Written in Fire

There weren’t always dragons in the Valley.

I stared at the insertion point cursor, which taunted me with it’s persistent flash on the mostly blank document page. While I might have figured out how I wanted my novel to start, my mind beyond that was completely empty, a wall of writers block tall enough to hold back all seven seas. I sighed in frustration, rubbing my hands down my tired face, hoping to elicit even the smallest spark of inspiration. My deadline for this first chapter was fast approaching, and without so much as a single full page finished, I could feel the bubble of stress expanding inside me, threatening to burst into a total anxious meltdown.

I placed my fingers back on the keys and forced myself to type. After cranking out a few quick sentences, I read back my work and immediately let out an irritated groan. Slamming my index finger down on the delete key, I watched the words I had strained to produce vanish without a trace. If that’s the kind of content I send to the publishers, then I might as well tell them to rename the book to ‘Fantasy Cliche – the Novel’. I thought to myself, almost embarrassed that those overused sentences were the best my mind was able to conceive.

After staring vacantly at my computer screen until my eyes began to burn, I shut my laptop and slammed my head down on the table. Come on! How hard is it to come up with a fantasy adventure? You can literally write about anything!

Letting out an exasperated sigh, I shut my eyes, hoping to soothe the pounding in my head. If I couldn’t come up with something decent by next week, my novel would be dropped, and I’d lose my chance at getting published. I tried to relax my shoulders, hoping that a short break might help get my creativity up and running again. Maybe I should make a cup of tea? Or take a quick shower? I thought, trying to decide which activity would be most likely to produce a decent starting chapter. But as my eyelids started to feel heavier and my breathing began to steady, my body decided what it needed most was a few minutes of long deprived sleep.

I woke up in a start, bolting up and immediately feeling the stiffness in my neck. I rubbed it carefully, attempting to stretch the aching muscles. Blinking my half laden eyes, I struggled to adjust my blurry vision to the dimly lit room. A long yawn escaped my lips, and I wiped the drool from my mouth with the back of my hand. I can’t believe I fell asleep at my desk… This is what I get for staying up all night trying to write this godforsaken piece of literature. I chided myself mentally, rubbing my hands down my face in an effort to wake myself up. How long was I asleep for? I shook my head, deciding that didn’t matter and that I should return all my focus to my novel. I reached forward to open my laptop, wiping a hand across my eyes to clear my vision, and thats when everything suddenly registered.

Instead of the shiny silver surface of my computer, I found myself seated in front of several weathered pieces of parchment. A feather quill sat discarded beside them, as well as an ornate jar of ink. My hands, which were previously adorned with chipped nail polish and thick callouses from past years of labor, were now fair and willowy, with long delicate fingers that seemed to have never known any sort of work. I lifted one of them in the air, and examined the billowing trumpet sleeve that hung from my wrist. It was made of a rich, crimson fabric and embroidered with delicate gold thread. My eyes traced down the length of sleeve, right to the point where it brushed against the heavy oak desk that was no doubt at least 10 times more expensive than the squeaky, metal framed one that found its home in my apartment. I could feel the color beginning to to drain from my face as the realization of my strange surroundings settled in. Heart racing, I pushed against the desk, intending to roll backwards away from it as I had done hundreds of times. Instead, I went clamoring backwards, my back thudding against the floor as the wooden stool I had been perched on went clattering out from beneath me.

With the wind knocked out of me, I tried to sit up, and found myself staring down the length of a completely unfamiliar body. A pair of long legs were stretched out before me, covered by a full, flowing skirt that was made of the same crimson fabric as my sleeve. Moving my eyes up the body, I took in the small waist, clearly cinched to size by some sort of corset, and decorated with a golden sash tied around it. My heart was pounding in my ears. Who’s body is this?! What is going on?! Am I finally having a total mental break?! My mind screamed. I could feel a painful throbbing in my temples, and I reached up to rub them but froze when the tips of my fingers grazed my hair. Gingerly taking a strand between the pads of my thumb and index finger, I pulled it out in front of my face to examine it. Instead of the full, dark curls I had always sported, my fingers held a piece of silky, blonde locks.

