A Dragon's Gem

A full moon shone in the sky above, and the woods laid in a peaceful silence. Creatures of the night scurried about, searching for prey or a place to hide. Any noise lasted only a moment, even the large whoosh of wind from above the trees didn’t last long. These large gusts came from the large and leathery wings of a dragon. His body a crimson red, and his scales seemed to shine like rubies when bathed in the moonlight. He flew over the trees towards the towering mountains, a bundle of cloth hanging from his neck.

His name was Astrion, a dragon who had lived for centuries and had watched many kingdoms fall and rise. He had lived among people, gaining knowledge from them and the books they read. He gained so much from the people, and it was because of the great gift that ran in his veins.

Astrion flew through the air, heading back to his home hidden amongst the mountains. As he flew however, his nostrils caught something in the wind.

Smoke.

He flew towards the source of the smell. It seemed to get stronger as he got closer, and finally he caught sight of clouds of smoke rising up from the ground underneath him. As he flew closer he could make out the outline of a village, or what was left of it. He landed near the charred remains and could see the huts and buildings were blackened by the flames that once existed. He slowly moved through the destroyed village listening for any sound, but he could only hear the wind and the crackling of embers amongst the rubble. He then noticed a black lump on the ground.

He moved towards it, and he saw that it was a corpse. A man it looked to be,wearing charred armor and laying on his stomach. Astrion hooked his claw into the man’s breastplate and turned him over. That’s when he saw the signet.

A dragon with a javelin through its chest.

Serpent Masters.

Disgust rose inside Astrion as he thought about the twisted cult who hunted dragons. He moved away from the deceased soldier, and began to leave when he heard a faint whimper. He turned towards the sound and searched for the source. It led him to a hut further from the charred village. Astrion could see a large opening that had been created by the fires. He poked his head inside and could see multiple things strewn on the wooden floors. Astrion continued to look until his eyes caught sight of two figures in the corner. A man and woman lay dead on the ground, red covered their clothes. Astrion turned away, a bit of grief settling upon him. He then heard it again, the faint whimper which soon turned into a cry. He headed towards the noise and saw it was coming from a crate in the corner of the hut, wooden planks stacked on top of it. He went towards it, and used his claw to move the planks off the crate. They fell with a thud, and inside the crate he saw a young child. It laid in bundles of blankets, clothed in a small silk gown. Astrion noticed multiple flowers sewn into the blankets, and a faint name as well.

Esmeralda.

Astrion looked at the child and saw she had a small bit of black hair, and bright green eyes. The child cried a bit, but then stopped as she saw Astrion. He moved back, but the child didn’t have fear in her eyes, but curiosity. Astrion brought his head closer, and saw the child started reaching her hands up towards his snout. He moved closer until finally her hands met his nose. He gave a gentle sniff, and the child giggled as it ruffled the hair on her head. Astrion’s chest rumbled as he chuckled, and he took a step back and looked deep inside himself, feeling for the gift he possessed. He began to feel his wings grow smaller, his neck shorten, and he began to feel cold from the night air. Standing in place of the mighty dragon was a man. His eyes a fiery orange, and his hair a burning red. Once he dressed himself with the clothes he had carried with him he came to the crate, and looked inside again to see the child still staring at him. He smiled and gently picked her up.

“Hello there, little one.”

The baby smiled and he could see her eyes light up. Astrion held her in his arms, and watched as she snuggled closer into his warmth. He instantly felt a sense of protection come over him. The child was so small and frail, and he couldn’t leave her here. He walked out of the hut and began to make his way to his home in the mountains. The baby slept safely in his arms as he walked.

16 years later

The mountains were cool and the wind was warm as a girl sat near the entrance of a large cave, looking out towards the horizon. She had wavy, ebony black hair and shining green eyes. She looked towards the trees and the sky beyond as she admired the stars above.

“Esmeralda.”

She turned around to see her father sitting two bowls of soup down on the table. Astrion’s cave wasn’t like other dragons’. After being alive for centuries, he had learned vast amounts of knowledge, including magic. On the outside, one might see an empty cave, but past the illusion he created was a large fortress of tunnels that went into the mountain. Each tunnel led to different rooms whose extravagance would rival any king’s palace.

“Dinner time sweetheart.”

“Coming Papa.”

They then ate in peaceful silence, stealing occasional smiles from each other. Once they finished eating, Astrion stood up and went to grab a box from the other side of the room. He walked up to Esmeralda and sat it down in front of her.

“For you, my little gem.”

