Smoke at the Edge of the Tower

Myenxas grabbed Karla’s wrist, and she struggled. His nostrils flared, long trails of smoke stopping at the princess’s stomach. He growled. “What are you doing?” The scarlet in his irises intensified, a stark contrast to his black, shiny scales. The book Karla had been holding dropped, turning to forbidden script. Ocean waves crashed against the stones upholding this tower.

His muscled body tensed as he examined the burn marks all over her dark skin. “Let me go.”

His grip tightened. “I let you explore my tower, and I give you one rule.”

Karla’s lip curled, and met his expression with a blank look. But her chin trembled as she spoke, “You don’t understand,” she shook her head, pulled on her wrist. “I have to save her. I will see that the king burns.”

“At the expense of yourself? This kind of magic demands sacrifice.”

“Nothing I’m not used to.”

“Karla,” his voice had deepened, no longer carrying the human quality-like cadence that made him less intimidating. “This is not a path you want to venture.”

“You weren’t there when they dragged her away from me.”

He shook his head. “You are not ready.”

“Perhaps, it is you that is not ready,” she challenged.

It was then he released his grasp, and stared at her as if she were more stranger than friend. The silence was filled with the sound of ocean fighting against stone. “Go home.”

“But, I didn’t mean�"”

“Leave,” he roared. She scrambled away. Tomorrow, he will commission a guild to capture the princess. He was the resident dragon�"a highly valued patron known for handing out menial tasks for incredibly generous rewards in gold. Surely he could find someone to save the princess from herself if he could not make her see reason.

Author's Note

Reviews

[Carrie]

Good start. Nice detail. Who is the princess? Who took her and why? This would be a good short story.

[RKB]

thank you for reading!