The Dragon's Fight

Chapter 6

-Laelia-

I was surprised when we reached the nymphs’ territory without any trouble. We had moved carefully through the woods, avoiding the main roads and sticking to smaller, more discreet paths, but still… I was surprised.

“We go on foot from here,” Tylon instructed as he dismounted his horse.

“Why?” I questioned. “We still have a few more days to go.”

Tylon glanced over his shoulder, a slight smile playing on his lips. “They’ll find us. Until then, we have to wander around.”

I looked around the strangely quiet forest. Where were all the birds? My brothers were already off their horses, but I stayed on mine a little while longer. Something felt off. I looked at my brothers, who just gave me confused looks. Was I the only one sensing something strange?

“What’s wrong?” Liam asked.

I shook my head and quickly dismounted. I told myself I was probably just being paranoid, then followed my brothers and Tylon deeper into the woods.

We kept walking, but it felt endless, since we didn’t have a specific destination. The deeper we ventured into the woods, the more uneasy I felt. Something just wasn’t right. I was trailing behind, watching the others, but they didn’t seem affected by whatever was going on.

Suddenly, it felt like something brushed against me, but when I turned around, there was nothing. I scanned the quiet forest for a long moment before turning back to my brothers and Tylon—only to realize they were no longer there.

“Liam?” I called out. “Samuel? Tylon?”

But no one responded or showed up. How was that possible? I started moving again, searching for them, hoping to catch a glimpse or find a clue about where they had gone. But as I ran through the woods, all I saw were trees.

When I grew too tired to continue running, I stopped and took a deep breath, but soon felt the urge to move again. Something had reached my ears—voices. They sounded like whispers, drifting on the wind. It was as if it was speaking to me.

“Hello?” I called, but no on responded. “Tylon?”

Yet everything remained quiet.

“Samuel? Liam? Where are you?”

But I was all alone. Then I heard the strange whispers again, and I kept turning around, trying to see where they were coming from. I couldn’t make out what was being said, which only heightened my fear.

“Hello? Who are you?”

The voices grew louder, and I started to run again, trying to escape them, but they pursued me relentlessly. Soon, they became so intense that my ears rang, and a powerful headache took over. I had to stop. I fell to my knees, clutching my head as I crouched forward.

“Please! Stop!”

I screamed—I had no idea for how long—but eventually, I noticed that the only sound in the entire forest was my own voice. I fell silent and slowly looked up again, realizing that the sun had disappeared and night had taken over. What…?

But the strangest thing wasn’t the moon above me but the small lights dancing around the forest. They looked like fireflies, but they glowed in all sorts of colors—blue, yellow, red, green, and more. It was mesmerizing.

“What is happening?” I whispered to myself.

Just then, I heard voices again, almost like singing. I slowly got up from the ground, looking around. When I located where the voices were coming from, I cautiously moved toward them. I had never heard anything like it before.

The voices were so clear, so beautiful. As I continued through the forest, they grew clearer and clearer, and soon I found myself at a large lake that perfectly reflected the moon. It had the same shape—round and full.

It almost looked like a moon embedded in the ground, and around it were the most magical creatures. They were these white lights shaped into human forms with piercing blue eyes, like the clearest water.

As they noticed me standing on the other side of the lake, they fell silent and turned their gaze toward me. We stared at each other for a moment before one of them placed its foot on the water and began walking toward me.

As it neared my side, its shape shifted, and a woman stood before me with black hair, very white skin, and a long dark dress that looked more like a shadow draped over her body than actual clothing. Yet her eyes remained the same.

“Who are you?” she inquired.

She towered over me. She had to be as tall as Ashes, and she was stunning… like a dream. I could barely find the words to respond. She was so… enchanting.

“I-I’m Laelia,” I stammered, still staring at her.

“Laelia,” she repeated, almost singing my name.

Her incredible eyes studied me closely, sweeping over my entire body.

“Beautiful,” she nearly purred, causing the other light creatures behind her to giggle softly.

They began to move closer to me, hovering over the water, looking at me as if they were stalking prey. I tried to focus, but I felt lightheaded. It seemed women could be enchanted by them as well.

I fought to keep myself from falling under their spell, drawing strength from the one person I needed most. I focused on Ashes as I looked at the nymph standing before me.

She looked almost shocked at me, and the others behind her backed off slightly.

“I haven’t come here to be toyed with,” I stated firmly. “I’m here to ask for your help.”

“You want to see the future,” she responded, as if already knowing my intentions.

I shook my head. “No, I need you to help me win a war.”

The woman seemed taken aback as she stood before me. She was now on my side of the pool, standing on the ground, and the shadowy dress that clung to her body fluttered around her, even though there was no wind.

“A war?” she repeated.

I nodded. “My uncle has taken what belongs to me—my crown. Now I want it back.”

“Who are you?” she asked again, moving closer.

“I am Laelia, Queen of the North and the South, and one of the last white dragons.”

The nymphs recoiled, hissing slightly.

“We do not like dragons!” she declared. “And we do not like humans!”

“Please, I cannot win this war without your help,” I implored.

“Our help? We do not fight wars!”

“No, you just exploit those who come here seeking your aid, don’t you?”

She hissed at me again, baring long fangs as her blue eyes gleamed. “How dare you?”

I met her gaze calmly. Tylon might have mentioned that people came here to seek their help in predicting the future, but I now saw them for what they truly were. It reminded me of something I had read. People might come here for assistance, but very few ever left.

“I told you I didn’t come here to be toyed with!” I reiterated. “I don’t have time for that. I need your help!”

“And why should we give it to you?” she demanded. “This is not our war!”

“One day it will be. My uncle will want all of Arcadia,” I warned.

“Then let him come! We can defend ourselves.”

“Why risk it? Why not help me now?” I urged.

“Dragons and humans always bring war with them. If we help now, who’s to say another won’t come for us later? No, we protect our own,” she replied.

I looked past her at the other nymphs. I could see only four others.

“Where are the rest?” I inquired.

She seemed almost shocked by my question, and I quickly realized… this was it.

“Are you all that’s left?” I pressed.

She hissed at me again, but I didn’t back down. This was my only chance, and I couldn’t afford to let fear get in the way.

“How is that possible?” I demanded.

“Time changes,” she responded. “No one lives forever.”

I had no idea what that meant, but it was clear now that coming here wouldn’t provide the help I needed. Five nymphs in total—that was it. We couldn’t win a war with just five nymphs. What did I do now?