1220-01-13
Ana "Silvercrest" Aquavelle:
I've had this dream. Over and over, it comes back. Each time, the same cold, the same dread. It never truly leaves. It haunts me, repeating itself in every corner of my mind.
I hate it.
I hate how it wraps around me. No matter how many times I wake up. It's always there. It pulls me back. I try to push it away. It clings to me, refuses to let go. The fear. The helplessness. It never fades.
We can never escape our past, our pain. No matter how much we want to forget. It follows us. Time doesn't heal; it just numbs the hurt. It makes it easier to carry. We tell ourselves we're fine. The truth is, we're never truly free. Free from the past. The past stays with us. It shapes who we are. Whether we want it to or not. It's in our nature to run. To try to escape. It's a race we'll never win.
We look to the sky for answers. There's nothing. Just empty space. The sky doesn't care. It's cold, indifferent, just like the earth below.
I watched as my mom died, her body growing colder with every passing second. Her skin turned blue, and her lips, once warm with life, turned cold. She died holding me, shielding me from the world around her. Her tears fell, turning to water that seemed to sustain me even as she faded away. Her body became ice. She kept me alive. Kept me tethered to this unbearable reality.
The nightmares still haunt me. It lingers in my thoughts like an unshakable statue. Her face is always there. A smile on her lips as if she had accepted her fate. She was just done with it all.
She died for me.
She passed away just moments before Tal arrived. If he had come sooner, or if the dragon had attacked later, maybe she would have lived.
In truth, I just fucking hate dragons.
I hopped out of bed, desperate to leave, but the halls outside were loud with the sounds of soldiers. I slightly cracked open the door and watched as soldiers with rich brown skin walked through the halls. Their armor was bronze, studded with blue gems embedded into the plates. Two of them were different from the rest. Their headgear was elaborate, with winged crests adorning their helmets. Among them, the female soldier wore a slightly different headpiece, a winged crescent with a purple headdress.
I'd seen them before. The sounds of their wings flapping filled the castle, almost suffocating the air around me.
At my door, two soldiers stood to guard me.
They both straightened as they saw me. One of them lifted his helmet.
"Hey, Ana," he said. "Your father told us to guard you."
"Where's my mother? Where's my father?" I asked, glaring at the guards.
"They remain quiet. They're talking with important allies."
"Where is he?" I pressed. "I want to go."
"He told us not to let you—"
"Are you denying your princess?" I interrupted.
"Yes," the guards answered in unison.
"Listen, it's pointless. I'll go whether you want me to or not."
"Will you provide me safe passage?" I asked, my voice sharp.
"Fine," the other guard sighed. "But you have to protect us from your father."
The halls were loud, soldiers rushing to and fro. I followed them, sticking close to the wall to avoid being overshadowed. The clinking of bronze armor echoed around me, a sound I had only recognized a few times before.
A dragon.
As we walked, a bright light caught my attention.
I stopped, and the guards did the same.
I ran and the guards followed. I headed straight for the courtyard.
There, a giant dragon lay among the flowers, trees broken around it. It noticed me.
It is beautiful. Frightening at the same time.
A majestic golden dragon. Its wings, radiant like the sun. Its scales shimmered like pure gold. The dragon's body was adorned in armor. The armor is inlaid with glowing blue gemstones.
"What... is that?" I asked, stumbling backward.
"It's Queen Tamara's dragon," one of the soldiers said.
"Who's dragon?" I asked, running back inside, the soldiers following me.
I rushed down the familiar halls, the soldiers struggling to keep up. I made it to a familiar room and pushed the door open.
My father sat with a woman, though I didn't notice her at first.
"Why?" I yelled. "Why is there a dragon here?" I ran to my father. I embraced him.
He looked at the guards. They didn't meet his gaze.
He picked me up.
"I'm sorry, Tamara," he says.
The woman glances at me and gives a gentle smile.
"Don't worry," she smiles. "My children are the same."
"I didn't know you had children," my father remarks.
He signals the guards to shut the door.
"I have twins, a boy and a girl."
"That's rare. I hope they're well," my father replies.
The room grows quiet. I take the chance to study the woman.
She has a calm presence. Her dark hair flows in braids. Her hair is decorated with golden accessories.
Her dress is white and gold. It's embroidered with blue gems.
Her skin is a rich brown. It glows softly in the light. Her deep brown eyes match her skin.
My father looked at me. "Ana," he said. "We're talking about some important matters. Please go find your mother."
"I'm old enough to listen."
He hesitated. Tamara waved it off.
