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Chapter#7: Nirvana

Flames engulfed the small cottage… swallowing it whole in a glowing orange light. They danced and crackled…taunting her… Orcs… snarling wargs… blood in the air… smoke stinging her eyes… screaming of the animals… a horse whinnies shrilly… blades swing… a few drop dead… blood…blood everywhere… the cottage gives a groan as it collapses in itself… attacking from all directions… she drops another Orc… tears streaming down her face… ashes drift through the air… a warg leaps from nowhere… lunges… snarls… she's knocked down… the world spins… splitting pain in her head… a knees drives into her stomach… struggling… she's pinned… nails digging into her flesh… hands wrench her legs apart… kicking madly… screams… there's a deafening roar… Orcs scream… fleeing… golden eyes….

She awoke with a startled gasp, but when she moved to roll away from the Orcs she was blocked by something firm and warm. Blinking, her whirring, groggy mind gradually registered that she was no longer surrounded by Orcs. The sky was not black in the deep hours of night, and she did not hear the Orcs' cackles as they pillaged her home. Instead, she was greeted with a gentle warmth that cocooned her entire body as she lay on her side in the soft grass. When she looked up, however, her still hazy mind was greeted with a confusing sight. It was not the sky she was looking up at, but what looked like the roof of a tent—until she realized the canvas had vague outlines of veins. She froze, realizing what she was looking at. Slowly, she turned her head to look down by her feet, and she was met with the sight of a muscular leg, clawed foot, and long tail. Blinking, she looked I front of her at Smaug's head, which was resting on the ground as well, his eyes closed in slumber. That was the moment she realized she was laying with her back against his side, and she was under his wing.

Slowly, she pushed herself up into a sitting position, beyond confused. Reaching back, she rubbed a sore spot behind her head as she tried to remember what had happened, when a smell caused her to stop in her actions. Smoke. She smelled smoke. Before she even thought it through, she was standing and walking out from under the huge wing, careful to keep her footsteps silent as the night as she passed by Smaug's head. The moment she was given a clear view of her surroundings, she knew exactly where she was. Her footsteps were slow, her feet feeling heavy as she slowly walked to the edge of the hill, knowing what she would find but being unable to turn herself around. When she peered down at the remains of her ruined home, it took all she had in her not to release tears.

Her home was in ruins. All that remained were charred remains of the stones used to construct the walls, the rest laying in a pile of blackened ash. The lifeless Orc and warg corpses remained lying motionlessly, scattered on the ash and bloodstained lawn around the cottage. It was the only reprieve that was given to her, knowing the ones who did this had met their deserved fate. It had dawned on her that she must have passed out on the hill the previous night, but what amazed her was that Smaug had stayed with her. She recalled his thunderous roar and the blistering rage in his eyes as he mercilessly slaughtered the Orcs, lips pulled back to expose serrated teeth in a vicious snarl. If it had been any other scenario, she probably would have been scared out of her wits, but the only thing she had felt at seeing the dragon had been relief. How he knew she was in danger, she did not know. All she could think about was that if he had not been there, she would have been gang-raped and killed by those abominations.

After a few minutes, she gained the courage to venture down the hill. It took a moment of searching, but she finally found her pack on the ground next to the dead body of an Orc. In it was her book of sketches and other various supplies she had carried with her. The debris was still hot in some areas, so she had to be careful if she attempted to pick something up. A small handful of items had survived the flames, being made of either metal or some other non-flammable material. She kept her eyes solidly trained away from the animal corpses, refusing to look at their charred remains. It was like looking at the dead family member for he, and she simply couldn't stomach it at the moment. While she was sifting through the ashes, she hadn't taken notice of Smaug's large silhouette on the hilltop.

