A born prince a trained assassin seeks revenge against villain for destroying everything he knows and holds dear.
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Original Created while I was in college.
Spring 2010 Intro to Fiction Writing W201


The Dragon's Lament


Drake wasn’t in the mood these days- for the chubby bartender’s flat jokes or the 10-men brawls. Or, to come home to his empty shaggy apartment. Especially that. He imagined gingerly walking in the old abated apartment to relive the sprawled out image of his best friend lying on the carpet with blood flowing from the hole in his chest. The police or whatever had no idea what had happened to his best friend. There was no evidence of a trail or even gunshot wounds. It was like someone had thrusted their hand through his chest. He grimaced at the memory.

There were nights when Drake would just sleep by the tavern door and wait until they would open again. He would be sober for about an hour, and then he would get drunk again. He wished that the strange murderer would go ahead and kill him too. That way, he would just be done with his forsaken life. Instead, the bartender threw him out.

The dark alley was cold and damp from the night before when it rained. He had to lay under the bridge off yonder. He decided that would do for the night.

He staggered down the alley, past the closed stores and hobo’s. His squeaky boots echoed down the alley and a shiver ran down his back. A single store was open that night.

He peered inside the glass window. He decided it was some kind of wizards shop with the strange objects like multicolored crystals hanging from the ceiling. Wizard shops that carried magical amulets, poison masks, and expensive weaponry were prone to be open late at night. It would be warmer in there, he decided.

Drake opened the door, which triggered a bell to ring. He examined the different jars that lined the walls. One jar was labeled ‘Scorpion Tail’s’. Curiosity got the better of him and he peeked into the jar. The Scorpion Tails were short tails with a hard encasement in separate sects; the poison was at the tip of the tail.

“What can I do for you?”

He whirled around, startled. A young woman with long golden locks and a warm rosary silk cloak swayed around her body.

His normally smart-assed comments were reduced to a mere, “N-othing.”

Her hazel eyes stared into his. She smiled.

“Your name is Drake, if I am not mistaken.”

How in the netherworld did this wench know his name? “Ye-ah.”

She chuckled. “Yes, I knew; Darius told me a lot about you.” She walked to the front of a closed curtained door. Drake almost dropped in the mention of his best friend’s name. She flicked her hand and the curtains to the windows closed, the door locked, and the candles went out with the only light coming from the curtain beyond the woman.
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For the first time in Drake’s life, he was terrified. His body shook from head to toe. He was afraid of this woman and of the mysterious magic that surrounded her. He didn’t want to know what she had to say nor that of her relationship of Darius. He cringed at the thought of his best friend. The pictures of his pale and bloody body, limp over his arms, and the feeling of never-ending loss entered his consciousness made him shudder. Drake slumped his shoulders.
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“Come along Drake, I will make you forget the pain and loss of Darius.”
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They came again, at the mention of his name, those pictures, and feelings. Drake slowly shifted his feet. Tears secreted at the ends of his eyes. Drake was in disbelief. He couldn’t see an end to this feeling.
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“Can you really make it go away?”
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“Of course I can. I will make it all go away. I am immune to your time and spaced, since the world I reside is in the depths of the sub-conscious mind. If I do this, you must do something for me first.”
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Drake rolled his eyes, in anger. He wiped the tears away and stared at her straight in the eyes. He wanted to intimidate, to belittle her existence. She had made him feel this pain… this loss. It had to be her!
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“Of course there must be a catch, you worthless hag!”
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The woman smiled, with coy. “Trying to intimidate me will get you nowhere. Now come, we must talk.”
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Drake’s mouth and feet moved without his will, since he wanted to do nothing but throw insults at her and stamp his feet. She must be able to control him, since she did say that her powers resided in the sub-conscious parts of his mind. He could do nothing but keep his mouth closed and follow her into the next room.
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A crystal ball illuminated the room and showed table it sat on and the exotic chairs. There was nothing else, but a bunch of old books and wall.
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Drake sat, again, against his own will. She, gracefully, placed herself in the chair across from him and hovered he feminine hands over the glowing crystal, which created flickering shadows across the wall that resembled both the dead and undead.

