Hello there my hatchlings.
So I wrote this because its my birthday (3/24) *woot woot* yeah so I hope you enjoy.
I'm on spring break right now so I will hopefully be posting the next chapter soon. Please review and favorite and all that good stuff.
DQA out.
Chapter 17: Happy Birthday, Arion
"Wake up."
"5 more minutes."
"No you have to wake up now."
"Okay 4 minutes and that's as low as I'm going."
"Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday-"
"Ugh okay fine Griffin, I'm up."
"Happy Birthday dear Arion."
"Shut up."
"Happy birthday to you!"
"I think you're way to happy about this."
"Should I not be? This is the day Lady Uo gave birth to you, my wife. It's the perfect reason to be happy."
Mom. "I guess." I sigh. "I think I'm going to go for a walk around the castle. If you would excuse me for a moment. I would like to change."
"As you wish, dear." He bowed to me mockingly and shut the door behind himself as I sigh in relief. I dressed my self in something from the busted wardrobe. I searched around and there was no trace of my boots. Damn you, Griffin. All there was were elegant gowns. I just grabbed the one that was the least sparkly and threw it on. It was just a plain purple dress, nothing really special about it. It had off the shoulder straps and dragged a little when I walk. I neatly collected my hair into a braid and slipped my diamond tiara onto my head.
I nod to myself and make my way out toward the rest of the castle. This place is a lot bigger than I remember. I see a large door at the hallway's end. What could that be? I slowly jog to it and push it open. "O-oh hello. I'm sorry to intrude." I notice a woman in the kitchen running around in circle. She was much taller than me and she was also slightly plump. She had chocolate brown eyes and hair that had been rolled into a neatly rounded bun. She wore a long sleeve red shirt under a white floral apron that matched the headband she wore over her forehead.
"Nonsense dearie come in." I give the woman a smile. "S'pose ya don't remember me, do ya, dearie? Well I don't blame ya. It has been something of 200 years."
"I have to say I don't. Its been so long I'm struggling to even remember how to fly straight." I say jokingly.
"Well dearie, the name's Helena."
"Nice to meet you, again."
I took a seat at the table that sat in the large kitchen. The woman brought me over a cut of tea and held out a slice of cake for me as well. "Happy birthday, Yer Highness"
"Oh thanks."
"What's wrong, dearie?"
"Nothing, thank you for your concern though, Helena."
"I took care of ya everyday that yer parents were away on business. I think I would know when ya aren't happy."
"No honestly, I'm fine. Really." I say as I poke the cake with my fork.
"Ya miss them, don't ya?" I nodded to her sadly. "Perk up girlie, its only been two weeks. I'm sure they haven't forgotten ya yet."
"I suppose you are right."
"Helena, have you seen-?" Griffin burst through the kitchen doors abruptly, leaving little reaction time. "Oh nevermind there she is."
"What is it Griffin?"
"I have called everyone off of work for the day to attend a ball in your honor. Which reminds me, Helena we need about...100 cakes. 50 chocolate and 50 vanilla. You know how these dragons can eat."
"Right away, sir." She quickly saluted him and started running around to gather the ingredients for the large order.
"Since when did you go from knight commander to party planner?"
"Since Acnologia left the kingdom and I haven't been needed. I have got to have something that fills the void." He then kissed my cheek and looked down at his clipboard. "Excuse me if you would. I must speak with Henry about decorations."
"Turquoise streamers!"
"Yes, I know." and he disappears from my sight.
"Its nice that you'r trying for him." she says as she mixes the oversized bowl of cake mix.
"I would rather this experience be nice for one of us as opposed to neither one."
"That's a great way to look at it. Even if it is an act."
"Um, Helena?"
"Yes, dearie?"
"Have you- have you ever been in love?"
"Yes once I believe but, I wouldn't want to bore ya with the details."
"Oh I don't mind. Please tell me. I want to know."
"Well if ya insist, dearie." I stared at her intently as she told her tale. "His name was James." she began. As she told her tale, I noticed that it was kind of like mine. She said that before she came to serve my family, she was serving a young prince. She had fallen in love with him and he, her. Her parents however wanted her to marry Ronald, who she didn't have an intention to love. James and Helena snuck away many times and had secret forest rendezvous until her parents found out and forced her to marry Ronald on the spot. But, as stories go, true love conquers all in the end. Unfortunately, Helena said that James died when he went to the front during the thousand year war against The Order of the Deadly Frost, the group of evil mountain dwelling frost dragons.
