The Fall of Eleckson

Rhiannon stood on the hillside overlooking the smoldering village of Sariah with her white stallion, Pepper beside her. She led the horse down the path, hoping her father was alive. Bodies of her neighbors, her extended family lay bloodied and dead, children shared the same fate as their parents. Rhiannon’s tears fell. She knew someone knew her secret and looked for her.
She went to her home, the house still smoldered. The windows smashed. Entering inside, someone or some ones broke every vial and burned every book and there she saw him, dead with a sword through his heart. The greatest wizard in the land, murdered.
Her father, who lost his true love in childbirth, who could not bear to lose his daughter, did the only thing he knew to bring his daughter to life. He replaced her human blood with that of a dragon. He gave her immortality and the ability to heal. The townspeople knew her secret but cherished and protected her. They would never turn on her. She knew they wouldn’t have died if they gave up her secret.
Rhiannon went to her father and slowly pulled out the sword out his chest. She looked at the encrusted emerald. The sword had weight to it. Who could want her secret? Who hungered for immortality? Rhiannon pondered as she took the sword and went to seek Misty-Mae, a seer.
Misty-Mae lived in a cave deep in the heart of the heart of the Woodland. Gnarled trees and their corresponding roots made the path difficult on horseback. A bitter wind picked up at the entrance of the Woodland. Her blonde hair flew wildly around her.
The Woodland was almost black. Playful pixies swarmed around her, laughing and giggling. Rhiannon’s mind drifted from her sadness to her lover. The man she loved more than life. The very man she ran off to see, leaving her father to defend himself. Of course, what could she have done, burned them with her fire-breathings skills? Then what be on the run for eternity?
Cordai, her true love, heir to the throne, spent the last couple days in alcove near the ocean. Though Cordai said he loved her, she dared not trust him with the secret. The king was Cordai’s uncle and betrothed Cordai to a toothless princess in another kingdom. To the lovers, she meant nothing and she would never be Cordai’s love.
Arriving to the entrance of Misty-Mae’s cave, Rhiannon tied Pepper to an angry tree; she crawled in between the roots and down the narrow path deep into the cave. A barely living fire smoked and a cast a glow into the cave. She yelled for Misty-Mae, a danker, a cross between and a dragon and a bat flew above. Shelves of unusual things were smashed. Rhiannon went further and discovered Misty-Mae in shackles on the cave wall, a sword buried in her chest.
Misty-Mae clutched something in her hand. Rhiannon went over and pried open the stiff hand. A small piece of parchment fluttered to the floor. She scooped up the parchment and read it, “your love is black.”
What did that mean? She thought. She took the sword and it was the same. She crawled back into the Woodland and led Pepper back to the hillside overlooking Sariah.
The words of Misty-Mae overtook her thoughts. By the time the second moon rose in the West, she rode Pepper to Canca, the king’s castle and the same castle Cordai lived in.
King Eleckson starved for power. He had any related man marry any available princess in neighboring kingdoms. Then after the consummation, the father of the princess would be dead and Eleckson inherited another kingdom.
Rhiannon arrived at Canca in mid-morning. Angry about her father’s death, angry about the town’s death, angry about Misty-Mae, and angry how Cordai used her, she had no mercy for any guardsmen. Using her special gift, she breathed fire on any person that stood in her way. Rhiannon grabbed the sword with father’s dried blood and went inside.
People ran from her as she walked. Finding Eleckson sitting in the throne room, Rhiannon drew the sword. Guards attacked her but set them all ablaze. The king looked into eyes, “Please spare me,” he begged.
“You spared no one, why should I spare you?” with that she raised the sword. Yet, he drew one ready to kill her. Their swords clanged together but she was quicker and swung the sword and beheaded him.
Feeling unsatisfied, she sought Cordai. Blood stained her dress and hair. She forced his door open.
“Rhiannon, my lovely, I didn’t know.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Remember how we met many moons ago. You were at the stream with Pepper, swimming. I fell in love with you then. I said to myself that ‘you and I share the same heart.’ Don’t you love me? Remember how we do share one heart. We can run away together.”
Stop. How did you know?” she asked.
“People told me, gold can a persuasive thing. I suspected it. I knew if my uncle would have your blood that you and I can marry. It would have been an easy thing to give you his blood and you give your blood to him.”
She heard enough of his excuses for the betrayal. She closed in, sword ready.
“No please, I love…” he started. She drove the sword into his chest. He collapsed on the bed.
Rhiannon gathered her horse and moved forward to another town and she knew she had a long journey ahead of her.