The Dragon Maiden

Chapter Sixteen

Valora

The next morning, when everyone woke up and got dressed, the cavern was filled with prickly silence. Everyone avoided looking at me. My face burned as I dressed, embarrassed that I had been caught and now everyone knew about it. But the heat in my face was nothing compared to the wriggling pile of snakes in my stomach.

Before breakfast even arrived, Lord Dracul showed up at the cavern entrance in his dragon form. Without being told, I followed him, knowing that my punishment had been decided. I did not say any goodbyes, and as soon as we departed, I could hear the other Maidens begin to whisper. Dracul led me to a part of the caves I had never been to, through many twisted corridors, almost maze-like to get to our destination. There was a small opening in front of us, only big enough for one person to squeeze through. I looked to him, not understanding what I was to do.

“It has been decided that the Whispering Pool will decide your fate,” he said. If I was not mistaken, he sounded almost resigned, his voice deep with exhaustion. He must have stayed up all night discussing with the other Lords. “You will remain in here for three days. I will return at the end of that time and then we shall know your fate.”

“How will I know what the decision is?” I asked, taking a long look at the dark opening.

“The Whispering Pool will either kill you or let you live,” he said. A coldness settled throughout my body at his words. “If it deems you worthy, you will be allowed to remain my Maiden.” His jaw clenched, and I could not tell whether or not he wanted me to live.

“Why is it called the Whispering Pool?” I peered inside, but the cave was too dark to make out anything.

“You’ll find out soon enough,” Dracul said. “Now you must go.”

I bit my lip before entering the unusually small opening. It seemed even smaller than it looked. If Dracul had tried to enter in his human form, he would have barely fit inside the doorway, as I had to hunch over and turn to my side to squeeze in. Turning, I watched as he moved a rock in front of the entrance, sealing me inside. Tentatively, I opened my mouth to say something, but immediately closed it, dread filling my entire body as the rock cut off my last remaining tie to the outside world. Now I was truly alone.

A small window shed a little light into the cave. My new home for the next three days was quite spacious. It was nowhere near as big as the Dragon Maiden cavern, but big enough for four or five people. At the far end of the cave was a small pool with water trickling down from an opening in the rock. Slowly, I approached it, apprehension building in my chest. From what I could tell, it seemed normal, but I got the foreboding sense not to touch or drink the water. After staring for several moments, I retreated back to the other side of the cave, settling down for what was sure to be a long wait.

Hunger gnawed at me throughout the day as I examined the rocks nearby, memorizing their size and shape. By late afternoon I was thirsty and while I eyed the pool of water, I dared not approach. My thoughts were filled with Dracul’s disappointment and I cursed myself for not being more careful in my escape. A few times I dozed off, only to awaken at the wind rattling outside the cave.

Night fell, by what I could tell from the small window. Uneasiness draped over me as I tried to find a comfortable position to go to sleep. After a while, I heard a sound coming from the end of the cave and felt my body jerk awake. A strange humming seemed to be emanating from the pool, but I was too frozen with fear to approach it. Through the window, a thin sliver of light came from the moon, illuminating the water, which seemed to glow. The humming grew louder and louder until it reached a deafening roar, and I cringed at the volume. With the humming, the water began to bubble, growing in intensity. Suddenly, the noise stopped and the water shot towards me. I managed to hold back a yelp as it formed into the rough shape of a person. They stopped mere inches from my face and stared at me with eyes that seemed both empty and limitless.

“Who are you?” the being asked, still intensely holding my gaze. Their voice contained what sounded like thousands of other voices. They barely spoke above a whisper and I had to strain to hear what they said.

“My name is Valora,” I said, struggling to keep my voice even. Somehow, I knew this would be the entity that decided my fate.

“Valora.” The being tried out my name, flexing their mouth as they spoke. “What brings you to the Whispering Pool?”

“I was told this was my punishment for trying to… steal something,” I lied. For some reason, I did not want to reveal the true reason I was locked there—something held me back. “That the Whispering Pool would decide if I live or die.”

“Ahhhhh, so the Dragon Lords are too lazy once again to figure out a person’s fate,” the being mused, pulling away to pace a couple feet away. “How many days do I have this time to decide?”

“Three,” I whispered, my mind whirling too fast for me to comprehend my own thoughts.

“They’re feeling unusually generous. Interesting.” They paced more, and it seemed like they were not going to say anything else.

“Excuse me,” I said, gathering up my courage to continue talking as they turned towards me. “How exactly do you decide if a person lives or dies?”

