by Aron Lewes
The Tiamat suddenly swooped down and captured a sailor in its mouth. They could hear the man screaming as the dragon's teeth ground his flesh and snapped his bones.
“Oh god, that's horrid!” Cinda shrieked. “It just... ate a man!”
“Aye. And I bet she's still hungry,” Rank said. Even as he watched the dragon's spiny tail plow into a pair of screaming sailors, the grin never left his lips.
“Cinda... Terra... get below deck.” The suggestion was made by Fenix, who lightly pushed them in the direction of the stairs. “I don't think you want to be out here right now.”
Terra was defiant. She sat on a barrel and propped her crutches against her hip. “No. Get me a bow and arrows. I want to help drive it away!”
“Are you serious?” Fenix asked. “You do realize you could get eaten if you stay out here?”
Terra pointed at a pair of sailors who were releasing arrows and repeatedly missing. “I'm better than them,” she declared. “Get me a bow. I'd rather fight.”
As Fenix hurried off to find a weapon for Terra, Rank pointed his walking stick at the ship's flaming mast.
“What are you doing?” asked Cinda. She could feel her eyes swelling as the Tiamat drifted closer. When the beast changed directions, a relieved sigh poured from her lungs.
“I'm trying to put out the fire, love.” As soon as he finished speaking, a weak stream of water rushed from the tip of Rank's walking stick. When the water reached the flaming mast, it splattered into a useless puddle. “Damn. That wasn't enough. I must be having a bad day.”
“Is that... some kind of wand?” Cinda asked, pointing at his stick.
“It is, darling. It is,” Rank replied. “Now... would you mind if I borrowed your fear? I need it to cast a stronger spell.”
Cinda's expression was twisted by confusion. “Borrow my fear? What on earth does that mean?”
Rank yawned. He was the only man who had the audacity to yawn in the middle of a dragon attack. “I'm a reaver mage,” he explained, sounding a bit bored. “I can draw on the emotions of others to strengthen my spells. Since you look proper panicked right now, I thought I'd borrow your fear.”
Cinda exchanged worried glances with her stepsister. “Will it... hurt?” Cinderella asked.
“Nah. You'll barely feel it,” Rank assured her as he reached for her hand. The next time he wagged his wand, a tidal wave rushed from the tip. When the water reached the scorched mast, the dragon's fire was extinguished. There was a piercing hiss as the flames were squelched.
“Wow!” Cinda exclaimed. “That was impressive.”
“Aye. And you helped.” Rank winked at her. “I couldn't have done it without you, love. Now, if you don't mind, I'm slipping away for a bit. I need to find a weapon that'll take down our little beasty. I'll be right back.”
As soon as Rank was gone, Fenix returned with a bow and quiver. He handed the weapon to Terra and slid backward, away from the girls. If he was going to shift shapes, he needed space.
Fenix's skin was wrapped in golden light as his body prepared to shift. When she saw him glowing, Cinderella asked, “What are you doing?”
It was too late to answer her question. When Fenix tried to speak, a eagle-like screech erupted from his throat. A few seconds later, flesh was replaced by feather, and his arms had morphed into wings. As he shot into the sky, Terra gasped.
“Oh my god! He really is a shapeshifter!” Terra exclaimed. “I had my doubts, you know.”
Cinda held her breath as Fenix ascended. He was a large bird, much larger than an eagle. Even so, the dragon was at least ten times larger than he was. Cinda had no idea how he planned to take it on.
Fenix extended his talons and clamped down on the Tiamat's back. The dragon announced its pain with a tiny roar, but it continued to hunt the sailors. When it tried to dip down and find its next meal, Terra released an arrow, landing a direct hit on the dragon's neck. The Tiamat shrieked as the arrow pierced through its scales. The beast temporarily retreated, turning sharply.
“Well done, Terra!” Cinda praised her stepsister. “I didn't realize you were such a proficient archer.”
“Until recently, I was a bit of a homebody,” Terra said as she nocked another arrow. “I had a lot of time to practice random skills.”
As the Tiamat drifted, Fenix used his beak to pluck the dragon's scales. It was barely effective. He tried to breathe fire, but the dragon was impervious to blaze. When the Tiamat started rolling through the sky, spinning in circles, Fenix couldn't hang on. The dragon threw him off, spun around, and captured the large bird in his mouth.
