I'll Come for You

There weren't always dragons in the Valley. In fact, once, long ago, the valley had been known as Vakhir, the Valley of the Chosen, for the Princess of the region was selected as a bride for the mighty kingdom of Ohtzmah

Vakhir became an industrious and lively dwelling place with the care of Ohtzmah, but more than that it became a stronghold. One that none of the creatures of the dark which roamed the mountaintops could possibly devour. Its walls were tall and solid, its soldiers were impossible to defeat, and the greater world knew of the wrath they would incur by trampling on Vakhir.

However, in the center of the prosperous city was a single fruit tree. It sat in the fertile dirt of the Princess Davinah's garden and held the power of the royal family of Ohtzmah. From the single skinny vegetation came true strength; an invisible dome which spread out protectively over the expanse of sky not defended by brick. No being, human or less, could possibly invade the Valley of the Chosen.

All of the citizens were perpetually thankful to Ohtzmah, except that is the Princess Davinah. Now contrary to popular belief the Princess did not dread her fate of marriage at first. The parents she did not know, for they had died a single year after her birth, had left a hole in her heart that no one yet had been able to fill. Not even her long-suffering governess Nachash.

When the king of Ohtzmah had come to the Valley he had treated the young girl as his own daughter. The vibrant King taught her many things. This included the dangers of the special tree in her garden. Things Nachash refused to speak of.

"Davinah, listen closely. You may eat of any tree in the garden except this one. If one is to eat from it, the whole tree will rot, and Ohtzmah's defenses in the Valley will fall. I tell you this so you will not do such a thing on accident. You see, only members of our Royal family can touch the tree. As my son's future bride, you are given this ability. However, if you do this the Valley will no longer be known as the Vally of Vakhir, but instead as the Valley of Abedah, the lost." he had said solemnly.

The king also told of a sparkling future in which his son would come to Vally to be her family. No longer would Davinah be alone with people who treated her as a porcelain doll. Instead, somebody like the king who saw her as Davinah instead of the Princess, would reside with her. It became the young child's dream.

As she grew, she began to send letters to the reclusive Prince of Ohtzmah. The kindly Prince's responses became the sole light in her otherwise lonely existence.

However, as years drug on doubts began to swirl around the teen's head. Was there a better, more thrilling world outside of the bubble? How could her people sit so happily in the stable yet confining world of their walls? Hushed murmurs in the hidden halls of the castle began to fuel her lingering worries. Instead of keeping the world out, was Ohtzmah's keeping her in?

Of course, the princess had heard stories the elders told of terrifying monsters that had once plagued the Valley before her birth. They were great tales, but she began to wonder how true they. Davinah wondered if perhaps, the beings of the stories weren't as the elders characterized them.

One spring day, after much begging, Nachash toke the princess out of the castle on a tour of her walls. Davinah stared longingly at the familiar terrain composed of bare dirt and stone. To anyone else it would have seemed a wasteland, but to the little Princess it was a beautiful mystery.

Long dark tresses of hair that adorned her head, floated around her in a gentle gust of wind which blocked her view. Carefully, she moved the inky strands only to find a boy. The stranger was standing tall on the top of a low nearby mountain she had not previously seen. Davinah's heart jumped in her throat.

The boy, even from so far away was incredibly enthralling. The stranger's glossy chocolate hair fluttered fluidly around his seemingly dark eyes. He stood tall, but his boyish face shape made the naive girl think he was around her age. With a plain white collared shirt and a pair of dark tight trousers over his skinny body he seemed graceful. More than any physical feature, the air surrounding him was refined as he stared brazenly down at the Princess. He appeared intrigued by the young girl's visage.

For a long moment, it was as if time had stood still. Had her Prince already come from her?

"Princess, come we must go now." Nachash reported urgently whilst trying to guide Davinah someplace else. The Princess tore her eyes away from the boy to address her Governess. The frantic worker was eyeing the many guards that flooded the top of the wall. Davinah only had time to think to herself a battle was on the horizon, and then the boy was gone.

