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cloveroctobers · 2 years

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outside / EZ REYES x Black! Reader || Summer Prompts !

A/N: I always said gaby and Ez look like siblings…freud would love my ass for saying that. Here’s me having a poke at that here in my final summer prompts. It’s nothing too serious just something to wrap up the remaining summer writing season BUT I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t take this piece someplace else right? 😉

WARNINGS: turned out much lengthy than intended for no reason! Sorry about that! + conflicting relationships? And before y’all ask there will most likely not be a part two lol. Just call me part i. Ess from now on 🤭

Plot/prompt: summer weddings + summer vacation

ੈ✩‧₊˚ ੈ✩‧₊˚ ੈ✩‧₊˚ ੈ✩‧₊˚ ੈ✩‧₊˚ ੈ✩‧₊˚ ੈ✩‧₊˚ ੈ✩‧₊˚ ੈ

some people go crazy over weddings.

you happened to fall into the trope of wanting a fairytale wedding. You wanted a marquise cut wedding ring—preferably in the shade of London blue Topaz with a pear engagement ring to match it. You didn’t think too hard on the whole proposal, you just hoped the person you wanted to ask you would execute it well. Thinking about the proposal made you nervous but thinking about the ceremony? Provided you with all the serotonin that you needed.

It was insane to your family that you didn’t fall into the wedding planning field since weddings were on your mind back when you had knockers in your pigtails. It was a hobby to watch all the shows and attend every wedding you were invited to. You had moodboards stored away in your closet and attic about the major event that was tweaked at every age. Commitment was never the issue on your end out of the handful you dated..they just never ended up being the right one or you scared them off with the intent of forever.

“Hey, are you ready to go?” Warm muscular arms wrapped around your body, snapping you out of your thoughts.

Humming you briefly caressed EZ’s, your boyfriend of one year, forearm. “Yes. I found the bracelet at the bottom of the suitcase, it must have slipped out of the pouch I had it in.”

“Here let me help you with that.” Ez unlocked his arms from around you, taking the accessory from your grasp to place around your wrist.

You watched the man before you, how he touched you so delicately and with care. His skin stayed on dewy, he trimmed down his balbo beard at your request (the friction was causing a serious rash—on your part) and it glistened with sandalwood oil that would surely shine like diamonds once you stepped out into the Mexican heat.

“You see something that you like?” Ez teased you, his honey eyes flicking up to meet yours once he was done.

You smiled as you responded turning to close your suitcase, “I see plenty, Mr. Reyes.”

“Oh me too, love.” Ez was behind you again, his hands reaching out to caress your backside before giving it a nice slap, “this dress…I don’t think I want you outside in it.”

Smirking to yourself you finished zipping the suitcase and spun to face the olive-skinned man who went back to rubbing on your stinging booty, “that’s just too damn bad, man. We got here yesterday afternoon and been in all this time up in each other’s faces, everybody out that door? about to see these legs and hips and body.”

Ez chuckled at you, playfully rolling his eyes as you had your arms around his neck, one hand now running your fingernails against his scalp.

“Fine. I guess we do have some place to be.”

You scoffed with a quirk of your brow, “now you want to change your tone when we’re actually here? It’s your cousin’s pre-wedding dinner party.”

“I know.” Ez grumbled, “I agreed to come to the wedding not the pre-events. Pop was in my ear about it being disrespectful if we didn’t go but it’s not like I give a shit what he’s got to say—

“Ezekiel!” You gripped his face, before pointing your finger at him, “we said best behavior on this trip.”

You got along quite well with Felipe. He was respectful, quiet, yet observant which made it hard for you to tell if he liked you enough to date his son in the beginning. You understood that Ez and Felipe’s relationship took a huge turn revolving around his mother’s death and his father’s past. Of course you could never tell EZ how he should feel since you were not in his position but you knew Felipe did the best that he could taking care of his boys. He tried but ultimately you knew Ez wasn’t trying to hear that anymore. It ran much deeper than you knew and you didn’t pry because once Ez went dark? He buried himself in it for awhile; you noticed how the club was changing him and you weren’t sure it was for the better.

Nonetheless this summer vacation was to leave all the stress of the club bullshit behind you…for now.

“I am, I’m just saying I don’t see him giving Angel shit for not being here.”

“Angel has a baby to cater to—

“So you’re saying I should get you—

“No!” Your eyes went wide as Ez’s began to crinkle, laughing at you, joking.

You were far from thinking about children, IUD in place, you wanted to be more financially stable before that could ever happen and if your job finally promoted you and you were married for at least two years? Then that would be the goal. Everything was plotted for you, you liked to stick to a routine and schedule. If you could help it? That’s the way it would go. Sorry.

“We’re not here for any drama just the vibrant city of Mérida, okay?” You pecked his lips.

“…okay.” Ez grumbled.

You fixed the collar of his linen beige top, getting a whiff of Egyptian musk that radiated off his skin before you reached for the space on both corners of his lips. Lifting them you said, “fix your face.”

Then you moved your hands to slap his ass in return making him grin, “yes ma’am.”

He gripped your hand, intertwining your fingers as you led him out of the room.

•

The restaurant was just as vibrant yet homey as the buildings even with the sun beginning to set. When you and EZ arrived most of the guests were there currently waiting on Gaby and her groom to be. You already knew a few faces which consisted of Felipe, Coco, his girlfriend Hope, and Letty.

“Finally! I thought you two wouldn’t get here until after Gaby and her dude showed up.” Letty announced, kissing the side of your cheek as you embraced.

Coco was all grins as he cradled a cigarette, “shut it leticia, this is part of their baecation so you know nothing is off limits.” He winked at you as Ez laughed, bringing him into his chest by his palm.

Letty scrunched up her nose but didn’t say anything else as she sipped at her Perrier can.

You rolled your eyes, fanning your hand at Coco before you turned to Hope, smiling at her in greeting, “how are you?”

“Pretty good!” She called over the music as you hugged briefly, “it’s nice to get away from everything.”

“Oh absolutely! Santo Padre who?” You waved to the bar tender ordering a drink before you turned back to the two, “how long are you guys staying?”

“We leave the day after tomorrow.” Letty answered in annoyance, “Coco’s gotta get back to the club! I might just get lost here instead and find me a better guy.”

“Uh oh.” You trailed letty’s eyes to see a slim boy with freshly tanned skin, dark gelled back hair, chiseled jaw, sporting heavy jewelry on his neck and fingers along with his eyes set on Letty too, “who’s that?”

“Ryan.” Hope answered, “Felipe told us he’s on the groom’s side. He’s a fighter, a boxer I think he said. Felipe’s got the scoop on everyone here, including Gaby’s fiancé’s side.”

You weren’t surprised.

“Did you talk to this Ryan guy yet?”

“What?” Letty blinked at you, “why would I do that?”

“You caught each other’s eye and you have the perfect opening as one of gaby’s friends…” you stated the obvious as you thanked the bartender for the red cup.

Letty scoffed, “if he wants to talk to me, he knows what I have on. I’m tired of chasing these assholes.”

Just as she said that the three heard his laughter from across the courtyard where he sat, talking to another girl that could possibly be Felipe’s family or not. She had her hand on his shoulder as she spoke and you didn’t miss how he occasionally kept glancing over in Letty’s area.

