III
The Cage
The Beginning of the End
Happiness never lasts long. If evil lurks, happiness cannot exist between lovers, as the evil feels pleasure in ripping them apart.
He came for the dragon at night, when the sky was lit by lightning, and cold rain beat the earth... He fought, he resisted, but his father refused to let go, and thus he was taken away, far away from his beloved, far away from the Light...
He sat alone in cold stone chambers, he wandered the windy halls, but nowhere could he find peace — for he was without her... The men in black swarmed the castle, they planned the battle, and dreamed of torture and death...
It took not long for the stronghold of Light to fall... The dragon would not go; he could not bear to see his friends again, to see them hurt... And he could not let them think he was a traitor — for he was not one... A prisoner, yes, but not a willing traitor...
Then they came back... The Light had been destroyed... Darkness now ruled everywhere...
He was told to come to the Great Hall, to the place where once balls were held and now prisoners were paraded like animals...
He opened the great doors and saw, there, in the center of the room, a cage of gleaming iron, a cage to keep a broken bird, a wingless dove. There she lay, her hair spread out, her body bruised... They all were laughing and urged the dragon to do what they desired...
They broke the cage and pulled her out, dragged her limp form out into the snow... The dragon watched, unable to cry, unable to fight, he could only watch and sigh as his heart broke to pieces... Then he felt the presence in his mind, his master's orders:
"Kill her..."
"NO!"
"Kill her…"
"I won't!"
"Kill her..."
"I can't!"
"Kill her..."
"Please..."
"Kill her...
"Yes, master..."
He knelt in the snow and stroked her hair… He could see the blade of the knife reflected in her eyes... Then the knife gently slid across her throat and the crimson blood spilled on to the snow...
"I forgive you..."
He lifted his bloody hands and screamed into the night sky, hating himself, hating his master, and hating his life... He vowed to never again speak a word, in honor of her who died for love... And thus he was silent for years — mute and alone...
One more chapter left! How do you like it so far? R&R!