Lohikäärme: The Dragon's Descent (Revised)

Chapter XVI - Madness

Chapter XVI - Madness

The floor scraped the back of my legs as I continued moving across the floor. Someone pulled me by my arms—no, two. There were two people dragging me like a dead body as they talked about how I should have been killed, and how they'd kill me if only the magisters hadn't forbade it.

Nothing wriggled beneath my dress. Nothing hissed. Nothing wrapped its long body around my waist as people spoke ill of us.

Remekiah was gone.

If I had been more cautious, if I had been stronger, this wouldn't have happened. Remekiah would still be wriggling beneath my dress if I had been strong enough to protect him. But no, I was weak, too weak. I busied myself with figuring out how to help myself when someone came here to help me escape. In my head, it was always about me being helped by other people. Remekiah died trying to save me. I shouldn't rely on others, because they have theirselves to help and care about. How could I be selfish?

The opaque clouds were thick and covered the sky above us. Leaning on the stone walls which reached up to my chest that kept me from falling down the castle, I inhaled the fresh air. Even in the rooftop of this castle, the wind still blew hard, but it wasn't cold, and it wasn't hot either. The temperature was just warm. I let my hair fly with the wind, enjoying the view, enjoying the feeling of being free.

"Are you alright, Safi?"

Dante? I quickly turned around, but as I was about to embrace him, I saw his eyes looking at me with concern. "Dante, is something wrong?"

The wind blew harder. My hair flew towards him as did the wind, and his golden yellow hair flew away from me. He looked me in the eyes as he cupped my face. When he wiped something away in my face, my eyes opened wider. I was crying! But why? I wondered. I had no reason to cry, and I didn't notice I was crying until he wiped the tears away.

"Safi, I may not beside you at all times, but I'm working on a way to save you," he said. The wind was blowing hard, but I still heard his words clearly. "I will save you."

"Thank you."

But I would save myself.

"Roooooooooaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrr!"

The castle trembled in fear. Rocks fell from the ceiling, and everyone was screaming. It made it easier to find a window to slip my hands through their shaking grips and run away.

"You bloody idiots! After her!"

I scurried away towards the nearest turn and sped through the hallway. I dashed through hallways upon hallways upon hallways, ducking away from flames and falling rocks, jumping over cracks and gaps between partially collapsed hallways.

"Down," Carina whispered. "Down. Down. Down."

"No, I'm not going down." I leaped over small flames. "I can't." Everyone was there waiting for me to try to run away. They knew it'd be the first thing I'd try.

"Down the inner yard, the inner yard, the inner yard."

"I don't want to run away!" I was tired of running away. All that got me was unending misery.

"Then help us."

"No."

"She who sees like no other, who holds the key to a dragon's heart, shall come and proclaim the beginning of their end."