It’s been a week now since the Dragon left.
During that time we’ve travelled for a bit
Finaly getting out of the stone lands
Coming into a land that seems more
Grassy.
It’s kinda like the stone lands but filled with grass
And a lot more humid.
The nights here are not as hellish, and sometimes we can see rabbits or foxes.
So food has not been scarce
And luckily, I had a mana stone in my jacket before we ran away
Making it easy to feed both of our needs.
During our travels
She has been
Very quiet.
Barely registering the change of landscapes
And only talking when I’m asking questions.
I’m worried
This is not right
She is so strong
But
Now she feels so very
Weak.
I’m worried
Very worried.
Letting loose an arrow
I hear a satisfying thump as I strike my target.
“Woohoo! Rabbit for dinner, hey! Would you like to skin it or should i?”
“Mmmhm”
...
Okay, so it’s on me to skin it I guess
She seems to be thinking again.
The last two weeks have been very thougtfull for her.
I wonder what she’s thinking about.
Walking up to the downed rabbit
I absentmindedly pick it up while removing the arrow.
Then turning around
Walking back to her
Seeing her sitting down, playing with a few strands of grass
While letting the firestone sit atop a larger flat stone.
Creating a small makeshift fireplace to heat upthe stone.
Sitting down beside her, I bring out a knife and start cutting the rabbit.
Letting my eyes rest on the task
“Hey”
I say, quietly.
Getting a small nod in response.
“What are you thinking about?”
A short silence
“Life, I guess.”This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
She responded, still letting her eyes rest on the rock and firestone
Watching the flames burn slowly, turning the rock red around in her hands.
“What about life, are you thinking about?”
A new short silence
Looking up towards me
Two tired eyes looking at me.
Making me focus on her instead of my task.
“Mister Butler, thank you for worrying about me. But it’s very tiring to talk about this, let me just be... I’ll become myself again soon. But right now I just need... Time”
Looking down again
Hands on the stone.
A bright red now
But not burning her
Something that still makes me go wide eyed.
“Okay, no problem.”
I smile
Letting myself focus on gutting the rabbit again.
Well.
It’s been a month and a half now
And I’ve come to a realisation.
I need to pick an element.
After my ritual to become an elder
I’ve been delaying the decision
Not wanting to make such a life changing choice without thinking about it.
But
After what has happened
I don''t think I have the luxury to not get stronger.
Hmmm
What IS my element?
Trying to figure it out
I found myself asking.
“Heey, what do you think my element is?”
While walking behind me, she turned around to look at me.
Seeing my head watching the ground below.
“Rocks”
“Rocks?”
“Yeah”
Huh.
What does she mean?
Does she mean like, earth.
Oh yeah, maybe
That could fit me.
“Why do you thinkthat?”
“You''re a kind soul, solid and unchanging”
...
That was a little more than I expected
Cheeks turning a shade of red.
No more questions were asked.
“Hey, where are you from?”
I asked her
Sitting down by a small tree.
One of the few we’ve seen
Maybe the only we’ve seen.
“I dont know”
“You don’t?”
“Well, I doooo. But you know, I dont know where it is.”
She said, giving me a small goofy smile
“Oh Okay, I understand.”
Smiling in response
At both her goofy smile and her bright attitude.
She’s gotten better at talking now
More verbal.
More life in her eyes.
That’s reassuring
I knew she would bounce back
She’s too strong to stay sad.
“You know, I never had a childhood”
She whispered:
Arms around her knees, face down.
Huh
Where did that come from?
I stayed silent
Looking at her
Both confused and amazed at her words.
“When I was born, I was born with a... Gift”
The last words sound like poison
Eyebrows furrowing
And smile turning neutral.
“This gift made me important to my village, a village of very, verypowerful people.”
A short pause
Face still neutral
Wind swaying her hair.
“Well, this gift made me worthy. Worthy of being a vessel.”
A vessel?
What does she mean?
But she did not elaborate
Staying silent.
Leaving me with my thoughts
Forming and dissolving
Wondering.
Then she spoke up again.
“Have you heard about the dragon’s war against the gods?”
She asked
Looking up to me
Eyes piercing.
“Yes, the Dragons decided that they wanted to become gods, so they declared war on the gods. A war that the dragons supposedly lost, but a war that led to the death of the god of fire.”
I answered back.
Recalling our old stories
Older than even our city
“You’re wrong”
She simplystated
Still looking at me.
What...
But
What?
“The dragons did not declare war, no. There was only one dragon who did. And he did not do it for something as silly as power or greed. No, he did it forlove“
What is she talking about.
Dragons feeling love?
No
They are monstrosities.
Beings capable of destroying mountains
Civilitations.
Even gods.
“You see, one of the gods had killed someone special to him. The god had decided that the dragons were misusing his gift of fire, a gift he had given them upon their birth. So he killed one of them, a message to the others.”
She stared more intently at me
But her eyes seemed
Glossy.
Looking but not actuallylooking.
“But the god miscalculated. He thought no mere mortal could kill him, no mere dragon. But he was wrong, he messed with the wrong dragon.”
A short pause
She leaned back to the tree
Still staring at me.
“The dragon, who in his fury, challenged the god. Flying further than any of his brethren, fighting odds that should be impossible. Doing something that should have killed him, he di-“
Abruptly stopping
Her mouth still open
Eyes closing
Lifting her head up to the sky.
“I was chosen, chosen for a curse.”
A single tear streaking down her face
“A curse that can only be broken by blood.”
A new tear
“I thought. I thought I could challenge it. Defy the path that had been chosen for me”
A stream was flowing
Her body was shivering
Even as the day was hot
“But I guess. I can''t defy fate.”
Her eyes opened
But looking up
“Oh, Iso wanted to. I never wanted this. I’m sorry”
She said to the sky
Watering the ground
Giving life to the tree.
Soon after she slept
A long waited sleep
One that she had not had for some time.
One that told of purpose
A path chosen but denied
A path she now decided to walk.
But her dreams were once again filled with dragons.
A dragon of red
Swallowing a god
But this time
It was different.
For the god had not been fully swallowed
A part escaping
A part not capable of thought
Not capable of anything.
But yet, it saw
It saw itself getting swallowed whole
A red dragon turning blue.
The part saw
And the part floated down
Down below the void
Down to earth
Where it stayed
Dormant
For centuries.
Untill
A human tribe found it
Founding a civilization around it
Getting dreams from it
A thirst for revenge.
Then came a baby.
A baby with a vessel big enough to fill
And filled it, it did
Endowing the child with a purpose
A single use of its power
A destiny the baby would find through its life
Never able to escape:
Death
Death to all
Death to the red dragon
Death to him who killed me.
And so it was
The human child walking earth
Death following her.