Zenora, The Dragon's Fury

So, with a brace around my right hand, hoping for it to heal within a day, we were off to Urybridge. A town build on water, with only one way to enter and leave on foot, a massive bridge.

The sky here looked dreary, grey clouds forming a canopy above us, showering us with a drizzle of rain.

This town was small, as there weren’t many houses, in fact there was only one. But that was neither the point of this place, nor of it’s people. Urybridge is a trading-place, where hundreds of large boats, and plenty of little freight ships were docked at the piers, that were leading out from the only massive building that existed.

Just one big, three-story high, grey coloured building, build on a rock in the middle of a giant lake. The lake has several water-streets going in each direction, I bet even one of them makes it’s way to the ocean, as a big sailing ship was about to dock in a few minutes.

As our gryphons had no place to land, on the side of the bridge where the building stood, we placed them in the small forest on the other side, and then crossed the bridge by foot.

When we almost crossed the hundred feet long bridge, I frowned. Several slaves and children – thank goddess – stood there lined up against a wall. Bowing their heads in fear of what might be done to them. In a way I was grateful that we didn’t have to fight any moronic assholes that would defy our commands. But seeing these women, men and children stand before me, emaciated, wet, scarred and clearly mentally assaulted, I wanted to hurt their masters, badly.

They wouldn’t get out of their punishment this easily.

“What is your master’s name, and where is he?” I asked them, but none of them replied, some of them even shuddered and started to cry when I had asked that. What have they heard about us, or me? What did their master tell them?

“Why are you afraid? Don’t you know that I came here to release you?” I asked them and one of the men scoffed as I walked over.

“What did your master tell you? Why are you afraid of talking to me?” I asked the man.

“Sh- she said that you are no hair better than her.” He stuttered, still keeping his head bowed down.

“Excuse me?”

“She said that you killed her husband without even giving him a second chance.” He explained further.

Oh my, this is where Ruth came from. The servant must mean the man that I wanted to impale, if Tyler didn’t beat me to it. That ‘husband’ came to the castle to arrange a solution for one of his trading disputes. I guess his ‘friend’ told the wife of what had happened and put all the slaves outside.

But if Brock’s twin was here, as Ruth had seen him, why were there still children here? Why didn’t he take these as well? My head started spinning, this is getting more and more confusing.

“Okay, who is the one of which her mother is called Ruth?” I asked, remembering that Natalya told me about how Ruth has gotten her name.

An older female, I guess mid-forties replied. “That would be me, your highness.”

“Good, okay, if you are all so afraid of me, think about how I would come to know of that knowledge.” I said, and small whispers were heard.

“I killed your master’s husband, as he was beating the woman that I now call ‘Ruth’. She told me about a story that a man came to kill a thirteen year old girl, for not wanting to have sex with him. She lives in my castle and…”

“Is she still alive?” The elderly woman interrupted, as she suddenly lifted her head.

“Yes, she is.” I said, and all the others lifted their heads and smiled in tears. They finally got to understand that I meant no harm.

Soon after killing the husband’s friend, and chopping off the hand of the wife, all of the slaves were put on a boat, off towards the castle, together with two of our warriors.

Then we went off towards Inwell, Drolk and Blicaster. Everywhere slaves were rescued, and masters were either killed or lost their hands, depending on how easily they released the slaves, or how badly they have been treating them.

I couldn’t allow it to get all the masters be killed, as we still need people to lead the cities and guide it’s citizens. As much as I don’t like these people’s judgements, I don’t have the people to replace them everywhere. It’s not that all the bad persons have a good and justified son, to take over. Not like Byron did.

And besides that, bad things will happen everywhere, we just need to train people to apply justice correctly. Upholding the law in the surrounding cities is what is more required.

Luckily, in Inwell and Blicaster, the children weren’t sold, so they could be taken with us to new places. Not everyone could come and join us to the castle. Of course, some transport would be arranged, but not everyone wanted to leave either.

Unfortunately, in Drolk, the children were taken by the same man, Brock’s twin. But no clues were found of where this twin could be. No one knows where he came from, or where he was bound to go. So, after five days of continuous travel, fighting and sleeping in the air on our gryphons, we went home again.

I missed Kaden and Tyler so much! Every hour that we had to spend more out here, was getting on my nerves.

“Mommy! Daddy!” Kaden and Tyler yelled when we arrived back at the castle. I hugged them tightly, and swung them in the air.

“I’ve missed you two so much!” I said to them, all the while I nuzzled their necks with my face, at which they giggled.

Brock took them from me and placed one of them on each of his shoulders and walked inside. It was evening and we were famished. So, off to eat some dinner.

Each year, we got more and more friends to join us at dinner. It was getting quite busy, but I like the family that we have been creating. So far, we have Tom and Natalya, and little Winston in a crib at the table, Dennis and Anna, Archeops, Cirilya, Axel and his new girlfriend Mila, William and his daughter Amelia, Nicolai, my dad and then us four. Brock, Kaden, Tyler and me.

I was looking around, watching them as they had fun and enjoying their meal. Laughter was heard by the children and Anna cheerfully threw some peas at them. Cirilya was shaking her head in disdain, as she didn’t want food to be thrown. Tom and Natalya glared at the twins and back at each other, wondering if Winston was to become such a rascal as well. I was just smiling at all of them, so happy to have this family.

But I was somewhat sad too, as I knew that bad things lurked in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to strike us again. If they had managed to get Ruth in the castle, to attack Brock, what is keeping them to attack us head on?

Who was this twin of Brock? Why didn’t Brock know he had a brother? And why were not all the children taken? What more spells did the Dark Mages cast? Can we release Ruth from her curse? She is still in the dungeon, not able to be in the same room as Brock. She should be here, sitting at this very table as well. But will it all be possible? Can we eradicate all evil from our lands?

All these questions are buzzing in my mind, making me terrified of the failure of my powers. Afraid that I can’t help everyone, afraid that me being the chosen one, won’t be enough.

I thought that I could control several animals at the same time, but I wasn’t able to do that. Had my power reached its limit? Or haven’t I been training enough? I’m feeling more and more insecure by the minute.

Realistically, I know that I can’t save everyone, but somewhere I know that I’m supposed to do something else. That there is still a reason for me to have the mind reading ability and the strength of a warrior.

“Emily, is everything alright?.”

“Ayinthur, is that you?”