A Dragon's Love
Kagan breathed in the taste of sulphur and smoke, as he swung his blade on yet another monster flank. “How in hell’s name are all these monster’s making their way here?” he shouted. The soldiers around him grunted as they moved closer to the monsters that swarmed their gates.
“Perhaps these monsters are tired of their false King.” A voice rang out through the courtyard. Kagan turned slightly and then froze his face ashen. Before him stood all those creatures and people of the past that had once been so loyal to him bound by the pipes.
Kagan reached down to where his pipes lay on his body only to find that it was gone. His eyes searched wildly for the wood pipes that had been with him for so long. “Looking for something?” A voice rang out in the distance.
Kagan turned to see one of the many few magic users holding his pipes high above him. “How did you?” he stuttered, feeling a sense of cold wash over him.
The magic user, a sorcerer in his own right looked at Kagan with an eerie smile. “That is not the question at hand.” He sneered, his eyes glittering with wrath. “Kagan, you’ve taken all of us by force, and with lies. So, tell me,” he paused raising the pipes even higher. “WHAT IS MY NAME?”
Kagan’s eyes widened in shock. “I—” He stammered.
The sorcerer’s eyes glinted in triumph. “You don’t even know. I bet you don’t know half of these people you’ve stolen all these years. We’ve only been prizes in your collection. So, doom on you.” He stated before dashing down the pipes that shattered as they hit the ground of the courtyard.
“NO!” Kagan screeched whipping his hand in front of him as a supernatural wind blew once more from the pipes, the wind stretching and returning to those the pipes had once entranced.
“My family.” One of the former children whispered tears falling down her cheeks. A thunder of whispers moved around the courtyard.
Kagan searched those in front of him before he heard the gasps behind him. He whirled around to where his most loyal soldiers dropped their weapons looking at Kagan with fury. Kagan whirled around wildly realizing that enemies surrounded him. He searched for a friendly face, barely noticing that the monsters they’d been fighting, had slunk off their faces full of satisfaction.
“Get him!” The sorcerer shrieked.
Kagan pulled out his sword and yelled before diving into those who jumped towards him. He might be powerless without his magic, but he still had fight within him. And he would continue to fight till his last breath.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Zara rounded the corner and nearly ran into a dragon. “Seraphina!” She shrieked.
Seraphina grinned widely. “It seems our paths have converged.” She mused. “It was a mirror, you’re looking for, correct?”
“Yes. And a pearl is what you are looking for?” Zara asked as she looked around. They were surrounded by mounds of gold, sapphire and ruby gems glinting out of the rivers of chains.
“Kind of like looking for a needle in a haystack, isn’t it?” Seraphina murmured.
Zara scowled, looking around them before her eyes landed back on Seraphina. “Give me your hand.”
Seraphina put her hand in Zara’s a look of puzzlement on her face. “What will this achieve?”
“The Dragon Pearl is an ancient artifact said to be lost for centuries. You are a Dragon. It’s possible there might be some trace of that magic within the pearl to be found.”
“She could be onto something.” Llyr spoke up from above them. He sat on one of the mounds above them a smirk on his face. He held something silver and laced with pearls in his hand, twirling it with a smirk on his face. “For your help dear girl, perhaps I’ll just hand this over, shall I?”
Zara glared at the Dragon furiously. “You’ve had the mirror this entire time?”
Llyr rolled his eyes. “Of course I have. The Enchantress’s mirror? It’s a gift like no other, and usually only given to those cursed by her.”
Seraphina laughed, “Your boyfriend, still had the mirror, didn’t he?”
Llyr scowled. “After he ran off with that woman, who broke the curse with True love’s kiss, perhaps I may have snuck into the castle looking for a token or two to keep for myself.”
Seraphina exchanged a knowing glance with Zara, who suddenly had an odd idea as to the why this particular dragon had become so huge. Zara closed her eyes, holding Seraphina’s hand in both of hers, focusing on the strands of magic she could sense. Suddenly there was a shout from above from Llyr who fell off the mound of gold, that seemed to suddenly be moving.
The mound moved as if it had found a current in the river of gold that surrounded it. Round and round it churned, as a single brilliant pearl, iridescent, a gold dragon circling its frame as it stopped just at the top of the mound before flying down and landing in Zara’s open palm. “You found it.” Seraphina murmured in awe.
Llyr moved closer holding the mirror aloft and towards Zara who reached for it, as she placed the pearl in Seraphina’s waiting palm. The hand mirror was larger than most, a pearl white material encasing it, the handle carved in a loop of winding circles, reminding Zara of the magic that most often flowed in the Enchantresses’ hand. As she flipped the mirror over and looked down on it, the image of herself, sweaty, tired, and triumphant morphed into a face she knew as well as her own. Her sister Zaya, handing an envelope of some sort to a figure shrouded in darkness. “hmmm.” She hummed before looking back up at where Seraphina and Llyr were speaking rapidly to each other.
Zara could not catch much of the words, but did understand, that Seraphina and Llyr most likely wanted to take the pearl back where it was needed. “What about us? The pirates?” Zara asked quietly.
Llyr seemed to scowl for a moment as he looked around the treasure, before his eyes went back to his sister, who was gripping the pearl tightly. He looked back at Zara his tone firm. “The Pirates can have as much treasure as won’t sink their ship. If they continue past this passage,” Llyr murmured pointing to the left where a path was suddenly illuminated with light, “It will lead them back to familiar waters, and much closer to the Kingdom of Beshumaar. Your sister will be expecting you to return swiftly, I’m sure.”
“Thank you.” Zara murmured her eyes going to Seraphina. “Good luck.”
Zara watched as both dragons lifted in the air transforming as they did and flying out of the cavern. She made her way back to the pirates before they could start cursing at the Dragon’s leaving them once more.