Dragons Tale

The Dragon & His Anchor

She covered her ears while curling up in the corner of her room; failing miserably to block out the harsh screams from her so-called "Dad" along with her brother's yelp. Sobbing as her dad continued to beat the fifteen year old boy. 'Why do I even call him dad? He's nowhere close to being anything like a Father. He's a monster. Always has been for as long as I can remember.' Flinching as that Monster shouted at Vinarth again, she heard the poor excuse of a father storm towards her room.
Her heart racing while her nerves were all over the place. Fear building up that he would enter the room and start beating her too. Vinarth always took her beatings. Saving her. Covering her sobs of relief when she heard her father walking past her room and slammed his own door shut.
'There I go again, calling him dad.'
Soon after the door opened, revealing a badly injured Vinarth stumbling as he shut the door softly behind him. Quietly sobbing at the sight of him, he glanced up at her and saw her tears; Hurrying over--falling to his knees in front of her as he pulled her into his embrace. "Shhh it's alright Lusarth. He won't touch you. I've got you." He spoke, exhaustion evident in his speech as he tried comforting her.
'He doesn't understand that I'm afraid for him.' She didn't dare speak her thoughts though, afraid that the Monster'll come back.
"One day I'll get us out of here, and I'll hear your voice again instead of your sobs." He spoke softly, rubbing her back comfortably.
Calming down after what felt like hours, Vinarth stood with a stumble towards the blanket chest, pulling out her favorite grey blanket. When he came back over, he wrapped it around Lusarth. Smiling groggily, she nodded in thanks; exhausted from crying. Hearing their dad's door open, he started shouting for the twins. Tensing nervously Vinarth quickly opened the closet, pushing aside a small dresser inside, he held Lusarth up and placed her behind it.
Vinarth had just enough time to pull the dresser back to hide his sister, and close the closet door. The sounds of that disgusting drunk crashing into their room, Lusarth heard Vinarth's breath hitching in fear as the room became silent.
"Whaat're yyou doing over there you ssstuupid boy. I was caalling you. Yoou come when you'rre called! Do you un..deersstand!? Now Wheerre's your bitch of a sister!" Their father yelled still intoxicated as he threw something at Vinarth. Lusarth praying hopefully that it missed him, the sound of the glass bottle smashed against the wall.
"Gone." Vinarth spoke quietly, barely above a whisper as exhaustion tried to take hold.
Hearing the Monster's heavy footfalls as he walked over to Vinarth, not much later was something slam against the wall as her brother shouted in pain. "I know shhe's here, scum. I caan still smell her." He growled as another slam against the wall was heard. "Now wheere is she!"
"You can't smell anything right with your alcoholic breath--you witless bastard!" Vinarth growled back, his voice shaking in the slightest by fear.
Their dad roared in anger as Lusarth heard her brother being thrown to the ground. The sounds of a shirt ripping and the tear of flesh engulfed the silence as Vinarth started running out of the room, their father following close behind shouting in rage. Hearing an ear-piercing scream from Vinarth, she knew that he was caught. 'Please. Someone...anyone. Please, help us.' Lusarth thought miserably, wrapping the blanket tighter around her to calm and stifle her sobs.


*~Four Years Later~*


Lusarth was glad that the monster was dead asleep from all the drinking he had, it gave her time to think of a plan for Vinarth and her to finally leave their current situation. Putting an earbud in to listen to music, she was writing down ideas when the door slammed open; the monster storming into her room, grabbing a fistful of her hair. Screaming and crying out in pain as he dragged her out of the bedroom and into the living room, he threw Lusarth against the wall, taking a menacing step towards her.
But just before he could get any closer, Vinarth suddenly appeared, jumping on his back and sinking his teeth into the Monster's shoulder.
He shouted at Vinarth to get off him, forcing their father and he into the kitchen. 'I feel so helpless. Why can't I fight back?' Jumping in fear, the sound of something breaking was loudly heard followed by a long silence. Vinarth came running into the living room, picking Lusarth up hurriedly.
"We're leaving." He spoke hastily, Lusarth realizing that there were no angry shouts from their despicable father.
Vinarth proceeded to run towards the kitchen; the sliding glass door sat shattered and a seemingly lifeless body sprawled against the floor. Running over said body and through the shattered door. He ran as fast as he could with Lusarth safely tucked in his arms, running for a long time almost feeling like hours, till he physically couldn't run or walk anymore through the forest they were in.
He set Lusarth down on the moss covered ground, gasping for air as he collapsed next to her. His shirt was stained with sweat and blood, half of his blond hair covered in blood with some trickling down his face.
"Come..come here." He motioned for her lazily, eyelids heavy and his chest raising and falling quickly. Watching the tears staining her face after she sobbed at the sight of him, Lusarth sat closer to him, Vinarth stubbornly sitting up after collecting his breath. "I'm sorry that he touched you. It was my fault--I should've been better at hiding you...I'm so, so sorry. I failed, Lusarth." He said regretfully as he ran his fingers over a gash on her forearm.
Engulfing him in a tight hug, Lusarth buried her face in his shoulder, trying to convince him that he didn't fail her at all, and that it was her own fault for getting caught. He chuckled before hissing in pain.
"We're finally free." He mumbled, petting his sisters hair to calm her continued sobs. "You won't ever have to see him again. Though...I'm not so sure about our stuff." He spoke softly with a smile, hugging her tightly when she started to laugh.


