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She wandered aimlessly through the now barren land. She
could not remember how many days it had been since she had been cast out of the
village, hunger, thirst and exhaustion were taking hold of this poor young
woman. She stumbled and fells to the ground, laying still were she lands, her
mind roaming back to her village.
"How did this happen" her mothers voice is almost a whisper
"What is happening to me Mother?" the poor girl asks, fear in her voice
"You are now at the age of marriage but you are spoilt. Who did this to you?" her mother spoke harshly but in hushed tones. The poor girl stood before her mother, her swollen belly
the subject. Nesta had just reached the age of marriage. She, like all
young women in her village had been kept innocent of the ways of men and of childbirth.
"Who did it?" snapped Nesta's mother, taking hold of her daughter's arms shaking her as tears welled in the eyes of both Mother and daughter,
"Mother, I don't know, am I," Nesta's word were broken
almost unable to say what she had now realised. "To have a child?" At this moment a lady of the village elders entered the small room. The room fell into silence.
"so your daughter is with child" the elder stared at Nesta with disgust "Who has done this to your child?" asked the lady elder to Nesta's mother
"I am trying to find this out" Nesta's mothers voice
was unable to hide the shame and fear she was feeling. "She is betrothed to Bernado," She continued, hoping this may answer the lady elder's question.
"Bernardo is of a respectable family, this is not his doing" the old woman snapped and turning to Nesta continued " Bernardo did not do this to you, did he?" she snapped into Nestas tear stained face. It was almost a statement, not a question. And as Nesta
did not know what had made her this way was not able to answer.
"See the girls silence says so" the old woman continued
"Nesta who did this to you" her mother asked her once more. "Whom have you laid with?" Nesta still did not understand, she knew that Bernardo had told her she was beautiful and had given her wine to drink, the night she had been at her friend Carmellas home, Carmellas parents were friends
with Bernardo's family and they often called. But she had not laid down with him, even when Carmella had left them for a few minutes they had not laid down, Nesta
tried hard to remember, she had never drank wine before and her head had been
fuzzy,
"No I have never laid with Bernardo, or any other" Nesta tears falling down her face. He had held her, pressed against her, made her feel hot, but maybe that was the wine. She was sure they had not laid down at any time. Nesta was so confused, they were right, it was not Bernardo who had done this to her
"NO other? are you sure child?" the lady elders voice came out in a shriek
"Then WHAT has put that creature into your belly, child?" the lady elders answer cut straight into Nestas mothers own thoughts
"No, the child is confused," protested Nesta's mother.
But it was to late, the lady elder had left the room and was storming across the
path to where the elders gathered.
Nesta looked up at the sky, shielding her eyes from the blistering sun. She had almost frozen the night
just gone, and now the day was not long started and yet the heat was already unbearable.
"What is to
become of me?" she sobbed silently to herself, she stroked her now very swollen stomach, "what is to
become of you?" she spoke gently, though all had told her of the evil growing inside her, Nesta could
not help loving the child within.
"EVIL EVIL EVIL " the words raced around her head, as she drifted
off once more, her mind taking her back to the village.
"Nesta tell me" her mothers voice was full of panic. "I can not help you my child if you do not tell me"
Nesta just looked sadly at her mother. She so wanted to tell her what she asked
but the poor girl did not understand enough of the world to be able to answer her mother. The sound of a crowd gathering was heard in the distance;
"Nesta you must tell me?" her mother was now crying, unable to hide the fear she had
for her daughter.
"It's a devil child" came a shout from the distance
"A Goblin from the mountains" came another the sound getting closer all the time,
"Evil is within her" "EVIL EVIL EVIL"
The door burst open and two men of the village dragged
poor Nesta out into the crowd. She looked around for her mother but she was not
allowed to follow her poor daughter. The crowd gathered around her,
"Devil child" "Evil" "Evil within" "no good will come of her" "EVIL EVIL EVIL" the
cries came from all around. Nesta lowered her head, tears rolling down her
cheeks, the sound ringing in her ears.
Was she evil? was this growing within her, evil? She did not know, she did not
understand. The crowd suddenly settled and parted, letting the elders of the village through. All fell silent.
"You will be asked this only once child" the Grand Elder
spoke directly into Nesta's tear stained face. "With whom have you laid?" Nesta
looked up into the wrinkled face,
"Sir, I have laid with no one." Nesta's answer was delivered honestly and with sincerity, the crowd let out a gasp.
"Evil out of her own lips"
"the devils work" the crowd shouted. As the Great Elder held his
hand for silence, the only sound could be heard was the distance sobs of Nesta's
mother locked in her home unable to help her daughter.
"Your own lips condemn you child, do you understand?" the
Great Elder spoke directly to Nesta, then continued to speak louder so
all could hear. "This village gave a sacrifice to Gralean of a fair maiden many years ago, and
since that time he has not returned." The crowd gave out a gasp and ripples of fear spread through the
crowd carrying murmurs of Gralean in its wake. The Great Elder continued "It would appear
that Gralean has chosen another for Himself and has lain with
this child as she slept." The murmurs in the
crowd started once more. All had heard the story of Gralean and how the sun had been blocked by His wings. The sacrifice
of the maiden had appeased him and the village had been saved.
Nesta felt a cool shadow fall over her, "is this death,
coming for me?" her voice to weak to be audible. She rested her head down once more. The coolness comforting her, as the pain in her belly started
once more.
"OUT"
"SHE MUSTBE GONE"
"EVIL"
the cries from the crowd echoed in Nesta's ears. The great elder held up a hand.
