Hello, everyone! Sorry about the delays. With work and such, I've been exceptionally busy. However, I will be able to update more frequently now! Thanks again for all of the patience, and from the bottom of my heart, I appreciate every single hit, review, favorite, and alert. You're all the best, and I can't thank you enough for sticking with this story for so long.

Curse of the Dragon
Chapter 2
Etude

The fire itself had been a simple fix. Though the cause was unknown, the knights had acted quickly, and Prince Siegfried had personally seen to it that no one had been caught in the flames. The building was a small bakery, and he made certain that the owner and his family were to be reimbursed and given aid until it could be rebuilt. Ultimately, there was no lasting or devastating damage; nothing had been stolen and no one was hurt. At first, it seemed to be nothing but an accident.

However, as the last of the flames died down and a few of his guards searched the immediate area for signs of the source, the clanking of steel armor and the sound of panicked cries reached the prince's ears.

He immediately knew that something had gone horribly wrong when Mr. Hubert rushed forward, flustered and frazzled, with Karon's motionless form slumped over the back of one of the large swans. Several of his knights flanked the two of them, approaching him with desperate urgency. "She's gone!" Mr. Hubert cried, the middle-aged man shaking his head and dropping to his knees before his prince, "She's been taken! Lady Ahiru has been taken!"

Prince Siegfried ignored the ceaseless ramblings of his advisers. He rubbed his temples, pacing back and forth in front of his throne.

He had looked away for just a moment. She had been there, beautiful and tangible, and he turned from her just once. Never had he dared to regret tending to the needs and protection of his own people, but his fiancee's sudden disappearance—her sudden abduction—had him selfishly wishing he'd acted differently.

His pacing was endless, his steps echoing through the vast throne room. The usual, dignified air of the chamber, with it's high, arching ceilings, tall windows, and stained glass images of swans and roses, was disrupted by the babbling of frantic royal subjects. Maids rushed this way and that, catering to the overdramatic needs of his advisors. Scrolls were shuffled and quills were scratching. Armor clanked and soldiers waited nearby at a loss. Pique and Lilie curled up together in Raetsel's arms, their emotions greatly varying between absolute worry and bizarre excitement. Arguments and confusion bounced off the marble walls.

All the while, the prince deliberated to himself, expression stony and bleak. Mr. Hubert's grim gaze followed his every step. When Prince Siegfried finally spoke from behind clenched teeth, it was audible even over the thrum of noise around them. "A tall man with green eyes. That is all you remember? Are you certain?"

"Yes," came Mr. Hubert's somber reply, "He was fast. Inhuman! He simply threw himself and the Lady Ahiru into the canal before I could even react-!" The man stifled a sob, wringing his hat between his white knuckles. "I cannot apologize enough, Your Highness."

The prince's mind worked quickly despite the anxiety rising up from his chest. "They should've emerged downstream then. General Lysander!"

The armored general, in full plate and all regalia, stepped forward with his helmet tucked under his arm. Lysander had always been a gruff-looking man, but the usual sternness to his features had deepened with worry, his brow wrinkling. "Aye, Your Highness. My men will be back soon from their investigation of the canal. They are leaving no stone unturned!"

"See to it, then," the prince replied, pausing in his incessant pacing to stand beside his throne, his back to the crowd of subjects and his hand tightly gripping the armrest. He lowered his head, eyes clenching shut as he willed himself to remain steady. "Have we no other leads?"

There was a pause—a moment of hesitance from all of his subjects—and that was enough for the prince to break his carefully constructed wall of composure. "Have we no other leads?" he repeated, sharply glancing over one shoulder, eyes narrowing.

"No, and we've ruled out Rungholt's possible involvement," said Mr. Hubert, his tone heavy.

Indeed, Prince Siegfried knew that Rungholt couldn't have had a hand in this. The Runholtan Prince was a spoiled fool, but certainly not despicable or underhanded—or so he'd hoped. While it was far too early to dismiss the possibility entirely, it simply wasn't likely, especially considering that Rungholt wanted something from his kingdom. They wouldn't dare abduct Prince Siegfried's betrothed at a time of such stressful "negotiations."

The thought of it put a sour taste in Prince Siegfried's mouth. Miles of Vinetian fertile lands in exchange for Rungholtan slaves? Preposterous. But he couldn't think about politics now.

"I see. And how does Karon fare?" The prince remained where he was, unwilling to turn around and face his subjects again without knowing the status of his closest friend, caregiver, and advisor. Seeing the man who attended to him ever since he could remember lying unconscious and helpless across a swan's back moments before hearing that his fiancee had been taken had been far too much as it was.

