My dreams the night after the banquet were filled with collapsing princes, rude young masters and modern luxuries I was missing. For example, me, Master Hector and Prince Arthur got into a sword fight in my apartment over a single teabag left in a jar. I took it, drank the best cup of tea I'd ever had and then got my head lobbed off by my new father as punishment.
I woke up with a start, clutching at my neck to check it was still intact. Thankfully it was, but as I shuffled underneath the quilts trying to get myself comfortable again, I heard a commotion coming from outside; hurried footsteps, frantic talk and, most alarmingly, the smell of smoke. I sat up like a zombie rising from the dead, my heart pounding.
As quickly as possible I dashed out of bed and crossed to the window where smoggy fumes were drifting inside as dark torrents. From my vantage point at the castle window, I could see down into a woodland valley where a small settlement of houses had been built between nature's protective walls. But nature wasn't doing much protecting today as the small, thatched houses erupted into flames, sparks and plumes of smoke flying into the sky.
A thick, morning fog had settled across the surface of the ground its mist dyed a bloody red by the vibrant dawn sun.
I gagged on the stench of burning timber as ash particulates got caught in my throat, but I couldn't take my eyes, stinging as they were, off the scene before me.
Above the settlement of houses, perched above them on the walls of the valley I could make out a massive form. It had a spiny head, four massive legs and a huge tail that stood erect into the air.
My jaw dropped, this world had dragons!
My excitement couldn't be contained, I might have even let out a small whoop of delight. I squashed the inhumane thought; people were dying down there. This was no Toothless I was witnessing but a primal, medieval savage.
I hesitated at the window, not knowing whether to leave my room but just as I was about to turn and leave something new caught my eye. A figure that looked as small as a Barbie in the distance, covered from head to toe in a black, hooded cape. The cape buffeted in the wind as the person came to stand right in front of the beast.
The dragon opened its mouth and out came a spiral of white-hot fire, the person flattened themself against the grass, the back of their cape missing the searing flames by just a fraction. The figure hopped to their feet again, defiantly facing the creature. This time it raised a massive claw into the air and brought it down with an almighty swipe. The person was struck across the cheek; their head being flung to the side and their hood being swept off their face alongside a spray of blood.
Long, blonde locks fanned out into the wind. I squinted, trying to make out the face but with the distance and the fog, the features were indistinguishable. I did, however, catch a glimpse of a reflection; light bouncing off metal. The person was wearing a crown, a simple band of gold around his head.
I thought back to the banquet, all the princes had blonde hair but there was only one that wore a gold circlet. The oldest prince, Prince Arthur. The other princes had worn circlets too but if I remembered correctly, they were of silver, not gold.
The figure in the distance that stood so confidently, so tall, could it really be Prince Arthur?
I caught another glimpse of metal but this time it was a sword. The figure bent their knees, brought their arms down low and then just as the dragon opened its mouth to fire swung it upwards. The sharp blade cleaved through the dragon's neck sending the head rolling down into the burning valley. The body followed shortly after, falling into the inferno and out of my sight.
I was dumbstruck by what I had just witnessed, it was like watching Alice slay the Jabberwocky in 5D! I didn't know whether to feel terrified or elated. I couldn't wait any longer to talk about what I'd just seen. Quickly grabbing my mantle, I fled outside my bedroom and into the hallway.
Freya and Jocelyn were talking in the corridor, their faces pale. I scurried over to them.
"Did you just see what I did?" I whisper-yelled.
Jocelyn looked like she was about to hit the deck as she nodded her pallid face slowly.
I grabbed her shoulders urgently, shaking her up and down, "Do dragons exist usually?"
"N-no..." She stuttered, dumbstruck.
I didn't wait another moment. Still in my nightclothes, I ran down the narrow stairs, through cobbled hallways and out of the main entrance. A few had gathered outside, just as underdressed and just as shaken and soot stained as I was.
"What's going on?" I asked, interjecting myself into the conversation.
My mother turned to me, "We sent your father to go over there and see what's going on."
She looked almost green with terror, her body quivering in fright. I stared into the distance, waiting eagerly for my father's return.
In about half an hour, he came trudging over the grassy ground, his face caked in mud and soot. On his back was a dead weight, dressed in a black cape and gold circlet. Across the limp figures cheeks were three, long claw marks weeping and oozing with blood. It was Prince Arthur!
"He had crawled halfway here and obviously passed out." He said in his low rumbling voice.
I was amazed; I couldn't believe the same timid boy who had seized up during a banquet had it in him to slay a huge dragon. But introverts did tend to be like that I supposed.
The Royalty were staying at wing of the castle complex that was slightly further away and so it was just as Arthur had been carried back to the castle that they showed themselves.
The Queen came running out first in a flurry of ostentatious nightwear and baggy sleeves. Her face was plastered with worry as she weaved her way through the stunned spectators and to her son.
"My son!" She cried, taking him of my father's shoulders and embracing him tightly, laying his face against her sooty collar.
The King quickly followed shortly afterwards his face impassive at first glance, but his narrowed eyebrows betrayed his worry.
"My son," he boomed, his voice cracking with emotion, "Is a hero!"
The crowd cheered in agreement, their faces becoming brighter as they looked at the sleeping boy. Did this mean they didn't think he was demon possessed anymore? I rolled my eyes; these people were fickle that was for sure.
