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I'll be posting my story here as well!  If you're interested in it, please feel free to follow my other account: ManuWrites

Thank you if you take the time to read it!

Previous Chapter:
Next Chapter:

All Chapters HERE.

CHAPTER 62: FALL

                There it was, the southern stone seal. It stood in its lustrous cave, reflecting light on the limpid walls. And between it and the intruders stood a white maiden with her dragon.
                Malia, Gorken and Hedera shared a mind for a frantic instant, their frenzied thoughts bouncing off each other. Should they stay and fight? Run away? No, there was no outrunning the two ominous figures. Kadem and Licorice were days of travel away, the gears of the plan were irreparably in motion all over the kingdom… They had to deal with this on their own.
                “See?” the maiden’s sweet whisper ruptured their rushing train of thought. She twirled gracefully around the stone seal, her silky hair lovingly grazing the air, “I knew you’d come! I’m so happy.”
                The dense, inert silence she got as a response seemed to puzzle the white maiden, whose joyful smile endured nonetheless, “What are you waiting for? Didn’t you come here to break the stone seal?”
                Malia inhaled, “We did. Could you step out of the way, please?”
                The maiden’s surprised expression was as lovely as the rest of her repertoire, “Why would I do that?”
                “Violence is the perpetual option.” Malia said, “It’ll always be there, waiting to be chosen. I see no reason to pick it first. You told us your true aim was to believe in this world, to find the one hope you wouldn’t be able to crush… Then believe in us. We won’t break, we won’t falter. You can stay with us and witness it firsthand. I have trust in myself, in my companions… we won’t let you down. We’ll show you there’s more to humanity than its ugly faults.”
                Malia extended her hand, and the maiden’s yearning black eyes could tell that the princess was truthful, that she intended to carry the burden. The white woman could only chuckle, pleasantly and melodically, despite the evident melancholy of it all, “If only there had been people like you back then. But alas, only hardship breeds true warriors… Look at how broken it all had to be for you lot to come along. A pity, that it’s too late now. No matter how many pretty words you throw my way, they won’t reach me. No matter how logical your arguments may be, no matter how much I may desire to be swayed by them… they simply won’t.”
                “Then you reach me with yours.” Malia kept offering her hand, “I don’t get it. Explain why we can’t come to an agreement. What will we accomplish by killing each other? I have no reason to murder you.”
                Gorken noticed the dragon sparing Malia a wistful glance. His golden eyes were wise and tired, and the human wished he could tell what lay behind their stare. Gorken had always been confident in his ability to read other people, but now that it mattered most, the dragon and the maiden appeared as blank ancient pages, too faded to comprehend.
                “Of course you don’t get it.” The maiden lowered her obsidian eyes, “That’s why I chose you. But if you need a reason to murder me, I can always help out.” She pointed at Gorken with a slim finger, “Guardian. Kill her.”
                Gorken turned towards Malia and unsheathed his sword. Malia looked him in the eyes and immediately understood what was happening. There was no need for words. She dodged his first attack. He was moving slower than usual, his sword seemed heavier. She knew she couldn’t let her guard down. She had to wait for the perfect chance.
                “Hedera!” the princess yelled, “Don’t interfere!”
                Hedera could hear the apprehension in Malia’s cry, but she obliged. The ancient demon knew she would only get in the way; Gorken and Malia had to do it on their own.
                Gorken kept swinging his sword at her, and Malia kept dodging and running, delaying. She would have to block or counterattack at some point, but she was afraid of making a mistake. Cold sweat ran down her face, but she couldn’t stop, she couldn’t let her fear get the best of her. For someone who always fought earnestly, giving it her all, the restrained effort ate away at her stamina, the hesitant anxiety numbed her limbs. But she couldn’t waver.
                The protracted struggle had gone on for long minutes when Malia finally seized her chance. Her back was to the maiden, Gorken was standing in front of her ready to slash her. She met his green gaze and nodded lightly.
                Suddenly, Gorken’s sword turned into a spear. At once, Malia crouched down and Gorken threw the spear with all his might, aiming for the maiden’s chest. The swift maneuver happened so fast that even Hedera had to focus her feral eyes to observe it wholly.
                There was a quiet second. The first thing Malia discerned upon turning around was the maiden’s bewildered expression; then she saw the dragon, standing in front of the white woman. The dark man had stopped their attack in midair, and Gorken’s spear, still in the dragon’s hand, seemed to be rejecting his very flesh, slowly burning it in protest.
                Gorken clicked his tongue in frustration, and Malia’s dismay escaped her in a heavy sigh.
                The maiden covered her mouth daintily before giggling, “What a waste of a great performance! You had me fooled, I admit it. I didn’t think the guardian boy had grown confident enough to resist my commands, let alone to gain a little of basic control over his shape shifting sword. That was an excellent offensive. However, you underestimated my dear dragon.”
                The tall ebony man threw the spear back at Gorken, but he dodged it with ease, as if the weapon had become too loyal to harm its own master. The human retrieved the spear from where it had stabbed the soil, and in his hand it turned back into a sword.
                “Now,” the maiden grinned, “shall we begin? For real this time.”