Hurriedly, I pushed myself up from the ground and swiveled my head frantically, my eyes scanning the completely unfamiliar space. It seemed to be some sort of large tent, but it was luxuriously furnished, complete with a full bed in the center and a sizable wardrobe pushed off to the side. A plush, off white rug that seemed to be made of some kind of animal skin was spread along the floor, and elegant tapestries, which displayed crests I could not identify, hung on the walls. This definitely has some weird medieval glamping vibe to it, I thought as I took in my surroundings. My eyes landed on a wooden vanity that was set opposite to the desk, and I rushed over, intending to get a better look at my appearance in the simple mirror that was mounted on it. When my face came into view, I felt my heart stop.

I hadn’t fully accepted that I had somehow become a different person. But now, starring at the woman in my reflection, I found it hard to deny what I had become. The person looking back at me was a true beauty. Angelic features, bright eyes, flawless skin – she was the type of creature that could maintain control over an entire legion of men purely from the power of her appearance. Her hair was long, falling to her waist, and part of it was pinned back in a meticulously braided hairstyle, one that almost appeared woven. A gilded circlet sat atop her head, held in place by the many braids, and it clearly indicated that this woman was likely of royal status.

I lifted a trembling hand and watched the woman in my reflection do the same. I traced my fingertips across the perfect features, trailing down to the chain that hung around her neck. Rolling a piece of it between my fingers, I watched the woman’s face – which had previously worn a mask of confusion – contort into an expression of panic, perfectly displaying exactly how I felt.

What is happening? Who is this? Why is she me? Or... why am I her? How did this even happen? Is this even real? My mind was racing with questions, my breathing hitching in my throat as I tried to comprehend what was going on. Suddenly, a thought popped into my mind. Oh… This is a dream! Obviously! I almost laughed that I hadn’t realized this sooner. All that time spent trying to write my novel must have lead me to having a dream that I was some sort of princess in a fantasy realm – albeit a very vivid dream. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath. There had been a few times in my life where I had been able to lucid dream, and every time it had happened, I was able to gain control over my surroundings as soon as I realized that it was all in my head. When I open my eyes, I’ll be in the midst of a great castle banquet hall. I might as well use this chance to fuel up on inspiration. I thought, smiling to myself as I conjured up the image of grand stone walls, magnificent food, and well dressed nobles. Once the image was clear, I willed it into the dreams reality and snapped my eyes open.

I found myself in a room. With oak furniture. Tapestries on the walls. And an animal fur rug in the center.

Anxiety surged and swelled in my chest. Squeezing my eyes shut once more, I tried harder to change my dream, to will my surroundings into shifting and forming what I wanted. But once again, when my eyes opened, I found myself still standing at the center of a dimly lit tent.

Why isn’t it working? Why don’t I have any control? My mind screamed after three more failed attempts at changing my environment. Maybe I should try something smaller… I thought, before settling on attempting to change the color of my dress. I closed my eyes and imagined myself dressed in a rich purple. My stomach clenched and I begged my subconscious to cooperate but, to my complete dismay, when I open my eyes I was still dressed in the same bright crimson.

I clutched my head, trying to control my ragged breathing as my nerves flew into overdrive. Bringing my hands down in front of my face, I decided to try the oldest trick in the book and with all the force I could muster, I pinched my left wrist as hard as possible. Sharp pain shot through my skin, and I released my wrist with a gasp. I eyed the spot I had squeezed, and my blood ran cold at the sight of red, swollen skin.

No… no no no! Come on, wake up! Without sparing a thought, I reached up and slapped myself across the cheek. The blow ignited a white-hot sting in my face, but still the room remained unchanged, my subconscious refusing to release me. Still facing the mirror, I could see the flush in the woman’s cheeks, the bright red print from the slap prominently displaying itself on her fair skin. Glancing down, I spotted a pin cushion on my vanity. Deciding against all reason, I plucked one of the small pins out, bit down on my lower lip, and jabbed the pointed end into my finger. I suppressed a shriek and removed the pin. Holding my finger up to my face, I watched as a droplet of dark red blood began oozing out from the prick.

This… is this… is this not a dream? I started to feel dizzy, my ears ringing as my heart pounded painfully in my chest. I stumbled backwards into the vanity, and leaned against it for support as I once again clutched my clammy forehead. Desperately trying to regain control, I sucked in several heavy breaths, willing my body to calm down a little.

If this isn’t a dream then… then what is it? I wondered, my mind making its way back towards the theory that I was simply having full mental breakdown. I placed the tip of my bleeding finger between my lips, scrunching my nose at the all to real metallic taste of blood.

Shaking my head, I decided at the very least I should try and make some sense of what was happening. Pushing myself up from the vanity, I looked about the room again, and made my way over to the desk I had woken up in front of. It was littered with parchments, so maybe sorting through those could give me some context as to where, and who, I was.

