Chapter Three: The Lake of Memories

The strong bond of Haylan and Pandora were already there before they both got to know each other. Heres a little insight in their complex history together. Just a snip-it of it.

   

   Pandora removed her amethyst dress and dropped it to the vulnerable patch of grass beside her. After the removal of her undergarments, she placed them on top of her dress and dived into the Lake of Memories. 

   After tough or stressful days like the one she was having, the Lake of Memories made her remember how happy she used to be, and how carefree she was.

   Closing her eyes and letting the warm water soothe her stress, she remembered the memory she would never soon forget. 

   The day she met Haylan. 

    Pandora walked silently through the forest, stalking the deer that she had her eye on from the beginning of the trail. The deer was so palpable that her stomach churned in suspense.

    As the soil squeezed through her toes, she kept walking in a slow pace, stalking the deer quietly.

    The taciturn night swarmed with success in the air as she inched closer to the deer that was now eating a mouthful of grass.

    Just a couple more steps...she held the knife securely in her hand.

    "Somebody help me!" screamed a loud stranger. Its voice came out weak and muffled. She snapped out of the concentration she was in and looked around her, paranoia sweeping over her.

    All of a sudden, the deer skidded off into the open meadow and down to the trail of clustered trees and darkness.

    She cursed silently under her breath. She now only had one option, and that was go to find the person that belonged to the voice.

    "Help!" the voice rang again, and she followed it closely, moving with her intuition and hearing. 

    "Please," the stranger whined.
   Pandora moved through the bushes, getting nipped by a couple of bugs that were ensconced under the leaves she brushed passed.

   When she made it passed the bushes, she found a boy laying on the ground with his hand pressed firmly against his forearm. Green liquid oozed from his wound, blood seeping through his fingers. 

   Pandora was rapt in the sight of the boy. His eyes squeezed shut and his face red and swollen from tears he shed. 
   Without another thought, Pandora walked slowly over to the boy with the brown hair and knelt beside him, resting her hand on his shoulder.

   His eyes shot open, starring at Pandora in relief and amazement. 

   "What happened to you?" Pandora's voice came out cogent and relaxed. Not once was she known for doing well under pressure. Situations like these always made her feel nauseous and faint.

   "A c-c-oyote attacked m-me," he stuttered, then moved his hand away from  his arm to show Pandora the extremes of his cut.

   Claw lacerations were engraved in his skin, green, thick liquid surrounded the cut and blood dripped down on the wet soil.

   The cut was so deep Pandora could almost see his bone.

   "We need to get you to the Healers right away." Pandora got up and extended her hand, and in return the boy shook his head.

   "Hunting coyotes are illegal to The Law. If I tell them how I got this, they'll whip me. I can't do that." He seemed to be petrified about the whole scenario.

   "Well what are we suppose to do then? You have to have professional help for that. I don't have any herbs that can help heal your wound." Pandora sat back down next to the boy, her fingertips brushing back and forth against his injured forearm.

   "That feels...soothing," he leaned his head back, but then couple scowls appeared on his face as her fingertips touched the tender part of his wound.

   Pandora peered down at the lacerations again, starring at the green liquid that was around the outside of the cut. "This looks more than just a coyote scratch. This looks like...dragon blood around your cut." She leaned her head lower to get a better look at it.

   The shimmery color of the liquid and the color was enough to say that it definitely was dragon blood. 

   She gasped in shock as she got up and held her knife out at the boy, defending herself. "You were trying to kill Eicon!" She could hear the shock in her voice as she said the dragon's name out loud.

   The boy's hands flew up in surrender, then winced at the pain he felt at the sudden movement of his arm. "Let me explain, please, let me explain." His voice pleaded with hope.

   "Speak, boy, before I cut your throat!" An impudent glare flickered through Pandora's eyes.

   "My mother, shes sick. I heard around that dragon scales can cure almost any form of diseases. I didn't know what else to do. I wanted to bring her a cure that could make her proud of me." 

   Pandora hated to feel sympathy for the boy. But she knew what it was like to try to do everything you can to help someone. She could interpret the boys feelings much like her own and create an understanding.

   She sighed and lowered the knife, and dropped her arm to her side. "I'm sorry about your mother. But Eicon is a part of this world. Without him, the existence of our kind will be erased. He keeps us safe, and all of our souls are embedded in his own. We are one with the dragon. If you kill him, you kill all of us. Including your mother." 

   The boy's face turned to shame, his gaze dropped to the soil. "I wasn't aware of that. I'm sorry." 

   "I can tell that you haven't succeeded. Or else I'd be dead. Did you escape?" 

   "I ran for my life. If the dragon wasn't confided in the space he was given, then I would've been dead. And thats when I ran into the coyote..." His eyes never trailed away from the soil. It was like he was fixated on it, for a reason she was completely oblivious to knowing.

   "I'm glad you were able to run away. Eicon can be forgiving sometimes. And...not so forgiving." Pandora smiled lightly.

   "That much I know now." 

   "Whats your name, boy?" Pandora's voice was gentle and not domineering whatsoever.

   "Haylan, Haylan Mostaf," he finally averted his gaze and met Pandora's, "and yours?" 

   "Pandora Lancaster." She held his gaze for a minute, getting lost in his brown orbs of beauty and enchantment. 

   "What a beautiful name, what seems to be for a beautiful girl." 

   Pandora smiled, her lips parting, showing her teeth.

   When Pandora opened her eyes, she was floating on her back.

   She was welcomed to a beautiful sight of shadows dancing in the night's sky. Twinkles of light shined in the sky, giving Pandora hope.

Reviews

[DontBlink158]

I was wondering about the past of Haylan and Pandora. and now my question was answered. Great job!

[rae52]

i loved how you gave us a flash back so we couldd see how the relation ship began between haylan and pandora

[Short.Nerd]

A dragon? Awesome! xD I like how they met. It's kinda funny. Shame on Haylan for trying to hunt Elicon. lol. Great work!