After minutes of silence, she smiled. “You have a bright future ahead of you, if you complete the mission I set out for you.”
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Drake wanted to roll his eyes, but they were fixated on her. He was bound, he decided, and he had to figure a way to break it.
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“You will also have fortunes beyond all imagination and be King of all Yore.”
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Drake’s brightened up at the sound of that. He and Darius were bandits in Yore, their hometown, and planned to be king after- Drake almost broke down again. It was a fallacy wish. Besides, he could never accomplish it on his own.
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“You must save the princess, Michelle, in the East, bring her here, and you will be king. Before I release you, understand this,” she leaned closer. “Under no circumstances must you anger her or you will meet a most unfortunate death.”
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Drake knew all too well of the princess that was said to be hidden in a castle guarded by a dragon. She was the Princess of Yore.
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“Wait!” Drake felt his voice return. “Isn’t she the heiress to the throne? Wouldn’t I have to marry her for me to become king?”
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“Yes Drake, you will marry her and become king.”
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Drake expected this, but why would the oracle request a thief to rescue the princess? Drake was a thief known throughout Yore and the nearby kingdoms.

“You are the only one who can save her, you were chosen to save her by Darius. You have my blessings.”

Power over his body returned to him. He was free to move, but first he was going to tell her something, something… nasty.
He walked over to her, opened his mouth, and blacked out.
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The sun loomed overhead. Drake couldn’t remember the last time his head hurt him so much. It throbbed against the bricks of the bridge. He moaned in agony when he opened his eyes and saw the illuminated sky. He rubbed his head, and then got to his feet. He felt a tug on his shoulder. A brown knapsack hung from his arm. The oracle must’ve given him supplies.

He didn’t really understand it, but he felt compelled to complete the oracle’s request of rescuing that damned princess. He figured she had given something or placed a spell on him because he still had the urge to ring her neck. He shrugged it off, since if he rescued the princess, the oracle would appear and then he could kill her.

***
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He smelled the wilderness around him. He was home. He could easily hear each of the bird’s distinct chirps. Luckily, he was fine in the wilderness, since it would take him three whole days to get to the castle where the princess was held captive. For three days, he would be alone and with no booze. The nightmares were surely going to torment him for three days.
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Indeed, they did, each night the nightmares worsened and for the third night, he was the killer. He stood over his best friends’ dead body, laughing. A maniac smile was plastered on his face.
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He awoke, shaken. He stared at his hands expecting them to have blood pooled in his palms and dripping from his wrists. They did not, however, since he wasn’t the one who had killed his best friend.
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The sky was darkening. How long had he been asleep? Minutes? Days? He didn’t know. A deep bellow carried on the wind to the nearby creatures. Drake was one of them. Drake hid deep within the trees. He knew that sound and did not wish to meet with it. As skilled as he knew himself to be with daggers, he wouldn’t dare take on a dragon.
The ripping sound of the wind caught his ears. It was nearby, he was certain, and closing in fast. A few seconds later, a black cloud flew across the sky and above the treetops where Drake was hidden. He quickly ran after it.
He came upon a hill and stayed hidden within the trees. The dragon continued onward, past the dead lands below, and landed, with its large black wings stretched outward, into the old, abandoned castle.
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Drake looked across the dead lands. Not a single life or sound existed there; it was a dessert created by poison breath. It must be a powerful poison for it to wipe out a vast section of the forest, he concluded. Drake was not well versed in potions. He looked inside the bag and pulled out the poison-proof mask. Drake had only seen these masks in books. Since they were extremely difficult to make and invaluable to those who fought against dragons, there weren’t many of them.
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The mask was a steel cover with holes to take in the air and purify it. He gently tied leather to the ends of the mask and placed it, so the mask covered his nose and mouth.
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He stealthily crept through the barren land, prepared for anything for the dragon to appear. He’d probably die if that were to happen. With these last weeks, as they were, he would welcome death to end his misery, but he would never go down without a fight. Only a coward would and he was no coward.
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Closing in on the castle was no problem at all. He assumed the dragon was probably asleep given, there were no sounds coming from the castle. Only the shrilling wind made any sound, since the dead land harbored no creatures.
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He crept around the old castle, cautiously avoiding the dead leaves and vines that would certainly crack if he stepped on them. Although the dragon was likely asleep, it would be quite convenient if he did not wake it. He tiptoed around to the entrance and peered inside. It was as deserted as he had hoped. The many small shacks inside, quite likely where the maintenance and soldiers lived, were also uninhabited.

