Silvestre Pendragon

The Bridge of Arbitrium

"Listen."

Milo paused,

"I don't hear anything." he replied in a hoarse whisper. Slowly, Silvestre raised her sword, and gestured for Milo to come closer. 

"Exactly, it's too quiet." Turning with their backs to each other, they examined their surroundings: nothing but trees and silence. Milo's hands were open in a defensive position and Silvestre's strong stance growled with alertness.

Then, with the harsh crack of a broken branch, Silvestre swung her sword, it's sharp tip centimetres away from the wrinkled throat of a smiling old man. Shock sprung into Silvestre's winter eyes, the crooked man had appeared from nowhere. Keeping her sword lifted against his bark-like skin, Silvestre examined the him, his hair was a straggle of white and grey and his pupils were two dark slits, the menacing cracks in his pale irises. A long fountain of white erupted from his chin, so intertwined, his beard resembled a birds nest, but this wasn't what captured Silvestre's eyes. Trailing from his jaw, twisting down his neck and slivering around his arm was a black, inky tattoo of a sinister serpent. Milo too was staring at the mans strange marking in curiosity.

 "Don't stare. It's rude." Hissed the man, as he carefully pushed Silvestre's blade away from him. Circling them, he continued, "And as for attempting to attack me, well that simply wasn't polite, little girl." Sarcasm streamed from his mouth and Silvestre drew back her sword, keeping her chin lifted and jaw clenched.   

"Who are you?" Milo asked, but the old man just gave a crooked smile and ignored his question.

"Two young members of the Dragon Kin, I get a lot of them wanting to cross the bridge. Few come back." He cackled. " Elgido." At the name Milo froze, stunned, he refused to return Silvestre's questioning gaze. "Do send my love to your dear plague of a mother." 

"How dare you!" Silvestre growled, calling on a spitting fire to sting at the mans ankles, he jolted away at the sudden roar of flames and for a moment he looked surprised, scared even, but that soon morphed into his disturbing smile, rotting teeth and dark gaps that smirked in delight at Silvestre. 

"Feisty and reckless, Dragon Kin are often the same but I was not aware I was in the presence of royalty, Your Royal Highness, Silvestre Pendragon!" He exclaimed while mocking a low bow, "If the King knew he would happily have you burnt at the stake, but then I would be denied the pleasure of killing you both." 

"You're not going to kill anyone. Just let us cross the bridge." Milo demanded. 

"Elgido, and little Pendragon, why do you wish to cross the bridge? " 

"Noirsk is going to burn Camelot to the ground if she isn't stopped." Milo replied, "And even the Serpent Kin know that Noirsk's power is unnatural and will destroy us all." Silvestre's head was spinning, Dragon Kin? Serpent Kin? And why is the gatekeeper calling Milo 'Elgido'?  Confusion hammered at Silvestre's mind- Why hasn't Milo told me about any of this?  "If Noirsk gets what she wants, all hell will break loose."

Silvestre reached for the pocket, where the ruby lay in the cover of darkness. 

"What's in your pocket, girl?" The gatekeeper snarled, his eyes gleaming with greed as he leaned closer to Silvestre.

Damn human instinct. Silvestre cursed. 

"You're not getting it and neither is Noirsk." Silvestre declared. 

"Then why did you bring it?" He smirked, "I'll tell you what, young dragons, here's the talisman  you need to be able to cross the bridge" He dangled a circular golden pendant, allowing its smooth metal to glisten in the sunlight, before pocketing it. " Without it the bridge is a dangerous place."

"Thank you" Milo replied gratefully, yet the old man cackled, 

"I never said I'd give it to you. Show me you can rule with your head like a Serpent and not with your reckless dragon hearts."

A challenge. 

Without stirring the Gatekeepers attention, Silvestre cautiously held at the golden locket that rested against her neck. 

Milo, I'll light the fires, you distract him until then and I'll get the talisman.

Milo gave a small tilt of his head to acknowledge Silvestre and he continued to bargain, 

" What's wrong with ruling with your heart?" he asked, as Silvestre creeped around the old man. 

"Elgido, you should know hearts can get you killed. Caring gets you nowhere but pain." he hissed with a pang of melancholy behind his croaky words. 

"A little pessimistic don't you think?" Milo replied. Suddenly, a wall of fires exploded around them and in this moment of vulnerability Silvestre snatched the heavy pendant from the gatekeepers robes, and as soon the metal touched her warm palms a twisting bridge appeared from beyond her flames. The gatekeeper didn't fight anymore, Milo hurried towards the bridge, leaving Silvestre and the gatekeeper alone. 

"Decisions and trials are ahead,
fire is a playful tune until it is over fed,
then you must be careful, Your Highness, for not even water can kill it then." His bitter tone from earlier had vanished and now he was soft and weary " I can hear your heart singing for Elgido but that melody will be destroyed by Noirsk, she plays with peoples hearts as if they were dolls. Be careful child." And with that he disappeared into the misty fog.