The Legendary Dragon Egg Finale

IV

~

The much-awaited Tel Am had finally arrived, and the entire village was bustling with excitement and anticipation. Families gathered by the riverbank, each holding a beautifully crafted boat lantern. The lanterns were made of delicate paper, painted with bright colors and intricate designs. They were lit with candles, ready to be released into the river.

The atmosphere was electric as the villagers honored their departed loved ones. The sound of laughter, some cries, and chatter filled the air, mingling with the sweet scent of flowers and the gentle rustling of leaves. The river sparkled under the light of the lanterns, casting a magical glow all around.

The first lantern was released into the river. It floated gently, carried by the current, its soft glow reflected in the water. Then another, until the river was filled with a sea of lanterns, each symbol of love and remembrance.

The families stood by the riverbank, watching as the lanterns drifted away, their hearts filled with peace and closure. It was a beautiful and poignant moment that captured Tel Am's essence and the village's spirit.

~

The families and friends who had gathered for Tel Am moved closer to the bonfire, where they continued to dance to the sound of traditional music. The air was filled with the sweet aroma of barbecue and the sound of laughter. Some of the adults indulged in beer while the children played games and ran around, their faces lit up by the flickering flames of the fire.

Lily played with some children her age—enough for her mother to glance at her occasionally.

Eliot's eyes sparkled with love and admiration as he gazed at his wife. He couldn't resist holding her close and dancing with her. He extended his hand towards her and gestured, "Dance with me."

Lucy felt her heart skip a beat as she looked at her husband. His eyes were filled with pure affection, and she couldn't resist his invitation. She placed her hand in his, and he pulled her towards him, wrapping his arms around her waist.

As they danced, the world around them seemed to fade away. The only thing that mattered was the two of them, lost in each other's embrace.

Lily watched with awe as her parents danced, her eyes sparkling with joy and admiration. She knew she was witnessing true love and happiness, which warmed her heart.

"This made me hap—" Lucy couldn't finish her sentence. She suddenly puked with blood. Concern overcame Eliot's eyes. He saw blood coming from his wife's chest. His hand traced his wife's back and touched a straight shaft made of sturdy material. An arrow pierced her heart.

"L-lucy..." He was frozen. His face screamed in horror as he saw the love of his life start to lose its life in front of him. "No!" Her scream felt an exceptional amount of pain like metal arms clinching his heart. "No, please..." He begged, wishing it was him instead of his wife.

"Please help! Call a healer! Please!" Eliot shouted, hoping someone could hear him despite how her voice echoed. Some of the villagers ran to get the healer.

The air around him seemed to thicken with an ominous energy. The people surrounding him were frozen in fear, their expressions contorted in shock and horror. The gravity of the situation weighed heavily on their shoulders as they witnessed what was happening before their eyes.

Lucy had never seen Eliot cry before, but now he held her tightly, his body wracked with sobs. "H-honey, I love you," he choked out, tears streaming down his face.

Lucy's heart broke at the sight of her husband in such distress. She tried her best, wrapped her arms around him, and held him close, but the pain pierced her heart, "I love you too, Eliot," she whispered. "Everything will be alright."

"L-lily..." Lucy's voice quivered as she called her daughter's name, Lily. Her eyes were wide with fear as she looked at the scene before her. Lily ran to her, sensing her fear. Her eyes burned, and warm liquid started tracing her rosy cheeks. "Mama..."

Lucy cherished her daughter's face. Tears that contained sadness and wanting to stay with her loved ones started to fall down. But she knew she couldn't make it this time.

"I love you, I-I'm sorry, my love." She tried her hardest to kiss Lily's forehead, but a trace of blood stayed on there. "T-take care of our—" she puked another amount of blood. "d-daughter... I love you—"

Suddenly, a large explosion surrounds the area. Panic set in, and everyone started screaming. They could hear the sound of the villagers shouting and crying as they, too, ran towards their homes.

The sound of a deafening roar filled the air. A dragon had appeared in their village, wreaking havoc, burning cottages, and sending people running for their lives.

The heat from the flames was intense, and they could feel it even from afar. The dragon's eyes glowed with a fierce purple light as it landed on the tavern's roof, its massive wingspan almost blocking the moonlight.

Eliot knew he had to protect his family. He quickly picked up his wife. "Come, Lily. Hold Papa's cloak," her voice shaking with fear. They ran as fast as Lily's tiny feet could reach.

Lily was in shock. She couldn't process her emotions, and her mind was numb. The events of the last few minutes had happened so quickly that she didn't have time to react.

