The Beast of Shadows.
I've recently started re-reading one of my childhood favorite series, Knights of the Silver Dragon and because I am now an adult with my own money, I can actually afford to buy the whole series and read them again. I realized I still love the series, so here's my first fan fiction about it.
Also, if anyone reading this has read any of my other stories, I would like to say that I will continue working on them. I just have to back in a writing funk. Hopefully, this will help.
Anyway, enjoy!
CHAPTER ONE
Moyra sighed, annoyed, as her mother took her sweet time to tidy up. In Moyra's opinion, it seemed like Royma was taking even longer to open the stand than usual, just to annoy her. She couldn't wait to be off to find her two friends, Driskoll and Kellach. It was the first day of the month known as the Festival of Emotions. Although Moyra didn't care about any of the lovey-dovey things that went on during the festival, she always had a good time making fun of couples who acted differently during the festival with her friends.
As Royma started unrolling a banner, Moyra shuffled her feet. "Mom, can I please go now?" she requested, "You don't need me to help you open the stand and I promised the boys I'd meet them in front of main street half an hour ago."
Royma straightened and turned to frown at her daughter. "Moyra," she said calmly, "You know this is important. People are always buying things as gifts for their loved ones during the festival. And hand knitted things are perfect for them. The money we make this month could feed us for a while."
Moyra sighed. "I know, mom," she said, "But that still doesn't change the fact that you don't need me here. I'd just get in your way." She batted her eyelashes at her mother.
Royma sighed. "Fine," she admitted, "You may go."
As Moyra made a holler of joy, Royma suddenly held up a hand. "Wait," she said, "Before you go, I want to give you something."
Confused, Moyra walked back as Royma dug for something under the table.
"You're growing into a young woman," her mother explained, "And I'm not saying it'll happen right away, but you might someday find a young man who you want to spend the rest of your life with." Moyra felt herself grow warm as Royma finally found what she was looking for. "That's when you give him this." She held out a small box and opened it. Inside was a plain looking gold ring with strange letters wrapped around it.
Moyra stared at it, totally unimpressed. "What is it?" she asked.
"It's called a promise band," Royma replied, "It was your grandmother's, but I think it's time you had it."
She took the box from her mother and casually inspected it. "What am I supposed to do with this?" she wondered.
Royma sighed and shook her head. "You're supposed to give it to someone you love," she answered, "The ring, although plain looking, is very powerful and magical. It reflects the giver's love for the receiver. And once put upon the finger, no one can take it off unless the person who gave the ring falls out of love with the person they gave it to."
Moyra felt her face grow hot. "Why would I need something like this?" she asked, sheepishly, "I'm still young. I'm not going to fall in love with anyone anytime soon. Besides, I only know two boys my age."
"I don't know," Royma said, slyly, "Love could be closer than you think." She stared past her daughter, looking at something behind her. Confused, Moyra turned her head to look and saw Kellach and Driskoll striding down the street towards them. They were talking to each other and didn't notice the two staring at them. Moyra whipped back around, her cheeks feeling like they were on fire.
"Mom!" she hissed, "Those two are my best friends! I'm not in love with either of them! I wouldn't jeopardize our friendship like that! What were you thinking?" She started to hand the box back to her mother.
Royma raised another hand. "All right, all right," she chuckled, "I'm just teasing. I know you three have been friends since you were young. But keep the ring anyway. Hey, you never know." She winked at her daughter, then turned back to her work.
Still steaming, Moyra forced herself to be calm and slipped the box into her pocket. Then she turned to face her friends. She took a couple of paces forward to meet them before they reached the stall. "Hey guys," she greeted, "Sorry I didn't meet you earlier. My mom wouldn't let me get away."
"That's all right," Driskoll replied, "We were just coming to get you anyway. A strange caravan pulled into town and this overly flamboyant man was driving it raving about some story about love or something."
"We wanted to see if you wanted to come with us to make fun of him," Kellach added.
Moyra grinned. "Yeah, I want to come," she exclaimed, "My mom finally let me go, so I'm free! Let's go!" She strode off with her friends, the box and ring in her pocket totally forgotten about.
When Driskoll had said the man was flamboyant, he hadn't been kidding, Moyra observed. The man standing in the center of the large crowd that had gathered wore a tight outfit of red and pink that covered his whole body like a costume. He wore a huge red hat with an enormous pink feather. Many red and pink streamers hung from his arms and a long cape made of red velvet flowed out behind him. He was one of the most ridiculous looking people Moyra had ever seen in her life. The man stood on top of his caravan addressing the crowd, but he was so stupid looking Moyra wondered how anyone could take him seriously.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" the man bellowed, swishing his cape about him, "I have come here today, during the first day of the Festival of Emotions to tell you all a story of love and tragedy!"
Moyra scoffed, rolling her eyes. Of course he would, storytellers came all the time to tell their stupid stories during the festival in hopes of getting gullible couples to throw their money at them.
"This is a true story, my friends," the man continued, "One that teaches a fine lesson!" While he talked, the man made wide arm gestures as if to punctuate what he was saying. Except what he was saying wasn't interesting. And he also talked in a loud, slow, and dramatic voice like a typical storyteller. A really boring storyteller.
"Once, there was a young woman who was in love with a young man!" the man started, "Though they were friends, the woman kept her feelings sheltered and close, never revealing her true feelings for this man." Moyra suddenly felt herself grow tense, and her cheeks started to warm. "For years they were together as friends, with the woman secretly harboring her affections for the young man. Until one day, the woman found that the man had taken a lover, and had forgotten all about her. She went for years wondering what could have been if she had just revealed her true feelings for the man. Then, on the man and his lover's wedding day, the regret and love lost from the woman drove her to the brink! She threw herself off a cliff and into the roaring sea below." The man swept his gaze over the crowd and his eyes seemed to rest on Kellach, Driskoll, and Moyra. "Learn this lesson well, friends," he said, more quietly now, "If you resist the feelings in your heart, it will lead to utter disaster."
As the man wrapped up his story, the crowd started to disperse. Moyra turned to her friends with a look of disgust. "Can you believe that guy?" she scoffed, "What a load!"
"Yeah, and he didn't even tell the story right," Driskoll added. Kellach looked at him.
"How would you know?" he asked.
Driskoll smirked. "I've heard that story before," he replied, "Someone tells it every year. He left out the part where the woman, before killing herself, went insane and murdered the man and his lover right on their wedding day. He also forgot to add that the man had a brother who tried to stop her, but she killed him too. And, in my opinion, he left out one of the most important details of the story."
"And what's that?" Moyra wondered, her cheeks feeling hot again.
"The woman and man weren't just friends," Driskoll said, "They were best friends, along with the brother. They did everything together. And the woman fell so deeply in love with her friend that she was afraid of what he would think of her if she told him." Driskoll sighed, "That's what's supposed to make the story stronger. But of course, he didn't include that. What a lousy storyteller."
"Yeah," Moyra agreed, silently willing herself to cool down. It was just a story, she thought to herself, It doesn't apply to you.
"Anyway," Kellach interrupted her thoughts, "Let's go get something to eat. We haven't eaten since dawn. Are you coming with us?" He addressed Moyra.
Moyra forced a smile. "Yeah." She replied, "I'm coming."
I'll leave it at that for now. I'll probably start working on the next chapter as soon as I put this one up, not that I'm expecting a lot of demand or anything. I just have ideas that I want to get out before I lose them. Anyway, next time we're going to shift to Driskoll's point of view, because I had trouble making the story work with the view of just one of them. Anyway, leave a comment if you happen to read, and maybe check out some of my other fan fictions!