He stroked her cheek and watched as she opened the box. Her eyes seemed to double in size as she saw the bright shining sword inside. Its hilt was golden and crafted so that the end showed two dragons touching snouts. The blade seemed to shine silver with small veins of blue. Esmeralda jumped from her chair and embraced her father.

“I love it Papa.”

Esmeralda picked up the sword. It felt like an extension of herself. Beautiful but dangerous. Astrion had taught Esmeralda how to defend herself should she ever need to. He had taught her sword fighting, hand-to-hand combat, and even had her jump from ledges to rocks on the mountain to improve her agility. She had grown from the small and frail child he found, to a strong, capable young woman.

“Don’t forget, we’re heading to the village tomorrow.”

“Really?!”

Astrion chuckled and nodded at his daughter’s excitement. She always enjoyed being in the village, and seeing what she could find amongst the different shops.

“I can’t wait to go.”

“Then go get some rest.”

Esmeralda picked up her sword and walked off to her bedroom while Astrion stayed where he was. Astrion smiled after her as he thought about how Esmeralda had grown so strong, and every day she became bolder and confident of herself.

Esmeralda’s life had always been with her father, and they had traveled to the village many times, but it was always in his human form. She had seen him as he truly was, but it made her sad that he had to hide his true self. Esmeralda had asked her father about that when they returned home. He told her that people often judged what they thought was out of place or not normal.People would become afraid if they knew what really walked among them. Esmeralda understood that, but she wished that she and her father could just be who they truly were. A dragon and his daughter, flying through the air into the vast world beyond. Able to discover other things and have adventures together. All these thoughts and wishes ran through her head as she looked towards the horizon from her bedroom window.

Maybe one day we will.

Esmeralda then made her way to bed and welcomed the warmth of the blankets that pulled her into a deep sleep.

“Woo hoo!”

Esmeralda shouted in delight as she flew through the sky on her father’s back. His red scales shone in the sun, and his beautiful wings seemed to glow. They flew through the clouds and Esmeralda laughed as she felt the cool mist touch her skin. It wasn’t long however before the village could be seen ahead. Astrion angled his wings towards the ground, and they began their descent. Once they were on the ground Astrion turned his head to make sure Esmeralda got off his back safely. She then came to the front of her father and held out the bundle of clothes for him. Astrion took them in his clawed hands and went deeper into the woods. While he was gone Esmeralda looked towards the village, her excitement feeling her to the brim.

Leaves rustled as her father came back fully clothed. Esmeralda moved forward from the trees and started towards the village, her father following close behind.

“Come on, Papa!”

He laughed and followed, allowing her to guide him.

They went from stand to stand seeing what they could find. Her eyes shined as she looked through the many books he had in one of the large shops. She had such a thirst for knowledge, she didn’t think she would survive without books. It wasn’t long before they had left the hut with Esmeralda carrying four new books in her arms.

“You truly are a wonder, my little gem.”

Esmeralda smiled and was about to respond when she heard a sound erupt from the village square. People began to move towards it, and standing in the center was a man dressed in fine attire and held a scroll in his hand. Esmeralda and her father came forward and listened as he cleared his throat and began to speak.

“People of Mingor. I bring to you a message from his majesty, King Ulric.”

He opened the scroll and began to read.

“Fair village of Mingor, I have sent this message to many other villages to inform you that we have located the Serpent Masters’ in our land, and we have managed to capture many of these evil soldiers. Though we still search for the leader of this cult, let it be known that this victory has dealt a major blow to this bloody cult!”

The townspeople cheered as they heard this news.

“To celebrate this victory, me and my family shall visit each village and hold a celebration so that we may keep our spirits up and never allow these dark forces to taint our lives. Today we celebrate the light in the darkness!”

An even bigger cheer went up from the people. Esmeralda also applauded as did her father.

“We shall see you all in two days' time. With best wishes, his highness King Ulric.”

People started moving once again, but this time in a frenzy as they started to prepare for the royal family. Esmeralda and her father began to move around as well. She was suddenly bumped into and her books fell to the ground.

“I’m sorry, excuse-”

She caught a glimpse of the man as he was already gone, but he was dressed in a black cloak and had a dagger tied to his hip. He seemed to turn back for a second to look at her, and his eyes seemed dead, and crazed as he stared at her for a moment before leaving again.

“Papa…”

Astrion saw him as well, and once his daughter picked up her books he took a few steps in front of her. She could see his face grew serious and he stared after the man, as if daring him to look back at them again.

“Let’s go.”

He began to walk away but she stayed rooted to the ground for a moment, her body felt cold as she remembered the man.

“Esmeralda.”

