by Aya Ling
With a force that surprised herself, Ari pulled out Great Aunt Matilda’s sword and slashed on the talons. There was a clanging sound as sword met claws, and pain shot through her right arm. She managed to hold onto her sword, however. Since her right arm was still numb, she switched the sword to her left hand.
The dragon swooped again, completely unaffected by Ari’s strike. Drawing her sword, Ari thrust at the dragon. Due to the blunt tip and that her left arm wasn’t as powerful, her aim was disastrous. Her sword met the dragon’s wing and barely scratched the thick, scaly hide. In fact, the tip of her sword skimmed over the hide and Ari lost her grip. The sword fell on the ground; she was now unarmed and completely vulnerable.
The dragon roared. Just when Ari thought she was going to die, someone grabbed her around the waist and started to run. From the size of the arms that held her, she knew it was Howard.
Ari twisted her neck to see how the others were faring. Despite her terror of the scarlet dragon, she had to see if the others were all right.
“The belly, aim for its belly!” Great Aunt Matilda was yelling at the rest of them. “Once it takes flight, get below it and throw your sword into its belly!”
The sight made her catch her breath. Most of the warriors had their shields up and hid behind the trees and rocks. James was trying to toss another piece of dragonwood into the air, but Ari could tell it was going to be useless; another spurt of dragon fire could render the wood into mere ashes. Only Great Aunt Matilda, Tobian, and Celestine managed to fight back. Her great aunt had thrown a huge battle axe at the dragon, hitting it under the wings. The dragon staggered and shrieked, possibly from the wound between its wings and body.
Celestine was rapidly firing arrows. One hit the dragon’s eye, and the beast let out a scream so terrible, even Ari felt a twinge of sympathy.
The half-blinded dragon swayed and wobbled in the air, flapping its gigantic wings. Another arrow from Celestine hit squarely on the dragon’s belly and it screamed in agony. Great Aunt Matilda had said the weakness of the scarlet dragon was its belly—so it should be no threat anymore.
Yet, as the dragon started falling to the ground, Ari’s eyes bulged.
Johan was lying on the ground, right in the path of the dragon. His legs were twisted in a strange angle; somehow he had seriously hurt himself when fighting the dragon. She couldn’t let the dragon crush him to death.
“Put me down!” Ari yelled.
Howard, however, did not listen. Frustrated, Ari pried her right arm free and gave him a punch in the throat. He grunted, for that part happened to be a soft spot in his neck, and Ari used the chance to slip out of his arms and get both feet on the ground.
Without thinking, Ari ran over to Johan, seized his arm, and started to drag him away.
‘‘Ari! Ari!’’
‘‘Get them out of the way!’’
Ari didn’t know if she was strong enough, given Johan was a head taller than her, but amazingly, she managed to get both of them under a huge rock, just in time. The dragon landed with a huge, sickening thud that seemed to shake the entire earth beneath. Ari looked up and nearly fainted. The dragon’s wing protruded over the rock like a dark canopy. A second later, and both of them could be mincemeat.
It seemed forever until Howard reached them. The giant, along with the help of others, lifted the dragon’s wing high enough so that they could slip out. Once Ari had emerged, dragging Johan with her, she felt someone pull her into a fierce embrace.
‘‘Arianna!’’
Great Aunt Matilda was holding her in a grip so tight, Ari could hardly breathe.
‘‘That was an incredibly foolish thing you did, ‘‘ she whispered. ‘‘But I’m so proud that you did it.’’
It was over. They had brought down Scarlet, one of the most fearsome dragons in history.
Great Aunt Matilda released her. “We’re not done yet!” she shouted. “Those of you who aren’t seriously injured, go and fetch more horses and carriages!”
A cloak settled around Ari’s shoulders. It was then that she noticed her sleeves and the ends of her robe were in tatters—the dragon’s fire had burned holes into her clothes.
‘‘That’s the second cloak you owe me,’’ James said, smiling down at her. ‘‘Have you any injuries, Ari? Can you walk?’’
