The fight was over and the loser’s body was being carried out of the court. Eljana watched with open eyes as the man was carried out. “Are you alright?” asked the winner, as he put his arm around the princess. “Eljana?”

“You’re alive,” she stated in a whisper. “You’re alive and he’s not.”

“I told you that I would win,”

Eljana smiled and turned towards Cal. “You did. You told me.”

“I have something else that I need to tell you m’lady.”

“What is it?” asked Eljana as she was pulled to a quiet corner. “Cal?”

“My name is not Cal,”

“What?” she asked. “What are you talking about.”

“My real name is Callahan.”

Eljana’s eyes narrowed. “Callahan? That is a dragon name.”

“Yes.”

“But you are a human.”

“Yes.”

“Cal-”

Cal shook his head. “Callahan.”

“You are not making any sense.” Eljana stated with a sigh.

“You know how I love you,” assured Cal as he held her close, away from the prying eyes of the courtiers. “You know that for I have just proven it.”

“Yes.”

“But I have not been truthful to who I am princess,” he stated sadly. “I am Callahan and I am the Prince of the Dragons. I have the ability to shape-shift and have been trapped in this form.”

“You’re what?” asked Eljana, her eyes wide. “You’re not!”

Cal nodded. “I am afraid that I am.”

“You can’t be!” cried out Eljana.

Cal sighed. “I knew that your reaction would be like that. You’re afraid.”

“Of course I am afraid,” snapped Eljana. “I just learned that the man I love is a dragon in disguise,” she paused and lowered her voice even further. “What else do you have to tell me?”

“The dragons are a peaceful race, despite what you have been told,” whispered Cal. “They have been poisoned by black magic. That is why they are attacking.”

Eljana felt her heart crumble with love, even though he had lied to her. “Who would do such a thing?” she asked. “And how do I know that you have not been poisoned as well.”

“Look into my eyes,” Cal ordered, knowing when Eljana did, she could see his power there. “If I was poisoned, my eyes would be black. Are they black?”

Eljana shook her head.

“That means that I am alright for now…what about you?”

“I’m a little shocked,” she admitted with a smile. “It’s a lot to take in.”

Cal sighed. “I know, but your feelings for me-”

“They have not changed and-”

“Eljana?” asked Queen Aeyrn as she finished a short consultation with Dalmont. “Eljana come here.”

“One moment my love,” she whispered as she walked to her mother who was standing on the diadem. “Yes mother?”

“Eljana you are to go to your rooms, pack your bags and prepare to go to Whitehall Palace for the duration of this war.”

“What?” asked Eljana in shock. “Why?”

“Because you are under the influence of a dragon.”

“What?” cried out Cal as he was seized. “Let me go!”

“Let him go!” Eljana cried out, not caring that the court was watching. “Mother! Let him go!”

“He is a dragon!” stated Aeyrn. “He is dangerous.”

“Mother!”

“Dalmont, take her away.” Aeyrn ordered, watching as her precious daughter was taken away from the court while Cal was dragged before her. “Well dragon?” she asked coldly. “What do you have to say for yourself.”

“Nothing,” Cal spat out.

Aeyrn narrowed her eyes. “Guards take him to the dungeons.”

IIIOOOIII

“Oh Collette,” Eljana cried as she and her best lady-in-waiting were shoved into a carriage. “What am I going to do?”

“It will be alright,” Collette assured.

“I do not even know if he is alive or dead,” she sobbed into her friends shoulder. “And I love him so much…”

“I know m’lady,” Collette stated as she stroked Eljana’s hair. “I do.”

“No,” Eljana argued as she pulled away. “You do not. You cannot.”

“I do,” Collette insisted. “For I loved Andrew with all my heart and he is now dead, though I do wish with all my heart that your love is not.”

IIIOOOIII

The carriages stopped at a spring in the middle of the night and Eljana was allowed to relieve herself within the forest. She was just finishing up when she heard a sound in the dark. “Hello?” she whispered as she looked around, straightening her dress in the process. “Who is there?” She looked around a little more and found a dragon clinging on to one of the trees. “Oh good gods…”

“It is alright,” stated the dragon as he morphed into Callahan. “It is me.”

“Oh Cal!” she sobbed as she threw her arms around him. “You’re alright!”

“Of course I am alright,”

“But I thought that you had been trapped.”

Cal nodded. “I was but your uncle was the one who trapped me.”

“What?” asked Eljana in shock. “Uncle Dalmont?”

“Yes. He is controlling the dragons and he freed me”

Eljana shivered internally. “What are we going to do?”