She turned to her father and began to walk with him, trying her best to leave any thoughts of the mysterious man behind.

Later that night…

Esmeralda laid in her bed, her mind tossing and turning from the man that she saw earlier that day. A sense of dread came over her as she remembered how her father looked, he not only looked serious but angry, she would dare say even afraid. She got out of bed and made her way through the tunnels to the entrance of the cave. She sat down and looked out at the forest again, letting her thoughts run through her head.

“Esmeralda?”

She turned to see her father standing behind her. He came forward and sat down next to her.

“What are you doing up?”

“I couldn’t sleep.”

“Are you alright?”

“I was just thinking about what happened today, in the village…”

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders to comfort her.

She gathered the courage and asked the question that weighed heavy on her.

“They killed my parents, didn't they? The Serpent Masters?”

Astrion slowly nodded and pulled his daughter closer. He could feel her shaking in fear.

“No matter what happens Esmeralda, I won’t let them hurt you.”

Esmeralda felt tears run down her cheeks, but she smiled and pushed a whisper past her lips.

“I love you, Papa.”

“I love you too.”

Two days seemed to go by quickly, and now Esmeralda and Astrion stood in the village again. Before they left home, Astrion ordered that Esmeralda take her sword with her, just in case they had a run in with the hooded man from before. Now they waited on one side of the path with the others, ready to welcome the royal family when they arrived.

“Papa, will they be walking through?”

“No, they will be riding in a carriage up to the castle, but don’t worry you will see them later.”

She couldn’t help but groan. She practically explored every part of the village. This was something new to see, but she wouldn’t enjoy it as much if she couldn’t see them.

“Patience, little one.”

Soon enough a cacophony of cheers rang up throughout the crowd. A large carriage pulled by beautiful white horses rode down the path towards the castle. Astrion and Esmeralda clapped with the villagers and watched as the carriage rode past them followed by six guards on horses of their own. The carriage soon disappeared behind the castle gates, and the people began to move about but stayed close to the castle waiting for the royal family to return outside.

Esmeralda however felt like she would go mad if she had to wait a moment longer. She stared at the castle waiting for something to happen, but still nothing. She then noticed her father was talking with one of the villagers, and an idea came to her. She slowly slipped away from the crowd and made her way towards the castle. She noticed the stone wall that circled the castle, and thought she might be able to see them before anyone else did.

Esmeralda moved toward the stone wall, and grabbed hold of the stones to lift herself up towards the top. She climbed up and crouched on the edge of the wall, and saw the six guards standing ready at the castle doors. She began to watch and see if she could catch a glimpse of the royal family. She continued to watch, but no change happened.

“Uh, excuse me my lady?”

Esmeralda turned toward the source of the voice to find a young man speaking up to her from below. His hair was golden in the sun, and his eyes were as blue as the sea. He looked about her age, and was dressed in fine attire and a blue cloak. She assumed he worked for the royal family.

“Do you need help?”

Esmeralda put her finger to her lips.

“Shh! I don’t want them to see me up here. I don’t need help, thank you. You can go now.”

The young man stared at her curiously.

“Who are you referring to?”

“The guards. I don’t want them to know I’m watching.”

“And why are you watching exactly?”

Esmeralda gave him a glare. Couldn’t he take a hint?

The young man raised his hands in surrender, smirking while he did so.

“I’m just curious. You don’t normally see a lady crouched on top of a wall like a jungle cat.”

She sighed in annoyance.

“If you must know, I’m trying to see the royal family. I won’t be able to get as close as I want when they come out, so this is the best way for me to see them. So if you don’t mind…”

“Jairus.”

“Jairus, I would appreciate it if you would not give me away.”

Esmeralda once again went back to staring at the castle entrance waiting for the royals to come out.

“You do know there’s an easier way to see them right?”

Esmeralda looked back at him in question.

“The royal family will come out in a few minutes, and if you’re at the gates when they open you can be the first one in.”

“I can’t wait a few minutes, I’ve already been waiting an eternity.”

“It seemed like a better idea than to risk falling off a wall or getting trouble with the guards.”

Esmeralda groaned as she began to climb down. She saw Jarius move forward to help her.

“Thank you but I got it.”

She then jumped down from the wall and stood in front of Jarius. His eyes full of surprise as he stared at her. He then focused on her again and smiled kindly.

“You know my name, but I haven’t heard yours yet.”

“It’s Esmeralda.”

“Well Esmeralda, I hope to see you when the royal family comes out. Farewell.”

He smiled and walked away towards the castle. Esmeralda couldn’t help but feel like he was up to something.

