Chapter Text
My life changed the moment he crashed through the window.
From nowhere, a boy with dragon crashed through the window. Well, I couldn’t say I wasn’t surprised by that, after all, I had had a lot of crazy things happen to me this week. But, by far, this was probably the craziest. Oh, and I forgot a proper introduction. I’m Rayla Moonshadow. I’m an assassin. Oh, and an elf. Emphasis on the fact that elves are not allowed to live in Katolis.
Well, when I saw this dark haired boy with green eyes and his huge dragon crash through my back window, my fight or flight response was full fight. I didn’t want to, but I would defend myself if I had to. I flicked my blades out. My mind was full of questions. Why was he here? What’s with the dragon? Who is he? I’d probably have thought of a million more if he hadn’t got up, groaned, and collapsed on the floor.
All cautiousness went, I dropped my blades and ran forward, and he moaned in pain. He touched his hand to his side, and suddenly it slid off, revealing his coat, soaked with blood. I gasped softly and rushed to his aid. My first thought was, to run, run faster than ever, out of the hut, out of Katolis if I could. I bit my lip and remained calm, and attended to his wounds myself. I lifted the blood-soaked coat off, revealing an arrowhead. I heard a squeak from the nearby dragon, and was surprised to see, lo and behold, the dragon prince, young enough, but about the size of a young puppy. I widened my eyes, unable to believe what I saw.
‘What was the Prince of the dragons doing here?’ I thought. After the assassination of the King and Prince of Katolis, all magical creatures were banned from the Human Kingdoms. Even mages were killed, burned at the stake. Then I focused on the real task at hand, the boy. He groaned in agony as I cut the skin. I needed to get the arrow out. Cauterizing the wound would depend on how deep it was. I slapped the boy lightly on the face, asking if he tasted copper. I hoped to the dragons that he understood, and, to my relief, the boy shook his head. I pulled the arrowhead out sharply, throwing it across the room with a metallic clatter. Then he passed out.
The boy was delirious for the remaining time of my attending to his wound.
He regained his consciousness a couple of times, but I think what he saw was too much for him to take because he just passed out again. I lay him gently near the window, on a couple of pillows, with the dragon prince curling protectively, but drunkenly around him. As I lay on my bed, I watched them as I slowly drifted off. I wondered if this, all of this, was just a dream, and when I opened my eyes next, I would be in my bed, without a hole in my window, and no boy and his dragon sleeping peacefully in the night.
It was no dream.
I was jerked from my sleep by something hot, very hot, and also the smell of smoke. I sat up with a jolt, and there was the prince, with a very guilty look on its face. And guess what? My sheets are on fire. I put it out with some nearby water (I was expecting this. Like, who would keep a dragon in their house and not have water with them?), and saw that the boy was sitting up in his makeshift pillow bed. He was zoned out, just staring into space.
“Hey...” I said cautiously. He reacted so suddenly I jumped. He got up, and slid backward, against the corner of the wall. His hand reached for his pocket, and he realized that he was unarmed.
He struggled to his feet, for a couple of seconds, though. He fell to the ground with a groan, clutching his side. His dragon (Who knew?) purred in concern.`
All distrust went. I rushed toward him, and I looked at the bandages in a hurry. Ugh. I thought. He’s opened up that wound again. I un-bandaged the wound and threw herbs in my mouth, chewing them and laying them across the wound. It would numb it for a while, at least, so I can talk to him. His eyes widened in surprise, and he slid away from me as soon as I wrapped the bandages back on his now bandaged wound and the dragon prince padded his way back towards him nuzzling his shoulder, and then gently placing its head in his lap.
“Who are you?”
The boy, who looked about 17 years old, looked at me accusingly. I answered, in a fiery tone, with another question, “Who are you?” and then, in a softer, more gentle voice, “I’m Rayla, and
I’m not here to harm you.” He didn’t seem convinced, but he let me take a look at his bandages one more time before sitting with his dragon and murmuring softly to it.
“Okay, I have told you who I am, now tell me who you are, and why you’re here,” I say in a calm voice.
“I don’t even know you, why would I give you my identity?” said the boy suspiciously.
“It’s just your name! Plus, I have the right to know, without me healing you, you may be dead or still seriously injured,” I say, getting slightly annoyed.
“Just tell me,” I said, feeling a little calmer. He should have shown some more respect considering I have been helping him, and he knows it because I said so, but then again he just has become conscious, after 8 hours.
“I don’t trust people easily, and I hope you are who you say you are, but I owe you for helping me, even though you had no idea who I was and what my intentions were, so thanks.” He said looking straight into my eyes.
“Where I come from, I always need to be alert for everything, speaking of which I have a lot of explaining to do…” He said looking down. “Sorry for being such a jerk.”
“It’s alright,” I said calmly.
“Well, here’s how the story starts…”
“ I know you might not believe me, but I just came from Xadia. I left Katolis a while ago. I crashed back here somehow,” he said softly. “Azymondias and I got here unexpectedly. Sorry, about your window,” he added apologetically.
“Oh, it’s fine,” I said hurriedly, as my curiosity got the better of me. “No fatal damage was done… now, please continue. What were you doing here, then?” I queried.
“Well, now that is a long story…”
“Well, I think I have the time.”
“So, Zym and I,” he said, gesturing towards the dragon sleeping peacefully near the broken window, “got here, because we escaped. There was a skirmish near the border, and when I got injured, the prince flew for days on end trying to get me to safety. I would probably be dead if it wasn’t for her.” he looked at the dragon affectionately. I looked at him funnily.
“Oh, and you too, of course!” he said in embarrassment. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine…” I was about to let him continue, but a burning question filled my mind.
“But what were you doing with the dragon prince?” He hesitated. “I thought he was dead.”
“So did everyone else. I found his egg and he hatched in a storm we fell into. He got me back here after I was injured.” I thought about this for a moment, then asked him a completely different one.
“Wait, I didn’t catch your name…”
He smiled. “That’s because I never told you!” he said. “But, if you really want to know, it’s Callum.”
“Callum? As in the prince of Katolis?”
“It’s step-prince, really, but… yeah?"
“Hmm.”
“Okay. Now I get to ask you questions,” he said innocently. I chuckled. He looked about my age but he acted like a child. “Fine, step-prince, ask away.”
And thus began a future where two friends, brought together by fate repeatedly, finally meet again.