Ode to Vassal

Musical Narrative Introduction (can be sung on spoken to chord progression background)

Am B F B

Girl with an iron clad heart, made to rule the world

C Ab C Ab

Left behind not so long ago, still yearns for love afar

Am B Abm Db

She sees only herself in her eyes, for her river reflection hasn’t a tale

Am F# Am F#

Neither a guardian to help her grow or fend at all

C F# C F#

But something special lies beneath stirring like a strong gale

C Gm C Eb

Found by a maternal dragon who has taught her a skill or three

Am Em F E

Help guide her to restore the path, was the pair meant to be

Am B Am B

Left behind not so long ago, still yearns for love afar

Am B Dm E

Seek justice she must as she grows, the Elder will ensure

Vassal couldn't believe her eyes was she this close to death and she hadn't even had a chance to live yet? She was riding her best friend, her only friend. The dragon who raised her, up to this point. Memories of the beginning barely flashed through her mind as quickly as they came. She couldn’t quite fully grasp them and it was all happening way to fast. It was over 15 years of memories coming and going like sharp bolts of lightning. She had known Ferus since she was three. She remembered their first encounter in the cavern. It seemed like eons ago, but she could still smell the Dragon's hot breath as it nudged her to make sure she was still alive. Her parents and all of the villagers were killed by the Yfel, the “evil doers” as they called them. They were looking for the hedge of life. The bush that restored the natural order of life. The village swore to protect it and now they all were gone. Vassal was hidden in the cavern by her mother Eru and that is where the mother dragon found her. Ferus, the dragon, had just lost her own offspring so she clung to Vassal right from the start. The two were inseparable and here they were, about to fight for their lives. They plunged toward the castle at full speed, since they had to gain the momentum to break though the wall. Battles shouldn’t be made for young adults, much less females. How could this huge responsibility be left up to her? All she could think about was the Elder’s words in her head. You must keep the life cycle going. She had to take what little of the bush that was left and start anew in another location. Her mother left her with just enough of the hedge of life to regrow another garden of it. When she met the Elder for the first time, He said the bush had magical healing powers and gave humans the ability to converse with the dragons. This is how they gained the dragon’s trust and was later able to tame them. Dragons were used as protection against the many that threatened the hedge of life.

As she grew up in the desolate forest, Vassal trained with Ferus and they built a strong bond with each other. They learned to have each other’s backs and they always knew a day would come where they would have to take action and regain control of the hedge of life. So it seemed like today was the day. The closer they got to the wall, the more frightened Vassal got. Would she even make it through the very first impact, or would the crash end it all for her. She was forgetting about the pure magic that grew in her body since she was one years old. Her people gave all of the newborn babies ground leaves off of the hedge of life and this made them resilient to pain. In addition, the bush gave them the native tongue of the dragon. That is how the young adults learned to tame the dragons, build alliances and defend the village.

Vassal was ready but she wished she felt that way. And just like that, they hit the castle wall with the loudest and most invasive thud she had ever heard. She managed to stay on and still steer Ferus through the thick smoke. They landed on a huge stone floor in the middle of the underlay of the castle. She jumped off and began taking the first set of steps she saw. She was climbing them two at a time at this point. She had to find the one they called Bartal. The Elder told her that he was the one responsible for the raid on her village. He had the remaining pieces to the Hedge of life and he was not worthy to keep it. She had to stop him and she didn’t care how she did it. Only that it was long overdue. This was the moment the Elder and Ferus trained her for. She remembered the first time Ferus took her to meet the Elder and how terrified she was to meet another human, but despite how scared she was, The Elder made her feel welcomed from the start. She wishes He was there now to guide her through it, but he wasn’t. She had to do it all by herself this time. Determination led her all the way up the stairs and through the dank and dreadful hallway. She was almost there, she could feel it. It’s not like he wasn’t waiting for her. How could he not be expecting her since the loud dragon crash just a few short minutes ago. She would use all of her might to kick his door in and attack him, just like he brutally attacked her family. She listened at the first two doors she came to and it was silent. She couldn’t wait to try the last door in the hallway since this had to be the one. She was out of options at this point. She listened at the door and heard a sword being dismounted from its sheath. She could feel the hairs standing up on the back of her neck as she kicked the door with all of her strength and plunged forward. She was very glad her daily doses of the Hedge of life as an infant, made her quite the pillar of strength. He was waiting for her and quickly responded to the first blow with a shield block. He kicked her backwards and she flew across the floor. She let her anger and rage get the best of her and now she was at a disadvantage. On her back. It can’t end like this. She leapt up in a flipping motion and lunged forward only to be knocked back down again. His agility and strength must have been heightened by the Hedge. He most likely consumed some as he prepared of this day. So this was going to be a hard and good fight. They went back and forth for a few minutes and her luck ran out. He was faster than her and seemed to be well trained. The hot blade ran through her shoulder like melting butter. She didn’t have time to react, only to yell out in pain. He used that moment to catch her off guard and pushed her through the corner window. She tried and failed. She felt the sharp edges of the iron as it grazed past her cheek. The mist of the night air was comforting, but only for a second or two. She was falling fast and needed a miracle. Just then, Ferus came out of nowhere as if she knew she was needed at that very moment. They were connected in more ways than one. She clung on for dear life and before she got her to safety, Ferus knew what she had to do. She had to use all of her might and let all of that hot air inside go. She welled up and let out the biggest fireball she had ever mustered. It came out in two huge spurts and Bartal didn’t see it coming. He was instantly torched to ashes. Not even the Hedge of life could save him. Ferus had to get Vassal to safety but there was yet one more thing that needed to be done. Ferus had to retrieve the original Hedge of Life that was stolen many years ago. Only then, could the Elder heal Vassal and restore the natural order of things.