The waves beat calmly against the shore, foam landing on the darkened sand. Shaye leaned against her head against her knees, watching the waves as she listened to Ashton spin his tale to the other travelers. He told the ancient tale of the sun and moon, the first star-crossed lovers by the light of the campfire.
Shaye leaned against the log her back to them all, as she looked at the beach and thought of all the things that had led her here. Shaye should probably join them all in the firelight but she felt hopelessly lost without Caleb, though that in itself was the height of foolishness. She had chosen to embark on a journey without him.
Caleb was far in the East. Traveling with his troops for an adventure that would be done without her.
For that was the path she had chosen. Or perhaps the only thing she had felt was left to her. Shaye mused. Maybe that was the problem with falling for someone. It made you do stupid things like leaving them for their own good.
To let them carve their destiny the way they were always meant to.
Without you.
Shaye watched the waves and imagined a terrible serpent coiling out of the depths and making its way to the shore to end it all.
It was only at hearing the screams behind her that she realized the serpent was real.
…
Caleb sat astride his horse riding the trail into the mountain and imagine that Shaye waited for him safely. But he knew better. He knew she was a spirit that could not be tamed. He had loved her, for so long and for ages hence had hoped she returned his favor.
That she would stay by his side. As the mountain they approached suddenly moved revealing glowing amber eyes and a snarl that made the horses stomp in their tracks, Caleb reflected that perhaps it was a good thing that Shaye had left him to adventure on without her.
…
Shaye scrambled up as the serpent rose high above them its blue scales reflecting the sea below him, his mouth opening and spewing down ice at them. While everyone scrambled for safety Shaye stood her ground raising her hands, and protecting her people from the ice that fell. The serpent glared at Shaye and the fire that leapt from her fingers as they faced each other across the beach. Shaye did not worry about men and beasts, not when she had this power at her fingertips. The power of the Drakons.
The serpent sunk down, its glass eyes watching Shaye before it moved opening its gaping jaw and blasting out air once more that hit Shaye’s fire once more. The ice melted and the fire blew towards the serpent who swallowed it and sunk back into the depths.
“What in the name of Hecate, was that?” he asked. Shaye relaxed her form and turned to the scribe with a smile. “I don’t think the serpent, appreciated your stories.”
…
Caleb bent back against his horse as it rode underneath the dragon and let his sword cut the underside of the dragon’s belly. Praying to any god that would listen that he would make it to the other side. Someone clearly did, because he made it out, narrowly avoided the Dragon’s spiked tail. Caleb turned and watched as the Dragon fell down to its side, roaring once before it stopped moving.
Caleb dimly heard his men shouting their thanks that they were safe, and their joyous comments of whether they should leave the dragon or cut out its heart. Caleb knew there were some who believed the heart of the Dragon would give a person immortality or gifts beyond desire. Caleb cared not for immortality or the gifts a corpse would give. He flicked the reins of his horse traveling into the cavern and was not disappointed.
In the main antechamber was more gold than any of the men could spend in their lifetime, but that is not what Caleb had left Shaye for. There in the heart of the Dragon’s horde was the mage staff, the silver cane that held the only spell the King would ever need in the depths of the silvery orb, that glowed like an ethereal moon, in the middle of the cave.
The staff that had cost him the love of his life. For how could the sorceress Shaye stand to be with the man who would give the King the one spell that would rid the world of Drakons and other mystifying creatures but also Shaye and her people as well.
How could she ever bare it?
About the Creator
InkGalaxies~
I'm a published writer with two novels currently out there in the world, and four others posted on Wattpad. I've always loved the written word, both in the blogosphere and in fiction.
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