by Dana Gricken
“What’s going on?” Elara asked loudly, making sure her voice was heard over the shouts of the crowd.
“This is the King’s fault. The news media is a pain in my...well, you know,” David replied, scowling.
The crowd was rowdy and angry. They chanted things such as “kill the girl” and “abomination”. They were nothing like the people from home – who had hailed her a hero – and she prayed that the mark on her arm wouldn’t change their opinion of her. Elara closed her eyes, hoping they would all disappear when she reopened them. David noticed her discomfort and squeezed her arm gently to reassure her.
“I won’t let them hurt you,” He promised, but she was still terrified.
She nodded and noticed a familiar figure deep in the crowd. It was the only person she wanted to see waiting for her.
“Dad!” She called out, as Merek pushed through the crowd, desperate to get near his daughter.
The crowd was too powerful for him. He was helpless to do anything while being pushed, elbowed, and shoved. He had to hold onto the people around him to prevent himself from plummeting to the ground.
“Elara!” He yelled. “What have they done to you?”
“We have to rescue my Dad!” Elara said to David. “We can’t leave him behind!”
David shook his head. “It’s too dangerous! We’ll never make it through this crowd!”
“Everything will be all right, Elara!” Merek yelled back, attempting to ease the worried look on her face. “Trust in the locket!”
Elara nodded and clutched the locket that David had placed in her pocket tightly. Its strange inscription played over and over in her head. David continued to push them through the crowd until they reached the golden gate, where several armored vehicles were waiting.
Even more citizens greeted them outside the city, this time with heavy weapons. The guard swiftly opened the gate, and David shoved Elara into the car with the other guard behind them. The Knight slammed his foot on the gas and the car screeched before speeding off into the distance, leaving the smell of burnt rubber behind them. The other guards and Knights of the castle trailed closely behind in their own vehicles, making sure Elara arrived at the arena on time.
David held Elara close to him as the other Knight drove recklessly through the crowded streets. She turned to look back at the people that were becoming more distant as she journeyed further, and the protestors continued their chanting and roaring. She eyed her Dad, whose distraught face worried her. She took one last look at him – desperate to capture his image like a photograph - believing that it would be one of her last memories. She was going to die today.
Rescue Mission
The car ride to the arena was very long and uneventful. So long, in fact, Elara had lost track of the time. Had it been an hour? Maybe two, three or four? She didn’t know for sure. She had fallen asleep out of exhaustion several miles back, after a restless night in the castle.
She had dreamt of her mother, a woman she had only known in photographs. It was a familiar dream, one where her family was back together – when there was no threat of the Grey Knights and no one could walk through fire. She had forgotten reality until the car ride came to an abrupt stop, and her eyes fluttered open quickly.
“Good morning,” David said, gently nudging her. “It’s time, Elara.”
She sat upright, and he helped her out of the car, while the shackles still tugged against her wrists. David, along with hundreds of other Knights who eyed her cautiously, led her into the large arena. The crowd at the castle had been vengeful and angry, but it was nothing compared to the arena.
The arena was a large amphitheater with raised seating that went miles high. Hundreds, perhaps even thousands of onlookers crowded the seats, shouting threats and making obscene gestures. It was made entirely out of brick, with yellow sand on the lowest level. Like at the castle, a large television screen recorded her every step. On the highest level stood an array of archers, with their bows and arrows perched and ready to attack if she made any sudden movements.
A long platform extended from the second level’s archway, which seated King Angus and his sons on extravagant thrones. Below them, she noticed several Knights wheeling three square cages onto the sand. The four wildhounds that were packed inside each cage were snarling, drooling and trying to claw their way out viciously. She noticed that they had already begun to attack each other, with claw marks and specs of blood covering their bodies.
Elara squinted to shield her eyes from the bright sun and continued following the Knights until they stopped near the platform, and a nearby Knight gestured towards it. As David stepped forward, he found himself being pushed backward by a group of Knights towards the King’s throne, so he couldn’t interfere. Prince Hadrian sat on his own throne next to the King, silently fuming in anger.
“Get on the platform,” A Knight said to Elara, and his voice was barely audible over the crowd.
Elara didn’t move as quickly as the Knight wanted her to, and so he shoved her towards the platform. She nearly fell over the side but managed to regain her balance while shooting a dirty look over her shoulder. Her stomach dropped in fear as she glanced over the edge, seeing nothing but vicious, caged wildhounds and sand. She couldn’t blame the animals - if she were locked in a cage for who knows how long, she would’ve gone mad, too.
She contemplated jumping, but she determined it was too large of a fall. She probably would’ve broken a few bones – not to mention struck with the arrows of the archers before she could even make a run for it. The King saw her peering over, and the corners of his mouth curved upwards into a devilish smile that she wanted to smack off of his face.
“We haven’t fed the wildhounds in a few days,” The King said loudly, over the shouts of the crowd. “I have no doubt they’re agitated and starving; just looking for someone to take their anger out on.”
A nearby Knight nodded down towards another on the lowest level, sending a silent signal. The Knight below began to lower the platform by means of a button, and Elara sank closer and closer to the bottom. She glanced back up at David and Prince Hadrian, who both shared worried looks.
