Soft beams of sunlight stretched into an arched window carved into stone. Their arms reaching a large silver bell, which was anchored from a shadowed ceiling. The sunlight gleamed off the bell in its caress, but it could never chime its echo.

Below the bell, descended a stairwell carved into the stone tower's bodice. Verdant vines climbed downward with it, crawling out of the shadows above. Red roses clung to the vines in a sweet embrace, their scarlet petals falling away as embers from a fire, drifting downward toward the small frame of a woman in silent slumber.

She lay upon a stone bed, sitting on a raised dais in the middle of the darkened chamber. The stairwell nestled itself against the edge of the dais. The drifting rose petals seemed to bid farewell to the maiden as they began to blanket her body in their scarlet beauty.

The distant sound of metal scratching against the concrete floor broke the still silence.

Golden eyes opened after some time, a mixture of confusion and disbelief danced across the auburn depths. The woman rose slightly, petals falling from her shoulders as she did so, joining the other petals among the alter beneath her. She raised her arm, which was clothed in white lace that reached her elbows, and examined her hand closely, her brows furrowed.

“You look surprised to be alive.” Came a deep voice from behind her.

Startled, she rose to her feet and spun around to face the intruder, sending the ember petals into the air, dancing before coming to rest before the intruder’s feet.

Their dark silhouette was tall and a set of fierce eyes that glowed red in the darkness met the woman’s gaze.

“Who are you?” She demanded, stepping down the dais as she backed away from the altar.

“ I can ask you the same thing, or rather what were you doing under a death spell?” The stranger asked as he took a step forward, crushing the rose petals beneath his boot.

The woman backed away as he cleared the altar and the dais with a few long strides, the effort made easy by his long legs.

She continued to move backwards until she felt the cool press of the stone wall against her wings and looked around for an escape route, her eyes falling on the only entrance to the chamber, the gate.

Without a moment’s hesitation, she dashed for it.

Once out in the open, she spun around, the sunlight setting her hair ablaze, it glinted off her gilded armor, and caused a ripple in color of the sword that she had unsheathed. Behind her back, she flared out a set of pearlescent wings.

“Stop right there!” She pointed her sword at the intruder.

He held his hands up in surrender, which were garbed in violet. “Yo! I’m the one who saved you, you can put the long pointy knife down.”

Out in the sunlight, he was less intimidating, she could see him more clearly and he could do the same for her. His tall frame was dawned in a black cape that hid everything, his hair cascaded down his shoulders in tawny waves, and his eyes were a deep umber tinged with red.

“Answer my question. Who are you?” She ignored his words and asked him once more.

“Askerian. And you?” He asked eyeing her wings. His gaze darted to her head where a set of feline ears protruded from her hair, dotted in fur the same color of the flaming strands. Below each ear rested a white tiny folded wing.

“I ask the questions here.” She stuck her chin out in a show of defiance.

“Excuse me? Didn’t you hear what I just said? I saved your life.” He snorted.

“You had no right to interfere!” Her eyes were glossy with unshed tears.

He was taken aback by her words. “Interfere ---” He repeated the word and then it clicked.

“Are you saying, that you an angel,” he stepped closer and she backed up further ” would place a death spell on YOURSELF !?”

And with that, she turned around and darted through the trees. Shame and embarrassment overwhelming the sadness she felt before. As she dashed through the familiar surroundings of oak and mahogany trees, she could hear his footfalls behind her, matching the crunching sounds her own feet made as they met with the leaves on the forest floor. She couldn’t let him catch her. She had given up on her mission, and he knew what she was, and it was bad. She had hoped she could die in peace and return to her home in Heaven. The king would punish her for sure, but he would be kind about it. It seemed as if this stranger knew what she was.

The familiar clay-brick wall came into view through the copes and she pushed onward, having completely forgotten the reason she had cast the death spell upon herself. She reached the wall that towered over her, the wrought iron standing as sharp daggers, protecting the village beyond from intrusion at the top of the wall. It wasn’t until she rounded the south gate that she was met with the gruesome display.

She stopped in her tracks, frozen in place as the memories struck viscously. She was caught in the flood of pain and sorrow and she didn’t see when Askerian had made it through the gate.

