☀️ Arselia and Akonia

Beata's Essay

It was supposed to be a typical Monday morning.
Nothing foreshadowed trouble. The day started routinely – we had breakfast and went to the Imperial Archive to study at the School of Baldur. I remember even jokingly complaining that I didn't want to study. But... it was just a joke. I liked the archive, I enjoyed studying at the School of Baldur. There was something beautiful and cozy about sitting among endless shelves of books, learning new things in the company of loyal friends, exchanging observations and comments.
But all good things come to an end.
And we didn't know how quickly this good thing would end.
After our studies, my beloved and I returned home – to catch our breath, rest, and think about what to do next. We still had half a day ahead of us, so many interesting things awaited us!
And then a terrifying roar sounded outside the window. The windows rattled, dishes fell from the shelves.
A dragon.
We rushed to the window and watched in horror as the creature wreaked havoc in the city center. We couldn't see much, but what we saw and heard was enough.
It was surreal. Too terrible to continue watching, and too captivating to look away.
I realized how a rabbit feels before a python. Everything freezes, and a total disbelief in what is happening overwhelms you. Your brain refuses to understand that this is real. You look death in the face and realize that you are powerless to do anything about it.
That you are hopelessly unable to withstand such power.
The dragon flew away, leaving behind only a smoking crater where a bustling city center had been.
The archive was gone, all the priceless knowledge and ancient manuscripts destroyed by the monster. The museum also vanished, as did the souvenir shop, and the cozy restaurant with its amazing seasonal menu. We had dinner there just the day before... Even the church and the palace could not withstand the force and malice of this monster.
The emptiness in my soul was replaced by pain. Then it was replaced by a seething rage.
I vowed to myself that I would not let this go unpunished. That I would tear off this dragon's wings and shove them where the sun doesn't shine, so that it would forever remember what it's like to mess with me.
But... at that moment, defeating it seemed like something distant and impossible.

***

But at the moment when the monster fell under the blows of our squad, I realized – nothing is impossible.

Gion's Essay

The last snake, hissing furiously, breathed its last. I sighed with relief and put my swords back in their sheaths. We're done...
“Are you okay?” I asked my companion, Nysho, worriedly, offering her some candy – quick carbohydrates are essential for quickly replenishing energy.
“I’m fine!” she replied quickly. “Are you bitten? If so, we need to examine the wound as soon as possible, maybe we need to suck out the venom!”
“No, I wasn’t bitten... I got lucky. But I saw that you got hurt.”
“Just a scratch. I’ll be fine, I grew up in places where there are plenty of such creatures, their venom doesn’t affect me. They’re edible, by the way, if you cut off their heads.”
The thought of having to eat a snake made me feel nauseous. Lately, I've been lucky with food – either I get a stomach upset from some unknown fish, or I get poisoned... And we didn't even have anything to make a fire with.
“I don’t feel like experimenting, I’ll stick to canned food,” I replied, smiling politely.
“Suit yourself, I’ll have more,” my companion shrugged, gathering the snake carcasses.
I just sighed and began to assess the situation.
Mountains, mountains, mountains. Poisonous snakes, bloodthirsty harpies, creepy caves, and dangerous cliffs. We ended up crashing in the middle of the Elysian Ridge. At least we didn't fall on a dragon's head, that would have been awkward...
Now there was no point in thinking about catching up with our friends, who had flown away the day before. The main thing was to survive. And I had a responsibility not only for myself but also for Nysho. She was undoubtedly a talented musician, and she had a few tricks up her sleeve. But she was not a warrior or an adventurer like me. She was clearly not in her element in these mountains.
The day before, she saved my life and health. The least I could do was return the favor.
A snake hiss came from the crevice. Those damned reptiles were threatening to attack again.
“Let’s go back, we can’t get through here,” I sighed, turning towards the path we had been walking on.
Nysho followed my example.
When we reached the main path, I looked around again.
Far, far away, a winged silhouette soared into the sky. Even from such a distance, the power and majesty of the huge dragon could be felt almost physically.
I thought it was a good sign. As it turned out, it was.

“Thanks for helping with the literary part 😅 Now my text at least looks like a text.”
“It was fine anyway, I just rephrased it a little because Kosha realized that she wouldn't be able to write a literary text from Beata's point of view.”
“Anyway! It reads beautifully. Almost as beautifully as yours.”
“I tried 😅”

A couple is going to Belyana.

“It turned out a little short, but we tried!”