Eleana

Eleana awoke sweating. Screams of pain were echoing through the small cave. She was trapped. The flames had shot up creating a wall. Her heart was racing in fear. The fire scalded the air inside her lungs. Fire balls flew past her head, singeing the tips of her hair. Sleep blurred her eyes. Chancing the flames she leapt through the wall. There was so much blood, So much death. Crimson rivers ran throughout Dragon Valley. The streams pooled to the middle. The night sky illuminated the fight. It cast an eerie image on the pond of blood. Everyone she knew was dead or dying. Their bodies twisted grotesquely on the valley floor. She couldn’t see Thatzu. Where was her guardian, the dragon king? Tears welled in her emerald eyes. A drop slid down her cheek. Everyone was gone. Her eyes settled in the distance. Miatsy, Thatzu’s eldest daughter was there. Her body lay motionless. Her feet barely touched the ground. She had to get to her. The hot air bit at her lungs as she ran. Her heart beat violently against her chest. Miatsy was dying. The blood, streaming thick from under her ocean blue scales, stained the grass.

"Miatsy, Please be alive," Eleana said. "I‘m scared. What‘s happening here?"



"Eleana they're here, Marla’s men. They have crossed into our land." Miatsy coughed blood; it hit Eleana in the face. "Please Elly, where's my father? I need him."

"I don’t know. I can't see him anywhere." Her eyes roamed the valley. The effort was futile.

"Please find him and tell him to find the elementals, to hide the jewel. He must find the eeeel," Miatsy's last breath was forced from her lungs. Her body lifeless, blood flowing from the wound on her underbelly.

“Find her,” Marla shouted.

It was her, the woman who killed her mother ten years ago. She was after her again. Eleana’s heart sank in fear. That day had been the worst in her life. She had only been four then. She was just a scared little four year old girl, sitting alone in the bushes. Her mother had told her to stay hidden.

That night Eleana and her mother had stole away into the dark. Fleeing into the woods next to their home, they had taken nothing with them but a small sack that had been packed away in the safe room for emergencies. They had traveled all night and all the next day. When Eleana was tired, her would carry as she kept on walking. They had made camp underneath a bunch of bushes. She had been really cold. A fire would have given away their location. Though she despised it, they had eaten jerky and bread.

They had awoken early the next morning to the sound of crunching leaves and deep voices. They sound of blades, hacking at the brush, echoed through the woods.

“Find them,” she heard one of the voices say. “Find those disrespectful mortals.”

“Eleana stay here, I am going to go and get them away from here. They will find us both if I don’t,” her mother had said. “You stay here no matter what you see or hear.”

“Mommy no, I want to come with you,” Eleana had pleaded.

“No Ely, stay here. I mean it, do you hear me?” her mother ordered. “You stay here until it is safe.”

“O...O...Okay mommy,” Eleana said tears now streaming down her face.

Her mother crawled away to the left. When she was a distance away she got up and started running back in Eleana’s direction and out toward the clearing. Eleana now understood it was to make it appear as though she had come from somewhere else. It was all to protect Eleana.

“After her!” the man had screamed.

Eleana watched in horror as her mother was stabbed through the chest with one of the swords. Then he stabbed her again. A woman had appeared almost floating toward her mother, who laid there dying. Blood was pooling into the stream that she lay in and washing away.

“Marla, I should have known,” her mother said. “Only you could be so cold.”

“None other, darling,” Marla said.

“Where is he? What did you do with him?”

“Who, the buffoon? Honestly Desi, who marries their academy sweetheart?”

“What happened to you? You used to be…”

“The kingdom. You really didn’t think that you were meant to be Queen.” Her laughter rang shrilly; Eleana had felt shivers from that laugh.

“I was Queen. And better then YOU could ever be. You evil twisted hag.”

“Now, Now Desi, is that anyway to talk to your best friend?”

“That was then, and never again.”

“Oh, so harsh your words are. Now where’s the child? Tell me and I will spare you to the camps with your husband.”

“Never!”

“Tell me were she is now,” Marla shouted.

“You will not find her this day. Invendo Hauda.”
“Stupid. Kill her Krog.”