He took in the scene before him which made him stumble as he reached her side. Charred shingled roof tops, loose bricks where buildings had gaping holes in them, wrought iron street posts toppled over, some stuck out of the ground like black uprooted trees.

Smoke rose here and there, rising above the taller buildings; the town hall and the church.

The town hall seemed to be the only building without blemish as it stood out over the village. Off to the left of the mansion style hall, the church stood in ruin, its steeples had nearly collapsed in on themselves, the once magnificent building was covered in long gash marks. Marks Askerian knew all too well.

Across from the church lay open a gaping hole in the ground where the alchemy lab once stood. The depth deep and the crater wide, but oddly enough, the earth below wasn’t covered in soot like the rest of the Victorian town.

What happened?” Askerian’s voice came out husky as he took in the sight.

“What does it look like happened?” The angel snapped. “I was supposed to protect them.” Ears flat against her head, she hung it in shame. “But I failed.” Her voice broke on the last three words.

She turned away from the carnage and stalked back towards the forest. “Don’t interfere this time.”

“No.”

His firm tone stopped her in her tracks, she turned slightly and glared at him. Pain and guilt etched into her eyes. “Why do you insist on bothering me?”

“I don’t know what happened here other than my home was destroyed the same way, by the same dragon and I know that this world needs you. You can’t just throw your life away and abandon the people who remain alive. “

“And what would you know about being an angel huh? You don’t know a thing—” She was interrupted as a set of black leathery wings sprouted from his back.

“S-stay away.” She gasped.

“I’m not a threat to you, although I will be if you pull another stunt like the one back there in the tower. Which reminds me.” He lifted himself up off the ground in one fell swoop and sauntered into the air, turning up debris as his wings moved the air.

Dragon rider.

The words whispered inside her mind as she watched him ascend and instantly she understood. He must be the dragon’s rider, but why does he not seem as deranged?

As she pondered on her thoughts, the ground beneath her feet began to shake and she moved to regain her balance.

“What on Gaia?”

She darted through the trees as the thought of another battle with the dragon came fourth, she would put an end to it this time.

She raced back through the familiar trail, tall mahogany and great oaks surrounded her, mixed with occasional pines. The wind felt good against her skin as her resolve set in. This time the dragon was as good as dead.

When she broke through the trees, she was taken aback. Standing in front of her crypt was a dragon, but not the one from before, it’s black scales glinted red in the sunlight.

It's maw, which was full of razor sharp teeth opened up as smoke began to spill from it. It tilted its head back and flung it forward as flames spewed from its mouth in a large volcanic blast.

Ardent swore she thought the poor creature had given itself whiplash from the force.

The expulsion of flames erupted around the stone tower. Ardent’s eyes were wide with horror. How dare this creature defile her tomb? The ground below her feet shook once more and the heart wrenching sound of a loud crack reverberated through her soul as the tower crumbled in on itself, as the flames consumed the structure.

Her breath became heavy as she watched the scene before her play out, she wrapped her arms around her middle. The dragon turned its head towards her and she flinched. How was it that the king of Heaven ever thought she could fight one dragon let alone two? He never mentioned anything about a second one.

Then the dragon’s body shimmered in a cloud of black, scarlet and violet stars as the stranger from before took its place, only its wings remained on his back.

“You! Don’t you know it’s rude to desecrate an angel’s resting place!” She seethed.

“Rude or not, you are not dying today or any other day, not by your own hand. I might be rude, but I had no idea angels were selfish.”

She flinched at his words. “You know absolutely nothing about me.”

“Maybe not, but I do know one thing. You are going to help me, get rid of the dragon.” He said nonchalantly.

“And what makes you think I need your help?” She huffed.

“Because I’m a dragon rider and I know a vast amount about dragons.” He deadpanned.

She contemplated his words for a moment. Perhaps he could help her and she could complete her mission, she could avenge her people and other kingdoms that were being ravaged by the nasty beast.

“I guess we could help each other.”

“Right, so you know my name, aren’t you going to tell me yours?”

After a moment of silence she answered, “Ardent. As in flames.”