The world is never quite how you want it to be, that much was certain. One moment everything can be happy, marvelous, perfect even, and then.. everything can end just as suddenly as it began.
That's how it was for Lillianna.
The day had began with such promise, such hope. It was the day she would finally become a woman. It was the dawn of her adult life.
No one saw the tragedy coming..
No one knew that a slumbering beast was hidden in the mountains beside the bustling village.
No one else survived.
The flames came so rapidly the entire town was engulfed in mere minutes. Screaming women and children could be heard for miles. The smell of seared flesh and burning wood overwhelmed all...
Lillianna stood in her wedding dress.
The fabric, once so vibrant and praise-worthy was covered in soot. Her hair which was so precariously pinned and placed, fell upon trembling shoulders. Her face which was prepped so feverishly was blotchy and red, tears making clear streams through the ash.
She was all alone.
Only charred corpses remained beside her.
Slowly, ever so filled with sorrow, she sank to her knees.
On the whole, it was unsurprising when she suddenly felt herself lifted into the air.
High above the smoking town.
High above the steaming remnants.
High above the only life she had ever known.
Her grief wasn't great enough to smother her screams, however.
The great animal nearly dropped out of the sky when the first blood-curdling screech resounded from the tiny body within scaled claws. The noise kept going, and going, and going... The dragon's shoulders clearly dropped from relief once they reached the relative "safety" of his lair. Finally the little banshee stopped hollering. Frankly, it couldn't have been fast enough for sensitive ears.
Cracks and creaks resounded through the cavern as the crimson creature became smaller. When he turned around in a shape resembling a man, he had to launch forward to smother another bout of howls.
"For the love of all that is holy, shut yer mouth." A rough growl slipped through chapped lips.
The dragon, for no other name had been given to her to call him, was not a particularly handsome man. He was burly, muscular, tall.. his mere height alone could blanket her. Aggressively red curls with a beard to match hung from his head.
It was all the girl could do to not faint on the spot.
With all of the strength she could muster, alongside the desire to live, her foot shot forward. Having hit a sensitive mark, the man crumbled, his hands coming off of the frightened gal. The glare he gave her was a promise of death. She took over running, slipping into the adjoining cavern with a feverish intensity. The glimmering treasures almost enticed her feet to slow, but the dangerous growling behind gave her the motivation she needed to keep going.
She grabbed the first thing she thought could do some damage, spun around, and thrust.
A dull thud resounded. Slowly, hesitantly, Lillianna opened her eyes. She was met with the dying orbs of a surprised dragon.
When a young wizard named Merlin came looking for the dragon days later, Lillianna felt absolutely no qualms with handing him the blade, a golden chalice and the beast's head.
Author Notes
Sorry-I tried.
I lost the first version of the story in the publishing process.. Thanks StoryWrite... So I had to re-write it. Was not happy about that. I don't think the second version is as good as the first.
Just in case you didn't catch the reference after Merlin:
The blade = Excalibur
The chalice = Holy Grail