Ashes Embraced

1

It was quiet beneath the trees, the kind of quiet that only existed far from the ruins of Fairdale.

The creek whispered as it wound through moss-covered stones, reflecting the pale twilight sky. Cara followed its path carefully, her worn slippers damp with dew, her dress brushing against low branches as she moved deeper into the forbidden wood.

She shouldn't have been here.

Everyone knew the stories. Everyone knew what lived beyond the barbed fence.

But curiosity had always been louder than fear.

She slipped through the broken gap in the fence, careful not to snag the thin fabric of her dress. A few steps into the trees, she slowed. The air felt different here — heavier, warmer, like the forest itself was holding its breath.

The dragon mountains loomed ahead, jagged silhouettes against fading light.

Cara exhaled softly and kept walking.

If she was lucky, she might see them.

If she was very lucky...

She might see her.

The lake appeared through the trees like a secret.

Cara stilled at the edge of the brush.

There — hovering just above the water — was a figure suspended between sky and reflection.

The dragon-borne woman drifted lazily, wings beating slow and effortless, dark curls brushing the surface of the lake. Ripples spread beneath her, glowing faintly in the twilight.

Cara forgot to breathe.

She was beautiful.

Black hair. Pale skin. Red eyes closed in quiet contentment. Scales shimmered across her limbs like living armor, yet the front of her body looked soft, warm — human.

Cara took a step closer.

A twig snapped beneath her foot.

The sound echoed far louder than it should have.

The dragon-borne woman's eyes snapped open.

Red.

Ancient.

Predatory.

"You don't belong here."

Her voice carried across the lake like silk over steel.

Cara froze.

The woman moved toward her slowly, barely flapping her wings, gliding across the water as if gravity itself bent around her.

"I... I don't mean you any harm," Cara whispered.

"That is a lie."

The dragon-borne landed lightly at the shore, wings folding against her back with effortless grace.

"Humans hunt dragons. Dragons hunt humans."

"Maybe once," Cara said, voice trembling, "but not now."

The woman laughed softly, stepping closer. "You were spying. Watching. Waiting to tell your warriors where I fly."

"No!" Cara shook her head quickly. "I was just... curious."

A pause.

Then the dragon-borne tilted her head.

"I've seen you before. By the creek. Many times." A slow smile curved her lips. "Brave. Or foolish."

"Y-you knew?"