by Lilly Wilder
I turned my gaze to the landscape, but I didn’t feel as much wonder as I had when flying with Finn. The palpable terror was the overriding feeling I felt. I watched the mountains and valleys pass between us, I saw birds fly away as fast as they could to avoid the oncoming dragon, and I breathed heavily as we ascended up the mountain. The air grew thinner as we passed through the clouds and I wondered if we were ever going to reach his lair, or if he was just going to keep flying until I passed out, and then let me fall to my misery.
The land disappeared beneath the layer of clouds. This was Zerinthor’s land. He was the king of the castle and keeper of the key, and I was an intruder. The peak of the mountain was just about visible and he took me up there among the jagged rocks. I could do nothing but watch as he placed me onto the mountaintop. I was glad to be on my feet again, and I stayed away from the edge, not wanting to fall and pierce myself on the spiked rocks.
We were on a platform that led into a huge cave. Zerinthor beat his wings as he landed and then folded them onto his back. He stared at me, and then stalked into the cave. I assumed he wanted me to follow. I wasn’t sure what he wanted me for, but I knew it had something to do with Dovalia. It was a blessing that I looked like her, because I doubt he would have brought me here otherwise. To him, I would have just been another human who meant nothing to him.
As I watched him being swallowed up into the darkness, I wondered what he looked like in his human form. Finn had told me that he shunned the ability to shift, feeling that it was beneath him, but if Dovalia had shifted then surely he had shifted in the past too. There were some advantages to being in human form, many of which Cal, Finn, and I had experienced the previous night. He must have missed that. Perhaps seeing me again had reminded him of everything he was missing. Maybe he remembered that there was more to life than hatred and vengeance.
I knew there was no point running because he’d only come and find me again, and I didn’t exactly trust myself to make it back down the mountain without tripping and falling to my death. I didn’t want to wait on the platform either because he clearly wanted me for something, and the plan was to try and get him to see reason. I felt vulnerable without Cal and Finn by my side, but they’d admitted that one of the reasons they were attracted to me was because I was fearless, so I composed myself and walked into the dark cave.
It took a few moments for my eyes to adjust, and at first, I thought Zerinthor had disappeared. He was so black that he melted into the darkness as though he was a part of it, and when I did make out his outline I jumped back, startled. He was huddled deep in the cavern, surrounded by more jagged stone. There were stalactites and stalagmites, and from somewhere in the cave water dripped. It was a grim, morose place to live and it was no wonder that Zerinthor was a creature of misery. I didn’t think anyone could be happy here.
I tentatively stepped in, careful to watch my step because I didn’t know what was lying in wait for me on the floor. While I was walking, I kicked something and it made a sound like a skittle being kicked, and it felt like a stick. When I looked down, I saw that it was a bone from an animal. I looked around me at the surrounding area and saw that it was covered with bones of various sizes, and I assumed they were from various species as well. It was as though I was standing in the middle of a mass grave, and I wondered how many lives it had taken to sustain this mighty black dragon through his life.
Zerinthor craned his neck forward and peered at me through his obsidian eyes. When he blinked his eyelids wrapped around his eyes and left a milky film that dissipated moments later. I was wary of his movements, but I figured that if he wanted me dead then he would have killed me by now already. He wanted me for something, but what?
Swallowing my terror, I held up my hands in surrender and forced words out of my mouth. They cracked with emotion and fear, even though I tried my hardest to sound confident.
“What do you want with me?” I asked. There was no reply. Zerinthor tilted his head and I wondered if he could even understand what I was saying. When I flew with Finn, I got the impression that he could, but I didn’t know if it was a universal rule for dragons or not. Besides, Zerinthor shunned humanity long ago, so for all I knew he might have regressed into a pure dragon and lost all ability to communicate. If so, that meant I was in serious trouble because our entire plan rested on my ability to speak to him, so I knew I had to give it another try.
