"Dum!"
"Da- dum"
"Da-da dum
"Da-da dum"
"Dum"
Huge circular drums made of goat-skins were arranged in a regular pattern around the platform. As warlocks struck them rhythmically with huge clubs, the people in the audience yelled, "Hah!" every once in three strikes. Soon the energetic sounds of drums and voices filled the air.
"My turn," Ryne whispered in my ear. He kissed my cheek and smiled at me. A small drum materialized in his hand. It had a red handle and two twines connected to the sides of the drum which ended in small black beads. He moved away from me to the front of the platform and began swinging the little instrument. The rhythm soon changed to become even more energetic. I couldn't help the smile that came over my face. I hadn't expected the prayer to be so lively.
The eglor began chanting in the magic-tongue, "Fisoe musike diren Hecate"
Soon everyone began to join in his chant.
"Fisoe musike diren Hecate"
Ryne glanced back at me and nodded. I took a deep breath and added my voice to that of the mass.
"Fisoe musike diren Hecate"
"Fisoe musike diren Hecate!"
The atmosphere grew warmer as each person began to invoke Hecate's name. All the torches in the clearing lit up at once with a loud whoosh. The people began thumping their foot to the rhythm to keep the flames alive and burning. The beats became faster and the chants louder.
Lightening struck a tree and it began burning. Thunder rumbled. The sky cracked open and parted to reveal a red space beyond. From there emerged a fifteen-foot being. Hecate soared in the sky. Her expression was chill-inducing.
Long wispy black cloth covered her body and fluttered behind her. Her black hair was as long as her body and thick enough to completely blanket a mountain. It was so sharp that it sliced the sky with every flap leaving gashing red marks behind. Her eyes were red with rage and a layer of yellowish material covered them.
"Who?" she asked as she glared down at all of us. Her voice sounded like a sword being sharpened. Then her terrifying eyes fixed on me, "Dragomir!" she sneered.
My heart dropped down to my stomach, my tongue dried up and my knees trembled. I hadn't expected her form to be so horrifying.
"How dare you, mortals!" she screamed as loud as a million banshees.
I clutched my ear tightly and dropped onto my knees, unable to bear the intensity of her scream. So did everyone else.
She shook her head wildly, faster than my eyes could see, and her hair began to strike the ground like a scorpion's tail. The earth cracked open and the world shook in agony. Her motion had the winds from all four corners rushing about in madness. The people scrambled to get out her way and to keep from falling into the deep chasms that had now formed.
Ryne held both his arms above him and placed a protective shield around those on the ground. The eglor joined him and soon every magic-kind who wasn't struck began to add their energy and magic to Ryne's spell. But no one would attack the goddess back. And without that, it was of no use as she continued her furious onslaught.
"This won't do!" I yelled at Ryne who was quite far from me, "We need to stop her!"
"I can't help it. She's my mother. And no one else can face her," Ryne yelled back.
I looked back at her. Her form was frightening enough to turn my heart to jelly and my blood to ice. But I couldn't let her harm these people. It was my idea to summon her. Of course, I hadn't expected her to be so cray-cray. But it was still my responsibility.
I closed my eyes and imagined my dragon form. I felt strength in my limbs, I felt more powerful, and flapping my wings, I realized I had changed into the white beast. While everyone else seemed surprised, frightened and confused by my form, Ryne seemed to understand what I was doing. He opened the shield right above my head and I shot up.
When Hecate saw me, she found her target and screamed out loud. Her hair pulled back first, and then, with so much force struck out towards me. I was already acquainted with my reflexes and didn't have to think much to evade her.
But she was no measly serpent. She was a goddess and the most powerful one at that. Just as I thought I'd evaded her, sharp stingers pierced me from the side. I roared aloud and flew away from her. My wings took the blow but my inner energy did a temporary patch up.
