Aetheria

  Seated comfortably in the tall summer grass, nine-year-old Jade enjoyed the morning sun’s warmth, fashioning a simple crown of daisies together. Beside her, Damien, her best friend of no more than twelve years of age, reclined next to her with arms behind his head. A soft snore signaled his peaceful slumber, this made Jade giggle, as she playfully imagined him as a dozing bear.

  Damien and Jade’s friendship had roots in her infancy, so deeply ingrained that she couldn’t recall a time without him. Amidst their connection, an unspoken affection had blossomed. Jade found herself crushing on Damien, who, in turn, harbored similar feelings. Amid parental jests about their eventual marriage, Jade’s father had casually granted Damien the blessing to propose when they were older, infusing their future with a touch of sweet anticipation.

  With short, blonde hair and eyes as blue as a tranquil lake of limestone, Damien mirrored the traits of his father. Engaged in rigorous training, he aspired to follow in his father’s footsteps, destined to become a Knight of the Iron Vow in Elsinora. This distinguished rank was reserved for those honing their skills to combat various magical creatures, with emphasis on the dragons that wrought terror and devastation upon the kingdoms in the country of Aetheria.

  Fresh from a week-long expedition, Damien had just returned the day before, having faced his very first drake. The separation during his endeavor had been challenging for both Jade and Damien, since they were practically tied at the hip. Though Jade longed to celebrate his hunting success, she hesitated to disturb him during his well-deserved rest.

  Damien was bound for no ordinary task; being a part of the Iron Vow meant a commitment for life, a duty intertwined with great honor. The training was grueling, and bordered on insanity, after all they had to be the best, and any mistake when fighting dragons was not one they wanted to make. Safeguarding the kingdom from the threats that lurked required not just skill but unwavering endurance and dedication. This is why they typically started training so young. Damien embraced the challenge, finding pride in the noble pursuit of keeping his homeland safe from the perils that loomed in these magical realms.

  Jade was just happy to have him back, unharmed. She constantly worried for him, surviving the training itself, wasn’t always guaranteed.

  A sudden, piercing yell erupted from the shrouded creek several yards away, shattering Jade’s focus on weaving her flower crown. Its resonance jolted Damien into an immediate sitting position beside her.

  “Did you hear that? Did I dream it?” Damien asked, momentarily catching his breath. Both he and Jade paused, straining their senses for any sign of a recurrence.

  “Help me!” The desperate cry echoed again, a plea cutting through the air. Damien leaped to his feet, swiftly drawing his sword from its sheath at his hip. Jade rose too, her eyes fixed on Damien as he scanned the horizon, poised for the next call to action.

  “Damien…” Jade spoke softly, concern and intrigue in her voice.

  “Help me, please! Anyone!” The young male voice cried out once more, its urgency an unmistakable agony. Without a moment’s hesitation, Damien sprinted toward the source of the distress. Jade, anxious that Damien might need help, tried to keep pace with his speed but found herself struggling against the resistance of her silk dress.

  Damien charged right into the thick bushes lining the creek, Jade hurried to follow, her own heart pounding with fear.

  Gasping for breath, Jade pushed through the dense underbrush, desperately trying to keep pace with Damien. Twigs scraped and scratched at her face, but she kept on.

  “Help!” The cry echoed once more. Damien abruptly screeched to a gravelly halt, and Jade, almost colliding with him, emerged on the other side of the bushes, facing the serene creek.

  There, beyond the peaceful flowing waters, a black dragon loomed, its serpent-like head reaching ten feet into the air. Damien sensed Jade losing her footing and caught her with a firm arm. Both of them stood frozen, their gaze locked on the awe-inspiring yet terrifying creature before them. Its head was decorated with blade like spikes, its wings so dark, it nearly cut off the sun entirely.

  The air thickened with fascination as the dragon’s presence commanded even the forest's attention. Time seemed to suspend, the creek’s gentle murmur contrasting starkly too the pounding if their hearts. Jade and Damien, were caught between fright and a mesmerizing allure.

  A quiet gasp escaped Jade as her eyes fell upon the dragon’s colossal feet, revealing a boy of their age, lying in pain, bleeding from a gash in his leg.

  “Damien-” Jade managed to whisper once more.

  “I know.”

  “What do we do? You can’t fight one that big,” Jade’s words carried were a soft plea. Damien, having tested his skills only on dummies and sizable game, faced an even bigger challenge. This dragon was nearly full-grown.

  “Thanks for the confidence,” Damien hissed with a hint of frustration. “I have to try something, or he will die.”

  “But you could die,” Jade clutched his arm tightly, her concern etched on her face.

  “Again…thanks,” Damien retorted with determined resolve. “You need to hide or go get my dad. Anyone.”

  “I’m not leaving you,” Jade tightened her grip.

