Chapter 17

~The beginning of the end~

Many many years ago, the birds woke up the 'sleeping beauty', as her husband liked to call her. She was still sleepy but did not complain about being woken up. She loved to wake in the morning and do daily chores until her husband came back from his hunt, bringing food. She liked being his wife, but she was never treated badly, nor like a house slave. Her husband loved her dearly. They both went to get food, buy grains and feed their animals. Their life was normal, and normal was all they wanted as long as they had each other.

"My dear! I am back!" Derek Lowens, her husband, spoke up as he walked towards her. "Derek!" The woman rushed into his arms and he graciously placed her in them. He kissed her forehead lovingly and looked deeply into her eyes. It had nothing to do with her being his wife that made him love her. No, it wasn't the kind of love that came with time. He loved her, from the day that he met her. And she too, loved him the same way. "I made a fire for the goods you bought!" She giggled as she hit his shoulder lightly for him to let her down. "I see that you did." He smiled at her and went to place the prey he caught into a bowl, so they could wash and cut it. "I will do the rest, my dear, you need not worry." The wife smiled adoringly as she sat on the bench next to the fire, observing her husband.

"You know, I am capable enough to do it by myself." she mildly accused, a small smile painting her gentle features. "I know that, dear, better than anyone. But you also do the chores, what am I supposed to do then, just sit around while you work tired?" the man said as he pouted at his wife. "You are such a lovebird, Lowens." she smiled at him as she patted his back. "I sure am."They laughed and continued cooking their meal for the day. They were married for five whole years now but they still loved each other without limits.

A few days later, as the wife was picking up flowers, she met one of her neighbors and friend, Maya. "Hello, Maya!" the young woman said as she walked down a path filled with flowers. She had told her husband that she would be back at noon after kissing his cheek.

"Hello to you too, my dear." Maya Mills was a friend of hers, a little older but still, they spent their time together. "How is your family going?" the younger woman asked with a small knowing smile. "We are fine, dear. The same as always bickering around." Maya responded with a grin of her own as they continued walking down the path. "Well, I expect nothing less from such a strong character like you, Maya." the young woman giggled as she picked a few flowers and offered them to the oldest to appease her wildness. "Well, I came here after seeing you alone. I have to talk to you about what's going on outside. I know you never liked to leave your house, but you need to be aware of these things." she said all of a sudden, making the young woman confused.

"It sounds ominous by the way you describe things. What is going on..?" she asked Maya, who was now very serious. "It is pretty bad out there. They are saying that vile creatures come out at night and eat humans to get more powerful." the older woman said with a sigh as she looked ahead. "That's nonsense!" the youngest shook her head in comprehension. "I thought so too. But I witnessed these sounds, the screams of humans..." Maya was surely trying to forget those said sounds as she looked her friend in the eyes. "Are you sure about this, Maya?" she asked in fear as her husband came into her thoughts. "Yes, dear. So please be careful when going out, and better if not needed, don't." Maya advised calmly. "I appreciate your feeling about this. Be careful too, Maya. I hope our kind is safe." the youngest sighed as she now too was looking at the horizon.

"You should listen to her, I was also there when those sounds were heard. I am too, not too trusting but I wish nothing worse happens." Ronald Mills, the husband of Maya showed up, startling both women. "Oh, Ronald! You scared me!" the youngest spoke up in annoyance but offered him a warm smile. "I apologize, I just wanted to tell you both to go back. Do not go out at night, either you or Derek. Please, tell him too." he said seriously as he hugged his wife. "I will. See you two next time. Take care of your wife Ronald." The youngest woman greeted them and started walking back. "I will, you too, take care."

...

