TAKEN BY THE DRAGON KING

Elena

Something was horribly wrong, I could explain it because I didn’t truly understand it myself, intuition had never been one of my strong suits, but now the feeling that dread burned hard at the back of my throat washing away the anger and despair, inexplicably I found myself on my feet, treading through the halls that I’d sought solace from, the feelings within me grew from an itchy discomfort to something unbearable. I toppled to the ground just as strong arms reached out to catch me.

“Elena.” I hear Gulliver’s worried voice float over to my ears. “What’s going on? Are you alright?”

“Trouble.” I mutter weakly “Dracul, we need to find Dracul!”

Using whatever’s left of my strength, I push past his strong arms and walk towards the direction which the sensation drags me towards, Gulliver trails closely behind me offering what could be described as mildly irritating yet worried advice.

“Elena I really think-” he began

His words stopped short, as we came to the foot of my door, two dead guards laid sprawled across the floor, their bodies mangled in rather grotesque ways.

“Something horrible happened here.” Gulliver said so seriously his eyebrows are nearly touching.

“Yeah” I spat through through the discomfort. “The dead bodies are definitely no clues at all, I thought it rained kittens and bows here!”

“Pathetic as usual.” He snarls. “Reach down with your magic, feel the essence on a deeper plane, simply breathe.”

The commands came swiftly and so did the visions, carried forth by a breath of foul air, that came in distortions and broken flashes, each one vivid yet more confusing than the last. The last thing that came forth was a picture of me as I cackled evilly on Dracul’s fallen body.

I pulled back immediately, fear chilling every bone in my body, my hands gripped the door knob tightly, needing to see what I already feared had befallen Dracul.

“What is it?” Gulliver asks. “What did you see?”

His words seem far off, echoing off with all the other things my mind had deemed unnecessary, my arms tightened around the knob, turning a ghastly white.

“Elena.” Gulliver Called “Elena, Fuck it, respond!”

There was no other choice, no going back, with one move, I pulled the double doors back and instantly recoiled at the sight before me All the things that once made the room beautiful seemed to have been sucked out, replaced by mould and rot destroying everything in the room.

“What the fuck.” I groan

There was a churning in my stomach, a nauseating feeling in the air brought me slowly to my knees, I took a look at my hands and the sight itself appalled me, my skin wrinkled and aged spreading from the tip of my fingers and spiralling upwards quickly.

“Die traitor!” The Wind whispered harshly. “Die!”

The same old cackling started, burning my ears as I withered in agony, spots began to dance in my vision and a trembling began, as I crumpled slowly to the ground I heard Gulliver muttering an incantation.

“Est tor rize-” he says his voice trembling. “Fuck Elena.”

I feel his hands encircle me and pull me.

“You’ll be alright.” He says to me. “Fyck Dracul’s gonna have my head!”

I mutter some incomprehensible words as I quickly fade out of consciousness.

..

I came to the realization and instantly I was hit with the smell of lilacs and chrysanthemums, the flowers I’d grown up around, my eyes opened taking in the fresh view.

“Elena.” Gulliver calls my name softly. “You’re awake, thank the stars.”

“W-where, where am I?” I asked my vision a bit foggy “what the hell happened?”

“Well Dracul’s still missing.” He says dryily. “You almost died so there’s that and my magic was shitty against whatever the fuck that was so there’s that.”

“Where are we?” I asked trying to stand up with little avail.

“Wow.” He says rolling his eyes. “You don’t even know home when it’s hitting you right in the face.”

My looks must have easily betrayed whatever the rustling emotions waging war inside of me because a cold smirk formed right across his crazed face.

“Yes Elena.” He said, clearly enjoying this. “Or should I say crown princess Elena welcome home!”

“You should be ashamed of yourself Gully.” A voice called from closed quarters.

A Grey haired woman with eyes that could only be described as shiny emeralds walked in and Gulliver’s feature at once, changing to something remorseful yet cold and calculative.