“Yes my Queen,” Krog said. He lowered himself, pressing his lips to her shoe, leaving slobber.

“Foul filthy troll, don’t touch me again.”

“Sorry Queen.”

Krog lifted his thick log to the air and struck Eleana’s mother. He killed her in one swing.

Marla’s stared at the body. Her icy blue eyes showed her pleasure. “Now, find that child.”

She had searched for her that night. And now she was back. Why did she want to kill her?

Tears streamed down her face. "Miatsy, Noooo."

The dragons had kindly taken her in that night. Thatzu had raised her here with the dragons. He allowed her into their world. Kept her safe from Marla and her army. Why they had been so warm hearted to her, she couldn’t fathom, but they had. They raised her like one of their own. Dragons were not known for their liking of humans and still they had welcomed her. It was her fault, it had to be. They had hidden her for the last ten years from Marla. That night they had taken her in she had felt a glimmer of happiness amidst her sorrow. They had been so kind.

The earth shook beneath her, knocking her off her balance. He was there, he was right behind her. Feeling the warmth of his breath on the nape of her neck, it sent chills down her spine, right to the core. Her heart began to pound, and the tears came harder now.

"Thatzu, oh Thatzu, I didn’t know what to do, she’s…she’s," Eleana said, between sobs. "She’s dead.”

"I know, my child," he said in a calm, yet quivering voice.

"Thatzu she said something before she... she said to find the elementals and hide the jewel."

"Come child, come with me. We must get out of the open," Thatzu said. “We must go now Eleana.”

Feeling reluctant to leave Miatsy’s side, Eleana knew Thatzu was right. Throwing her arms around Miatsy, she hugged her one last time. Her hands trembling and her knees buckling under her weight, she tried to stand. Unsuccessful she fell back, landing hard in Miatsy’s blood. Shaking from fear and cold, she followed Thatzu into the brush next to his daughter’s body, into the cover of the Blue Woods. Marla’s men would not dare follow in here. Most of the land feared the Blue Woods. It was the only place that was safe now.

Looking back, she could see a woman with Marla. “Who’s that?”

"Luiniana, Marla’s daughter. Eleana you have to go.” Thatzu pulled a sack from the bushes. “GO NOW.”

*****

Eleana was cold, tired and hungry. The air had turned frosty since the sun began to set. The wind blew harsh, sending goose bumps cascading over her pale skin. Shoulders sinking, she trudged on, unsure of where to go. Those men, that woman’s men were after her. She had to get as far away as possible.

The woods grew thicker. Patches of thicket scratching at her legs, as she walked. Stepping over a vine, she caught her toe on a rock. Her foot throbbing as she bounced around. She didn’t see the low lying branch and collided with it. The impact sent her flailing through the air. Reaching her arms out instinctively, she tried to grab hold of something. Her hands finding a vine, she steadied herself from falling face first into a pile of mud. Her knees sank into the sludge, the filth mere inches from her nose. Standing up, she made a vain attempt to brush the dirt from her legs.

The map in her hand was next to impossible to decipher. How could she possibly know which way was up or down on this bloody thing? Everything looked the same. No trees stood out from the rest. Moving some leaves into a pile, Eleana slumped down for a moments rest. The blue leaves above swayed back and forth.

“Why are you mocking me?” she shouted up at them. “If only you could tell me which way to go.” Her head fell into her hands. Almost ready to admit defeat, tears formed in her eyes.

Gaining her composure, she stood and wrapped the worn animal skin cloak around her shoulders. The ragged garment, now more holes than cloth, offered little protection from the elements. Her stomach grumbled painfully. She needed to stop. It was already dusk, and growing darker by the minute.

The blustering wind howled eerily, sending shivers down her spine. She needed to find a suitable place for shelter soon. Straining her eyes she tried to locate a cave or other adequate covering. The woods were not so forgiving. Too many vines for tripping over and undergrowth too dense to hollow out, but no spaces to easily crawl under. She would just have to make something.

