by Rains, Nina
The man blew on the walls and covered them with ice. Most of the warriors in the dungeon panicked and ran out. Only Amara and my two other elite warriors stayed with me.
The man blew fireballs on the ice. The balls did not shatter the ice. Their reflection only made the room brighter. It made me see the man clearly. His side view was outstanding. His distinct jaw line guided my eyes to his lips.
I wondered how soft those lips would be. Would his mouth be warm or cold? Would it burn or freeze me? I shook my head and looked away from his image. However, a few moments later, I stared back at him. I was yet to have my first kiss and I wondered if he could be it.
Aurora! The sane part of me called. I snapped out of the pinkish world I was trapped in and reminded myself of who I was. I was Aurora, the great warrior princess of Elastin. A warrior who was known for her black and stone-hard heart. I would not let a man weaken me.
The man turned to me with a charming smile. I quickly looked away. The man laughed a little. The low tone of his laugh made my whole body tingle. Stop. I ordered myself. However, I could not stop the beautiful kind of poison that slowly weakened me.
“Your kingdom’s history is a made-up story,” the man said. “A queen’s heart can summon a dragon?”
“How dare you look down at my kingdom’s history,” I countered angrily while turning to the man. I quickly looked away when I saw his face.
“The only truth in your history is that a dragon once promised to protect your land,” the man explained. I could see him smile from the corner of my eyes. “That dragon created this kingdom for you. And now, he might bring doom to this kingdom.”
I wanted to argue with the man, but something flashed before my eyes. It was a vision that made me enter a different world. Only you can see it, Princess. A voice in my head whispered.
I looked around the new world that I was in now. Everything around me changed. It was only in my mind, but everything seemed real.
The kingdom of Elastin was on fire. Hundreds of bodies were burned on the ground. The clouds were dark with smoke. The ground was red with blood and flames.
My mouth dropped open when four dragons appeared in the dark sky. The biggest one of them was black. One of them was bluish white, just like the color of the snow. The smallest dragon was reddish brown, like the color of earth.
The last one was different. He was almost as big as the black dragon. Its color was a mixture similar to a blazing fire, light red and gold, but his eyes were cold blue, as cold as – the man's.
At the center of the ruined kingdom, there stood a beautiful woman. Her curly, red hair flowed elegantly as she watched the dragons protect the castle. Her eyes looked straight to where I stood.
No. The image of the woman shocked me. She looked like my reflection, but she was a different woman. We had the same color of hair. Our brown eyes showed the same fierceness and courage. Our thick lips had the same curve of determination.
Is this the future of Elastin or its past? I wondered. Is that me? Did I bring doom to Elastin or did I save it? Before I could find the answer, the ruined land vanished before my eyes.
The vision faded slowly. I looked at the man. He smiled at me and flashed another vision in my eyes.
I almost fell on the ground when I watched the four dragons land in front of the woman. Their bodies were similar to a large human male. Their wings were wide with pointy tips. They had hairy horns on their heads and descending fins along their spine.
It’s the past. He is showing me the past. I concluded.
The black dragon shifted into a tall, muscular and handsome man. He walked closer to the woman. He held the woman’s hand and kissed it.
“This kingdom is now yours, my love,” the black dragon told the woman. “It shall be named after you, Elastin.”
I gasped in shock. The dragons did serve the queen.
“How about your heart, my love,” Elastin asked.
“Brother!” The three other dragons called as they shifted into their human forms.
The faces of the three dragons were blurred. I could only see the face of the black dragon. He was as handsome as the man in the dungeon, but he had an innocent and trusting aura. His hair was a mixture of brown and black. His eyes were soft and loving. It was obvious. He was in love with the queen.
The black dragon ignored the others. He held Elastin’s face and pressed his forehead into hers. He stared straight into her eyes. His eyes emitted a light that made me cover my eyes.
When I opened them, the black dragon had fallen on the ground. Elastin smiled at the dragon. Her smile boasted with success, but without any concern for the dragon.
“No!” The dragon with a color of a blazing fire yelled.
The fire dragon looked at his brothers and ordered them to fly away. The two other dragons shifted into their original forms and flew away from the castle.
The fire dragon ran towards the black dragon. However, before he could reach his brother, a magical chain grabbed his feet and hands. He tried to transform into a dragon, but the chains turned into gold and prevented him from shifting.
A castle priestess forced an upper tunic on him. He shoved the priestess on the ground. His body turned fiery hot and burned the tunic. The chains on his hands and feet began to melt. The priestess chanted some words.
“You shall follow,” the queen uttered after the priestess’ chant.
The fire in the man’s body slowly died down. His feet began to turn light blue.
“Take him to the dungeon of your temple,” Queen Elastin told the priestess.
“How about him, your Highness?” A lady warrior asked while pointing at the fallen man.
Elastin looked coldly at the shifted dragon and back at the lady warrior. “Burn him. He would be more dangerous if awaken.”
The lady warrior bowed down. Servants came and took the man away. They lifted the fainted black dragon and pushed him over the edge of the tower.
I covered my mouth as I watched the servants threw the man into the blazing fire. No!
