Chapter Ten: Remnants of a Storm
Heart:
The next few days had been surprisingly quiet. Though I remained at the ready for the starmaid to continue her song. Part of this was asking Duke to practice sword play with me once his shoulder and leg had healed a bit more.
With a bow to one he began the sparring match as our blades clashed.
He then lunged forward as I stepped back and blocked his blade with mine. Our blades met again and he pulled back to slash at my side. I stepped to the side and then leapt back a bit.
"Careful," he mentioned as I nearly backed into the desk behind me.
I quickly leapt to the side and turned on my heel to clash blades once more. This time I tried to push back slightly, trying to use our height difference to slip closer to him. I glanced up to see him smirk just before I side stepped to his left and swung my sword to which he swiftly met his blade with mine. With a quick twist he knocked the blade from my grasp and into the air before catching it in his other hand.
"I feel your heart isn't in this when ya spar with me," he noted as he handed me my practice sword, "Even with these practice pieces ya hold back."
"You just healed, I don't want to hurt you," I shrugged.
Duke raised a brow as he smirked still, "I'm fine 'll tale a lot more than these to knock me down."
I glanced up at where his right eye should have been. When he noticed he remained smiling and shrugged, "I'm well used ta this love. Besides I was still able to charm you wasn't I?"
I couldn't help but smile, encouraging him to kiss my cheek.
I set the practice sword back in place in the corner of the room. Then I walked over to the desk to look over the map we had pieced together with my drawings and notes.
"We should be nearing the planet soon, but it feels too easy," I mentioned, "A treasure this big would have some sort of danger guarding it."
"Ya catch on quick," he commented me as he strolled around the desk to stand behind me.
"The notes were too old to make out on the original map, but we should be on the look out for anything really, perhaps the creature you mentioned?" I said as he slid a hand over mine, gripping it gently in his.
He then ran his other hand up my back to where he was gripping my shoulder, leaning against me now.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
"Jus' holdin' ya love," he said, "While I have my freedom to be with ya I'm goin' to enjoy it."
I looked over my shoulder at him, "You won't lose your freedom."
"She's been awful quiet the last few days though," I admitted as I shifted my hand slightly to grip his in return, "And we can't fight her forever as her magic gets stronger. We need to get this sapphire to break your curse."
"Jus' know that this treasure may not be all that we need," he mentioned, "We don't know how it works yet."
"It will at least give us a chance Duke. Right now we've bested her with knowledge, luck, and a few tricks. So far she has warped your mind, our crew, and she's getting more vindictive the longer this goes," I said, "We don't know enough about her magic to prepare."
"There's your song," he pointed out with an encouraging smile, "Heart you've been able to ward her off with more wit than ya give yourself credit for. With you beside me I know we'll get through this somehow."
"And then what Captain?" I asked as he then spun me swiftly into him, gripped my shoulders, and looked over me.
The warmth in his brown eye calmed my worries for the moment, "Then we'll travel the stars in search of further adventures; an' if you'll have me, my love, I-"
Before Duke could finish his sentence a thunderous roar shook our entire ship. Instinctively he gripped my shoulders to keep us steady on our feet. We then hurried out on deck to find everyone awaiting orders and ready. Looking ahead we could see the planet we had been seeking not far in the distance. However as we spotted it we all noticed something strange as it trembled with another roar reaching us through the space around us. As it did a storm began to stir, a storm through the cosmos swirling around us. Thunder announced it's presence in a drumming chorus, lightning darted across the black abyss. Wind that shouldn't have been picked up around us, pushing at our sails.
"I-Is the planet roaring at us?" Dive asked while holding onto the rail with Grin beside him bracing themselves against the storm picking up in a sudden fury.
Avarin remained at the helm to keep us on course. Irving watched from the crow's nest. Marestella and Melodia stood near the cannons defensively.
"Keep us steady Avarin!" Duke ordered as he hurried to the front of the ship.
I followed after him to get a better look at the glistening planet. He stepped to the side to allow me a better view while he gripped the rail with his arms at my sides. A third roar ripped through the silence, causing the planet and the ship to shake as the storm raged on, spitting rain in our faces before turning into hail.
My eyes widened in disbelief as I breathed, "It's not a planet!"
"What is it then?" Duke asked as the sphere began to shift it's impressive mass.