As the dragon chewed, Fenix's pain was excruciating. The scaled monster's teeth penetrated his feathered body at least a dozen times before it spat him on the ship's deck.
“Oh my god! Fenix!” Cinda's spite momentarily dissipated as she rushed to his side. “Are you alright?”
Fenix groaned. As blood flowed from his body, he was forced back into human form. “I'm... alright,” he croaked. It was a lie, of course. Getting chomped on by a dragon was easily one of the most agonizing experiences of his life.
Cinda lifted the hem of her dress and staggered backward. Pools of Fenix's blood were forming at her feet. “Are you going to die?” she asked with a gasp.
“No.” When Fenix tried to sit up, he collapsed on his chest. His billowy white shirt was soaked in blood. “I can't die... remember?”
“Oh. Right. I'd forgotten about that.” Cinda winced as she watched him struggle. “Are you in a lot of pain?”
“Yes...” he groaned. He couldn't bring himself to lie. “Oh, yes.”
But Fenix couldn't feel sorry for himself—others had it worse. The dragon spiraled downward, breathing blue-black fire as it descended. As the blaze roasted an unsuspecting sailor, Fenix's self-pity and pain subsided.
“Oh no!” Cinda squealed, covering her eyes. “This is awful. What are we going to do?”
A moment later, her question was answered by Rank's return. He was pushing an enormous harpoon on wheels, and his grin was madder than ever.
Cinda's eyes narrowed as she studied the odd weapon. “What's that?”
“It's the answer to your prayers, girl,” Rank replied. He turned a crank, which raised the harpoon until it was pointing at the sky. “Now we just need to get the beasty's attention. Can you help me do that?”
Cinda's eyebrows snapped together. “You want me to... what? Call it over?”
“Aye.”
“Are you mad?”
“Aye,” Rank repeated. His lips stretched into a wider grin as the dragon drew closer. “Never mind, love. It seems like we've already got her attention. Brace yourself.”
The Tiamat's long shadow stretched across the deck as it drifted overhead. When the dragon was within range, Rank kicked a lever on his apparatus. The harpoon shot into the sky, piercing the beast's belly. Rank's weapon was lodged in the dragon's stomach.
The Tiamat thrashed wildly, screeching in agony as it ascended again. There was a rope attached to the harpoon's end, and it was wrapped around Rank's wrist. As the dragon flew up, Rank went with it. He howled with mad laughter as the beast carried him into the sky.
“What is he doing?” Cinda cried as she watched her mad captor climb the rope. Despite the dragon's flailing, Rank never stopped climbing—or cackling. “He really is crazy, isn't he?”
“Uh huh,” Fenix agreed. He finally found the strength to sit up. “There's no one crazier.”
When Rank reached the top of the rope, he started slinking up the dragon's body. He clung to the Tiamat's scales like rungs on a ladder. Upon reaching the dragon's back, Rank celebrated with a wild howl. The dragon tried to spin, so Rank grabbed its wing, forcing the beast to steady itself.
“I can't believe he's riding a dragon...” Cinda whispered as she watched the spectacle. “This is insane.”
As he crawled up the dragon's back, Rank drew his sword. It took him very little time to reach the Tiamat's neck, and when he did, hi
s blade plunged downward. He stabbed the dragon's neck, again and again, and he didn't stop until the beast was thoroughly slayed. As the dragon went down, Rank was inspired by the sailors' roar of applause, so he stood up and took a bow.
Before the Tiamat's corpse splashed into the sea, the strange dragon slayer leapt into the water.
When Prince Sharman woke, he was cuddling Cinderella's glass slipper. His cheek was squashed against the shoe's shiny surface. As soon as he saw the slipper in his hand, his finger lovingly stroked the sole.
“Ah, Cinderella...” A dreamy sigh sailed through Sharman's lips. “The most beautiful woman in the world. Oh, how I wish you were here.”
Sharman rolled on his back and snuggled the glass slipper. His heart thumped wildly as he pressed the shoe against his chest.
“I wonder where you are,” the prince quietly mused. “Are you thinking about me right now? Do you long to kiss my lips as much as I long to kiss yours? I can't wait until you're my wife. Mine to treasure. Mine to hold.”
