"I will break you."
With those words, Eskil pushed up from the ground, and his large wings carried him high into the sky as he soared away. A final roar was her only goodbye. Libelle collapsed, the tenseness in her body finally releasing as she dropped to her hands and knees, gasping for air. Had she been holding her breath this entire time?
"My lord!" Gaalin hollered, but his voice sounded like it was far off in the distance.
She didn't respond, she couldn't. Her body was trembling in fear for the first time in a long time; in just a moment, Eskil had seeped terror into her core. She hadn't felt this sort of fear since her first time meeting the wicked demon, since the first time she'd had to fight a dragon, since the time she had learned she was one of the cursed.
Gaalin called out again, the dust was clearing, and she could see his silhouette. His gaze found her crouched down on the ground, staring blankly at the soil fisted in her grip. Mentally trying to calm herself down and stop the shivering in her limbs, she was taking deep breaths to clear her mind when Gaalin spoke once more.
"By all the Gods, he did not kill you?" Gaalin said in disbelief, gripping her by the arm and yanking her to her feet as the surviving guards ran towards them.
He held her up with a firm grip to her armor, glaring as a few of the guards ventured too close. They all began speaking at once, asking question after question, none of which could be heard as they all spoke over one another.
Libelle sighed, her head rolled back, and she stared up at the sun now at its peak in the sky. She pulled away from Gaalin when her legs finally ceased their shaking, and she took several steps away from him and the crowd. Gaalin was barking at the herd of people forming around them, demanding that they back off, and they obeyed in fear of retaliation. So many people were trying to approach her to express their gratitude, and so many had the need to touch her.
Gaalin barked at them once more before turning his eyes to hers. "What just happened?"
She shook her head. "I don't know."
"What did that beast want?"
She shook her head again. "I don't know, but I do know what I need to do."
"And what is that?"
"I need to visit the Gods." She continued to move away from Gaalin, down the paved path and in the direction of Edinburgh. The following citizens had slowly began to dwindle and were now clustered around the corpse of the ancient dragon. Gaalin was keeping pace next to her, his face seemingly annoyed.
"You just killed yourself a dragon, and you want to go hanging about with some old men who do nothing but sit on a mountain praying? You don't want to celebrate?" He jestingly elbowed her in her side.
"No, Gaalin, this is an important matter. I must see to it. I've been working with the priests at the temple for a long time now, and I've praying to the Gods that our efforts were not in vain."
She pinned her fingers together and held them to her lips, letting out a loud whistle, then she removed her helmet and handed it to her disgruntled manservant who seemed to be searching her expression for any hint towards her intentions.
"What is it you must see to so urgently?" he asked. "You never just leave like this, not without an explanation."
Libelle let out another sigh, catching her fine stallion's reins as he trotted up to her with a quiet nicker. "I cannot explain right now. Just do as I say. Return home and tend to the house and livestock. I'll return as soon as I can."
Gaalin caught her chin in his hand, turning her head upwards so he could stare into her distant eyes. His facial expression was grim, a frown forming on his brow, and his dark skin showing fine wrinkles due to his age and stress. His eyes flickered as he looked over her, and he felt himself wanting to bend down to catch her supple lips in a kiss. His eyes squeezed shut, and he exhaled slowly, let go of her chin and stepped away.
"Be safe then," he murmured, holding onto her horse so she could swing herself into the saddle. His coarse hands rubbed the back of his neck, and his leather armor clung tightly to his muscles as he moved his arms across his chest.
Libelle took a breath before sighing again. Her old friend was simply looking out for her, but she was beginning to get annoyed by his persistent gaze. One that was lustful but conflicted; the man obviously desired her in ways she was not comfortable with. How she had handled it until now was surprising, and she had continued to just treat him like anyone else. She kept him at a distance. She did not want a relationship with another being, or with anyone else for that matter. She would not tie a liability to herself, not with a war raging between man and dragon.
She urged her horse forward, clearing her mind and only thinking of the task in front of her. She must visit the priests in Uppsala as she had to speak with them urgently. Through them she could speak with the Gods once again, perhaps finding the answer to her own riddle.
What could be done to finally stop the war between man and dragon?