Pulling out her knife, she hacked away with the dull edge at the base of a group of bushes. Satisfied with the space, she sank her hands into the cold brown earth and scooped away the dirt. There was now a narrow hole big enough to lie in for the night. Stepping back into the crisp night air, she examined her surroundings. No sign of intruders. Eleana crawled into her little nest. After covering the opening with branches, she pulled some dead leaves over for softer bedding. The grumbling of her stomach more intense, she opened her sack to reveal the last of her bread and jerky. Eleana ate in silence, listening to the woodland creatures scurrying about.

Grabbing her blanket, she could hear her stomach's protest of hunger. Too scared and nervous to sleep, she laid there, her eyes darting around her enclosure. She was too young to be alone in the woods at night, but her eyes grew heavier by the minute. Eventually she felt that sinking feeling of sleep approach. She did not fight it, and her nightmares followed swiftly.

Eleana awoke suddenly with a shudder. There was a close thud. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, she peered out of her shelter into the foggy morning air. Standing up quietly, she packed her belongings. Could Luiniana’s men have come into the Blue Wood? She kicked the brush around and stomped it back down to make it appear as normal ground cover and headed toward the thudding noise. She had to know if Luiniana had dared try to send her army after her, into this protected area.

The noise was getting louder. A rumbling arose in her stomach, she grabbed it. It was an attempt to hush it, as it was now grumbling so loud she swore anyone could have heard it. Eleana needed food.

She parted the leaves in front of her. With a jolt of surprise she saw a clearing with a small town in the center. Just a few yards in front of her a small man about four feet tall stood chopping some wood. Eleana stepped out from the woods and headed towards the man. His simple cloth made him seem safe enough.

“What ya lookin’ at, a dwarfs’ got ta ’ave ‘eat too ya know,” the little man said, spit flying into the braids of his bushy brown beard.

“Sorry I was just wondering where I might buy some supplies” Eleana said.

“Go dat way,” He said.

“Thank you, a sir,” Eleana said.

“Sir, no need dat, I am Broder of the Dronik clan,” he boasted proudly.

“Well, thank you, a Broder,” Eleana said as he shooed her away with a thick hand.

The town was dreary. Some of the houses were rustic, made entirely of branches and dead brush. These lined the beginning of the beaten dirt path. The little shelters seemed more at place in their dark earthy setting then the ones further down the path. Those must have been stores as they were made from cut wood and stone, and towered over the little austere dwellings.

Browsing briefly at her map, her eyes settled on the town of Darkwood. She had finally found it. Last night she had camped so close. If only she had known. She could have had a warm bed in which to sleep. She had expected a bigger town. How this could be a trade town, she didn‘t understand. What could this town have to trade, she thought sarcastically.

Walking to the little trail, she slowly headed through the town. Lowering her eyes from the strange stares of the townsfolk, she glimpsed upward occasionally to look at the signs on the buildings. Why are these people looking at me like that, she wondered. An unsettling feeling overwhelmed her. Though their strange gazes seemed more out of curiosity than dislike.

There was a store that looked promising at the corner of the first crossroad. Stopping in front of it, she took in its’ aged and untidy exterior. The sign quite tattered, she had to squint to make out its’ barely legible writing. It read Ferguinian’s Store. Taking a deep breath, she reached out her hand and opened the squeaky brown door. A strong stench struck her hard in the face. It smelled of musty wood and rotting fruit. Eleana stifled a gag and proceeded into the store. The inside despite the odor appeared quite taken care of. The floors clean and the shelves dusted.

Eleana didn’t have much money and looked at the man behind the counter. Maybe he would make a trade or two. She had some elegant clothing in her sack, left over from the last trade town she had visited long before the Dragon War had begun. She also had some pretty gemstones that she found in a cave on one of her hunting trips.

“I would like to trade these,” Eleana said to the man.

“I will give you twenty pieces for those two gems,” said the man. “I have no need for the rest.”

“Thirty,” Eleana bartered.

“Twenty-five,” the man shot back.
Thinking for a moment, she knew she could get more in another town if she could find one. Not knowing when that would be, she took the offer with a simple, “Deal!”

