Chapter 16

They were on fire. Mavis, my parents, and the baby. It cried as it's skin began to fry. I couldn't reach them. My legs wouldn't move. I screamed but sound wouldn't come out.

"Zander! Save me!" The baby spoke as it began to shrivel up to a fried crisp.

"Zander! My baby! Our baby is dying!" Mavis cried.

I wanted to help, but my legs were stuck. I stuck my hand into the flames and burned myself. My parents were already melted. Mavis's face began to drip off. The crying stopped. Mavis's skin melted. First her face, then her body. She screamed as she formed into a fleshy puddle.

I woke up with a jolt. Carlo was sleeping naked next to me. I sat up. The bed squeaked, waking him up.

"Lee?" He said.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you." I took in a deep breath.

"What happened?" He sat up by me. The blanket fell, exposing his bare chest.

"Nothing. It was just a dream. Don't worry." I said, regaining control of my heavy breathing.

He hugged me.

"Dreams can be scary too. It's alright to be afraid." He ran his fingers through my hair, giving my head a small massage.

We laid back down. Carlo held me in his arms. No one held me since. Since Samuel, I thought. But it felt nice. He gently rubbed my head until I feel back asleep in his arms.

There was no denying the perpetual goodness of him, and how bad I was for him. I played a mental game of toss when I was with him.

"Are there any other books? Any at all about mythical creatures?" I said in the library the next day.

"Are you ever going to tell me what creature you are looking for?" He said, rearranging a book shelf.

I was wasting time playing games. I wanted to trust Carlo. I wanted his help. I needed his help.

"Dragons. I want to read about dragons." I admitted. This caught his attention. He rapidly jerked his head into my direction.

"Dragons? We don't have a lot about them, but here." He carried over a thick book from the back side of the room.

The book was old and the cover was green. I flipped through to find an illustration of dragons.

Dragons have been feared creatures since the beginning of time. Dragons were wiped out during the First War. The final one died in battle. It was shot with arrows three times, separating its three essential parts. Mind, body, and soul. These can be resembled through..

I skimmed the page and turned to the next. I needed a weakness. How could I defeat a dragon?

Dragons are notably unstoppable. The world was broken when both sides of the First War obtained dragons. Dragons shall remain dead for the greater good. It is too much power for a being to have.

It didn't mention an weakness. Dragons couldn't be defeated. I began to get frustrated. There was nothing I can do. It was the size of a castle. How could even an army defeat that?

Carlo continued to organize books on a step ladder. I studied him.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" He called over.

"Yeah, I did." I said disappointed. There was nothing else about dragons in the library. It was a dead end. I know the same of what Samuel knows. Dragons are unstoppable.

Carlo's books slipped out of his hands, dropping a stack of books everywhere on the ground. I sprang over to help him pick them up.

"My bad." He said. I helped him put the stack of books back.

One book caught my eye. It was orange and appeared old.The title was

The Place of Nothing.

"Carlo. What is this book?" I stopped.

"That? It's a book about the Calkhorn Desert. You know, because there's nothing out there. Just sand."

I sat on the floor and tore it open. I remembered what the rebel woman said before she was killed.The place of nothing.

The book went on to say how there is essentially nothing is in the desert. Very few things can live there because of the intense climate. The desert is unlike any other.

The climate is unbearable. Nothing has lived there for thousands of years. It is believed that an ancient being cursed the land, preventing any humans to survive there.

Go to the place of nothing and awaken what you already have. The place of nothing had to have been the Calkhorn desert. What did I already have? If there is an ancient creature there I had to go there. Maybe it was more powerful than the dragon.

For a moment, I felt a weight was lifted. I knew what I needed to do. Then, the depressing truth hit me. I had what I needed. I knew where I needed to go.

I had to leave Carlo. My heart sank.

I was a king. All kings had to make sacrifices. I was no exception.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" He asked again.

"Yes. I really have this time." I said.

"Great, let's take the rest of the day off then. You can bring that book with you if you must."

"I don't know if I should." I clenched the book.

"Enough! You're coming with me!" He grabbed my wrist and pulled me to the door.

"Don't forget your cape, Mr.Mysterious." He said.

"Where are you taking me?"

"Can't you let it be a surprise?" He asked.

"No, I don't like surprises." I said.

My immediate thought was he was going to take me to the Vendov guards. He was going to turn me in, where I would be at the mercy of Vendov, or Samuel.

"Please? It's not bad, I promise." He looked at me with his soft eyes.

He brought me outside and locked up the library.

"What if someone wants to get something from the library?" I said.

"They can come back tomorrow." He said.

"Wait here." He said, while running upstairs to his home. I stood outside, facing away from the people on the stone streets. He came back.

"Can you keep your eyes closed?"

"I don't think so."

"Please, Lee? I'll guide you. I won't let anything happen to you. Promise." His promise seemed all to familiar.

I sighed as he took my arm. I kept my eyes open, but lowered my head to the ground. He dragged me through town, bringing me outside of it.

"Are we there yet?" I asked.

"Almost." He said.

We went out of the boarder of the city. The land was flat. The sky was blue and the sun was warm. We stopped.

"Give me one moment. Alright. There."

I lifted my head up. We were outside of the city. It was the same way I had entered in. He had a large blanket on the ground, with a basket full of food. He also had a bottle of wine and two glasses.

"I know it's not anywhere spectacular, but I thought we could go somewhere quiet, out of the city. And you can take that damn cloak off and enjoy the sun."

"You're incredibly kind." I told him. He smiled, and pulled me down to the ground by him. He made food. Of course he did, I thought. Despite being a king, I don't think I had ever been treated this well before. Not my my parents, and certainly not by Samuel.

We ate the sandwiches he prepared and sipped on the wine. He pulled out his book he brought with and began to read it.

"What's that about?" I asked.

"It's a story. About a man who thinks the weight of the world is on his shoulders. But it isn't, and he's just doing too much. He forgets how to love." He parted from his book to make eye contact with me.

Carlo had examined me too well.

"How does it end?" I asked.

"I don't know, but I hope it ends with him staying with his love. Can you pass me the grapes?" He said.

I did as he said. Unfortunately I knew that wasn't how my story was going to end. I was going to leave him, first thing in the morning.