The Dragon’s Throne 1

John was still almost in the middle of the river, and Isabel could tell that he was exhausted trying to haul them both to the shore in the rushing water that was picking up speed.  Frantically, Isabel searched the shoreline ahead of them, and when she saw it, she picked up speed and ran as fast as she could to get ahead of John and Lauren.

A large branch lay near the water’s edge, at least eight feet long and as big around as a man’s leg.  Isabel looked over her shoulder and lengthened her stride, desperate to get to the branch in time as Lauren called out for help and John fought the exhaustion that was quickly claiming him.

Isabel grabbed the branch, hefting it up with all her might and shoving one end between two boulders along the shore and extending it into the water.

“John!” she called out as she laid on the branch and crawled out into the water, her knees still on the boulders, the branch wedged in tight so that the churning water only pushed it up a few inches with each swell.  “John, right here.”

John and Lauren were coming at her fast, and Isabel knew that she had one shot at this.  Terrified, she edged out further into the water and wrapped her legs around the heavy branch to keep from being dragged into the water. 

Stretching her arms out, she watched John struggling his way toward her and as soon as he was within reach, she grabbed his free arm and wrapped her arms around his as he bent his elbow to form a chain.  The water yanked at her, but she held on, the branch creaking and cracking under the weight of the three of them.

Slowly, she inched backward until John’s hands were on the branch and Isabel’s knees touched the boulder again.  She helped him drag Lauren along the branch, the weight of her dress making her feel like she weighed three times what she did. 

The branch protested but held fast as they moved with agonizing slowness toward the shore.

“Don’t let me go!” Lauren screamed when the water swelled and a wave crashed over them, almost pushing the branch loose.

“I’ve got you,” Isabel yelled back, grabbing the fabric around Lauren’s shoulders and pulling harder.

John was quiet behind Lauren, coughing violently but still pushing on.  Isabel reached toward him, but he shook his head.

“Help her,” he choked out.

With one last, valiant effort, Isabel dragged Lauren onto the boulders, then helped the woman crawl to the shore before going back and pulling John out of the water.  The branch gave way then, and Isabel almost lost her grip on John, but she somehow managed to pull him onto the boulders and on to the shore where Lauren lay on her side, coughing up water and trying to catch her breath.

Isabel knelt between them, not sure who to help first.  John’s color was off, and he wasn’t talking.  Isabel rolled him onto his side in the mud, pounding on his back as he coughed up an impossible amount of water. 

She heard a shriek of anger overhead and looked up at the sky to see a black dragon flying toward them, sounds of rage coming from his throat.  He folded his wings and dove at them, his eyes flashing with rage.

“Lauren, tell him we didn’t hurt you,” Isabel cried in desperation, but she looked over her shoulder and Lauren’s eyes were closed again.

She’d lost consciousness.

The angry Dragon King was almost upon them, nostrils flaring and smoke coming from his mouth.  Isabel and John were too close to Lauren for the King to risk setting them on fire, but Isabel knew that he wanted to.

“We saved her!” she yelled, but the Dragon King kept coming, still shrieking angrily.

John was staring at her now, still on his side, water spilling from his mouth with every breath.

“Run,” he said weakly.

“I won’t leave you,” she cried.

“Run!  Isabel, run and don’t look back.”

His hand was gripping hers, squeezing shakily before he let her go.  She looked up at the sky, and back at John’s face.

“I love you,” he said before his body went into convulsions.

She cried out in frustration, standing up and running, sobbing as she reached the tree line and dashed toward the village.  She could hear the dragon’s anger behind her, but still, she ran, hoping the trees would shield her.

When the woods around her didn’t burst into flames, she knew that the King had stayed by his mate, protecting her first and worrying about the human who had disappeared in the woods later.

She screamed in anger, her sobs choking her as she ran. 

You’re a coward! Isabel admonished herself as she ran, wanting nothing more than to turn around and run back to John, but she knew it was a death sentence. 

The walls of the village rose in the distance, and she could see that the guards were already at the ready, holding the gates open for her.  She ran through the gates, still sobbing and calling out for John as they closed with a solid, deafening thud behind her.

A guard grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her as she moaned.

“Where’s John?” he asked, yelling to be heard over her keening.

“The Dragon King has him,” she said, dissolving into fresh sobs and falling to her knees.  “The Dragon King has him.  John is dead.”

Present Day, Summer 2070

Anna Greely packed up the last of her wares, ready to take them to Festival to sell.  The summer had been long and hot, but Anna had pushed on, sewing as many dresses as she could by hand, too poor to afford the luxury of a foot-operated sewing machine.  Her sewing skills were nothing compared to the work of her mother, Isabel, who had sewn fantastic dresses that were coveted by all. 

Her mother had made plenty of money selling dresses twice a year; enough to buy the cabin that Anna lived in now, and provide a good living.  Anna was envious of her mother’s talent, but she would never learn the secrets of her mother’s success as a seamstress.

Isabel had died giving birth to Anna just nine short months after the death of her husband John.  With no parents and only one living relative, Anna had been raised by Isabel’s sister Lillian, who had begrudgingly taught Anna the family craft.