Dragoneye

Lorelath raised her head, smelling the subtle hint of smoke on the wind. Smoke wasn’t an uncommon scent in this area; between the campfires of travelers and occasional brush fires, she was used to the smell. However, this smoke smelled different, yet she couldn’t quite grasp the reason. She turned away from the scent of the stag she was hunting and angled her massive wings to bring her back towards the city of Drohmel. The lush, dark, forest stretched before her as she spotted castle towers peeking over the early morning mist in the distance. The trees appeared calm; only the tops swayed gently as her wings blew the breeze in their direction.

The smell of smoke was getting stronger. She raised her head again, trying to identify the underlying foreign scent. Unsuccessful, she turned her attention back to the forest below. A flash of white caught her peripheral vision, followed closely by a small whimper reaching her ears. Lorelath quickly pulled up her wings, halting her forward progress. As she focused her senses on the dense trees, she glimpsed another flash of white. She folded her wings and dove towards the ground, barely feeling the branches lash across her scales. When she broke through the thickest part of the trees, her wings flared out and she landed gently in a clearing. Her head whipped around, searching for her quarry. A branch snapped off to her right, followed by the quiet crunching of leaves. Lorelath sniffed once more, then relaxed. She recognized the scent.

You’ll need more practice before you can sneak up on me, child, Lorelath said, her conscience reaching out to the presence nearby. She heard quick footsteps and turned towards the noise, then stopped cold. A girl stood before her, no more than three years old, dressed in a blood-spattered white nightgown. The girl’s eyes were wide with panic – Lorelath knew these eyes well. One was light brown, the other a deep violet with a slitted reptilian pupil. Her fingers gripped the sides of the tattered gown so hard her knuckles had turned white. Lorelath surged forward then halted, realizing her size combined with sudden movement had caused the girl to jump backwards.

Are you hurt, Princess? What happened? Lorelath asked gently, inching forward.

“P-people came to fight Mummy and Daddy. Bad people. Mummy told me to go with Sir Fendor and Mari, but then…b-but then…” The girl’s fingers twisted and clenched the fabric of her gown, and Lorelath knew she had precious seconds before the shock wore off and sheer panic overtook her. She quickly glanced over the girl’s body; there were no visible injuries, and the blood did not appear to be hers. Lorelath slowly laid down, lowering herself as much as possible until her head was closer to the child’s height.

Princess Irina, look at me, Lorelath commanded, putting just enough force behind her words to snap the girl’s eyes to hers. I need to see what happened; may I look at your memories? It won’t hurt, I promise.

Irina nodded hesitantly, fiddling with the lace on her nightgown. Lorelath shifted and curled up in front of her, curving her tail to form a protective circle. Irina sank onto the dirt and clumsily crawled over to lean against the dragon’s enormous hind leg. Lorelath stretched her neck so her nose was almost touching the girl’s face, then closed her eyes, reaching out until she found Irina’s mind. It felt so tiny, smaller than any mind Lorelath had touched before. It was a small spark amongst the gleaming lights of the grown mortals she regularly felt. It was enough, though, and she latched on, gently probing into the girl’s consciousness. She felt Irina’s body stiffen, no doubt uncomfortable with this new sensation.

Relax, Lorelath said. It’s just me; I know this feels strange, but you’re safe. I would never hurt you. Irina leaned into the dragon once more, and Lorelath continued her search.

Flashes of disjointed memories flooded Lorelath’s mind. Darkness and blankets as Irina woke to her handmaiden, Marinor, whispering “I’m sorry, Princess, but we must go quickly.” The dimly lit castle halls over Marinor’s shoulder, filled with half-armored soldiers and worried nobles rushing in all directions. The great hall of the castle, vast and dark, and two figures surrounded by heavily armed guards.

Irina wriggled out of Marinor’s arms and ran to them, shouting “Mummy! Daddy!” The man and woman in the center turned and knelt, enveloping the girl in their arms.

