One of a Kind Dragon

It was a peaceful and beautiful sunny morning, the birds were chirping, and green grass covered every inch of the forest.

A huge grey cliff stood at the very edge of the forest with a large opening leading into a huge cave filled with billions of trinkets covering the soft grass.

A human skull was scattered the among the trinkets.

A young dragon was sleeping in the right corner in a leaf-covered bed with a wooden bed frame. She had white scales sprinkled with lavender, and light blue scales that glittered in the sunlight.

her huge ripped wings with gold wingtips were wrapped around her body like a blanket, her white and gold snout poking out from under her wings. a long tail with a green leafed end was curled around her to keep it from being stepped on.

despite how small she was compared to other young dragons she was quite strong

Darius had never seen a dragon like that in his life but he didn’t care, he took care of her anyways. But she was unaware that someone was watching her, she was immersed in her latest nightmare.

Darkness surrounded her, she couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t see, she couldn’t hear. That’s when it came, the pain and fear started overwhelming her, engulfing Willow in its flames, it surrounded her, keeping her locked up, squeezing the air from her lungs.

Willow tried running at the wall of darkness but she never got far enough, for something always pulled her back, she cried out and struggled, slamming into the darkness.

Willow tried pretending she wasn’t scared, but she couldn’t get out, and then someone appeared.

She ran at them screaming for help but all they did was watch, and when she got close enough to ask for help they pushed her away and suddenly she was falling off a cliff, they were looking off the cliff along with everyone she loved.

She watched as they watched her fall. She cried out trying to fly or grapple onto the side of the cliff but it was too slippery and wet with ice and water and her wings were gone.

Willow could feel the air around her. She could hear it rushing past her as gravity pulled her away from the ones who pushed her away.

All Willow could do was feel the pain and fear that followed her through this nightmare, she didn’t know if any of it was a dream, or if it was real, she couldn’t breathe, and her vision was blurry.

That’s when she heard her, one of Willow’s best friends, but she was crying, Willow saw her across the darkness.

She ran towards her, she wanted to help her but the faster she ran the further away she seemed to get. She stopped crying suddenly and Willow immediately knew why.

She was holding the end of a large knife. She raised her head and turned it to face Willow.

Willow was scared of what she could do with it so she ran screaming her name, trying to get her attention.

As Willow ran towards her, she gripped the knife with both claws, the sharp part pointing towards her stomach.

Willow started to scream louder still crying telling her to stop. With a quick stabbing motion, she plunged the knife into her body and twisted it, killing herself.

Willow stopped as tears ran down her snout as her friend leaned forward and went limp, Willow sank to her knees, her claws in front of her, and started to scream again. It was as if she could feel her dying.

Willow felt someone’s hand on her shoulder and turned to come face-to-face with another one of her friends, wearing a small sad smile.

“It’s not your fault you know,” he told her and she wrapped her claws and forearms around him and continued to cry. He hugged her back but that’s when Willow felt something go through her back.

Willow looked down only to realise as a silver knife slit one of her pouches to reveal the tiny point of the knife.

Willow looked up at him holding her stomach, all he did was get up, smile down at her and walk away. She sat there slowly dying. But she didn’t die. But she sat there crying, begging Leo the moon god of death and torture to kill her because of the pain, it was so bad she felt her body go numb.

Then she woke up to the sound of yelling.

“Willow!! Wake up!” Someone howled, the sound echoing throughout the cave.

Her eyes flew open, her rainbow eyelids shrinking back as her eyes shifting from black to red in seconds.

In front of her, she saw a young man who looked about 29 years old standing at her cave opening, his face full of fear.

He had olive skin, long blond hair that was tied into a single braid, one purple eye, and one black eye, and a scar ran from his purple eye to his lip.

He wore a black and purple sash, a silver T-shirt, black and purple camo pants, dark grey shoes, a belt that held a blue stone, and a sword. A quiver of arrows was slung across his back.

Willow landed with a thump on the floor in shock.

“What is it!? Is there danger?!” Willow demanded her eyes shifting to an even darker red

“Stay back you monster!” She yelled, lashing out her tail and knocking over a barrel.

“There’s a monster all right! You’re standing on it!” The man standing outside her doorway replied pointed at the ground with his bow, Willow looked down excited that she had defeated something without even meaning to. But all she saw was green grass that had been squished under her weight

“What the heck Darius!!” Willow hollered.