He stepped over the bones of previous intruders who were sprawled around the grounds and crept to the main entry, the place of royalty. There were no guards, as was typical of a castle, but there was a large gold lock on the door.
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He removed a silver pick from his one of his back molars. It was a very fitting place to have a pick, just in case he was caught and had to make a quick escape. He mingled with the lock, until it “clicked” and opened the door.
It was a dusty throne room with the skillful paintings of royalty and velvet seats with gold flooring and expensive décor. Unfortunately, for this typical throne room, poison dragon’s breath was not so keen to differentiate between royalty and commoners as to leave the expensive loot alone and most of it, like the paintings and velvet seats, was ruined. Fortunately, the stairs Drake climbed and most of the structure was saved due to hard labor of the working class.
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The rest of the castle was basically the same; same lavish décor, same melted and ruined objects, and same well-built structure. Drake climbed and climbed until he reached a door, which was likely the door the where the princess was being held.
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He reached for the handle, anxiety running through him. What would she look like? Would she be awake? He shook it off and decided that those things didn’t matter since he would have to listen to her whiny and complaining speech the entire way home. He could hear her now: “I freaking broke a nail! Arg! Wait until I get home! You are going to be banished! You hear me? Banished! And I never want to talk to you again!” It would be his sister all over again. He would have to be nice to her all the way home. That’s why he left home. The town was too small for the both of them, especially since he was much older than him and their parents couldn’t marry her off. No one would take her. He was the prince and future king, which always made him laugh, since they were going broke and getting attacked left and right, he left and became a thief to make a “better” name for himself.
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He grabbed the handle of the door and intended to open the door, when the handle lit like it had been stuck by lightning and threw him backwards into the brick wall and down a few steps. He stopped his tumbling by unsheathing his dagger and stabbing it into a large crack in the wall. He could only hope that the dragon had not awakened. He slowly crept back up the stairs. He examined the door. It was sealed with a talisman. He scoffed; they really tried to stop him with a piece of paper. He chuckled. “Ha! What fools!”
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He took his dagger into his right hand and slid his other hand over the blade. The slither of blood seeped into the very composition of the blades chemicals and turned bright red. He quickly sliced a red “X” into the air, which was visible. His cut clashed with the talisman and created two forces of bright light. The red light won against the yellow, then the talisman caught on fire and became black dust.
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Drake learned the forbidden powers of Yore, which were used primarily by evil. His master had taught him the dark arts, so that he could protect himself. They were called evil, since they were governed by the Dark Lord or Lord Evil who was the epitome of all evil.
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He lightly touched the door and it slowly creaked open.
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The light caught his eyes; it was strangely bright and then everything became black.
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He woke with a start, another nightmare. The images were more… unclear this time. He saw monsters, a dragon, a pretty blond princess, and his friend all at once. A voice sounded like the oracles’ said, “protect my daughter.” Drake also saw his bestfriend again with blood oozing from the wound in his chest, but Drake could see that he was dying. His best friend spoke, “Protect my sister.”
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He sighed, and then opened his eyes. He saw his bag laying on the floor, the bed with a pink flowered blanket, which he was in. Where was he? What happened? He tried to think back… there was nothing, nothing at all. He rolled over and was met with big blue eyes, framed by a long face and long strawberry blond hair. The thing was, they were sideways. The eyes blinked at him.

“Who are you?” he asked and realized she was standing.
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She hesitated. “What do you mean ‘who are you?’ you’re the one who stole me out of my room, my beautiful room. How can you have the audacity, no, the impudence, the nerve to steal me out of my castle without consulting me first?”

He was about to go off on her when he heard “Do not make her angry!”

“Did you hear that?” he asked.
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“All I heard was the sound of you brain, flying away.” She made a motion of flapping wings with her hands.
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“Never mind.” He cringed at the sound of his own voice and at his head throbbing.
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He pushed back the covers, walked over to his backpack, and pulled out a closed cup of water as a herb mixture. He then took a bit more; he figured he’d needed some extra seeing the princess in such a delight and his brain feeling like it wanted to jump out. He capped off the water carrier.
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“We need to get going.”
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She gave him a look of disgust. “I suppose… You had better know where you are going. I don’t want to be traveling with a… a commoner.”
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He rolled his eyes. “Come on Princess. I’d rather not burden your presence with me any longer than I have to.”
While he packed up his things, he came across a smaller bag. It was pink with shimmering gold and silver on the handle.
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“Where did you find that?”
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He starred at the ugly thing. “I don’t know, but pink is not my color. Take it.” He handed her the bag. She snatched it from him.
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“You should not take things that do not belong to you.”
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“I didn’t know I did.”
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She sneered at him. “We might as well get going, since you will probably get lost. I doubt you even know how we got here.”
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He walked outside. He could the Yore castle in the distance. How in the world did they get there already? They could be there easily in two days.
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They were walking through the forest before either of them decided to say anything besides, her humming was annoying him.
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“What, in all of Yore, are you humming?”
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“What does that have to do with anything, commoner?” She snapped.
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“It sounds familiar. I was just trying to make polite conversation, princess.” Drake rolled his eyes.
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She turned from him. “If you must know, it is Clair de Lune.”