“It’s not safe for you here, my love,” the woman said, gently brushing the girl’s hair away from her face. “Sir Fendor will protect you; stay with him and Marinor at all times, do you understand?”

Irina nodded but frowned. “Are you and Daddy coming too?”

Her mother gave a small smile, shaking her head. “We must lead the soldiers and protect the city; it is our duty.”

“Irina,” her father said, and the girl’s gaze shifted over to him. “We both love you more than anything in the world; never forget that.”

Another flash and she was in the forest, held tight by Marinor as they rode as fast as their horse would allow, keeping pace with Sir Fendor just ahead. Something small streaked past her peripheral vision and struck the knight’s horse. The animal shrieked in pain and reared back, sending him tumbling to the ground. Marinor pulled sharply on her horse’s reins, halting just before it trampled Sir Fendor. A second later, Irina heard a thud and a gurgling gasp from just behind her, then a second thud as an arrow pierced the neck of their horse, inches from her face. As the horse fell sideways, Irina felt arms pull her free of the saddle and fling her towards a clear patch of ground amongst the trees. Her shoulder hit the ground first, and pain shot through her small body as she rolled to a stop against some bushes. The pain subsided after a moment, and she was able to look up from the dirt. She saw their horse laying on its side several feet away and beneath its body, Marinor lay pinned. Irina let out a cry and ran to her, skidding to a stop and falling to her knees beside the woman.

“Run, Princess,” Marinor gasped, panting heavily. Irina let her gaze drift downward and saw an arrowhead sticking out of her handmaiden’s chest, blood pooling and running out of the wound.

“No – Mari – no no!” Irina began to babble unintelligibly as her vision blurred, tears streaming down her face. She ran her hands over Marinor’s hair and shoulders, trying desperately to comprehend what she was seeing.

‘Irina, listen to me,” Marinor grabbed the girl’s nightgown and pulled her closer, startling her into silence. “You must seek Lorelath. You know the dragon, yes?”

Irina nodded.

“Good. You must run; run to her and show her everything. She will know what to do. Here, this way.” Marinor used the last of her strength to turn Irina so she faced the direction they were initially heading. As she turned, the rest of the clearing came into view; Sir Fendor had avoided being pinned by his horse and was now standing, holding his sword out in a defensive stance. The thundering sound of hooves was drawing closer, and Irina could make out dark shapes approaching fast.

“Quickly; run straight in that direction, and don’t stop, no matter what you hear. Keep running, and Lorelath will find you. Be safe, my princess…”

Irina heard one last strained breath and couldn’t bear to look behind her. Sir Fendor glanced over, locking eyes for a moment, and gave her a somber nod.

Go, he mouthed, and turned back to face the attackers.

Irina ran, tripping over rocks and roots and fallen branches. She ran until she couldn’t hear the clash of swords and the screams anymore, and then she kept running. Eventually her legs gave out and she tumbled face first into the hard dirt. Sobs racked her tiny body as she slowly pushed herself up into a seated position. She looked around at the nearby trees, frantically searching for any dark shapes chasing her. Once she could quiet her sobs, she realized the forest was still and quiet. She remained in the same position for what felt like ages, frozen in fear. Then, she heard wings. Her head snapped up, rapidly scanning the skies. She stood up, Marinor’s last words echoing in her mind. She crept forward, straining to see through any break in the trees. Finally, she glimpsed a large wing and the glint of sunlight on purple scales – this was her!

Lorelath’s eyes opened, her mind returning to her body. Irina’s eyes were already open and filled with tears. The dragon sighed sadly, and her tongue flicked out to gently wipe away the tears.

I’m so sorry, Princess. No one so young should have to bear this pain.

Lorelath withdrew into herself, contemplating. She knew she had to find out what happened to the city, and the king and queen. If they hadn’t survived…she glanced down at the tiny human now in her care, so fragile and delicate. If the worst had occurred, this little girl was now Queen.

