Chapter 4 - Th Scale glows Again!
Submitted November 27, 2006 Updated March 8, 2007 Status Incomplete | First 5 chapters of this is on a laptop,which I don't have with me but Im bored so Ill put this chapter on anyway. P.S. The harp is a present from him to her by the way (Chapter 6).
Category:
Fantasy » Dragons » Winged Serpents |
Chapter 4 - Th Scale glows Again!
Chapter 4 - Th Scale glows Again!
Chapter 4: The Scale Glows Again!
The night upon after meeting her future husband who she was to be wed to the morning after, Claire sat on her bed, still in the white dress with lavender embroidery, and her hair still containing the flower jewels and still in tousled curl fashion. She looked beautiful as she sat with her legs tucked into her arms, even in the dark. She sat blank faced, staring at nothing in particular, her mind swimming. She saw the darkness as what her future would be; cold, empty & unfulfilling. Full of orders, disappointment and suffering. In the darkness she would wither as if being a dying old house plant, that never meant enough to any one to be watered or nurtured. Horrible images flashed in her mind; her in the wedding dress hanging onto the arm of the sleaze-ball who she is to spend the rest of her life with, another of her sitting on a chair in this enormous house in the cob-web covered corner, looks gone, hair grey and lifeless, horrible grey sunken eyes staring into the distance and the worst vision by far, the name ‘Claire Hunmerdinkile’ bored onto a tombstone, in the middle of an empty, eerie cemetery, the tombstone covered with ivy and surrounded by dead plants. Forgotten, and un-loved.
Claire imagined how different things would be if ‘Dragon Slayer’ (the nickname she gave to her first, and only love) hadn’t…disappeared. How different things would be if he had came home, came back… She saw pictures in her mind of him, their moments together. She saw the first time that they met, they were 5 years old then. He let her have a lick of his ice-cream, and they were friends ever since.
It was impossible to exactly pin-point when they started to want to in their hearts be more than friends (maybe right from the start), but Claire did know & remember the day that they had agreed to be boyfriend & girlfriend. It was the day that he had come home from slaying his first dragon. Claire thought about that day. They were 15 years old, and Claire had been sitting by the lake when He had came running towards her, throwing pieces of armour off as he went.
“CLAIRE!!!” He yelled for her as he came running towards the lake. Claire heard her name being called so she looked around her. When she saw him coming she jumped up and ran towards him. When they reached each other Claire jumped onto him, pushing him down. He still had his helmet on. She helped him get it off, then said;
“Did you do it? Did you kill the Dragon?”
He looked up at her from the ground and with a cheeky grin said;
“Did you expect any less? I‘m a fully functional knight, baby!”
Claire smiled and then got off & pulled him up off the ground. They jumped around in circles, then they both fell to the ground, and started laughing un-controllably. After the mild-hysteria had sub-sided, They stayed lying down in the soft green grass and looked up into the sky. The huge fluffy white clouds glided across the light blue sky as a flock of birds flew high over head. The gentle wind made the temperature just right, making the day…perfect. Claire looked at the boy, who had his eyes closed and was breathing deeply and peacefully. He was taking in the day, to preserve that moment in his mind forever. Claire lay her head back down on the grass, and closed her eyes. The boy opened his eyes, brushed down his clothes a bit, then turned his head to look at Claire. It’s funny, even though he had known her for years, this was the first time he ever realised how beautiful she was. He looked at her long wavy hair, her dazzling smile and, even though they were closed, he could see in his mind her mystic emerald eyes, sparkling in the sunlight. He thought to himself;
“Would it really be so wrong if I did ask her, if I told her..?” At this moment Claire opened her eyes and saw Him looking at her, even though he tried to hide the fact that he was. She sat up and looked down at him, gazing at him. He sat up and stared back. Claire was the one that broke the silence.
“I need to ask you something, but I’m scared encase you don’t like what I have to say… It could ruin everything, or-”
“It could make it better than we ever thought it could be.” He interrupted, to Claire’s surprise. Her mouth was slightly open then she smiled, looked at the ground and nodded. She was picking at the grass, when the boy reached out and touched her hand. Claire looked up & stared at his face. His powerful dark eyes stared deeply into hers. Claire then said to him, in a quiet voice;
“So, is that a yes, Dragon Slayer?” Claire said with a nervous smile, unknowingly just inventing his life-long nickname.
