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A Heart Divided

© Cederwyn Whitefurr

7th April, 2023 -Revised and Re-written-

All Rights Reserved

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Katelyn Silverscale stood atop the craggy, rugged edge of the mountainside. Her lithe, silver scaled scaled body, clad in a robe from neck to scaled footpaw. Yet to her, the ice and snow that clattered against her and crunched beneath her feet – it was like a gentle spring breeze.

Glacier blue eyes narrowed, as she looked out over the valley below and to the distant horizon. Clutching her staff, the young Dragoness exhaled, before she turned to face the cave – slamming her staff down with a loud thunderous crack that threatened to set off an avalanche.

Speaking in her native tongue, Katelyn waved a scaled paw, then the cave mouth shimmered – glowing silvery runes flaring into existence. Her eyebrows raised, before she swallowed the lump in her throat – realizing at last – a decade or more of searching – had finally finished.

Noticing something out of the corner of her eye, her staff base tapped it and snow fell away – revealing the helm clad skull of a human... its sightless eyes gazing up – mouth in an eternal scream of horror and unimagined suffering.

“You were a fool to come here - “ Katelyn whispered, kneeling down and gazing into the empty sockets. “Driven by your avarice, now, you will never know peace..."

Standing, she saw the humps of others who had come – driven by lust or curiosity – their very souls now fueled the magickal wards her mother had ensorcelled to protect her own – and that of her lover – final resting place.

Blindingly bright, the sun shone down on the snowy plateau, reflected endlessly through uncountable icicles that hung from the mouth of the cave before her,

Facing the great cavern mouth before her, Katelyn felt no fear as she drew upon her magical training and her ancestry, to understand and comprehend the powerful glyph that flared bright – burned into the edges of the cave mouth – glowing brighter and brighter with each beat of her heart. Get it wrong, and the magicks would tear her asunder, the scraps of flesh scattering in the arctic winds.

Her head tilted back, eyes closed, as she began to chant in a language that was older than even her ancestral memory could recall – did her words come forth, a language few even knew – and fewer still – could speak.

It was melodious, rising and falling, the very mountain itself trembling and groaning at its echoing resonance. As the runes burned even brighter – flaring so they rivaled the sun itself, Katelyn forced her eyes open and slammed her staff down on the ice and snow.

With a brilliant flash, the first wards vanished – leaving agonizing after-images that felt like they'd burned into her retinas. With clatters, creaks of ice-crusted amour and the sharp hiss of swords – the dead arose to defend the resting place.

Katelyn stood resolute, both hands clutching her staff, as her eyes narrowed behind silvery lids and she drew deep of her knowledge and magicks to defend herself.

“Those who have no ears, those who have not eyes," Katelyn intoned, her voice loud and echoing off the mountain side and vanishing down into the valley. “Those who stand and wish me ill, hear and see me! I am Katelyn Silverscale, daughter of Lady Jessica Silverscale – her one true name! Daughter of Lord Kathis, hear me, see me, and obey!"

At her command, the undead stopped in their tracks – then slowly, one by one, then knelt in fealty and honor, forming a honor guard at the mouth entrance.

Katelyn paused, taking a deep breath, before she walked before them, and into the cavern beyond...

*

Katelyn walked slowly, the tip of her tail touching the ground with each footstep. Spirits – strong, ancient, deadly, reached out to caress and whisper into her ears – their touch icy as they sought the warmth and life within her scaled body.

“You will not claim me, for I deny you fear over me!" Katelyn snarled, her clawed hands tightening on her staff. “You are nothing! My heart is pure, my spirit as well – for in this belief, I am resolute. Depart from this place, dark ones, for your kind have no right to be here in this place!"

Their menace grew, their rage, anger, misery – it made it almost impossible for her to breathe – her breath coming out in a foggy exhalation.

Katelyn stopped, before she knelt down – almost as if the spirits had broken her resolve – but she merely closed her eyes and placed one scaled hand on the ground.

“I give you one chance - “ Katelyn whispered, her voice the barest of whispers. “Leave..."

They screamed soundlessly – yet in her mind – she heard their shrieks and demands.

Warm one, give us life, give us -your- life, let us take from you, what was taken from us! Join us, your life blood and warmth will sustain us, give us that which we...

Katelyn sighed, her clawed fingers curling – gouging into the very stone itself with four long grooves.

