Was he after Gretta? Maybe he was under her command. Here as a threat to me to guard the castle and make sure I'd never leave? I would have to keep an eye on him to figure out if I could ever escape his clutches. Surely he had a weakness. I just had to find it.
A loud roar filled the castle. The thick drapes blustered from the sheer force of the sound.
I rushed to the window and peered into the darkness. A shadow swooped in broad arcs around the grounds as far as I could see. Back and forth, encircling the castle, claiming it. I had never seen the dragon in motion before. How vast was that wingspan? I leaned out the window a bit more, trying to get a look at him in his fullness.
As he dove toward the earth, his wings shot out to slow his descent. The tip of one wing seemed to trail on the ground and the other one tickled the trees. His length, not counting the serpent-like tail, was as big as four wagons. And his color, I shuddered at his blackness—black as night, perfect for a witch’s pet.
I had never seen him this close. His large body was covered in shimmering scales, and he flew gracefully through the air with little effort. Then I saw the glint in his eyes. He saw me, and I knew it. And he knew I knew it. He let out another roar, louder than the last, and swooped down for the witch. She stood her ground, screaming her warnings and shaking her stick.
He gave one last slap to his massive wings and came to an abrupt halt just outside my window. I screamed and dropped my candle, sending sprays of wax on to the stone wall beneath the window I peered through. He turned his gaze, and locked eyes with me. Yellow eyes with red veins pierced through my tough veneer. My body trembled and my heart raced.
I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came. What do you say to a dragon? He blinked twice, was that a message? And then used his wings to flap backwards as he moved slowly from the window. He ducked his head to the side and flew away.
Not far, that much I could promise.
How could I be expected to live on these grounds with that thing? Sure he was not very threatening right then, but what about the next day? Dragons weren't known for consistency, after all. Why had he waited until now to make his presence known?
Something pinched my arm. I lifted it to the moonlight that shone through the window. Three little blisters had risen from the surface of my forearm. Burned by the wax. Now the question was just deal with it? Or find my way to the kitchen for some ointment?
“Go away, you beast! Leave us be or you will feel my wrath!” I heard a wicked voice outside.
I stretched my head out as far as it could go and craned my neck until I found the source of the shouts.
Gretta glared with beady eyes up at the night sky. Her crooked arm raised and shook her gnarled walking stick at the dragon's shadowy form. “You are not welcome here, you beast. Leave now!”
The moon intermittently flickered as the dragon soared through the sky and blocked its light. He snapped his tail with a flourish as though mocking the witch.
Gretta lowered her stick and shook her head.
Why didn't she destroy the dragon? Was he more powerful than Gretta? That was interesting. I flipped my body over and rested my back on the windowsill. I held onto the stone wall as I leaned out and searched the sky. Where had he gone?
Swoosh.
The black form blocked the moon again for an instant and then settled on the ground in front of me. Directly beneath me. I shuddered. If he chose to, he could reach his long neck up and devour me. Why didn't he do that? Why did he insist on toying with me?
Then I heard the sound I hoped to never hear again. The chanting.
As Gretta’s chanting increased in intensity like it had the night my life ended, the dragon continued his flight. His speed and deep dives to the earth increased with intensity as Gretta continued. Would this end in his death like it had Henry's? Strangely, I hoped not.
How much power did Gretta have over the dragon? Judging from his snorting and rapid, erratic flight, he wasn't happy with her at all.
The dragon pulled back his head and opened his wide mouth. With a hiss he reared back and shot forth a glowing ball of fire. It flew like a cannonball toward Gretta, lighting an orange, glowing path on the ground as it sought his target.
Gretta stumbled backwards and fell to the ground.
I almost lost my hold on the window frame, but I recovered my grip an instant before I would have fallen to my death. Maybe the dragon would have swooped in and saved me. Not really something I wanted to test.
I watched attentively from the tower, wondering again just how much power Gretta had over him. He wasn't happy and didn't seem to like her one bit. Then, in an instant, the massive beast spit another glowing ball of fire from his mouth. It rocketed toward Gretta and she pulled her body back along the ground toward the castle.