“Debussy?”
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She nodded.
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Drake remembered hearing that tune from his best friend. He would hum it all of the time.
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“It’s surprising that you would even know of Debussy, since commoners have no taste.”

“My best friend loved Debussy. He would hum that particular song, just to get on my nerves.”
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“Really?”

He nodded.
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She laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
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“Oh, yeah. What’s up with that ugly purse?” He pointed to the small pink gaudy bag at her side. She, in turn, clutched it closer.
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“It was my mother’s. By the way, you have yet to introduce yourself.”
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He was annoyed by her sudden subject change. “Shouldn’t you introduce yourself before you ask someone who they are?”
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“Why you-” She was angry.
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“My bad. My bad; I know who you are.”
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Her mood lightened slightly. He sighed; it was really going to be difficult to not make her angry.

“You are Princess Michelle of Yore.”

“And-”

“-And the only heir of his late majesty, Kai, which makes you the true ruler of Yore.” He still didn’t know what to think- he didn’t want to think of marrying her so that he could be king.
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“Good, now that we have established who I am. Who are you?”

“My name is Drake. I am a retired thief and I was told by an oracle to take you home.”

“An oracle? Did she tell you her name?”
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He thought back. “No, she did not.”
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Princess Michelle sighed.
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Drake was suddenly curious. “Why?”
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“Nothing.”
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“Nothing my ass. What are you thinking?”
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“It’s just that- no- she couldn’t be.”
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“Michelle, just spit it out.”
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Michelle reacted to her name being spoken without a title, but in a good way. She didn’t care for titles, unless someone really pissed her off. “She could be my mother.”
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“Your mother?”
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“Yes, my mother.”
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It would make complete sense if the oracle was her mother, the late lady Eliza, but she was supposed to be dead.
“Isn’t she dead?”
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“She’s supposed to be...” Tears trailed down her face. “Everyone’s said that she was dead, but every birthday after that I see this bright light and my mother’s face in an oracles’ dress. You know, those really long dresses. Those cloak things.”
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Drake remembered seeing the long cloak the oracle, who had sent him, was wearing. Now that he thought about the oracle, Michelle really did resemble her.
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“I don’t think she’s dead. I can’t.”
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Drake knew that if he hadn’t seen his best friend sprawled across the floor, covered in his own blood, he would have denied that Darius was dead. Even now, he wished he could forget and deny his death.
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***
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“The graveyard isn’t scary during the day,” Michelle stated.
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“I told you it wasn’t.”
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“Who are you here to see?” she inquired.
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“Darius, my best friend.”
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“What was he like?”
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‘Like you’ was the truth and he wanted to say that, but instead he said, “Does it really matter, he’s dead.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be, it’s not your fault he’s dead. It’s mine.”
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“No it’s not Drake. You can’t blame yourself for things like that, you just can’t.”
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“Yes I can! It’s my fault! I left to go get a 6-pack of beer, I came back, and he was dead! Don’t you get it! If I didn’t leave, he would still be alive!”
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“It’s still not your fault.”
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“What would you know?”
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“When I was five, there was a war between Yore and Arcadia in the west. My mother was a renowned witch and my dad, Kai, a great swordsman. I was too young to understand. I wanted to see my father battle with ferocious monsters like he told me before I would go to sleep, that’s all I thought about. So, I ran out into the battlefield and called my fathers. At the same time, a wizard cast a spell. It hit my father and he died. Another wizard cast a spell, but this time it was aimed at me. The wizards name is Kyan, he was known for his great spells and talismans. He cast a special spell at me, the daughter of his great rival, but this spell did not only hit me, it him my mother as well.” Tears streamed down Michelle’s face. “So you see Drake, sometimes you can’t just blame everything on yourself because most of the time it’s of someone else’s doing. You didn’t kill you best friend, so you can’t blame it on yourself. Just like I can’t blame myself on my father’s death or my imprisonment.”
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“It was this Kyan who imprisoned you?”
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Michelle nodded.
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“What did the spell do to you?”
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Michelle froze. “It makes me change, but I don’t know what into. I know it allows me to be immune to poison.”