Dragon Slayer, not averting his gaze, gave a small nod, then a small smile. Claire burst into a full-on grin then jumped onto him, causing him to almost fall over again, and they hugged, starting their relationship as a couple.
Claire thought about another moment between them. One time at the age of 17, on the eve of His 18th birthday, He had taken her all the way into the forest; through the branch-hidden road, Past the blackberry bushes (collecting some in their pockets along the way), under the bridge of trees and along many twig covered roads, when they saw a clearing. In the middle of this clearing was a beautiful little stone cottage, that had ivy growing up the left side of it. The cottage had on offer a roughly tiled roof and two small windows with shutters. The door along with everything else to do with the cottage was greyish in colour because the cottage was so old. Dragon Slayer said that one day they would paint the beautiful cottage, to bring it to it’s full glory once again. Around the edge of the circular clearing, there were strawberry & rose bushes all the way around, all lined with bluebells, snowdrops, forget-me-nots and many a wild flower. He called it ‘the land that seasons forgot‘.
“It’s beautiful.” said Claire, with a smile on her face filled with awe & admiration.
Dragon Slayer looked from Claire to the house, then said;
“One day we are to live here. If you wish it.” Then he turned and looked at her, awaiting her reply.
“Really? Oh I do, I do wish it!” Then she jumped into his arms & he twirled her around in the air, both smiling like a pair of idiots. When she came to the ground, she was still in his arms, staring into his deep brown eyes, pressed up against him. They held for a second, a moment that Claire wanted to last forever. He broke the silence;
“Lets go inside! I want to show you something!” He said, his serious, but happy face changing into a smile, then he grabbed her hand and pulled her indoors. He yanked open the door with such force it was a miracle that it hadn’t broke off it’s old hinges, then he ran in, trailing Claire behind him.
“Close the door.” He instructed her, “and close your eyes.” he said with a mysterious tone in his voice. She did so, then he took her a little farther into the house, and went behind her. He curled his head round hers, and whispered in her ear;
“Open them.”
She did so, and she scanned the room. In the middle of the small dusty, grey, cobweb covered room, their was a beautiful, golden harp. It had been recently polished, and all the strings had been recently replaced. Claire gasped in awe, then walked slowly towards it. She stroked it’s golden frame and closed her eyes to get the full effect. When she was half way down it’s edge, she felt something touch her hand. She opened her eyes, and saw that Dragon Slayer had placed his hand over hers, and that he was standing half way behind her, and half beside her. She turned her head and stared into his eyes once more. She felt her hand move, and realised that The Dragon Slayer was moving her hand ever so slowly and gently towards something on the harp, but he was still staring into Claire’s emerald eyes. He stopped moving her hand, and Claire felt something bored onto the frame. She moved her gaze onto where her hand was, and saw that her name was bored professionally on the instrument in calligraphy style letters.
“For me?” Claire asked in a quiet voice while rubbing her fingers slowly in the dents, then she looked from the harp to Dragon Slayer.
“Yes. I hope you like it.” He said with a smile and then looked at her face. “and look there.”
Claire followed his finger and saw that on both sides of her name were two emerald jewels, both princess cut.
“They’re beautiful. Thank you.” Claire said with a smile and she looked at his face. He smiled back, then he grabbed her hand, and lead her slowly out of the house into the garden. They stayed there all day, but their happiness couldn’t last. Under the stars he said to her, staring into the sky, his voice deep with sorrow and despair;
“I am to go to war the day after tomorrow.”
Claire became un-mesmerised by the stars after he said those few words, then she sat up and gazed down at him, her face filling with dread.
“No! No you mustn’t! I won‘t let you.” Claire said to him, eyes starting to fill up.
He sat up beside her and looked at her crying face.