You shook your head as you took a sip of your drink. This all felt too familiar. Not bothering to dwell on it much longer, Ez’s hand touched your backless dress stealing you away to introduce you to a few cousins, aunts, and uncles who you communicated with most of them in their native tongue; which they seemed to appreciate. You met Gaby’s mother and little brother, her two best friends from hometown in Mexico, and a few of her best co-workers in her residency back in Santo padre.

“What’s going on, everybody!?” A voice boomed over the music, making all heads turn to the couple.

Your eyes zeroed in on Gaby who always kept a bright smile on her face. Her lips were painted plum which contrasted against her gleaming teeth, her hair was slicked back into a ponytail, and she wore a flowy cream dotted ruffle midi dress with a slit going down her chest. She looked gorgeous and extremely happier than usual.

You met Gaby back home through coco and Letty and she told you all about her life. She always suggested going out to grab a bite to eat but time always got the best of the both of you. She only had her mother and brother here until she learned that Felipe was her family too. It was also mind-blowing to know that her and Ez were also a thing way back when…until they learned they were related. So it was a little odd to try and be friends with her, it wasn’t necessarily intentional it was just the way it played out.

How could you have something against a woman you barely knew? Ez didn’t talk much about their few months together but he did tell you that when he fell, he fell hard. It wasn’t like him to not get attached to someone and he admitted he only had one (shockingly) emotionless fling after Gaby before you came along.

“Hi everyone, thank you for coming!” Gaby waved at all the cheering faces.

It wasn’t until your eyes moved to her fiancé did you find yourself choking a bit. Realizing that you had a cup in your hand, you bought the alcohol to your lips hoping to soothe your almost full-on choking fit.

“You okay?” Ez said into your ear.

Your eyes burned into the man that had a protective arm across Gaby’s shoulder’s. He was too busy laughing with one of his friend’s who repeatedly announced that he was his best man.

Swallowing you whispered, “that’s my ex.”

Ez felt his brows furrow as he followed your stare settling on the curly long haired man that stood next to Gaby. He had stubble going on his angular face—which was different than what you were used to, his nose pointed from the side and crinkled as he laughed at something his best friend said. He was taller than Gaby even in her wedges but you were sure her head easily tucked underneath his chin when they embraced. He was dressed in a navy blue suit jacket with a open white undershirt underneath and sported some blue jeans with one rip in the knee.

Ez crossed his arms, “which one?”

“The one I dated for four years back in Ohio.”

“…shit.” Ez huffed knowing of this story just like you knew his story with Emily.

If you were able to have a positive outlook of your first love and heartbreak then you are one of the lucky ones.

“Well—

You started just as Ez said, “I can break his fucking nose if you want?”

Laughing you gripped Ez’s bicep, “neither of us are about to act up tonight, we don’t want to ruin this for Gaby. And i don’t think getting arrested down here is the smartest move.”

“yeah I agree…” Ez watched as Gaby and her fiancé, your ex, moved together in sync as they began chatting with the guests, “but i would certainly enjoy knocking him out of those thousand dollar shoes and that tight ass jacket.”

You snorted out a laugh as you leaned into EZ who easily unfolded his arms to wrap around your body, caressing the skin of your back once more and putting his back to the couple.

“We outside.” You sung making EZ nod his head mockingly before placing a kiss on your cheek.

You breathed in Ez’s scent with the closing of your eyes before you opened them again to see Paul’s eyes set on you in shock. It was brief but you caught it as he lifted his chin and turned his gaze elsewhere.

It was incredible, the act of avoidance. It wasn’t you doing the avoiding but you weren’t skipping to get to Gaby and Paul either. It seemed as soon as Gaby attempted to call out to at least, Ez to get his attention, Paul was off pulling her somewhere else.

Anyone oblivious would find that it was just natural to get caught up in multiple conversations. This gathering was a party of at least forty so that was surely possible but you and Ez both picked up on what Paul was doing.

Did it bother you?

No. It shouldn’t. Despite you having a lengthy history with Paul, it did catch you off guard to see him here after all these years but you were not the one acting scared of this man. If you wanted to have a word with Paul, you would.

Vacations were for the temporary erase of reality. So you sat pretty kiki-ing with everyone around you, falling into conversations with Ez’s hand comfortably resting on your thigh, to switching from the best tequila to a nice white wine, and waiting on your meal of the night while smiling at Paul every time you caught his stare. It wasn’t until he saw Ez brushing your hair back behind your shoulders and countlessly pecking your lips, making you laugh and feel silly since you were slightly tipsy.

The clinking of glass broke your attention from Ez’s but that didn’t stop him from scooting his chair even closer to you. Whenever the two of you got some liquor in your system, the touching definitely amplified. And tequila down here? Was much different than the kind you had in California, that much you knew. You hoped you made it to Gaby’s 1pm wedding and you only had one shot.

“Excuse me, groom to be is speaking.” Paul rasped, hand on his chest as he gazed at all the faces, “I just want to say before we’re all no longer able to speak by the end of the night that Gabs and I thank you for being here with us tonight.”

Some loud laughs followed by some already drunk members.

“I also wanted to propose a small toast since you may or may not be aware it’s my thing and there will be many more at the reception.” He winked, earning a cheer from Gaby while you leaned back in your chair in confusion.

He smiled down at Gabby before raising his whisky glass, “as I look at all of your faces tonight, I’m so glad I get to share this moment with you. It’s about the celebration of a emotion that is so…invigorating. It’s about fucking love! and I love this woman beside me so much that I hope you can all feel that right now and tomorrow afternoon. If we can’t lead by example for all my single friends and family out there, you all are the example.”

“To love!”

“To Brandon and Gabriela!”

“What a fucken sap.” Coco muttered from beside Ez, earning a laugh from the man while Hope pushed his shoulder with a shush.

Letty agreed from next to you still raising her glass as everyone else, “yeah a real fucking simp that one is but hey, at least Gaby’s happy!”

You watched as Paul leaned down to give Gaby a quick kiss, her hands resting on his chest for a moment before he quickly pulled away raising his glass once more then taking a seat back next to her. This time? Gaby’s eyes were in both you and Ez’s direction yet the both of you had your eyes set on the food headed your way.

The night turned out decent with coco complaining about the “fucked up prices,” before taking his exit with Hope and yelling at Letty to come on before she had to find her own way back to hotel. She was all middle fingers and giving a tight embrace to Ryan, which made you smirk as you made your way to the bathroom. When you turned around you bumped into Gaby and apologized.

“Sorry, girl.”

“It’s okay, y/n! Don’t even worry about it.”

“Do you know where the bathroom is?” You slightly bounced, “I meant to ask Letty but she got snatched up by some other kid back there?”

Gaby smiled as she glanced over your shoulder, “yes, Ryan. Brandon’s step-nephew? Nephew. I knew it would only be a matter of time, letty has a type.”

“Ah, another asshole.”

“He’s young and likes to have fun. Stupid but fun.” Gaby shared a laugh with you, “bathroom is through those doors to the right, once you get to the fountain at the end, it’s straight back.”