We watched as massive wings blocked out the lights of several stars and cast their shadow over our ship. They glistened with all gems known and unknown to us with a deep crimson leather to them. The underbelly of the creature unfolding before us shined with a long trail of silver and gold. Inbedded in it's back and along it's tail were several chests and treasures dug into it like armor. It's horns were of diamond and crystal that caught the light of moons and suns in the distance, reflecting their brilliant light. With a fourth mighty roar it made itself known before using its wings to glide up above us as it glided with the winds it kicked up.
"A dragon?!" I breathed in a blend of horror and fascination.
"Prepare for a fight everyone!" Duke commanded as we hurried back to everyone.
As we did the dragon cast it's shadow over the entire ship now as it darted over us. Looking up I could see that it's underside gleamed with riches beyond our wildest imaginations. Each segment was that of a planet's weight in gold. The massive creature's wings eclipsed a moon that was previously sharing it's light with us.
"I think it knows we're here!" Nosedive hollered as he headed to a cannon with Grin.
Irving had swung down to help Marestella with her side. Admist everything Duke handed me a cutlass that I readily took.
"Ladies an' gentleman secure your lifelines for this one!" Duke ordered as we all did just that, "I know ya understand how dangerous this will be! We've come too far to turn back now! I have faith in every one of ya to get us through, an' take the treasures we seek! Are ya with me everyone?!"
"Aye aye Captain!" They all cheered.
Duke turned to me with hope in his eye as he asked, "Are ya wth me sweetheart?"
"Of course I am Captain," I assured him as he gripped my hand a moment.
As he held my hand he lifted it up swiftly and kissed it. As the dragon roared over us I felt my heart racing. We then headed up the foremast and mizenmas each.
"Ready the cannons, and fire when it draws near again. Heart an' I will try to get atop of him to search for that sapphire! Everyone give it our best!" Duke called to our friends.
As this was shouted the dragon dove down towards the ship, knocking into it's side with it's iron battering ram of a tail. I gripped the ropes of the shrouds of the mast with all my strength before continuing my climb. The creature glided over the ship as the cannons were fired into it's stomach. The cannonballs hit causing gold and silver to splinter off and rain down over the deck. The dragon's roar nearly deafened us upon impact as it made it's rage known.
"Steady everyone!" Duke shouted, "Show it our courage! We will not turn back empty handed!"
As I had seen before when our ship was attacked, our captain was reminding me just why they turned to him for guidance. Even Grin and Dive gave a cheer in response to Duke's rallying words. His voice remained confident, his stance steady, and his blade firm in hand.
The dragon raged over our ship again, swinging it's tail into the mast that Duke stood upon. As it made contact our captain leapt onto the tail, holding on with his hands clawing to make a purchase along it's gem like scales. His arms and shoulders buckled as the impact hit the mast with him holding on.
"Duke!" I cried out before taking my own leap onto one of the wings.
The wings were just as troubling to get a grasp on. Gems and treasures made it difficult to get a firm grip, cutting up my fingers and palms. Finally I grasped a sturdy bit of diamond that made the ridges of the wing and pulled myself onto it. Feeling me upon it's back the dragon shrieked with disdain as it tried to shake us both off.
"Hang on Heart!" Duke called to me as he began climbing up the massive tail, before his own grip began to slip.
Seeing this I dug my nails into the treasure I sunk my hands into and scrambled my way up. Just as Duke The mighty creature began to twist and spin to get us to slip off. My head started to swim with the swift movements through the air, my vision spinning on me. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath as I held on and began moving my way up the wing bit by bit.
Another cannon made it's strike, catching the underbelly again. Further riches hailed down over our ship. The dragon gnashed it's jaws as it flapped it's wings. The one I was on moved with a force that threatened to knock me off of it, pulling me along as a tornado might have as it spun again.
As I began to slip I felt a firm hand grip my wrist as I was pulled into Duke's arms while he secured our stance with the rope he'd managed to swing around a nearby protruding gem pillar along the beast's spine, "I've got ya sweetheart!"
When the spinning stopped we began our search over the dragon's back. We busted open chest after chest, pouring through them in search of anything that could help. Despite there being countless riches to sift through and the creature only grew angrier as things went on, we couldn't seem to find the piece we were after. It lashed out at our ship and threatened to knock us off into space. Duke and I gripped items around us to keep our balance. Some items we tossed onto our ship to the crew, enchanted weapons, wondrous pieces or jewelry, fine armories, and other such things. Other things we tucked into the pouches on our belts. However the sapphire we sought out seemed to be nowhere in sight.