In one swift movement, the being was once more a couple inches away from my face. I jumped, not expecting the speed and fluidity of their movements. “It all depends,” they said. “For most, it takes mere moments to decide if they will live or die. You seem more difficult. This will be interesting. Yes, very interesting,” they muttered to themselves. “I might very well need the full three days to decide.”

They stared at me for several more minutes, their limitless eyes piercing into my soul before whooshing back into the pool. I watched the water’s surface, waiting for them to suddenly reemerge, but I was alone until sunrise.

* * *

Wind howled through the cave the second night, passing through the window and unseen crevices in the rock. I was huddled in the corner, trying to keep warm, when the figure emerged from the pool, less explosively this time. Instead, they quietly rose from the water and stepped down, their footsteps sounding like the trickling of water on rock.

“Good evening, Valora,” they said, keeping away from me this time, yet I could feel their eyes closely watching me. “Are you cold?” Their voice was mocking.

“What do you think the answer is?” I snapped. Though I knew if I wanted to stay alive, it was best not to anger this being that controlled my fate, I had been cold all day and did not want to answer stupid questions. I had already slept very little due to shivering all day.

“My, my. We are in quite a mood, aren’t we? If you’re like this all the time, I can imagine why the Lords didn’t want to deal with you,” the being said. Though they had no facial expressions, I could tell from their voice that they were certainly gleeful this evening. “That means we should be able to have a little fun tonight.”

I glared at the figure, continuing to shiver. “The temperature will continue to drop,” I said. From my time outside, with both Dracul and my escape, I knew that fall had arrived, and it was only a short while before winter would be there. “If this continues, you won’t get the choice to kill me. I’ll freeze to death.” I shifted, wanting this thing to stop enjoying my severe discomfort. Hopefully, if I reminded them that I could freeze, they would have no choice but to keep me alive until they made their decision.

The being tsked in disappointment. “Well, that won’t do at all. I get to choose,” they said. “Now let’s get you warm.” They snapped their fingers and a flash of fire appeared in their hands. “Come over here. I’ll keep you warm.”

I moved closer as instructed, a sigh escaping me as immediate warmth flooded my body when I held my hands over the small flame. It reminded me of when Dracul had warmed me up the other night and I batted away the memory. Just as I got comfortable, the figure jerked the fire away and instantly, I was cold again.

“For now,” they said, shaking a finger at me. “If you behave, I will keep you warm.” They brought the fire back and the heat flowed into my body, warming me quickly.

“Thank you.” I knew I would have to tread carefully tonight to stay on the being’s good side—and in the fire’s vicinity.

“Now, how did you get here?” they asked.

I frowned, not knowing where to begin to answer the question. “You mean why I ended up here ? I told you that yesterday.”

Once more, the fire disappeared. “We both know you lied about that,” they said so matter-of-factly that my heart skipped a beat in fear. “So how about you tell me the real reason? You can start with how you became a Dragon Maiden. How you were chosen.” The flame returned.

My eyes flew to their face, the reflection of the fire rippling in the pools of their eyes. “I wasn’t chosen,” I snapped. Everyone fawned over how it was a privilege to be chosen, but I’d never felt that way. “I was kidnapped, taken. I’m not even from the town I was taken from. I was just passing through.”

They backed away from my vehemence, clearly surprised by my sudden anger. “Why were you passing through?”

I opened my mouth, then closed it, trying to think of an answer.

“No more lies,” they warned.

“I was looking for my brother. He left home and did… something. I’m not sure what.” I paused, preparing for the rest of the story. “I think that whatever he did, some men came in retaliation. They killed my parents and left me for dead. I was searching for him when I was taken.”

“Which means you never found out what he did,” the figure said.

I nodded.

“And what did you do to end up here?”

A sigh escaped me. “I’ve become too comfortable here, so I escaped to try and find him. Instead, I was caught and the boy I had given the note to got caught as well.”

“What did Lord Dracul think?” They laughed harshly at the look of surprise that overcame my face. “You think I didn’t know you are his Maiden? So what did he think?”

“I’m not entirely sure,” I admitted. “He seemed… disappointed, I guess. Betrayed? He’s hard to read sometimes.”

The figure began to shake with laughter. “That he is,” they said. “And what do you think he wants my verdict to be?” They leaned closer to hear my answer.

I gulped, noticing the increasing severity of the questions. “I would hope he would want me to live,” I said softly. “We’ve had good moments despite… everything.”