There was a brief pause before Mr. Hubert spoke—just enough of one to weigh down upon Prince Siegfried's heart. "He is in the infirmary. He should be recovering soon, but he received a blow to the head and he will need time."

Prince Siegfried nodded, relief washing over him. At least there was that. It did little to salve the immense worry for his fiancee, but knowing Karon would live kept him together.

So strange, he thought, that he could be so happy one moment, and then the next everything would fall apart. He had always known that Lady Ahiru was to be his one day, and he had heard a great many things about her kindness and sweetness. But to be by her side, to hold her and speak with her, to see her so joyful and taking pride in his kingdom as he did, made his heart swell and glow in his chest.

She was suddenly ripped away from him, and his heart was dangerously close to shattering into tiny, little shards. Could it be that, after only a single afternoon, he had already-?

"Your Highness!"

The prince whirled around when General Lysander called to him. His breath hitched in his throat when the general presented to him a bundle of soaked ruffles and lace. The Lady Ahiru's skirts.

Prince Siegfried's blood ran cold.

General Lysander stared apologetically at his prince. "My men found these outside of the city walls, at the edge of the canal. And … well, we may have a lead."

He stepped aside with a loud clank of his armor, and a little girl was behind him, smudged with ash and tears. Prince Siegfried attempted to quell any outward show of his inner panic and despair to approach the child, kneeling down to look her in the eye. "Little one," he said, taking one tiny dirt-stained hand into his own, shaking fingers, his voice gentle even as his eyes swam with anguish, "can you help us find Lady Ahiru? Do you know what happened to her?"

The little girl sniffed and nodded, her eyes wide.

The prince spoke again, urging her to continue with his gaze and his tightening grip and hoping he would not reveal his impatience and frighten her. "Did you see the tall man and where he might've taken her?"

She blinked, sniffling. "N-No tall man. She wasn't taken b-by a man."

"... She wasn't?"

The little girl shook her head, her curls bouncing and her lip trembling. "It … it was a monster."

Ahiru awoke with a painful start—the high winds whipped unrelentingly upon her, and she could scarcely take a deep enough breath to compose herself in the thin air.

She remembered only fragments and shades at first. The red glow of flames, the sharp frigidness of water, fierce green eyes, black scales, a monstrous form, and the cold, hard grip of terrifying claws ensnaring her and lifting her up, up, up—before it all went black.

She blinked the sleep from her eyes and swallowed, squinting against the sudden brightness and the onslaught of wind. White and blue surrounded her, blurred by the searing light of the sun.

But through the discomfort, Ahiru couldn't help but notice the strange warmth encompassing her. It was only then that she remembered just what carried her off into its frightening grip.

Her breath hitched in her throat. Claws curled around her, pinning her into a solid, yet warm form above—not painfully, but securely. Scales were pressed against her skin, and below, the endless white billowed.

The dragon held her up in the air, above even the very clouds.

Panic seized her, a jolt of sudden realization shooting up and down her spine. That was all real! The creature had taken her from her betrothed and his kingdom. And they were flying higher and with more speed than she ever had before. She heard the 'whoosh' of great wings beating the air above, the speed forceful and swift with the wind pelting at her skin.

Ahiru braced herself, willing her lungs to take in as much of the thin air as she could. Then, releasing a shrill, frustrated cry, she threw her hands up above her head to collide with the solid abdomen of the beast that carried her. Over and over, she pounded her fists against the scaly body, uncaring that she felt small and insignificant with her pitiful blows. At the very least, she would make sure it knew just how angry she was!

The beast grunted, its hold around her shifting as it's long neck arched downward to look at her upside-down, its wings never ceasing it's constant movement through the air. She glanced up, eyes widening. In the light, she could make out the grotesque details she missed in the shadows of the night before; emerald irises burned into her own, the sunlight glinting off of the obsidian scales framing a sharp, angled, rigid snout, the head crowned with two, razor-tipped horns. Ahiru froze, her fists pausing against it's abdomen as dread clutched washed over her.

And it just seemed to stare at her. She couldn't bring herself to move or say anything more, caught up in the sight of a horrific beast of legend, high up in the skies, completely helpless in its hold.

Then, a sudden gust of wind bombarded her slack-jawed face. She choked, her eyes clenching shut as she tilted her head down and lifted her arms to shelter herself as best as she could. It was persistent and cold, especially without her skirts to protect her from the elements.