"How do you know my father?" I asked her.
"We've been allied for quite some time."
"Allied?"
"We're friends." She smiled.
"We were talking about how two infamous criminals escaped my grasp."
"What did they do?" I asked. My father placed his hand over my mouth.
"I'm sorry about her."
"No, it's fine," Tamara laughed.
A small smile formed on my face.
"How many escaped?" my father asked.
"Two," Tamara replied quickly.
"Why do you want us to help?"
"We just need them gone." she continued "They escaped to Loret."
"Are you certain they made it to Loret?" my father questioned. "War with Loret means war with Pallas."
"Loret is a land of untapped potential, and their alliance is new," she replied.
"How did they escape you?"
"They escaped into the waters as we took their city," she said. "About two months ago, my Nezu…"
"What's a Nezu?" I asked, interrupting.
"Sorry for the interruption," I added quickly.
"It's someone who tames and rides dragons," she smiled before continuing. "My Nezu tracked them, and they made landfall in Loret."
"Why didn't they take them out?" my father asked.
"At the time, we needed them alive," she replied. "But there's no point now."
"My Nezu watched as they made it to Zandu. Dragons hate Loret, though I'm not entirely sure why, so they returned."
"The attack would have been far outside their waters. With only two allies, I don't want to start a war. I don't want to start a war. I just want you to go and see what happened with them," Tamara said
"That will work," my father said. "Pallas still believes we're on good terms."
"What if they don't give them over to us?" my father asked, his expression growing serious.
"Then we'll end it there," she replied. "I don't want to start any conflict. They'll most likely live simple lives anyway. If a war starts a few years from now, then I'll worry about finding the Murasaki."
"That sounds doable. If conflict with Pallas does start, I will try to find them with all my effort," my father said, the weight of responsibility in his voice.
"I'm too busy trying to find a cure for the Blight anyway."
"What's the Blight?" I asked.
"It's a terrible disease that plagues my people. I'm sorry if talking about it makes you feel sick."
I quietly stepped back. I let them continue to discuss their plans. I walked down the hall. The sounds of their conversation faded behind me.
Pallas… Lucius…
We had always had a connection. I didn't want him to get hurt. I don't want Pallas to suffer.
I couldn't quite silence the doubt in my mind. I walked through the halls. I didn't pay attention to anything.
I accidentally bumped into a man. A tall man, with brown hair and green eyes. A green glowed from beneath his helmet. The helmet had a red plumage indicating his status.
He noticed me and knelt down beside me.
"What's wrong, Ms. Aquavelle?" he smiled.
"Nothing," I replied, glancing at him. "What's war like?" I asked.
He looked shocked.
"Let's go outside," he suggested.
We walked toward the back of the castle. The flowers had withered. The dragon still lay there, sleeping. It is much dimmer than when it was awake.
"Did you know that people in Rali are given horses at a very young age and that they keep these horses from childhood until the horses die?"
"They hold ceremonies for the horses," he added.
"That doesn't answer my question."
"War is very scary," he said.
He sat beside me on the steps and removed his helmet.
"But sometimes it's for a good reason."
"Why?" I asked. "Why do people have to get hurt?"
"Some people," he said, "are greedy. Some want more than they deserve. Some just want to harm others. And we use force to protect those who matter, like your family matters to you."
He paused, looking out at the sleeping dragon.
"I would have had a daughter around your age."
"My wife and daughter died due to a war with Pallas."
"Pallas?" I asked, confused. "What happened?"
"Pallas and Wara were fighting. One side, each denying the claim, unleashed a dragon."
"A dragon?"
"An ice dragon," he explains. "The dragon makes it to Disla, killing everyone in its path."
"I'm sorry you lost your family," I say softly.
"I fight so that no one else has to lose someone they love like that."
I pause, suddenly hesitant. "What's your name?"
He smiles warmly, "My name is Arden Silvercrest."
I freeze. My heart pounds in my chest.
"Silver...crest…"
The realization hits me hard.
I struggled with the conflicting emotions. I wanted to tell him the truth, to share my discovery. A part of me hesitated. This is what I wanted, right? Would he think I was mocking him? Or even if he believed me, would it change anything?
I swallowed hard. I decided to keep my thoughts to myself. I didn't want to burden him. Burden him with the truth. Not when I felt so lost in it myself. I'll focus on protecting him from the dangers of the frontlines. My father is a hero. I wanted to keep him safe even if he didn't recognize me.
"You seem shocked," Arden chuckled. "Hopefully, your father only says nice things about me."
I smiled faintly.
"You're my hero."