THE DRAGON AND HER SLAYER

Darkness… Only the sound of her pounding heart existed, unless she counted the distant roars of dragons flying overhead. Rose took a deep breath and tried to clear her mind like her trainer had taught her. Find peace within the storm, she chanted over and over but try as she might, she couldn’t find it. Her eyes were wide open but everything was pitch black so she might as well have been blind, still she kept her eyes open, her body alert, waiting for his return. And he did. Rose gasped as she heard the fluttering of huge wings and knew her captor was back. The small room illuminated with the fire from his mouth and she gazed at his sharp fangs. She let out a scream and scampered to the back of the cage, gripping the rods tight. He closed his mouth and the darkness returned but she knew he watched her. The darkness hid the dragon's form but she knew he had black scales and equally black eyes…eyes she had looked into shortly before she lost consciousness and found herself in a cage, a prisoner of Ashdrager, the Dragon King. Ashdrager moved his nozzle to the cage and though his steamy breath warmed her body, she shivered. She was convinced he was going to eat her. “Please,” she stuttered, “don’t hurt me.” She was only fourteen. She had not lived yet. A rumble started in the dragon's chest then he let out a roar of laughter, “You can beg all you want, human. It won’t do you any good.” “What do you want from me?” she was bolder now. If she was going to die today, she should at least know why. “What would I want from a weakling like you?” his voice was laced with contempt. In the darkness he flashed his fangs as he said, “You are only bait.” All of a sudden, the place they were started to shake and Rose squeaked, “What's going on?” The dragon, unfazed, laughed again, “It seems he's finally here.” Having said that, Ashdrager receded in the darkness just as the door to the room burst open. She shielded her eyes from the sudden influx of light from the torches held above the soldiers' heads. “Rose!” A familiar voice called frantically. She brought her hands down and looked at him. The light glinted off his armor, and a crown adorned his helmet. With his sword in one hand, King Bernard opened the cage with the other and Rose flew into his arms. “Daddy!” she sobbed, “The Dragon King…” “It's alright, my precious Flower. I'm here now.” Her father soothed as he picked her up. “But Daddy, he was here a while ago. He disappeared before you arrived.” She felt her father stiffen. “Dragons don’t disappear, “ he muttered absently then turned to his men, “Ashtrager is still here. Be at alert.” No sooner had the words left his mouth than the Dragon King emerged from his hiding place, bearing the form of a man then shifted to a dragon in their very eyes, breathing fire on everyone in his path. Rose heard her father swear and he handed her to Favre, his General. “Take her to safety. That’s an order!” he added before his general could protest. Before King Bernard turned to face the Dragon King, his eyes met his daughter’s, “I love you, Rose.” How many times had he told her that? But this one sounded final. “Daddy!” Rose screamed again just before Favre used his Vampire speed to get them out of the room before the next wave of flames. She kicked against the vampire’s cold grip as he kept running. As the Dragon’s lair receded, she heard Ashtrager's roar and the lair exploded, turning everyone within to cinder. “No!” She shrieked. “Daddy!” She cried hysterically till she passed out. Four years later… Rose groaned and covered her head with the pillow to muffle the knocking sound, but Wanda was persistent. “Come on, young Princess, you cannot avoid me forever,” Wanda huffed on the other side of the door. “I’m going to try.” Rose mumbled. All she needed was a few more minutes of sleep. She heard the door open and she groaned again, knowing the fairy had let herself in Wanda's squeaky voice pierced the room, “You have a full schedule, young lady. As the future Queen of Unitrea, you cannot afford to slack off for a second.” Wanda flew to her buried face. “Now, get up on your own volition or else…” Rose turned to her side, sleepy, “isnt it against the law to threaten a royal?” Wanda harrumphed. “You are such a smart mouth. Now up you go.” “No.” Rose said again, trying to grasp on to whatever shred of sleep she had left. Wanda sighed. “Well, you leave me no other choice.” The fairy sprayed something on her and before Rose could react, she had started floating. Her eyes flew open and she screamed when she saw her bed down below. “Wanda!” she yelled, trying to get the pixie dust off her. Wanda gave her a blank stare, arms folded under her breasts, “Now that I have your attention. You have a meeting with your mother the Queen in ten minutes. Then you have your training with Larius, then—” “Wanda, get me down from here!” She was heading to the ceiling, “You know I’m afraid of heights!” Wanda sighed again and snapped her fingers. Rose began to plummet. “Wandaaaaaaa!!!!!!!” She stopped inches from her bed then slowly eased to her bed. Wanda remained suspended in midair, her wings fluttering to keep her there. She looked pleased with herself. “Your maids are already on their way to prepare you to meet the Queen. Do you want me to pick out something pretty for you?” It was then Rose raised her head, she pushed strands of black curly hair from her sunkissed face . her dark eyes stared into the fairy’s green eyes. “Screw you, Fairy.” Rose felt a sense of satisfaction when Wanda gasped. “Rose Yvenna Von Adams, how many times have I told you to leave that sort of language for the Trolls? You are a Princess!” Wanda clicked her tongue and started to leave. “I’ll be back in five minutes and you had better by ready, and one more thing,” she turned when she got to the door. “Happy birthday, your majesty.” ..... Amidst the flowers, Volcana sat, picking at the petals of the white rose in her hand. The Queen of Dragons hummed an ancient tone and let another petal fall to the ground. “There are white roses, red roses, pink roses and even purple roses. How come there are no black ones?” The maid beside her replied, “I don’t know, your majesty, but if there was, it would match your dress.” Volcana smiled. The dragon queen always dressed in black, for it was easier to hide in plain sight when dressed like that. Her father, Ashdrager, had taught her that. The wind whipped through her body letting straight black strands of hair escape. she tucked them behind her ear and sighed out of boredom. Her brother, Calien had gone to inspect the training ground and would not be back till evening. What shall she do to pass the time? Gazing at the petals, she decided. she stood to her feet and the maid bowed, not wanting to look into her Queen's blood red eyes. She spoke to the maid. “Come and help me prepare. I have a birthday ball to attend tonight so I must look my best.", Volcana smiled, "I hope the Princess likes my gift.”