In the light of the noon day sun a dragon in human form stands before a knight known for his many dragon kills.

“So it’s true?” He asked. His forest green eyes focused on her misty blue ones as strands of brown-red hair flailed across her face with the noon day wind. A red scarf around her neck danced on the wind.

She held her head down lifting her hand to gently pull her hair from her eyes.

“I would have killed the man who dare speak ill of you, without thought.” He went on. “Are you saying that it would have been in vain?”

She lifted her eyes and met his, an unreadable look in her eyes as they glided over the rune scribed sword and shield in his hand and the sliver armor gleaming in the light of the sun. Finally her eyes rested on his green eyes beneath his dark hair. She gazed deeply into his eyes trying to read his feelings, he did the same.

“Yes.” She answered slowly.

He stared for a moment as though he didn’t believe what she said. He refused to believe.

“So you are one of them.” He said slowly, the words fell lifelessly from his mouth. “You were sent to take my life.”

Once again she didn’t answer but cast her gaze to the grassy earth.

“It’s been over a year now.” He said quietly. “Why?”

Her eyes lifted to his, she couldn’t find the hurt in them, only the glare of anger. She thought it would be stronger than that, she hoped it would be stronger than that.

He stared back into her eyes, he saw nothing. It was as though she didn’t care.

The moments drew on, each longer than the next, an eternity in a single breath. They held each other’s stares, in perfect silence, only the wind cried for them now.

“You’ve come to kill me.” She broke the silence.

“You’ve been found out.” He said. “I was told this morning, a spy from the dragon nation, sent to dispose of their most feared enemy.”

“You’ve killed many of my people.” She said.

“Your people have killed many of mine.” He replied.

“It’s a war.” She bit down gently on her lower as her lids side down over her eyes.

“Yes.” He agreed. “A vile war.”

“It’s so strange.” She said lifting her left hand she parted her lids and looked at the clear stone in the gold ring that she wore.

He watched her looking down at his gloved hand, he still wore his.

“We were to be wed by the dawn of the summer.” She let her hand fall gently to her side a she looked back at him. Still, no emotion.

“It has been a year since you walked into my life.” His expression was as blank as hers.

“I was chosen, because I have this ability.” She explained.

“To shape shift?” He asked.

“No, I am also partly human.” She admitted.

He didn’t respond.

“I’ve been raised and taught to hate this part of myself.” She lifted her eyes to the blue skies above. “It was barbaric and cruel, it brought only destruction. Destruction I have seen with my own eyes. Mothers crying in the streets for the loss of their children, children left alone in the world. The evil humans slay them for no reason.” She returned her gaze to him. “But I have seen the same during my time with you. The barbaric and evil dragons kill and maim for no reason. Mothers crying in the streets, children left alone. Who are we really fighting?”

“This war has lost its cause.” He said.

“So you’ve told me before,” She brushed her hair back once more. “That night you vowed to put away your sword and placed this ring on my finger.”

His grip on the blade tightened. “I remember.”

“There was no moon that night, just an ocean of stars. Your eyes sparkled as you slipped it onto my finger. You were happy.”

“Yes.”

“So was I.”

Another long paused stilled the air between them.

“But it was all a lie wasn’t it?” He finally broke the long pause.

“If I say yes, if I say what I felt then was real, if I said I still felt it now. Would you believe me? Would you cast aside your sword and shield and take me in your arms once again?”

His grip faltered but remained firm.  “The past year has been a lie.”

She closed her eyes, the hope sparking in her heart crushed. “I am sorry.”

“A soldier should have no remorse.”

“You’ve always told your men that.” She said. “Before going into battle.”

He raised his sword. “It is time you did what you came to do.”

“It has been so for a while.” She said.

A gentle blue light radiated from her body. It grew stronger for a moment before finally fading away. Before him now stood a dragon, unlike any he’d seen before. Covered in azure scales glistening in the sun light, she towered above him at the height of two men. She spread fourth her massive and beautiful wings and looked down at him. Her eyes were still that misty blue that caught his on that day a year ago.