Sifting through the pile of documents, my eyes landed on one that was embellished with a magnificent golden seal. A lot of gold in this place, huh… I mused, plucking it up from the pile. I realized it was a letter, and that the woman whose body I was inhabiting was the recipient. My eyes skimmed across the page, trying to quickly glean as much information as possible from it’s contents. It dawned on me briefly that the words were written in some strange language that I did not recognize, and yet I was fully capable of reading and understanding. I decided to ignore this fact, not wanting to add yet another supporting detail to my never ending shock.

From what I could gather, the letter was written to this woman by her father. This woman was the Princess of some nearby kingdom, and she had been sent by the King to an annual political meeting between them and their three neighboring lands. It was a fairly routine event, where representatives from the four territories would meet in a neutral location to discuss treaties, trade, and any other political occurrences that proved pertinent. It was typical of the primary rulers and their advisors to make the journey, but as stated in the letter, the King had wanted the Princess to take on the task this year, so that she might learn more about the responsibilities that befell a ruler.

The tone of his letter is positive… seems like they have a good relationship? Or at the very least that the princess wasn’t reluctant to obey his request… My eyes fell to the bottom of the page, reading over the Kings concluding thoughts:

I know you to be a driven sort, one who would never back down from a challenge.

That is why I find myself in full faith that you will be successful in this endeavor,

and that our kingdom is in the very best of hands under your care.

Be wise always, my dearest Aveline.

Aveline… So thats her name… I repeated the name in my head, brushing my fingers over the letters. With the initial shock at my strange predicament finally beginning to subside, I began to wonder… If I’m here, in her body then… where is she?

Just then a loud, violent blast shook the very ground beneath me. I gasped, dropping the letter and clutching the desk for balance. Items crashed down from the walls and shouting could be heard outside. I waited a moment, hoping for the tremor’s to cease, but to my abject horror, another blast rang through the air, this one somehow more violent than the last.

The sound was deafening, and I couldn’t help but clutch my ears in response. The shouting also grew louder, some of it transforming into panicked screams. Despite the fear that had begin coursing through me, I turned my attention to the tents exit, deciding I should go outside and attempt to find out what was going on. I mustered up my courage and, just as I was about to step forward, a person burst into the tent.

I jolted back in surprise and took in the figure. It was a man, a knight to be more specific. Looking at his armor, I realized he sported the same crest that had been displayed on my walls, and surmised he must have been one of the knights sent to accompany the Princess on her journey. He wore no helmet, and one look at the fear etched across his face told me that something terrible was happening.

“I’m so sorry for the intrusion, your Highness. But the delegation is under attack. I must get you out of here immediately.” His low voice was laced with urgency and he anxiously gripped the hilt of his sheathed sword as he spoke. “What...” My eyes widened at the unfamiliar sound of my own voice. Guess it’s not easy to get used to having become a different person… I swallowed hard and pressed forward. “What’s going on? What do you mean attack?”

The knight glanced over his shoulder, as if he could see right through the tent walls to the crisis that lay beyond. Turning back to me, he stepped forward, his expression hardening. “There’s no time to explain. We must leave, now!”

I opened my mouth to protest when a third blast cut through the air, as if to punctuate his words. This one was so powerful it made my teeth chatter, and the subsequent screams of the people within the camp made my head spin. Without wasting another moment, the knight lunged forward and grabbed my arm, pulling me towards the exit of the tent. I stumbled after him with little choice, and tried to gain my footing as I practically fell into the outside world.

The bluish rays of early dawn were the first thing my mind registered as I found myself birthed from the tent into a realm of pure chaos. Struggling to make sense of my surroundings, I realized that despite the darkness that still hung in the sky, everything was bright – too bright. The knight paused for a moment, whipping his head from side to side. His vice-like grip on my forearm loosened for a moment, and he slid his hand down to my own. A fourth blast sent tremors through my body, and I fell forward, my other hand flying up to grip at his vambrace like a lifeline. He looked down at me, lips twisted in concern.

“This way!” He yelled over the din, using his free hand to hoist me back onto my feet. Pulling me along as though I were a confused child, we swiftly wove our way through what could only be described as the ruins of the camp.