I glared at the crowds of people admiring the prince and then I peered into the distance, a dragon had died over there! An actual dragon! There was no way I was going to pass up on an opportunity to see that.
I crept away from the throngs of people, slipping away while they were distracted. I knew I had to go and see the body quickly, before anyone else moved it and turned it into a relic or something.
Still in my nightclothes, and a tiny bit chilly, I made a run for it, down to where the blazing fire had finished rampaging and had left a smouldering wasteland on the horizon. I was determined to see a real-life dragon!
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It turns out I vastly underestimated the environmental consequences a dragon destroying a whole settlement of houses would have on the atmosphere. I spluttered and coughed the entire walk down into the valley, my lugs felt like they were screaming at me to stop and my eyes wouldn't cease streaming.
I trudged over the grassy landscape, trying to keep my head down and my eyes squinted. I realised I was close when the grass underneath my feet started crunching like I was walking on shards of Pringles. I lifted my gaze upwards and what I saw shocked me to my core.
People's homes and livelihoods were completely irreparable, the buildings collapsed and charred. Livestock were strewn dead over the streets, their flesh black and rancid like overcooked BBQ. I held my nose, the smell of burnt timber and meat making me queasy.
The people were the worst part, crumpled and frozen in time on the streets where they had died making a last desperate effort to escape. Their skin had been pulled tight and dark against their bodies, their figures shrivelled up like jerky. One person's mouth was wide open as if they died in the midst of screaming their terror. I looked away, telling myself desperately that their awful positions were just a reaction to the intense heat.
I made my way to where the dragon had fell, my heart thumping with adrenaline. My anticipation was curbed however as I took in the neatly arranged bones that made up the colossal form sprawled out across the parched ground. There was something... off about what I was looking at.
I bent down next to one of the wings and picked up a bone, it was completely black and brittle to the touch. That made no sense at all. I didn't want to, but I thought back to the dead people, their skin, although burnt up, was still on their bodies. The fire hadn't been so hot as to completely obliterate the skin, muscle and flesh.
But I was so supposed to believe that the dragon that created this fire was less fire-resistant than a person? That was ludicrous.
Disappointment starting to settle in, I examined the bone I was holding further. I was no bone expert, but it looked suspiciously like a femur, although an expert opinion would be needed to identify it for certain.
For the bones to become that burnt they must have been bare of flesh to start with and arranged in the correct shape prior to the blaze, otherwise they would still be pearly white.
I made my way over to the head that had allegedly been lobbed off. It sat a few feet further away from the body and was positioned perfectly upright. I rapped my knuckle against its exterior and it made a hollow clanging sound like when you knock on an empty vase.
I leant back, smirking, clay. The head was made of clay which would explain why it wasn't nearly as black and brittle as the rest of the bones. I ran my fingers along the skull, it was fine workmanship even if it was fake, the teeth were so realistic, and the proportions looked just right.
I stuck my head inside one of the eye-sockets to examine the inside. Before I could do any examining however, I knocked my forehead against something hard, really hard. It hurt so bad, like when you stub your toe or stand on a plug. My eyes filled with tears and for a few moments I was completely oblivious of my surroundings.
Slowly, I opened my eyes, regaining my composure. I screamed, flying backwards out of the skull as another pair of bright, green eyes stared right back at me.
"Master Hector!" I cried, shocked.
He gave me his signature 'rabbit in headlights, this girl is going to kill me' look and then clutched at his nose as it started to pour with blood.
"Oh my gosh I'm so sorry!" I exclaimed, realising I was probably the cause of that. I leaned over the skull, trying to pinch his nose with my fingers, "Here, I'll help."
"No!" He cried, alarmed.
I flew back, surrendering, "That's fine, I won't help."
He looked an absolute state, his curly hair was all frizzy, he was caked in ash and drenched in blood. He was like a character from a bad horror movie. I snickered, amused despite it all.
"W-why are you laughing?" He stammered.
"You look like you've done eighty rounds with Godzilla!" I said, clutching at my stomach.
He looked at me quizzically, his eyes round like dinnerplates. He was deadly quiet in response and only looked over to the dragon's head one last time before absolutely taking off into the distance. He ran so fast I could've sworn I saw his shadow trailing off behind him.
I quickly wrapped a few bones in my mantle and then ran after him. Unfortunately, those few seconds had cost me, and he was obviously desperate to get away. I touched my cheek pensively, surely my new face couldn't be that ugly?
"Wait!" I cried vainly, "I want to know what you're looking for?"
He was long gone.
I sighed, flopping down into the soot. He was defiantly after something inside that dragon's head, and it didn't look like he had found whatever it was. That was odd, but many things were odd about this.
There was one thing I knew for certain, whoever freaking set this up and got my hopes up that dragons existed would pay for it! I collapsed into the dust, that was my dream of riding a dragon over. But that wasn't my only dream. If someone had set this up and it wasn't a result of some freak of nature, then that means all those people who had died had been...
I shot up. They had been murdered! And I just happened to be a transmigrated, terrible-at-her-job rookie detective who wanted a second chance to make her Sherlock dreams come true!
I laughed hysterically, rubbing my hands together in anticipation, perhaps a touch happier about murder than I should've been.