“Ha, I got you this time!” Darius laughed and broke into a run.

Willow chased after him around the cave, finally, he dived under her bed knowing full well Willow could not get him, she may be small but she was still a dragon and couldn't fit under her bed. “You’ll be sorry someday.” she grumbled

After a while, Darius stopped laughing and decided it was safe to come out since he heard her start to rummage around in one of her barrels. He smiled as he poked his head out from under the bed his braid swinging onto his back

“I came here to tell you that the weather’s nice and that we should probably get going.”

Willow stopped rummaging and looked up from the barrel. Her eyes were shifting to a sunset yellow

“What do you mean Nice weather?” she asked tilting her head

“Look outside.” Darius got out from under the bed and led her out the door.

She peeked her head outside to see the morning sun on the horizon. As she walked out of the cave a cool breeze floated past her. Once she could get a clear view she noticed the grass was a deep green and the flowers had already bloomed.

Rebecca, Star, and Void sat outside, Rebecca watched as the kids ran around the forest recreating the day Darius and Willow met. Willow could barely remember that day, all she remembered was she was falling, and the feeling something dropped her,

“Where mommy?” she thought as she fell, then the world went black, but she could hear everything, the chirping, the leaves rustling and a voice.

“Rebecca! Come look! It’s a baby dragon!”

“Darius! Don’t get too close! She could be hostile!” another voice called back

“Seriously babe? It’s a baby dragon, for god’s sake, she can’t do anything. Now come on, you’re a healer, right? Come fix this baby dragon, it looks like she hurt or something”

“Hmm…oh alright…” the voice said it seemed to have come closer.

Willow felt a soft hand on her neck and opened her eyes to come face to face with honey-coloured eyes.

They looked welcoming and warm. Her touch was warm and comforting as she smiled at the dragonet.

“Why aren’t you a cute little thing!” she said softly. Her voice was like honey and moved like honey too, but her voice was clear.

A young boy stood behind her smiling warmly at Willow. His eyes were like a starlit sky.

Willow tried to get up before realising she couldn’t walk.

“You poor dear, Darius come look at her! She’s shaking!” the girl said turning to look at the boy.

“Rebecca, you do realise she’s a dragonet, and she looks like she just got out of her egg, she’s probably scared out of her mind,” Darius answered

“What should we name her?” Rebecca asked

“What’s your favorite type of tree?” Darius asked.

“The willow trees, you already know that but what-”

“Then that’s what we’ll name her.” Darius interrupted

“Mommy?” Willow burbled

“Oh! I’m sorry baby I’m not your mommy…” Rebecca moved back as if looking for something, her caramel skin caught the sunlight making her glow

"Pretty..." Willow cooed reaching out to touch her

“You’ll be a mommy to my kids soon” Darius grumbled.

Rebecca turned turned towards him turning bright red as blood rushed to her cheeks

“Oh my god! Darius! Why!” Rebecca shrieked flustered.

“What? It’s true!”

“Don't go around saying that!!” Rebecca cried

“Well the town already knows. Its not like they didn’t notice that you pregnant!” that's when Willow noticed a 3rd and 4th heartbeat. It was coming from the woman in front of her, but she couldn't see anything else.

“We talked about this!” And then Willow fell asleep.

Willow smiled as she watched Void and Star run around, but she was concerned about the temperature, and the weather.

Never in her 9 years was there warm weather, only rain, snow, and wind. There had been clear days but even then it was cold.

“Somethings wrong, we’ve never had nice weather.”

“I know right it’s weird but amazing,” Darius exclaimed. Willow jumped, she had forgotten about Darius. “Think of all the prey we could catch” he added smiling up at her

“Ya…,” Willow agreed slightly uncertain, shifting her weight from one side to the other

“Thanks for the offer but I need to sort out my stuff”

“And my thoughts”

“Can’t you do that later? It’s so nice out!” he asked, tilting his head.

“Nope! Sorry, I’m kind of crowded in my cave so…yeah…um…see you later!” Willow insisted hurryingly as she scurried back to the cave. Darius shrugged confused

“Ok, but you are missing out!” he called walking away already loading his bow.

“Ya, ya, I know” she grumbled, her eyes shifting to a midnight black.

