Vali And The Dragon

Chapter 2

A/n: sorry about the lack of writing! The computer i'm using is weird and makes me publish the same chapter twice to allow others to see it at all! In his world calling old women "Grandmother" is a sign of respect. Also, how did I do with the prophecy?

Vali's P.O.V

Stepping into the darkness, being enveloped in the spicy-sweet aroma from the spices and the sound of the crackling fire brought back memories. Vali had to fight back a few tears, a punch of nostalgia washed over him, powerful enough to have him stagger back a few steps, into the sunlight eliciting a soft hiss from whatever or whoever was inside.

A crackling, rough voice, decidedly female, called out from the dark center of the tent. "Bah! Come in boy, and don't stay in the light longer than ya' have to! I can't work in the daylight!" Slowly stepping nearer to the table and chairs at the center (And almost tripping over one), Vali sat down across from the hunched-over old woman, half blind, wrinkled, with hair down to the floor, the ends trailing in the dirt and dust, her hands yellowed and spotted with age, her fingernails yellowed claws.

She laughed as she saw who it was, grinning with all three of her rotten, blackened teeth. "Vali Bryiant! It's been so long! I haven't seen ya' since ya' were knee-high to an elf!" She laughed again, a unpleasant, crackling, wheezing sound that made Vali's skin crawl and his ears prick.

~Oh goodness, I've forgotten what an unpleasant old woman she is... Well I've come this far...~ Vali gulped and croaked out a "Hello G-grandmother... I would like to know my future..." The old hag let out another laugh before letting out a round of shuddering hacks.

"Well then dear, lets read your future! I don't have all day!" Shuddering, Vali held out his hand, and the ancient crone took it. "We-e-e-e-ell... that's interesting..." Vali jerked upwards, like a puppet on a string, and looked at the woman.

"Well, it says here, that you'll travel far... Something about marrying a beauty... But this, right here..." The woman traced a line on his palm, sending a chill up his spine. All of a sudden her face went slack, her eye that could see clouding over milky-white, the other pitch-black, sitting impossibly straight.

"Vali Bryiant, child of Heaven and Earth, of most ancient magik, you shall marry a monster, shunned by destiny and those most holy, a beast of scales and flesh, of magik most deep and oceans spray, not of fay, nor mortal bold, but a creature who's blood runs cold, Slayer of the Dragon shall be your title, thy fight shall cut through blood most vital, One shall live while the other dies- "

All of a sudden, she collapsed onto the table muttering. Vali sprung to his feet, the prophecy, for that was what it was of course, feeling like a boulder on his chest. He let out a strangled sob, tears rolling down his cheeks, he turned from the old woman, broke out into a run, and didn't look back, he didn't stop running until he got to his farm, and when he did, a horrible surprise awaited him.