*~Several Months Later~*


'I can't believe I lost it!' Vinarth thought as he looked under his bed with panic. 'Where could it have gone?' He thought with despair etching his words, sitting back up as he scanned the room once again for his missing necklace.
"What're you looking for?" Lusarth asked from the doorway confused.
"My necklace! It's gone!" Looking at her defeated, he must've spent hours searching for it with no avail.
"Okay, okay...just calm down. Where was the last place you had it?" She asked hurriedly, walking over to him as she crouched beside him.
She rested her hand on his back to comfort his racing thoughts. Ruffly scrubbing his hands against his face, Vinarth tried everything to remember where he last had it.
That's when it dawned on him.
It was like a light bulb instantly went off as he immediately scrambled to his feet, running out the front door--almost damaging it off its hinges when he skidded to a halt by the curb. Horrified at the remains of his necklace on the street.
The once carefully hand carved stone laid there, all previous magic it held...crushed and destroyed beyond repair. Feeling a small hand tap his shoulder, Vinarth looked up to see his sister staring at him with concern evident in her eyes.
"Are you gonna be alright? I mean..until we get a new one?" She glanced at the destroyed necklace for a second, staring back at him as if he was a ticking time bomb.
"Yeah." Speaking just barley above a whisper, he felt himself hyperventilating as his abilities slowly started to go off on their own; whispering thoughts lurking at the edge of his mind.
Just before they walked back inside with the destroyed pieces in hand, Vinarth caught a strange scent of fresh raspberries mixed with honey.
'Where is this scent coming from? I've never smelled this before in the neighborhood.' But once they entered the house, his head began pounding with a dull ache, completely forgetting about his previous thought.
Soon after Lusarth saw him safely to the couch, she pulled out her communicator from her pocket and called the Enchantress they had bought the Necklace from. She retreated to her room upstairs, trying to lighten his load but it was all for naught.

'My abilities have grown since the last time I used them.' Covering his face with his hands, Vinarth tried to concentrate on suppressing his abilities--or at least the voices that began to get more clearer. He sat there for who know's how long, his efforts becoming more and more fruitless as time drew on.
Thousands upon thousands of thoughts, and waves of different emotions, passed through him the longer he stayed on the couch. 'Where are my keys?' ' I hate her.' 'Does he even love me?' 'Would anyone miss me?' 'Please say yes.'.
"SHUT UP!" Roaring in anger and desperation, he pressed his hands against his ears--failing to stop the voices, when a certain thought from someone's soft voice piped in his head miserably; practically drowning the other thoughts to a low rumble.
'Leave me alone, leave me alone. Please, just leave me alone already.' A strange calm settled in his chest as his heart raced curiously, until the emotions hit him all too quickly and made him forget that moment of clarity.
Anger, Love, Despair, Confusion...Fear, and so much more. They all engulfed him like a blanket. "rth?" He couldn't think straight, not with all the voices overlapping each other. "Vi-rth?"
He was trying to focus, focus on the voice from before but having little to no luck in remembering how it sounded.
"VINARTH!" Feeling someone shake his shoulder, the shock snapped him out of the world he was in. He realized once the flooding memories, thoughts, and emotions descended that he was rocking back and forth, slowly but surely he stopped. "Are you okay?" After hearing the concern and fear in her voice, he blinked rapidly as he stared at her, trying to focus as everything quieted to a dull roar.
Nodding unsure, he took several deep breaths. "Y-yeah, just...just adjusting." Faking a smile to try and sooth her fears, Lusarth sighed.
"Angela said she'll have it done in three days. Do you think you can handle it for that long? Because if you can't--." Cutting her off with a wave of his hand, Vinarth knew where her mind was going.
"I'll be fine." He stood slowly, feeling drained as he smiled genuinely at her. "I'll be in my room if you need me. Think you can get me when dinners ready?" Feeling her fear leave slightly, she nodded as he headed to his room calmly. 'I don't want to insight anymore fear to her.'
As soon as Vinarth opened and closed his door, he locked it. Crumbling against the floor while only managing to get as close to the edge of his bed when he curled into a ball.
The overwhelming affect of his abilities not giving him any time to recuperate.

