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Fire and Ice – Reforged -

Chapter Five

© Cederwyn Whitefurr

16th March, 2020

All Rights Reserved.

After the door closed, Jessica twitched and looked down at her splinted and bandaged leg. With a sigh, she hurriedly stripped it off and experimentally flexed her hoof, watching as the bones moved as they should. With a sigh, she sat up, then slid herself over the edge, her hooves resting on the ground as she clutched her head in her paws and shuddered.

Lowering her paws, she looked up at the ceiling, before her expression turned dark and predatory, her woodland brown eyes shifting their spectrum to a silvery colour, then back again as she forced herself to stand. Her paws contracted into fists at her side and her tail frizzled to twice its size, before she turned towards the door, then paused. Fighting for control, Jessica squeezed her eyes closed, then exhaled quietly – when she opened them again, they were her usual deep brown and she had fought back the urge that now compelled her.

*

“No..." Sir Kathis moaned, as he stared at his discarded sword, that burned with its cerulean glow. “No...I know what she is..."

His sword burst into flames, as if countermanding his beliefs and words. Icy flames that wreathed his sword and were reflected in his tear filled eyes.

"No damn you," Sir Kathis screamed. "I know who she is, she is the one who has brought me such pleasure, such kindness and above all. taught me what it is like to love someone! I will not believe - "

He whirled about as he heard Jessica's soft, pitiful sob.

“Lady Jessica, you shouldn't - “ He began, then his eyes widened as he saw her moving towards the fireplace.

Sure, she hobbled a bit, but her ankle had been broken – she shouldn't have been able to move it, let alone walk...

His sword burned brighter, almost as if it had a mind of its own. Jessica ignored both it and him, before she stopped before the fireplace and rested her paws on the mantle.

“I can no longer live the lie..." Jessica murmured, her head lowered and a quiver rippling through her body. “Sir Kathis, take the torch and light it..."

He was confused and uncertain, but something in her voice compelled him to obey. As he lit the torch and held it, its orange-yellow flame sputtering and consuming the pitch, he looked at her in confusion and bewilderment.

“Come with me..." Jessica whispered, as she moved past him and out into the rain that sheeted down.

Again, he followed her, curious and confused. As the rain come down, Jessica turned her eyes heavenwards, then snapped a command in a voice that was not her own – nor was it comprehended by the Knight who stood a dozen paces away from her. Almost instantly, the torrential rain eased to light rainfall, then barely felt drizzle as the clouds were rent apart and scattered by a stiffening breeze.

“Sir Kathis, for my deception and lies, I will not beg for your forgiveness nor understanding." Jessica murmured, as she turned her back to him, clutching her paws together before herself.

Plunging his sword into the ground, where it sizzled and crackled, Sir Kathis got to his knees and turned Jessica around, so he was looking up at her.

"You say you love me - you called me your beloved," Jessica wept, her tears sliding down her cheeks.

"Milady, my heart, my soul, and my sword are yours - command me as you will, and as the God's themselves are my witness, I pledge my life to you, and my hand in marriage, if you would have it."

Tearfully, she crouched down, then took his wrist in both paws, and lifted it up, as she stood. He followed, then frowned as she brought its hot flame close to her and held it up so it was above both of them.

“Then look at what you profess to love...look at my shadow..."

Confused and uncertain, Sir Kathis did so, and then watched as Jessica moved herself between the torch and the wall, standing side-on to him and the sputtering torch he held. His eyes grew and a look of fear swept over his face, leaving him wide-eyed and confused.

“No..." He murmured, unable to tear his gaze away from the shadow that was cast.

It was not the silhouette of his beloved Whitetail Doe, the light of the torch revealed something from the darkest depths of hell...

Her shadow wavered and flickered, then solidified as the dark silhouette of a dragon - its distinct head, powerful jaw-line, long - sharp canines and back-swept horns at the back of the head.

"No," Sir Kathis gasped as his eyes widened in horror and the torch fell from his nerveless grasp. "No - I know who you are...I know what you are!"

"No my love - " Jessica wept, bowing her head. "My shadow cannot lie, even if I can – and I have. Why? I've been alone for more years than I wish to remember! I chose this life, out of fear and regret for that which I done! I am not what you have taken in your arms, I am not the one you have pledged your very life too. I lied to you my beloved, and for that, I offer no excuse, none I could offer would suffice."

"How - how could you...." He gurgled, his face paling as he still stared dumbfounded at the silhouette.

Jessica had no answers for her mate...she only prayed for a quick, painless death. It was the least she deserved for her selfish betrayal. She whimpered, then moved away from him, and knelt down onto the mud and her body began to glow and writhe, as she screamed and dug her hoof-paws into the dirt, her body stretching and running like wax, before the glow that enfolded her forced Sir Kathis to look away and cover his eyes with his hands. When he could see again, the Doe he had known and loved was gone, replaced with the crouched form of a majestic silver dragon, her deep glacier blue eyes gazing sadly at him, as she stretched and unfurled her wings, then folded them over her back.

Anger exploded inside Sir Kathis, as realisation spread like a wildfire across his face.

“You...it was you and the other who - “

With a visible shudder, the dragon nodded twice, then looked away, its guilt and shame evident.

"Yes, it was me – and my mate, who murdered your people! I wish I could undo that which happened that night, truly! My mate compelled me, drove me against my will and forced me to do that heinous, unspeakable act!"

“Lies!" Sir Kathis seethed, as he snatched up his sword and advanced on her, his face flushed with rage and hatred. “Your kind are merciless, remorseless and without conscience or guilt! I know your kind, I've pledged my life to killing your vile spawn for your crimes!"