“That’s in-teresting.” Drake couldn’t remember anything besides her and the dragon with all of that poison everywhere.
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“Uh- er- thank you."
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“Why weren’t you able to escape?”
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“Someone must escort me out of the castle and take me to the castle without getting killed, then the curse will be broken.”
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“That’s all.”
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“Yes.”
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Drake starred into the sky.
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Limbs pinched and slapped him as he ran through the forest.
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“Hey! Darius! Where are we going?”
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Darius looked back at Drake with amber eyes. Drake didn’t like those eyes- they always meant trouble, for Drake.

“I am going to get revenge on that-That Bastard.”
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Drake remembered; Darius was killed Kyan for killing his parents and enslaving his sister. Kyan was already dead; that’s why nothing serious had happened.
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“You have my word, princess, that I will escort you to the castle without getting myself killed.”
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“You’d better live up to it. What’s that?”
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Drake followed Michelle’s direction and found an ancient necklace. It was in the grass on Darius’s grave.
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“I don’t know.”
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“I’ve got an idea.”
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“What?”

“You’ll see. Now close your eyes.”
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“What are you going to do?”
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“Just close them; if you’re good, I might give you a kiss.”

He closed his eyes.
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“Pervert. Okay, now open.”
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Drake opened his eyes. Absolutely everything was dark, except for the figure before him. Darius floated above the ground and looked pale. The hole in his chest was still there, but it wasn’t bleeding. Darius took Drake’s hand and placed a key with a silver chain in his hand. Darius’s skin was chalky and pealing, his eyes were of another existence entirely, an undead- vampire. He put a single finger in front of his lips, as if to silent him.
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“Take care of my sister Michelle for me won’t you? I worked to hard for all my life for her to live in sadness in solitude,” Darius’ words whispered through him. Drake nodded. How could he deny his best friends’ last wish?

“Drake! Hello you stupid boy, wake up!”
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The graveyard and the sun overhead with Michelle shaking him, all came back at once. The necklace was on the ground in front of him. The key Darius had given him, however, was still in his palm.
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“Drake? Are you okay?”
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He snapped, awake. She was frantic; she had no idea of what to do.
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“Yes. I am fine.”
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“Good, but it’s strange.”
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“What?”
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“When I took off the necklace, you came back. It must have some kind of magical powers.”

“Get rid of it.”
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“Wha-“
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Drake had a bad feeling. “Get rid of it. Now!”
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Michelle, startled by Drake, hurled the necklace as hard as she could into the nearby forest.
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Damn feelings. He would normally ignore those stupid feelings that he was in danger because he really loved the thrill of danger, but ever since he met that oracle, he had begun to listen to them.
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“Okay, what’s next?”
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“Do you have a brother?”
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Michelle stared at him blankly. “Yeah, he’s about your age.”
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“What’s his name?”
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“Darku-”
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“-Karin,” Drake finished for her.
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“How did you know about my brother? He was sent away, then came home under a different name. I think it was Dari-”
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“Darius.”
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Michelle looked at the grave below and read it aloud. “Hear lies Darius Karin Darku-“
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Michelle was shaken, down to her bones. Her brother was dead. He’d been the one to promise to rescue her from Kyan. He’d promised her that they’d be fine; that they’d grow up together, but he was gone. All of her family was gone- she had nobody. She ran. She couldn’t get far enough away. She was about to break. Her emotions were going to take over her and then-
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Drake saw Michelle’s face go from shock to hurt to anger in a split second and then, she ran. Drake ran after her; he wasn’t going to lose her. He skidded to a stop. The implications, he would have to, he shuddered at the words, marry Michelle to become king. He maybe thought of her as a friend, maybe as a sister, but did he think of her as a lover? He didn’t know. The sound of screams caught his ears before the roar. Drake froze; the dragon was back.
The black beast bellowed throughout the lands. He was right outside of Yore. The merchants and travelers ran for cover, hoping the terrifying creature wouldn’t take notice of them.