“I must, I have no choice. You know as well as I do that I have to go. I am a knight,” With this he looked up at the sky, away from Claire’s crying face. “and it is my duty as a knight to protect my country, to protect you.” He said, and then he looked at Claire, who was staring at the ground, making small sad sounds and weeping. He touched her hands, then held them as she looked up at him, her face wet with tears.
“I want to see you tomorrow night, before I go. I have to see you again … encase it is the last time I have a chance … but we mustn’t speak about this war thing anymore today. I want the rest of tonight & tomorrow to be filled with happiness, filled with beauty and laughter.” Dragon Slayer then looked at the stars, and Claire knew it was because he thought it may be the last time he would see a peaceful night sky. She squeezed his hand a little, then he looked back at her. She gave him a weak smile, then talked to him.
“I will make it so. If you wish it.” She joked, then he let out a small laugh, and they were about to kiss, their heads leaned in and they shut their eyes, when he lost his nerve. He stopped and shook his head, looking at the ground.
“I should probably get you home.” He said, looking up at her, and she noticed that he had a single tear on his face. He pulled her up, and they ran home hand in hand.
Back in the present, Claire’s eyes had welled up, and as Claire closed them in silent but sorrowful grieving over her past & future, a single solitary tear fell from her left eye.
Suddenly the ground began to shake, and Claire gave out a short, high-pitched scream. She grabbed at her bed covers, hardly moving, partly paralyzed with fright. She shut her eyes and clung harder to the bed until the rumbling stopped. She still held for a few seconds after it had stopped, then she opened her eyes. The glow! It was back! Instantly forgetting her troubles, Claire pushed herself off the bed and slid across the floor on her knees, stopped at the loose floorboard, threw it to the side, picked up the dragon box that the scale was in and yanked up the lid. Without a seconds pause, a huge greenish yellow light blew out of the box, and Claire was blown against the wall by the force of the light, and was knocked out cold.
When Claire came to, her vision was slightly blurred and the room was spinning. All she heard was a man’s voice calling her name;
“Claire? Are you alright? Claire?”
She blinked to try to get her vision properly back. Once she succeeded, she took a look around. She was in her room, and then she examined the man who had just spoke.
Claire stared, wide-eyed at him, frozen to her spot but not with fear. She knew that person’s strong brown eyes anywhere. With a dry throat, she spoke in a whisper;
“Dragon Slayer?”
The night upon after meeting her future husband who she was to be wed to the morning after, Claire sat on her bed, still in the white dress with lavender embroidery, and her hair still containing the flower jewels and still in tousled curl fashion. She looked beautiful as she sat with her legs tucked into her arms, even in the dark. She sat blank faced, staring at nothing in particular, her mind swimming. She saw the darkness as what her future would be; cold, empty & unfulfilling. Full of orders, disappointment and suffering. In the darkness she would wither as if being a dying old house plant, that never meant enough to any one to be watered or nurtured. Horrible images flashed in her mind; her in the wedding dress hanging onto the arm of the sleaze-ball who she is to spend the rest of her life with, another of her sitting on a chair in this enormous house in the cob-web covered corner, looks gone, hair grey and lifeless, horrible grey sunken eyes staring into the distance and the worst vision by far, the name ‘Claire Hunmerdinkile’ bored onto a tombstone, in the middle of an empty, eerie cemetery, the tombstone covered with ivy and surrounded by dead plants. Forgotten, and un-loved.
Claire imagined how different things would be if ‘Dragon Slayer’ (the nickname she gave to her first, and only love) hadn’t…disappeared. How different things would be if he had came home, came back… She saw pictures in her mind of him, their moments together. She saw the first time that they met, they were 5 years old then. He let her have a lick of his ice-cream, and they were friends ever since.
It was impossible to exactly pin-point when they started to want to in their hearts be more than friends (maybe right from the start), but Claire did know & remember the day that they had agreed to be boyfriend & girlfriend. It was the day that he had come home from slaying his first dragon. Claire thought about that day. They were 15 years old, and Claire had been sitting by the lake when He had came running towards her, throwing pieces of armour off as he went.