The next day was far worse than he could have imagine.
Every thought, emotion, and memory jumbled around--swirling inside his head that caused the room to spin. Everything, everything, was excruciating. But the aftereffects were even worse. Feeling all their emotions at the same time was putting so much strain on his body, that it was hard to even breath correctly. Vinarth gritted his teeth in pain as he started to feel fatigue, Lusarth shouted how she was going out for groceries.
He managed to shout an "okay" with little pain to her.
Once he heard the front door close, the voices strangely quieted. The eerie silence putting him on edge. 'This never happen before? What's going on..am I finally contro--.' After he stood from his bed, Vinarth knew it was too good to be true.
He heard someone's soft voice, the feeling of fear and panic were thrust into him--knocking the wind out his lungs and causing his body to fall on the hardwood floor. 'Why!? Why are those drunk assholes after me?! I didn't do anything too them!!' Confusion was mixed with the fear and panic of the singular female voice. 'Where the hell are you, you stupid moron? I'm terrified being on my own!'
'Why the hell am I only hearing one voice?' The panic and fear he felt from the voice, felt as though it was crushing him under the weight of bricks. Wheezing as he started to crawl towards the door, he failed as the fatigue from earlier caught up with him.
His vision had started to darken, seeing a blurry image of someone else in the same position as him; on the ground, breathing heavily in fear. But the blurry person was looking pass Vinarth and out into the distance while shaking. Grunting in confusion, it was like looking at a mirror, only instead of his reflection, it was someone else. He stared into what he believe are eyes, but couldn't make out the color they were due to the extreme blurriness.
He knew that this person was a female; the voice, figure, and her long hair in a ponytail told him that much. Though he couldn't see color or the person correctly, he felt it and began to wonder if this persons voice belonged to the same person from the other day, which in turn, made him think that scent of raspberries and honey belonged to her as well.
His body reacted on it's own; his hand jerking towards the person, but stopping and hovered over what he assumes is her blurry cheek. 'Who are you?' A simple thought, so simple in fact that it put his mind at ease.
Vinarth strangely started to feel his own emotions as he could think again, his chest swelling with happiness that he no longer heard any other voices.
His body reacted once more on its own--moving himself closer, Vinarth leaned his forehead down just close enough where he thought he could feel her heat. Making out the color of her hair. 'Your hairs white? You'd be surprised by how many people have that color...I hope this last just a little bit longer. I'm okay with hearing one other voice that's not my own.' But just as quickly and way too sudden, Vinarth felt his blood run cold and eyes bulging out his head afraid.
He felt his heart shatter, like getting dumped with cold water while having a nice dream. A dream he never wanted to wake up from.
Vinarth didn't realize just how less anxious and tense he truly felt until that voice and her blurry image were gone. He could no longer hear that singular voice, as it started getting mixed with the other voices from strangers.
The sliver of hope and calmness he felt vanished. The voices and emotions beginning again as their overwhelming presence caused his eyes to leak tears, screaming in frustration and despair, Vinarth struggled to remember the mystery women.