“You brought me here for a reason. Why do you want me? I want to know, so maybe I can help you. Please, give me any kind of sign if you can hear me. I want to know that you can understand me so I can try and help you. My name is Danni-”
As soon as I said my name Zerinthor reared up, opened his jaws, and let out a bellowing roar. The hot air rushed around me and made my hair fly around my face, while sending some of the bones and pebbles that were scattered around the cave flying. The sound reverberated and I winced at the pain, having to hold my hands to my ears to try and soothe the ringing that it left.
But I think I was starting to understand.
“Zerinthor, I’m Dovalia. I’ve returned. I’m back,” I said, not sure if it would work, but it seemed to be the reason why I was there, and if I had to role play a bit to stay alive then I would. I walked slowly towards him and looked him directly in the eyes. Zerinthor continued to stare at me, and then crept forward too, stretching his neck out to get closer to me. I froze at that moment, and waited as his nostrils flared. He sniffed me. I smelled the fetid breath and turned my head away from the saliva that dripped down his jaws. Just one quick snap of them would be all it took to tear me in half and my bones would join the rest on the ground. Maybe I shouldn’t have posed as his dead girlfriend, but as long as he wasn’t killing me, I was calling the plan a success.
When he breathed in my scent he pulled back and shook his head.
“Zerinthor, please, look at me, you know it’s me. I know in your heart it’s true. The impossible has happened. I’m back and we can be together again. You don’t have to be alone.” The more I spoke the more confident I became, hoping that I was doing a good job at imbuing myself with the spirit of Dovalia. But I had one advantage; Zerinthor was desperate to believe that I was his beloved and that desperation might be enough to convince him that I was really her. Everyone had a weakness, and it seemed as though this mighty beast could be tamed by the slender hope of love.
Zerinthor still didn’t seem sure, so I made my final move and walked right up to him, placing my hand on his body. His scales were warm, but I didn’t pull my hand away. I stroked him and rested my head against him, making soft cooing noises, telling him that everything was going to be alright now. “It wasn’t your fault Zerinthor. There was nothing you could have done.”
At that moment I felt his body tremble. I stepped away and gasped. There was a black shimmer that I only just managed to differentiate from the rest of the darkness and Zerinthor shifted from a dragon into a man. His mighty body receded and shrunk. There was a cracking of bone and cries that were even louder than Finn’s. He fell to his hands and knees and beat the ground. I wondered how long it had been since he had shifted into a human, and if it was more difficult the longer they had been in one form.
He stayed on all fours, panting. His black scales had disappeared and replaced with his flesh. He inhaled deep breaths and then he finally looked up at me. Surprisingly, he looked younger than I had imagined, but his skin was deathly pale and there was a sadness to his face that I found moving. My breath caught in my throat and I was frozen in place as he rose to his full height. He was much thinner than Finn and Cal, perhaps because he didn’t get any exercise as a human. He walked stiffly across to a rock, moving as though walking was an unnatural act for him, and picked up a black cloak, which he slung around his shoulders to cover up his nakedness. His face was long, and his eyes were still as dark as the night sky. His hair was long and unkempt, and as he came towards me, I froze in fear, wondering what he would do to torture me, but I told myself tha
t he wasn’t going to hurt me. If he was going to hurt me then he could have done so in any number of ways already.
Somehow, that wasn’t enough to completely alleviate my fear.
I watched him as he came towards me, afraid to look in my eyes but unable to look away. He had the same kind of magnetic aura as Cal and Finn, but he also had a cold, searing energy that was incredibly frightening. When I looked at him it was difficult to believe that he could turn into such a monstrous beast, but I told myself never to forget the truth, because if I let my guard down, I could be killed easily.
I wasn’t sure what was going to happen next. Zerinthor walked up to me and studied me. Then, he fell to his knees and bowed his head. He took my hand and pressed his lips against my skin. They were cold.
“My beloved. You have returned,” he said. His voice was deep and barely a whisper. Like his legs, it was unsteady, as though he hadn’t used it for years.
“Zerinthor, I have returned to forgive you. You no longer have to be angry with yourself, or with the world. It was my fault for going into the storm. You do not have to grieve or stay here brooding. You must live, live for yourself, and live for me.”