If not for my thick scaly hide, I would have surely breathed my last. I couldn't understand why she continued to attack her own people and her son too. I turned around and saw those monstrous eyes fixed on me. She screeched and shot forward. Of course, the yellowish covering in her eye! I was pierced by her stingers. If they had poison in them, I would have collapsed by now.
Determined, I turned and charged towards her. My mighty wings, powered by my energy, were able to overcome the pain of the blow they had received. And when I flapped them at lightning pace, her stingers couldn't reach me until I was right in front of her. Now that I had come so far, I could see it clearly. She didn't have poison in her stingers, she had them in her eyes. And they made everything look vicious to her.
Taking advantage of her moment of confusion, I opened my mouth wide and roared. Fire crackled deep within and my will fuelled it. A jet of flames shot at her until her entire being was set afire. In order to diffuse it, she glared at the sky and it began to cry tears of rain.
I watched as the water put out my flames. I watched it soak her completely and I watched as it washed away the poison from her eyes. As the yellow liquid dropped towards the surface, I dove down to prevent it from hitting anyone.
"I'll take care of it!" I heard Ryne yell and moved away. Just as it hit his shield, it sizzled and evaporated.
Hecate drifted in the sky, looking quite perplexed. Then she gazed upon Ryne and her expression softened. She reduced her form until she was merely six foot and dropped towards the platform.
Seeing that his mother was back, Ryne got rid of the protective shield. He then muttered a small chant and the cracks on the ground began closing up and the fires that were caused due to the lightning were completely put out. People helped each other up, until everyone surrounded the platform once again, a little worse for wear but still alive.
Once the danger was gone, the energy powering my wings subsided as well. With injured wings and no power left to keep me in the sky, I plummeted down in my dragon form. Just as I was about to smash into the ground, a cloud of energy reduced the blow. I opened my eyes to Ryne's concerned face hovering over me.
"Can you change back?" he asked.
Closing my eyes, I imagined my human self and found myself shifting. I felt the little power I had vanish. My limbs felt like I had carried the weight of the sky on my shoulders. I was paralysed.
I felt Ryne's cool hand on my forehead. Little by little, some energy seeped into me from him. I opened my eyes and slowly got up. The goddess stood watching quietly. She seemed to be lost in thought as she stared at me. Everyone else stared at me as well and when I sat up and leaned on Ryne, smiles broke out on their faces. Some even cheered and applauded. What for? I had summoned the goddess. I had only done what I had to. But I didn't have the energy to explain.
"You are not that Dragomir," the goddess' voice had changed. It was stern, but soft.
Leaning heavily on Ryne, I stood up slowly. She glanced between Ryne and me curiously.
"No, my Lady," I said softly.
She nodded, "That Dragomir would have run away had he seen my scorpion form. He wouldn't have had the courage to face me." Then, after a moment, she said, "Thank you, for keeping me from hurting the innocent and my son..."
"Mother," Ryne called out, an arm still wrapped around me.
After smiling at him warmly, she turned to me again, "Tell me, what has you so desperate to see me?"
I moved away from Ryne's embrace. I couldn't say this if I were engulfed in his comfort and safety. I limped forward slowly. Pain shot through my limbs but I refused his support.
Facing the goddess, I said, "I am here to negotiate with you, my Lady."
She looked at me gravely, "You may not be him. But you share his blood. Why would I negotiate with you?"
"Because, even though you cursed us, and countless of dragons died by it, it wasn't enough to rid the vengeance from your heart. And I have a way to solve that," I said swallowing. My throat was so dry.
Seeing that she was interested, I took a deep breath and continued, "My life for Seon Uchigi's."
There was a collective gasp and people began murmuring.
"Meredith, what the hell are you doing?" Ryne said as he charged towards me. Hecate glared at him and an invisible force physically restrained him, muting his voice as well.
"Go on," she said.
