Heart of The Carpathian Mountains...

There weren’t always dragons in the valley. Nor had there been high in the Black Hills of the Carpathian Mountains for nearly thousands of years now, but the old folk tales were about to be made real. Nestled deep in the Carpathian Mountains, the castle walls rose high into the night sky, as the thunderous voice of the storm roared out before the claps of lightning streaked across the sky with a madding cry. The winds whipped the windows panes as the rain pelted the face of them like hard tiny pebbles being thrown across the stained glass. The fire roared within the chambers of the highest tower of the castle. A golden blue rim chalice set upon the table was filled with the finest aged wine. Incense and three candles in a circle slowly burned. A fine smoke began rising into the air creating the shape of the golden dragon of old Draco now flickered and sparked from the candlelight. The Queen’s handmaidens hurried to help the royal birthing mother at the queen's side. The Queen was in great distress as the birth of her first child was fast approaching with all the pain a mother could bare.

The Queen screamed out in agony every few moments as the new born tried to make its way into the world of dark secretes and deceit among the castle stone mounts that would’ve otherwise secured the castle keep. At last the tiny head crowed as the heir to the throne made its way into the world. The royal birthing mother gasped, whispering under her breath as a tiny hand popped out of the royal garb she had wrapped her in. "It's a girl your highness. She bares the birthmark once foretold by the stars. The mark your highness, it’s in her left hand." ” “She does?,” the Queen whispered back to the birthing mother overwhelmed with tears of joy. The birthing mother quickly finished wrapping the princess and placed her gently into the queens arms.

“Then the prophecy of the harvest moon and the serpent’s eggs have always been true," said the king. The king was barely finished speaking when Dragar, the eldest of his two nephews spoke up. “Look your highness. The golden chalice holds the smoke in the frame of old Draco the golden dragon rising out of the smoldering candles and incense on the table.” The King and his two young nephews had been standing near the fire as it cracked and spit out tiny burning embers at their feet. The three began to huddled in a tight secretive conversation by the fire. "Are you absolutely sure lads regarding this news you have brought me this late hour and at the door of my heir to be born? How long before your father my brother is to arrive and how many men accompany him?”

“This is treason you speak of my lads. I have given my brother your father everything I possibly could, but my crown and my thrown and now he is headed here to seize my kingdom by force? How oft I have held the two of you within my own heart and mind as equal to sons. I understand all too well how painful it must be to bring this news to my ears. Your father has always been a godly father and I not just an uncle but the king. This news weighs heavy on my heart. I should not want for anything tonight, but to celebrate the birth of my dear sweet child.” The king walked over to where the queen lay on the bed and took the princess in his arms, raised her high into the air and kissed her on the forehead.

“What shall we call her?,” asked the Queen. “We shall call her Lucia Victoria Von WolfsBane,” answered the king as he kissed the queen on the forehead he added. “You have made me a very happy man my love.” Before the queen could answer the king. The guards knocked upon the door and opened it as the king gave call for them to enter. The captain of the guards entered in haste and spoke quietly to the king not meaning to disturb the queen though the queen was well behind her golden laden drapes. “Your Highness." The king’s guard spoke in a bare whisper. “I have word from the sentry of our furthest outpost. Your brother is fast approaching with an army of men at his side. He bares the banner of the grey wolf clan and is dressed in battle armor. I fear he is not approaching as friend, but as foe."

"What would you have me do my king? I await your command, your army as well. We have already secured the gate and set entry guards around the castle keep.” “It is as I suspected” the king responded as the two men exited the chamber door to briefly speak out of ear shot not to alarm the queen. “Let us have hell or high waters,” The king spoke furiously. "Neither foreign foe nor my brother the grey wolf shall enter the gates while I still hold breath within my bones. Sound the entry, man the gates with more men. Send out the raven to the white wolf clan to heed the call of the black wolf clan. We are in need of immediate assistance as commanded by the King.”

After a moment. The king left the captain to join his queen and their new born princess as he shut the door secure behind him. The king called to his nephews. He walked over to the fireplace where the two lads had been waiting for his instructions and said. “Kneel down the two of you. I shall knight you as the queen’s personal guards and entrust you with the life of the queen and the princess." The two men knelt down on one knee as the king took out his sword to knight them before the kings guards the queen, her royal handmaids and the royal birthing mother. “By the land of my forefathers he Black Wolf clan of the Black Forest in the very heart of he Carpathian Mountains. I King Rowan Barte Von Wolfsbane do here by set my sword upon these two nephews of mine, of the grey wolf clan as knights of the realm to set your life to swear an oath by blood to protect the queen and the princess this day and every day after till your dying days.”

Afterwards the two bother’s bowed their heads low before the King to swear their loyalty. “On the lives of our children and the children after them. We two brothers of the Grey Wolf clan vow to protect the queen and princess at all cost, be it life or limb. We swear loyalty to the king the queen and the princess on the prophecy of the harvest moon and old Draco the golden dragon. ” The two brothers spoke had as one. “The two of you remain here. I go to face your father, my own dear brother. I will not forget your faithfulness. Now I go to deal with this madness myself." The king shouted to the guards as they stood in the opened doorway to leave the birthing chamber they had secured as a secrete place, which they had well been guarding. The king and his men hurried to head off the King’s brother at the front of the castle gate.