“Thank you!” You lightly gripped her wrist, “have a great night and I’ll see you on your big day.”

Gaby nodded as you let go of her wrist but she called out to you, “It will be a dream won’t it?”

“That’s what life is,” you shrugged, “at least that’s what the nursery rhyme says.”

Gaby began to twist her hands together looking down. You sighed bouncing a bit more but didn’t want to be rude, tonight was all about the positive yet Gaby seemed to be a bit lost in this moment.

“What’s wrong, Gaby?”

“I just—it’s nothing. Just nerves? Yes nerves. I’m about to marry a man, a brilliant man and I still have questions. Usually I’m not scared to ask those questions but when I look at you…I have them.”

Blinking you asked, “what do you mean, Gaby?”

“I know you and Brandon used to be together for a long time,” Gaby met your eyes, “I knew it from the moment I showed him a picture of you and Ez. Tonight confirmed what his mouth did not say.”

You blew out a long breath. What were you supposed to say in this moment? Gaby had suspicions but never felt the need to at least say that to Ez? They didn’t talk much besides holidays and birthdays but it was enough for her to want him to be in her wedding. When you glanced over to Ez hugging Hope goodnight, you saw Felipe looking away from your direction.

He knew.

He always knew something no one else did. That man could keep so much to himself that it made you wonder what else did he know? What did he possibly know about Paul you wondered?

“I just want to make sure I’m marrying a good man.”

“I can’t tell you that,” you strongly told, “that’s something you should have already figured out. You’re with present P-Brandon, I was with past Brandon. What versions we know of him could be different. You’re smart Gaby, what does your head say?”

Gaby dipped her head, a small smile on her lips, “you’re right. I do know Brandon and what we have, I’m just being silly and scared to make mistakes but that’s life. I trust him. It’s my last night as a engaged woman and I should enjoy it…I’m sorry I brought the mood down but thank you for listening! Now go.”

“Are you sure?” You wondered if this was a facade Gaby was putting up in that moment.

What about Paul made her have these questions? It couldn’t just be your past relationship with him could it?

“Yes! All is well. I’ll see you soon.” She waved, smiling before she spun on her feet to leave.

You shook your head, unsure about Gaby but realized your bladder was oh so close to failing you as you rushed off to the restrooms. You held the door with your foot, drying your hands with a incredibly gentle paper towel before tossing it into the garbage.

Smoothing down your dress you sniffed at your hands, the complimentary lotion smelled like cotton candy which made you want to head to a carnival soon. Just as you were going around the corner, a hand slapped over your mouth and pushed you up against the wall.

You couldn’t get to your taser in your mini bag so you went to use your elbow as a defense but your attacker slapped your arm down making you hiss. A glare was on your face now as your eyes flicked up to meet familiar dark eyes with a beauty mark by the left one.

“Hello sweetheart.”

You shoved him back making him laugh as he let his hand fall from your lips, his eyes lingering there waiting for you to speak.

“What’s your problem? You had to slither around to say something to me but can’t speak in front of everyone else?”

“Why be fake?” Paul crossed his arms, making you inwardly chuckle as the sleeves seemed to tighten.

It was your turn to scoff, “fake?!” You pointed your finger in his face which he bit at earning a slap from you, “you’re the motherfucker who left me, disappeared without a trace, leaving me with a voicemail and a gotdamn ring—

“It was to protect you! I had to! You have no idea what I had to do for your safety.” He yelled into your face, “Jesus, I thought you’d be over this by now.”

You nodded, “I see you didn’t change. It’s still all about you and fuck everybody else, huh? Everyone thought you were dead. Do your parents know where your at, Paul? I mean Brandon.”

Paul rubbed at the back of his neck, “that’s none of your concern is it? Don’t act like you care now when I reached out for you to meet me so we could discuss everything.”

“What’re you talking about?” You laughed incredulously.

“I was never too far from you, I know you know that. Know you felt that,” Paul stared into your eyes, “I sent you letters…even had Manny sneak them to you but you clearly moved on so I had to too.”

You frowned, “‘I never…Manny? You’re working together…don’t tell me you’re part of a charter out here?”

“No…something even better. I have to make bank to survive and I don’t want to scrap to do that like your loser of a boyfriend.”

You went to slap him again but Paul had your wrist with a quickness, “uh oh…look at you defending him and you don’t even know what shit he’s about to get himself into.”

“It’s not my business.” You gritted, “I don’t have time for your bullshit, I’m on vacation.”

“yeah…you keep saying that.”

That made you tilt your head to the side. Paul analyzed you as you silently pieced something together…did he have cameras in your hotel room? Your chest suddenly began to rise and fall with immense pace.

“Ah, the wheels are starting to turn now, huh?” He caressed your face, “I meant it when I said we were destined to be together. That I’d never let you go—not completely anyway.”

Swallowing you reminded the curly headed man, “You’re about to get married to Gaby.”

“And she’s great but she’s not you.”

“Not my problem.” You hissed, “life goes on so keep your shit on your side and we’ll be fine. Don’t fuck with me or Ezekiel and do right by that girl, you hear me?”

Paul clicked his tongue as you pushed by him, giving him the chance to check you out,“I hear you and see you babe but I always get what I want.”

You couldn’t get away from that man fast enough. The ego was still there but much bigger than what you knew. Paul was raised mainly by his gambling dad, originally from a reservation in Washington before his dad took him to Ohio after the divorce from Paul’s mom. Paul ended up with a half sister from his mom which contributed to the divorce and the bad drinking habit from his father. One thing you knew about Paul was that he was always hot tempered and a go-getter. You weren’t sure what he was into now but if he knew Manny from back home? And seemed to be threatened by Ezekiel…? then you definitely had bigger issues than a simple case of an ex.

You tried to brush that feeling off as you hurried back to Ez and Felipe who waited outside of the restaurant for you.

“Everything okay?” Felipe asked you, sitting in the backseat of the rental.

That gained Ez’s attention as he waited outside of the vehicle for you, texting away on his phone. He pushed off the car, reaching for your waist with one hand and pinching at your chin with the other. “I’m seeing a hint of stress and that shouldn’t be, y/n.” He wiggled you by the hip, hoping to see you smile.

“I probably shouldn’t have taken that sangria to the head…everything is much stronger here. Or it’s the bleach in the bathroom’s that’s getting to me.” You reassured Ez who tightened his eyes a little bit, studying you.

He peered over your head to see Paul exiting through the back with Gaby right behind him. Ez hummed as he led you to the passenger side, opening the door for you as you slid in.

All of this led to a horrifying day. It happened in spurts, arriving to the church arms wrapped around each other with warm smiles as you greeted the guests on your way down the aisle. The venue was basically like a arena, seats flowing in a curved shape that led down to a walkway over water where huge trees surrounded by floral bushes sat beyond two main benches where the bride and groom would be seated.

It was very tranquil and private, very Gaby.

You remembered the soft music playing as everyone waited around falling into small chatter. You remembered hearing Ez’s phone buzz in his pocket, him pulling it out before shoving it back into its spot. He sat beside you for at least another two minutes before he said he would be back. You remembered the look Felipe had in his eye as he watched his son leave before sliding over to you. You remembered turning to Hope, Coco, and Letty across the aisle.

