The Golden Year and the Sorceress

by Isabella Hardiman

  "Leila is fearless." Theo stood up for me.

  "Foolishly fearless...she is going to get herself killed." Leonardo argued and I watched as his eyes visibly darkened.

  "She is capable of taking care of herself..." Theo sighed. You have no idea how capable I am.

  "Oh, really! So what happens when she is face to face with one of the deadliest sorcerers that the world has ever seen?!" He took a heavy breath. "Is she going to shoot an arrow and cross her fingers that everything will be alright?!" Leonardo snapped. I am going to slap him. I really want to slap him.

  "I will save her." I watched as something shifted inside of Leonardo as Theo's words came out. Okay, I want to slap them both. As if I need saving!

  "I hate to interrupt but we have a visitor." Cam gulped. Through the darkness flashed a pair of bright blood-red eyes like a tinged flame in the darkness. It was the kind of beast that could move mountains; scales that glimmered and shimmered like melted gold; razor sharp talons like swords that could peel the skin off a human merely by stroking it. The creature towered above us, flashing its fangs that are twice the size of me. However its eyes looked like a jewel, changing its colour as the light shifts: emerald, ruby, opal, obsidian and then diamond. Those same cold eyes glistened with hot anger. There was no doubt in my mind that the beast was quick enough to kill us all in the blink of an eye; there would not even be a scream from the victim, just running blood and slumped bags of bones.

  "Now what genius?" I murmured.

  "I am thinking." Leonardo snapped.

  "Guys..." Cam squeezed my hand. My heart was pounding like a drum.

  "No sudden movements." Leonardo instructed. "Now on the count of three, run. One. Two..."

  "RUN!! WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE. I AM TOO YOUNG TO DIE. HANDSOME PEOPLE DON'T DIE." Cam was already long gone. The beast let out a fierce ear-bursting roar that was followed by a fire burning the cave ceiling leaving a smoky black mist. Everyone had made themselves scarce except for me and Leonardo.

  "Move." He shoved me hard.

  "What about the others?" I argue.

  "MOVE."

  In that moment, my mind was just repeating the same word repeatedly 'DISTANCE.' Neither me or Leonardo were stopping for anything and neither was the beast. As much as I feared what lurked in these tunnels, I feared much more what was behind us. I refuse to look back but I know it is only meters from murdering us.

  My heart was pounding through my entire body every scream and echo of my footsteps faded out and all I heard was my racing pulse. The earth began to tremble as the beast chased after us. That is when I saw an escape, a small crack between the cave walls. The dragon could not reach us through the cave tunnels.

  But we would not reach it before he got his claws around us and consumed us. The beast was too fast to outrun. There was only one option, one of us would have to sacrifice themselves...Leonardo had to live, he was the prince.

  I have never given much thought to how I will die. I suppose we ignore death. We live forgetting that life is fleeting and one day or another it will end. We occupy our minds with other mundane things because death scares us, the unknown scares us. But eventually we all must be reminded that we are nothing, simply mortal. And one day we will no longer be here and our bones shall just be dust in the wind. I suppose life is the beautiful lie that we use to distract ourselves from the ugly truth that is death.

  Of all the ways that I can imagine, dying for someone I love... it sounds like a meaningful way to go. "Come and get me, Dragon." And now face to face with death I, Leila of Bourdet, smirked. I will sacrifice myself for the sake of someone I love.

  I will never admit it because sometimes it's easier to pretend you don't love someone, than to admit you cannot imagine life without them. I do not know how he did it, but he stole my heart. But it is in this moment between light and dark, life and death that I realize I really have fallen for him.

  "Leila!" He shouts but I am no longer listening.

  Goodbye, Leonardo.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight- My heart have courage

  My heart fluttered like the wings of a hummingbird. Beat. Beat. Beat. Over and over again. I was always told 'a man who lives fully, does not fear death.' I could tell you that I was not scared. That seeing this beast did not make me tremble in fear but that would be a terrible lie. Because outside I may be calm but on the inside I am screaming at the top of my lungs.

  I suppose I had always escaped or survived. I was a survivor. For me there was always a tomorrow and the day after. There was no end. There was always a plan b. But not this time.

  The merciless dragon approached me. The stench of rotting corpses followed it.

  I still cannot dominate my powers yet and even if I could Leonardo would see - and he could not know my secret. At least not now.

  I need a miracle.

  This beast holds a wisdom like no other but it also holds a toxic greed that corrupts its every thought. "Who dares trespass on the Mistress of Evil's domain?" The beast bellows. The beast's voice is what you might imagine an old wise woman to be like.

  "My name is Leila. Leila of Bourdet." I announce.

  "You are an uninvited guest and therefore you are mine to deal with as I please." The dragon hisses whilst circling me. "Why did you stop running? What fool stops running from a dragon?" She stares at me bewildered. I do. I am that foolish. It curves its whip like a tail to trap me in.

  "Well, I suppose I am just a fool." I reply. Just get it over with, just send me. What Dragon has ever wanted to have a chat? Why could it not just kill me and end the suspense?!

