The Dragon Lord's Wish

Ep 9: Into the Earth

"I'm waiting for you, mon lune, come back to me," a voice calls to me, giving me warmth and a feeling of safety, of rest. I'm surrounded by stars again.

I try to look at who is talking to me, but I wake up as my body is lifted from the bed. For a moment, I allow myself to feel safe in the arms that cradle me. They are trying to be so careful with me, but the effort is futile. I cry out and start to shriek from the pain as my back feels like its on fire and my skin is ripping. I try to move to get away but every time I try it is agony.

"Cedric, she is too fragile, we can't move her like this. We will be discovered!" I heard an elderly female voice say.

I see Cedric through the blurriness of my tears. His face is pained, as if it hurts him to see me suffer. He places me back down on the bed, apologizing profusely.

As I blink to clear my eyes I see a small older woman standing next to Cedric continuing to scold him. Her face has a lot of wear from the weather and life. Despite her appearance, her energy is that of a young woman's. She moves with vibrancy radiating from her.

She turns to me and gives me a soft smile, making her smile lines that much deeper. Her gray hair is up in a bun on top of her head, and she is wearing a thick wool winter skirt. She fidgets with the frayed end of her floral shawl. She gives me a look I am all too used to. Pity.

She puts a spoon to my mouth and makes me swallow the mixture. Its bitter and makes me gag. I looked up to see the bearded man from the stables again. The pain subsides after a few minutes. The old woman spoons some more sweet broth mixture into my mouth. She doesn't speak and neither do I. I am grateful for the peaceful quiet between us.

I begin to feel very tired, and the old woman calls Cedric back. They roll me onto a thick wool blanket and then Cedric picks me up.

I can't tell if it is the mystery elixir she made me drink or the blankets under me but the pain is dulled greatly. Cedric carefully carries me outside and places me in a cart. My eyes started to feel droopy. I want to ask questions, but my face feels funny, and I have a hard time moving it. I try to talk but all that comes out is a soft moan as the old woman settled a pillow under my head.

A blanket covers me, and my eyes start to close. I felt the cart lurch forward and then fall into a rhythmic bumping on the cobblestones, jostling back and forth. I started to fall asleep again and return to my dreamscape. This time I'm not in space. I'm in a bed in a palace made of marble. The silk sheets envelope me like a cloud and I feel at peace. I hear that melody that haunts me being hummed by a deep voice.

I sit up to look for who is humming. There is a door leading to a balcony where there is a man standing there with his back to me. He has long dark hair and his skin is like alabaster. When I get up and walk towards him, I can hear him whispering.

"Estelle, come back to me please. I'm sorry."

I was about to ask him who Estelle was when I was woken up by being picked up again. I whimper but I am too weak to cry. It hurts to breathe, but at least my arm has been put in a sling and tied to me.

Once I blink the grogginess away, I look around. Cavern-like walls surround us with candles littered down the hallway. I see the bones and skulls stuck in the wall and I start to panic. They've brought me here to kill me.

With my heart pounding, I struggle to break free of the man's hold on me.

"My queen please, stop!" he shouts, but I don't listen. I bring my heel down to his groin, and he falls to his knees, dropping me. The breath is knocked out of me as I try to get to my feet with my good arm.

"What are you doing?!" the old woman shrieks.

I don't pay her any mind as I start to run as fast as my broken body allows. My lungs sting and the pain coursing through my body makes the tears roll down my face.

Suddenly, a rock wall comes from the floor and goes to the ceiling, blocking my path. I stop against it and try to push to move it.

"Please stop, we want to help you."

I look back to see the woman with her arm up in the air as if she was holding an invisible object. I stop and stare at her.

"We only want to help get you to safety. You are in the Paris Catacombs, my dear. We have friends down here who can help you heal and live free of Chappon."

I stayed silent, afraid to trust anyone for even a second. I can feel my heartbeat in my chest as if it is threatening to break free. Sweat pours from my brow running down my face and neck. There is no other way out of this narrow hallway.

Trust them madame.

The voice came from my head this time. The voice has lead me to safety... So far.

I sigh, afraid of what is going to happen, putting my trust in these people. But on the other hand, I had been asleep for, who knows how long and from what I can tell, they had taken care of me and even tried to bandage my wounds.

I walked back to the pair and waited for the next part of our journey. Cedric, the large man who had been carrying me, offered to carry me again, but I declined. I come to regret my decision after we walk for 5 minutes. My head swims and I become increasingly short of breath. We move slowly down the hallway as the events from the past week or two catch up to me.

Eventually, the hallway opens into a large room with many lanterns and a table in the middle. I shake from my pain and try to remain standing as we come to a stop.

"So your highness we finally meet," a voice calls from the hallway to the right of the room. A small, bald man with a thin mustache walks to the table and sits down opposite us with a small smile.

"Why does everyone keep calling me highness and queen?" I asked as I looked around everyone in the room. I am met with blank stares from all except the man with the mustache who smiles again at me.

"Well my dear, what is your name then?" He asks, avoiding my question.

"Jacqueline." I reply with a huff. I'm getting frustrated with everyone calling me something I'm not.

"And where are you from?"

"I don't know, I have no memory prior to 3 years ago when a kind tavern owner found me in the street with my head split open."

The older woman gasped at my response. Cedric had a concerned look, and the bald man had a look as if he had just figured out a puzzle.

"I see. Well, miss Jacqueline, shall we look at your injuries to see what I can do for you?" He asks as he stands. I shrink back, afraid of being touched again.

"Dear, he only wants to help you heal. This is Dr. Combs," the older woman places her hand on my uninjured arm to reassure me.

"Combs like catacombs?" I asked. He smiles again.

"Precisely," he says as if it was some profound riddle I figured out.

"How original of you, " I fire back. I don't trust the man. I can't figure out why though.

"I'm glad to see your head injuries haven't stolen your quick wit." he says with a soft voice. He gestures to the hallway where we walk further down into the earth.