Structures were over turned and supplies were scattered. People ran about like rabbits escaping a wolf. A legion of knights rushed past, swords held valiantly above their heads, shouting after the unseen threat. What are they fighting? Who’s attacking us? Several more blasts had sounded around us since we left the tent, a never ending onslaught that we clearly were not prepared for. I tried in vain to adjust my eyes and make sense of the terror that surrounded me, but the only thing I could register was the cause of the abnormal brightness. The camp… the camp is on fire.

We were surrounded by columns of flames, their white hot tendrils spreading and encasing anything within reach in a deadly embrace. Columns of smoke the size of skyscrapers rose up around us, occluding our vision and seeping into our lungs. I coughed, feeling the acrid burn as my exhausted lungs took in the toxic fumes. I had already been struggling to breath from the force of trying to keep pace with the knights speed, and I could feel my chest heaving desperately for air. The knight continued to pull me, all his focus trained on trying to get us out of the fiery maze before we could be consumed.

Suddenly, I felt my balance give way, my foot catching on the hem of my long skirt. I tumbled forward, slipping out of the knights grasp, and crashed to the ground. Pain shot through my body, and I could feel gravel embedding itself in my hands and cheek. I attempted to push myself up, another round of spluttering coughs wracking through my body. When I lifted my head, I found myself wishing I had stayed with my face rooted to the ground. From this vantage point, I could now make out another horror that had befallen the camp – the sight of burning bodies littering the floor.

Just as I was about to scream, a pair of strong hands grasped my waist and hoisted me from the ground. “Are you alright?!” The knight yelled, his dark eyes sweeping me up and down in search of any signs of injury. I gasped for air and tried to nod, feeling my head spin from a mixture of fear and lack of oxygen. The knights eyebrows knitted together in concern, and he grabbed a fist full of the navy blue cape that hung from his back. With little effort, he ripped off the corner and brought the fabric to my face.

“Here, breathe through this. We have to keep moving.” I took the cloth in my hands and pressed it over my nose and mouth, trying to take in a few deep breaths to satiate my starving lungs. I tried to step forward, but my shaky legs refused to cooperate and I began tumbling down once more. This time however, the knight caught me mid fall. Without a second thought, he hoisted me into his arms, cradling me like a newborn infant. Just as I was about to tell him that I would be okay to walk, he took off in a sprint, moving twice as fast as he had been when I had been following him. He held me close, as if I weighed no more than a kitten, and made his way through the flaming gauntlet, weaving quickly through the destruction that closed in on us.

In a matter of minutes, we found ourselves at the edge of the forrest that surrounded the encampment. The knight gently set me down in the grass, and it felt as though all my bones were trembling within me.

“Wait here a moment.” He said softly, before turning and disappearing into the tree line. I lowered the cloth from my face and squeezed my stinging eyes shut, pulling in deep breaths through my nose. As traumatic as the situation was, all I could think about is why I had gotten stuck in such a frail body. The Princess clearly does not posses an ounce of athleticism. I felt myself aching as soon as we began our sprint. I could feel bile rising in my throat, my stomach agitated from breathing in all that smoke. Swallowing hard, I used the cloth from the knights cape to try and wipe the soot from my eyes and nose. What happens now? I wondered, my ringing ears trying hard to block out the sounds of the crumbling camp and terrified people.

Morbid curiosity began to gnaw at my brain, and in a moment of thoughtlessness, I started turning my head to look back at the atrocities I had just escaped. Just then, the sound of a hooves rushing towards me sent my senses snapping back to reality. I looked forward, and saw the knight emerging from the trees on the back of a magnificent black warhorse. Stopping in front of me, he slid down quickly from his mount and grabbed my waist once again. “We aren’t safe yet. We have to try and make our way up the mountain.” With that, he hoisted me up onto the saddle, before expertly climbing up and settling himself behind me. Taking the reigns, he tried to give me a comforting look.

“Hold on tight, your Highness.”

I grabbed ahold of him as he spurred the horse into a gallop. We ran straight to the tree line, and I could feel the ground beneath us begin to slope upwards. Despite the complex obstacle course of trees, rocks, and otherwise uneven terrain, we never lost speed, the knight maneuvering the reigns as though they were an extension of himself. I bounced uncomfortably between his arms, my already upset stomach rolling and writhing within me. Squeezing my eyes shut, I buried my face against the cool metal of his breastplate, praying that our journey would end before whatever was in my stomach could make its way out.

After what felt like an eternity, we slowed to a gentle trot. I could see sunlight illuminating my closed eyelids, so I opened them and blinked a few times to try and adjust my vision. We had come to a full stop now, and the knight looked down at me.