“I cannot,” he gasped, looking up at me, his eyes glistening with tears. “I have spent so long…I miss you Dovalia. I miss you with all my heart. To see you again is…” he bowed his head. It seemed as though the emotions were too much for him to handle. I felt great pity for him in that moment. I saw how broken and fragile he was, how he was at the mercy to his emotions just like any regular person. In that moment I didn’t see him as a beast, but as a man, and I knew exactly how I felt.
“Oh Zerinthor, I never meant for you to feel this way. I’m so sorry that this happened. It breaks my heart to see you like this. But you need to move on. There is good in you, I know it, I can feel it.”
“You were the only one who ever could see it.”
“Then embrace that. Be better than you are, for my sake. Live the life that has been denied to me. Let go of this anger.”
“It’s all I have left,” he said, his voice cracking with emotion. I tried to channel Dovalia and say what she would say in this situation. It was clear that he was a broken man and only seeing what he wanted to see. He was so desperate to be reunited with his beloved that he was willing to cast aside all doubt and believe that I was Dovalia. This was my chance now. I had to convince him to give up his wrathful ways and seek forgiveness and peace. I opened my mouth to speak, to guide him to a better path, when a familiar sound greeted my ears. I turned around and looked at the opening of the cave. I saw two shadows slither over the platform, and heard the flapping of wings. Cal and Finn were here to rescue me, but they couldn’t have come at a worse time.
19
The blue and green dragons appeared and Zerinthor instantly tensed. He let go of my hand and stood in front of me. Cal and Finn looked majestic together. It was the first time I had seen Cal as a dragon and I was taken aback by his beauty. He scales were the shade of emerald, and he glowed as the sun shone upon him. He was a little better than Finn, but of course both of them were dwarfed by Zerinthor.
When Cal and Finn saw me, they darted into the platform. I tried to hold my hands up to tell them to stop, but just as I was about to speak Zerinthor pushed me away and my words turned to a helpless yelp. I watched on helplessly as he tore his cloak away and turned into a dragon again, his bones crackling as scales came all over him. I reached out, gasping silently, wishing that I had been able to do more. He shifted into a dragon and became the huge obsidian beast that I had become all too familiar with. I couldn’t blame Cal and Finn for being angry, they were working under the assumption that Zerinthor was causing me harm, but they didn’t know that I was beginning to get through to him. The short progress I had made was all for nothing.
Zerinthor spread his wings and took flight, flying straight towards Cal and Finn. The two colorful dragons moved out of his way. Zerinthor hung between them, his great wings stretched out. In his mind he was defending the woman he loved, while Cal and Finn were defending me. I crawled to daylight and looked upon these majestic beasts clashing with each other. I wondered how many people on Earth would have wanted to be where I was standing, witnessing this amazing sight, but I didn’t feel lucky. I felt afraid for the men I adored.
Cal and Finn attacked simultaneously. I guessed they’d hoped that by attacking at the same time they could destabilize Zerinthor and divide his attention. It was probably the only chance they stood of defeating him, for in a straight contest of strength Zerinthor had them dominated. Cal and Finn dove in. Cal went to scratch Zerinthor with his sharp claws while Finn went to dig his teeth into Zerinthor’s tail again, trying to unbalance him as he had done the last time they’d fought. Zerinthor flicked his tail away, but he did yelp in pain as Cal scratched him. Zerinthor swiped back with his wing, sending Cal flying. Cal spun through the air, his body twisting and falling. My heart was caught in my throat, and a wave of relief washed over me when I saw that Cal regained his balance and flew back to Zerinthor. The dragons swiped and clawed at each other. Cal and Finn had apparently decided that the only way they stood a chance of defeating him was to attack him in close quarters. They scratched and roared and tried to tear Zerinthor apart. Their bodies were like blue and green comets darting about the night sky. Zerinthor stretched his long neck to try and tear flesh from their bones, but Cal and Finn always just managed to stay out of reach. But I knew they wouldn’t be able to stand up to him forever though. Eventually Zerinthor would land a blow, and everything would be over.