  “Fine.” He thought and looked around for a quick moment. “I’ll distract the dragon while you go around in the bushes and grab that kid,” Damien huffed, adjusting the grip he had on the hilt of his sword. Damien readied himself for the confrontation, knowing full well what he was up against, and what skill he lacked to survive it.

  Jade’s trembling form retreated to the safety of the bushes. As she concealed herself, Damien’s bold shout pierced the air, seizing the dragon’s full attention. The creature’s gold eyes flicked and narrowed, fixated on Damien with unsettling intensity.

  As the dragon moved, so did Jade. She navigated the uneven terrain with quiet unease to align herself better with the wounded boy across the creek.

  “Yeah, that’s right. Look at me! Come at me!” Damien pounded his chest, and the dragon, responding to the invitation, slowly advanced on all fours, distancing itself from its original prey. With wings tucked in to navigate the dense foliage, the creature’s black horns, capped with bronze, glinted ominously.

  A deep growl shook the earth beneath Jade, a threatening sound that emanated from the very core of the dragon. In response to the creature’s primal energy, small arches of gold electricity began to dance across its formidable body.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  A lightning breed? Jade thought to herself.

  Jade swallowed hard, eyes darting between her knight and the monstrous dragon. The sheer size and power of the beast made Damien appear small and insignificant, like a mere snack.

  “Let’s go!” Damien taunted, his voice trembling slightly. With the dragon at a safe distance, Jade stealthily maneuvered to the creek’s edge, wading through the bone-chilling water. Reaching the other side, she approached the injured boy, dropping to his side. Taking in the depth of his leg wound.

  “Stay still,” Jade whispered, her voice barely audible. The boy, weak from blood loss, struggled to keep his eyes open. Swiftly, Jade unfastened the belt from her waist, cinching it tightly around his thigh to stem the bleeding. Convinced it was secure, she hoisted him up under his arms, attempting to lift his heavy, weakened frame from the ground. She grappled with his weight, chills raced down her spine from the deep guttural roar of the dragon. A clatter of a blade against rocks followed.

  The echoes of Damien's agonizing scream reverberated through the air. Her eyes shot upward, and the horrifying sight of the dragon’s colossal foot pinning Damien to the earth froze her in place. His sword lay out of reach, mocking him.

  “No,” Jade gasped, her heart sinking to her feet as the dragon snarled with a sinister hiss, its gaping maw poised to sever Damien’s head. Teeth sharper than swords, longer than his arms, Its saliva dripping, and glinting in the sunlight.

  “Wait!” Jade cried out, tears welling in her eyes. Gently placing the bleeding boy on the ground.

  “Let him go!” Jade pleaded, dashing a few feet towards the dragon, halting in the cold water. The terror, the feeling of helplessness held her heart in a vice. She didn’t know what she was doing, but she had to do something.

  The dragon, an ancient force of destruction, slowly turned its head toward Jade. Their eyes locked in a silent, harrowing exchange. Jade’s heart pounded against her ribcage while tears streamed down her cheeks. Its stare alone rendering her powerless while its shadow eclipsed the light around her.

  “Please, I’m begging you. Spare him,” Jade’s desperate prayer echoed through the clearing, her eyes shifting to Damien’s struggle for each breath while he laid on the rocks. The dragon, glared at her with an unsettling pause, as if entranced with the unexpected display of humanity.

  “I’ll do anything. Please, he’s my best friend. Take me instead, let them live. Ill do anything.” Jade sank to her knees in the shallow creek, the frigid water indifferent to the warmth of her tears. Her sobs filling the forest. The dragon, positioned itself in front of her, casting a shadow that absorbed hope itself.

  Jade looked up at the monster once again, Unexpectedly, the dragon bowed its head, meeting her eye to eye. Its serpent-like orbs sparkled with brilliant bronze, and the black scales revealed hidden glimmers as sunlight pierced through the dense forest canopy.

  “You would give up your life to save another, Princess?” the dragon hissed. “Why should I spare the knight? When he will be forged to kill me one day.”

  Still trembling, Jade whispered her supplication under her breath. “Please, please. There must be some mercy in you. I promise to never hurt your kind, I-”

  the beast hummed in response and closed its eyes. A pause fell between them while the colossal dragon lowered its head, its massive snout nearly resting in Jade’s lap. Initially bewildered by the gesture, Jade found herself uncertain of what the majestic creature sought from her. The dragon huffed, a gentle exhale escaping its nostrils, accompanied by a subtle nudge at her arm.

  Jade studied the creature skeptically, a lingering fear suggesting this might be a deceptive tactic to ensnare her. Yet, an instinct deep within her whispered that the dragon harbored no ill intentions toward her. Tentatively, she reached up, her hand making contact with the dragon’s cool, obsidian-like scales. Shock and awe washed over Jade as she marveled at the rare intimacy of this encounter. Not many could claim to have interacted with a dragon of such immense size and power and lived to tell the tale.