Without waiting for an answer, he lifted her in his arms, cloak and all, and deposited her in a carriage. He also stole a kiss on her forehead, but she was so tired that she barely noticed.
The journey back to the castle was a bumpy one, but none of it mattered. So exhausted Ari was that she soon fell fast asleep.
“Your Highness! You’re back!”
Ari opened her eyes. Her maid, Gladys, was standing near the bed, an expectant look on her face. When she saw that Ari had awoken, Gladys broke into a relieved grin and immediately told other maids to bring in hot tea and biscuits for the princess.
“What in the names of the gods...” Ari blinked. She blinked again and bolted up. She was in her own bed chamber, a large, ornate room with lacy curtains and velvet carpets and silken hangings. For a surreal moment, she couldn’t believe that she’d just woken up in her own huge four poster bed, surrounded by eiderdown pillows and fleecy blankets. What a contrast to her narrow, rock-like bunk bed at the Academy!
“Oh, good lord, how scared I was when they said you battled the dragon!” Gladys was now hugging her. Big fat tears coursed down her ruddy cheeks. “Ever since you were sent to Riviera, I’ve been praying every night that you’d be all right. Lady Matilda survived, but she was a different caliber. I almost thought you’d be back in a couple of months.”
Ari smiled wanly. It had been tough, definitely, but she couldn’t regret that she had trained at the Academy.
“Where is Great Aunt Matilda? And what about James, and Nadine, and the others? Are they also in the castle?”
“The king has arranged for them to stay in the guest wing. Some of them are seriously hurt, and the doctors are tending to them now,” Gladys said. “By the way, Your Highness, is it true that you are engaged to Prince James?”
“No!” Ari turned as red as the dragon’s wings. “We are merely friends.”
“The entire castle is talking about it,” Gladys said with a wide grin. ‘‘He carried you to your carriage, didn’t he?’’
Ari groaned. Being in a small country with a small court definitely had its drawbacks. Everyone knew about her life. In fact, they probably all knew about her ridiculous mishaps in Riviera.
“I haven’t had a chance to see the prince,” Gladys went on. “But I’ve heard he is very handsome and charming.”
“He isn’t bad-looking, I’ll admit that,” Ari said resignedly. “But I assure you that his manners are simply obnoxious and his conduct unfitting for royalty. He is nothing like a prince, even though he carries the title. Why, he never combs his hair! And he spends all day with a squirrel on his shoulder, tending to the animals in the menagerie!”
Gladys’ smile did not waver. “And you are still good friends with him, despite the shortcomings you speak of?”
Ari chose to focus on another subject.
“Hand me my mirror.”
She looked a total mess: her newly burnt hair had to be shorn off, her eyes lacking their usual brightness. She counted a pimple on her chin, and another on her forehead. Parts of her skin were shiny pink from the dragon’s fire; she almost yelped in pain when she touched those places.
‘‘More ointment, Your Highness?’’ Gladys said, hastening to her side. ‘‘Goodness, I can’t imagine that you faced the dragon! That Academy has done something to you, it’s unbelievable.’’
As a matter of fact, Ari couldn’t imagine it, either. If she were told to battle the dragon, she probably would have nightmares just thinking about it. But when she actually met the dragon, she didn’t have time to think about being afraid.
“Hand me my brush.”
Ari began brushing out the tangles in her hair, and doi
ng her best to sweep her bangs to the front so that her pimples would be concealed, all the while muttering that once she got back to Riviera, the first thing she would buy is a new pot of skin cream.
“You’re brushing your own hair,” Gladys said, with a note of wonder.
“Of course I am,” Ari said in a manner-of-fact tone. “They don’t allow servants in the Academy.”
There was a rap on the door, and Gladys hurried to open it.
“Your Majesty!”
“How is Ari doing?” Her father’s concerned voice floated in the corridor. “Shall I send for the doctor?”