Sunlight poured into Sharman's extravagant bedchamber. When the light hit Cinderella's slipper, Sharman swore it was glowing.
“This is an angel's shoe,” he whispered, “and it was once on an angel's foot...”
Sharman's lips puckered as he leaned toward the slipper. He pressed his mouth against the glass, kissing the shoe that once held his lady love's foot.
A knock on the door interrupted the tender moment. Sharman didn't want anyone to know he slept with his fiance's slipper, so he slid it under his pillow, sat up, fluffed his hair, and yelled, “You may enter!”
When the door opened, he was staring into the dull eyes of a bored knight. “Hello, Your Highness,” the knight apathetically greeted him. “I come with news.”
“News? What news?” Sharman asked as he dragged a hand through his voluminous brown hair. The prince loved his hair, and so did most ladies. His cherubic curls were constantly complimented.
“The Duke of Chesterford has just arrived, Your Highness,” the knight reported. “Should I take him to your sister?”
“Yes. Go ahead. But don't let him kiss her yet! I want to be there for that!” Prince Sharman leapt from bed, exposing his fuzzy pink pajamas to the visiting knight.
“Uhh.” The knight pursed his lips. The prince's odd pajamas brought him dangerously close to laughter. “I, uh... should I let him know you're on your way?”
“Sure. Why not?” As Sharman shuffled through the clothes in his wardrobe, he could hear the knight snickering behind him. “And do not laugh at my pajamas, sir! When I moved to the Winter Palace, I forgot to pack my own, and I had to wear my sister's.”
“S-sorry, Your Highness.” The knight bowed as he retreated from the room. “Have a lovely day.”
“Have a lovely day,” Sharman mockingly repeated as he hopped into his breeches. “I won't be having any lovely days until my sister wakes and Cinderella arrives!”
Sharman missed his sister nearly as much as he missed his fiance. A little over a week ago, just after the prince's ball, Princess Rose was cursed by a witch. Since then, Sharman's beloved sister was stuck in a deep slumber, and only a kiss from her soulmate would break the spell.
Of course, Sharman had no idea who his sister's soulmate could possibly be, so he started inviting princes, dukes and earls to the Winter Palace. Next, he would invite barons and baronets. If none of their kisses woke her, he would resort to peasants' lips. Cinderella was a commoner, of course, but he preferred a noble husband for his sister. Princess Rose deserved nothing less than a life of opulence and comfort.
When he was dressed, Sharman headed to the bedroom where his sister was sleeping. The Duke of Chesterford was already there, twiddling his thumbs as he hovered at the princess' bedside.
“Lord Chesterford!” Sharman greeted him with a smile. “It's lovely to see you again! How have you been?”
“Well enough.” Lord Chesterford laid a hand over his heart as he expressed his condolences. “I'm truly sorry about your sister, Your Highness. Witches' curses are a terrible, terrible thing. I once knew a man who was transformed into a beast, and he was stuck in that shape for many, many years.”
“I hate witches,” Sharman hissed.
“Something must be done about them, Your Highness!” the duke exclaimed. “We cannot let them run amok, casting curses on unsuspecting people. It isn't right!”
“And something will be done,” Sharman quietly assured him. “Someone must be punished for placing this curse on my beautiful sister.” His lips slipped into a pout as he studied the serene face of Princess Rose. “Well, go ahead and kiss her. I don't have high hopes, to be honest, but... you never know.”
Frowning at the prince's remark, Lord Chesterford slid closer to the slumbering princess. His head descended slowly, and when his lips brushed hers, he sighed contentedly.
The duke's tiny kiss was ineffective. Rose was as motionless as ever.
“Well... you failed,” noted a sighing Prince Sharman. “That's a shame. Like I said, I didn't have the highest of hopes.”
“Do you want me to try again? Maybe I didn't kiss her long enough, or maybe I--”
“Nope.” Sharman seized the duke's sleeve and pushed him to the door. “One kiss is good enough. Don't try to beg for another!”
As the duke stumbled out of the room, Sharman slammed the door behind him. With a heavy sigh, he returned to his sister's side.