“Elara!” She heard the familiar voice of her Dad shout her name, and she cocked her head to the right side of the arena where he stood, frantically waving his arms.
She had seen his lips move again, but whatever he said was muffled by the crowd. She touched her chained hands to her pocket, feeling the outline of her mother’s locket. It gave her a bit of solace to think her mother was still watching over her from wherever she was now.
The platform fell to the ground with a thud. The Knight who pushed the button hastily made his way beyond the exit archway, locking it behind him. She knew she wasn’t getting out that way. The other Knights near the wildhounds did the same, quickly sealing the last exit archway. She had wanted to scream, to beg and defend her innocence, but she knew her cries would fall on deaf ears.
From a safe distance, the Knights pressed a button on a remote control and the cages opened with a loud bang. The wildhounds came quickly leaping out of the cages, drooling and grunting. They were just as she remembered – somewhat of a cross between a wolf and a lizard – with scaly skin, jagged teeth and thorns for tails. They paused for a moment to sniff the air and examine their surroundings. Once they noticed Elara, they growled and began sprinting towards her.
It was as if everything was moving in slow motion. The noise of the crowd seemed to fade, and the only sound Elara could hear was the rapid beating of her own heart in her ears. She held her breath and looked away to the sky; praying for a quick, merciful death – although she knew very well that there was little chance of that.
“What’s that in the distance?” She heard someone screech in the crowd, and everyone averted their gaze from Elara to the sky. Even the television screen was pointing towards the clouds.
Suddenly, a deafening, high-pitched roar rumbled from the sky, causing the ground to shake. The wildhounds that were
nearly an arm’s length away from Elara shrieked in pain and fell to the sand at her feet. They must be sensitive to loud sounds, she thought. She exhaled a breath of relief and looked back up at the sky. She had to rub her eyes to make sure they weren’t playing tricks on her.
In the distance, she saw a mighty dragon rapidly approaching, flapping its thick wings in the breeze. The dragon’s colossal-sized body was mainly black with rigid scales, and its wings shimmered a bright red color in the sun. It had long, sharp talons and several horns near its head, with a tail extending a mile behind. Its eyes twinkled red and its tongue brimmed with fire and smoke. It was larger than anything Elara had ever seen – perhaps even bigger than the arena.
“It’s a dragon!” She heard the King exclaim, as panic erupted. “Archers, guards, Knights - attack! Make sure everyone across the country sees this!”
The crowd screamed and quickly dispersed at the sight of the dragon, desperate to find the exit and escape. The archers on the top level aimed and released their arrows, but the dragon was too quick. It contorted its body, and, while hovering in the air, gracefully and narrowly avoided being hit.
The dragon displayed its long, slithering tongue, and sent a wave of fire towards the archers. They hollered in agony as they burst into flames, and attempted to put out the fire by rolling back and forth on the ground. The dragon landed at Elara’s feet, and the impact caused the ground to indent and blow sand upwards.
Elara coughed and waved her hand in front of her face, trying to see the dragon through the thick layer of sand that currently swept over her surroundings like a strong mist. The dragon stood there, still, for a moment. Its threatening eyes carefully watched Elara, and she felt her heart race. She backed away slowly, and the dragon lifted its claw. She closed her eyes.
“Please don’t hurt me,” She muttered, hoping it could understand.
She was pleasantly surprised when the claw broke the chains, releasing her hands from their painful grip. The dragon grunted and gestured towards its back while lowering itself to Elara’s level.
“Don’t be afraid. I’m here to save you,” The dragon spoke with a mighty echo, and she was conflicted.
She eyed the dragon warily before she pulled herself onto its back. Better to trust a dragon than the Grey Knights, she thought. As the dragon lifted its head, Elara felt its body lurch backward as if something had pierced its skin. Elara stole a brief glimpse over at King Angus who held a perched bow and arrow in his hand.
“I’m a terrific shot!” He gloated while lowering the bow and arrow, and that same smirk from before spread itself across his despicable face.
The dragon swayed and whimpered in pain while it shook its head in a daze. A red alarm blared through the stadium, and news reporters strained their necks to get a better look. Elara noticed the legion of Knights and guards running up behind them, with their swords and other weapons held high. It wouldn’t be long until more arrived.
“I know you’re hurt, but the Knights are coming. If we don’t leave now, they’ll swarm us and we’ll never make it,” She said, as she leaned forward to whisper in the dragon’s ear.
The dragon nodded in agreement and lifted its body with such great force that Elara thought the ground would cave in. Blood oozed from the side wound where the arrow had struck deep beneath its skin. Elara held onto the dragon’s scales for dear life as it flew her far away from the arena, with her long hair blowing behind her in the breeze.
She took one last glance at David, Prince Hadrian, and her Dad as he finally caught up with the two of them. Looks of relief, wonder and awe washed over their faces while King Angus snarled.
“Do something! Don’t let them get away!” The King bellowed, but it was already too late.
Elara smiled at his frustration. Their figures became smaller and smaller as the dragon gained more momentum and flew higher. She hadn’t felt this free in a long time.