“Anybody check on the groom?” Someone asked as the priest stood before them all at his own designated spot.

More worries than concerns began to fill the venue as guests occasionally looked over their shoulders in search of Paul. The music seemed to change after some time, to a bridal tune? With everyone getting to their feet to watch Gaby? Gaby be led down the aisle with her younger brother, which was so precious.

She looked beautiful in a dainty ivory cowl-neck satin dress that clung to her hips and flowed at the bottom. The veil was covered with pearls as she took her time, a smile on her lips as everyone cooed at her. Her brother stopped at the end of the walkway, Gaby kissing his cheek before she spoke softly to the priest and took her seat on the bench with her lily bouquet.

It was minutes after Gaby sat on the bench that something fell from the sky. It wasn’t just something, it was Paul’s body that splattered onto the now broken table that sat in front of the two benches. The priest jumped back from his pulpit eyes shooting you towards the sky as Gaby got to her feet, screams falling from lips.

“Brandon!” You wouldn’t forget those screams and the way the bride slipped on the blood the pooled from Paul’s body, staining her dress.

The gaps followed along with some screams before the guests snapped out of it and rushed to their aide. You found yourself moving from the aisle to stand in the main one, watching from the distance as Paul lay on torso, cheek resting against the ground with a badly broken nose and eyes wide open.

“Fucking Boy Scout.” You heard coco mutter, his eyes also upwards in which you whipped around to face the braided man.

He cleared his throat, hoping you didn’t hear that but all of the women: you, Hope, and Letty had their eyes on him.

“What did you say—

You started charging over to him but Felipe gripped your wrist, resting your palm against his as Coco slipped by you with Hope yelling after him. Letty shook her head in disbelief, staring hard at Felipe then she headed down the aisle to her friend.

“Listen,” Felipe started but you shook your head, “listen to me! You’re gonna leave and take Hope with you. My son is experiencing La noche oscura del alma. Look it up when you get far from him then you’ll understand. This was no accident.”

“Mr. Felipe, what else aren’t you telling me?” You breathed.

“There is no time to explain.” He looked around at the horrified faces, “coco will hold Ezekiel off long enough but you need to go. La noche oscura del alma by St. John of the cross. Remember it?”

Dipping your head, Felipe placed a kiss against your forehead and gently pushed you off waving a very confused and very frightened Hope after you.

“Shouldn’t we be calling for help instead of running off? What the hell just happened and why is Felipe encouraging you to get away from ez?” Hope panted as she kept up with you.

You ignored her, “Do you have the keys to your rental?”

Hope nodded searching her bag, “I’m sure I do and what about Letty? We can’t just leave her here.”

“The best place for Letty is with Gaby’s family right now but I know Felipe will watch over them, believe me.” You sped-walk through the parking lot as the adrenaline began to kick in.

The both of you were jogging through cars, dodging mirrors with Hope leading the way with the jingle of the rental keys. She hit the remote frowning as it did nothing until she got closer to the Subaru, having to use the key in the door.

“C’mon.” You whispered, waiting for the girl to unlock the rest of the car.

Hope did so and before she climbed into the car she gasped as she watched you get picked up in the air by a gloved Ez. Before Hope could let out a scream, a hand covered her own mouth and she just knew it belonged to Johnny’s. Her shoulders slumped in defeat as tears blurred her vision, Johnny spinning her around so she didn’t have to see this.

You jammed your heel down onto Ez’s foot, making him slightly loosen his hold on you. Your head went back next, hoping to knock Ez back some. He grunted before deciding to toss you against the car, your body bruising as you attempted to catch yourself. Briefly you saw Coco trying to console Hope for whatever reason and you turned back to ez who looked like he previously got into a fight himself.

Case closed.

“Why? What’s this all about?”

Ez sniffed, squinting a bit as he used the back of his hand to wipe at the blood from his split eyebrow. “It’s not really you, y/n. It’s all Paul-Brandon, he’s in the way of my club and unfortunately you’re connected. Like I said when we first got together I promised to keep you out of it. It’s a hard job.”

This still doesn’t make any sense.

“So you don’t love me anymore because of him?”

Ez deeply frowned at you, “I don’t think I ever said that. I got the call I needed to confirm what he was plotting…that didn’t work out in his favor either. So…”

“You’re gonna murder me too now in broad daylight because of Paul’s shit?”

You attempted to run to the left, Ez following you with a menacing smile, a gun with a silencer on it was now tucked underneath your chin. The man hated doing this but you couldn’t tell as he caressed your face with a bloody glove which evoked a shudder from you.

“No,” Ez slowly said as he glanced around, pulling the gun away, not revealing a thing about his motives, “This is hurting me a lot more than it’s gonna hurt you, believe me, my love.”

A snarl was written on your lips leaving Ez to take the opportunity and lift the butt of the gun and jam it against your eye. The action knocked you forward, Ez swiftly catching you as he eased you into the backseat of the car with Coco coaching Hope to drive.

One things for sure—as your head rested in the lap of a man you thought could be the love of your life—if you got a preview to what this day would bring?

You would have stayed your ass inside.

ੈ✩‧₊˚ ੈ✩‧₊˚ ੈ✩‧₊˚ ੈ✩‧₊˚ ੈ✩‧₊˚ ੈ✩‧₊˚ ੈ✩‧₊˚ ੈ✩‧₊˚ ੈ

Continue along with my summer anthology prompts here.

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ovmatt-blog · 5 years

Quote

Chapter 6. Urai Knight and the Tale of Dragon Bracelets

When we returned from a walk, which we really needed to digest the ice-cream cake we had stuffed ourselves with, the conference room had merged into semidarkness. Tin-Tin had been fumbling for a switch on the wall for several seconds, all in vain, and then, more to explain his failure, he mouthed, “It’s strange but the wall has become coarse… And the switch has vanished...”

Our legs sunk in sand and we stumbled on cobblestones. We were still crowding near the entrance, not venturing to move across the room, when suddenly the room was illuminated. Everyone gasped with surprise and astonishment. The bright stars, shining through the rare pink clouds in a saturated orange sky, were illuminating the walls of the room, which were studded with sparkling rubies, sapphires and diamonds. What we took for sand turned out to be golden dust and coins, and the stuff we were stumbling on were plates and goblets, helmets and shields, swords and other armour, all made of gold.

Then a man separated from the wall and said in a subdued voice, “Please, take your seats, and we will start the class…”

There were two rows of desks in the room and, while everyone got seated, I took a good look at the new tutor. He was tall and thin and his black shirt and trousers matched his raven-black hair. He had distinctive features – his eyes were of a soft luminous amber colour, lighting up his face. I'd never seen anything like that before. But I also noted that his oval face with its sunken cheeks and hooked nose looked emaciated.

After everyone had taken their seats and the gasps of delight calmed down, he began. “My name is Urai Knight, I am the Manager of the Gevellin department and today we will start the Magic fundamentals course with you.”

“The Gevellin department works as a consultancy on the return of lost or stolen artefacts and removing curses from them. By the way, by artefacts we mean jewels or simple objects, endowed with the magic power.”

