Dragon's Tale

Shattered Scales

By now Alyia and Elma had noticed the uproar that extended from their destination.

Caught in a sudden stampede, Elma, who had alighted from their carriage, lost sight of Alyia and proceeded to take advantage of the guards’ sudden absence, pushing against the crowd and making her way towards the city center.

On reaching the city square confusion compounded.

Stunned and dumbstruck, she took in the gory sight before her, her head felt light, her legs –suddenly too weak to support her body –gave way as she sank to the ground.

She spread out her palm on the floor for support but retracted the arm immediately on coming in contact with a worm gooey substance, raising her palm to her face, the blood sparkled bright red, it was fresh.

Just then an unnatural, smoke like, looking entity appeared, it was then that Elma noticed the prince who stood silently over a corpse, in the center of this obscene scenery. His presence and measured temperance was frightening, further compounding her confusion.

Elma was so engrossed in thought she failed to notice the encirclement that had formed around the site.

The king’s personal soldiers stood surrounding the entire immediate vicinity, their weapons poised, as they watched intently the actions of the prince.

Emerging from the battalion, the king stood, furiously assessing the state of affairs, before finally using his words.

“What is the meaning of this?!”

“For people who delegate the affairs of others, you lot tend to ask this question a lot”

“For whatever reason, you just blotted out decades worth of peace treaties, do you care to explain yourself boy!!”

“Peace?

What peace, you would let your people die, your own daughter, to seek favor with these…creatures!”

“It’s the fate of the world that’s at stake here, these are matters you know NOTHING about”

“I KNOW you plan to give Alyia away today!

…as a SLAVE!”

With that Enraq charged at the king, but clashed swords instead with his personal guard, the king watched anxiously as they clashed blades.

“Give up this madness boy, it’s not too late, arrangements can still be made”

Enraq drew back, simultaneously his opponent’s arms contorted slowly so that his wrists met with his elbow while the fingers sprawled out every which way.

The man let out an agonizing cry, as he sank low in excruciating pain.

“Black magic too? Are there no lines you dare cross”

“It is only a means to an end”

“Son, this is madness”

“You’re not my father!” screamed Enraq, sweat brimming on his forehead, his hair –haven been sprayed with blood –bonded together in parts, forming locks, staying matted to his scalp in some places while air tossed it about in others.

The king stared aghast

“What is this…?”

“You may consider me your penance, for your sins are unveiled.

I also know you pledged the lives of Alyia and Elma”.

Finally regaining composure, the king began again

“You speak in riddles son…”

“DO NOT…!”

“Your sister, Alyia!”

Enraq fell silent

“Stop this madness, She is still princess of Aytnar, whatever deals were made can be dissolved”

“And Elma?”

“Who?”

“The girl you intend to send alongside Alyia!”, yelled Enraq obviously infuriated.

“Is that what this is really about? Your fling with the maid?”

“CAN it be undone?!”

“I can hold off on Alyia, but totally going back on a pledge would paint me a fool, surely you understand”

Enraq composed himself once more

“I should have known no good would come from exchanging words, violence is the only thing your kind understands”.

Enraq let go of his weapon, just as the light left his eyes, it clattered to the ground, the sound, lost amidst the roar of thunder as the wind began to whirl and the skies darkened.

The king’s men pushed to apprehend Enraq but found that they were no match for the elements of nature, making more progress reversing than they did going forward.

“All this for pointless sentiment?!!”, yelled the king as he attempted to brace himself against the elements.

Just then they heard a high pitched scream, all heads turned in its direction to find a girl laying unconscious some distance away from the heart of the commotion.

On recognizing the individual, Enraq snapped out of his trance-like state and descended (for he had been unconsciously levitating) over the body.

Elma’s body lay sprawled out amidst the debris of an annihilated structure.

Blood oozed from a wound on her head, one she was dealt on impact with the ground as she fell.

He, Enraq, picked her, raised her upper body, supporting it with his arm running from her shoulder across her lower back and shook frantically.

His face soon contorted in a suicidal rage which dissipated almost immediately at the sudden appearance of a protruding object extending from his torso.

The man standing behind him stepped back, pulling out the javelin as he did.

Enraq looked aghast, he looked down at the gaping hole in his abdomen and the blood that ran from it.

By this time he had unconsciously let go of the body he cradled, he glided his fingers along the circumference of the wound and raised the hand to his face, staring at the evidence of his defeat, Enraq then slumped toppling over Elma’s body in a clichéd expression.

The king approached the site, cautiously

He looked down hard on the bodies before him before giving the nod to his soldiers as he backed away

The men took action instantly, Enraq was all but lifeless before them, they would make sure he never got up,

Spears were raised high above heads, ready to descend when…

“Father?”

“Alyia?! Where…what are you doing here?”

“I heard the…”, began Alyia, her voice trailed on as she noticed the soldiers standing, weapons poised over her dear brother’s body.

“What…?”, she began, her voice trailing on yet again

The king walked briskly towards her turning her away from the sight.

The soldiers turned to resume their “duties” but only then noticed the bodies were missing.

“Send a message to the Elves and the Dwarfs, tell them of what has happened”

“Yes your majesty”

“And take her back to the castle”, he said gesturing towards Alyia

“The poor girl didn’t deserve to witness this”

One of the guards went up and picked Alyia, who lay frozen in a state of shock, her eyes, empty shells of white and black. He led her to the castle as the king trailed behind.

*

In what looked like an abandoned structure off the coast of the Elfian Empire, silence reigned but for the occasional metallic chiming

In an inner enclosed section of this structure, two bodies, of opposite genders, were sprawled out on two separate tables parallel to each other

A man in blood stained white overalls stood above the female body, caressing the head as he encircled it in bandages. She seemed to be responding to treatment, which was more than he could say for her male counterpart.