“CLAIRE!!!” He yelled for her as he came running towards the lake. Claire heard her name being called so she looked around her. When she saw him coming she jumped up and ran towards him. When they reached each other Claire jumped onto him, pushing him down. He still had his helmet on. She helped him get it off, then said;
“Did you do it? Did you kill the Dragon?”
He looked up at her from the ground and with a cheeky grin said;
“Did you expect any less? I‘m a fully functional knight, baby!”
Claire smiled and then got off & pulled him up off the ground. They jumped around in circles, then they both fell to the ground, and started laughing un-controllably. After the mild-hysteria had sub-sided, They stayed lying down in the soft green grass and looked up into the sky. The huge fluffy white clouds glided across the light blue sky as a flock of birds flew high over head. The gentle wind made the temperature just right, making the day…perfect. Claire looked at the boy, who had his eyes closed and was breathing deeply and peacefully. He was taking in the day, to preserve that moment in his mind forever. Claire lay her head back down on the grass, and closed her eyes. The boy opened his eyes, brushed down his clothes a bit, then turned his head to look at Claire. It’s funny, even though he had known her for years, this was the first time he ever realised how beautiful she was. He looked at her long wavy hair, her dazzling smile and, even though they were closed, he could see in his mind her mystic emerald eyes, sparkling in the sunlight. He thought to himself;
“Would it really be so wrong if I did ask her, if I told her..?” At this moment Claire opened her eyes and saw Him looking at her, even though he tried to hide the fact that he was. She sat up and looked down at him, gazing at him. He sat up and stared back. Claire was the one that broke the silence.
“I need to ask you something, but I’m scared encase you don’t like what I have to say… It could ruin everything, or-”
“It could make it better than we ever thought it could be.” He interrupted, to Claire’s surprise. Her mouth was slightly open then she smiled, looked at the ground and nodded. She was picking at the grass, when the boy reached out and touched her hand. Claire looked up & stared at his face. His powerful dark eyes stared deeply into hers. Claire then said to him, in a quiet voice;
“So, is that a yes, Dragon Slayer?” Claire said with a nervous smile, unknowingly just inventing his life-long nickname.
Dragon Slayer, not averting his gaze, gave a small nod, then a small smile. Claire burst into a full-on grin then jumped onto him, causing him to almost fall over again, and they hugged, starting their relationship as a couple.
Claire thought about another moment between them. One time at the age of 17, on the eve of His 18th birthday, He had taken her all the way into the forest; through the branch-hidden road, Past the blackberry bushes (collecting some in their pockets along the way), under the bridge of trees and along many twig covered roads, when they saw a clearing. In the middle of this clearing was a beautiful little stone cottage, that had ivy growing up the left side of it. The cottage had on offer a roughly tiled roof and two small windows with shutters. The door along with everything else to do with the cottage was greyish in colour because the cottage was so old. Dragon Slayer said that one day they would paint the beautiful cottage, to bring it to it’s full glory once again. Around the edge of the circular clearing, there were strawberry & rose bushes all the way around, all lined with bluebells, snowdrops, forget-me-nots and many a wild flower. He called it ‘the land that seasons forgot‘.
“It’s beautiful.” said Claire, with a smile on her face filled with awe & admiration.
Dragon Slayer looked from Claire to the house, then said;
“One day we are to live here. If you wish it.” Then he turned and looked at her, awaiting her reply.
“Really? Oh I do, I do wish it!” Then she jumped into his arms & he twirled her around in the air, both smiling like a pair of idiots. When she came to the ground, she was still in his arms, staring into his deep brown eyes, pressed up against him. They held for a second, a moment that Claire wanted to last forever. He broke the silence;
“Lets go inside! I want to show you something!” He said, his serious, but happy face changing into a smile, then he grabbed her hand and pulled her indoors. He yanked open the door with such force it was a miracle that it hadn’t broke off it’s old hinges, then he ran in, trailing Claire behind him.
“Close the door.” He instructed her, “and close your eyes.” he said with a mysterious tone in his voice. She did so, then he took her a little farther into the house, and went behind her. He curled his head round hers, and whispered in her ear;
“Open them.”