He looked up at the class, “It is better to study by example, so we will find examples right now.” He swept along the rows, “some of you may possess artefacts in the form of jewellery, which you wear as amulets…”

Vlad, sitting near Camilla at the first desk, cut in, “I wear a snake fangs necklace. Mum says it protects me from evil spirits...”

“I suppose it won’t protect you from anything.” Urai passed the second desk, skipping both the multitude of silver chains hanging down from Letisia’s neck and sparkling with bright gems, fixed at different distances from each other, like planets are fixed in their orbits, and Gui’s fingers, each adorned with precious stone rings.

Once Urai had turned his back on them, Gui leant over his desk, craning his neck to keep in view Urai’s departing figure, and hastily whispered to Camilla, “In September the whole office will go on retreat to Bodrum – ”

Vlad and Camilla spoke at the same time: Vlad asked, “Bodrum? Where is it?” Camilla asked, “The whole office?”

Letisia started giggling foolishly, while Gui tried to answer both of them simultaneously, “It’s located 200 miles to the west of Antalya. All employees, consultants and staff from the London office are invited, except –”

Letisia’s face acquired a more intelligent expression and she asked, “What is a retreat?”

Vlad, Camilla and Gui looked at her, amazed. Camilla waved her away, “A yearly outing. To unwind.”

Gui added, “The company takes employees all over the world to chill out, enjoy the scenery, and build genuine friendships outside the office.”

“Really?” Letisia looked positively shocked.

“Yeah,” Gui clearly savoured the details, “I’ve heard, last year it was a deep-sea fishing expedition. The last night, they all gathered for the final feast with an open bar. And people said there were such wild dances that night that the creatures of the sea, drawn by the music, leapt onshore and also began to dance. And by midnight the shore was thick with oysters clacking their shells like castanets, crabs spinning on their claws, and shrimp beating time with their tails. And all manner of fish were jumping and plunging about to the music.”

Letisia giggled again, “I suppose that soon tables were laden with oysters, shrimp and crabs!”

Camilla waved her off as a nagging fly and asked Gui, “And what will happen in Bodrum?”

“It’s even difficult to imagine! The east half of the town has a long beach. Behind the beach are all the bars, restaurants, and night clubs.”

“Typical of Mediterranean resort towns,” Vlad smacked his lips.

“In the west half of the town the life revolves around a Yacht Club with shops catering mainly to those who have stepped off their boats.”

“Oh, I remember, Bodrum Castle is located on a rock between two harbours that separates both sides,” Camilla remarked pensively, “so, you haven’t finished what you were saying – all the employees are invited, except whom?”

“Ah, all except us!”

“Us??” Camilla and Vlad exclaimed in a chorus.

“The Managers decided we can’t be distracted from our studies!”

“Wha —?”

Before this precise moment, I was silently straining my ears in order not to miss their conversation, but at their genuine indignation I giggled like Letisia, and as they all stared at me, I said in a subdued voice, “Hey, swelled turkey-cocks, somebody has forgotten to invite you to the biggest party of the year? You can start sobbing right now or wait until tonight to cry into your pillows?” Everybody sniggered heartily. I turned my head back – Urai seemed to still be busy examining the prettiest rose bud, carved out of the yellow opaque amber, dandling at the green chiffon ribbon at Guiselle’s breast.

“Bang!” a spitball struck me right in the forehead – Vlad was rubbing his hands, a malicious smile on his lips.

“That’s it, it’s war,” whispered Tin-Tin.

Gui squeaked, “I thought we could ask Jess to get invitations, at least for us. Her father is close to–”

But his words were buried under the waves of spitballs our two camps were exchanging. Then something cold and heavy hit me. Jess! She was pelting us with snowballs she had taken out of her sleeve. Soon we were sitting in a snowdrift. But we were spared dishonourable capitulation by Urai who passed Ernie and Melwin, sitting at the last desk, and turned to Tin-Tin and Max, sitting across the passage. Before Urai could notice the snowdrift and hills of spitballs, all this stuff melted in the air. We all breathed a sigh of relief.

“Nothing, nothing…,” Urai’s gaze finally rested on me. He pierced me with his burning amber eyes for approximately a minute, when suddenly he shifted his look… I followed his gaze, which rested on my neighbour’s neck, adorned with a fascinating necklace of black roses. “Black silver… No power, still fails slightly to be perfect…,” he snapped his fingers and – blue topaz roses alternated with the black ones. Urai conjured a hand mirror set in gold from the air and held it out to Diana, “It perfectly matches your eyes…”

Diana looked at her reflection and gasped with astonishment, but Urai had already turned away from her and approached the second desk, occupied by Leda and Leslie. The corner of his lips twitched. “Mmm, Leda Winegrain, I suppose. And this peculiar ring with two stones is your Mum’s gift, I guess,” he said, looking at the golden ring with two emeralds on her finger. “You are right,” a smile lit up Leda’s face. Leslie fidgeted in its blaze. For a second, Urai and Leda were staring into each other's eyes, then Urai said, “Well, I hope you will use it wisely,”

Not willing to observe the scene, I turned to my jolly neighbour, “Diana, where do you live?”

“My parents have bought me a two-bedroom apartment in London,” she answered in the most natural way.

Pressed down with envy, I gulped a lump in my throat and looked at Urai again. He stroked Leda’s tiny butterfly-shaped golden earrings with his greedy gaze and went ahead, to the first desk, occupied by Jessamine Gevellin and Laska Valentine. His glance fell at her simple iron ring. And then at once several things occurred. His pale face turned greyish and his eyes lit with a yellow flame. Black smoke whirled around the iron ring, making Jessamine squeal, “What you are doing, you…” Not having finished the sentence, aimed to indicate, who Urai in reality was, she dragged the ring from her finger and threw it onto the desk.

Though Urai was swift to put his hands behind his back, we saw that a simple golden ring on his finger started emitting white light in the form of a tiny disk of pure energy.

Then, simultaneously, the smoke and white light vanished. “The twin rings,” gasped Tin-Tin. “It is simply coincidence,” whispered Diana in reply.

Urai and Jessamine’s faces both twitched, hers – with rage, his – with hatred. A slight burn could be discerned on Urai’s finger, but still he showed no sign of pain. In an insinuating, catlike voice he asked Iceeye, pointing at the ring lying on the desk, “It looks like you are not in great need of this ring… So maybe I may take it for training purposes?”

Looking insulted, Jessamine answered with her most arrogant air, “Certainly, not. This is the property of the Gevellin family. My Mum gave it to me.”

“Avril Dayle,” Urai was more stating a fact, than asking a question.

“She is Avril Gevellin, Dayle is her maiden name,” Jessamine corrected him soberly. It was painful to look at Urai, so humiliated did he feel. “And my name is Jessamine Gevellin, but friends call me Jess…” she was calming down gradually, as the danger had gone and the smoke cleared away.

“I don’t care, what your name is,” Urai turned to her with a straight back.

“And will you care if I invite you to our manor for the celebration of my Dad’s purchase of an ancient golden locket?”

He froze for a moment, then paced further, having not replied.

“I’ve heard consultants call him Night Knight,” whispered Diana, following his back with her eyes.

“Whom?” wondered Tin-Tin.

“Urai,” Diana gave him a caustic look.