“Esmeralda!”

She turned around and saw her father walking towards her.

“There you are, where were you?”

“Sorry Papa, I was trying to get a better look.”

Astrion sighed, but smiled at his daughter.

“Come along, they're about to open the castle gates.”

She followed her father to the castle gates, and people filed in once the guards opened them. They all made their way closer to the large doors, and soon enough the doors opened and out came the king, queen, and their son.

Jarius.

He’s the prince?!

She watched as Jarius’s eyes scanned the crowd, and then stopped and landed on her. He gave her a wink, and smiled. The king then stepped forward and began to speak.

“My people, as you all know we have gained a great victory over the Serpent Masters and in celebration of this triumph, we will hold a great festival tonight for the village!”

Everyone cheered and Esmeralda smiled, she jumped to embrace her father in excitement, and he chuckled as he hugged her back. She pulled away, took his hand once again and guided him through the village. He followed along, but as he walked with Esmeralda, his eyes caught sight of a hooded figure leaning against one of the shops. It was him. Astrion stared at the man for a moment and he returned the stare. They kept looking at each other until a crowd passed in between them. When they passed, he had vanished.

The night was joyous as people mingled around the village square. Astrion and Esmeralda walked through the crowd, their eyes traveling over the many candles and colors that decorated the square. Astrion dresses for the occasion in his most regal attire, and the same could be said about Esmeralda. She wore an emerald green gown, and her hair was down in beautiful black waves, and a green ribbon weaved its way through it in a small crown on top of her head. She also had her sword tied to her waist. She would enjoy herself, but she would not be careless.

Music played and delicious smells carried on the wind. People were dancing and seemed to lose themselves in the music. It wasn’t long before Esmeralda began to dance herself. People cheered for her and children joined her as she danced beneath the firelight. Eventually the music slowed, and people still danced but with partners.

Esmeralda felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. She turned to see Jarius, dressed in fine clothes, smiling at her. He then extended his hand to her.

“May I?”

She was hesitant at first, but then nodded and took his hand. He then led her to the center of the square, and pulled her close. They began to dance and it felt like the world had disappeared around them. Esmeralda was enjoying herself, but she gathered the courage and asked what was on her mind.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were…”

“A prince?”

She nodded.

“I guess I just wanted to take some time to not be the prince, and talk to someone like any other person.”

“I suppose that makes sense, and I know how you feel. That feeling that you can’t be yourself around others I mean.”

Jarius’s smile grew bigger as he heard those words.

“Being a prince is a big responsibility, and people expect so much from you, but there are times where I wish I could just leave that behind. Not have to worry about things like trade or war. That I could just be free.”

Esmeralda felt sympathy for the prince, feeling the same way about her and her father. She wished they could have the freedom to just be who they were. No fear of judgment, or worrying about people like the Serpent Masters. Esmeralda looked into Jarius’s eyes.

“You shouldn’t be afraid to be your true self, if anything that’s where your strengths come from. The person you hide in the shadows is the person you’re meant to be.”

Jarius was at a complete loss for words. He had never met another girl like her before.

“Esmeralda, I-”

Suddenly a mighty bang rang out through the night. Then a crash sounded from the far side of the village as a cannonball destroyed one of the shops. People stood frozen in fear, and then they saw where the cannonball came from. Not far from the village marched four rows of soldiers, and flying above them was a banner. Esmeralda’s blood ran cold. A dragon with a javelin through its chest stood out in blood red.

The Serpent Masters.

People began to run in fear as the soldiers got closer, but they had already invaded the village. They went into shops and dragged people out, seeming to round them up in the center square.

Esmeralda then felt fear flood her as she thought about her father. She turned to Jarius.

“Jarius, my father-”

“Go.”

She nodded and gave him a smile before running off to find her father. She looked all around her, but could only see people running in fear. Esmeralda also saw the soldiers advancing on the royal family. They were pushing the people into the center, as if trapping their prey in a corner. Esmeralda hid behind one of the shops and watched. The soldiers parted to let a hooded figure through. Esmeralda recognized him immediately as the man she and her father had run into the day before. She watched as he came forward and stood before the frightened people.

“A festival? How lovely.”

He smirked and his eyes glowed maliciously. He turned to the royal family who stood in front of the people.

“Ah and I see we have nobility among us. How exciting.”

He moved forward towards them, and that’s when Esmeralda saw two of the soldiers behind Jairus.

“Let’s make this more fun for us as well, shall we?”

The soldiers then grabbed Jarius by the arms and dragged him towards the leader making him drop to his knees.