At a high, dark castle, rooms were busy with preparations for the arrival of the Dragon Princess. She had been away for many years, but her brothers were waiting for her all that while. In the dazzling castle live the Dragons. The leaders amongst all the species. They were a big family, and amongst the Rossi, the dragon family, there never had been a fight. Well at least on the latest generation. There was the High Princess, Chiara, who was charming enough to seduce every creature she wanted. She was the second oldest in the family. Her water dragon was admirable as it flies through the earth and ocean. Another dragon, Leonardo, the third son in the family, was wise and small-spoken. He didn't use words much, he acted on them most of the time. Next, was Andrea, flirty and handsome. He had the power to seduce too, and his green dragon could fly above the human realm without a problem. Then the youngest of them Matteo, was a healer dragon. His red dragon was wise in botany and medicine, a lethal combination since medicine was also a weapon if used like poison. The firstborn is the High Dragon King. A dark dragon named Ares rules the realms. He is feared and respected at the same time. His powers are greater than any elder dragon, which is surprising to all of the above.

"I cannot believe our sister is coming back, brother!" Andrea Hayes spoke up in excitement as he jumped up and down like a child. "It will be any minute now, Andrea. Do not rush" the youngest, Matteo Hayes, spoke up. "Says the one who is smiling like a five-year-old child." Leonardo Hayes the wisest, as they called him, shook his head at his brothers. "Brother, you are being rude!" Matteo whined and pouted at the eldest brother as if asking for help from him, but they all knew he would ignore them like always. He was cold-hearted to everyone but his family, but that doesn't mean he couldn't be teased by them.

"Do not start fighting again." Ares spoke up, clearly annoyed as he walked towards them. "Brother! Is she here yet?" Andrea asked with a smile, still very much excited about the arrival of his sister. "Yes, she is, follow me." Ares nodded at them as they followed behind him. Right at the hall's stairs, there was a blindingly beautiful female dragon. Waiting for her brothers to appear with a big bright smile.

"Stop right there, children." Chiara Rossi joked but with a very serious expression written on her beautiful face. After a while of silence, the eldest sister spoke up sternly, but she and her brothers knew she was more than happy to meet them after so many years, just as they were too. "Leonardo, my dear, I heard about the political mess you made about the reapers. I cannot say it was your wisest decision," she stated as she stood tall on the highest step of the stairs, looking down at her brothers. She scolded first her know of the most, quieter but wiser brother. "I did the right choice sister." He tried to hide a smile, and the High Princess shook her head in mock disapproval as she motioned to him. "I am very glad to see you again, my wisest brother." Leonardo smiled as they hugged warmly. "Now, I cannot say the same about Sir Matteo over there."

She turned to face them once again. "Why did you poison an entire village of humans?!" Matteo's eyes widened in fear. "My my, you should look at how scared he is! I was just kidding, brother." The red dragon sighed in relief as he rushed and hugged his sister, "Sometimes I believe you are pure evil sister!" he whined and pouted as he looked up at his elder sister. "I might as well be, little brother." She then turned once more, now not speaking a word as she glared at the youngest of them, Andrea. He squirmed under her eye gaze and hid behind the High Dragon King, who stifled a grin. "Sister... Stop looking at me like you are going to make me die a thousand times, again..." Chiara nodded and said nothing. All in the room knew what he had done. "I know... I have been intimate with too many females... But I just cannot stop it!" Chiara, as well as the brothers, laughed now. She walked to the youngest and slapped his head playfully before hugging him. "You don't know how much I have missed you all," she said as they all hugged her one by one.

They hugged and went to dinner together as a family for the first time in a while. The days on each realm, the dragon and human, passed joyfully for both The High Dragon King and The She General as they lived their lives as normally as they could. One day though, in the human realm, dark creatures of the night, a bright light was unleashed on it.

...

It was night as the wife was waiting for her husband to come back. It had been way too many hours and she was getting anxious. He would be alright... Right? She asked herself many many times but she felt a dark aura surrounding the whole field they lived in. She sensed movement on the door, and she immediately rushed to open it herself. "Derek! You are bleeding!" she screamed in fear as she looked at her injured husband. "Derek!" She was greeted with her husband bleeding, barely walking now. "What happened? Derek!" He shook his head as she placed him on the couch, wiping a tear from her broken-down cafe. She cannot remember how it happened, only that that day her husband died, blaming the 'vile creatures' for his death.