The dragon started breathing fire, which immediately caught on the thatched roofs of the cottages, engulfing them in flames. The family's hearts raced with fear, and they frantically tried to find a way out of the inferno. The dragon seemed unstoppable, and they knew they had to act fast if they wanted any chance of survival.

Lily was urged to return as she saw her dragon toy with her mother's blood on the ground. But she knew it was dangerous to do so. She unknowingly wiped her tears as the poor kid suffered a traumatic event.

As the families descended the winding forest path to escape the wrath of the dragon's fire, a sudden rustling in the bushes caught their attention. Before they could react, a group of intimidating figures emerged from the foliage, their bodies covered in dark, ominous metal armor. Each wielded a long, pointed spear, their sharp tips glinting menacingly in the dappled sunlight. The family stood frozen in place, their hearts racing with fear as they faced the unknown threat.

One started piercing each villager, aiming for the heart. Piercing screams suddenly ripped, sending shivers down everyone's spine.

Blood scattered on the ground. Eliot tried to find another way to escape. His wife was no longer breathing in her arms. The situation is horrific. A dragon had appeared in their midst. They had always thought that the stories about dragons were just myths, but now they faced the terrifying reality of a deadly creature in their village. Chaos is everywhere. The smell of burning bodies from the dragon's fire filled the air, together with the distinctive metallic scent of the blood from the ground. A group of brave men and women set out to meet the armored creatures.

"I-I'm sorry, hon." He whispered. Made sure his wife's cold body was hidden in the barn, away from the center of the chaos. "I needed to protect our daughter. I will come back for you." He had to protect their daughter Lily from the danger that loomed ahead. With a heavy heart, he kissed his wife's forehead, feeling the cold of her skin against his lips.

Eliot took a deep breath, trying to gather his strength, and then turned to Lily, who was watching them with confusion and concern. He knelt down with her and held her tiny hands in his.

"Listen, my dearest. I know you are too little to understand what is happening, but be strong and brave, and know that me and your mama will always love you," he said, his voice breaking with emotion.

Lily looked at him with big eyes as tears fell down her cheeks, not fully understanding what was happening. But she could feel the love and affection in her father's voice that diverted her fear. "We will go back to the cottage."

"What about mama?" Lily asked, not knowing her mother was already dead.

Eliot bit his lips, trying not to sob in front of his daughter. "W-we will come back for her. For now, she is safe here. Okay?"

"Okay," Lily nodded. Eliot wiped her tears and her runny nose.

He scoops up his daughter and runs as fast as he can toward their cottage at the top of the mountain, his heart breaking at the sight of Lily in terror.

Lily gazes towards the village in the distance, her heart pounding with dread as she watches it consumed by flames. The black dragon continues its merciless destruction, spewing fire and smoke into the sky, casting a dark shadow over the once-thriving community. The acrid smell of burning wood and flesh fills her nostrils, making her feel sick. She could hear the terrified screams of the villagers, their desperate cries for help echoing through the forest. The scene is both mesmerizing and horrifying, and Lily can't tear her eyes away from the destruction wrought by the dragon.

As they finally reached their cottage, Lily's father was panting heavily, his chest heaving with each labored breath. Sweat glistened on his forehead, and his face was flushed with exertion.

"We will take Toffee and leave the cottage." He sprang into action with a sense of urgency, quickly preparing his horse to leave the village. He checked the saddle and reins once more, ensuring that everything was secure before mounting Toffee, the name of his horse. "Stay here. I will get something from the caravan."

Lily nodded. She glanced at the caravan, wondering if the egg she saw was still there.

Eliot began rummaging through the caravan, searching for his sword. His movements were quick and precise, his eyes scanning every nook and cranny for any sign of the weapon. After a few moments of searching, he finally spotted it, gleaming dully in the dim interior of the caravan. He grasped the hilt with relief, drawing the sword smoothly from its scabbard. The blade glinted in the torch's light, its edges honed to a razor's edge. Eliot tested its weight, swinging it several times to get a feel for its balance. Satisfied, he slid it back into its scabbard and turned to face his daughter.

"Don't move, or I will slit her throat."

His body was frozen, seeing his friend holding Lily with a knife-sharp edge on her throat.

Eliot's voice trembled with confusion and hurt as he confronted his former friend, his eyes fixed on him as if searching for some sign of the truth. "W-why are you doing this?" he asked, his words slow and deliberate as he struggled to make sense of the betrayal that had rocked his world. His heart felt heavy with disappointment, and he could feel a sense of anger and frustration building within him. Yet despite the turmoil he felt inside, he remained outwardly calm, his voice low and steady as Eliot sought answers from the man he had once trusted so completely. The air was thick with tension as the two men faced each other, their eyes locked in a silent battle of wills. He motioned his hand for him to know that she would not do anything foolishly that could lead to Rob hurting Lily.