  "No, I can recognize the wretched stink of selflessness a mile away." She disagrees. "I still am not sure whether you are just stupid or brave...." she thinks to herself. Whilst wiggling her talons and letting her nails claw into the floor. "Well, I suppose it doesn't matter now."

  She reaches out to grab hold of me and I do not rebel. And just like that I am face to face with death. "Because you will stay with me forever." In your stomach, to be honest eternity in a dragon's stomach was not what I had hoped for.

  The others would be long gone by now, they would defeat Eris. They would save the kingdom. They would be safe. I cling to this thought. I can only hope that I bought them enough time.

  The dragon opens its mighty jaws and I see the end.

  "OH, GREAT WONDERFUL QUEEN. MIGHTY QUEEN. BEAUTIFUL QUEEN." Both I and the dragon turn to look at the figure standing behind her. The scrawny human is far too small to recognize from up here. But the familiarity of the voice sends me into a horrible shock. Cam. "Oh, your greatness." Cam chants whilst bowing.

  The dragon must look twice to believe what it is seeing. What is Cam doing? Cam?! You son of a devil. I am going to kill you if this dragon does not. He should be long gone. "Oh mighty, queen."

  "You will be a tasty snack." The dragon hisses and goes in for the kill. Cam continues to bow and praise. Why doesn't he run? Stop. STOP.

  "Wait!" I scream.

  "You know this man?" The dragon looks in between us.

  "Sadly, yes." I mutter.

  And out of the corner of my eye, I see Cam winking at me. I look around to see Theo from one of the cave ledges, he has his bow and arrow ready. He gives me a reassuring look. I see Bayard watching from above as well. Is Leonardo still here?

  "He's a little insane, with a dash of crazy and a hint psycho." I admit. And I mean it.

  I have no choice, I must play along with whatever plan they have set in motion. They should have left me behind but it was too late to argue now. "What are you talking about?" The dragon mutters.

  "He thinks you are a queen."

  "How may I help you?" Cam carries on his deranged charade.

  "A queen?" The dragon smiles to herself. "Hmmm...well I suppose I do resemble a queen."

  She suddenly places me down beside Cam.

  "Yes, of course." I agree with her. Just delay. Just stall. "You are so mighty." We are so going to die. No, think positive. We are going t
o die quickly. "You are so powerful, of course he would mistake you for a queen."

  "Yes, I am definitely a wonder of the world. I am the only golden dragon in existence."

  "Oh really?" I pretend to be interested.

  "Yes. Of course- I never became the royal dragon." She grumbles. "That belongs to the dragon of infernum."

  Infernum that sent shivers down my back. That was the darkest kingdom of them all. That kingdom was the source of all evil. It was the first kingdom ever to turn dark and it was by far the biggest and the most powerful. Infernum was the kingdom of magic, no mortals are allowed or the ones that are, are slaves.

  "Yes, the royal infernum they call it. Now that is a dragon." She sighs. For a second it sounds like she is in love with this infernum dragon. "But even he has a master...the king of Infernu-" Before she had a chance to finish around ten arrows were let loose and Cam was already pulling me away from the chaos.

  The dragon let loose a powerful roar followed by boiling flames. "MOVE!" Cam shoves me into a side cave entrance. I follow him down the hallway and further into the tunnels and once I am sure we are out of harm's way: I turn around and give him the only cure for stupidity that I know.

  "OW! You didn't have to slap me!" Cam argues.

  "Are you insane?!"

  "I am not insane. I am just unique." He pauses. "Wait no maybe I am." He jokes. "Wait a few seconds, I need to talk to myself about this..." I glare at him.

  "Cam," I snap.

  "Is 'kill myself' your final thought before every decision?" Leonardo's voice is right behind me and I turn to find him standing a few feet from me. Why cannot he be more like chocolate. Chocolate doesn't ask questions, it simply understands.

  "You needed to escape and we weren't going to make it." I sigh. "You were meant to leave me behind."

  "Friendship means nobody gets left behind." Cam stares at me from the corner of his eyes.

  "What were you thinking?! You have never scared me so much. Were you out of your mind?" Leonardo argues.

  "I am quite sane actually." I mutter.

  "I am serious. You could have died." He says the words slowly.

  "We are all part of the ultimate statistic - ten out of ten die." This triggers something inside him. I see the anger flash in his eyes. I am not taking him seriously and it is frustrating him. "Oh i'm sorry, is my sass too much for you?"

  "Everyone just calm down." Cam steps in.

  Theo turns up just as Cam steps in between us. "LEILA!" he shouts. "Are you okay?" I see Josephine, she is right behind him. I do not bother responding. I am immediately beside Josephine.

  "Hand it over." I snap.

  "What?" She asks.

  "The jewel." I pause. She does so hastily seeing that I am in no mood for an argument. "Let us move. We have no time for these petty arguments. I made a call, I passed judgement. It was my decision."

  "And we made ours," Cam argues. "It is hardly fair for you to be angry. We did exactly what you did." Cam had a point and I was even more annoyed.