He had woken to find her missing, and he had walked to the hillside, knowing it was the most logical place she would have gone. When he had spotted her amongst the ruined rubble of her home, however, he had almost felt pity towards her. He remained at the top of the hill, eyes scanning over the grounds with a strange awareness. As Evangeline climbed back up the kill, he saw she was covered in black ash and looked like the walking dead. Her eyes were empty, lacking the usual sparkle, and her steps were slow as if her body were made of led. She hardly glanced at him as she passed, walking straight by without a word. He didn't need to ask to know she was headed towards the lake. For once in his life, he said nothing and just followed her.

Smaug watched her from his spot on the bank. She was sitting atop one of the boulders, her knees drawn up to her chest, as she stared out at the horizon, eyes unblinking and empty. It had been like this since they had arrived almost two hours ago, and it was beginning to get to him. At first he had thought it was because she was in shock, but it was gradually becoming more and more apparent to him that wasn't fully the case. There was a look in her eyes that didn't sit well with him. This was not the woman he had been with. This was not the woman that had saved him from the grips of death, and who looked upon him with kind, nonjudgmental eyes. He did not like this woman. She was but an empty shell of the one he knew. He hated how still she was, and he might have thought she'd turned to stone if it hadn't been for the gentle flow of her hair in the breeze, or the way her breasts lowered and rose as she breathed.

He hadn't realized how used he was to her smile and strong character. Now she looked more like the women of the cities he had destroyed, empty and lifeless. The loss of her home had cut her deep, but he felt there was something else—something deeper that was ailing her. Once again it caused anger to bubble deep within his stomach as he thought of the Orcs. This was their fault. If they had never come, she would have been fine. Oh, how he would enjoy desolating them, watching them flee hopelessly beneath him as he rained his rage down upon them.

"How long are you going to sit there like a statue?" he said suddenly, as a flicker of annoyance was sparked by his anger towards the Orcs.

She did not answer him. She hardly blinked. He narrowed his eyes. No. He most definitely wasn't going to stand for this. He would not allow those parasites to ruin her. Standing, he stepped over to her, and she barely had time to blink before he knocked her into the water with his nose. She let out a startled cry as she fell from the boulder and hit the cold water with a small splash, and he peered down as she resurfaced with a cough. Her head snapped up to him as he towered over her, her eyes having widened. Although he was happy to see some life had returned to her, he was still angry and got in her face.

"Snap out of it!" he snarled at her. "They did not have their way with you. You are alive!"

In response, she grew angry as well and climbed out of the water. "You don't get it!"

"Then explain it to me!"

"Why do you care?" she snapped.

"I prefer anything over this shell of a creature you have become!" he boomed.

She silenced. It had never occurred to her that he would be bothered by her lack of life. If anything, she would have expected him to simply grow bored with her, but apparently that was not the case. Now she could see it in his eyes that he was perturbed. He did not like her acting this way. Not knowing what to say, she decided to answer his question.

"I was banished from my home, Smaug. The only one I ever knew for three hundred years, and it was because I attempted to save an innocent life. Now once again I find myself without a home. Don't you see? I don't belong anywhere. I have no home. Do you know what that feels like? It is the worst feeling one could ever have to suffer through, knowing that the only reason they were punished was because they wanted to spare life. I don't even know if that hatchling survived to adulthood." She shook her head slowly. "Do you know what that thought does to me? Not knowing if my efforts were wasted or not?"

He was silent. She merely sighed and returned her gaze out into the horizon, her eyes saddened. Her stare was almost wistful. Then suddenly, as he watched her, an idea popped into his head. Evangeline was deeply startled when he suddenly grabbed her with his hand, she before she could register what was happening she was dropped onto his back. Shocked, she scrambled to find a grip and steady herself as he moved, turning around on the bank.

"Smaug, what are you doing?" she exclaimed in vague fright.

Instead of answering her, he blitzed forward, and the next thing she knew they were in the air as she let out a short scream. She watched as the huge wings unfurled on either side of her, and he gave them a few powerful flaps. He didn't go higher just yet, instead skimming the water's surface as he soared down the length of the lake. It wasn't until he felt her relax the slightest bit did he move up. Looking down, she saw the lake was rapidly growing smaller as they climbed the air, and she let out a breath.