“Thank god I got away. Something’s up I can just feel it, something or someone is playing with us. It’s always been winter, and fall, this forest is cursed to only have two seasons. Someone must have broken the barrier.” She told herself once Darius was out of earshot. But she couldn’t convince herself that it was just a slight change, she knew something was up.

She looked up after a while wondering why the cave was so silent, she looked where Rollan slept only to realise Rollan had left, and she glared at his sleeping spot hoping maybe next time he would at least say goodbye considering he was like her father.

She started sorting through her junk and found a sword, a spear, and a small silver, black and rainbow earring in the shape of two dragon tails forming a heart that her girlfriend Lunar had given her.

Lunar had disappeared five years ago. Lunar had meant everything to Willow and when she disappeared Willow was devastated. Willow wouldn’t eat anything for 2 weeks, and after a year or two the earring had gone missing.

She was so angry she had given Darius the huge scar that ran across his back. Rollan was very angry after he got home, but she didn’t remember her punishment.

She was never able to find the proper words to say sorry for it.

“I miss her,” Willow thought sadly. “Wait a minute, I thought I lost this!” Willow thought as she picked up a small deep blue jewel that was about the size of her palm.

It had small black and red spots all over it. Rollan and Darius told her that it was the only thing she had when she dropped out of the sky. Then out of nowhere, something hard hit her roughly on her head. Her vision suddenly started to blur and she collapsed.

When her vision returned she was standing in a moss-covered room beside a beautiful huge white dragon. She had a gold underbelly, a gold eye ring, rose gold under wings, and gold wingtips. She had dark red eyes and a stunning broad snout.

She looked young but her eyes had seen so many years of battle, on the top of her head stood a beautiful gold crown encrusted with diamonds. She was so familiar to Willow but she couldn’t remember her, “She must be the queen.″ she thought.

“Mother?” A strangely familiar voice asked. Willow jumped. She hadn’t noticed the younger dragon sitting beside her. She was just as elegant as the other dragon but instead, she had orange eyes and gold underwings, she was three times bigger than Willow with a silver crown engraved with sapphires. She looked about her age despite her height, maybe younger. She looked nothing like Willow

“Yes dear?” answered the queen

“What’s wrong mother? You look sad.” She asked,

“Oh nothing, Malum… I am still grieving your twin sister Willow…I miss her that’s all.” the older dragon told her.

“But she died years ago,” Malum answered

“Malum.” She said warningly, her eyes flashing.

“What? It’s true!” She complained

“For the last time, Virgo said I would get to see her again, he would do anything to keep his promise.” the queen snapped

“But what if she dies? Plus I think Virgo was lying.”

“Malum! Enough! Willow is not dead!” She said displeasure raising in her voice.

The dragonet glanced at Willow and smiled slyly

Willow perked up “Mother? My mother is the Queen?!” But before she could ask, the dragons disappeared.

She awoke to Darius shoving her and yelling her name “Willow wake up!!! Willow!”

“Darius!!! I’m awake you idiot!” Willow yelled. Void was sitting on the floor playing with an extremely long and sharp stick, that he must have found in the forest

“Thank the Gods you’re okay! I can’t leave you alone for 5 minutes before you go unconscious!” Darius sounded relieved. They both started to laugh. Suddenly Rebecca screamed and raced forward as Willow heard something whiz by, Darius stopped laughing abruptly,

“Willow wh-?” Darius crumpled to the ground. Void started crying. The cave was in chaos, as Rebecca tried to get Void to stop crying, Star sat whimpering and shaking her father as if trying to wake him up crying his name over and over again

There was a small silver dart with a fluffy red feathered end embedded in his back.

“Sleep Darts!” was the only thing she could think before she felt dizzy and her vision started to blur. Rebecca knew she was going to faint due to a conditon she had since she was little called Vasovagal syncope. Rebecca took the dart from Daruis’s back and stuck it in Willow’s shoulder

She clawed at the dart in her shoulder but her strength was failing her for the first time. “Let it be Willow, this will help you have a dreamless sleep, I promise,” Rebecca said softly as Void and Star hugged her sides, both of them still crying.

She stumbled around swearing at what looked like a dragon beside her and then slammed into the cave wall, jewel shining brightly in her limp hand.