The Starry Knight

There weren’t always dragons in the Valley.

The hills had been home to many things, creatures, monsters, even spirits. the wind whistled it’s tune through the ripples and waves in the architecture, and the trees glistened with a fresh dew, highlighting its emerald green nature. how long had it been since the dragons had come? Emily wondered. As long as she had been born, she had been prepared for the case she might meet one. Her father told her tales of when he was a boy, when the land had been laden with all elements of dragons. Her favorite story had been the one of the Starry Knight. He was brave, chivalrous, and mysterious. Many moons ago, when their small town of Caereuluna had come under attack, he appeared and defeated Impes, the strongest of all dragons said to lurk the Earth. Those who witnessed the night and wrote about it claimed the stars shone brighter than they thought one could, and all seemed to appear like falling snow, frozen in place. Impes clawed up the earth, wrecking havoc with everything amongst its path. Citizens ran left and right amongst the panic, with one girl falling in the line of Impes. With her eyes closed, she faintly cried as the cold wind chilled the tears against her face. Suddenly, a tall figure, though young and roughly around her age, stood between her and Impes. His sword, visibly chipped from many battles, now glistened in the moons light, against Impes’ dark claws filled with gravel, dirt, and muck. His light skin glistened against the dark night skies, his purple eyes twinkled like a nebula, and his dark hair sparkled with faint navy blue streaks. “Close your eyes.” He whispered. The girl heard a stroke of a blade, a growl that rumbled the earth, and a thud. She slowly peeked her eyes open to the young man gently wiping the tears off her face. The dragon laid still next to her, with his coat covering its wounds. “Who are you..?” She was mesmerized by his lavender eyes. “…it’s a secret.” He grinned, “Take care.” Before she could reach out to stop him, he vanished into the dark landscape around him. She slowly lifted up his coat, wincing away from the sight of the dragon and it’s injuries. this was all she had of the man she had just met, and she was positive she could meet with him again.

Though the story had been quite the cliffhanger, Emily cherished the story as her own. She always wondered as she slowly walked through the fields, “did they meet again? Did they ever find him? Did they both live happily ever after?” Emily had always asked her neighbors about the tale, though everyone claims he was never to be seen after that day. Emily hadn’t cared much about the dangerous stories, maybe she was more enlightened by the romance. How exciting would it be to have your own knight in shining armor? Emily sat down beneath her favorite tree, and opened “The Starry Knight” to read again. It had been much more exciting than her textbooks or history lessons on the dragon wars. She tried to keep up with the lessons since she favored her life, but what was the chance another attack would happen after so many years of peace? Though she listened so well to her fathers stories, she seemed to have still missed some of the important parts of what to do in case of another attack. Who said stories were for learning anyways?

Emily had never regretted not listening to her dad more than right now. The wind blew harsher than she had ever felt before. As if she had been engulfed in the center of a storm, her mind went blank and her senses dulled completely. In the best case scenario for her, she could start running any direction and hope it’s not straight towards the dragon causing this mess. However, for Emily, her legs were so weak from the stun of it that she wasn’t going anywhere. She had finally understood the feelings of the little girl stuck on the ground. why hadn’t she paid more attention to her fathers’ warnings?

She closed her eyes and relinquished any thoughts of escaping. what a short life she had lived. At least she had a prime 17 years in her small town. She wasn’t broke, she had a small but cozy home, and she always had fresh food to eat. she had never felt burdened by high status or rude neighbors. She lived pretty well, so she had been quite sad it would end now. Worst of all, she hadn’t found her own knight.

The world froze. She opened her eyes to the stillness of time, with her tears frozen still on her face. She never even realized she had started crying. the grass blades stood still, the trees no longer danced with the wind, and the creatures went motionless. A soft scent of pine filled the air, with vanilla and bergamot. Emily’s eyes grew wide as a boy with dark hair and fair skin stood still with his sword drawn in front of her. “Stay close, and don’t move. Make sure to close your eyes.” She watched as he gracefully fluttered his blade in smooth strokes, and the dragon faltered to a stop in front of him. He gently sheathed his sword and turned to face Emily. “You kept your eyes open.” he knelt on one knee and slowly wiped a tear off her cheek. “You’re prettier when you smile. What book were you reading?” He speaks softly as he tries to distract her. Her face stays frozen like the surroundings around her had been just moments ago. “…it’s you… you’re him.” His eyes filled with curiously and he lifted the book out of her hands. A small grin flashed across his face, and he set the book back down. “You should be more careful. Shouldn’t they be teaching you about dragons and what to do if you meet one in school?” Emily’s face softened from surprise to annoyance. “I don’t think what they teach us would have actually helped,”she sulked. “You haven’t answered my question. It’s you, isn’t it? I’ve always believed you were real. Won’t you tell me your name?” The boy smiled softly and turned to face the bright blue sky. “It wouldn’t be good for you to know me. Should we meet again next time, then I’ll tell you.” He readjusted his coat and flashed one last smile, before phasing into the small clearing of forest itself. What if he disappeared forever? Would there truly be a next time?

To be continued~