  "Whatever." I shrug and begin travelling deeper into the tunnels. The others are close behind me.

  "You shouldn't be angry at them." Bayard signs to me in a hushed voice.

  "Bayard, I know. I know I shouldn't. But I cannot help it. I do not want anyone risking their lives for me. Especially for me. I don't deserve it." I mutter.

  "I don't know why you feel that way..." He said whilst analysing me. "Just try to be kinder." he sighs then flies ahead. Cam is the first to speak to me.

  "Do you even know where you are going?" He asks.

  "I can sense the magic core, it's underground." I explain. "We need to keep going lower and lower." I wait a second before saying it. "I am sorry. I guess I just don't accept help easily."

  "Yeah, as if any of us hadn't noticed." He paused. "But you can't do everything on your own."

  "I have been on my own for a while, I have survived and I can do so again," I protest.

  "I don't doubt it. But you have me. You know that?" He smirks. I look at him for a second. "You are the best friend I have ever had." he adds.

  "Cam, I-i..." I am left speechless. "You too, you can count on me." I force myself to form the words.

  "Now let's stop before this gets too sappy." He jokes and I laugh. He turns serious for a second. "Promise me something."

  "Anything." I nod.

  "If we get out of this alive, we are playing my favourite game. Got it?"

  "What's your favourite game?"

  "One rum, two rum, three rum, floor." I cannot help but laugh. "My theory is: we save water by drinking rum." Only Cam would say something like that.

  "We are going to die. We are going to die. We survived but we are going to die." Josephine sulked.

  "Do you ever say anything positive?" Cam turned to her annoyed and the next thing I knew they were in an argument again and Theo was trying to break it up. I could not help but laugh when Josephine took off her shoe and began smacking Cam and Theo got caught in the crossfire.

  "Hit me again with a shoe, and I will personally hold every pair you own hostage." Cam snaps.

  "Even the pumps?"

  "Yes."

  "You monster!" Josephine gasped and tramped past me. I could not help but giggle and just by exchanging looks, I knew that Theo and me were good. That all was forgiven.

  I was smiling and laughing whilst walking down a tunnel to my ultimate doom. I know this was the last thing I should be doing. I mean we were about to battle a powerful sorcerer but I did not care. The moments when you cannot laugh are the ones you should. I looked between Cam, Josephine, Bayard and Theo. What a strange group we are...a house cleaner, a princess, a traveller, a talking bird, a prince and a thief.

  "Leila?" It was Leo. He stood next to me.

  "I am sorry." I blurted out.

  "What?" he stared at me shocked. I blushed.

  "Did you just apologise?" Leonardo looked taken back. "Leila are you okay?"

  "Ha. Ha. Ha. Very funny. Just because I am a little bit stubborn does not mean I cannot apologise. What you all did...risking your lives was stupid but thank you."

  "A little bit stubborn?!" He notices my dark look and immediately drops the argument. "Your welcome." He hesitated. "I am sorry too. I got hot-headed and blurted out the first thing I thought."

  "Apology accepted. I mean I totally understand, you are a guy, when a guy speaks stupid comes out." I mock. "Especially knights." I play shove him. He laughs at my dog.

  We continue to walk down the tunnels and we head further and further into the darkness. We have been trudging on for at least an hour and finally I gave up.

  "We should split up. We are running out of time." I suggest.

  "Leila's right." Leonardo agrees, which catches me completely off guard.

  "I am?" I gasp. "I mean- of course I am."

  "I should go with Leila and Bayard. Theo can go with Cam and Josephine."

  Josephine gives me a hateful look. "I am not going anywhere with that drama queen." Cam complains.

  "Neither am I." Josephine snaps. "Besides, you are my fiancee, what are you thinking about going with her...and not me?" Josephine's stare is filled with hatred, anger, and frustration. She aims her dirty look solely at me.

  "I will go with Cam and Bayard." I suggest. "Leonardo will go with Josephine and Theo."

  "That leaves you practically unprotected." Leonardo argues, ignoring Josephine's look that shifted onto him.

  "Not true, I know karate." Cam states. "...and a few other oriental words." He mumbled quietly but I overheard and tried my best not to laugh.

  "We will be fine. Besides, Josephine needs all the protection she can get. She is royalty and the future queen of Rumore." I remind him. He looks at me this time but really looks at me. I cannot quite place that look of his but I decided to leave it.

  "Fine." Leonardo sighs looking away from me. "Everyone be careful and nobody attacks until the group is together."

  "Agreed." Everyone says but m
e.

  "Leila?"

  "Fine." I said whilst crossing my fingers behind my back, just in case. "See you later." I sigh while going down a different tunnel.

  "Wait." Leonardo sighs. "Hand it over." He waves his hand towards the jewel. I did as he said and watched as he slipped it into his back pocket.

  "Take care of her." He says to Cam as discreetly as possible. Cam had him distracted long enough for me to steal the necklace back. Nobody saw me. Theo was too busy arguing with Josephine.