"Oh my God…"

Higher and higher they climbed, as she listened to his wings against the wind. At this point the lake looked like a mere puddle, as they became level with the mountains. She watched with wide eyes as the land passed by below them, a herd of wild horses galloping away in fear when they saw Smaug's silhouette in the sky. They looked like ants. It was like looking down at a map of the land, like a marvelous moving painting. It was like nothing she had ever seen before. The wind whipped passed them, causing her hair to flail about gloriously. Without realizing it, she felt herself coming back to life, and along with it came a smile. Gradually, it spread across her face, and she felt herself relax. Carefully, she sat up on Smaug's back, and she stared out at the breathtaking landscape before her.

She had never felt as alive as she did at that very moment, it having dawned on her that Smaug had done this for her. He was trying to snap her out of the darkness she had fallen into. Feeling daring, she slowly let go with her hands and sat up straighter, and she lifted her arms up at her sides as an exhilarated cry escaped her lips in one huge burst of adrenaline. A thrilled laugh escaped her throat, and Smaug glanced back at her as he chuckled quietly. She quickly grabbed onto him again when he gained altitude, and she watched as he climbed the air towards the misty fog surrounding the mountaintops. For a moment she was blinded by the fog, but then they broke through, and the sight she was greeted with would forever be imprinted into her brain.

Some may have thought they had died and gone to Heaven. Surrounding them at all sides were fluffy white clouds, illuminated with a vast array of pinks, oranges, blues, and gold. The misty air acted as a prism, causing multiple tiny rainbows to appear in the air as the sunlight streamed filtered through the clouds in gentle streams. Looking down below, she saw sparkling waters that glistened and shimmered like a thousand tiny jewels, being fed by great the great waterfalls in the mountains. It took her breath away. Eventually Smaug landed on a cliff connected to one of the waterfalls, and he bowed down so Evangeline could jump off. She looked out over the land from another world, nearly unwilling to believe that she had never witnessed something that was so close to where she lived. The land was untouched, rich with green grass, misty waterfalls, and illuminated by the sunset. Below, she could see mountain goats jumping about in the rocks.

"It's so beautiful," she breathed. She looked up at him as if seeing him in a whole new light, as he lay down on the grass, keeping his head up to gaze upon the nirvana. "How did you know about this place?"

"I've flown through many skies, lamb," he answered her.

She shook her head slowly. "It's as if I've entered the heavens."

He was silent for a moment. "…Sometimes I still wonder if there others out there… hidden in places like these where no man had ever traveled."

Evangeline looked at him to see his eyes were almost nostalgic, and she felt her eyes soften. "If you really are the last of the fire drakes…" He turned his head to her as she spoke, "then I'm relieved I found you in time. As you know, I have a rare love for dragons. Most would scoff at me, but I would be saddened to see the dragons gone forever. Never have I ever seen any creature so grand…. People are so afraid of things that they fail to see the beauty in them. Each scale…" Lifting her hand, she lightly ran her fingertips over the scaled on his chest, "equaling a shield… like an iron mosaic. Wings like sails…" Her eyes shifted up to him when he bowed his head down to her to look at her closely. She smiled. "Eyes brighter than the flaming sun."

He stared at her for a long time, pondering the impracticality that she could possibly be real. After holding his gaze for awhile, she slowly lifted her hand, but she made no move to touch him. His eyes shifted to her hand, and her smile grew when he moved his nose forward against her palm, marking the first time he had willingly allowed her to touch him aside from caring for his wounds. Evangeline smiled softly, bringing her other hand up to rub under his chin like she had the night she'd first met him. It was at that moment she knew she had not made a mistake when she chose to spare his life.

But peace never lasted forever.

No, it does not. Smaug may respect Evangeline, but now he can fly. Read and review to find out what happens! ;) xoxo