FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 7

Cinder stood at the bridge, Elias by her side. He had spent most of the day with her, from about noon, until now. 7:00. She really did like him, but couldn't accept it. She was a big, reptilian beast, and he was a human prince. "Ella?" Elias asked, looking at her. She wore an emerald gown.

"What?" she asked, looking at him. He was holding her hand tightly, and looked as if he was going to cry.

"I can obviously tell your hiding something." He said, looking at her. Honestly, she felt it to. She was in love. She just couldn't tell him, because she knew, deep down, that she could not hide what she was from him forever.

"Elias..." She said, looking at him. "I am not a noble. I don't have any money. I wasn't robbed, or any of that stuff. I have nothing." She cried, looking at him.

"You've been lying to me?" Elias asked, feeling distraught. "Why can't you just tell me?

"Elias, I can't explain anything to you, and it tears me apart." Cinder cried.

"I'm sure you have good reasons, Ella, but can you just answer one question?" Elias asked, looking at her. "Do you feel the way I do about you?"

"Elias, I just told you I've been lying to you. You know nothing about me." Cinder said, looking at him.

"I know. That is why I want to get to know the real you. Please, tell me, dear Ella, who are you?"

"I can't tell you, but, to answer your question, yes. I do love you... and I'm sorry." She said, turning away. "I have to leave."

"No! Ella!" Elias cried as she took off into a sprint, running around the corner. He ran after her, only to find that she had ran into a crowd of people, and disappeared. Fighting the crowd he finally stopped, and lowered his head. "Ella... what could you be keeping from me?" He asked, sighing.

Cinder walked through a crowd of people that were late arrivals to the festival for the day. As she passed through the crowd, she smacked heads with somebody, and fell to the ground. "I apologize." A familiar voice said, taking her hand, and lifting her up. It was Tarin, dressed in a fancy blue tunic.

"That's okay..." Cinder stuttered when she realized who he was.

Tarin, quit chatting with that girl, and come one! We have more important things to do... like get Mary to marry the prince." Baroness Sabrina yelled, grabbing him and dragging him past her. The baroness was wearing a regal red gown.

"Mother, isn't that the girl that the prince has been hanging around?" Mary asked, approaching Cinder. She wore an all black gown. "Such a pathetic, thin girl."

"I apologize." Cinder cried, kneeling before them. "Please don't hit me!"

"What are you talking about?" the baroness asked, looking at her. "You know, you remind me of a servant I have. Anyways, we must go!" Cinder felt stupid. She was acting like she was still in chains in front of them. Old habits die hard.

"Again, I apologize!" Cinder cried, running off. Once she was out of site, She took off her pendant, and sat down in the grass in her dragon form. "Why doess thiss have to happen?" she sobbed.

"Cinder, calm d own." Celina said, approaching from behind. "I understand that you like the prince, but you need to stay around him just a little longer, or he will die." She said, putting a hand on her scaly shoulder.

"I know. I jusst need to take a few brreathss." Cinder sighed. She clipped the pendant to her necklace, and started walking back. "I can't facse him again. Insstead, I think I'll jusst hide out of ssite until the demon appearss."

"Alright, but hurry up. That demon could be there any moment." Celina said with a sigh. Meanwhile, Elias was sitting by the bridge, alone, crying.

"Oh, why?" He cried. "Why must she stay away? I love her so much that it hurts."

"Are you alright?" Mary asked, approaching him. The Baroness and Tarin were close in tow.

"You're that girl who threw herself at me on Tuesday!" Elias said, angrily. "Go away! Now is a bad time."

"Don't talk to her like that!" Tarin yelled at him, approaching the prince.

"And who are you to yell at me?" Elias asked, glaring.

"Yeah, brother, you're usually the nice one." Mary said, a little dumbfounded.

"What the heck?" Elias cried, stepping back. Tarin was glowing with an odd energy.

"Listen, Mary. Your brother is dead!" He laughed. "I am Zallgonis, the demon lord!" Suddenly, he transformed into a large serpentine beast, and roared. "That boy died yesterday while you and the baroness sent him to the market. I didn't even have to do anything. Bandits killed him, and I copied his body for my own use."

"My son is dead?" Baroness Sabrina cried, running over to the serpent.

"Sso you killed the only brrother I ever knew?" Cinder's voice echoed from above. "Who are you?" Zallgonis asked, looking up to see Cinder slowly descending to the ground.