Again the dragon roared as it suddenly reared it's head. It somehow began to breathe in, drawing in light as though it's throat were a black hole sparking with an inner storm in it's giant maw.
"Evasive manuvers now!" Duke tried to shout to the crew.
Yet as he did the dragon let out it's breath of plasma and stardust upon our ship. The sails caught fire that Dive and Grin tried to put out. Marestella and Melodia readied the cannons again. They fired once the dragon's underside came in view. The dragon's body trembled this time as we continued up it's back, watching as pieces of treasure chipped away from it in it's convulsing state.
Beneath it's coating of treasure we would find it's true scales, shimmering as deep blue and teal sapphires bonded in a magnificent blend. However, there was something else that caught our attention, or at least tried to from within those scales. Yet in the same instant I heard Duke request in a wave of unease, "Not now..."
My heart is pierced by Cupid
I disdain all glittering gold
There is nothing can console me
But my jolly sailor bold
I quickly turned to the drake near me as I watched the light in his remaining eye fade. Caught in her wicked trance he gave me a glare while reaching for the blade stuck into the scales beside him. A sleek blade of silver shined in the lights of the stars and moons around us. He then stepped forward and spoke, "If I remove ya no one will stop me from returnin' to her as she wishes!"
In the blink of an eye I found myself scrambling to not only find this sapphire, but evade Duke's onslaught as he lunged at me. I quickly drew my blade and attempted to block his. The sparring match from before reminded me how difficult this was as I attempted to hinder him, slashing at his blade to block it. As the metal sparked and clashed in a stand off together I pleaded to him, "Duke listen! It's me! Don't let her do this to you! Remember your freedom that we're fighting to keep!"
"What freedom is there if you've ensnared me?" he questioned coldly.
I shook my head, knowing this wasn't him, but feeling the sting of those words all the same.
Below us I could hear the fight against the dragon we fought upon raging on. Yet I could also hear something else, a murmur from beneath the scales as I had before she'd sung her refrain. Whispers I couldn't quite hear through the storm and battle spiraling around me.
Again the beast swung itself around, causing Duke to lose his footing a bit on the now sleeker surface of soaked gold and scales. As he dropped to his knees he tried to regain some purchase but also tried to slash at me. Dodging the blade I quickly grabbed for his forearm and pulled him back up. For a moment he looked up at me in surprise before giving another glare and knocking me backwards with a swing of his blade, despite me managing to block his. The force caused me to stumble back, and his next swing knocked the sword from my grasp and onto the deck below in a soft clang compared to the raging thunder and winds. Then I found myself looking up at Duke as he steadied his balance to prepare for the next attack.
"Duke please! You don't belong to her! You're not some drone! She doesn't want you for you are remember?!" I pleaded to him, "We're so close to getting you free of this and you're going to give up now! After everything we've been through?!"
"I am her sailor bold," he stated without any infliction in his voice, not hate, not love, just words spoken without anything behind them.
"You don't want to be," I told him as he raised his sword over me, "Do you?"
He paused a moment while looking over me, then he gripped his sword tighter and thrust it forward. When I opened my eyes after having braced myself I found Duke kneeling in front of me with the sword stuck into the scales beside me. Though not free, as shown by how rigid his frame was, he uttered softly, "No...I..I want to be...your-"
His words were drowned out by the roar of the dragon that trembled again with another hit. As Duke withdrew his sword from it's stuck in position I again heard the whispers from beneath those scales. This time with it came a soft, but piercing blue light poking through.
"What is that?" I pondered while trying to dig through the treasure to find more scales beneath.
Again the whispers came, voices I knew and didn't know reaching me. Words I remembered and didn't all at once softly calling to me. However I had little time to ponder over this as Duke was pulled up again, puppeted still by the nearby humming starmaid continuing her tune. So instinct took over me instead as I scrambled to my feet and made my way towards the head. All the while Duke pursued me with his blade in hand.
Upon reaching it's head I steadied myself as it roared again, that same light trickling from it's lightning filled maw.
"Sapphires...could it be that...?" my mind raced as I ducked down to avoid another swipe from behind me.