The king and queen moved forward, but were stopped by the soldiers’ blades.

“What are you doing?!”

The leader turned to the king.

“You took some of our greatest soldiers, it seems only fair we take something of yours.”

The king’s eyes widened in horror as he tried to push through the soldiers.

“No! Please! That’s my son! My boy!”

The leader laughed as the king screamed in despair, the queen holding onto the king weeping into his shoulder beside him.

“Never thought I would hear the great King Ulric beg.”

He turned to his soldiers and removed his dagger from his waist. He put the blade dangerously close to Jairus’s throat.

“I’m going to enjoy seeing your face as I finish you, nice and slow.”

Esmeralda watched as he turned the blade, about to meet Jarius’s flesh. She didn’t think twice before grabbing her sword and running forward.

“STOP!”

Everyone turned to her, and the leader was shocked at first but soon smirked again.

“Well look who's come to rescue the poor prince, the helpless bookworm.”

Esmeralda held her sword at her side, aching to swing at this creature.

“Let him go!”

The man laughed again and fully faced her now.

“What do you intend to do exactly, little girl?”

Esmeralda felt a fire grow in her, and she noticed suddenly s large shadow move quietly above them. She smiled and looked him straight in the eyes.

“Watch you and your men burn.”

They all laughed this time, and the leader moved closer to her.

“You really think you can defeat all of us?”

“Not alone.”

A massive thud shook the ground, and Esmeralda smiled as she knew her father was behind her in his true form. Astrion let loose a mighty roar that echoed through the night, and Esmeralda smiled as she saw some of the soldiers begin to look nervous. The leader however seemed thrilled, and his eyes looked hungrily at the dragon.

“Kill it!”

Nervous as the soldiers were, they knew not to disobey their leader, and charged at Esmeralda and her father. Esmeralda charged forward with lighting speed and began to take down the soldiers one by one. She moved with such grace and ferocity, grabbing one soldier’s arm and twisting it while she kicked another soldier in the head. She felt bones break under her strikes, both from her hand and her sword. Her father also used his tail to slam multiple soldiers into the walls of the shops. She also smiled as she saw the villagers picking up things they could use as weapons and charging at the soldiers themselves. The battle lasted for what seemed forever until Esmeralda saw the leader sneaking up on her father about to swing his blade at him. She rushed forward and swung her blade, but he blocked it and landed a kick at her torso sending her to the ground. He stood over her and raised his sword.

“Now you will die!”

Esmeralda felt frozen, but then she heard a gurgling sound come from the man as he stood over. She saw behind the man stood her father in his human form, a sword in his hand that went through the leader’s back.

“You won’t lay a hand on my daughter you bastard.”

Astrion yanked the sword out from the leader’s body and watched as he fell to the ground. Esmeralda stood up and hugged her father tightly, tears of joy falling down her cheeks. She then turned to the leader who looked up at them with a mad look in his eyes.

“You have…only delayed…her return.”

Blood leaked out the man’s mouth as he spoke.

“Our mother…will rise again!”

Esmeralda held her sword tight as she looked him in the eyes.

“Then we’ll be waiting for her.”

The man seemed to snarl one final time, before his eyes rolled back and he took one more shuddering breath. She then turned to her father, and saw that a man wrapped a cloak around his shoulders to shield him from the cold night air. They then looked to the crowd and saw the villagers staring at them in awe and shock. Then the king came forward from the crowd, and kneeled before the two of them. Soon the queen, Jarius, and the villagers all did the same. Bowing to them in thanks. Esmeralda felt like her wish had finally come true. Esmeralda and her father had saved the village, the royal family, and defeated a powerful enemy. This night would be a reminder for them to never again hide themselves from those around them, but to let their fires burn bright for everyone to see.

Esmeralda tightened the armor she wore, and made sure her sword was secured as she climbed onto her father’s back.

“Ready for another adventure?”

“I was born ready.”

Astrion used his wings to lift them into the sky, and fly them over the woods, and over the village. They flew for miles, even flying over the home of the royal family, waving at them from above. Esmeralda had grown very close to the young prince, and she hoped one day that he would be part of her future.

“Miss him already?” Astrion chuckled as Esmeralda’s face turned pink in embarrassment.

“Papa!”

She shook her head, laughing as they continued to fly over kingdoms and woods for miles.

For now, she let her dreams and her taste for adventure guide her and her father into the unknown. They could fly over kingdoms and explore the world without fear, only determination to explore and to stop the Serpent Masters once and for all. They could finally be what they truly were. A family. Free.