Irina, Lorelath said carefully. The little girl looked up at her with wide eyes. We’re not far from my home; is it alright if I take you there?

Irina nodded, perking up just a little. “Will I get to fly?”

Yes, little one, Lorelath said, the edges of her mouth curling up slightly. I’ll be holding you the whole time; you’ll be safe. She slowly stood up, spreading her wings to their full width. Irina held still as Lorelath carefully scooped her up, using her long claws as a basket. She pushed off from the ground, ascending with but a few beats of her powerful wings. Irina shrieked, causing Lorelath to look down in alarm. The child looked up at her with a wide smile, and let out another shrill scream, but this time Lorelath understood it was from delight, not fear. The dragon shook her head slightly; humans were so strange sometimes, especially the small ones.

Princess, please keep your voice low. I don’t want to draw any more attention than needed. Irina’s face turned from delight to startled to sad in a matter of moments. Lorelath’s heart sank.

Although…it is quite fun, isn’t it? she said, her tone taking on a conspiratorial nature. A shy smile crept across the girl’s face, and she nodded happily.

The journey was short and thankfully uneventful. Lorelath continued to catch the strange smoke scent on the wind, concern prickling the back of her mind. She descended into a large clearing, with one end occupied by a large cave entrance recessed into the mountainside. She gently set Irina down, then lowered her head to the ground so the girl could clamber up onto her neck. Entering the cave, she opened her mouth slightly and breathed a careful stream of fire onto the iron sconces set into the rock every few feet. It had been the king’s idea to install them; Lorelath had no need for the light but agreed it would be better if the humans visiting her didn’t stumble around and hurt themselves as humans seemed so wont to do. The torchlight slowly illuminated the vast cavern, and she felt a tension she didn’t know she was carrying relax; she was home.

The clatter of metal objects echoed throughout the cave as Lorelath tossed items out of a corner. Hmm, I know it’s here somewhere, she muttered to herself. Finally, a gleam caught her eye, buried underneath a scabbard and a shield. She let out a triumphant huff and hooked the object with one claw, bringing it out towards the light. She turned and discovered that Irina had crawled to the pile of discarded objects and was examining them, her focus currently centered on a small dagger with a jewel-encrusted hilt that had been freed from its sheath.

Oh no no – no sharp objects! Lorelath exclaimed, scrambling back to the pile and gently knocking the blade out of the girl’s grasp. Irina frowned up at the dragon, clearly annoyed at her toy being taken away.

Those are dangerous, child, Lorelath explained, sweeping the pile behind her with her free leg. But I do have something for you.

“What is it?” Irina said excitedly, promptly forgetting about the dagger. Lorelath extended her paw forward and presented the item she had been searching for. It looked like a shirt, but one made up of hundreds of tiny metal coils. It rippled and caught the flickering firelight as she turned it, causing the material to sparkle and project a brief rainbow across the surface.

This will help protect you, Lorelath said. Your father and I had it made for when you get older, but I feel it should be used now. Here, I’ll help you put it on.

Together, the dragon and the child maneuvered awkwardly to get the armor over her head. It was meant to be a short tunic, but on her small frame, it more resembled a gown. The bottom scraped against the stone floor as the girl turned around.

“It’s heavy,” Irina said, running her hands over the metal.

I can help with that, Lorelath replied, leaning down to touch her nose to the cold armor. A warm purple glow emanated from where she touched, expanding to completely cover the shirt before winking out. Irina let out a small gasp and looked up at Lorelath with wide eyes.

“Was that…magic?” she whispered. Lorelath gave a small hum of amusement, then nodded. “Wow…” she trailed off as she felt the armor once again, much lighter than before. Irina rose up on her toes and twirled, giggling as the material floated just off the ground.

Just one more thing before we can set off… Lorelath turned and set off on a search for another item.

