Chronicles From the End of an Age

The Dragonslayer and the Fire Queen Pt 3: Threats

"Thank you... Anastasia correct?" the Dragonslayer said as he gingerly took the warm wooden bowl from the woman's hands.

Anastasia nodded, taking a step away from the bars and watching as the man retreated to his table at the back of his cell. He took the wooden spoon in his hand and scooped a spoonful of heated soup into his mouth. A grunt of surprise left him as taste buds exploded. Well-seasoned, well-cooked. He slowly took another scoop before sitting back and sighing out his appreciation.

"Thought you could do with something more than bread and burnt steak," Anastasia gave a grim smile.

"Best meal I had in ages," he replied to her, gratefully taking another sip as he glanced at her.

As far as he could tell, she was an older woman, between forty and fifty years old and several years his senior he guessed. There were smiling wrinkles along her cheeks and tired bags under her eyes. The glittering ruby dress she wore highlighted her kind hazel eyes pulled attention away from the grey streaks beginning to appear in her hair.

He turned his gaze back to his soup, continuing the slow process of eating his meal while he looked at the grizzled, scarred, and calloused hands that were his. He could feel the unkept corners of his bushy beard touch spoon with each scoop and feel the roughly torn garments he wore stretch uneasily with every movement. His brown hair fell down his shoulders, tangled and greasy, and his bare feet were dry and cracked.

"I'm sorry you are still trapped in here," Anastasia eventually said, "It's no way to treat someone."

The Dragonslayer shrugged as he took another spoonful, "I tried to kill your queen. Attempted murder deserves its reasonable punishment."

"Still... You're not a bad man."

The man raised his eyebrow at her, not offering a response.

Anastasia sighed, leaning against the bars of the cage, "Ember said she visited you the other day."

The Dragonslayer let out a surprised grunt, "You are close with Ember?"

"I raised her."

"Ah... so you are the human Athaer chose," the Dragonslayer sat back with renewed interest in the woman who had brought him food.

"Yes."

"And does what I said to Ember concern you?"

"It does."

"Why is that?"

"Because she believes it."

"She does? Does she?"

"Well at the very least she thinks it might be true."

"And do you believe what I said? What I've been saying all along?"

"I don't believe Athaer deserves to die."

The Dragonslayer nodded his head in soft agreement, "Deserving to die... and needing to die are two very different things."

Anastasia sighed softly, "Look... you didn't know Athaer before... before she lost her son. She was a caring dragon. Ruthless... yes, even violent at times. What dragon isn't? But she was... a good ruler. She has good in her. This war... it was started for what Athaer believed to be a good reason. An understandable one."

"A reason that was taken care of years ago," the Dragonslayer responded evenly, "Look, I do not doubt what you are saying. But it doesn't matter. You know Athaer well. You know how far she will go to achieve victory... don't you. How far she will go to achieve her goal."

"I don't think she will destroy the world."

The Dragonslayer nodded, leaning down, and taking a sip of the soup, "That remains to be seen."