“Papa!” Ari never thought that she would be so glad to see her father. She wasn’t really close to her father—the king was always too busy—but after a year of absence, she found that she missed him terribly. Without him, she was practically useless—until she learned to fight back.
She threw the brush away, got out of bed, and padded across the floor. She flung herself in his arms, and a small choked sob escaped her.
“There, there.” The king stroked her golden hair. The truth be told, he had been worried when Ari was sent to the Academy. Knowing how spoiled and pampered she was, how was she going to survive in the school where most other students had been learning to fight for a long, long time? He had been meaning to tell Great Aunt Matilda to send her back, once Ari had been at the Academy long enough. Never had he dreamed that she would volunteer to help in the dragon attack. Did she—his golden-haired Ari, who always screamed at the sight of a rat or spider, really face a dragon and save a person’s life? Perhaps she did inherit something from her great aunt, after all.
Another knock on the door. This time, when Gladys answered, it was Johan. He was leaning on a pair of wooden crutches, but he looked to be in good spirits.
‘‘Your Highness.’’ Since his legs were still badly hurt, Johan bowed his head as low as he could. He put a fist over his heart. ‘‘You have saved my life. I don’t know how to say this...but thank you. A thousand times.’’
‘‘Oh...er...’’ Ari wasn’t sure what to say either. All she knew was that she couldn’t just stand aside and watch a helpless person being squashed to death. Of course, she had nearly died trying to save him, but...
‘‘I’m glad I did it,’’ Ari finally said.
‘‘What have the others been doing, though?’’ Gladys clucked her tongue. ‘‘Next time there had better be enough troops out there! Her Highness could have died!’’
‘‘Indeed,’’ the king said. ‘‘I must have a meeting with Aunt Matilda and Tobian. The many years of peace after the Dark Lord’s invasion have made us complacent.
Johan now spoke to the king. “Your Majesty, the Rivierans would like an attendance with you to discuss how to deal with the dragon.”
“The dragon?” Ari echoed. “It’s not... dead?”
“Badly injured, but it’s alive,” Gladys said. “Better have it killed, I’d say. I can’t sleep soundly at night, knowing that the beast is still alive.”
“I must get dressed,” Ari said, going to her mirror. “Gladys, bring me my navy blue gown. I must go and see James.”
“But, Your Highness, the navy blue is one of your plainest dresses... how about your rosebud pink instead? That one is most flattering.”
“We’ll leave it for another day,” Ari said firmly. “Right now, I just need to talk to James.”
The guest wing was situated in the west side of the castle. When Ari hurried through the corridors, servants and courtiers were astonished to see her. Even though she was fairly certain that everyone knew that she had returned, it must have been a shock for them to suddenly see her appear.
Once she arrived at the guest wing, she found about half of the Rivieran fighters who were more seriously injured. A few Linderall servants tended to them with hot water and fresh bandages.
“Where’s James?” she demanded.
“Prince James has just gone for an attendance with the king,” Tobian said. “Is there anything I can do for you, Your Highness?”
But Ari had already turned on her heel and was on her way.
It didn’t take long for Ari to reach the throne room.
“Is my father in there with the Rivierans?” she asked the guards outside.
“Yes, the last Rivieran—the prince—just arrived.”
“Allow me entrance,” Ari said in her most imperial manner. “Most likely they are going to talk about the battle at Misty Valley. As a participant of the battle, I have a right to participate in what comes afterwards.”
At the force of her words, the guards decided to open the door without informing the king that Ari had arrived. It was not as if she needed permission. Plus, she looked ten times more intimidating since her return from Riviera.
Ari marched into the throne room, straight past the courtiers and Rivierans. Her father sat on his throne, with Great Aunt Matilda occupying a seat near him, while the Rivierans sat on the left row (traditionally reserved for guests), while the Linderall courtiers took the space on the right.
Ari did not bother finding a seat, however. She walked straight up to her father and stood by his side.