“And why?” Tin-Tin’s eyes became round.

“Maybe he is a sleepwalker?”

“Or adores working long hours?”

“Or hangs around in night clubs?”

“Or maybe he is so old that he fought in the Crusades?” Diana shrugged her shoulders.

Tin-Tin and I exchanged looks, clearly indicating this hypothesis was insane.

“And maybe, Diana,” Max yawned, “you just got stuck with him?” And immediately he snatched a silver helmet from the sandy floor and put it on so that Diana couldn’t hit him.

Meanwhile, with his gaze lingering on the faces of all those present, Urai said, “Well, it’s strange, but I hadn’t found any suitable artefact for training purposes among your ‘toys’… Then – ”

“And I have Dragon bracelets,” intervened Bastian, holding forth his arms with string-shaped golden bracelets, tinkling on his wrists, “Dad says it helps against Dragons.”

“Nothing helps against Dragons. But you got hold of the wrong end of the stick, having heard only bits and pieces of legends about the Dragons. Unverified information is evil in consultancy work. Okay, the topic is chosen, today’s class will be devoted to Dragons.”

With the wave of his hand he removed the back wall and … golden sand bordered green grass, and orange sky overflowed to dark blue one, bright stars twinkling in it.

“Come along,” said Urai and stepped on the grass. Everyone stood up and went to him. Standing on the velvety grass, I looked back – our precious chamber vanished and we were in open country.

“Where we are?” piped Bastian.

“This is the land of the Gwinedd Kingdom,” replied Urai, “If you don’t want to get cold, collect dry heather nearby…”

Soon the tongues of the fire licked the twigs with pieces of lamb, we were holding in our hands, sitting in the circle near the fire. Nobody could guess where Urai had got the food, and having ascertained that not one of us would starve, Urai started his tale.

The Tale of Dragon Bracelets

The incredible events that I want to tell you about, have been treated for a long time in the way, it was convenient for the interpreters to speculate on it. The story has been embroidered with new guesswork and then at last people could not tell the truth from the fable anymore and were lost in guesses, what has actually happened.

The time came for me to break my silence. I became an involuntary participant in these events and I want to tell you the true story as it unfolded before my eyes…

I was lying under the pellucid veil of dark-blue heaven. The sky was so low that it merely touched my face. It was a warm midsummer night with violet air so dense that it could be eaten, not breathed. The night was full of quiet rustling, sonorous chirr and rich singing. All day long I had been herding longhaired sheep on the grassy downs, scrambling my way along rocky paths. Now the sheep were sleeping in the steep meadow and I was lying in the grass carpet, the herbs tickling my face caressingly.

My fatigue and the torrid heat of the long summer day departed, subjecting me to the coolness and the slightest whiffs of the fresh night air. The long night and overall the whole life and the sheer Eternity were ahead of me. Such nights evoke reveries and call up dreams. And I was ready to fly away to the Fairyland of dreams on the wide velvet black wings of the Night, when suddenly a strange bright light appeared out of the corner of my eye.

The sky was clear that night, no cloud dared to obscure the newly-born crescent. Was it a shooting star? I raised slightly up, ready to make a wish and peered into the black vault of heaven – a blazing dot was rushing in the sky over the rocks, growing larger and brighter with every yard of its flight and soon its outlines loomed in the distance, taking the shape of a strange bird with an enormous wingspan that was ablaze.

But when it passed at great speed a hundred yards from me, its triangular outstretched wings cutting the air with a whistle, golden scales radiating heat and light and fire coiling in its fiery mouth, I clung fast to the grass, numb with fear, as the creature that I had supposed to be the firebird was none other than a great winged lizard aloft on the wind.

It went forth to the cold grey sea and, having reached the Сastle, set on the edge of the precipice overlooking the sea, vanished above it, having scattered into fiery sparks, which extinguished with hissing when they touched the ground at the end of their fiery flight. And then darkness fell again on the land of Gwynedd.

Scared and appalled by the sight of the lustrous monster, I recollected how often sheep disappeared from the herd in mysterious circumstances and all the tales and gossip about countless treasures of Llywelyn, the King, as it was he, who lived in the Castle with his wife and little son. People said that Llywelyn bathed in gold and his Treasury was a dome, hewn in the rock, piled high with gold and precious stones.

Then I could guess that the reason for his incalculable wealth was the Dragon, a loyal servant, who faithfully brought stolen gold to its master. I wondered what flagrant wickedness Llywelyn committed to repay the Dragon for his service? And had he ever repented? Full of dread, I rejoiced that I would never face the evil and wickedness in the Castle.

But this was not meant to be, as the Fates intervened in my life in the face of the Head of the Royal Guard, who showed up at the doorstep of my Father’s hut. “By order of the King! A hundred recruits will be conscripted to the Royal Guard today!”

I barely kissed my Mother and embraced my Father when I was kicked into the cart to join the other unfortunate wretches. We were taken away from our homes and dumped in the foreign Castle.

As we drove, we found plenty to talk about, and upon approaching the Castle, we gazed at its high walls with four towers, reaching high into the sky, facing the four corners of the Earth, and piercing the faintest clouds, sprinting to the West, with its points. The royal banners were waving freely in the breeze on their flagstaffs, reflecting themselves in the cool sparkling waters, running across the hill the Castle occupied, which was green as green could be the Eternal Spring.

Watchmen were looking out over the country through the narrow slits in the battlements, touched with the glorious light of the morning sun, to report the arrival of foreigners. Having noticed us, they shouted and cheered and pounded the stone floor of the Castle with their pikes to greet us.

Thus, my life in the Castle began. From dawn to dusk we were marched in rows across the cobbled courtyard to the sound of the voice of the Head of the Guards bellowing orders of the drill. We shot swift arrows at targets, fastened to hayricks, and leart how to fight with bright swords and sharp lances. But in my thoughts I was far away, wandering the grassy slopes of the mountains under the boundless sky, the bellies of clouds hanging right above me and listening to my slow talk to the sheep…

I sat at the cracked stone slabs, leaning my back against the cold stone wall. The night shift of the watchmen had just arrived to relive me, but there was no sleep in me and I stayed there, sitting near the brazier. I stretched my frozen fingers to the fire, warming myself.

“Bound here till midnight… Nasty business… I wish I slept in a soft bed now and was not stood here in the draught, chilly winds blowing through me…,” grumbled Joe into his beard, looking out through the slit, “pitch darkness… I guess, the Dragon himself would not make out the tip of its tail in such a murk.”

“Shut up, Joe,” snapped his lanky companion, “Do you want to bring us bad luck? We will all get into trouble if you invite the monster with your profane abuse.”

“And have you ever seen the Dragon near the Castle?” I threw out a feeler, not wishing to talk about my own experience, for fear of being labelled a blabbermouth.

The lanky guy, whose name was Snella, cast a gloomy glance at me and said in a hushed voice, “Look, Ordeah, let me choose the right words here – if you have any sense at all, you would not twaddle on about Dragons at every corner. Llywelyn takes it personally. The ancient legend says, some relationship (at the word “relationship” he lowered his voice to whisper) binds the royal family with the Dragons and that very long ago Llywelyn’s forefather did a favour to the Dragon and in return the Dragon promised to come to his or his heir’s aid should they ever find himself in mortal danger, either being overrun in a battle or starving to death. And in the end, the Dragon reassured him that as soon as he would be summoned, help would come and relief would be certain. Therefore, a golden-red Dragon is embroidered on the royal banners in silk – as he is the King’s patron.”

