Prologue One Shot-Wedding Day
And the warrior, who in his moment of bravery proposed, became the prince of dragons. This is not the story of how he came here. How he rose to all odds. But the story of his fall, and the story of: The Fool of Sorrow.
***
It had been a glorious day. The sun was shining, and the hall glittered in preparation of my special day. It had been many long years since the death of my fathers. The great dragons who gifted me with the bone and steel of a truly hearty drake. To think about the weakness I had before them…I'm grateful they shared their power with me. It had been so sad to see them go, but they had led long peaceful lives. And besides, today was a day of happiness. So I turned to the altar, and my soon to be loving wife, and walked up the steps towards her.
Selena. That was her name. The silver beauty, so alike in form, and so kind hearted. To think I had found her when she was weak, hungry, and barely able to move. About to be killed by rogues and the daft who merely wanted her for her scales. I never did deserve her. I had been on this world for maybe five years, and she was the only person I truly held a connection to, here at least.
I arrived at the steps, taking the first two steps before sinking into a warrior's bow. Even as a knight, I would not stand on equal grounds with her till our marriage. Such was the will of the king.
There was the touch, I can look up now, at least into the face of my soon-to-be father. He would wed us, though untraditional in the drake way, as there I would fight for her, which I would still do, but I had different traditions. I looked over to my bride, and her glorious smile. She was so beautiful, and her dress was a white as her scales silver. Ever the kind woman I fell in love with, she came forward…and that’s when I heard it.
The scrape of metal against stone. The harsh sound disturbed all present. And I looked behind me.
There he was. The coward. The slayer. The hunter. The disgusting creature who always came after me, and held no respect for anything he tried to touch. His hooves dirty and unshorn, he gradually trotted closer.
"Finally. I found you, you disgusting monster."
The words brought a frown to my lips. He had just insulted me. I would have killed him, but he was no threat, and he was disturbing my wedding day, so I merely switched my attention back to the ceremony. Oh, how I wish I had gone through with my train of thought.
"Get on with it."
The husky words having left my lips, he started to laugh. It was no longer the laugh of a kind pony. One who held on to the tenants of their culture. Even my zebra friend, Zandar, a reclusive mage, would not laugh in such a way. He shuffled around a bit, getting something from the bags on his back…
"So be it."
And clicked the button.
Explosions rocked nearby, everything moving. It was though an earthquake had struck the massive volcano. I realized to late that he had rigged explosives around the castle, turning around a second too late, as he had already started his dash.
Why was I so sluggish back then? Why hadn't I moved? But it was not to be. He came at me with that rapier, aimed straight at my heart…when Selena shoved me to the side. I heard the crunch, saw it pierce her chest straight through, felt the blood splash on my face, down my throat. It was painful…I could feel it, like with my masters when they died. It hurt them so much and it was hurting Selena now, too.
I felt something on my chest, my face and heart, her blood dripping down. He pulled his rapier out, and which set of racking wet coughs of someone who had yet to feel the peace of death. And as she fell, she looked in my eyes and smiled.
***
I had blacked out, but I was aware of screaming. Someone was screaming. So much red. It was everywhere. I didn't see any living bodies anywhere around me. Just burning corpses on a floor.
Something ran down my face, but I couldn't tell what it was. Everything was stained and it was all on fire. Not a single thing in the room not consumed by flames.
Whoever was screaming needed to shut up and I sorely wished they would, but it, no they, kept going on. I wonder what happened here. I can't remember anything. All I hear is the screaming. And all I see is the burning and the red.
I turned my head right, and saw two horses, both with wings, and both with horns. I was abruptly aware that the screaming stopped. But they just stood there, staring in horror. What was wrong with them?
I took a step closer, and they plopped down…did their legs no longer work? They just continued to stare and stare.
"Um…excuse me. What are you?"
The horror turned to surprise and then to…was it guilt…no…it was pity. What was wrong with them? That was a weird change of expressions, and I almost started laughing then and there. But I stopped. Why?
That flowing feeling returned to my face. It was weird. I raised my hand up to my eyes trying to wipe away whatever was in my eyes.
Tears? Why was I crying? I looked around the room, trying to spot something familiar. I almost missed it. It was a single scrap of white silk, and it was on fire. But it did its job. It reminded me. And it all came rushing back…
And the screaming returned. Till I blacked out.