“We are going to do nothing,” Cal stated. “You are going to go to Whitehall while I rejoin my kind.”

“What?” exclaimed Eljana. “Why would you go back to your kind when they attacked you?”

“The ones under Dalmont’s control attacked me,” Callahan corrected “I must rejoin those still loyal to me. I must rejoin the battle.”

“But what if you are killed?” asked Eljana worriedly.

“Then I will die doing what is right.”

Eljana shook her head. “I do not want you to die.”

“And I do not wand to die either,” Cal assured as he hugged her. “But these are uncertain times.”

“My love for you is certain,”

Cal nodded. “As is mine….”

Eljana!

“Oh no,” she whispered as she clung to Cal. “They are looking for me.”

“You must return to them.”

Eljana shook her head. “I do not want to leave you.”

“You shall never be parted from me,” Cal assured as he pressed something into her hand. “Just know how much I care for you.”

“You have my heart,” Eljana whispered as she shared one last kiss with her beloved dragon. “As I have yours. Do be careful.”

“I will be careful,” Cal assured as he changed back into his dragon form. “And I shall come back to you.”

IIIOOOIII

Eljana kept the gift to herself for the entire journey to Whitehall, it was only when she was alone in her bed chambers that she looked at it. There was a golden scale that was inscribed with a black heart. It is a symbol of my love, whispered a voice in Eljana’s head. Wear it and know how I feel. She smiled, for although her beloved never told her what it was, he had sent a message to her. And so, Eljana attached the golden scale to a golden link chain and placed it around her neck.

The days passed and in ever increasing moments Eljana felt as though something was wrong. She finally got a message from her uncle that his troops were closing in on Dragon Pass, the small valley where the dragons were making their last stand. That was the night, as she was clutching the scale that she heard Cal’s thoughts. My love, he whispered as assuredly as if he was there beside her. Come to me…I need you….

Moments after the message had been delivered, Eljana slipped out of Whitehall Palace and into the forest beyond. She travelled for three days and tried to keep the towering mountains in sight at all time, but travelling the forests took its toll and soon she felt as though she was lost.

But then, Eljana came to the edge of the tree-line and she found herself surrounded by men in golden armour. “Uh- hello?” she asked tentatively as she gripped the scale in her hands. “Are you-?”

“You shall speak when spoken too.” Ordered one of the men in a gruff voice as they all changed into large dragons, “Who are you?”

“I’m Eljana,” she answered. “Princess Eljana, crown princess Eljana of Pyranaya. I uh- I need to see your king, Cal or Callahan.”

The dragon who had first addressed Eljana narrowed hi eyes. “Who are you?” he asked. “What are you doing here?”

“I am Eljana,” she stated again. “And I love Callahan. I got a message from him and I-”

The dragon’s eyes widened as he saw the golden scale glinting from between her fingers. “You are the chosen human of our king,” he stated. “You are the princess.”

Eljana nodded. “Yes. I am.”

“Excellent,”

And with that Eljana found herself being swept off her feet into the claws of the dragon and was then flying through the air. “Where are we going?” asked Eljana as she gripped onto the claws of the dragon that was holding her, both frightened and excited at the same time. “Towards Callahan I hope.”

“Of course m’lady,” the dragon answered. “Your King is awaiting you.”

IIIOOOIII

Finally, after flying over the mountains for what felt like hours, the dragon finally set Eljana down in front of the entrance of a large cave. “He is in there princess,” the dragon who had carried her across the mountains stated with a smile in his voice. “Go see him…”

Eljana nodded and entered the cave with no trepidation. At first she was afraid that she was going to get lost, but many of the paths were blocked and so Eljana was taken straight to the heart of the mountain. Once there she found herself in a large cavern with Callahan in his dragon form laying there. “Cal!” she cried out in joy as he flung herself over his face, kissing his metallic scales as she did so. “You’re alright.”

“You came,” Cal sighed, his voice deep. “I did not think-”

“I heard you,” she whispered as she felt the dragon form of Cal slip away into the human form that she had come to love. “I heard you and I came.”

Cal wrapped his arms around his beloved. “I am glad you are here.”

Just at that moment, the sound of swords clashing was heard and faint voice was heard. M’lord, the humans are attacking. We are under siege.

“Stay here,” Cal ordered as he began to change back into his dragon form. “You will be safer here…”

And before Eljana could complain he was gone. ‘I am not going to let him tell me what to do,’ she decided after a moment. ‘I’m going after him.’ And that was exactly what Eljana did. She retraced her steps and soon found herself at the mouth of the cave and beheld the sight of a battle field before her. Thousands of humans were lying dead on the ground; Eljana recognized Lord Turyn, Sir Waldyr and Sir Bayrin along with many others. It seemed as though the dragons had won, but the further into the battle field Eljana strode the more she saw how that was not true.