“Very interesting,” they said. “That is the end of my questions for tonight. I will leave the fire to keep you warm.”

They moved away, taking the fire with them, and a chill entered my body once again. They knelt on the ground and whispered a few words. The flame spread slightly to make a nice blazing fire.

“That should keep you warm until tomorrow night,” they said, before whisking back into the pool.

I jumped at the suddenness of the action before huddling by the fire. At least I wouldn’t spend one more night freezing on the floor.

* * *

On the third night, as I watched the sun set and the moonlight begin to stream through the window, my stomach was in knots. I felt nauseous.

Like the previous two nights, the being rose up and stepped from the pool, the water forming their body glimmering in the moonlight. “Tonight is the night,” they said, rubbing their hands together. “Tonight, I’ll decide whether you live or die.”

“You don’t need to sound so excited,” I said dryly, clenching my hands together to concentrate on something other than the sick feeling in my stomach.

They smiled. “Tonight, we will do things a little differently. You may ask me one question.”

I jerked back in surprise. “Really?” I could not fathom why they were giving me this opportunity, what they could gain from this.

“Yes. You may ask me any question you wish and I will give you the answer. My knowledge spans far and wide, so ask your question.”

The question burst out of me without a thought. “What do you call yourself?”

“What?” They pulled back in surprise, then leaned closer to peer into my face.

“What do you call yourself?” I repeated.

“You could ask me any question and that’s the question you pick?” they asked. “You could ask me about your brother and I would give you the answer.”

“I’m sure,” I said. “If I’m going to be killed by you, I might as well know your name.”

“No one has ever asked that before,” they said. I could not quite tell in the light, but it almost looked like the figure frowned. “I just wasn’t expecting the question.” They took a few steps away from me.

After a few moments, when they did not seem like they would respond, I asked, “Are you going to answer my question?”

“Oh, sorry,” they said, still seeming distracted. “My name is Kessland.”

“It is nice to meet you, Kessland,” I said, bowing my head in greeting.

Wind blew through the cavern, and I shivered at the cold. The fire Kessland had created last night had disappeared sometime in the afternoon.

They looked my way before shifting towards me with wooden movements, still disoriented by my question, and held up a flame once more. “Here you go.”

“Is it really that surprising?” I asked after a couple minutes of silence.

Kessland looked at me. “I guess so, yes,” they said. “I don’t think anyone throughout the ages I’ve been here has ever asked or known my name.”

“That sounds lonely,” I said, feeling sympathy for them. I knew a little of what that loneliness felt like. Sometimes it was so strong I thought I would be swallowed whole by the emotion.

“It isn’t all bad,” Kessland said. “There are fish and other creatures in the waters I inhabit. I spend time with them, though they aren’t much for talking.”

“How often do the Lords send people to you to judge?” I asked. “Is that the only time you get interaction?”

“It’s about every decade or so,” they sighed. “But most times, it is a cut and dry case and they just want me to dole out the punishment. Rarely do I get opportunities like these.” They flashed me a smile, but I could sense a sadness underneath the expression.

“Have you always been like this?” I asked. Kessland seemed somewhat starved for companionship, no matter how much they had tried to convey a fa?ade of malicious delight at determining my fate. “I’ve never encountered anyone like you before.”

Kessland puffed up at the compliment. “Of course, you haven’t,” they scoffed. “I don’t think there’s another like me in the entire world. I was born long before the dragons, before your kind even existed. I swam through the deepest depths of the oceans to the corner of every creek. I have been part of the water since water existed.”

“How did you end up here?” I breathed the question.

They drooped now, deflating in front of my eyes. “Due to the cause of their creation, the dragons have powerful magic,” they said. “Especially the power of the High Dragon Lord that is passed down to each successor. Ages ago, they discovered me, what I could do, and captured me, locking me here to do their bidding. So now I have no more adventures, no more exploring.”

A flash of anger shot through me at the story. How dare the dragons lock up another innocent being? It was bad enough they took humans and threatened them into submission, but it sounded like they had been doing this for generations.

“That’s horrible,” I said in a choked voice, trying to keep a lid on my temper.

Kessland’s eyes shot to me and they grinned wickedly. “Yes, it is,” they said. “But you have gotten more than enough information out of me for one night. Why don’t we turn to you?”

“What do you want to know?” This was my last night. I was willing to do anything I could to help my case, to survive.

“How have you liked your time here with the Dragon Lords?” they asked. “With Lord Dracul?”