I then rolled along until I reached the side of the top of the dragon's jaw. Barely taking a moment to steady myself I got up into a crouched position and looked over it. There I looked into it's eyes to find the largest sapphire I'd ever seen gleaming back at me with sparks of energy igniting as it caught sight of me in return. While looking over my shoulder for a moment I found Duke had to crouch down as well to keep his balance, having not made it over to me yet.
"This dragon, it's made up of treasure," I realized, "Every bit of it. Yet at it's core it's a raging storm of...sapphire? So that means...what we're seeking..." I trailed off before pullingat my lifeline I still wore and severing some of it.
Then I used it to tie off an end around the horn of the dragon. Before anyone could stop me, including myself, I took the rope in hand and took a leap off the side of the dragon's maw.
"Heart!" I thought I heard Duke cry out as it roared once more.
As it let out it's angered thunder of a voice I used the momentum of my swing and leapt into it's open jaw. Then it clamped down shut with me inside.
I realized somehow I wasn't dead. Between the jagged gem teeth or the lightning striking at me, I should have been. Yet I wasn't. In fact the energy around me seemed to soften around me as I knelt down still on it's inner jaw. I also realized there was no tongue to stand on, no throat, not a trace of the inner workings of a beast. Instead it was like that of a cavern, echoing my footsteps and all. Occasionally electrcity sputtered around as the bloodstream causing the creature to move. Outside I vaguely heard the cries of my friends, and the raging storm howling around us all. Still I walked further down what would have been it's neck. As I did lightening tried again to strike at me, yet I felt nothing of pain from it. Where it should have burned me it instead brushed over my skin. Rather than striking me down it died out or ran in another direction.
"Why does this feel so familiar?" I asked while catching a bolt with my wrist that danced around it like a shifting bracelet before being shaken off.
As I continued along I suddenly heard the beast roaring once again and a hearty thud behind me back at the inner part of the jaw.
"Heart! Heart where are ya?!" Duke called out while scrambling to his feet.
I remained silent, worried he was still under her influence. I backed into the wall of the throat nearby, using the ridge to shield me as lightening rushed forward to illuminate his drawn blade.
"Heart! Answer me!" He tried again.
Not taking a chance I started to head further down. Until I heard him cry out as the bursts of energy caught his sword, causing him to drop it. I paused and looked back to see he wasn't hurt that I could tell. At the same time the light showed me to him, giving away where I stood.
"Heart!" He cried while running over to me with relief in his voice, before pulling me against him, "Thank the stars you're alright!"
"You're back," I breathed while hugging him back.
"Seein' ya pull that stunt back there pulled me back, what are ya tryin' to do?!" Duke questioned while pulling away to look over me.
"I think it's in here," I said while continuing to lead us both now.
As we walked along bursts of lightening would continue to jut out at us and I would slide in front of him to have it run off elsewhere.
Duke:
As Heart did this I remembered what I had seen on the wall of that crumbled away palace. The wings of a dragon emerging from Heart's back. I began to wonder more about this and just who she was before I'd found her as a child back home. Though I also realized she wasn't wondering much about this at all. Her focus remained as it had when she'd first promised to help me.
Then we heard it, the echoes that had tried to reach us before, calling out softly from the chest of the beast. Words I had and hadn't spoken. Moments Heart had and had never seen. Our voices murmured in the dark, whispering vows we hadn't made yet, and still knew to be true somehow.
I won't leave her again!
Steal me back from this my thief!
It...it was always you...
These words and more echoed out, bringing bursts of light and energy that tried to force us back as it overwhelmed us at points. As it drowned us in these phantom cries and engulfing light I pulled her close, taking some of the strikes as it seered my clothes, feathers, and even flesh a bit. Yet as she then held onto me in return the magic lashing out at me ceased, or rather were pushed away by her claim over me in a way.
Then the voices echoed on to us...from our own voices it seemed, despite having never said the words calling out to us.
I need you my thief...please...
He may have turned me...but I turned you! You swore when I bit you that we would fight together! Please tell me that our vow is stronger than his commands!
"What is it?" Heart asked while pushing through and stepping into what would have been the rib cage of the dragon.
"I'm not sure sweetheart," I admitted as we continued on.
Our answer would be found resting just ahead of us, lying on the left side of the dragon's chest, held there by a delicate gold chain and encased in a small barrier made of crystal with the light within pulsing as a heartbeat. As we knelt before it, fighting through eratic bursts of lightening that shot out from it as we attempted to reach this item, we found it gleaming in the dark. The chain holding it clasped onto it wasn't thick by any means, nor was it complicated to open. It was just that of a pretty jewelry chain one would find around a lady's neck.