"I'm sorry for your loss. But, that was a beautiful story, except for the death part. Can I ask you, how did you know that James was the one?"
"Well sometimes ya just know. Ya can feel it in yer heart, ya know?" She says as she places the last of the cakes on the countertop. How she finished them all in 2 hours is a mystery to me but, I guess that's a perk of being a full time fire dragon. "If ya really love this human, then be with him. Griffin will understand. All he wants is yer happiness."
Helena was truly a genius (or I'm just stupid). "Thank you, Helena! I appreciate it so much!" I shout gratefully as I hug the woman and run out of the kitchen.
"Don't be a stranger, dearie!"
"Yes ma'am." I run back down the hall at full dragon speed, not knowing where to but, I had a plan. As I ran, I wasn't looking where I was going and tripped over something or rather someone.
"I have to advise you to be more careful and watch where you are going."
"Oh I'm sorry, Griff."
"Griff? I haven't heard that for a while." he put his right hand on my forehead and his left on his. "Are you feeling well? You don't have a fever."
"I'm not sick, idiot! I'm just in a hurry." I say, swiping his hand away.
"A hurry? Well the ball is about to start so you should be in a hurry to change clothes."
"About to start?"
"Yes it's already 7:00 and many of the guest have already arrived. Now go change."
"Fine." I guess my plans will have to wait. I scoot off to my bedroom.
"No boots!"
"But Griff?!"
"No."
"But-"
"No."
"Bastard." I whisper to myself as I go back to my room.
I slam the door behind me yet I can still hear him. "I can still hear you."
"What an idiot." I laugh. I walk over to the wardrobe once again, still not finding anything that wasn't over kill. I eventually settled on a navy dress that fell over a poofy turquoise under layer with tight sleeves that ended with a ring on my middle fingers. On the torso, there were off white spirals over the navy. It might have been really fancy but, I liked it the best. It was either this or a skin tight, strapless, yellow evening gown and I was not wearing that. It was just terrible looking. I undressed from the outfit I had worn earlier in the day and put on the fancy gown. I unbraided my hair which gave it a wavy look and put the tiara back on my head. I slipped on a pair of silver flats.
I walk out of the room where I find Griffin offering me his arm. I take it and he leads me to the ballroom. "You look divine tonight, my dear."
"You don't look too bad yourself." I reply, noticing his look. He wore a simple black tuxedo with a a little yellow flower pinned to it. His brown hair was slicked back revealing the scar on his right eye. "Its been a while since I've seen your scar, Griff."
"Well if I walked around advertising my scar, the knights on my squad would think I was looking for sympathy from my adorable fan girls. Then they'd yell at me for marrying the princess and still getting attention from others while they get none. It would just be unfair." he explains jokingly.
"Yes well thank you for thinking about our soldiers. We wouldn't want them to be slacking off if more Dire Chinchillas were to attack."
"Just as funny as before." We reach the end of the hall that has the large staircase leading into the room where the ball was being held. "If you would wait here and let me announce you." I nod to him as he proceeds to speak. "Ladies and gentlemen. If you would grant me your attention. Allow me to introduce Her Highness and birthday girl, Princess Arion Silver." the room roared in applause as Griffin gestured for me come out from behind the wall.
"Thank you all for joining me today on my birthday. Please eat, dance and enjoy yourselves." And they once again clap and turn back to what they were doing.
"Shall we?" Griffin says offering me his arm once again.
"We shall." We descend the stairs and begin dancing, eating and partying all night. It was very fun. The clock had struck 12:00 and the party was still at full swing and all of Helena's cakes had magically disappeared.
As I was dancing with Griffin, I felt a light tap on the shoulder. "Do you mind if I cut in?" I looked at Griffin and he nodded as the man took his place. "Hello there, Princess." He didn't look any older than me. He had short black hair that was combed out of his piercing blue irises. He, like the other men, came dressed in a simple black suit though he wore an oddly colored rose. It was also black but it had splashes of blue covering it.
"Hello sir ..."
"Joshua."
"Well hello there Joshua. Are you having fun."
"Why yes of course. I especially love what you've done with my castle. It's a lot brighter if I do say."
"Your...cas-? Acnologia!"
"You got me." the young man then morphed into an older man who was completely black and covered in turquoise spirals, just like his rose. The music suddenly stopped and the guests began cowering in groups in nearby corners. The guards came from all over the ball room and stood between us.
"Acnologia! What are you doing here?" Griffin yells as he grabs a sword from one of the nearby guards.
"Calm yourself, Commander. I just wish to give my dear daughter a birthday present. Is that a crime?"