“And what favour did Llywelyn’s ancestor to the Dragon?” I inquired, casting a suspicious look at Snella.

“The old man didn’t bother to share this information with us, lad!” and they burst out laughing. When Snella recovered his breath he said, “These are only legends, lad! Do you really believe all these old wives' tales? The last thing we all need is a living Dragon! Bless us!”

I smiled at them, wondering deep down what on Earth was the King’s patron doing above the Castle, when I had seen him, as we were neither at war with anybody nor starving. A courtesy visit to enquire after Llywelyn’s health? Patrolling the territory to prevent armed attacks?

Busy with day-to-day duties, I soon began to forget my concerns about Dragons, as our service in the Guard was ordinary and routine.

Many times I got to see King Llywelyn. He was a stout red-haired man of medium height, thickset, with shoulders so broad that this was at once arresting the eyes of those, who faced him for the first time, and so strong that he could lift the bull into the air!

His wife, a fragile blond with enormous sky blue eyes, meek as those of a doe, was almost invisible in the Castle. But their son was a real imp, growing strong and courageous. Not once had we took him off from the turret where he perched himself as a cat and then dangled, uttering terrible cries that he would fall, and when brought to the ground, asking every one of us personally not to tell his father…

Once during my shift at the doors of the Prince’s bedchamber, I overheard his conversation with the King. I did not give any special attention to what I heard, but much later their words, having been reconsidered, shed light on many of the subsequent events.

“Papa, teach me how to …,” the excited voice of the boy broke and I didn’t catch the end of the phrase. “I am not sure you need this, Lerroy,” Llywelyn’s voice was coaxing, mild.

“But you cannot! You do not dare! You are not the only one! You can’t usurp the right…,” the prince’s voice rang with tears.

“You forget yourself, Prince! I will take the decision about your learning myself and you will obey it,” rose metallic notes in the King’s voice.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” whispered the boy. And the King left the chamber, without saying goodnight. When he passed me he clenched his fists so tight that his nails tore into his palms.

Still, the life in the Castle was peaceful and calm… until the night came that turned my life around…

I was keeping watch at the Treasury doors. The chimes struck twelve. Fighting drowsiness, I was peering into the darkness, edged with the dim ruddy light of solemn torches. Time hung heavy, endlessly. More than once I had been sinking into a doze, when at last a dull and subdued “Donn!” broke upon my ears, making me wake up with a start – the chimes struck “one”.

I rubbed my eyes and tried to focus on the setting, looking around attentively. Everything was quiet. Then suddenly a metallic “clank!” sounded from behind the Treasury doors!

Frightened that somebody must have stolen past me to the Treasury while I dozed, I bent and peeped into the keyhole … and then I became stupefied with terror and amazement… or maybe with amazement and terror. The red rock was towering in the cave, filling all the empty space with itself. With brilliant, shimmering gold colour, emitting golden glow… I could take a good look at the glossy jagged scales of an old acquaintance of mine – the Dragon!

The monstrous creature was bathing in the gold. Everything was blazing with unbearable heat, the gold was melting and the yellow-hot rivers of molten metal flowed along the golden hills. The Dragon tumbled on his back and started rolling on the gold like a foal, showing his pale undersides and inner thighs. Soon he was crusted with the scorching gold and precious stones as the gems glued to the molten substance. Turning right and left, the Dragon admired himself in the lake of molten gold underneath.

Then, he suddenly rolled over, helping himself up with his massive coiled tail, stood on all four legs, and his slanting golden eyes stared straight into my eyes. I was caught and before I dissolved in his oily gaze, I yelled at the top of my lungs, “Dragon! Help! Dragon!”

In an instant glow went out and the Treasury was submerged into darkness. Still, I knew he was there, hiding in the dark, and, having drawn myself up, I went on screaming, “Help! Dragon! He’s robbing the Treasury!”

To my screams, a dozen guards came running from the corner, puffing and panting and jolting their pikes. I rushed to the Head of the Guards, waving my arms and pointing back at the Treasury door, and crying, “There… the Dragon… in the Treasury, open the door! Quick, or he will run away with the help of his magic!” Tor, taken aback and confused, tried to calm me, when Llywelyn himself appeared from around the corner, dressed in leather trousers and a white short sleeveless shirt, “What's going on here? Who has caused this clamour?”

“Ordeah said he has seen the Dragon in the Treasury…” mumbled Tor, evidently not believing in what he was saying. “In the Treasury?” returned Llywelyn in a strange voice.

Taking no heed of possible accusations of peeking, I gibbered in haste, “Aye, I heard some noise and peeped through the keyhole! There he was! An enormous Dragon! If we delay, he will flee!”

“We should check his words, my Lord,” intervened Tor. Possibly, he took pity on me. There was a short pause. And then Llywelyn took out from under his shirt a small silver key hanging on a silver chain.

Following his movement, I glanced at his arms, bare, as his short shirt lacked sleeves, and noted that he wore golden bracelets on his wrists. However, a closer look revealed that these were not bracelets but golden strings, ingrown into the skin on his wrists! In great amazement I was staring at golden curlicues, flourishing upwards from the golden rings on his wrists to the crease of his elbow, resembling some fantastic floral tattoo…

Meanwhile, he put the key into the keyhole and turned. The door opened noiselessly. A dry, hot, stale air oozed to the gallery from the darkness, having been loosed. With lit torches, Llywelyn and Tor entered the Treasury.

The Gold… Gold in ingots, gold in coins and rods. Diamonds lay scattered among golden dust. Strings of milky pearls, dawn-pink in hue, twined round the circles of ancient golden shields, their mottos obliterated by centuries. The spikes of the crown, wrought of gold, came out from the pile of sparkling rubies, crunching under my feet. I stooped down and pulled it out of the precious waste by its spike. Heavy and cold round my arm, it cooled my palm. The red lights of torches were dancing around, casting bloody stains on the laced golden rings. Dunes of gold, dotted with sapphires, flashing out with dark-blue light, led to infinity as the edges of the cave were lost in the gloom…

I gazed and could not have enough. No stories from eye-witnesses, no words at all could prepare my mind for such a sight. I had almost forgotten about the Dragon and still… he was missing!

And I was not the only one who had noticed this as Llywelyn turned to me and shouted “Guards! Seize him and dump him out of the Castle! I will not tolerate a liar in my House!”

While I stared in bewilderment at the King, they seized me and dragged me through the galleries, and the last thing I remember was the sight of Tor, taking the pike Llywelyn had leant against the wall, and yanking his hand away with a scream of pain – “It’s hot metal!” – and Llywelyn’s voice, growing fainter, as he withdrew, “It must have stood near the hearth…”

I was kicking and fighting to the end, which meant to the Castle gate, screaming, “I am not a liar! I am not a liar!” while I was taken forth. They kicked me off the drawbridge and the stars spun above me while I was snorting and spitting out the water, wallowing in the river…

It is a long time since then. I returned to my parents’ house and to my sheep. But at night, when I dreamt, it seemed to me that somebody was touching my shoulder with hot palms and I dreamt the Dragon, his fiery face having human traits, and I could not discern them, no matter how hard I tried. I woke up in a cold sweat from my own cries, shivering and miserable. And as night after night I awoke my elderly parents and my brothers and sisters, they forced me to relocate to an abandoned hut, hidden in a lonely glen leading to the sea.