"All this while, although the Dragomirs were cursed, we continued to live well. Even if it was just a quarter of our lives, we survived and continued our bloodline, something you never wanted. Your curse was meant to wipe us out. I can remedy that for you. I am the last Dragomir. My father married into the family and does not share my name. If I die, your curse will finally come to fruition."
"But you are not cursed. You escaped," she said glaring at me.
"Yes, but you'll instead have the opportunity to take my life with your own hands," I said.
As people reacted to what I said, I realized that I had made my proposal. There was no going back. However, strangely, for the first time, when I thought of death, there was no fear in my heart. I felt at peace.
"And what do you want in return?" she asked, her face expressionless.
"My people are dying," I said aloud and my heart clenched painfully at that thought. "When I escaped my curse, it deflected to every other dragon alive. They are all... all dying. I am their queen. I cannot be the cause of their misery. Please, my Lady. I offer you my life. In return, save my clan."
She seemed lost in thought. Then taking a deep breath she said, "I accept. A life for a life."
"Mother, no! Please! I love her!" I heard the muffled screams of Ryne.
It broke my heart. I looked up at his human mother. She was weeping. I realized I had again been selfish. I should never have professed my love to him. I shouldn't have slept with him. I shouldn't have stayed as his girlfriend even if it was just for three months. I had given him hope of something eternal just so I could die without regrets. It was true, mortals didn't change until death.
Hecate held her hand out and a small dagger appeared in it. She reached the other hand out towards me, "Come," she said.
I moved forward slowly both the pain in my limbs as well as the one in my heart weakening me. I did not want to turn back and look at him. If I did, I might lose the courage I had somehow gained. But I owed him an apology.
I took a deep breath and turned back. The sight shattered whatever remaining pieces of my heart that had remained intact. Ryne was on his knees, tears in his eyes as he let out muffled protests. He continuously banged his fists against the invisible force. His hands were bleeding profusely but he didn't seem to care. When my eyes met his, he shook his head pleadingly. His eyes spoke a million stories. He felt angry and betrayed, but he was desperate.
He kept repeating, "No, please. Don't. I love you."
Seeing the great ti-eglor reduced to such a state brought tears to my eyes. What had I done?
"I'm sorry," I said, sobbing. My heart constricted painfully in my chest and I felt like throwing up. Unable to say the words out loud, I mouthed a final, "I love you" to him before turning away and walking towards Hecate.
As I moved within her grasp, she grabbed me by my shoulders. My heart drummed against my chest as she pulled her dagger back. It glistened in the moonlight and my throat went dry. Just as it was about to pierce my gut, she came to an abrupt stop. Her eyes became completely white and she faced the sky. Her grip on my shoulder became painful. When she gasped and became normal again, her eyes were wide. She looked at Ryne and then back at me.
"A life for a life," she said softly, "I accept."
The dagger fell down with a clang. She bent down, and gently touched my stomach. Then, looking at me, she said, "I will accept this life in exchange. Under my tutelage, as my champion, my grandson." She smiled and in a blinding flash, she disappeared.
As she did, her voice echoed in the clearing, "Live well, dragon queen. You may be the only one worthy of that title."
Stunned, I fell onto my knees. Everything was in a frenzy. A part of me noticed Ryne run and embrace me. A part of me realized that I was alive. But as her words registered in my head and I caressed my stomach, my eyes teared up one last time before rolling back. I collapsed.
***
Word Count: 38,388
And with that, we come to the end of Meredith and Ryne's story. Thank you so much for accompanying me on this journey. It was truly wonderful to wake up to your comments and votes. I will try harder to hone my writing skills to give you more immersive stories.
Until then, do vote, comment and share The Curse Of Hecate. If you have any questions ask away.
I might add an epilogue. I'm not very sure if I want to tie up the secondary couple in just one part or extend their story into a standalone spinoff. (You may guess who I am talking about. I was very subtle throughout so if you didn't catch it, that's okay.
But for now, this is THE END.
Thank you,
Much love,
Nandashree <3