I couldn’t let this happen. I couldn’t allow these three dragons to tear themselves apart, not when there was so much at stake! It wasn’t just my future I was fighting for, but the future of the world, because if I didn’t rein Zerinthor in somehow, he’d go on a rampage across the land and thousands, perhaps millions of humans would die.
Zerinthor flung his tail towards Finn and hit him square in the jaw, making his neck twist and his body was carried away with the momentum. Zerinthor used his momentary advantage to take hold of Cal, gripping his wings, Zerinthor reared his head back and drove his jaws into Cal’s neck, sinking his teeth into the scales. Cal screamed in pain and I felt every ounce of it, as did Finn, who twisted his body around and barged into Zerinthor’s bulk. The effort was enough to make Zerinthor bring his jaws away from Cal, but I could tell that Cal was wounded.
I looked around for any kind of weapon, but the only things around me were bones and rocks. Even if I threw them at him, they wouldn’t make a dent in Zerinthor. I felt so helpless, but there was one thing I had in my arsenal, my appearance. Maybe if I could distract Zerinthor for long enough, it might give Cal and Finn an opening to strike. I ran to the very edge of the platform and screamed at the top of my lungs, trying to get his attention. I waved my arms wildly and screamed until my throat was raw. I had to struggled to be heard over the cacophony of their battle. They screeched and growled and the thunder of their wings was deafening, but I did manage to get their attention, although not as I had hoped.
They were in the throes of battle and Zerinthor had Cal in his grasp as he heard my shouts. Zerinthor got distracted by me and delayed his attack mid-swing, but Cal was delayed too and didn’t defend himself properly. The strength of Zerinthor’s attack was such that Cal was flung through the sky towards the platform. I saw the huge green dragon bearing down towards me and I leaped to the side to try and evade the impact, but I lost my footing and teetered on the edge of the platform. I gazed down at the abyss below, knowing that jagged rocks awaited me. Fear filled my heart. I swung my arms, trying to regain my balance, but I felt the world lurch around me as I was falling.
My body twisted and I looked back at Cal, reaching up to him with outstretched hands. He looked down at me but wasn’t in a position to reach. I closed my eyes, not wanting to imagine the pain. It would all be over soon. I wondered if I’d feel anything more than the sharp impact of my skin being
ripped apart by the unforgiving spikes.
Darkness loomed over me, but it wasn’t the shadow of death. It was Zerinthor. He had me in his clutches again and carried me up to the platform, placing me back on solid ground. Cal had gotten back to his feet and Finn hovered by the edge of the platform. I rolled out of Zerinthor’s clutches and the other two dragons came over him, their teeth and claws ready to attack, their mouths open, primed to shoot hot flame. My plight had given them the opening they needed to finally end this, to kill Zerinthor, but I couldn’t let it happen.
I stood between them and held up my arms.
“Wait! This isn’t right!” I yelled. Cal and Finn looked at each other, and then at me. I placed a hand on Zerinthor. “If we’re going to do this then we need to be in human form. We need to talk.”
I looked into Zerinthor’s eyes and tilted my head, making it clear that he had to do as I said. I gave Cal and Finn the same look, and one by one they shifted back into their human forms. As soon as they had done so Cal and Finn both rushed up to me to check that I was okay. They embraced me and kissed me on the head before I could push them away.
“What are you doing?!” Zerinthor bellowed. His body went rigid and his hands were clenched in fists by his waist. He rushed up to me and pushed Cal and Finn away. “How dare you touch her like that!” he said.
Pity rose within me again. This man was so broken, I thought to myself. I gave Cal and Finn a sympathetic look and gestured for them to keep their distance. I knew that I couldn’t go on with this charade though. It was only going to cause Zerinthor more pain in the long run. I wasn’t Dovalia, his beloved, and I never could be.
“Zerinthor, we must talk, and you must listen. I am not Dovalia.”
His eyes widened, and then he frowned, as though he didn’t want to believe it. He peered at me and I tried to make myself appear as un-dragon-like as possible, whatever that meant.
