Princess of Dragons

Chapter 10

She approached him on heavy feet, slowly kneeling beside him. She wanted to see him a last time and attempt to repay him everything she owed. Yet, at the same time, this was the last thing she wanted to do. She didn't want the proof that this truly was the last time she would see him. That the last time they talked had been in such a way.

But she had to. She had to stay strong for his sake as well.

So, she reached out and pulled the sheet away from his face with shaking hands. As the stillness of him was slowly revealed to her, a hand flew to her mouth and she shut her eyes closed, stopping in her tracks.

He never had been an incredibly expressive man, but this was different. It was too still even for him. Too... dead.

She could do nothing to combat the tears which fought with much greater force. She once again opened her eyes to look down at the man she had called her best friend and brother for as long as she could remember.

She pulled the sheet down far enough to reveal the top of his shoulders as well. She blinked the tears out of her eyes as she reached for his hand, cuddling the uncomfortably cold limb in her two hands.

"I am so sorry this had to happen to you, Kaisog," she whispered. Her voice would fail her if she tried anything more. "But you succeeded. Your plan worked. I am safe here in the castle. And the king is working hard to catch those men as well." She squeezed his hand. "You did your job well, I just wish-"

No matter how much she wished it, he would never be coming back to her.

"That drake. I named him after you. He will be staying with me from now on. S-so I will be fine. I will be okay."

She slowly leaned down to press her forehead to his, eyes closed. Cold as it was, it didn't give her the comfort and warmth it had always done. But this wasn't for her - it was for him.

"I will miss you so, so much." She placed a tearful and trembling kiss on his forehead. "Goodbye, Kaisog," she slowly said, pulling the sheet up again and covering him with it.

She sat there for a moment, gulping her emotions down before she would face the living people again. She carefully dried her cheeks, hoping the tears hadn't left their mark on her skin yet.

She got to her feet slowly, hesitating for just one moment longer before returning to Sergon and the guards outside. They had closed the door to give her some privacy.

All immediately turned when they saw the door being opened. Sergon seemed to try to gauge her mood for a moment.

"Are you okay, princess?"

She hesitated for a moment, thinking. "I... Yes, I am," she earnestly told him. "I needed to do it."

"I am glad to hear it." He gave her a thin smile. "If you are up for it, we were thinking of preparing for their burial," he said, once again searching to see if he stepped over a line. "We figured you have some traditions from your kingdom that you would like followed."

She felt tears rise to her eyes once more - though this time for an entirely different reason. She quickly nodded.

"I would appreciate that. It would mean the world to me and them."

...

Everything had been prepared for and the day of her friends' burial had arrived.

Each of them had been placed on a small canoe at the port, decorated with flowers and leaves so that they could be comfortable even in their last moments. They were all dressed in their armor and held their weapons in their hands over their chests.

From a distance it truthfully looked as though they were simply sleeping, hadn't it been for the color having drained from their faces.

She was standing right beside Alex and Elias, and with Sergon, Arthas and the king to her other side. Though a little away and around them, it seemed every single guard, maid and Dragon Slayer was there as well, paying their respects to these men they didn't even know. And that was despite the fact that a drake was right there in front of them.

Kaisog had been allowed to join, though only from one of the mountainous hills circling the port. So as to not frighten everyone else here, who had come to pay tribute.

She watched with emotions welling up in her for umpteenth time these last few days as all nine of them were pushed away from the dock and out into the open sea, carried on the waves.

She knew it was her turn now to do what the king had so graciously allowed her to do. But as she opened her mouth, her eyes landed on her friend a last time, letting only a strangled sob escape her.

Kaisog cried out to her, but try as she might, she could do nothing to push the emotions which had formed a knot in her throat away. When she dropped her head into her hands, the drake did what she could not.

He tilted his head back and released a long, sorrowful howl which would be heard several miles away.

She clasped her hands together and looked up when Kaisog's call was met with a similar reply.

Moments later, a big, crimson dragon came flying lowly overhead, making a round once it came out over the port. It flew above the nine canoes without any hesitation and sent a ray of flames down upon them, setting all ablaze. The heat of it could be felt even from where they were all standing.

She watched as the fire dragon looked down to make sure it had done what it came to do, then set off back where it had come from.

She kept her gaze locked on the nine bright fires out there.

"You can rest in peace now," she said with a garbled voice, knowing it would reach no matter where it had to go.