"Where is the dragon egg?" Rob asked with a deep, commanding voice. His eyes darkened. Lily's heart skipped a beat as she knew what her father's friend was looking for. The sting of the sharp knife clanged into her neck.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about. I don't know anything about a dragon egg."

Rob's eyes narrowed as he stared at her, trying to gauge if she was telling the truth. "Don't play games with me, Eliot," he said firmly. "I know that you're a merchant who traveled around the region. You will likely have come across the egg on your travels. Our intel speaks only the truth."

"You intel?" Eliot realized that Rob was the reason why this chaos happened. His attention diverts to the bow and arrow from Rob's back. The same arrow that pierced his wife's heart. His breathing became increasingly heavy as he struggled to catch his breath. He inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with as much air as possible.

Suddenly, a sharp blade pierced Rob's shoulder, where he used to hold Lily. Rob screamed in pain. The next thing he knew, Eliot already had Lily beside her.

"You killed my wife." As he spoke, his words were shaky, almost demanding to discern. He clearly felt a deep sense of fear and betrayal, evident in his tone. The emotions he was experiencing were so intense that it was almost palpable, and anyone listening to him could feel the weight of his situation. "I won't let you hurt my daughter."

Rob screamed as he pulled the knife from his shoulder. Blood scattered through the area as she put Lily inside the caravan. "Stay there for me, okay?"

Lily just nodded, immediately responding to her dad's authority. She hides inside the caravan, thinking she will be safe with the dragon egg. But she is concerned about what will happen to her father.

"What did I ever do to you to kill my wife and ruin our village?!" Eliot screamed with a heavy heart.

"Nothing, I just want the dragon egg. Perhaps I was bored enough to do it." Rob smirked with the most evil presence Eliot had seen in a person.

His ears rang, hearing his response. As the wind rustled the tall grass, tension filled the air. They took their stances, eyes locked, bracing themselves for the imminent clash. "You will pay for this!"

Without hesitation, Eliot lunged forward with incredible speed and precision, his silver sword glinting in the fading light. He aimed to exploit Rob's aggressive nature, parrying his swirling attacks with graceful movements. Each clash of their blades sent bright sparks flying, illuminating their fierce determination.

Rob smirked, his eyes gleaming with a mix of arrogance and cunning. He adeptly switched from a defensive stance to an aggressive assault, using unexpected acrobatic moves to catch Eliot off guard. His blackened sword whistled through the air, leaving trails of darkness with each strike.

Eliot's face tightened with determination as he countered Rob's relentless attacks, employing a combination of dexterity and honed skill. The battle shifted fluidly between intense bursts of speed and calculated pauses, each swordsman constantly adjusting their strategies in an intricate dance of blades.

Lily's heart started racing as she heard the sound of swords clashing outside. She didn't know her father was skilled at sword fighting; she couldn't help feeling worried. She heard a voice calling out to her. She turned around to see the dragon egg shining brightly once again. "Come with me, Lily. You'll be safe here." the voice said. The dragon egg glowed even brighter as she removed the cloak she used to hide it.

As Lily's tiny fingers touched the surface of the dragon egg, a brilliant light erupted from it, shooting upwards into the sky. The light was so bright and intense that it immediately caught the attention of anyone who happened to be nearby. Rob and his father stopped the clash of their swords and were shocked at what they saw with their own eyes.

"T-the legendary dragon egg," Rob whispered.

"N-no, Lily!" Eliot screamed and hurriedly made his way to the caravan.

The light's radiance was so powerful that it created a diversion for the dark clouds looming overhead, making them momentarily disappear from sight.

When Eliot checked the caravan, Lily wasn't there anymore. Smoke escaped from the inside. A deafening clap of thunder reverberated through the air, followed by a torrential downpour of heavy rain relentlessly pounded against the earth.

The surroundings were now transformed into a chaotic and tumultuous scene as the raindrops fell like bullets from the sky, creating a symphony of sounds that echoed throughout the forest. The wind howled, and the trees bent and swayed under the storm's force as if dancing to nature's furious beat.

"Lily!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.

The thunderclap answered him with a deafening sound.

He sobs as he calls his daughter's name. "Lily!"

But Lily is nowhere to be found.

To be Continued...