ALL BUT BLACK AND WHITE

There weren’t always dragons in the valley.

This valley was roaming with happy people full of colourful events, and celebrations of all types. The king was perfect, young, handsome, kind, considerate, and above all, he was a king who loved and heard his people's concerns. But who can forever be happy? These kinds of things don’t last. Everything pretty comes to an end, and it wasn’t long till all that happiness was drained.

After the king’s wedding, the valley was put through harsh trials and ever so constantly war broke between the people and the royals. There were all kinds of gossip about what was happening beyond the walls of the castle and curiosity roamed the streets where people once upon a time enjoyed walking through but now there was darkness and dreadfulness at every corner.

How can we continue living this way? We have been stripped of our happiness, our rights, and our own lives. What’s for sure is that this valley can never go back to what it once was. Things have changed for the worse and when you couldn’t imagine things can get any worse the king’s new bride kills the king. She then rules the valley along with her cruel red army who showed no remorse for killing the people who thought of the slightest bad of the new queen.

We were no longer free, happy, or safe. We lived our lives with the constant fear of death, we grew conscious of our every step, thoughts, and of the very words we spoke to the very people we once trusted. Even the very people we lived in the same house with because we didn’t know who had turned to the dark side and who was in strong support of the queen.

The very valley where colourful paint flooded the roads on special celebrations was now painting the roads a permanent red and it was anything but paint. We no longer woke to the cheerful sounds of the happy people but screams and cries of children running in fear trying their best to outrun the army with their machine guns.

There was no break from this torture unless you were lying there in your grave. Only if you were lucky to be buried in one nowadays with all the mass killings we were no longer buried individually except a big hole was dug in the middle of the courtyard in the valley all dead bodies of children, mothers, grandparents, everyone was thrown in and then burned when the hole was too full only to make room for more bodies.

The streets that were once filled with the warm scent of fresh bread, blossoming flowers on every windowsill and front doorstep were all washed with the stench of burning bodies. It’s the kind of smell that leaves a permanent mark and no soap no matter how strong the scent can get rid of it.

As I wander along the edges of the river far from all the noise and chaos of the valley I can't help but feel a special kind of presence following me with every step I took it felt as though they were taking two more towards me. I turn quickly in hopes of grabbing a glimpse of who they were, thinking they would run away if we met eye to eye. But when I turned to my surprise I saw a handsome man with such a stern look in his eyes. He doesn't budge, not a bone in his body was taken by surprise not even a slight eyebrow lift. What he does next takes me rather by surprise. A soft smile forming at the corner of his lips.

With a slightly disappointed look on my face, I face him and ask "Decebal you scared me. How did you even know I was here? Did you follow me again?"

Looking so cooky he replies "Hera you are not that special, and I do not care where you go let alone follow you, I am not ur babysitter..." he pauses and rubs my hair "Although I knew you would be here every time things get tough you run away to this place. Ma asked me to check on you, and see if you are okay, but seems you are just fine. So I will take my leave first."

I turn around giving him my back with my arms tightly folded and with attitude I reply "Well be gone then you are stinking up the fresh air I am trying to breathe. And tell Ma I am fine and not to worry about me. I am a grown woman you know. "

"Fine have it your way. See you back at the house loser." He replies with a sarcastic tone. He turns around fast and slowly but surely he starts to walk away from me.

I can feel his presence leave me, I can hear his footsteps descending one foot after the other. Following pure instinct, I turn fast to face him and I grab his arm and pull it back to get him to stop but he keeps walking dragging me along with him. I follow. While I am still hanging off his arm trying my best to stop him using all my strength he soldiers on without pulling a sweat and continues walking.

I finally give up. I let go of his arm and fall to the ground huffing and puffing. He finally stops and says "You gave up quick, weakling."

"I do not get it... Do you like seeing me suffer? You could... have just stopped you know." I reply out of breath and extremely annoyed. But I mean can you blame me the guy is stone rock hearted, annoying fella I tell you. I doubt he has any bone in his body that will shake even the slightest with good, and honest care. I will need to probably die before getting to see that happen.

"Listen there is no such good in this valley it is dangerous and not safe no matter how tough you think you are, or how fast you think you are, you can never win against a bullet let alone outrun it. Be careful for I can never always be there to save you or make sure you are ok. Just promise me this always let me know where you are. It will do both me and you some peace of mind." He says almost serious, but when our eyes meet it felt as though he had gotten all soft and protective.

A side that you must know, he never shows. I never knew he even had that kind of side. He was always so certain of himself, proud, strong, powerful, the most feared blacksmith's in all of Ludlow. Yet he stands here before me fragile and weak. You can be sure I was taken by surprise. And clueless about how to respond.

I sat there in shock still on the ground. He pulls out his hand for me to take. I grab it and pull myself up with his help. Hee helps dust me off "Get on home now before you fall into trouble again."

I take my leave. As soon as my foot hits the ground it shakes and people are yelling in terror in the far distance. Decebal and I look at each other and run towards the valley. We reach the valley and we stand there in complete shock and confusion. Out of breath, we ask the people around what was going on. They just run right past us pointing to the sky. They yell fearing their lives and their children. They try to look for shelter but there is no way we can hide without being caught.