Nobody explained the commotion, they simply drove their future queen back to her castle in silence.

The rest of night the brunette girl could not think of anything but that looming figure. How was such a slender boy be surviving amongst the cruelty outside their dome? Could it be that her long held fear was true? Maybe it really wasn't that scary on the mountains. Eventually, she could no longer hold herself back.

"Nachash?" Davinah began from under her soft luxurious covers as her Governess tucked her in. The skinny servant turned her coal-colored eyes on her charge.

"Yes, my Princess?" the worker asked as she held the single candle left in the dark room. The glim illuminated her blemish less tawny colored skin. Davinah could never figure old how old she was, but to the young girl who had no one else to talk to, she was a trusted friend.

"What happened today?" Davinah asked cautiously. Nachash gave the Princess a stern look.

"Don't worry about such things. Just rest." the servant chided while adjusting the blanket around the Davinah.

"Nachash, you don't need to tuck me in anymore. Soon, I will be needing a Lady in Waiting instead of a nanny! Does that not grant me a little bit of respect in your eyes?" Davinah announced petulantly. It made her seem more like the child she had been, instead of the woman she wanted to become.

"Your highness, the people believe your engagement has saved us all. Nobody will question you if you do nothing else the rest of your life, so what is the point in explaining something that could tarnish that blissful existence?" Nachash said, trying to deter the Princess, but the words "The people believe" caught her odd. It was as if Nachash was saying that it wasn't actually a truth, but instead a story.

"Please Nachash. I do not want to be a useless queen. Tell me what happened." The sleepy girl begged once more. After a long moment, the Governess sighed and seemed to relent. This was rare for her.

"Alright." She started timidly. "Today the Lord of the Air appeared in front of your highness."

"The Lord of the Air?" Princess Davinah questioned, having not expected that response. Anticipation was crawling up her skin. "Is he a monster?"

"It depends on how your Highness would describe monster. He...knows certain things. Things we do not talk about in the Valley." Nachash explained slowly.

"What does he know?" Davinah proposed whilst sitting up. The servant smiled and gently laid the curious youngster down on her large bed.

"Wonderous things." The Governess whispered in the young teen's ear, before she stood and headed for the door.

"Wait then why would Ohtzmah keep him out?" Davinah asked, frantic for answers before her servant left.

"Who knows?" The Governess shrugged, but before she opened the door to fully leave, she paused as if to change her answer. "Fear is indeed powerful, isn't it?

As she left Davinah turned her words over in her mind. She tore them apart, threw them around, and then finally digested them. Ohtzmah was keeping a great power from the Valley for fear of being beaten by them.

By Davinah.

Was it in progress? In pure miliary might? The young girl didn't know, but she knew she couldn't trust their words anymore.

Even her beloved Prince.

With a sore heart, Davinah slept. In her dreams, all she could see was that seemingly defenseless fruit tree in her garden. The words of the King echoed in her mind.

Davinah awoke with the King's grave warning ringing in her ears and sweat dripping off her brow. She immediately rose to her feet and thundered out her bedroom door. Surprisingly, she couldn't find a guard on her entire trek to the garden. It was almost as if someone had cleared the way for her revolutionary march.

With ragged breaths, Davinah found the tree. Clumsily, she scaled the wood, her white cotton nightdress bunching up uncomfortably around her thighs. As she plucked the purple plum like fruit, her first moment of hesitance pricked her mind.

Quickly, she shook it off as the stunning image of dark locks filled her mind. When her feet touched the ground, she took one bite of the juicy fruit. At first, she thought it hadn't worked, for it was silent in the Valley for a long moment.

Then, white cracks appeared in what seemed to be the sky, followed by a great shattering sound that shook the very ground Davinah walked upon. The princess fell to the dirt as a great ruby winged beast flew through the shy. A sinking feeling engulfed her being. What she could only assume was a Dragon above her, bellowed as fire erupted from his mouth.

"What have I done?" Davinah cried to the rotting tree.

In the quiet of night, the Valley of Abedah was born.