I was ruthless, but I could never be that ruthless. How could the first queen kill the one that founded her kingdom? How could she kill someone, who only has love for her? I dropped on the ground, filled with frustration.
“Y-you are playing tricks on my mind,” I told the man.
The man blew on the walls. The balls of fire and the ice that lit the room vanished. The room became dark again. Only the golden light, which came from the man’s body, remained.
“What you saw in your vision is the truth. Your queen betrayed my brother. She betrayed all of us,” the man said. His voice was hoarse with anger.
I slowly stood and faced the man. The anger in his eyes was enough to convince me. I felt sorry for the man and the dragon that was burned.
I looked at the man’s eyes. The man met my gaze. Slowly, the anger in his eyes mellowed and his fiery eyes turned cold blue.
“I will ask my sister to grant me the power to free you,” I answered honestly. “But, I only ask for one thing. Help us, for the last time.”
The man fell silent. He stepped away from me. I followed him with caution. I could sense his anger. The man turned his back to me. My feet quickly froze.
What is wrong with you? I thought. I did not fear the man, but my heart always jumped when he glanced his mysterious, shiny eyes at me.
The man flashed a tiny smile. He took a big step towards me and leaned closer. I gulped aloud when his face was too close to my face. The tip of our noses almost bumped against each other.
The man was more handsome up close. His lashes were full and thick. He might have a body of a grown man, but his eyes still showed innocence, hidden behind the anger.
The man inhaled deeply and exhaled softly. His warm breath blew on my face. I stood still and forgot to breathe.
“I do not serve your queen,” The man said. His warm voice made my heart flutter, but my mouth dry.
“B-but, the first queen turned you into this. H
ow could she have done that if you were not under her?” I questioned.
The man stepped away and angrily answered, “Because my stupid brother still loved that vicious queen. He made me promise not to harm her.”
The man explained that he gave up his power because of his brother. The black dragon was their leader – their alpha. They were bound to follow his orders unless the black dragon himself broke the rules.
“But, he is already dead. I saw him burn,” I reminded the man. “You saw him burn, too.”
The man laughed. He tried to touch my face, but the chain stopped him. He heaved a loud sigh of disappointment. His disappointment mirrored mine. I wanted to feel his touch as well.
“Humans and their wrong judgments,” the man murmured.
I looked at the man with curiosity. Were we wrong again?
“We are dragons, your Highness. A creature created by demons to appease the heavens. We thrive on fire. We even breathe fire,” the man told me with pride. “Do you think fire can kill us? Or can we even be killed? We, the most loved creatures of the heavens? Do you think the heavens would let us die?”
“Then, help us. Your brother promised to protect this land. If you are bound to follow him, then you have to protect this land,” I reminded the man.
The man fell silent again. He looked at me. The edges of his lips curved into a tiny smile. He pulled the chains and showed them to me.
“I cannot protect you while I am in chains,” the man said.
“I will free you, but please help us,” I promised without hesitation.
The man’s eyes lit up and turned dark gold. He bowed to me. I took it as a promise to help Ela... the kingdom. I could not bear to call the kingdom Elastin anymore. I lost my respect to the first queen.
I inserted a golden key with a carved primrose into the lock. The chains did not fall off. I became puzzled. I was told that the primrose key would release the magic.
“Step away, Princess,” The man said.
I stepped away from the lock. I watched in awe when the man’s body turned flaming red. The color was the same as his dragon form.
“Princess, we have to leave!” Amara called as the room turned red, like an inferno.
I did not listen to Amara. I waited and watched the man with a worried face. The man looked like he was in pain as his body slowly burned the chains. My heart almost shattered, as if I felt his pain.
The chains melted and the flames in the man’s body died down. The man looked at me. He flashed a smile before he fell on the ground.
“Dragon!” I called.
I wanted to go closer to the man, but Amara yelled, “Princess, the kingdom needs you.”
I turned to Amara. A messenger had come down to the dungeon. Amara explained that the ice in the New East Mountain had melted and all the water was flooding and heading towards Elastin.
I looked at the man. He was still unconscious. I could not bear to leave him.
“The people are in panic. They are flocking to the palace. They are asking why the queen did not see it coming,” Amara continued.
“I’ll come back for you,” I promised the man gently.
I turned around to walk out of the dungeon. The man pulled me back before I could take a step. I gasped when the warmth of the man’s hand traveled all over me. His touch electrified me and powered my heart to gallop like a thousand horses.
“Your people will be fine,” the man uttered.
The man looked into my eyes and transformed into a large, reddish and gold dragon. His eyes turned hard and cold blue. I could clearly see my reflection. He was huge, though. I looked small compared to his human form. I looked like a speck against his true form.
The structure of his body remained the same as his human form, but only bigger and scaly. His head turned into a dragon with a slightly pointy face. He had two horns that were similar to the drawings of demons in books. Pointed fins appeared at the back of his dragonhead and spread down to the tip of his tail. A pair of large wings broke out from his back.
“I-it really is you,” I stuttered when I realized that he really was one among the four dragons I saw in the vision.
The dragon swiftly pulled me into his arms. Frightened, I tried to get away from him, but I ended clinging to him. I was about twenty feet from the ground. If I fell from his arms, I would have shattered into pieces!