Description

I'll be posting my story here as well!  If you're interested in it, please feel free to follow my other account: ManuWrites

Thank you if you take the time to read it!

Previous Chapter:
Next Chapter:

All Chapters HERE.

CHAPTER 62: FALL

                There it was, the southern stone seal. It stood in its lustrous cave, reflecting light on the limpid walls. And between it and the intruders stood a white maiden with her dragon.
                Malia, Gorken and Hedera shared a mind for a frantic instant, their frenzied thoughts bouncing off each other. Should they stay and fight? Run away? No, there was no outrunning the two ominous figures. Kadem and Licorice were days of travel away, the gears of the plan were irreparably in motion all over the kingdom… They had to deal with this on their own.
                “See?” the maiden’s sweet whisper ruptured their rushing train of thought. She twirled gracefully around the stone seal, her silky hair lovingly grazing the air, “I knew you’d come! I’m so happy.”
                The dense, inert silence she got as a response seemed to puzzle the white maiden, whose joyful smile endured nonetheless, “What are you waiting for? Didn’t you come here to break the stone seal?”
                Malia inhaled, “We did. Could you step out of the way, please?”
                The maiden’s surprised expression was as lovely as the rest of her repertoire, “Why would I do that?”
                “Violence is the perpetual option.” Malia said, “It’ll always be there, waiting to be chosen. I see no reason to pick it first. You told us your true aim was to believe in this world, to find the one hope you wouldn’t be able to crush… Then believe in us. We won’t break, we won’t falter. You can stay with us and witness it firsthand. I have trust in myself, in my companions… we won’t let you down. We’ll show you there’s more to humanity than its ugly faults.”
                Malia extended her hand, and the maiden’s yearning black eyes could tell that the princess was truthful, that she intended to carry the burden. The white woman could only chuckle, pleasantly and melodically, despite the evident melancholy of it all, “If only there had been people like you back then. But alas, only hardship breeds true warriors… Look at how broken it all had to be for you lot to come along. A pity, that it’s too late now. No matter how many pretty words you throw my way, they won’t reach me. No matter how logical your arguments may be, no matter how much I may desire to be swayed by them… they simply won’t.”
                “Then you reach me with yours.” Malia kept offering her hand, “I don’t get it. Explain why we can’t come to an agreement. What will we accomplish by killing each other? I have no reason to murder you.”
                Gorken noticed the dragon sparing Malia a wistful glance. His golden eyes were wise and tired, and the human wished he could tell what lay behind their stare. Gorken had always been confident in his ability to read other people, but now that it mattered most, the dragon and the maiden appeared as blank ancient pages, too faded to comprehend.
                “Of course you don’t get it.” The maiden lowered her obsidian eyes, “That’s why I chose you. But if you need a reason to murder me, I can always help out.” She pointed at Gorken with a slim finger, “Guardian. Kill her.”
                Gorken turned towards Malia and unsheathed his sword. Malia looked him in the eyes and immediately understood what was happening. There was no need for words. She dodged his first attack. He was moving slower than usual, his sword seemed heavier. She knew she couldn’t let her guard down. She had to wait for the perfect chance.
                “Hedera!” the princess yelled, “Don’t interfere!”
                Hedera could hear the apprehension in Malia’s cry, but she obliged. The ancient demon knew she would only get in the way; Gorken and Malia had to do it on their own.
                Gorken kept swinging his sword at her, and Malia kept dodging and running, delaying. She would have to block or counterattack at some point, but she was afraid of making a mistake. Cold sweat ran down her face, but she couldn’t stop, she couldn’t let her fear get the best of her. For someone who always fought earnestly, giving it her all, the restrained effort ate away at her stamina, the hesitant anxiety numbed her limbs. But she couldn’t waver.
                The protracted struggle had gone on for long minutes when Malia finally seized her chance. Her back was to the maiden, Gorken was standing in front of her ready to slash her. She met his green gaze and nodded lightly.
                Suddenly, Gorken’s sword turned into a spear. At once, Malia crouched down and Gorken threw the spear with all his might, aiming for the maiden’s chest. The swift maneuver happened so fast that even Hedera had to focus her feral eyes to observe it wholly.
                There was a quiet second. The first thing Malia discerned upon turning around was the maiden’s bewildered expression; then she saw the dragon, standing in front of the white woman. The dark man had stopped their attack in midair, and Gorken’s spear, still in the dragon’s hand, seemed to be rejecting his very flesh, slowly burning it in protest.
                Gorken clicked his tongue in frustration, and Malia’s dismay escaped her in a heavy sigh.
                The maiden covered her mouth daintily before giggling, “What a waste of a great performance! You had me fooled, I admit it. I didn’t think the guardian boy had grown confident enough to resist my commands, let alone to gain a little of basic control over his shape shifting sword. That was an excellent offensive. However, you underestimated my dear dragon.”
                The tall ebony man threw the spear back at Gorken, but he dodged it with ease, as if the weapon had become too loyal to harm its own master. The human retrieved the spear from where it had stabbed the soil, and in his hand it turned back into a sword.
                “Now,” the maiden grinned, “shall we begin? For real this time.”