna did want a picture to show her mother. She double-checked the flash and volume to make sure they were off, then she brought it up to take a picture.
Unfortunately, for all her preparations, Gloryanna was not tech-savvy. She had no idea that certain laws required a shutter sound, regardless of the phone's volume. She was very puzzled when she pressed the button and an electric shutter sound echoed across the lake.
The dragon looked up and spotted her immediately. A single drip of water fell from its maw; then, it leaped into the air. Gloryanna heard heavy wings and looked up to try and keep track of it. She was surprised when she noticed it was coming down directly on her; and, it was shrinking.
A short, athletic man landed gently in front of Gloryanna. She was only 5'9 and she felt like she had at least two inches over him. He looked at her with glowing red eyes.
"Hello, Zero," he said. As Gloryanna wondered what he meant, he raised his hand and smiled. Red energy took form around his fist. "Goodbye, Zero," he raised his hand for momentum, then brought it down to strike Gloryanna. She flinched and blinked.
After a moment, she was still tensed with her eyes closed; but, she felt very much alive. Then, she felt a giant, gentle hand on her."
"You okay?" a woman next to her asked. Gloryanna opened her eyes and nearly tumbled over from the shock. Big, strong hands steadied her, and she heard a soft chuckle.
"Did ... did I die?" Gloryanna asked. The Dragon moon and mountaintop were gone. Gloryanna stood in a bright, white room. The decor alone wasn't enough to make her think she'd entered heaven. However, she spotted a group of four people, including an elderly man and woman that likely didn't have much time left, if any. Then, she looked to her right, and up. The woman that checked on her towered over Gloryanna. She had to be at least three feet taller with pale skin and flaming red hair.
"Almost," she nodded at Gloryanna. She put her heavy forearm around Gloryanna's shoulders and turned her towards the group.
"Luckily, Tim...," she pointed at the elderly man who didn't look like much. He wore a black guayabera with orange pleats down the front that matched his orange flip-flops. Black shorts and black socks completed the outfit. "...got there in time to stop London...," she pointed at the man that was once a dragon. Now that she could see him better, he appeared so...average. He had long, dark red hair that matched his dragon form. He wore red jeans and a black shirt. "..from hurting you." Then, she turned her back around.
"I'm Flutter, nice to meet you Glory.....?" Flutter dragged out the last bit as if she was waiting for Gloryanna to fill in the rest of her name.
"How'd you know my name? Where are we? Who are you people? Did you know London's a dragon?" she asked. Flutter smiled and nodded. Her creamy, pale skin shifted color. It segmented and formed jagged golden layers. In an instant, Flutter was covered with golden scales.
"We all are," she said. Then, the scales disappeared. "This...," Flutter gestured at the white room around them. "...is kind of like a special meeting hall. It prevents eavesdropping. You're safe, but, you kind of have to hang out for a bit. I don't know your name; but, you're Glory's Zero. That narrows it down."