We look up to the sky and we stand there in complete terror. DRAGONS!!

We run trying to make our way home only to find our home burned to the ground in ashes and rumble. We panic and in freight, we try looking for our family. We see Ma running towards the bunker we run after her calling out her name. "MA! MA!"

Upon reaching her we ask if everyone is okay. In shock, we continue asking what is going on and how did it all happen. "The queen is no ordinary person she is a witch who has put a spell cast on many of the men and her army to reign terror in the hearts of the people in the valley. We are not safe. Where is Decebal, I sent him to look for you?"

"He is here. Wait where is he, he was just here behind me." That is when I start to panic and look for him. I wanted to leave to outside to see if I can find him but Ma would not let me. She pulls me by my arm and drags me back inside. "Hera it is too dangerous to go out there especially alone. You must be careful and safe I can not lose another child to the queen. I just cannot."

The next few weeks were a dread the valley was in lockdown and Decebal was still nowhere to be found. Finally, Ma let me out for a while to get fresh air and of course, I went directly to my secret spot by the river. There was a dragon right there but, for some reason this dragon was friendly and his presence seemed familiar.

He approaches close to me. I stand there frozen in fear. Our eyes meet. DECEBAL! The dragon or Decebal I dont know who it is or was but they sure do know me. "Decebal how are you... I mean when did you..." I asked in confusion not knowing how to react.

He wrapped his body around and his warmth just made me feel safe. The only way we could understand each other now is through the communication of his body and his intense look in his eyes. We had been best friends almost family since the day we were born. It was fate that had intertwined with each other and ever since then we had been inseprable. He always was the one who got me out of trouble but some how landing into trouble along the way.

Now even in his new form very badass if I must add he still manages to help me get out of trouble. But of course you cannot have a best friend who is a dragon and not want to do crazy things together.

As the years went by the curse of queen stayed and her power grew stronger by every blood moon. Decebal and me became closer as well as lovers' if I must add. It was just something in him that drew me closer I do not know how I missed it all those years before. He became almost transparent to the lover's spell.

He was tough, feared, and powerful on the outside but inside he was soft, poliet and protective of me and my family. The only time that side of him was shown was when we were together.

During those 7 harsh years of Decebal living in his dragon form I done some research on ways to help get rid of the spell so I can get back the man I truly love. And to help the others of course.

After all that hard work and reading of books I finally stumbled upon a mysterious almost impossible cure. THE CURSED DAGGER OF ABIGOR. 'In order to cure the curse of transformation a spill of a true lover's blood must be drawn from The Cursed Dagger Of Abigor.'

Abigor was a king kind to his people and his wife, but his wife anything but kind and humble. She was a tyrant. Abigor's right hand man Chronos fell in love with the queen and so he placed a curse on the king that transformed the king into a monster and banished him from the kingdom. the king then roamed the woods far from humans later on a women of beauty and kind heart found the king and befriended him she too knew of curses and spells. They fell in love and wish to be together for as long as they lived but in human form. So the Bellicent created a cure by cursing the dagger that belonged to the king and made a small cut on her chest above her heart and placed the blood on his hands but this cure had to be performed in the presence of a full blood moon once the blood moon passes he will forever be cursed with no hope of him returning to his human form.

The next blood moon was only 3 days away. That was the only time I had to find the dagger and perform the cure or I will forver long the touch of my lover's strong hands around my face, the very hands that would make me feel as though the world around me just made sense. We went on this almost impossibel quest to find the dagger both me and Decebal. On the 3rd day we find the dagger deep in a cave. The blood moon finally making its appearence in the sky i quickly take the dagger and place it on my chest as I look one last time in his eyes I push the dagger deeper into my skin.

The dagger drops to the ground and I follow behind it. Why could I not do this small task that will garantee the return of my lover and best friend? What was stopping me? I cover my face with my hands and apologise to Decebal. He takes his hands and places them above mine, lifting my head while grabbing me into an embrace. While we sit there an instinct kicks in and relaisation clears my head.

'He is the man I love, he protects me and always keeps me safe. YOU MUST DO THIS FOR THE GREATER GOOD!'

As he holds me tight I grab the dagger from underneath place it on my chest once again and make a small cut. Once the blood had covered the dagger I look up at the sky and realise the blood moon changing in the finally seconds I had left before the complete transformation I place the dagger on his heart look in his eyes and whisper "I'm sorry". I plunge the dagger covered in my blood into his heart.

The blood moon has completed its transformation. I was too late. I lift my head and take a look at Decebal. He is human again. Not understanding what had just happened I run out the cave and continue running not looking back.

That was the last time I ever saw Decebal. I was never able to forgive myself for what I had tried to do to Decebal, never able to look at him or my family again. I continued living my life on the run, loving them from afar. Always looking for ways to survive all alone out there in the world I knew little about. I had to learn to cook, hunt and build shelter for myself.

I would sit and wonder will I ever be able to go back to my valley and face the people I loved and cared a great deal about. But I guess from now till I was ready I was alone and they were far from me.

Months went by and I had finally settled into the new life I was leading. On my way back to the shelter I felt a familiar presence following me. I turn around to find Decebal.