He pointed his blade at her and another moment of stillness framed the scene.

“Perish.” He charged forward.

A gust of wind pushed him back as she flapped her wings and raised herself from the earth. The runes scribed into his blade glowed as he slashed and a crescent shape force spilt the air. She closed her wings over her body the flashed the open dispelling the energy wave that came at her. As her wings opened a blast of fire erupted from her maw.

The runes etched into the rims of his shield glowed as he held it up before him. The fire exploded on the shield, the flames scorched the earth around him but he remained firm.

As he moved the shield from before him he was met with a flash of blue as her wing smacked him back to the ground. As she flew pass he slashed again, this time the energy made contact knocking her forcefully to the ground.

She got up on all fours, her wings spread as she attempted to take to the skies once more. Another wave of energy knocked her back just as her wings caught the air.

She rose up and from her jaws came a long streak of fire aimed at him as he charged toward her. He held up his shield taking the full hit of the flame. The force of it knocked him to the ground and his shield from his hand.

He got back to his feet ignoring the pain he felt as he scrambled to get retrieve his shield. A fire ball his it making an inferno blaze around the shield as it laid on the scorched earth. He gripped his sword and glared at her as another fire ball came at him. He slashed and another blast of energy left his sword and collided with the flame causing a loud explosion of energy.

He kept charging forward as she sent anther ball of fire and he dispelled it the same way. She took for the sky once more but another wave of energy from his blade flew through the smoke of the collision hit her in her under belly. Her wings failed her as she began falling hitting the ground hard.

As she made to rise up once again she felt the cold scrape of metal against her neck and saw him standing over her. He was battered, blood caked with dirt, sweat and his hair. His breaths were sharp and heavy as he glared down at her. She made no move.

He gritted his teeth as he looked down at her, a dragon, his enemy. He caught her misty blue eyes again, they were the same as before, yet they were different. His hand began shaking as the rune glowed brightly ready to deliver the killing blow. He closed his eyes, lifted his sword and with all his might brought it down.

She never closed her eyes or attempted to move as she saw him draw back his blade, she only remembered. Remembered the day he had told her he loved her and taken her into his arms. That was all she thought of as she prepared to meet her just reward.

The light wore on and the memory kept on, she looked to her side and saw the blade stuck in the earth, the glow on the runes fading. She felt warm tears fall on her neck.

“In your eyes I saw myself, I saw us. Even as you are now I cannot harm a hair on your head. Love is a evil creature and has taken me full in its grasp.” He whispered quietly.

She could see the tears glistening in his eyes.

He got back onto his knees and bowed his head. “Do what you were sent to do for I cannot do what I must.”

She raised her head and looked at him; her eyes now softening swelling with tears.

This was to be his fate, for he could not kill the one he still loved. He waited patiently for his end

A warm kiss brushed against his cheek and his eyes were opened as he lifted his face. He was met by the same misty blue eyes and the face he fell in love with.

“I love you.” Was all she said, as she wrapped her arms around him.

He took her in his arms, happy once again and at peace.

“But you must.” She pulled back and took his sword from the earth and placed it between them. “You cannot go back home unless you do.”

“Then I won’t go.” He took her hand in his.

“Please.” She pleaded taking back her hand. “I only want for you to be happy.”

“I am happy with you.”

“I have deceived you all this time. If you do not, you will be hunted not only by my people but by yours.”

“I don’t care.”

“You will have no place to go.”

“As long as you are there.”

“We will run for the rest of our lives.”

“I’ll carry you if you are weary.”

“It is not me that fear for.”

“Forget this life, come with me.”

“But my people are to the north.”

“Don’t look back.”

“Your people are to the south.”

“You’re safe now.”

She stared at him for a moment as the tears stared marking tracks down her cheeks.

He took her hand in his and pulled her to her feet with him.
“Let’s never look back.” He smiled.

“Never.” She smiled warmly.

The noon turned to twilight golden light casting shadows on the scorched earth. The only thing left, a sword and shield stuck in the earth and a red scarf flailing in the wind.