“I apologize for my sudden barging in like this,” she said, her voice loud and clear. “But I’ve heard that you were discussing the scarlet dragon. As one of the fighters who helped in bringing the dragon down, I believe I have the right to participate in this discussion.”
James winked at her with his right eye. Ari was sure that were there not so many people around, he would have given her a thumbs up.
“Why, yes, of course, darling,” King Harold said. “Have them bring another chair. So, regarding the dragon, where were we?”
“I believe that we should eliminate that dragon,” Celestine said coldly.
“Indeed!” the high chancellor said, with a slap on his thigh. “Your Majesty, this dragon has taken dozens of lives. If we don’t kill it now, are we going to let it recover and bring destruction again? Three villages have been destroyed, and dozens of people injured and left homeless. Can you sleep in peace when there is such a terrible beast let loose in the wild?”
“Definitely not,” the prime minister said with a shiver. Many other courtiers nodded approval.
James suddenly stood up. He had actually combed his hair straight and flat, and his clothes were neatly pressed. It was a rare occasion that he took care with his appearance.
“Undeniably, your concern is not without cause,” James said clearly. “However, as a long-time expert on magical beasts and creatures, I plead Your Majesty to grant me the chance to perform an examination on the dragon first.”
“Why is this necessary?” the high chancellor asked.
“How long has it been since dragons last wreaked damage in Linderall?” James said. “Unless I’m much mistaken, it was more than thirty years ago, when the Dark Lord of Doom appeared and tried to use them to conquer Linderall and then the Continent. Lady Matilda, am I not right?”
Great Aunt Matilda nodded. “As you say.”
“And pray, for what reason did the dragons attack? Why did they only attack thirty years before, and none until recently? Simply for the fun of it?” James spread his hands. “My theory is that something must have triggered the attack, something that the Dark Lord had used to make the dragons battle against their free will, something that made them leave their distant habitats deep in the mountains.”
There was a buzz among the court when James spoke of his theory. “Ridiculous!” came from the elderly members, but a few looked intrigued. Ari looked towards her father, who had his finger on his chin, looking thoughtful.
“Interesting,” he said, turning towards his aunt. “Lady Matilda, what do you make of this?”
“He has a point.” Great Aunt Matilda thudded her lead-tipped staff on the ground. “We have defeated three dragons, but who knows if there are more? We should discover what is driving these dragons to madness, and find a way to end it all.”
“Agreed!�
� Ari said loudly, and blushed when everyone stared at her, surprised at her sudden outburst. James sent her such a dazzling smile that she felt like melting on the spot. With such a smile, it didn’t seem that embarrassing to have raised her voice in court.
“Well...” the king said, apparently seeing that it was no longer necessary to continue arguing, “Since Lady Matilda, Prince James, and Princess Arianna have clearly expressed that the dragon should be kept alive, I feel compelled to agree.”
“Your Majesty,” the high chancellor raised his hand. “Pardon me, but how are we to be ensured of our safety if the dragon stays alive? Even if it is secured by chains, who knows what a beast of its size can do?”
The king pondered for a while.
“There are precautions that we should take,” he finally said. “I will arrange for the royal army to take turns guarding the dragon, and if there is any possibility that it will break loose, then I give permission for it be killed. Do we have any objection to these conditions?”
The high chancellor sank back in his seat, still looking dissatisfied, but he did not press the issue any further.
“If we’re all done here,” King Harold said, “then I suggest that Prince James start the experiment immediately. Let us know what things you should need, and I shall supply them.”
“Is there anything I can help with?” Ari asked.
They were gathered in the back of the castle, where the scarlet dragon lay in a heap. Unlike Riviera, King Harold did not have a royal menagerie, so they had to make do with a temporary fence built from sticks and stone. The dragon’s wings were also heavily chained—a precaution that James wasn’t happy with, seeing that the dragon was too badly injured, but he had to give in.
The courtiers, especially the high chancellor, had let him know that it was a huge concession on their part.