Handing the gems to the squat man, she took the exchange. He took the gems and placed them in the pocket of his tight fitting green robes. Eleana walked around the store looking at the merchandise. Briefly glancing back, she noticed the man inspecting his new merchandise. She would need a bowl, another blanket, and a new blade. The gray stone bowl she grabbed was two pieces. In the corner hung a blanket made of Clydsin fur. It was a smelly creature with thick tan fur covering its’ body. They were often farmed for clothing, so the dyed green fur was not smelly anymore. It was priced at five pieces. She walked for a bit looking at the blades. Grabbing the best looking one, she inspected it. It had a hand carved handle made from a thorn of the Ictus tree. Those trees had thorns six inches in length in place of leaves. Whoever made this was a daring person. The trees would strike at passing creatures with its massive branches. It was some sort of natural defensive mechanism. The blade was seven pieces; a fair price for something so hard to acquire.

Walking back up to the man, she placed the wares on the counter. “I would like these,” she said.
“Fourteen pieces,” he said. As Eleana dug back into her own pockets the man struck up a small conversation. “That blade was made by Broder, the dwarf down the way, and that blanket by Miss Emma who owns the clothing store down the path,” he said.

“I met Broder on the way in, not too friendly is he?” Eleana said.

“Usually yes, but he has been workin’ pretty hard. He’s the town blacksmith. And his women’s’ got him choppin’ wood,” he said. “Though it could be cause you're new too. He don’t much care for strangers.”

“He made a nice knife,” Eleana said unsure of what else to say.

“Miss Emma might want those cloth things ya got,” he said. “She likes that kind of thing.”

“Where might I find her?” Eleana asked.

“Oh she’s just right over that way,” he said pointing just right of the door.

“Thank you,” she said handing the pieces to the man.

Putting her new possessions in her worn brown sack, she headed out the door. Across the street sat a little farming store. She would not be settling anytime soon, so there was no need for seeds or farm tools. Walking a bit farther, she spotted a building. Hopefully this is Miss Emma’s place. No sign hung over this one’s dingy exterior. She would just have to go inside and take a look. She pushed aside the tattered red cloth that replaced that hung in the doorway. She hoped it wasn’t someone’s home.
Eleana breathed a sigh of relief as she noted the merchandise on shelves. This had to be Miss Emma’s. The shelves were lined with shoes and cloth. To the side were racks of clothing of all kinds.

A tall thin woman came out of a back room. “Kie, help ya?” She seemed enthusiastic to have a customer.

“I was wondering if you would be interested in some clothing I have,” Eleana said, pulling the fabric from her bag.

“Em, indeed,” the tall woman said. “Tee’s look fine, a ‘undred pieces each.”

Thrilled with the offer, Eleana felt no need to barter. Eleana exchanged the clothing. In return she purchased a new pair of Silden skin shoes. They held their natural black pigment. Silden skin held up to constant wear and tear rather well, and her shoes were quite worn, with holes forming in the soles. She also grabbed a matching Silden skin cloak.

“Is there an inn here in town?” Eleana asked.

“Tis down the street, to the left,” Miss Emma said, pointing a long crooked finger.

Eleana headed down to the inn. The little old two story building beckoned anyone who dared enter to stay away. It would do for a meal and a night’s rest. The short, thick woman behind the counter was cloaked in an aged blue cloth with yellow trim. She whistled to herself as she fried up something on the modest hearth. Eleana’s stomach growled in response to the smell wafting through the air.
The woman turned and faced Eleana. “Can I ‘elp ya deary?” her voice polite.

“Yes, a meal and a room please.”

“Certen’ly child. Where ya from?”

“Oh, somewhere south of here. I think. I’m not really sure anymore.”

“Long trip, ‘ave ya?” the woman said.

“Don’t really know, probably."

“Ere ya go deary.” The woman handed Eleana a plate. “Yur rooms down the ‘all and to the right. That'll be thirty pieces.”

“Thank you,” She handed the woman her payment and began to eat.

The meal was nothing special. Battered fried meat of some kind she didn’t recognize. She didn’t want to know. The rest of the plate was filled with potatoes and another vegetable she couldn’t quite place either. The food filled the nagging void in her stomach. Finished she retreated quietly to her room.