My heart thumped at the question, unsure of why Kessland asked such a thing. “There have been good and bad things,” I said slowly, trying to organize my thoughts. Kessland nodded in encouragement, and I continued to talk. “The other Dragon Maidens—mostly Vimery—have been very standoffish since I joined, but that’s slowly been getting better. Although after this, I don’t know what will happen.”

“And what about Lord Dracul?” Kessland’s voice was a whisper, thousands of voices asking me what I thought of the High Dragon Lord. “How have things been with him?”

“He’s hard to read,” I said softly, beginning to look away.

“You said that already,” Kessland said. “What else?”

“He-he’s very nice to me,” I stammered, my face beginning to flush. I stared up at the ceiling, willing my cheeks to go back to normal. “When I talk back to him, he doesn’t get angry, but he tells me not to do that in front of anyone else, so on some level, he cares. He’s comforted me when I’ve been upset. And about a week ago, he…” I trailed off, trying to gain the courage to say the words. “A week ago, I think we shared a… moment. He let me stargaze with him and he told me stories. It was… it was a wonderful night.” My voice dropped so I could barely hear it. “It was almost enough to make me not want to leave.”

“Interesting.” Kessland’s voice did not give away what they thought, and I looked to them, my cheeks still flaming in embarrassment. “I’m glad to hear that he treats you well,” they said after several moments of pause. “You have been through enough in your short years.”

I bristled a bit at the slight. “I’ve been an adult for a few years now,” I said.

Kessland chuckled. “I know, but to a being as old as I am, your lifespan is just a second of time for me.”

The light inside the cave began to brighten, and I knew my time was almost up. The sun would be rising shortly and Kessland still had made no move to kill me. But I had at least made it this far.

“Are you going to let me live or not?” I asked. “Dawn is almost here.”

“I’ve known since the first night that I was going to let you live,” Kessland said. They smiled gently. “But I’ve been lonely for the past few years. I thought it would be nice to have someone to talk to.”

“You mean tease ,” I said, relief flooding through me at the verdict. “And you couldn’t have told me the first night?”

Kessland grinned. “Nope,” they said. “I thought I would see what kind of person you are, to see if I was correct. To see if the future I foresaw for you would come true.” They came forward and kissed my forehead. “Be careful, Valora. The Dragon Lords will kill you if you try to escape again.”

“I know,” I said. “Thank you for your concern, Kessland.”

They stood, walking back towards the pool. “Valora,” they said, putting one foot in the water. “The road ahead is going to be difficult, but I think you’ll like how your ending will turn out.” A mischievous grin split their face. “And while you’re at it, you should ask Lord Dracul what dragaria means.” With that, Kessland disappeared back into the pool.

With Kessland and their fire gone, the chill in the air swarmed me, settling into my bones. I went to huddle in the corner, hoping that someone would come get me before long. Just as I began to doze off, I heard the sound of the stone in front of the cave fly back with a horrible scraping sound.

“Valora?” I heard Dracul’s voice shouting as he sprinted into the cave in his human form. “Valora?” To my surprise, he sounded concerned. His long hair was askew and his robes were falling off his shoulders.

“I’m over here, Lord Dracul,” I said.

He spun at the sound of my voice, spotting me in the corner. Relief immediately filled his features and he ran over to me, pulling me into his arms. “Oh, thank goodness,” he said. “I was worried the verdict would be…” He could not finish the sentence as he clutched me tighter.

My arms slowly encircled him, and I realized he was shaking. Dracul pulled back and I could tell that he had not slept these past three nights based on the circles under his eyes and the emptiness in his cheeks.

“Everyone thought Kessland would choose to kill me, didn’t they?”

“Who’s Kessland?” Dracul frowned at my words.

“The Whispering Pool!” I exclaimed. “And you sent me in here betting I was going to die!” I stood in my frustration and swayed from the upward rush of motion—a mix of my adrenaline leaving me and the past three days of no food made me woozy. The room spun slightly.

Dracul steadied me with his hands. “I hoped you weren’t going to be killed, but I knew it was a possibility. It was the only option the Lords would consider other than killing you outright. I had no choice.” I could tell by his tortured gaze that he spoke the truth. He had been tormented with the possibility of me dying.

“Then I suppose you had no other option,” I said, smiling slightly. If that was what he’d had to do, then he truly had no choice. But looking at the man in front of me, I could tell that he would not willingly send me into danger.

“We need to get you food,” he said, moving to help me out of the cave. “Let’s do that and then you can rest. I’m sure spending the past three days here have not been the most restful.”