But the monster shifted its hold, one clawed arm leaving her, but the other still solidly and securely keeping her aloft. When the winds spontaneously stopped its assault, she glanced up again, lowering her arms.

The large, hideous clawed hand was positioned above her head, shielding her from the flurry as the creature maneuvered deftly through the rough winds. She blinked, bewildered. Did it just-? No way. That was impossible.

When they began to slow again, it lowered its claw to curl around her middle once more. It didn't even bother to look at her again. "Y-You-!" she stuttered, wondering if her voice was lost in the wind, "This is—put me down, put me down now!" Hollering, she resumed her struggles against it, disregarding her confusion.

It released a rumbling breath, turning its head downward to look at her again. This time, she refused to let the panic seize her. Ahiru met its gaze head-on, blinking back her tears when those terrifying green orbs stared again. "You've taken me far enough, you hear me?! You have no right!" She gave one last blow with her fist against the creature body. "You put me down, you monster!"

The clawed hands jerked, loosening the grip it had around her and sending her almost lurching right out of the hold. Ahiru squeaked and threw her arms and legs out, clinging desperately to one claw and burying her face into the scales.

After a moment, the hands curled in once more to secure her. She trembled, still not relinquishing her hold on the claw, but glancing up. The dragon seemed to roll it's large eyes before resuming it's casual flight.

It had almost dropped her! Just like that! She didn't know whether to feel frightened or aggravated. And as she remained there, clinging stupidly to her kidnapper's claws, helplessness blanketed over her as the weight of the situation finally set in. Was there really nothing she could do?

It felt like an eternity.

An entire day passed. Perhaps longer—the dragon's flight seemed to be chasing the sun. There was silence, but for the swift wind echoing in her ears.

Her mind wandered as she laid uselessly within the monster's grasp. Good memories were a comfort to her at least for now. She thought of her mother and the little porcelain ballerina that danced on the music box when she was a child. She thought of sweet Pique and enthusiastic Lilie, and how worried (or excited) they were for her now that she had been missing for an entire day. She thought of her sweet prince, her soon-to-be husband, the one she was supposed to be with right then.

He must've been so worried. And the monster had taken her so far away. An entire day of flight was a long distance. How would her prince be able to find her? He wouldn't know where to look, or how far to travel, or in what direction.

Ahiru swallowed, eyes scanning the pinks and purples of the sunset. It was up to her to escape. As soon as she had her chance, she needed to take action and figure out how to contact Vineta herself. This thing had to land sooner or later. Maybe she could make a run for it—no, this was a monster that could fly, and even when it was still looked like a human man, he had great strength and speed. Maybe she could wait until it was asleep somehow. Or find something to distract it while she figured out where to go and how to make contact with Vineta!

She was on her own. She knew her prince would come looking for her, but it wasn't all up to Siegfried!

Ahiru stopped from getting too excited, swallowing her anxiety down again. She was getting ahead of herself like always, letting her scattered mind overcome everything else. One thing at a time. Ahiru would have to figure out what to do when they finally stopped.

She hoped it would be soon. Her limbs ached and prickled with lack of use and she felt lightheaded, her lungs burning for thicker air. Perhaps she should've been hungry, too, but she certainly had no appetite after all of this.

The sun almost completely dipped behind the horizon by the time the monster finally made its gradual descent. She held her breath when its flight sloped downward, cool droplets scattering across her cheeks as they parted the clouds and emerged beneath them.

As the monster continued gliding past a line of mountains packed thick with a green forest canopy, her lips parted in awe, and she had temporarily forgotten her plight.

Surrounded on all sides by the forested, jagged hills was a valley—a meadow of pure, pearl-white grass almost glowing in the deep pinks and purples of twilight. The white valley was large enough to possibly fit a small hamlet, and it would be considered barren if not for a lofty, leafless white tree that stood firm and unyielding in the very center. Waxen branches reached upwards toward the cloudy skies as the last of daylight disappeared.

Whimsical and undisturbed in the nighttime, it was something out of a dream that she never had. Ahiru relinquished her grip around the claws around her, her hold growing slack as they dipped past the forest and began to approach the lone tree, the monster slipping through the air and skimming just above the sloping tops of the surrounding woods. Ahiru merely had to reach down to brush her fingers over the sharp pine needles.

The white tree was larger now that they closed in, mighty, solid, and tall despite its lack of foliage. The bark was too brilliant and too vibrant in the growing darkness for the tree to possibly be dead, she supposed.