“We’re going to take a short rest here. Hold onto the saddle while I get off.” Releasing my grip on him, I clutched the front of the saddle, feeling unstable as the knight dismounted. I quickly took in my surroundings, and realized we were on some sort of cliff top, a clearing that jutted out from the tree line. The knight reached up and effortlessly pulled me from my seat, before carrying me over to a flat rock. Setting me down carefully, he studied my face with deep set concern. “Are you alright, your Highness?” He quickly removed his gauntlets and reached a hand up to brush the soot and gravel from my face. Though my stomach was still turning painfully, I managed a nod. “I’m alright.” I said, my voice hoarse. Cocking his head slightly, the knight rose up and moved back over to the horse. He flipped open one of the saddle bags and removed a leather flask. Popping the cork out, he walked back to me and held it to my lips.

“Here, drink. I think it’ll be nice to wash away the taste of smoke.” He smiled kindly, and I readily accepted the offer, greedily slurping back the tepid water from the flask. After I had my fill, the knight took a few sips himself, and surveyed our surroundings. I decided to take this moment of respite to try and find out what had just happened.

“Thank you for saving me, Sir….” I trailed off, realizing that despite the total trust I had shown in him, I actually had no idea who this man was. He quirked an eyebrow at me, clearly confused that I was at a loss for his name. It dawned on me that he could very well be one of the princess’s personal knights, someone she may have been well acquainted with.

“Elliot, your Highness.” He said, the confusion in his voice palpable. I cleared my throat. “Sir Elliot, of course. Apologies, my head is… a bit scrambled at the moment.” I said, trying to play off my ignorance. He smiled slightly. “Just Elliot. We’ve talked about this, you know I hate formalities.” His voice was playful, suggesting I was right about my whole ‘well acquainted’ theory. I smiled back. “Well… then you should call me Aveline. Considering you just saved my life, I think all formalities can be dropped.”

“I was merely fulling my duties. You know better than anyone that your safety is my top priority, your Highness.” I scrunched my face, already disliking being regarded so highly. With a sigh, Elliot decided to placate me. “But I suppose under the circumstances, I will do as you wish… Aveline.” I grinned, already feeling quite fond of him. He returned my expression with a soft smile of his own, before turning to look out past the cliff. I took this moment to study his face, illuminated by the golden rays of early morning. He was young, probably around the same age as the Princess, whom I had guessed was in her early to mid twenties. His rugged features were unquestionably handsome, and he sported a tall build with a sturdy frame. He’s not to far off from how I pictured my male lead… I thought, my mind somehow still able to think back to my novel.

Suddenly, Elliot’s face contorted. He stood, walking towards the cliffs edge, clearly disturbed by what lay beyond. Standing, I carefully made my way towards him. “Elliot… what… what is it?” I asked, my heart dropping as he spoke. “We… we never expected this. We thought we were ready. For anything. We had surveyed the area, like we always do before the delegation. Cleared out the nearby monster nests, checked for troops of hidden marauders. It was supposed to be safe!” I continued forward, somewhat confused by his confession. He turned to look at me with wide eyes. “Your high-…. Aveline. I recommend you stay back. You don’t need to see this.” Ignoring his warning, I continued forward, the cliffs edge coming into view. Looking beyond it, I could see the camp we had escaped from, and fear iced my veins as I finally took in the threat that had sent us fleeing for our lives. I should have listened to him.

“How… How could this happen?” I asked, dumbfounded. The camp, which had been transformed into a raging hellfire, burned endlessly before my eyes, fueled by the mouths of 6 enormous, winged beasts that circled it, like the worlds deadliest vultures.

“Like I said Aveline… We tried to prepare as best we could. With the surrounding mountains, this spot had always seemed so safe. We’ve been using it to conduct the delegation for years!” Elliot spoke with a hint of desperation in his voice.

“Years? Why on earth would you use a spot guarded by dragons for years?” I exclaimed, unable to comprehend why anyone would take such a risk.

A look of pure confusion washed over Elliot’s face. “Guarded by...” His voice trailed off, and he shook his head. “Aveline… this place has never been guarded. You of all people should know, that we thought this sort of threat was impossible.”

He looked back towards the blaze sprawled out below us, and the words that left his mouth next made my entire body seize up, consumed by realization muddled with terror and shock.

“You know just as well as I that… There weren’t always dragons in the Valley.”