“So be it..." Katelyn spoke – her breath turning to a fog around her scaled head.

With a Draconic whispering, her voice called forth magicks from her ancestral past. She summoned magicks from the very earth itself – ancient, dark, powerful magicks – an eldritch fog swirled around her – expanding and encompassing everything within it. even darker things materialized ensnaring the shrieking spirits and dragging them down into the earth itself – to imprison them for eternity...

“I wish you had listened - “ Katelyn murmured, as she pressed her hand to the cold stone and a single tear slid down her scaled cheek and crystallized, shattering when it hit the stone.

*

No living creature had trod this path in over a hundred years, and the darkness was loath to give up its dominion over this cavern.

At last, she entered the final resting place of Sir Kathis and Jessica Silverscale, and her resolve began to weaken as her clawed hand trembled, and two glistening tears trickled slowly down her scaled cheeks and fell to the ground, where they spattered into the dust of the ages.

Before her, lay a large funeral bier, the top of which was carved into the likeness of a human man; a powerful warrior in his own life, who had turned away from the life he had been trained for, and had spared the life of the Silver Dragon - Jessica Silverscale.

Surrounding the funeral bier, its skeletal nose touching the tip of its bony tail, lay the mortal remains of Jessica Silverscale – now naught but bones. Although she had perished a century before, at her own paw, the guardians who had kept their watch over this place had moved her remains to this place and build this entire temple in honor of the love and mutual respect Jessica Silverscale and Lord Kathis had shared.

Katelyn slumped to her knees, then clasped her paws around her staff, as wracking sobs tore her apart - so primal was her emotion and grief, that she threw back her head and let peal a draconian shriek of such heartbreaking sadness, even the undead guardians felt chilled by it.

For hours, Katelyn wept at the graves of her Draconic mother and her Human sire, unable to hold back the conflict within her, knowing her ancestry - but also cursing it. For to be Draconic was what she had striven for, yet she could not deny her human emotions and the blood that ran hot in her scaled form...

It was over a century of pain and grief that Katelyn unburdened her soul and body with that day, at last, so exhausted from her emotions that she just collapsed bonelessly onto the dusty floor....

*

When she awoke, she picked herself up and brushed off the worst of the dust and debris that covered her robes. Steeling herself, she knelt in silent prayer at the side of her parents. For a time indeterminate, she seemed even not to breath – like her scaled form had turned into a statue, before she lifted her head and looked at the sword which had pieced Jessica's chest.

It burned a brilliant cerulean blue, the flames licking up and down the blade itself – the flames almost hypnotic in their movements.

“I know now, what I must do, I fear, I do not have the strength to do it..." Katelyn whispered.

Taking a series of deep breaths, Katelyn crouched on the ground and spread her hands out, almost in a supplication pose. For several beats of her heart – nothing happened – then she squeezed her eyes tightly closed – two tears sliding down her scaled muzzle to shatter once more like crystal on the ground beneath her.

Drawing even deeper than she had ever done – magicks swirled and a fog rose from the ground – enfolding her in its eldritch embrace. From within come the sounds of terrible suffering – almost unholy in the cries and whimpers – sounds of tearing flesh and cracking of bone...

It seemed to last an eternity – or so it felt – until at last, where a anthropomorphic Dragoness had crouched – now arose a human woman in its place. Her skin was white as fresh snow, hair a brilliant platinum color and her eyes were like a glacier – so blue.

Katelyn took a single step, then dropped to her knees – tears streaming from her eyes as new muscles shrieked and screamed in their agony, the transformation almost draining her of her last vestiges of strength and magicks – yet one last challenge remained...

To truly prove herself – she had to do the unthinkable...

Her resolve trembling, Katelyn forced herself to stand and take a stumbling step – another – one more – before she fell again and her hand slapped down on the bony plated shoulder of her draconic mother's skeleton.

“Mother," Katelyn whispered, her breath ragged and panting. “I beseech you, give me the strength to do what I must, to do, that which you yourself once done..."

Receiving no answer – Katelyn bowed her head and rested it a moment on the skeletal shoulder plate.

“I am Katelyn Silverscale, daughter of Jessica Silverscale and Lord Kathis - “ Katelyn suddenly screamed, her fingers curling into claws, her head lifting to the ceiling as if challenging the very mountain itself. “I will do that which my mother could not... on my very soul, I make this pledge!"