There I spent my sleepless nights, sitting near the firelight and burning logs in the hearth. Muffling myself up in the blankets I met each dawn, pondering over and over the events that happened in the Castle... But then at last came the day that changed the course of my life…

Once before daybreak, a lookout, striking the great bell, summoned people to arms. In several minutes horns blew, echoing along the hills, sounding the charge. Assault! To arms! With blood rushing to my head, I grabbed my bow and arrows and ran out of the hut as I was, barefoot…

The water was boiling in the offing with multitude of drakkars. Dragon's head with bared sword-like fangs in their wide-opened jaws was protruding from the bow of each painted ship. The horizon was bloody with scarlet-coloured sails and banners. The Vikings! Hundreds of them! At the sound of drums, beating the stroke, they were pulling the oars wildly. Then the warriors from the Dragonships, closest to the coast, leapt to the shallow water and came on like a tide against a thousand Gwynedd defenders, already awaiting for them, condemned to death.

“That’ll be the deadly end of our mortal souls!” I whispered and ran into the rows of archers who were sending a shower of arrows at the Vikings, who still were knee-deep in water. That day took a deadly toll on the invaders. Soon dead bodies were floating on the sea, but the hurrying multitude continued flooding to the shore. They outnumbered us by ten to one, sowing deathly dread in our souls. The Vikings were setting battlefield to chaos, wielding their axes in their left hands and waving their swords with their right, hacking the foot who were slowly giving back. Then, with shrill battle cries, mounted warriors rushed forward to wage battle led by Llywelyn himself, half-risen in stirrup at a white stad. Soon Llywelyn and his bodyguards were forced into a tight ring, surrounded with furious foes. Riders were cutting the enemies heads with their swords, defending themselves on all sides. Llywelyn cried to the Vikings’ Cynig, “Ic þe offslea, Gutworm!” Attackers and defenders tied into a great knot. Tor was in the centre of that slaughterhouse. He was trying to shield Llywelyn with himself. We were losing the battle, defenders were growing scarce, while the Dragonships were constantly landing fresh reinforcements. Llywelyn then broke through the encirclement and galloped to the edge of the nearest wood, clearing the way for himself with his sword. His arm raised and dropped with the speed of lightning and the wake of slain foes followed on both sides of his path. The Gwynedd army gasped… And Tor, his face distorted with rage, sent the dagger to the back of the King, the betrayer, fleeing from the battlefield. But he missed and Llywelyn disappeared behind the trees.

And then gasped not the Gwineddites, who had lost any hope by that time, but the Vikings, as from behind the wood showed himself in all his might none other than … the Dragon!

Everyone froze in awe. In the shafts of the rising sun he appeared in shades from grey to bright scarlet to turn brilliant, dazzling gold. Flapping his golden wings, he soared, shielding the dawn, approaching the battlefield with great speed, and soon the black shadow of outstretched triangular wings covered us.

With vertical slits of its snake-like eyes he searched the shore where all actions were paralysed and hands, squeezing axes and bows and swords, came down. Flames sprang in his fiery jaws … and then without any warning he beat his great wings wildly and spouted terrific flames on the battlefield, withering everything and everyone with his breath of fire, with no distinction between Gwineddites and Vikings. Dreadful cries made a chill wind blow across my skin.

A hail of arrows pierced the air and bounced off the metal scales and fell to the ground. I was standing deaf in the turmoil of fighters, scattering and sweeping to the beach in a desperate effort to flee and save themselves, at the terrific explosions of the Dragon’s uproar.

Flap of the wings in the jets of fire… Circling in the air… Flap of the wings, baring the skin of membrane under the wing, connecting it to the armoured body… With rigid fingers I pulled the iron bolt out of the quiver… Flap of the wings… The string drawn back… I aimed… Wings going upward… the thud of my heart… Twang!

I lowered my bow and my head…

And then I stopped my ears with my palms, as with the heartrending shriek that followed, the trees bent in fright and the grass shrivelled and blackened.

You would ask me where I had taken the iron bolt from? I contrived the whole plan during those sleepless nights, when I had to think about something in order to escape fiery nightmares. One guy, whom I knew, was a smith. He didn’t ask questions…

The Dragon, lame in the left wing, flew low and heavy to the Castle. I watched his flight, unable to anticipate his moves. His behaviour seemed inexplicable. Where was he going to hide himself? But as if in reply to my thoughts, he reared up in the air with a stinging cri de cœur and fell on the northern Castle wall, smashing stone and crashing it to pieces.

Tor shouted at that Gwineddites that survived, “To the Castle! Save the Queen and the Prince!” and rushed up, spurring his horse… In a minute only his horse’s tail could be seen in the distance.

We burst into the central gallery, lit with the rising sun shafts, streaming freely through the broken wall. Llywelyn… There he lay, with his wide-opened eyes staring to the eternity and my iron bolt protruding from his left side, Tor kneeling near him…

My mind was deserted, no thoughts, no emotions. Dryly, Tor snapped, half-turning his head to us, standing at his back, “Take care of Queen Loreine and Prince Lerroy.”

One of the guards reported in an unconfident voice, “We have searched the whole Castle and have not discovered the least sign of the Queen and the Prince. They are missing, Sir!”

Tor whirled around, “What’s the rubbish you are ta… ” He cut himself halfway through his abuse, as something flashed in his eyes, “The Treasury! Check the Treasury!”

We did not need the tiny silver key, as the Treasury doors were swinging wide open, leading to the cave that was… absolutely deserted. The floor of dark smooth stone was pristine as if no speck of golden dust had ever touched it…

Everyone had gone long ago and I was still standing there, in the cave, pondering in the vicissitudes of fate, dignity and betrayal, triumph and defeat… When I was just about to leave, I caught the glimpse of some dot, glittering behind the door. I bent… it was a golden coin with a countenance of a slender red-coiled Dragon. Had Llywelyn taught his son to fly? I shut the door behind me.

The end

***

My eyes were heavy, I was obsessed with an overwhelming urge to yawn in the same way as everyone else. We were watching fading fires where potatoes were being baked in their jackets under the coals, their tantalizing smell soaring in the air and enveloping us with their smoke. Throughout the story, I had that vague feeling of something familiar that I was overlooking, that I had forgotten a long time ago and could not recall…

“When it comes to Dragons, the stories start to seem tricky and complicated. But the truth usually lies on the surface, the only thing you need is just to grasp it,” pensively noted Urai. Then he rose, “Now it’s time I sent you to your homes…”

I got scared that Urai wouldn’t know that I was going to the hostel together with the guys and would send me to my auntie and that I would again spend the whole night on the train to London. I wanted to tell him about it but I felt suddenly dizzy and all thoughts slipped from my mind…

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