"You killed my fatherr, took my brrotherr's face, and now you want to kill the prince?" She growled, landing before him, ready to pounce. "Ssorrry, but I can't allow that!"

Stepping back, Elias muttered, "That's the dragon I saw before..."

"You can't beat me!" Zallgonis roared, rising up into a snake-like striking position. "After all, I can easily kill all these people in one move."

"Go ahead. You kill any of them, and you'll turn to sstone. As you trry to find a ssafe place, I will follow you, and brreak you aparrt." Cinder said, arrogantly.

"Fine." He said, as hundreds of royal soldiers surrounded him. "I guess I'll kill you this time, and the prince later."

"Your majesty, get out of here." Cinder growled. "And give me some room to fight."

"Yes, Miss... uh, dragon?" He stuttered, backing away. Regaining his princely tongue, he quickly barked, "Come on, men, let's go!" All the soldiers, without hesitation, followed him away.

"Cinder..." Mary stuttered as she backed away, "Take that demon down! Once I marry Elias, I'll be sure to award you justly!"

"Jusst go." Cinder growled, causing Mary to quickly run away.

"Cinder, my husband always knew you were good for something. I think we just found it." The baroness said, in her normal arrogant tone. "Good luck." That was the first time Cinder ever heard Baroness Sabrina act supportive of her. After wishing her luck, the baroness cleared the battle field.

Meanwhile, Elias ran through the castle, evacuating everyone. "Has anybody found a girl with red hair named Ella?" he asked one of the soldiers.

"I'm sorry, sir, but none of the girls that I've seen match the appearance of your dance partner from earlier." The soldier responded sadly.

"Alright, just make sure you get everyone to safety." Elias said, turning toward where Cinder was at. "I think I should keep an eye on the fight."

"Come one, dragon. Kill me if you can!" Zallgonis laughed, lashing his tail at the red-scaled dragoness. She simply leapt over it, darted into the air with a might beat of her wings, and spewed a burst of flames at him. Before it hit, he slithered out of the way, and unleashed a burst of lightning at her. Cinder roared in pain as the lightning clipped her wing, and she dropped to the ground. As the demon lunged for her, she swung her claws at him. No connection. Instead, a burst of lightning shot through her, causing her to stumble back. Zallgonis sunk his fangs hard into her left back leg, causing her to roar in agony.

"You won't win!" Cinder cried, spewing fire at him at point blank range. A brilliant flash of light engulfed him.

"Just because you broke my barrier doesn't mean you can kill me!" Zallgonis laughed, as he slithered away, and unleashed a barrage of lightning at her. She simply braced herself as the lightning engulfed her body. The pain was unbearable, as she roared in agony, but she knew she couldn't lose. If she gave in, Elias would be attacked. She simply began walking closer to Zallgonis, against his pulsating lightning.

"How is my lightning not killing you?" He roared, unleashing more power.

"Simple." She said, as she reached striking distance. "I am not going to die without making sure you go with me!" She leaped on him, and sunk her claws into his throat. The two roared in agony for a short time before Zallgonis's lightning finally stopped pulsing. He fell dead, a pool of blood forming around him. Cinder had won. Battered and burnt, she triumphantly stood, her head held high.

"The dragon did it?" Prince Elias said, seeing her walking away from the demon.. She made eye contact with him, and smiled a gentle smile, before finally collapsing on the ground. "No!" He exclaimed, running over to her. He felt terrible, knowing that this dragon was injured protecting him. He slowly put his head to her chest, to listen for a pulse. Indeed, she had a heartbeat. "Men! This dragon needs medical attention!" he cried, looking at her. She had electricity burns all over her body.

"Sir, it's a dragon!" Mary said, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"Shut up. I don't even like you!" Elias yelled. "Besides, she saved my life. I can't just let her die!"

"Her name is Cinder." Baroness Sabrina said, approaching him. "In case she can't remember when she awakens, I personally trained her. She is my personal guard dragon!"

"Cinder..." he said, putting his hand on her chest. Looking down, he saw small glass shards lying on the ground. Picking a few up, he realized that it was Ella's glass pendant, probably broken during the struggle. He knew it had to be Ella's. And, from the looks of it, the dragon had been holding it. "Ella... so this is what you were hiding." He said, grasping the shards in his hand.