“Yet - “ She spoke, refusing to look at him. “I spared your life, would a cold blooded, heartless creature such as you claim – save a innocent man child?"

Her worlds struck him harder than any physical blow ever could...

His hand tightened on the sword hilt, as he gave birth to the rage and hatred that burned within him.

“Your words won't save your scaled neck from my sword...what magicks did you perform to seduce and bespell me beast? Give me one damn reason why I shouldn't run my sword through that black heart of yours!" Sir Kathis snarled in sudden fury.

"I offer no excuse – for there is none that could or would, atone for that which I done in my past. As for bewitching you? I am innocent of that crime, I used no magicks to bespell you, as you claim. I offered only that which I was, for I willingly turned away from what you believe I am. I changed, I adopted the form I had, to live my life in peace and to try and find some sort of penance for the unspeakable acts I had perpetrated in my past. Are you so pure as you claim, Sir Knight?"

He seethed with rage, then his eyes narrowed as he took another step.

“Do not presuppose to prey upon my emotions..." He snarled at her, his body shaking.

“I make no assumptions - “ Come the simple response. “I lied to you, I deceived you, and I deserve death – if it would bring you some semblance of revenge, then I would offer my neck freely."

Laying her head down, she stretched out her neck and closed her eyes, expecting her death would come swiftly – and she prayed – instantly.

“Why..." Sir Kathis growled. “Why did you and yours murder my village – my friends and my family? What did we ever do to you and yours? Were we just cattle for you to slaughter for your own Draconic whims?"

With a convulsive shiver, the Silver Dragon quivered, before she spoke quietly, her voice barely audible.

“Our reasons? A simple one – one of yours stole something from me and my mate – something that could never be compensated for not now, and not ever."

Something in her voice stayed his hand, and slowly, he lowered the sword he held so tightly in his white knuckled grip.

"One of your kind - a Knight, stole from me and my mate, our only offspring. For decades, had we bred, yet never had my beloved's seen taken within my body...and I feared I was barren. Then, once, and only once, his seed did take, and grow within me - and I lay a single egg. We were overjoyed, and guarded our sole egg with every known enchantment and mundane ward we could.."

With a pitiful sob, the Dragon squeezed its eyes closed and shook with pain that Sir Kathis was incapable of imagining.

"We were over-confidant, and it was in this, that lay our downfall. Somehow, a lone knight found our one chink in our armour, and with the theft of our offspring, turned my mate and I too evil and destruction. We only sought he who had stolen our offspring from us, but we hunted that vile thief high and low, yet never found him. Our despair and rage grew and new no bounds, and we turned our hate towards all mankind, seeking to punish them for that which they had brought down on us. If only now, I knew what a terrible, terrible price I would be forced to pay for my hate of your people.."

Her eyes opened and she glanced sidelong at him.

“Now you know – why I murdered your village, burned it to ashes...I was beside myself with grief and anger at having our offspring stolen from us! Can you begin to even imagine how that must feel? My mate was going to murder you in cold blood – a innocent child – because he was so overcome with his hatred. I killed him, my mate, to protect you – you were an innocent. You had no hand in the theft of my egg – but adults had been responsible. Was it wrong to blame all of humanity for the actions of one Knight? Yes! I admit that – we were wrong..."

“That night...I swore an oath, to hunt down and kill your kind – dozens have died to me and my sword. Every year, it got harder and harder to find Dragon's – until I heard rumours your kind had either turned on each other – or fled to lands far beyond these. Only one remained – a cunning, cruel hearted creature... who seemed to have vanished as if into the very air itself! No one had heard of it, seen it or knew what had become of it..."

“That is because the one you sought, now lies before you!" She suddenly snapped at him. “I told you, I turned away from that life! I took this form to try and find redemption and a way to find forgiveness!"

Sir Kathis shook with feelings of rage and despair, both equally tearing at his heart and mind, fighting to dominate and conquer his emotions, for good or for ill.

"I ask you this, Sir Knight. Do you so crave my head? Do you wish to bathe yourself in my blood? I offer you no resistance - I will not fight you. Take your sword, drive it into my scaled breast, and end my pain. I do not deserve pity, or mercy - for my crimes, I should join my beloved in the darkest depths of the hells. I only ask of you this, did you truly mean it, when you said you loved me?"

"I... I loved the Doe, not some cold hearted murderer! Yes - I did mean what I said, but that was to the kind, gentle and loving Whitetail... not... you." He snarled, his body shaking.

"Look at me, brave Knight. Look long and hard into my eyes, for she and I, are one and the same. I am the Whitetail you took into your arms, the one you made love too, the one who you loved, and in turn, loved you as well! It was me, you pledged your heart, soul and sword too." Whispered the Dragon quietly, staring intently into his eyes.

“No!" Sir Kathis shrieked, his anger filling him again. “That was a lie, a deception to save your own scaled hide!"

With a soft sigh, the Dragon laid her head back on the ground.

“Are oaths so easily broken? Look inside your heart human – you see the truth there, but your anger, hatred and fear refuse to let you see it! Do you so wish of my head? If you do, then please, I beg of you, make my suffering end now. Cleave my head from my neck, with one stroke. I will not fight you my love."

Laying herself prone before him, the Dragon stretched her head and neck out along the mud at his feet, and then closed it's eyes. Sir Kathis raised his sword, his tears streaking down his cheeks, as he took a two handed grip and moved towards her, then stood astride her slender scaled neck.

His sword burned brilliantly, its flames licking hungrily at the blade, seeking to quench itself in the dragons blood. As Sir Kathis stood astride her neck, his arms began to shake, then his whole body. With a snarl of anger, he drove his sword down and there was a loud, braying shriek of reptilian terror and agony.

To Be Continued.