"Nesta, you must leave the village, and never return,
what grows within you is not for this village. May the gods watch over you
child" with the final words he turned and the crowd parted as the elders left
the scene. Nesta's arm was taken roughly by one of the men and as she
was dragged to the edge of the village the crowd all called after her
"Evil child"
"child of Gralean"
"she can not stay" "what else can be done"
"Let me see my mother" Nesta begged " just once more" but
the crowd kept pulling her on. Nesta looked for a kindly face but none was to
be seen only fear and hate were on the villages face, then she saw Bernardo. He
looked sternly into Nesta's eyes, "help me she please" she begged but Bernardo just turned
and walked away "take pity on me Let me see my mother" Nesta sobbing, begged
again.
The crowd stopped at the edge of the village, the
blacksmith, who had been following with the crowd now stepped close to Nesta
and spoke quietly to her.
"Nesta you have been chosen, you must not stay in the village, or all will be
in danger, do you understand?" Nestas just looked back confused and scared, he continued "it would be to hard for your mother
to see you, it is best if you just accept your fate and go" Nesta looked into
the sad kind eyes of the blacksmith. Then a stone hit her on the back
"OUT " came a cry as another stone was thrown
"STOP" the blacksmith shielded the
innocent child, "She is going, has she not suffered enough at the hands of
Gralean" the blacksmiths words hit a cord with the crowd and all fell silent. "Go
now child and may luck find you" Nesta looked up into the blacksmiths eyes
"Tell my mother I love her, tell her not to worry." And so Nesta had left
the village, not knowing where to go, not knowing what fate had in store for
her.
Nesta, let out a faint sob, as the pain became strong, but
her strength now was to weak. She thought she heard a cry in the distance or was it
her mind was playing tricks. As she felt her head spinning, with hunger, pain
and fatigue she dreamed of floating, of the wind, of clear water tasting of
honey, of the smell of summer moss. "Oh sweet dream take me to my death" she
whispered as she drifted off once more.
Gralean had seen the poor child wandering into the desert, had
taken it that she was lost. Gralean circled high looking for villages searching
for their lost child, but no, none were to be seen. Gralean returned, and shielding the child from the sun with His out
stretched wings and gave out a dragon cry. Many miles away in Gralean's nest His son heard His fathers
cry, and took to flight at once. As His
father's cries became more intense Marto flew with the swiftness His father had
taught him. As Marto neared, Gralean landed near the poor child. "Do not fear"
Gralean spoke softly, but the girl did not respond. Marto landed next to His
father,
"Is she dead?" Marto asked.
"No my son but she nears it, I am fearful of moving her, for she is ready to bring forth a child" Marto,
gasped at His fathers words, He knew His father was a Dragon of the highest order and that
His knowledge was great, but how could he know this?
"Remember my son, your own mother was a villager" Gralean answered His son's thoughts. Marto,
had loved his sweet mother, she was a villager, with eyes of emeralds, Marto remembered how
as a child His father had taught Him to fly, with His beautiful mother
gracefully laying on Her beloved Gralean's back. He had never seen such
love as His mother and father had, even though
they were of different types.
"What are we to do?" asked Marto<
"bring me water, moss and send a cry for Harnia." Gralean
gently fanned the poor child as she lay in the shade of his other outstretched
wing. With out another word Marto took to the sky, giving out a
Dragon cry for Harnia, a female dragon of the highest order. Soon he returned with the water and moss,
Gralean still fanning the girl to keep her cool. Carefully Gralean lifted the girl
as Marto laid the moss on the ground. Gralean gently laid the poor girl on the moss and dripped water
into her mouth. Just a few moment later a shriek came from the sky. Harnia approached.
"Well Draco Sir, you seem to find the most beautiful of all
village girls" she teased as she come closer. " And is this one to bear you
another child?" she asked
"NO no Harnia, I find her here today as you see her"
"I tease my Lord Gralean," Harnia answered respectfully "you have done the right thing Sir,
she is near to birth" the female dragon gently tended the half dead girl, coaxing her to life,
caressing her stomach to yield the child within" Nesta was to weak however and death came to her.
With tears in her beautiful yellow dragon eyes Harnia looked up to Gralean ,
"Sir she is dead" they all fell silent. All three dragons looked down on the sad
picture of the beautiful girl.
"Look father the belly moves she is still living" Marto cried
"No son, she is dead" Gralean answered and then continued with speed, "but the child within lives, we must work fast.
Harnia prepare for a village baby. Marto stand back" with graceful ease
Draco extended one of his great talons and blowing fire onto it used it with great skill to cut the baby free
from its dead mother's womb.
Back at the nest, the young female village child laid in
a bed of moss, "what is to become of her?" asks Harnia
"Can we take her back to the village" asks Marto
"No my son, the villages are strange they will cast it out as they did its mother"
"So father what is to be done?"
"Harnia, you have no child of your own, you are a fine dragon of the highest order,
I ask you to come live here with Marto and myself and help raise the child" Gralean spoke firmly but did not order this fine dragon
woman
"No Sir, I do not think I would take to living with you Sir,
your live outside the castle, and I am not use to this life. But Sir I will
take the child with me and raise her in the mountain castle where she will be safe,
and cared for." Gralean so wanted to be part of this child's life but he knew
what Harnia had said to be true. Gralean was a rebel, living on the wing,
rarely returning to the Castle of the Dragons, his true home.
"As you say Harnia, she will be safe and cared for, be it
as you say." With these words Gralean gently lifted the village baby and settled it into
the soft folds of Harnia's breasts, and with out a further word Harnia took to
the skies taking the village child to its new home in the Castle of the Dragons.
As nightfall came Gralean gently lifted the lifeless body of the village girl, and took it to the
highest point of the sacred waterfall, and with a cry of sorrow, he let the body fall into the water
as was the custom of dragons.
Breath the fire, Live on the air, and End in the cleansing water.
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