Kaida

• Aoife Marzol, Grade 7, St Catherine's Catholic College -
• Short Story
• 2018

Excellence Award in the 'Write Along 2018' competition

“please, take care of her. I’m begging you”
As the knight spoke pain from the wound in his chest began seeping in, he wouldn’t last much longer. He held out the sleeping child and in doing so he fell, I caught the girl in one scaled hand, being careful not to disturb her sleep, the knight lay unmoving and his breaths were short and ragged, death was inevitable.
I tucked her in a bed of smooth gemstones, quite fitting for a royal child. I turned back to the knight and he was gone. I picked him up and flew him down to the river with a single beat of my wings, there I buried him and made a promise, looking out over the burned remains of a once great kingdom I promised him that I would care for the human child as if she were my own. She would be raised a dragon, my dragon.
“Kaida, my treasure what are you doing up there?”
She turned to face me from her position in the tree,
“papa, I want to fly” she stated. her tone just as fiery as her hair.
I shook my horned head and chuckled sadly, this sweet treasure did not yet know of her non-dragon decent and I didn’t plan on telling her, my treasure would be devastated.
“when will I get my wings?” she sounded so hopeful, I had to lie.
“soon little dragon. But you know, not all dragons have wings”
She smiled sadly, she had wanted her own wings ever since I had taken her in and each time she questioned it I lied, revealing the truth was going to be impossible, if that day ever came, I prayed that it wouldn’t.
Kaida climbed down from the tree and stood at my feet was clear she was unhappy, I offered her my wing, but she declined and began her own way back to the cave.
When I got back I expected Kaida to be waiting but she wasn’t, I looked all over the place, but I couldn’t find her anywhere, and then I saw it. The symbol of Kaida’s kingdom burnt into the wall, and I knew in an instant who had taken her. That symbol had died years ago when the kingdom had fallen. It was the queen, Kaida’s mother.
I shot out of the cave, my path dead set on the ruins of the kingdom. I feared I was too late. I heard Kaida scream. swooping down I landed, Kaida was tied up and it made me furious to see my treasure like this, the queens blood would be on my hands. I turned to search for her and my eyes landed on the tall figure, I surged forward, attempting to strike but in my fury, I hadn’t noticed the blade in her hand, before I could move, the blade penetrated my chest and I collapsed to the eroded floor. Kaida broke away from her bonds and rushed over to me, tears already spilling from her sapphire blue eyes, and with my final breaths I explained everything. I didn’t have to die knowing I lied to the only treasure of true worth.