It was only when the monster flew down to the base of the forested mountain that Ahiru realized just how fast they were moving. They zoomed over the pearl grasses, a white blur beneath and the tree looming larger and larger above. Finally, it began to slow down with a great beat of its wings and she felt the pull of inertia pressing into her chest. She took a deep breath, once again gripping the claw for security as they came to a stop near the great tree.

Finally, they arrived. Wherever they were.

The monster dropped her. She crumpled to the soft ground with a yelp, her limbs aching and tingling painfully with lack of use. It hurt to even budge them, and she had to steady herself with her hands against the ground. Ahiru inhaled sharply from the discomfort. The sudden cease in motion disoriented her.

She held her head for a moment and squinted through the headache. At least they finally landed. That was definitely one last thing to worry about!

Ahiru looked up at the sounds of pained groans—the crack of bones, the shredding of flesh.

The monster landed a few feet away with its back turned away from her, and when she glanced toward the disturbing noises, her own breath stopped. The bat-like wings, massive as they were, sunk, folded, and dug back into human skin. The towering creature had shrunken down into the smaller form once more, hunched over in the tall, white grass and twitching under the strain. After several agonizing moments, she winced when the last of the wings embedded themselves beneath muscle and bone, safely under the shoulder blades.

It—he—released one last moan, the darkness of his silhouette trembling against the white backdrop of their surreal surroundings. His shoulders and back heaved as he greedily gasped for breath, the sounds of pain dissipating just as quickly as the dragon form itself.

All the while, she was frozen, unable to tear her eyes away. She brought her hands up to cover her mouth in dismay, and she wanted to ask if he was alright despite every crime he committed against her.

When the heavy breathing stopped, the monster-turned-human staggered to its feet, completely and utterly bare. Her first instinct was to squeak, flailing her arms at her side and sprint away, her freckled cheeks flushing with embarrassment and shame. Inappropriate on top of heartless and horrible!

But she stopped, both from the lack of feeling in her limbs and from something dark that caught her attention in her peripheral vision. Her eyes caught a strange, foreign mark that marred his back.

Ahiru ignored his bare form for the moment, only taking notice of the hideous lesion that slashed across his torso, beginning from beyond top of his shoulder and ending near his left hip. The papery, discolored flesh was thicker along his shoulder, sloping down and ending in a sharp tip. It looked as though it might've even stretched to the front of his chest, but she couldn't tell from there. Had it been trauma from his transformation...?

She was horrified for him. How had he even survived something like that?

The man turned his head to glance over his shoulder, his expression cold—as if he hadn't just been a monster not a moment ago and twisted and morphed grotesquely into a person within the span of a minute.

His stare was unnerving. Ahiru gulped and her gaze fell downward and away from his own.

"Hey!" the man barked with a snarl, animalistic even now. He slouched a bit and turned further away from her, and even in the darkness, there was a hint of redness to his cheeks—it must've been her imagination, because monsters who kidnapped young ladies and ripped off their skirts couldn't possibly have the capability to be embarrassed. "Quit gawking, moron!"

"Eh?! I wasn't-!" Ahiru's eyes widened when she realized what that must've seemed like. She didn't look at him or anything! At least, not that part of him! Even if he was standing there after kidnapping her and flying her a day's distance away from her betrothed without even wearing any clothes-!

-This was so indecent!

She squealed in dismay, throwing her hands up and over her eyes and sprawling backward, unladylike and clumsy. She was suddenly glad that her prince wasn't there to see her make a fool out of herself, sitting out in the middle of nowhere with nothing but her bloomers, blouse, and bodice with a monster-human. Or to see her in such close proximity of a man who was now a criminal and was standing there without a shred of cloth on him! "You're the one just standing there and—I wasn't looking! I promise! That was—hey, you're the one who kidnapped me! Don't act like I'm the terrible one here!" She refused to glance up, her eyes screwed firmly shut.

She heard a string of aggravated grumbles, the rustle of grass, and footsteps sliding along soft ground toward the white tree nearby. Not once did she lower her arms or open her eyes. "And," she continued, frustrated, flustered, and panicked, "I'm not a moron!" Her voice rose an octave, sounding quacklike and utterly improper.

There was a snort, and then silence.

Chancing a look, she inched one eye open. There was only the blurry sight of the man's dark silhouette against the white tree, his palm against the bark, before she slammed her eye shut again before she could make out any unsavory details.

Before she could speak, the world began to quake.