ELARA AND THE DRAGON soared high above the misty clouds for what seemed like an eternity. She tried her best not to look down for the sake of her appetite, but she couldn’t help but quickly glance below every now and then. She had the perfect view of the country of Galea from this height – the Imperial Ocean, the Bluefrost Mountains, the Eleven Kingdoms, and even her poor little city in the Wards.
As they continued, she realized she’d never seen this part of the country before. History of the dragons and witches were seldom taught in school. A large, unbreakable chamber door of fire with tall, matching gates protected these strange lands from the outer-world. She noticed a great stone wall separating the land beyond the chamber door into an equal amount of four bountiful regions. Elara was in awe of the luscious mountains, steep cliffs, flowing waterfalls and spurting volcanoes – as well as the large junctions of markets and sky-rise homes. Unlike the Wards, there didn’t appear to be any homeless or poor. Everyone was equal.
The dragon began to descend and lowered itself onto a cliff of grass, nearby a small cabin which overlooked a sea of red water. It panted and huffed, clearly exhausted from the length of their journey. Elara gently climbed off of the dragon and approached the edge of the precipice to get a better look at the scarlet water. Goosebumps rushed over her skin from the colder air, and foreign birds chirped in the distance. It was like a whole other world.
She heard a thud and turned her head around to see the dragon floating high in the air with a sudden gust of wind and stardust, transitioning from his dragon state. And then, in the blink of an eye, the dragon had transformed from a mighty creature into a normal human-looking man. A normal human-looking man who was stark naked in front of her.
She shrieked, covering her eyes and turning away from him to face the ocean.
“Are you all right?” He asked, and his voice was unsuspecting and calm. Did he really not know what she was so embarrassed about?
She couldn’t bring herself to look at him. She felt her face becoming redder by the second as she frantically searched her brain for something to say.
She cleared her throat. “You do know you’re naked, right?”
“When we transition, our clothes often shrink and tear; sometimes worse than others. In Nerennia, we don’t see nudity as a taboo. I forgot you humans don’t view the naked body with the same respect as we do.”
“Well, I hate to ask, but would you mind putting something on?” Elara asked. “Anything?”
“I live just in that cabin over there. I’ll find something to wear and then you can join me. I’m sure you have things you’d like to ask me,” He replied before she heard him saunter off into the home with the creak of the door.
She waited a few seconds, not daring to turn around again. She took a quick peek over her shoulder and noticed he was gone. She followed his trail, opening the door and entering the cabin. She certainly didn’t expect this would be the home of a mighty dragon.
The place was quaint and lovely, although quite small. The cabin was painted a pale brown, with a warm fireplace in the corner. She could smell the delicious aroma in the air from whatever the contents of the pot were stewing above the fireplace. Everything in the home was neat and tidy, and it barely looked lived in. The cabin housed very minimal furniture or decorations. There were only two chairs, a small trunk, a kitchen, and a bedroom. She wondered why there was such a lack of technology.
On the trunk, she noticed a diary atop it. She couldn’t stop her curiosity as she reached for the book, flipping through the pages and reading small excerpts. She was surprised to read that the writings were about her - stories about a young city girl with red hair and brown eyes, who was half-dragon, half-witch, and half-human. The words went on for a thousand pages.
“I’m not sure about human traditions, but dragons find it terribly rude to go through other people’s things,” The dragon man said suddenly, cocking an eyebrow and leaning up against the bedroom’s archway.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snoop,” Elara replied, while she quickly put the diary back where she’d found
it.
This time she took a proper look at him. He was finally clothed – and thank goodness for that. He had short hair as white as snow which was tousled to the left side of his face, covering one of his eyes that had turned from a menacing red into a bright golden color. He had strong, defined features, and pointed ears that drooped slightly. He wore a sleeveless vest which displayed his athletic arms, as well as spike-patterned gauntlets and black tights that hugged his shapely legs. Elara noticed that there was a dragon birthmark on his left arm – exactly the mark she was born with.
“It’s all right. You’re safe here,” He finally said, clutching his right arm and wincing. The arrow still dug deep into his skin and poked out.
“You’re hurt,” Elara observed, as her eyes explored his wound.
“I’m fine,” He replied, stubbornly, and his voice was a little raspy from the pain.
“No, you’re not,” She insisted as she approached him, while gently grabbing his free hand and leading him to the nearby chair.
“Sit,” Elara ordered, and he did as she asked. “Where do you keep your medical supplies?”
“I appreciate this, but-”
“You helped me, now let me help you,” She replied, stopping him midsentence.
He nodded, pointing to the kitchen. “In the cabinet, over there.”
She quickly searched through the cabinet, retrieving some alcohol, a bandage, and a towel. She wet the towel in the nearby sink, before gently ringing it out. He watched her closely, studying her. She walked towards him, pulling her chair closer and sitting down so they were nearly inches away from each other. She touched his arm gently, taking a closer look at the lesion. He prayed to the Eternal Flame she wouldn’t take notice of the irregularly fast thump in his chest.
“How do you know first aid?” He asked, wanting to break the deafening silence.