That night the dreams flooded her again. She had been having these nightmares for the last seven days, ever since it happened. She awoke feeling both terrified and guilty. It had been all her fault; she knew it deep within her. Her internal voice bashed her around daily. Marla and Luiniana were after her for some reason. Somehow, after ten years, she had been found. Marla had taken out Dragon Valley and killed the dragons she couldn’t magically enslave to do her bidding. All in an attempt to kill Eleana, or worse enslave her as she had her father.
Eleana laid there shaking, cold and alone, with men searching for her. Her mother had told her to stay put, so she didn’t move. Night was beginning to cover the land. She heard footsteps, thunderous footsteps that shook the ground where she lay.

“Dragon,” one of the men screamed. “Dragon!”

“Retreat men, retreat,” the man who had killed her mother said. A fiery blast shot forward through the air toward the men who scrambled to flee. Flames engulfed some of them and their screams rang horribly throughout the woods.

A few minutes had past before she heard it. The deep roars came from her left. It sounded like there were more then one of them, like they were talking or something. Eleana strained to hear. She wanted to know what they were doing.

“They were almost in our land father,” one of the voices approaching said, she could understand it now.

“I know my child, we had no choice,” another one seemed to speak.

Eleana couldn’t figure out why she could now understand them. It was just long low growls a few minutes ago.

“Did you see how they attacked her, poor human,” the female of the two voices said.

“They were searching for something, something here this human did not want them to find,” the older one spoke, and from what Eleana could make out, the father.

There were two dragons standing in front of her now. One was larger than the other and had yellow scales covering its body. The other was a little smaller in stature and was as blue as the ocean.

“Maybe we shouldn’t try to find it either. It might be…” the female dragon shouted behind her but stopped suddenly as she saw.

“Not much to look at is she,” the yellow one said. ”Just a couple of bites, I think I will have her as a snack.”

“Shut up Thorsic,” the blue one said. “You’re gross.”

“I’ll have you know food is rather important and scarce this year Miatsy,” Thorsic said.

“I swear…” Miatsy began.

“Calm yourselves you two,” A larger dragon said now emerging into the clearing. Eleana couldn’t help but stare at his crimson scales. The color was as deep as her mother’s blood that was now pooling and running towards where she stood.

“But father, he’s being…” Miatsy said.

“Being what, intelligent? Hard to come by for you I see,” Thorsic said cutting her off mid sentence.

“You two need to quit bickering,” the father said. “We need to take this young human down into the valley.”

“That’s right we will save her, fatten her up, and she will be good eating later,” Thorsic said.

“You are so barbaric,” Miatsy said.

“No we aren’t going to eat her Thorsic, and Miatsy quit being so hard on your brother he’s a growing boy,” the father said.

“That’s right uh-huh, I’m awesome, I’m cool, I’m really, really cute and you're not,” Thorsic said in sing song then stuck his snake like tongue out at her and made a raspberry sound.

Miatsy swung her tail around and whipped her brother in the face. The loud crack shook the trees, stirring the birds from their stoops.

“Owe! That hurt, dad she hit me,” Thorsic said rubbing at his face with his claw, and tried to eat the birds in mid air.

“Oh you two will never learn. Maybe a human sibling will teach you some manners,” the father said.

“What?” the two said in unison.

Thorsic continued to lap at the air with his tongue, catching a bird he gulped it down whole. “Uggh, bugs! Not much to them and they taste funky,” he said.

“Birds, they… they’re birds,” Eleana said, “not bugs.”

“Huh,” said Miatsy as they all looked puzzled at her. “She understands us?”

Eleana had remembered walking out of her hiding spot
that night. She had walked right up to the creatures, unafraid for some reason.

She sat there in the bed at the inn, thinking as her memories washed over her. That had been the night she had met Thatzu, Miatsy, and Thorsic. They had taken her in to their valley and into their world. Their curiosity never stopped. They had always wondered how she had understood them that night and from then on.

Saving Thorsic from Luiniana’s enslavement was her mission. She owed it to them. Thatzu had flown away that night to warn the other dragons of Luiniana’s intentions. He had given Eleana explicit directions of what she needed to do. Saving Thorsic and revenging Miatsy was just part of it.