  “You will be held to that promise,” the dragon whispered.

  In the quiet exchange between dragon and human, a silent understanding seemed to form.

  With her voice shaking, “I promise,” she said.

  Calls from men outside the creek rang through the air, yelling commands as knights approached.

  “Hurry, go!” Jade whispered to the dragon. Gratitude gripping Jade’s heart as the beast lifted its head from her lap and vanished into the thicket, leaving only the memory of its departure.

  Gasping in what felt like her first breath, Jade fell forward, her hands catching her before meeting the water. “Princess,” Damien’s Father Alexander, reached her, a comforting presence by her side. “Are you alright, does anything hurt?,” he urged, a gentle hand on her back. Jade stumbled to her feet, and was immediately swooped into his arms.

  “Damien?” Jade looked frantically around. “He's okay dear,” Alexander responded.

  Jade looked around more and found the boy on the creek bed, as knights hurried over to him. He was mumbling and delirious while they assessed his leg.

  ●●●

  After a soothing bath and a restless night’s sleep, Jade made her way to the infirmary, eager to check on the boy she had saved the day before.

  “He should be able to walk in a few weeks,” reassured Doctor Mantis, opening the door to the boy’s room. A sigh of relief escaped Jade; the extent of the damage had been uncertain when she first rushed to his aid.

  “Thank you,” Jade whispered, her gratitude evident.

  “Are you alright? Taking on a dragon is no easy task,” inquired Dr. Mantis. It had been the talk of the kingdom, not a moment went by that she wasn't revered as a savior.

  Jade weakly smiled. “A sleeping draft would be nice.”

  “I’m on it!” The doctor hurriedly left the room with a loud slam of the door behind him.

  Turning her attention to the boy, Jade found him seated on a cot in a humble, dirt-floored room. His green eyes met hers with a warmth that spoke volumes.

  “Hi,” Jade greeted with a gentle tone and wave.

  “Hi,” replied the boy, a small but genuine smile gracing his lips. His brown shoulder length hair, tossed in a big mess.

  “I’m Ja-“

  “Jade, the Princess. They told me,” he interrupted. “I’m Ares.”

  Jade chuckled lightly, nodding. “A-are you alright? How are you feeling?” She stepped closer to his bedside.

  “It hurts, but the bleeding has stopped, thanks to you,” Ares admitted. “How did you know how to do all that?”

  Jade smiled, taking a seat beside his cot. “My mother, actually. With dragon raids, wounded are often brought to the castle. I’ve learned a lot about that kind of thing.”

  Ares nodded, a hint of wonderment in his gaze as he regarded the royal figure before him.

  Never before in his life had he experienced such genuine care from anyone. Ares, with his rebellious life style, often earned him a slap upside the head. His mother was finally pushed to the brink with his awful behaviors. She had grown weary of his mischievous pranks, questionable decisions, and the perpetual chaos that trailed in his wake. In a decisive move, she sent him to Elsinora, where his uncle, a respected practitioner of magic, held the hope that the stricter surroundings might prompt a change in him.

  Ares, however, remained largely indifferent, persistently stirring up trouble as if life’s allure lay in its disruptions. Breaking rules, lying and reveling in the freedom to do as he pleased, he found joy in the daily thrill of his rebellious escapades. Yet, an unexpected twist sat before him. Perhaps, just maybe, encountering the Princess was all he needed to change his ways.

  “How did you get tangled with the dragon?” Jade inquired, looking around the room, a tad uneasy under his fascinated stare.

  Ares scoffed, “I lured it. I wanted to catch one. I didn’t think one of that size would show up.”

  “Sounds to me like you deserved the scratches you got. Everyone knows not to mess with Dragons unless you are a part of the Vow…” Jade furrowed her brow.

  Ares smiled mischievously, as if her words momentarily fueled his ego. However, that fleeting confidence dissipated when he recognized that Jade wasn’t his playing games.

  “Thank you for helping me,” he said in genuine defeat. “You could have left me to be eaten, you could have sacrificed your friend. But you sacrificed yourself…”

  Jade took in a deep breath, unable to shake the vivid images of the Dragon from her mind since everything came crashing down. The memory of its scales beneath her fingertips seemed to burn.

  “Well… it’s no wonder,” Ares continued.

  “What do you mean?” Jade asked, her thoughts miles away.

  “It’s no wonder it left you unscathed. That kind of bravery and sacrifice deserves to be… respected,” Ares said softly. “I was playing with fire; I got what I deserved. And so did you…”

  “It’s what anyone would do,” Jade shrugged, not really feeling like a hero but simply a caring human being.

  “I think you’d be surprised…” Ares mused, a hint of admiration in his eyes.