Lightning struck and the thunder roared as the torrential rains poured down around their heads. The king fought his way through the men in battle until he came face-to-face with his bother, leader of the Grey Wolf clan. Brutus Vain Claw, Von Wolfsbane was a tall man of great strength. He watched as this brother the king approached him. Suddenly he spoke. “The time of the Black Wolf clan is over brother. The time of the Grey Wolf clan has returned. I am the rightful hire to the Heart of the Carpathian Mountains. Bow down before me. Surrender the throne to me. I will gladly let you live out your days in peace along side me.” “Never brother. The time of the serpent's egg prophecy has arrived."

"Behold your queen has given birth to an heir to the throne, who bares the mark of the serpent’s eggs in her left hand. It is you who should bow down to me. I am the rightful king, as is my the heir to the throne. Our brother is on his way. He brings with him his army, which is no match for you. With our combined armies we shall defeat you, brother. I say to you. Lay down your sword now. Swear loyalty to me and your portion of the kingdom will not be rescinded and given to one more worthy.” The king stood eye-to-eye with his brother, as they began to battle in the downpour of the torrential rains making movements and strategies difficult for the two of them.

The good king loved his brother. Thinking back to past memories of the three brothers in their younger years battling it out with wooden swords among the trees of the black forrest. The king was not older yet stronger and held the advantage of known strategies. He had always been spending his days reading, learning and practicing hand-to-hand combat as though he were going into battle. He remembered how his brother would lose his hand-to-hand combat trials due to his inability to hold the high ground, sometimes even losing to his youngest brother because of it. They fought hard through the rain. Branches came crashing down all around them. The lighting struck one tree and then the next cutting off the branches like tiny twigs. The pair tired, but neither one would relent.

The king thought about the queen in the high tower with their new born baby girl. He knew all too well what would happen to the both of them if he should fall by the sword of his older brother. He thought back to the nights before his father’s passing. How the king his father announced the crown would not be passed to his older brother, because he was found guilty of treason, for planning the demise of the king, so he may gain the crown earlier then the length of days and a long healthy life would afford his father the king. He thought of the night of his own coronation to the throne. When his brother tried to mount an attack to take over. How he was banished to the outer realm of the Carpathian Mountains. He was still able to hold his rightful name, as leader of the grey wolf clan only because his father the King loved him so dearly.

He remembered all too well, the night of his father’s passing. The pain in his eyes, as his father spoke his final words. “It saddens me to the depths of my core to see how Brutus has allowed his heart to be overtaken by such darkness. Though he is flesh-of-my-flesh and bone-of-my-bone. I feel I must leave this earth and leave his destiny to my forefathers before me. I feel I have done all I could for him. The thought of taking away his birth right is well enough for the crimes he has committed. With all of my heart, I pray he heals his broken hearted soul. Now take heed my son, my love. Be always watchful. I fear your brother will always seek the throne.”

Suddenly, the two could hear horns blowing in the background announcing the arrival of their baby brother, leader of the white wolf clan coming to the rescue and with him the rain stopped dead. The clouds parted. The moon shone down on the three of them as though the light of the Lord was shining down his reverence over the three of them. All men stopped fighting. They stood looking at the ray of light and gasped at the sudden break in the storm. Surely this was an omen of some sort, but what was to happen next was for the witnesses of all the warring men standing around silently watching. Raygalon White Claw, Von Wolfsbane spoke to the two men and all the men standing in silence. “What say you brothers?”

“What is this word I hear about the two of you come to war one against the other? Brutus! Father dealt with you fairly dear brother. for all your unjust acts lay rightfully upon your head. Now lay down your sword before I signal my men to join in this war. This time dear brother, we shall have to deal with you much harsher than father did. Am I right? King Rowan Barte, dearest brother.” As the three men gathered in a circle. Little did they know high up in the castle tower the queen had gone into labor a second time and was only now giving birth to a baby boy.

The royal birthing mother and handmaidens all gasped as the tiny hand opened to reveal its secrete within. The new prince also held the serpents egg in the palm of his hand. Only this time it was the right hand. “What does this mean your highness, whispered the royal birth mother to the queen?” “It means there will be two dragons eggs to be found. A pair. One male and one female, will both rule over the land wielded by the twins.!" As the queen finished speaking out the prophecy foretold long ago. The clouds closed up taking away the ray of light from the three men gathered together and re-opened up again. Only this time the light of the moon shone down on the window of the high tower of the castle, signifying the prophecy of the serpent’s egg, spoken by Draco the golden dragon, as he lay dying his final words were being fulfilled this very night.

In the silence of the night. The last light of the moon began to fade behind the curtain of the stormy clouds. A shot rang out. The sound of an arrow flying through the air could be heard. It landed into its intended target. One of Brutus’s men had taken this opportunity to take aim at the king. King Raygalon Barte, Von Wolfsbane was struck in the heart and fell to the ground, dead. too be continued...

By Christine St.Croix 9/24/2016, p. 6/4/2022