“Where we going?” Irina asked.

I must return to Drohmel, Princess, and determine what has happened. But I will not let you out of my sight, so that means providing all the protection I possibly can. Lorelath paused, contemplating the consequences of Irina witnessing more death and destruction. She shook her head, continuing her search. She could not rest until she knew the whole of what happened, even if it invited more pain.

“Will the bad people be there?” Irina asked, a slight quiver to her voice.

They could be, Lorelath admitted. She leaned down, her nose inches from the girl’s face. The day you were born, I swore an oath to your father that I would do everything in my power to protect you. If anyone tries to hurt you, I will make sure they never try again.

Irina held eye contact with her for several long moments, then nodded and went back to playing with a goblet on a nearby table. Lorelath pulled back, then shook off the chill that had just ran down her spine. Looking into the girl’s eyes had always been somewhat unsettling, but in a familiar way. Lorelath still did not fully understand their connection but knew it must be protected. Today, though, she looked into Irina’s eyes and saw that something had been broken; she saw immense pain and grief, emotions she’d hoped to keep at bay for many more years.

After a few more minutes of searching, Lorelath found the last item on her list and turned back to Irina.

Ready to properly fly, Princess?

The pair flew silently towards the towers of Drohmel. Lorelath pushed her wings to their full speed and hoped the extra straps she had quickly affixed to the saddle would hold Irina in place. She covered the distance quickly, thankful that she had chosen to make her home not so far from the city. The stillness of the area made her uneasy; shouldn’t she be hearing the metal clanging of humans fighting? She scanned the forest for any signs of life, but saw none. She slowed as she approached the outskirts of the city, her eyes searching the path sloping up the hill towards the gates. At this time of the morning, there would normally be tradespeople and farmers hauling their wares up to the gates, but even they were nowhere to be found.

Princess, I need you to lean forward and lay down as flat as you can. Can you do that for me?

She heard an affirming mumble in response and felt Irina shift in the saddle. Satisfied, she angled upwards, aiming towards the tallest tower of the castle. As she cleared the top of the nearest city wall, her senses were overwhelmed by chaos. She heard a loud steady hissing, and a second later green streaks of light hurtled towards her. She twisted midair and dove, evading the volley. Irina shrieked and clutched at the spikes on Lorelath’s back. A jolt of panic surged through the dragon, but she didn’t have time to check on the girl. She pulled out of her dive and spun, searching for the source of the attack. It didn’t take long; another volley of green light shot towards her, but this time she was ready. Two beats of her powerful wings took her up and to the right, where she flew a curving path towards a far battlement. Three figures in heavy armor were scrambling to reload heavy ballistae with strange bolts she had never seen before; they crackled and sparked with green magical energy. As she continued to maneuver out of their range, a searing pain struck her left shoulder. She let out a strangled roar and whipped her head around to see two more ballistae partially hidden by a tower. She beat her wings quickly, trying to put distance between them. After a quick glance along the ramparts to make sure she saw no familiar armor, she took a deep breath, then opened her jaws wide and released a steady stream of purple fire in a wide sweeping arc. Screams echoed in the courtyard as the soldiers tried to reach cover, some falling prone and unmoving.

Cowards! Lorelath shouted in their minds; she saw a few figures fall to their knees, clutching their ears. Come out and face your death like true soldiers!

Interesting choice of words, Lorelath…should I not say the same for you? A deep slithering voice pierced Lorelath’s mind. She looked around, only seeing humanoid figures and hearing the flapping of her wings as she hovered. The strange smoke smell filled her nose again, and her mind filled with dread as she finally recognized the scent. In the distance on the other side of the city, a shadow began to loom as a massive, green-scaled dragon rose into view, its wings sending powerful gusts of wind across the buildings.

No… Lorelath shook her head, instinctively beating her wings to carry her backwards.

The dragon began to fly towards her, green eyes burning with intent and hatred.

Hello, sister.