The Fall of a Kingdom

Once You Become Lost

Gabriel had been walking for half the day when he decided to take a break by a stream. He need to feed the young miss, and if he pushed too far too fast he was likely to collapse before he got to where they needed to go.

All the stories about the dragon said that it would be in a cave at the highest point of the mountain, but the Sprite had told him he needed to be lost to find what was lost. He was still more than half a days walk if he was to try to go straight to the top, but if he was to take Auroras advice then he should just walk in a random direction with no plan. That did not set well with him and he did not even know if he should trust her, what if she just wanted them to parish in the woods where nobody would be around to help. On the other hand though she had not hurt the little miss when she had her, and he had not felt like she was a bad person, or well thing? Whatever you would call them.

Finally deciding to do just what Aurora had suggested, he got up and started off in a random direction. It was time to get lost.

.

.

.

Gabriel could feel that with each step he took he was getting closer and closer to deaths door. His body was in agony, but he needed to get Raven to safety, he needed to... he could feel his body start to tip forward and knew there was no stopping it so instead turned to that he would land on his back instead of crushing the young Princess.

He laid there feeling as if his soul was trying to leave his body and holding on with every part of his being. He would not let go yet, he would not give up. Startled he felt something brush against his cheek, peeling his eyes open he peered down at Raven, her large eyes were clear and bright but her little fingers were touching his face. He knew she was just a child that knew nothing of the world, but he felt in that moment that she was telling him it would all be okay.

He shook his head and with a lot of effort pulled himself up to his knees. Of course she was not telling him it would be okay, she is a child, she probably just touched his face on accident. As he berated himself and looked down at the ground he missed the shadow that flew over him.

Looking around at his surroundings for the first time he saw that he was at the edge of a clearing of sorts. It was overgrown with weeds, but what really stood apart from the rest was the large thin boulder type structures. Some stood straight into the air, at least reaching 20-30 feet high, some lay on the ground on their side broken by the wear of time. In the middle was a smaller flat slab of rock with vines growing over it.

He had never seen an area such as this, it looked ancient and deserted. Using the last of his strength he struggled to stand. Walking farther into the clearing he was drawn to the slab in the middle as if it was pulling him towards it.

He was just about to reach out to touch it when the whole ground shook from the impact of something large hitting the ground behind him.