Soon the bodies of dragons began to little the mountain side and before long, Eljana came upon the sight that she had feared. Her beloved Cal was fighting a horde of soldiers who were still standing and he already had arrows protruding from his scales. She screamed as her uncle, General Dalmont loosened a bolt from his crossbow and it buried itself into Cal’s side causing him to fall to the ground.

“NO!” she cried out as she ran to his side, and the soldiers and dragons alike who were fighting paused to watch their princess fall by the dragon prince’s side. “Cal!”

“Eljana…” he whispered hoarsely, his form fluctuating. “You came.”

“Of course I came,” she stated, tears running down her face. “You called and I came. I had to come… I love you.”

“-and I you,” answered Cal as he turned back into a human long enough for Eljana to kiss him. “Always remember me,” he asked as turned back into his dragon form. “Remember me…”

And with that, Cal’s eyes closed and Eljana felt a panic rising up within her. “No,” she whispered. “No do not do this to me, do NOT do this to me. I love you, you said that your love for me would always be certain….do not leave me.”

Cal smiled and kept his eyes opened a sliver. “You…must…be…strong.”

Eljana shook her head. “I do not want to be strong. I can not be strong without you. I love you.”

“And I you,” stated Cal as his eyes began to close completely. “And I you.”

With that, Cal had taken his last breath and Eljana felt her heart break.

“No,” she stated as she placed her hands upon his scales. “No. You can not do this to me. Do not do this to me. You can not die on me. Do not die on me! You said that you would come back to me! You said that would would! Do not leave me!” But it was no use, Eljana knew that Cal was gone and she collapsed into heart-wrenching sobs. Little did she know that as she cried, the soldiers who had followed her father decided that the war was not worth their future monarch’s unhappiness and even though there was nothing that they could do to mend her heart, they could chose to stop fighting. It was a way that Cal’s death would not be in vain.

It was at that moment that Eljana composed herself enough to look around her and though she saw that the dragons and the soldiers were laying down their arms, she could see that a black shadow was exiting her uncle. It then moulded itself into something new, a dark figure with no features what so ever.

“Who, who are you?” asked Eljana through her sobs. “What have you done to my uncle?”

The creature laughed, red eyes glowing in the descending twilight. “I am Damyon, the lord of evil. Your dear uncle was just a pawn. It was my powers which destroyed the dragon king and it is the same powers that will destroy you.”

Eljana stood up, grabbing a fallen sword. “You will not.”

Damyon laughed. “Perhaps not,” he answered with a nod of his head. “If you give me that scale around your neck, I might spare you.”

“Why would I give you the only thing that my beloved gave me?” asked Eljana her sadness turning into anger at the arrogance that the demon before her was showing. “What gives you the right to ask for it?”

“What gives you the right to keep such a powerful little thing?” asked Damyon. “It is curious m’dear that such a small scale like that could hold so much power, but it does and it will allow me to control everything; life and death, the sun and moon, the entire cosmos would be under my power.”

“I will not let you have it.”

Damyon laughed. “You do not have a choice. Oh you can protest all you want,” he stated as dark thunder clouds began to move in causing the remaining soldiers and dragons to scatter. “But I am much more powerful then you and I can simply take it form you.”

Without warning, Damyon reached out his hand and tried to take the scale from Eljana but his dark tendrils of power crashed against a barrier of light leaving both him and Eljana confused. “What was that?” she asked her eyes wide with shock. “Did I do that?”

No my love, answered a voice in her head. That was me.

Cal… she thought, her heart racing. You did not leave me.

I could never leave you, assured Cal. And I will stay with you.

No matter what? Asked Eljana, watching as Damyon began to circle around her, No matter what you will not leave me.

I swear to you Princess, he stated sincerely, his voice full of love, I will not leave you. In fact I will help you destroy this monster.

It was at that moment that Damyon let loose another bolt of power, but this time both Eljana and Cal was prepared for him and she deflected the power easily- much to his surprise.

“How are you doing that?” he asked, frustration evident in his voice.

“I have the power of the scale,” she answered smugly. “And as you said, it can do anything…”

“You can not wield it.”

Eljana laughed, using her anger and sadness as fuel. “Watch me.”

And with that she unleashed all the power that she could.

“I will not let Cal’s death be in vain,” she whispered aloud to herself. “I will destroy you Damyon and I will rid Pyranaya of your evil.” With that she brought her hands together and allowed the energy that she had unleashed to come back to her and gather for one final assault.

