The Dragons Egg : Epilogue : Ethla : Draft

Ethla

Ethla stood before the lake of Caldul, the great dragon’s egg within her hands, and the rotting bones of Belnun within a small bag. She had watched on with heinous curiosity as the great skies broke into a million streaks of colour the previous night, watched as the three greats stars in the north collide with one another and give off a great beam of light which flowed to the West and watched with a slight twitch of her lips, the red comet pierce through the night sky and skim its way around the earth before falling out of sight. It had excited her and heightened her nefarious intentions. She had waited years for this moment and now that it had come, she would finally reveal her true wickedness and malcontent to her allies and enemies. The mad King Beon was so blinded by the need to avenge his wives death that he had given Ethla free rule over the Galgorian court and army. Her allegiance had never and would never lie with Beon, no it lay with her master, Islaer, King of Ruarr. It had been a plan of exquisite architect and when finally Islaer had found the weakness he needed, Ethla arrived in the city of Gaul and set in a place a terrible and dangerous game to which the King fell for without a moment’s hesitation. She had to play the part well even if it meant taking the odious King to bed and giving birth to a bastard daughter in the process, oh but she was raised in the cells and was no better than an animal. It gave Ethla much pleasure to watch her own child struggle, why she decided to keep the babe was a conundrum, but it mattered not anymore for the child could not speak even at the age of seventeen moons.

A harsh winters wind swept across the large lake, the winter rains falling heavily across the Galgor Mountains, forests and plains. Ethla looked down and marvelled at the dragons egg, for she had never before set her eyes upon on, in fact she was sure that no one of this current age had ever before seen a dragons egg, for only the female mate of the dragon King could lay eggs. It was large and its shape oval; to touch it was warm and to look upon it was beautiful. Its colour was of the deepest shade of gold, with lines of red and orange covering the outer layer. To hold it was heavy, the egg being mature and nearly ready to hatch. Ethla, her long black hair dancing upon the winter winds set the egg down upon the grey gravel at her feet. Taking off her leather bag, she opened it and brought forth the large bones of Belnun the last black dragon of Meer. Forcefully she threw the large bones into the deep waters of the lake, watching with wonder the splashes their contact made. When they had fallen to the depths of the lake, she picked up the large, golden egg and with her hands commanded it out before her, levitating in the sharp air. Her hands stretched outwards, she commanded the egg across the waters until it lay above the location of the bones. Casting her arms to the east and west, she lifted her eyes to the troubled skies above and cried out.

“Namh na buile! (Bone and blood!), Dortain na ushce (Fire and water!), Er duithe tha me’ardu span la luaith! (I command thee arise from the ashes!), Me’ardu na leamh la buile tu Nuyay! (Arise and claim the blood of Nuyay!), Bahthe na laol (Death and Life), Laol na bahthe (Life and Death), Thracht hi na ihadh der win (Come hither and spread your wings), Ban thut der shade ma caithe eh uda la thands bhun (So that your shadow may cast itself over the lands beneath),” Ethla felt the power soar through her hands as she cried out to the Gods. “Ban thut der shill tu bahthe ma ithe der prei (So that your eyes of death may consume your prey!), Ban thut der teung tu laol ma leamh or naime! (So that your tongue of fire may claim our enemies!),” The golden egg fell into the dark waters of the lake and a great current began to form. “Me’ardu! Belnun la faerl na lul der cean roimh der ter (Arise! Belnun the fearless and bow your head before your master), Ga tu a der dilsacht un obed! (Give to me your loyalty and obedience!).”

The currents within the lake raged, causing the small waves to enlarge, the cold water smashing through Ethla’s legs. The skies above darkened immediately and from the waters burst a great black dragon, its long body soaring into the great black clouds above, its cry so vast, so penetrating that Ethla was caught off guard. She watched on with ecstatic pleasure as the resurrected dragon unleashed his great black wings against the white rains, the water falling from his scales, causing great ripples in the lake. As it spun up through the clouds spouting orange fire it turned about and flew downwards towards Ethla. With a great thud and a terrible roar, Belnun stood within the waters, his great red eyes on her. Ethla felt the heat from his breathe but kept her place, her dark eyes steady and unyielding as he stepped forward, his almighty head so large that Ethla felt herself as small as the white flakes that fell from the sky. The black scales upon his body upon closer inspection were rimed with a vivid red, only illuminating his ferocity and highlighting his dark intent. They stood but feet apart, his great red eyes of fire upon her own black eyes.

“Dua yu summ? (Do you submit?),” she asked aloud, unafraid and still. Belnun let out a growl but loyally bent his head before her. Ethla took a few steps forward and placed her hand upon the hot scales of his forehead. “Er ne der ter, Ethla la blak wutch! (I am your master, Ethla the black witch!).” At her words Ethla walked around the dragons long head and with a great jump, flung herself onto the dragon’s long neck and steeped her hands into his great scales, holding onto him firmly. Belnun arose from the ground and raised his head into the air, letting out another great streak of red fire. “We hnamh forth Gaul un lan Summe! (We make for Gaul and then Summe!).” With a kick of her foot, Belnun swooped up into the air with such elegance that barely a leaf shuddered. The cold air biting at Ethla, she lowered her head as Belnun flew across the lands of Galgor, his great shadow covering the plains below and striking fear into all those who looked up into the sky. Ethla smiled and let out a high pitched laugh, the time for war had finally come, the time to kill the dragon King was upon the horizon and soon, very soon the Kingdom of Meer would fall into darkness and the great and terrible King Islaer would take throne. “Faer kall ful la art tu man! (Fear shall fill the hearts of men!)’.