Heart would then, while kneeling down alongside me, reach her hands out just to rest them upon the barrier. I watched as she closed her eyes as I placed my hands over hers from behind her, supporting her with my strength. Once more our own voices whispered to us from within it's field.
Heart...is this really what ya want? Our team for champions to be your companions? The pond for a castle? A thief for a prince?
You know the answer Duke.
This is all I've ever wanted...my thief...
"Please, we need your heart to save his," my Heart now begged it softly as though not knowing how to ask, though neither of us were sure, "I want to save him."
The echoes grew silent, the bursts of energy growing soft as well. Then suddenly to our amazement, as we looked over the barrier with widened eyes, the casing of it began to crack from her words. It chipped and shattered away, crumbling into dust that fell over the sapphire. Sifting through with joined hands still we would find the necklace beneath the quartz like sand with it's chain simply clasped around a piece of the dragon's inner wall on the floor to just hold it in place now.
This made it simple to open and slip out of the hold of scales and gem lining of the inner part of the dragon's chest. With it came what we knew we'd been searching for.
Holding it in my hands felt so strange, and yet as though I'd held it before. As I held up the necklace's chain Heart cupped her hand beneath it's gem in case it tried to slip off. Yet it never broke away. Instead it gleamed with a burst of soft energy, making us certain that we had found as I breathed out, "The sapphire was a heart?"
Heart nodded her head in a bit of disbelief. Then I carefully tucked it away into the pocket of my vest. With that I took Heart by the hand and began leading her back to the maw of the dragon.
Yet as we did we would hear the beast begin to tremble more violently than ever before. Without words we knew and we ran. It's heart stolen away, the shell of the beast began to crumble away, treasure by treasure, scale by scale. The storm howled with a confused blend of rage and sorrow as the dragon roared out strongly at first. Then it's fierce cry began to weaken with the lightening sputtering out within it.
We'd about made it back to the maw when the gold and silver underthroat began to crumble away beneath our feet. I instinctively grabbed a hold of Heart and said, "Hang on!"
With that we were dropped from the the broken away silver and gold, plummeting down to our ship. As I held Heart against me with one arm I reached out sharply with the other and shot out a grappling hook from my wrist. The claw of it dug into the mainmast of our ship, allowing us to glide down in a swoop towards the deck. However on our way down the rope snapped from the shards of gems jutting out around us. I quickly pulled Heart into my grip and twisted just enough to land into a roll along the deck. The momentum continued for us for a bit before we finally came to a gasping halt with her atop of me as I gave a cheerful laugh while holding her tight.
Then looking up we all saw the remainder of the dragon break away without it's heart, raining it's riches down upon us. With this the storm died down until it finally ceased all together. As it did I looked up at the girl now sitting on my lean stomach a bit as she had tried to get up, until I placed my hands on her hips to stop her. When she looked to me bewildered, her cheeks blushing a soft pink as she did, I held her there in a tighter grip. Upon seeing her like this, catching her breath with me as we realized the storm was over in more ways than one, I breathed out, "Marry me sweetheart!"
"What?!" She asked with a slight jump, startled by my words.
I gave a smile while sitting up with her still in my lap and chuckling a bit still. Then I settled my own caught breath and looked into those sapphires, caressing her cheek before kissing her. When I pulled away I asked again, "I'm yours Heart, your thief, if you'll have me?"
As I said this I slipped my hand into my vest pocket and produced the sapphire we'd just taken. Clasping it tightly in my hand a moment I looked to her, knowing how afraid I had been when I thought I'd lost her to that dragon's maw. Then I carefully slipped the chain around her neck and clasped it tightly as I asked once more, "Marry me sweetheart?"
The tears that swelled in her eyes nearly broke my heart before she threw her arms around me, hugging me tightly as she breathed out in reply, "Of course I will Duke!"
In this moment of sheer joy all I could think to do was embrace her as our friends cheered around us. For a while treasure continued to rain down upon the ship until the last of that unusual storm finally died off. However to me, none of that gold, silver, or gems compared to the treasure I held in my arms as she held me in return. When I felt her brush my cheek with a tearful kiss we hoped that this was the beginning of the salvation she'd been helping me seeking out. Regardless we held onto that hope and that joy with the cheers of our friends crying out around us in that victorious moment.