She did so, and she scanned the room. In the middle of the small dusty, grey, cobweb covered room, their was a beautiful, golden harp. It had been recently polished, and all the strings had been recently replaced. Claire gasped in awe, then walked slowly towards it. She stroked it’s golden frame and closed her eyes to get the full effect. When she was half way down it’s edge, she felt something touch her hand. She opened her eyes, and saw that Dragon Slayer had placed his hand over hers, and that he was standing half way behind her, and half beside her. She turned her head and stared into his eyes once more. She felt her hand move, and realised that The Dragon Slayer was moving her hand ever so slowly and gently towards something on the harp, but he was still staring into Claire’s emerald eyes. He stopped moving her hand, and Claire felt something bored onto the frame. She moved her gaze onto where her hand was, and saw that her name was bored professionally on the instrument in calligraphy style letters.
“For me?” Claire asked in a quiet voice while rubbing her fingers slowly in the dents, then she looked from the harp to Dragon Slayer.
“Yes. I hope you like it.” He said with a smile and then looked at her face. “and look there.”
Claire followed his finger and saw that on both sides of her name were two emerald jewels, both princess cut.
“They’re beautiful. Thank you.” Claire said with a smile and she looked at his face. He smiled back, then he grabbed her hand, and lead her slowly out of the house into the garden. They stayed there all day, but their happiness couldn’t last. Under the stars he said to her, staring into the sky, his voice deep with sorrow and despair;
“I am to go to war the day after tomorrow.”
Claire became un-mesmerised by the stars after he said those few words, then she sat up and gazed down at him, her face filling with dread.
“No! No you mustn’t! I won‘t let you.” Claire said to him, eyes starting to fill up.
He sat up beside her and looked at her crying face.
“I must, I have no choice. You know as well as I do that I have to go. I am a knight,” With this he looked up at the sky, away from Claire’s crying face. “and it is my duty as a knight to protect my country, to protect you.” He said, and then he looked at Claire, who was staring at the ground, making small sad sounds and weeping. He touched her hands, then held them as she looked up at him, her face wet with tears.
“I want to see you tomorrow night, before I go. I have to see you again … encase it is the last time I have a chance … but we mustn’t speak about this war thing anymore today. I want the rest of tonight & tomorrow to be filled with happiness, filled with beauty and laughter.” Dragon Slayer then looked at the stars, and Claire knew it was because he thought it may be the last time he would see a peaceful night sky. She squeezed his hand a little, then he looked back at her. She gave him a weak smile, then talked to him.
“I will make it so. If you wish it.” She joked, then he let out a small laugh, and they were about to kiss, their heads leaned in and they shut their eyes, when he lost his nerve. He stopped and shook his head, looking at the ground.
“I should probably get you home.” He said, looking up at her, and she noticed that he had a single tear on his face. He pulled her up, and they ran home hand in hand.
Back in the present, Claire’s eyes had welled up, and as Claire closed them in silent but sorrowful grieving over her past & future, a single solitary tear fell from her left eye.
Suddenly the ground began to shake, and Claire gave out a short, high-pitched scream. She grabbed at her bed covers, hardly moving, partly paralyzed with fright. She shut her eyes and clung harder to the bed until the rumbling stopped. She still held for a few seconds after it had stopped, then she opened her eyes. The glow! It was back! Instantly forgetting her troubles, Claire pushed herself off the bed and slid across the floor on her knees, stopped at the loose floorboard, threw it to the side, picked up the dragon box that the scale was in and yanked up the lid. Without a seconds pause, a huge greenish yellow light blew out of the box, and Claire was blown against the wall by the force of the light, and was knocked out cold.
When Claire came to, her vision was slightly blurred and the room was spinning. All she heard was a man’s voice calling her name;
“Claire? Are you alright? Claire?”
She blinked to try to get her vision properly back. Once she succeeded, she took a look around. She was in her room, and then she examined the man who had just spoke.
Claire stared, wide-eyed at him, frozen to her spot but not with fear. She knew that person’s strong brown eyes anywhere. With a dry throat, she spoke in a whisper;
“Dragon Slayer?”
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