The Dragon's Tear (Contest Entry)

The Dragon's Tear

There were piercing cries in the air.  And it was haunting.

Aurora looked up from her book and out the window of her small hut, glancing at the waves of the ocean swaying back and forth. The wind howled through the trees, forcing the branches to bend to its will as it ripped through the night. Specks of moonlight shone through the peeps of the clouded sky, washing up against the sandy shore.

She swallowed hard, feeling the chills crawling up her spine. Turning around, she made sure the fire in the room was still burning bright before sitting down again. The shadows in her house moved slightly, making her sigh in relief. The dragon lifted his head, looking at her with his golden eyes.

"Don't worry, Astor," she whispered, "I'm fine."

The dragon huffed his breath and laid its head back down, but continued to stare at her with his round eyes. Aurora picked up her feathered quill and carried on with her letter. She clutched to her chest the enveloped that she had received the day before. The flickering fire crackled in the quietness, providing little comfort to her tense body.

The scream sounded in the air again and she slammed her eyes shut, dropping the quill to the floor in a clatter. Astor snapped his head up and walked over to her side, groaning in pain for her. Aurora smiled weakly at him and petted him gently. He rested his head in her lap and stared at her with sad, golden eyes.

"I'm fine," she said, "I'll be fine. I'm with you. Nothing can go wrong." But she felt like she was only trying to convince herself.

The dragon whined and nuzzled its nose against her cheek. Aurora smiled, "You go to bed. I'm almost done."

Reluctantly, Astor obeyed her commands and slept in a circle by the fire. Soon, his steady breathing could be heard around the room. Aurora peered at her friend for some time before smiling softly and looking away. She picked up the fallen quill from the floor and dipped it in ink.

The scream happened again. It echoed throughout the beach, ripping through the waves, and reached her ears in a screeching halt. The fire behind her flickered, then died.

Aurora felt something snap inside her and stood up abruptly, the chair screeching behind her. Then she did something many people had warned her not to do. She left her home and stepped out onto the beach of insanity.

When she got outside, the screaming instantly got louder and Aurora felt her heart thump hard against her chest. The crushed letter was still in her fist as she walked towards the shore, leaving faint footprints in her midst.

"Aurora Willow Starwood is hereby banished from the mainland for causing fatal disruption. Her actions have killed and injured hundreds of innocent creatures. Her crime will not go unpunished."

She remembered the day they cheered for her departure.

"She may only bring one thing with her."

Astor was her first and only choice. She wouldn't have chosen anything else. And the dragon was more than happy to accompany her. In fact, if Aurora hadn't ask Astor to come with her, the dragon would have followed her anyways. He was more loyal than ten thousand dogs. And she was glad.

But when she arrived on the island miles away from the mainland, she realized that the rest of her days would not be lived peacefully. It was an eerie jungle. All kinds of magical creatures had been banished there for their horrifying crimes for thousands of years. And they were banished for a reason.

She was only allowed to send one letter a month. And it was always sent to her family. She received a letter in return every month and she knew this was the closest she would ever achieve with her race again. A barrier surrounded the whole island, preventing anyone from escaping. Not even the strongest of creatures could break it.