"I suppose it's not. But, if you try anything I will kill you."
"You have my word." He handed me a small red velvet box tied with a thin black ribbon. "Go ahead. open it. Go ahead Arionette."
"Don't call me that!" I command as I pull the ribbon loose. When I opened the box I saw a small green crystal spider. It had bright menacing red eyes. The sight of this makes me pant and become nearly speechless. "W-what the hell is this?"
"It's a spider. Is it not your favorite animal? Oh wait, no, you hate spiders don't you, Arionette? Must have been a mix up. My bad?"
The spider hissed at me and leapt from the box and grew taller than Acnologia who stood at 6 feet in his human form. The sight was just horrible. I was completely terrified of spiders and the fact that my father came and brought me one for my birthday was worse. Now add the fact that the spider was HUGE and trying to kill me. I was nearly traumatized at this point.
"Go." At the order, the spider ran over the guards as they attempted to slash its legs.
"Protect the princess!" Griffin commanded as he ran to join the fight. "Get the guest out of here!"
"Don't let it through!"
"Attack!"
"Get it!"
"Do not worry about these weaklings! The princess! Get the princess!" This made the spider stop throwing the guards around and looked directly into my eyes. It charged toward me and would have gotten me if Griffin hadn't jumped in front of me and stopped its pinchers with his sword. It didn't back down, it just continued to struggle against him. Before I realized it, Griffin had been thrown to the side with his neck bleeding.
"GRIFFIN!" I had been shaken. I was powerless to defend myself against this monster.
"Now do not resist, hatchling. You know it was bound to happen one day." The spider quickly jumped forward and grabbed me by the neck. It's pinchers sank into me and I felt liquid roll down my neck that burned like acid. The beast then throws me unto the ground roughly. "Now that I got what I came here for... You might want to get that treated. You can't die before the finale, Arionette, it wouldn't be right." And he disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"Bastard." I choke out.
"Arion! Your neck i-is turning purple."
"What?" I brush the hair away to touch it. When my skin makes contact, I feel a short but agonizing pain ripple throughout my body.
"You have to go find Grandine."
"But what about you, Griffin?"
"I'll be fine. A few bandages will do. You, you need serious medical attention. Go find her."
"Okay," I ran out of the castle ballroom as fast as I could to flew Sky Peak, the domain of the sky dragons. I burst through the doors as I asked everybody my one question, "Where's Grandine?"
"Your Highness? What are you doing here?"
"Grandine. Where is she?"
"She isn't here-"
"Do you see this?" I ask them, flashing the glowing purple rash. "WHERE IS SHE?"
"Sh-she isn't here. She hasn't returned since everyone was freed from the dungeon."
"She what? That's not possible! Gah-" Another spark sprang through me. I guess I have no choice. I have to find Porlyusica, she's just as good.
~Time Skip~
I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. The poison spread to my cheek and covered my neck. I could feel it inching closer and closer to my heart. I'm still a day from Magnolia. There's no way I can get here faster without using all of my magic power. I'll just have to do it.
"FULL RELEASE: Speed Wings" A storm was forming in the sky. The clouds swirled around and lightning flashed, striking the ground. I did my best dodging for a while but, the poison got to me and I was struck by the lightning's force.
I made it there 5 hours later with a low magic levels and wounds a plenty. i was out of breath and tired and I could barely stand. When I made it to Magnolia, I noticed that all the buildings were gone and had been replaced with this strange white fog. "Porlyusica! Porlyusica! Porly-usica! Ahh!" Another surge and the poisson spreads. "Somebody! Anybody! Please help."
"Take my hand." A familiar voice told me.
"Gray?"
"Yes. Now take my hand." I quickly take his hand and pull him in to hug him but, there's nothing there.
"An illusion?"
"Poison will do that to you." I whip around abruptly. Griffin?
"How are you here?"
He came towards me to embrace me. "How are any of us here, my dear?"
"Oh, Griffin." But he wasn't there.
"There just hallucinations, Arion. Just hallucinations."
"Is that so? Does this look like a hallucination?"
"Mom?!"
"Does my blood look like a hallucination to you?" She clutched onto her chest where the arrow had been. The blood dripped from her hands and her usually neat hair, fell messily into her face.
"Mom-"
"You did this to me. You didn't stop him when you had the chance."
"I didn't know!" She then disappeared. I sobbed in to my hands as I fall to the ground. "I didn't know. Mom, I didn't know." I cried until I fell asleep. The poison still spread and the fog grew thicker as the tears flowed. I didn't know.