Imprecate | ✓

| 3 | going strong

Think about this: You have the ability to survive anything. That is why, despite all the storms made of pain and loss, despite all the chaos that you have to had endure you are still here and you are still going strong.
- Nikita Gill

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- Victorine -

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As expected, I woke up when it was still dark outside after going to bed early yesterday. Immediately I got up and gathered the leather bags with my provisions. I armed myself with a sword, some daggers, a bow and a crossbow. I stowed a weapon wherever I could fit one more.

I left a short note for my brother on my bed. It felt wrong to leave him here as the last of the family. But I couldn't stay here.

Packed full and as quietly as possible, I left the room. I crept through the hallways, wondering if I would ever return here. Involuntarily, I shook my head slightly. At any cost, I would bring Crescentia back home.

The patrols inside the castle had been reinforced, so I had to be careful not to be discovered. Finally, I climbed out of the window of the kitchen on the first floor.

The soon to be full moon cast faint moonlight on the castle courtyard. I waited a few seconds, and when no sound was heard I crept to the back of the castle. It was a relatively long way to the adjacent mountains where the dragons lived. But I had no problems walking it even in these light conditions.

After walking through the forest for some time, I arrived. As expected, there were no signs of battle here. The soldiers of Tenebris were strong, but not stupid enough to attack a dragon's nest.

I put the bags down for a moment and looked around. There were dangerous creatures walking around here at irregular intervals during the night, so I unsheathed my sword and looked around in all directions in alarm.

"Deidamia," I then called out half loudly, just so that she should hear me but I didn't draw the attention of all the forest creatures.

For what seemed like an eternity of consecutive seconds, there was complete silence around me. I looked toward the mountains, hoping that Deidamia would soon appear. For a moment I remembered my childhood, when we had spent so much time together.

She had not been fully grown herself when we flew around the mountains and I told her stories all night long. Actually, only long trained dragon riders could tame a dragon. But my skills had been a huge advantage for me.

The next moment I heard a sound and exhaled in relief when I identified it as the beating of wings. The mighty dragon landed gracefully a few steps away in front of me, and as always, I marveled at how big she had grown.

"Hello Deidamia," I greeted, gently stroking her head as she leaned over to me. "Would you be up for a  longer ride?" I asked gently.

The dragon lowered her head a tiny bit and snorted, the warm steam from her nostrils giving me my answer. By now, I didn't even need to use my skills oh her. In most times, I knew how she thought and what she felt. She let me climb on her back, then I made sure my luggage and weapons were securely fastened to me and signaled Deidamia to fly off.