“You must be Elena.” The woman her eyes seemingly glowing brighter as she smiled. “For someone who cannot stop teasing and mocking you My grandson Gully here sure talks about you a lot.”

“Gully.” I repeat after her taking avid glances at Gulliver before bursting into heavy guffaws.

“Yeah yeah.” He says scowling. “Laugh it up and why do you have to embarrass me every time with this Ma!”

It was insane, Gulliver looking like a small pouty child trying to tell his grandmother off, it almost made me forget almost being the key word.

“My father!” I say at once “I need to see my father!”

I try to get up but was instantly assaulted by a truckload of pain causing me to fall right back on the plush bed groaning.

“Now don’t you be going anywhere.” She says sternly. “The spell work performed on you was pretty nasty, you looked my age by the time he portalled you here and removing the effects must have taken quite the toll om your body so bed rest until I say it’s oo to move.”

“B-but.” I complained, “my father, Dracul, the kingdom there’s-”

“You’re no good to anyone dead Elena.” Gulliver says touching my arm lightly. “I have trackers searching for Dracul, and as much as it pains me to say it, I don’t think it would be wise to see your father now.”

I resign slowly to the bed, quiet again with soft tears brimming in my eyes.

“Child.” Gulliver’s granny calls to me. “I sense a great power inside of you, untrained yet powerful maybe even more power than I am, and I Marian Thrall, Great Grand daughter of the first ever Magus, sorcereress supreme and leader of the hidden would be most welcome to train you.”

“Aw shucks.” Gulliver says rolling his eyes. “You want to train everything with an inkling of magical powers.”

“Didn’t offer to train you though.” She says with a brutality that has me bawling despite the pain wracking my system.

“Way to go grandma” he says rolling his eyes.

There’s a hint of pain in his voice and I realize that Gulliver may have just met his match.

“What do you say young princess?” She says.

“I don’t know.” I say. “I was kind of running on Gulliver for guidance since he was the only one I knew but since you’ve offered.”

“Good.” She says. “We begin as soon as you can move your body, you’ll see I have much better things to offer than this grandson of mine.”

“Playing the insult card.” He says. “That’s new grandma.”

I let out another laugh and she smiles again, despite all the fucked upnesss I think I may have found a means to up our game.

**

Queen of the west

The east was bland, just like her entire family, filled with conscious and unconscious magic haters, l yearn for the moment where I get to eradicate them all, but for now, I fool, I wave and I smile accordingly.

“My lady.” Ash, a confidant from my kingdom. “The spell went off as planned, by now she’s dead.”

“Not dead.” I tell her. “Just forced her to move to a closer district, if you’re more a sorceress and less of a fool you’d feel her presence here, but none of that now, we have fools to appease.”

The sounds of trumpets and of cymbals sounded just on cue, and so began the slow procession, I could never understand how such underhanded methods yielded any fruitful results, there was no fear, simply ignorance and petty stupidity.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

“My king.” A damned peasant said grabbing my cloak and for a second the thought of blasting him to oblivion crossed my mind but taking a deep breath, I forced a smile offering a small blessing before turning on to the oncoming multitude.

“People!” I call and an instant hush grew over the pavilion. “Today is a remarkable day, a day of infinite celebrations marking a significant end for all the evil that has plagued us for centuries!”

There was a loud cheer, hooting and ululations from the crowd, I raised a hand and once again the hushed silence descended on the crowd.

“I give you the head of the Queen of the west!” I say pulling out a dried obviously fake head at which the people cheered. “And our live fry, tormentor of the ages, king of Dragons and all things evil, the harbinger, Dracul!”

The crowd went instantly silent as they brought a wounded and weaken Dracul to the light, too weak to struggle, then one by one the cheering of the multitude increased until it was almost deafening.

I smiled, letting myself bask in the cleverness of it all, your move princess.