“You can not defeat me,” Damyon mocked confidently as he too started to gather energy. But what he didn’t count on was her broken heart and how that could fuel the power of the scale even more.

For Eljana when she could hold no more power between her palms, she allowed her eyes to snap open and allowed the energy to be released in one swift bolt. Damyon was not quick enough and although he tried to counter her attack it was no use and he was blown away. It was then that Eljana’s vision exploded in white light.

IIIOOOIII

Eljana was floating around a vast white abyss- she no longer shed any tears for Eljana knew that Damyon was destroyed and that her kingdom would be safe even if she was not there to protect them. I have done my duty, she thought to herself as she floated in the abyss. I have protected my realm. Father would be so proud.

As I am my dear, came a voice from the light.

“Hello?” called out Eljana. “Who’s there?”

Why your father.

“Papa?” asked Eljana as the form of her father formed before her.

Yes child.

“Is that you?” she asked, tears rising to her eyes.

Yes child.

“Oh papa!” Eljana cried as she threw her arms around her father. “I have missed you so…”

I have missed you too Elja, he stated drawing her into a large hug, using her childhood nickname as well. I am so proud of you. You have kept our kingdom safe, and because of that the great dragon spirit has allowed me to grant you one wish.

“Wish?” asked Eljana as she looked at her father. “What wish?”

Whatever your heart desires…

Eljana knew exactly what she wanted to wish for and she knew her father knew it when he smiled. That is two wishes.

“You mean I am dead?”

Yes, came a second voice. You are.

“But I did not know that when I made the wish,” Eljana pointed out as the great dragon spirit showed up around herself and her father. “Please?”

Lilthanthis, this is the woman who holds your progeny’s heart, stated King Amenth with a smile on his face. Just this once grant the two wishes.

Lilthanthis, the great dragon spirit nodded and made Eljana’s world vanish into light once more- her voice echoing in her ears. You have done well today Princess. You used the power of a dragon scale and destroyed the demon. Because of this I am not only granting you your life back, but your one wish as well. You need not say it for I know. Enjoy the peace Eljana for there are many out there will be those out there who do not approve.

IIIOOOIII

At first, Eljana did not know where she was. But as she floated back to her body she could tell that she was laying in a soft bed. There was warm covers below her and equally warm covers above her. She could feel hear head resting on a soft feather-down pillow and there was something, or someone gripping her hand. Eljana could also hear mumbling as though someone was speaking to her, and with great effort she opened her eyes.

“Eljana?” the voice asked and as her eyes focused she could see whom it was that was speaking. “You alright?”

“Cal?” she asked her eyes opening further. “Is that you?”

Cal smiled. “Of course it is me Princess, who else would stay by your bedside for days on end.”

“Oh Cal!” exclaimed Eljana as she threw her arms around her beloved. “I thought that you had- that you were…”

“Shhh my Jana,” he whispered lovingly into his ear. “The great dragon spirit is a kind soul.”

“Yes,” Eljana agreed with a nod of her head as tears of joy rolled down her face. “Yes she is…”

There was a cough from farther back in the room which caused Eljana and Cal to separate. “Daughter?” asked Queen Aeyrn tentatively as she came to her daughters bedside. “Are you well?”

“I am alive mother,” Eljana answered coldly as she snatched her hand away. “If that is what you are asking.”

Aeyrn shook her head. “I am asking if you are well.”

“I will not be well until I marry Callahan.”

Aeyrn’s eyes widened. “But he is a dragon.”

“He is a good man,” stated Eljana sharply. “And I will marry him.”

Aeryn sighed and nodded her head in consent. Her brother was dead, as were many of his marriage eligible knights. While she did not approve of the union she knew that there was little she could do. “Very well,” she stated. “You may marry him.”

IIIOOOIII

We were married later in the month, the greatest adventure of my life only beginning. I became Queen months after that and Cal was my King consort. Together we ruled Pyranaya with a fair and just hand. The war ended almost as quickly as it had begun and peace has reigned in our land ever since. I thank that spirits of the land and sea and dragons every day for everything turned out alright in the end. Things however were not always to be as joyful for there were rumblings from some of the more isolated and therefore ignorant areas of our kingdom which did not like our union, let alone the daughter that I bore. We named her Lily after Lilthanthis the great dragon spirit who had saved both our lives. Lily was curious about her dragon side, especially the powers that allowed her change into other creatures at will. But that is another story for another time, this story is done, though the adventure which I believed was nothing but myth and legend was real. My life was the adventure, all life was the adventure and I not matter what was thrown at me I was determined to live it to the fullest.

-End-