Gripped securely in those claws, you could only wait helplessly until an island came into view. Barren and untouched by human settlement, you could only assume this to be the dragons’ home. Sure enough, the pack approached a cave in the side of the mountain dominating the island’s very center.
To your utter shock, someone stood waiting at the cave entrance. A woman. Her dark hair and robe billowed in the wind caused by your captor’s landing. The rest of the pack came to rest close behind in a huge semicircle.
With unexpected gentleness, the dragon placed you before this woman before backing away to a respectful distance. While this person looked miniscule next to these monstrous behemoths, she obviously held great power from the way the other dragons all deferred to her.
Stepping forward, the woman studied you for a second, and you found yourself studying her in return. Her age was impossible to determine, at once young and attractive yet ancient and hard as the mountain in which she resided. Briefly, it occurred to you that she also seemed familiar.
“Report,” she said, her voice soft yet clear.
Not knowing what to make of this, you could only gawk in silence. A frown darkened the woman’s face. Again, she spoke. “What is your report, Cilea?”
“R-Report?” You stammered. “What do you mean?”
“When a spy returns early from her mission, that can only mean she has something useful to report.”
“Spy? Mission?” You were beginning to feel like a parrot.
“Do not try my patience, child,” the woman snapped. “How goes things in Castle Camelot? Did Drake manage to get you inside?”
“Drake? He…He’s dead,” you blurted out, desperate to give this woman whatever information you had. Something about her just filled you with dread.
“Dead!?” The woman paled, and she hissed, “How could this happened?”
“The king had him executed for trying to curse the princess into becoming a dragon.”
“Trying to? Are you saying he failed?”
“Uh, yes.”
The woman turned away angrily. “That foul king is much smarter than I gave him credit for. How did he uncover my plot?” Her eyes returned to you, piercing you with her gaze. Again, that sensation of terror swept through you. “And how did you escape if Drake was killed? Did you betray me?”
“N-No!” You tried to back away, but the dragon behind you growled, making you freeze again. “I didn’t! That is, I don’t think I did. P-Please, don’t hurt me! I don’t remember! I don’t remember anything!”
For a while, only the echo of your last exclamation could be heard. When the woman spoke again, her voice was more calm. “You speak the truth. You don’t remember, do you.” Holding out her hand, she beckoned. “Come here, Cilea.”
Despite your fear, you found yourself obeying automatically. Creeping up to her, you lowered your head and allowed her to touch the spot between your eyes. An ethereal blue glow materialized from her hand, matched by a similar glow coming from her eyes. Staring up at her, you felt it all come together. The woman! The blue light! The curse! She was the witch!
Before you could react, the glow vanished and the woman lowered her hand, blinking away the light in her eyes. “I see. Your disguise worked too well. Still, my plan should have succeeded. You passing the barrier, winning the princess’s trust and meeting up with Drake, the ladies-in-waiting and their jealousy, all the pieces were in place. And yet, he knew. He knew!” The anger reignited in a flash, making you blink. Even the dragons behind you cringed.
When your vision cleared again, the witch stood as before, only a network of cracks in the solid stone floor radiated out from where her feet rested. Whirling around, she marched off into the cave. “If the king saw through this ruse, no doubt he is planning to retaliate. I must prepare. But in the meantime, Cilea, come with me. With Drake gone, it is only you left, and I need you intact.”
Glancing around you, you saw thousands of eyes like beacons watching you, as if daring you to disobey. Focusing back on the witch’s retreating back, you wondered if you could take her on, a being who could command gigantic blast furnaces with wings. Then again, did you really want to? She most likely held the key to your memories, and you really held no loyalties to the humans anymore. On the other hand yet again, this uneasiness you had every time you were near her must count for something. Maybe you could make a break for it. Maybe…