Her voice echoed off into the silence of the cavern, it seemingly indifferent to her heartfelt vow.

“I am neither dragon – nor human - “ Katelyn snarled, pushing herself upright. “My will is my own, born of love and faith between sworn enemies, their love overcome – and so shall I!"

Without hesitation, Katelyn wrapped her hand around the enchanted sword...

It was a mistake...

*

Her soul was torn from her body, said body crumpling to the ground as her spirit was cast into the unfathomable darkness – here, pain beyond anything she had ever known – sank its eldritch claws into her – threatening to literally tear her soul to shreds. Cerulean flames flickered over her from head to heel, burning and searing in incalculable agony – no – agony couldn't do it justice – there were no words to describe how she writhed and screamed breathlessly in the void...

Pain, excruciating, intense, unspeakable... It threatened to consume her – to turn her spirit into ashes – then burn those ashes in an eternity of blue fire – the agony would be eternal...

Yet something, deep inside her, dormant, still, acquiescent – flared like a guttering candle, It was as cold as an arctic snow-storm. Ice-like yet a fire none the less...

It grew within her – its odd flames spreading from somewhere deep inside – where it come up against the other fire – it vanquished it – snuffed it out like a burning torch dropped into a river.

It flared brighter and brighter -

A fireplace fire

A torch

A bonfire

Ice fought fire – a battle as ancient as the world itself – two opposing elements fought for supremacy, yet only one would win out...

If the ice failed – Katelyn's soul would be driven into unending torture and madness

If the ice prevailed...

Her natural element fought back like she'd never fought before – ice combated fire – slowly, inexorably, it quenched the soul-destroying agony – only the coldness remained...

*

Katelyn gasped, her hand clutching the hilt of the sword, its cerulean flames vanished at her glance – yet she could sense it within this enchanted blade – it acquiesced to her, surrendered itself, yet she did not control it – she had merely reached an impasse – an understanding – with the intelligent, enchanted weapon she now held...

It would turn on her in a heartbeat – a single lapse of concentration or even thought – what it had done to her, come the thoughts through her mind, was a mere glimpse of the truth it held within it...

Katelyn bowed her head, holding the sword horizontal in her hands, before she took the scabbard and sheathed it, affixing the belt around her waist before rising.

*

Katelyn left the cavern and the cave, walking outside – feeling like the weight of the very mountain itself lifted from her shoulders as she stepped out. Ice and snow tore at exposed flesh and tried to suck the warmth and life from her body – but she merely clutched her staff and banished the cold from without – drawing on her ancestral magicks to warm her human form.

“It is done, I have passed the trials, now, shall I face my challenge – I will see that which my mother could not, be done, or I shall perish trying, I am Katelyn Silverscale, as I have spoken, so will it be!"

*

Unbeknownst to Katelyn, she had been watched by the ghostly forms of Sir Kathis and Jessica Silverscale - their ghostly, shimmering forms appearing in the burial crypt. He resplendent in the finest of plate armor, his crested helmet held under one arm, Jessica as the majestic and powerful Silver Dragon, who lay beside the ghostly knight.

"I know why you did this to our child," Sir Kathis whispered. "Yet I would have wished she was stronger, for much evil still walks this land."

"She is stronger than you think my beloved," Jessica spoke quietly, gazing at the place where Katelyn had stood. "She may be human in many ways, but Draconic in others. Through you, she has learned compassion, mercy and understanding. Through me, she has learned that which can only serve her, and make her stronger."

Sir Kathis placed his spectral gloved hand against the likewise ghostly cheek of Jessica and he nodded slowly.

"Aye my beloved, you speak the truth." Sir Kathis sighed. "When I lived, I wish I had your wisdom."

Rubbing her ghostly head against the Knight, Jessica growled softly in contentment.

"She will survive my mate, growing wise from both of us, and what we were." Jessica told him quietly.

Jessica looked wistfully at the cavern entrance, knowing she was forever bound to this crypt, as was Sir Kathis.

"She is strong my mate, and she will bring us much honor. I have no doubt that her body may be cold, but the heart that beats within her chest, is hot indeed. I speak not wisdom my mate, but the truth. What we must remember, is Katelyn will live, and honor all that we fought and died for."

Sir Kathis looked at Jessica, then he nodded once - before both of them flickered and vanished, the cavern returning to the darkness and the silence that had guarded it....

END