Ice And Fire

Ice and Fire

I watched the dark trees around me curl their long, talon like branches at the biting night air. The sky was a starless black mass that seemed to cling to the snow coated fields of farmland. Snowflakes were whirling and dancing across my vision, brushing my pale face and tickling my eyelashes. It would have been peaceful, if not for the raging inferno from the town square. No matter how much I wanted to, I could not turn back. I would never be free again. All I could do was run.

The embers cast a blood coloured gleam across the silvery ground, creating a haunting scene ahead of me. I dashed through a thick copse of trees, branches rapping around me as I tore through them. I finally stumbled into a clearing where the fire was no longer visible. I collapsed to the snowy earth, dazed. They can’t stop me now. This is my destiny, and I won’t let anyone take that from me.

I stood up, having taken my contemplative break, and set off north. It wasn’t a planned destination. I didn’t know what was in store for me. All I knew was that wherever I ended up, my story would really begin. The story of Kira the Silent Blade.

Three days. Three long, painful days. The kind of days where you wake up and say, “What a beautiful morning!” only to be passed out under the suns vengeful gaze later. I splashed the semi warm water of a drying creek onto my dirt smeared face. I rested my damp hands onto my lap, and looked ahead towards a massive dark forest. What am I thinking? Why search for honor and freedom in a world where no one will accept me?   I shoved my gloomy thoughts aside and stood up. I grabbed my pack and began my trek into the darkness.

The first thing I noticed was the significant drop in temperature. It felt like standing next to a fire, and suddenly having snow dumped down the back of your shirt. I shivered, and pulled out my traveling cloak, locking the royal clasp in place. After a few minutes of hiking, I heard a twig snap. I immediately whipped around, an arrow nocked at the string of a bow that had rested on my back. My eyes locked on a small black and white lizard, about the length of my index finger seated on a rock. It had gleaming purple irises, and orange pupils that narrowed to slits. Each of its toes was decorated with a gleaming silver talon. The creatures long spotted tail whipped back and forth in excitement. I returned the barbed arrow to its sleeve, and bent down to look at the mesmerizing little reptile.

“I’m Mesmerise, what is yours?” I flinched at its words. Did that lizard really just talk? Mesmerise stood up on his back legs and grinned. Grinned for crying out loud!

“Come on, I won’t bite! At least, unless you bite me first. I said nothing. “Hello?” he asked again. I sat back and looked away. Mesmerise sat back on his haunches, puzzled. “Can you not speak, or won’t? Nod if you can’t, shake if you won’t.” I nodded my head. “Oh, ok. I’ll just do this then!”

He jumped off his rock, onto my shoulder, and placed his paw on my face. Before I could react, he was back on his rock, grinning again. “Ok, I read you, and your soul says that your name is Kira, Daughter of the noblewoman Hannah. A princess splintered from the kings’ family, settled in a town called Aris. Your father is a knight of the Order of Dragons Bane, and you burned down your home when the village was empty to get away from them, because if they found out that you were a freelance you would never be free again.”

I pulled out my knife, and held it to his scrawny throat. Mesmerise didn’t flinch just smiled. “Don’t worry! Your secrets are safe with me. I am called Secret keeper after all, and soul reader, and shadow eater, and man slayer, and you can ignore the last two names!” I stood up and walked away.   “Wait! Can I come with you Silent Blade? I really need a friend, and it’s been so long since anyone has talked to me!” I kept on walking. “I can help you on your adventures! Just please be my friend!” I stopped, turned, shook my head, then continued on.   “Fine! I will prove myself to you!” Mesmerise darted off his rock and spiraled up a tree. Soon, both were lost to the darkness.

I cracked my eyes open at the grey dawns light. Snow was building over my prone figure amongst the dead branches against the rocky slope. I sat up, brushing the cold dust off of my shoulders. As I went to stand up, a loud snarl echoed through the branches. I froze, slowly scanning the shadows. A pair of red eyes glinted through the trees, then two more, then another set. I thought there were multiple monster looking at me, until the beast prowled from the darkness. A massive tiger, drug itself out into the sort of light. Six red eyes sparkled along its face, and its jaws opened vertically like the mandibles of an assassin bug. A long, scorpion stinger covered in long barbs, swished agitatedly behind it. its sinewy body rippled like it was made of murky water.

I quickly reached for my bow, immediately unleashing a volley of arrows at the monster before me. It swatted a few aside with its monolith like paws, but a few struck homes. One hit it between the shoulders, one in the chest, and one in its ugly upper right eye. It howled an unearthly shriek, and charged.

I tried to dodge, but it swatted me faster than I could blink. It felt like being hit by a stampeding elephant. I crashed into a nearby tree, and pain exploded in the back of my skull. Stars flashed across my vision, as I tried to stand. My arms and legs gave, and I was forced to watch the Freakish Feline open its jaws to clamp down on my throat.

A sudden deafening roar split the air, as a massive black and white dragon landed on the tree I was leaning against. Its brilliant, spotted wings flapped open, startling the monster. The dragon blasted green fire, that burned through the monsters watery hide. The creature reared back as Mesmerise brought a massive paw down on the beasts’ head. As its jaw shattered, its tail whipped around to stab into Mesmerises’ heart. I flung myself forward, bringing my dagger out of its sheath, to cut the deadly projectile from the writhing terror. It flew through the air, landing at my feet. The monster convulsed for a minute, then went still.

“Well, how did I do?” I turned to see Mesmerise back to his lizardy self, and smiled. “Can I come with you, and are we friends now?”  I nodded, and he leaped onto my shoulder, nuzzling my cheek. “Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! You have no idea how lonely I am. I will never leave your side, and never let you down!”

I picked up my broken bow, and continued my journey. Wow, I have a friend now. Someone who would be by my side forever, someone who would help me through it all. Someone who knew who I was, and who I would become, and accepted me. I would save people, and be a hero like I always dreamed I could be.

By Taylor Godlewski

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