Arelia slowly opened her eyes, allowing in the buttery morning light to surround her. It was a normal day, like any other for the fishermen of Cassardis. She always woke at the crack of dawn, before anyone else. Well, almost anyone. Her lifelong friend, Quina made it a point to wake up at exactly the same time, and she had done so for years now. Each day they snuck away to Starfall Bay, and stayed until the hustle and bustle of the small town was in full swing. She lifted the battered quilt and threw her legs over the side of the bed. Yawning, she raised her arms over her head and stretched, revealing a small sliver of her taut stomach. Goosebumps raised, as the morning chill had not yet escaped her small house. She quickly slid her feet into the muddy boots she kept under her window, and ran out the door. Arelia kept her chestnut hair short, and denounced all makeup, so naturally Quina, who loved to dress up, would take a good twenty minutes longer. At a steady jog, she passed a fisherman's house and the inn kicking up dust and small stones in her way. Her long legs burned at the effort to run through the sand, and she wished she'd stretched her them first. The racks that would later hold that day's fishing spoils still smelled gamey and the scales shone in the early sun. She skidded to a walk when she reached the alcove that lead to their beach. Her fingers ran along the salty walls, the same way they had a million times, and she let out a giggle. This was her favorite part of the day. At her approach, seabirds flew from the wreckage of a decade old ship, and she sunk into the sand beside it. Her legs splayed out in front of her, and she stuck her fingers in the sand, hitting shells and small sand dwellers who scurried away. She let her head fall back and the sun turned her eyelids red. Her plump lips already began to taste salty, as she licked them. In her daydreaming, she hadn't heard he delicate footsteps come behind her. The stranger knelt down, but Arelia didn't open her eyes. Soft lips, like feathers, pressed onto her forehead.
"Quina." she acknowledged, delighting in the way her name sounded. Quina took Arelia's head into her lap, blocking the sun.
"Hello, love." she murmured, her voice like tinkling glass.
Arelia opened her deep chocolate eyes, staring into Quina's blue ones, taking in the sight of the beautiful woman. She was breathtaking as always, sending her heart into flutters. Arelia rolled over and sat on crisscrossed in front of Quina, pulling her hands forward until Quina was straddling her.
"Hi. " she answered, leaning in for a kiss. Their lips met passionately, but briefly.
"My father was waiting for me again today. I told him that I was picking herbs. Of course, he didn't believe me but he didn't say anything. Which was worse. " she let her hands fall to the sides.
"Quina, we have done nothing wrong. Why do you feel so guilty? " Arelia asked, feeling her heart sink. Quina was pointedly starting at the space between them.
"I know, I know. But you know how he is. He wants me to marry the watchtower guard. And maybe I wouldn't feel so guilty if we didn't hide here every day." she peered up from under her impossibly thick lashes.
"Quina. We aren't hiding. This place is special to me. To us. How many times will I have to tell you before you hear me, you stubborn, beautiful girl?" Arelia took her delicate face in her hands and placed kisses all over, working her way down her toffee colored neck.
"But, Ari... I..." she trailed off and Arelia knew she had won. She shrugged her tunic off, placing it where she would lay Quina's head. Arelia wrapped her arms around her lover's scantily clad body, loving the way her skin felt. She slowly lowered Quina onto the discarded tunic, careful not to get sand in her hair.
Arelia's long calloused hands raked down Quina's body, leaving not an inch untouched. The small girl began to breath heavily, and Arelia began kissing her like they had never done before, and Quina grabbed at Ari's hair. Right on time, the bells began tolling, one two three. She smiled and pulled up for air. Panting, she rolled off of Quina.
"Time to work."
Arelia looked up into the hot sun, wiping sweat from her brow. She was building a boat, and was working on attaching the mast when two small children ran by laughing, and she smiled. And then a yell rang out from the opposite side of the beach.
"DRAGON!" a man screamed, pointing at the clouds. Arelia looked in disbelief. There was nothing.
And then, a shrill sound rang through the air. One she had never heard. It made her want to sleep. Fighting it, she kept her eyes on the clouds. And they swirled around a figure, dissipating like fog. And then she saw it. The humongous red creature beating it's wings, and coming straight for Cassardis. She gasped, and stumbled away from the half finished boat. The dragon kept coming, and she could only think one thing. Quina Quina Quina. She spun and ran up the hill that lead to the heart of the village. The ground shook with the force of he dragon landing behind her. She heard the screams of her fellow fishermen, dying, but she couldn't turn around. She had to find Quina. In front of the inn, she saw her huddled over the two children, scurrying them to safety. Quina whipped her head around and looked Arelia dead in the eye. And she nodded. Arelia took a step foward, but realised her brothers need her. She grunted and turned back toward the beach where the dragon was destroying everything. Including her boat. Bodies littered the sand, and she forced herself not to look at their faces. Something glittering in the sun momentarily blinded her, and she realised it was a sword. She lunged forward, ripping it from the sand, and charged the colossal monster. She stabbed and gouged, but the dragon paid no attention. Yelling, she ran for it's enormous claw, plunging the sword so deep it stuck. Before she could pull it out the dragon stopped. He turned around and faced her. So quickly, she couldn't react, the dragon flicked her in the center of her chest sending her flying a hundred or so feet landing her in the water. Her eyes took turns blacking out and focusing, and it felt as though her lungs had collapsed. She gasped and felt the rumble of the ground as the dragon slowly approached her. He lifted his claw, and the sword fell to the beach. Her ears were ringing and she couldn't hear a thing. Suddenly, she saw something looming toward her, and he plunged his nail into her chest, sending her in the air again, and landing with a thud. Through her swimming vision she realised he had taken her heart, and was lifting it to his lips. Then the world went dark.