Ahiru was forced to lower her hands to steady herself as the ground shook beneath her. "W-Whoa!" Before her, the monster-person still kept his palm firmly planted to the thick trunk of the barren tree even while the roots began to shift. They curled about, pulling away at the dirt and grass, lifting and struggling to uproot. She could only stare as the roots pulled back, finally ripping away from the ground and opening up into a large chasm beneath the earth, a black hole in the sea of white. The tree ceased its movements. The world stilled.

She released a breath that she didn't know she'd been holding. The man kept his back to her—thankfully—as he walked around to the front of the opening in the ground. He stepped down, and from her vantage point, she could see a set of what looked like stairs leading deeper into the abyss. Keeping her gaze away from him, but her peripherals at attention, she knew he'd hunched down to grab something from the steps.

There was a sudden shadow, and a whoosh of fabric. When she looked up, he'd been cloaked, his bare form and that hideous scar now concealed from her vision.

That was when she realized that this must've all been planned. He'd been prepared. He knew he would kidnap her. He knew he would bring her to this place at this time. Maybe the fire, too! Dragons in lore could create fire, couldn't they? From the very beginning, he had always planned to take her away while everyone was distracted. Everything had been him!

Ahiru took a deep breath and staggered to her feet, glancing around frantically. She had to escape! She had to find out how to get back to Vineta! She needed Prince Siegfried!

The clouds that had blocked out the moon and stars were threateningly gray. In the distance, she saw the flash of lightning. A few moments later, the rumble of thunder. Had it always been this cloudy? Were they flying that high above them that she hadn't even noticed?

The lightning revealed what the moonlight could not reach. About a mile away in every other direction, a forest of pine towered above along the jagged cliffs and mountains that were far too steep to climb effectively. She was in the dead-center of the white valley, probably easy to spot if she made a run for it in the middle of these plains. And …

"You can run if you want."

His tone was mocking. Ahiru whirled around to face him, her lip jutting out in a defiant pout and her blue eyes blazing. Now that he had been properly covered by a black, sleeved cloak, he stood straight and tall with an arrogance that ruffled her feathers to no end.

That smirk and the cold green of his eyes said it all. She could run if she wanted. But she wouldn't get far. Not with a storm approaching. In slippers, bloomers, and a blouse, she wouldn't have been able to stand the cold or the wild. And how would she be able to escape someone who could turn into a dragon of all things? Even as a human, he was tall and imposing, and she felt his strong grip when he first grabbed her back in Vineta.

Her fists clenched at her sides. He'd probably love to watch her try to escape.

At her fuming silence, he turned away, the smirk never leaving his face. With a wave of his arm, he gestured to the gaping hole at the base of the tree—oak, it could've been, but for the ethereal glow. "After you."

Dread took hold once more. If she went down there with him, would there be any way out again? But she couldn't very well just stand there. There was no one around for miles even if she did escape over the mountainous forest. Perhaps this … was her only chance to keep living until she could find a way to reach out to Prince Siegfried.

She approached the opening. The darkness stretched downward beyond what she could see. It smelled stagnant down there, with stone steps and dirt and soil on every side of the strange, underground tunnel. Trying to sound braver than she truly felt, she faced the man, having to turn her head up all the way just to look him in the eye—she only came up to his shoulder, she realized. "I—I want to know why you've taken me!"

His answer was curt. "Hurry up, moron. We don't have all damn night."

"I'm not a—fine!" Ahiru huffed with an unladylike stomp of her foot.

Yes. Fine. She would go down there. Then, she'd get her answers. She would find a way to safely get out. She couldn't give up hope yet. There was always, always a way.

Ahiru gripped her pendant, took a deep breath, and stepped into the abyss.

"Your Highness, please! We need you here!"

But Prince Siegfried would have none of it. If a monstrous creature, with a long tail and terrifying wings had spirited his fiancee away, then he had to be the one to find her.

He hitched his sword to his hip and saddled a Pegasus. General Lysander and several other knights likewise prepared their own steeds. However, his council members attempted to push past the armored men, attempting to flock the prince with documents and protests. "The Rungholtan prince still needs a response and you cannot leave in the middle of negotiations! Our kingdoms will-!"

With a startling lack of patience, Prince Siegfried snapped his hand up, palm forward, for silence. His lips were pursed, golden eyes flickering, and the advisers were effectively quieted.

"None of it matters," he whispered, "without her."

He lifted himself gracefully up and onto the saddle and took the reins in his hands. With a click and a tug, the winged horse burst from the stone bridge and up, leading his company into the skies.

Northward, the little girl had said. Northward it was, then.

Beta-read by Docktor Locktor