*~Two Days Later~*


With a rapid knock to the front door, Lusarth opened it when she saw it was Angela. "He's in his room." Letting her in, both females quickly walked upstairs till Angela barged in his room, staring at him with curious confusion.
Vinarth was staring at her afraid, his eyes glowing brightly. "A-Angela?" He asked warily, completely unsure if his eyes were playing tricks or not.
"Yeah, it's me. It's been a tough few days, huh?" She walked towards him slowly, kneeling down with a comforting smile. She carefully unwrapped the small package. "I modified the new necklace a bit, hopefully it won't break as easily like the last one." Placing the necklace on the ground near him, her eyes never left his. Vinarth snatched the necklace quickly, putting it on hungrily. "Let me know if you have any complaints."
It was as if a light switched off inside him.
His eyes slowly but surely stopped glowing as he let out a few deep breaths, placing a hand on his head while shutting his eyes tightly. "Thank you." Vinarth spoke hoarsely.
Angela quickly made her way out of his room and down the stairs, Lusarth following after her.
Lusarth grew suspicious and antsy at her silence, the opposite of her personality. Spinning around quickly, Angela caught her off guard. "What the hell is he? Matter of fact, what the hell are you guys." She asked determined to fine the answer.
"U-uh w-well..." Lusarth stuttered unsure as what to do, eventually she sighed deeply, standing her ground as she spoke. "You can't tell anyone. If someone finds out--." She bit her lip, thinking back to that monster of a father and wondered if he was dead or alive. "Just please. Promise me?" Angela sighed, promising on her Magic before crossing the middle of her chest.
Revealing what they were to her --and what Vinarth is-- she promised not to tell a soul and left. Saying that she'd consider them sharing their secret as payment she required.
Lusarth plopped onto the couch, re-thinking the past few days and Angela's parting words. "He needs an anchor, and he needs one soon. If he doesn't, then he'll be too unstable to bare." Staring at the ceiling, she wondered what they were going to do now.
Vinarth couldn't sleep when all those thoughts and memories flooded his mind. The one time he had tried, Lusarth woke him up; sobbing at how he was screaming and thrashing in his sleep.
Running a hand through his sweat drenched hair, he tugged at it before letting his arm fall to his side.
Listening to Angela and his sister's conversion, his stomach churn uneasy--feeling queasy at the mention of the word "Anchor". He cringed, ignoring the rest of their conversation.
Sighing as Vinarth curled up in his bed, all those nights where he forced himself to stay awake, finally took it's toll the moment he wrapped the blanket around him. 'As much as I'd like to disagree...she's right. I do need an anchor.' Staring blankly at the chest across the room, Vinarth allowed his head to meet the pillow, sleep engulfing him almost immediately after he thought a few more words. 'But...how does getting an Anchor work?' Suddenly, the mysterious women popped into his head. 'It's only my brain barely remembering the past encounters I had with them.' He wasn't all that sure why he smiled while remembering the person, but it put him in a better state of ease. 'Maybe...just maybe...could she be my Anchor?'


A week has passed since the incident and the past few days Vinarth has been sick. Lusarth wasn't sure when or how he got the cold but throughout the entire time, he has been insistent on watching nothing but romance movies. Not action, or some horror flick, the only kind of movie's he has been insistent on watching are romantic fairy tails.
The twins have watched a movie at least twice and the most times seven, they're currently watching a movie for the eighth time in a row. Vinarth Loves Cinderella's story like no other, they have watched the Cinderella movie and even remakes more than any other they previously watched.
Lusarth would have complained and insisted by now to watch something different; getting tired of watching the same movie over and over and over again. Except Vinarth gets this look when he's watching these movies --Especially Cinderella-- it's a look of absolute Enchantment, like he's drawn into their story every single time, despite it being a remake or the original.
Lusarth glanced over at her brother, a smile finding it's way to her face as she witnessed this look. The joy and excitement dancing in his eyes, and the brightly wide smile that makes you want to smile too.
She has asked him on numerous occasions before why he gets so much joy from these movies and stories, to which his reply is just a smile while patting her head. Going on about his day and never answering her. Or he'll say "you'll know one day." Patting her head and continuing whatever he was doing. She looked back at the screen and watched the Prince put the glass slipper on Cinderella's foot.
Lusarth was watching, but mostly observing. Looking for something --as she always do-- that would answer her question. Lusarth sighed when she found nothing that explained it.
She enjoyed these movies very much --having watched them so many times it leaves no room to not enjoy them-- but she never could find that thing that enchants her brother so. Lusarth looked over at Vinarth, trying and failing to rub the sleep away from his eyes as he watched the credits scroll by.
"Okay, time for sleep." She spoke as she walked over to the TV, putting the movie back into it's case before shutting the screen off. Her ears were met with a small whine, watching him lay down anyway. 'Having made the couch his bed has it's conveniences.' He was already half asleep by the time she placed the blanket over him.
Sighing in disbelief at how childish he could be at times, Lusarth heard his light mumbles as Vinarth made himself comfortable. "We're watching it again when I wake up." He cracked an eye open while smiling, daring her to challenge his semi-request.
Lusarth smiled back and stood. "Of course, goodnight." After she turned off the lights and walked towards the stairs to her room, she glanced back to see a pleased grin gracing her brothers face as he fell deeply asleep. 'Maybe I'll find out next time?'