“Princess!” the soldiers yelled in chorus.
Amara ordered the soldiers to shoot arrows at the dragon, but he created a tall ice wall to block their attacks.
“What are you doing? Put me down!” I ordered the dragon.
The dragon did not listen. He spread his wings and blew a fire at the tall ceiling. The ceiling crumbled. I panicked as I watched the rubbles fall towards us. The dragon used his wings to cover me.
The dragon pressed me closer to his chest as the rubbles continued to fall on us. I could feel his heartbeat behind his scaly chest.
I took a deep breath and pressed my palms on the dragon’s beating heart. I jerked when the coldness of his heart stung my palms.
The dragon stopped blowing fire. He opened his wings a little to look at me. I looked back at him. He stared at me with his icy blue eyes.
The dragon moved his gaze away. He covered me again and continued to blow a hole on the next ceiling. When he opened his wings again, I could already see the stars in the sky.
“Hold tight, Princess,” The dragon said, as he placed me on the back of his neck.
“No!” I yelled.
I turned around and attempted to slide down from his back, but he stopped me with his tail.
“Put me down!” I ordered.
The dragon scooped me up with the tip of his tail. I grabbed tightly on it because of my fear of falling.
“There,” The dragon said as he placed me on the back of his neck again. “I had to put you down.”
His joke irked me. I wanted to retort, but the dragon suddenly ascended to the air. I was flustered and forced to hold tightly to the fins on the dragon’s neck.
The dragon smiled and said, “Better keep that grip tight, your Highness.”
The dragon flapped his wings and soared through the hole.
“Where are you taking me?” I asked when the dragon flew out of the dungeon.
The cold wind of the night, somehow, calmed me down. I looked down at the temple. Half of it was on fire. My soldiers gathered in one spot and watched the dragon fly away with me. I was relieved to know that my soldiers were safe, at least.
Awe filled me when the dragon flew across a long and large ice wall. I realized that the dragon froze the flood that could have washed away the kingdom.
“Thank you,” I uttered softly.
The dragon smiled and flew faster towards the New East Mountain.
Chapter Four
I shivered as the cold wind blew harder on me. The dragon lit up into bright red and made his body warmer. I hugged him tighter. It was both to make me feel warmer and to satisfy my urge to just hold him.
“Excuse me, Princess,” the dragon uttered.
I shrieked with fear when the dragon’s tail scooped me from his back. I tried to hang on to his neck, but he turned his body hotter, so I would let go of the fin.
Is he going to kill me? I thought in panic. My heart pounded hard in fear. I could almost feel it breaking my ribs. I might be an invincible warrior, but I was still afraid of death.
The dragon smiled and flipped his tail. I tried to grab hold of the tail, but I missed. I slid down from his tail.
My screams filled the vast sky as gravity pulled me fast towards the earth. My screams stopped when I noticed where I would fall.
I was heading towards a crater – a burning crater of a volcano. Fire breathed out of it. I wanted to cry, but my tears dried before they could fall. I will kill that dragon in my next life! I thought furiously. I was stupid to believe him. Of course, he would kill me. Those priestesses unjustly imprisoned him for two hundred years. Killing the high
priestess would be a perfect revenge.
* * *
“Princess,” A deep voice called softly.
I wanted to open my eyes, but I hesitated. I was afraid that I would awake in hell. Hell or the inferno that heartless dragon threw me into! I felt betrayed – both by him and my stupid heart. Now, I understood Saicin. Romance could really put a cloud over logic. I was only attracted to him, but my judgment weakened.
“Why did you have to give her such a scare?” Another deep voice asked.
The concern on the second voice, I heard, echoed into my heart. The sincerity and innocence of the voice made my anger calm down. Am I hearing a voice of an angel or a demon? I wondered.
I slowly opened my eyes. Beaming lights from the icy walls greeted me. The whole place glittered like diamonds. It was made of ice, but it made me feel warm, warmer than the walls of the Elastinian palace. A sacred feeling of safety and innocence warmed my heart.
No way. I refused to believe that I was in heaven. I was too evil for heaven.
The sound of laughing men turned my curiosity into panic. I rarely heard a man’s laugh in Elastin and none of those laughs made my heart panic.
I turned to the man, standing on one side of the bed.
He had curly golden hair and light brown eyes. His figure looked familiar. The vision! I remembered. The man reminded me of the human form of one of the dragons.
I quickly rose from the bed. I gasped in shock when another man greeted me. He stood on the other side of the bed.
The other man had pitch black, wavy hair. His eyes mirrored the color of his hair. Both men looked pale, it seemed like they had not had any sunshine for a long time. Their faces looked similar – to that heartless dragon! Stars of Cassiopeia, give me a chance to kill him. I prayed fiercely.
“You better run away brother,” the man with the golden hair said.
I followed the golden-haired man’s eyes. He looked at the snowy-haired man from the dungeon.
The man from the dungeon stood at the opening of the cave we were in. He looked at me and flashed a mischievous smirk.
The man’s smirk irked me further. I shoved the man with the golden hair away and ran, as fast as I could, towards the dragon that abducted me.