“I wonder what you would think, Rose, if you knew all these strange men were kissing you?” Prince Sharman's pout returned as he swept a lock of hair from Rose's forehead. “I bet you'd hate it, wouldn't you? My poor sister.”
Soon after the duke's departure, there was a rapid knock on the door. With a grunt, Sharman dragged himself across the room and greeted his visitor. It was the same listless knight who chuckled at Sharman's pink pajamas.
“You again. What is it this time?” the prince grumbled.
“I, uh... I'm afraid I have some bad news, Your Highness.”
“Alright.” Sharman rubbed his pounding temples and prepared himself for the worst. “Spit it out, then.”
“W-well...” The knight hesitated, but only for a moment, because the prince was impatiently rolling his eyes. “Cinderella's been abducted, sir.”
Fenix, Cinda and Terra couldn't stop staring at Rank's dilapidated old wagon. They were across the sea, bound for their next destination, but their mode of transportation left a lot to be desired. The canvas that covered the wagon was completely in tatters. One of the wheels was wonky, the door was falling off, and there was a curious bloodstain in the wagon's interior.
Terra could feel her nostrils flaring as she studied the old vehicle. “This is what we're traveling in?”
“Aye.” Rank nodded, completely oblivious to her distaste. “Do you like it?”
“No. I hate it. It's the poorest excuse for a vehicle that I've ever seen!” Terra whined. “I hope we don't have very far to go, because I really doubt it could make a long journey!”
“It's sturdier that you think, love. We do have a wee problem, though.” Rank's head slowly rotated in Fenix's direction. “We don't have a horse.”
“No. No no no nooo!” Fenix whined. “You can't make me!”
“But it's necessary, mate. You want to finish the job as much as I do, don't you?” Rank's lips were stretched by a devious grin as he lifted the harness. “Why do you have all of those handy-dandy forms if you're not going to put them to use, eh?”
“Fine.” Fenix accepted his fate with a weary sigh. “But you owe me for this.”
Cinda's eyes swelled as Fenix morphed from human to equine. In a matter of seconds, her handsome captor changed into a speckled gray stallion. “That...” she whispered to herself, “would never fail to astound me.”
Rank tittered as he fastened the transformed Fenix to the harness. “Good boy!” he howled, swatting the horse's rump. “I'm sure you'll get us there in no time, mate.”
Cinda expressed her disappo
intment as she climbed into the wagon. “You know... I was really hoping he'd change into an Onocentaur. I want to see what it looks like!”
“Eh... a horse would run faster,” Rank argued as he lifted Terra into the wagon. “The faster we get there, the sooner I can move on to something else.”
Terra's nose puckered as she studied the reddish brown stain on the wall. When Rank sat beside her, she scooted away and asked, “Why is there blood in here?”
“Oh... that?” Rank tried to swab the stain with the sleeve of his tatty coat, but it didn't budge. “You, uh... you don't want to know about that, sweetheart. Trust me.”
The wagon trundled forward, hauled by a nickering Fenix. Cinda swore she felt the vehicle leaning to one side. She could also feel Rank's eyes on her, watching her every move.
Rank slipped an arm around Cinda's shoulders. “So, uh... Cinderella...” he began. “If you ever get tired of your prince, I just wanted you to know... I'm an option.”
Cinda sneered at him. “What do you mean?”
“I mean...” Rank wagged his wand and made a bundle of sunflowers appear on the tip. As he presented the flowers, he finished, “I'd like to take you out sometime, if you'd be up for it?”
Though she accepted the flowers, Cinderella was shaking her head. “Um... no. No thanks.”
“How about you?” Rank asked, turning to Terra. A bundle of daisies materialized on his wand as he twirled it. Terra was less eager to accept the rogue's gift. She crossed her arms and refused to take the bouquet. “Would you go out with me sometime?”
“Is that a serious question?” Terra asked with a roll of her eyes. “I would genuinely rather eat a bucket of nails.”
“Aww. That's a bit harsh, innit?” asked a pouting Rank. “I'm not so bad, am I?”
Terra snorted at the question. “Really? You're the absolute worst.”
“Oh well. Suit yourselves, ladies.” Rank leaned back and pulled a peppermint stick from the pocket of his coat. As he unwrapped his favorite treat, he added, “You're missing out on a good time, though.”