Drake saw the dragon feeding on the farmer’s cattle, he had to act quickly or, otherwise, there would be no hope for the city of Yore. He stealthily crept toward the farmer’s barn.
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The dragon tossed aside the bloody corpse of the brown cow and headed to the barn for another bloody meal.
Drake was waiting. ‘Just a little closer.’ Drake could see the molten golden orbs of black dragon. Blood seeped through the beasts’ large teeth and trickled down its mouth. Drake would have only one chance; he would wait to see the white of the dragons’ eyes. Drake drew his black dagger from his pack and stabbed it into his palm.
“O’ darkest lord, take thy blood for thine power.”
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Upon the blade of the black dagger appeared scarlet markings. The dragon closed in for its next kill, a small brown spotted calf. Drake saw the whites of the dragons’ eyes, and bolted across the slated roof of the barn. He leapt into the air. The dragon smelled blood and turned towards Drake, but it was too late. Drake came down with the dagger and it pierced the dragons’ skin. The dragon tumbled to the ground while the calf flounced into the forest.
The gate was opened and the people rejoiced, as does he, though he couldn’t stop thinking of Princess Michelle. He approached the dragons’ remains and watched as the remains changed form into his beloved. He ran toward her as he screamd, “Oh God! What have I done?” He kneeled down next to her with tears streaming down his face. She opened her eyes; they mirrored the same golden orbs of the dragon. How could he be so blind? She reached her hand to his face.
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“Thank you for setting me free. Now I can die in peace.” He reveled in the feeling of her silky skin against his.
“You mustn’t! I promised to take you to Yore- to home! You can’t die! Not now, not when we are so close. ” She smiled, blood trickles from the edge of her mouth. “Your brother told me to protect you.”
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“I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to go through the same ordeal as with your best friend, my brother.” Her eyes closed. Tears trailed down his face, fell, and landed on her tattered dress. How could he had been so blind? To him, she was his best friend. Maybe they could become lovers, but it hadn’t been long enough.

“Ah, love.” He turned around, his tear stained cheeks, clearly visible to the veiled oracle. “You mustn’t fret, my dear. This had to happen. The dragon tortured her mortal body. It had to be released.”

“Why her? Why your daughter? Why did she have to die? After all I had promised her and Darius!” He stared at her peaceful face and more tears fell from his eyes.
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She smiled. “Dear, this is not the end. My son Darius was a big loss to mourn for and you should never forget him, but his twin sister Michelle is more of a burden. Do not cry; it is unnatural for someone with such a strong heart to do so. Be strong.”
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“What if I don’t want to be strong?” he mumbled.

“You must because she is not gone, since only the dragon has died. Therefore, she needs your protection.”
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He rubbed his eyes. “What did you-”
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Michelle body, enveloped in light, rose into the air. The light was so bright that he covered his eyes, lest it burn him. The light diminished and he opened them. Michelle stood before him. She was no longer pale, the blood that stained her tattered dress was gone, and so she stood before him in a dress of feathers of a dove or an angel, it didn’t matter to Drake because she was alive. He kneeled in awe of her beauty. She opened her eyes, which were no longer golden, but honey emerald like a Carmel apple. She took notice of his tear-stained face, where rivers fell anew, and kneeled next to him.
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“My, my, what in the world made you cry?” He wiped he tears away and smiled. His smile took her aback, which caused her to blink twice. Who knew that he could have such a wonderful smile?
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“I owe you a kiss. Darius said I was being too mean before.” Michelle stretched on her toe and kissed Drake on the lips. He held her against him. The oracle smiled, her duty was done. Her daughter was safe, so she disappeared before the people took notice of her. The ground below erupted in a newfound cheer. He released her.

He carried her through the shrilling crowd, to the beautiful bricked castle. It was locked, so he sat her down.
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“Why don’t you try that key? Darius gave it to you, so you would open the door like a romantic hero.”
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Drake starred at the beautiful young princess beside him.
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“What is there something on my face? I went to the underworld for a visit and talked to Darius for a bit. Is that so strange?”

He shook his head and pulled the key that his best friend gave him from his pocket. As the key slowly slid into the lock, he hoped for all of his breathing life that it would work. He turned the key to the right and was overjoyed when he heard the ‘click’. He took her hand, turned the knob, and pushed the door open. Darius still felt the loss of his best friend and knew he would never truly get over the grief, but he had to take steps forward, no matter how small, he had to keep moving forward.
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When they stepped into the threshold of the castle, Michelle tripped.
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“You shouldn’t ruin your dress,” he said taking her hand.
​
“I don’t intend to.” She pulled him to her and kissed him, where they had many more ever after.
​
The End.


Most of the names have changed since writing this. With Marie's headstrong personality and Drake's mood- I did not think this piece was as strong as I would have liked. So I rewrote it. When I rewrote the story- I started from the current Book II. I did a class critique with the current Book II and there wasn't enough backstory for them. Hence- Book I was born. Writing a story is like uncovering a fossil- you don't know where you're starting- the tail, the head, or the middle (except with current technology). I hope you enjoyed this version and I really hope you are looking forward to the full story. Toodles.