Heavy is the heart that carries the weight of the Realm.

I am a fan of @steemmonsters and love how everyone is collaborating to build this fantasy world. I thought it would be fun to attempt writing fiction, especially having heard "Carry You" by Ruelle. You must listen to the song before reading my story.

Fans of @steeemmonsters know all about Selenia Sky, the one and only legendary summoner. I listened to this song and was inspired to write a background story for her. Here is a little about her world, her love, and her journey from my creative mind.

Be kind when reading my story. Fiction writing is not my world of expertise. Hope you enjoy!

Ruelle - Carry You ft. Fleurie

Chapter 1

Selenia tightened her bodice and hastily grabbed her gifts for her family. She couldn’t be late. No, not today. Today was their yearly celebration of life and spirit. It was the one day where all bodies in the realm, aside from the wee babies and their nannies, shifted into winged-form and took flight from the grasslands to the sea. It was a wonder to behold from her position at ground level. Colors of every variation, from black to green to gold, colored the blue sky above. Her people soared majestically in their dragon shape. The younger ones chose a bird or eagle form counterpart.

Selenia was the one person in her kingdom without the gift to shift her human form into a winged counterpart. She understood why. Selenia was not from this realm of golden skin and raven-colored hair that shone bright as the onyx element. Her olive complexion and golden hair glistened in the sun as shiny as the gold element her people coveted. Her family found her as a baby, abandoned on the shorelines many moons past. They welcomed her into their hearth and hearts. They never once made her feel as an outsider. The kingdom embraced her as one of their own. She loved her people. They were her people in all sense of the word.

Hurrying along, she remembered her first experience flying in the sky. As a girl, she once pretended to fly by jumping out of an apple tree. Her mum chastised her when cleaning the cuts, but Selenia saw the slight hint of a smile peeking through. She never thought she would have mixed feelings of excitement and trepidation when the time came for her to take her first flight with her beloved dragon, but the feelings existed nonetheless.

“Do you have faith in me?” Allanthe had asked her. “Take my hand and with your hands in mine, know that I will never let you go. Feel the flutters of the beating wings. Slow your racing heart as you listen to the waves lull you to an inner peace. I am here by your side. Let the breeze blow away your sorrow and fears. Let the currents guide your path. Your heart will know where to go.”

She remembered the fear that quickly dissipated away. The experience was exhilarating and one she would never forget in her life.

Selenia looked up at the sky and wondered why no one was flying casually around. The younger dragons loved to show off their flying skills and made turns and moves that would have resulted in her stomach being emptied had she been atop one of them. She scanned the sky and noticed the shapes to the east. There were dragons facing each other in what appeared to be two sides of a battlefield. They were engaging in frantic bodily and fireball attacks. She saw shapes from both sides stop midflight after being hit by a fireball and their bodies falling to the ground below.

“They are here”, she whispered.

Chapter 2

Word came across the mountains days passed about a darkness spreading across the sea.

“The dead are no longer dead”, some whispered.

“There is a dark summoner riding atop a 7-headed Chromatic dragon that is leading an army of warrior dragons across the Barrenland.”

“Nonsense”, someone else whispered. "We have never seen any form of life cross the Barrenland, either by land or sky."

“It is true”, another yelled. “A summoner heads the army and they are making their way to us.”

“Rumors”, her Lord Father had proclaimed. They were a peaceful kingdom. There was no reason for anyone of good or ill intent to visit their isolated island.

Snapping back into the present with the battle cries from above, Selena feared the enemies were now at their doorstep. No one was prepared. Today was to be a day of celebration. A day of joy and happiness. She dropped the gifts and made her way to the cliff’s edge. She had to get a better view.

A man wearing a dark hood rode atop a Chromatic dragon that indeed, had seven heads. As if summoned to her presence, both man and dragon turned her way. They stared intently at her silhouette from across the sky, because she could only have been a shadow to them from her distance away.

Deep in her gut, she knew it was her they were after. There was no explaining that realization, just a deep certainty that they came to this peaceful kingdom to find her. Then do what with her? She was a nobody, yet the summoner aimed directly for her with his 7-headed Chromatic dragon. She stood no chance with no powers of her own. No wings to lift her out of the path of destruction. She faced the summoner with her head held high and spear at the ready, not willing to admit defeat despite her odds.

She was not going to run while her people fell from the sky, one by one. No, she was going to fight and die beside the family that welcomed her into their home. The friends that shared their gifts and hearth with her. The only home she knew and only place where she belonged and was openly embraced. She knew the inevitable would happen. She would meet her family and friends in the afterworld and they would once again dance and sing of peace and freedom. Only this time, she would be able to join them in the dance in the Skies. At last, Selenia could soar with them into the open sky and embrace the energy of the wind into her soul. She would be free.

As she stood there, defiance in her eyes and a deep sense of peace in her soul, she saw from the corner of her eye a shadow aiming directly for her. Black feathers with gold tips spread open in front of her and she looked into golden eyes.

Chapter 3

No, not just any golden eyes. These were her beloved eyes with specks of green she spent countless hours looking deep within.

“Did you know, the green in your eyes is the same shade of the grasslands of the east? I could run in those green fields all day without stopping for air”, she had told him.

“Only you would see my green anomaly as a beauty to behold”, he chuckled as he embraced her in his arms.

Those grassland, likely burnt to ashes, but she can still see them in his golden eyes.

Her Allanthe. Her foolish, sweet-hearted childhood friend, best friend, and soulmate. Allanthe, whose smile brightened the soul of her core.

“NOOO!”, she yelled.

He didn’t see it coming. He couldn’t have. His wings were spread wide opened and he was facing her. Facing her and not the reign of fireball shooting directly at them.

“No Allanthe, you must fly. You must…”.

It was too late. He wrapped those strong wings around her and the burst of flames embraced them. She felt the scorching heat emitted from the fireball, but Allanthe had her fully embraced. She was protected under his strong leathery skin. She saw the pain surge through him. Witnessed the shades of green being succumbed by the golden hue of his eyes. Pain. He was in deep agonizing pain but he did not loosen his embrace of her.

As they both fell to the ground with her still wrapped firmly and hidden in his strong arms, she saw the summoner fly away with his 7-headed demon. They were leaving. All the wings in the sky flew west to the horizon beyond.

Selena struggled to get from underneath Allanthe’s strong wings that were now a burnt mass of leathery skin and sinew. He was breathing. Shallow breaths but there was still life in him. There is hope as long as there is life. She would seek out healers. She would run to the north and seek out their allies there. Someone would know what to do. Someone would use their healing prowess and her Allanthe would be whole once again. Yes, resolved on the next course of action, she reached down to tell Allanthe her plan.

“I will seek a healer for you. I don’t have the strength to carry you with me, but the enemy is gone. They flew west and there is nothing more here for them to burn. They won’t return. I need you to rest. I need you to quiet your beating heart and know I will be back by the morning light. I will return with help. I promise you I will be back with a healer and you will be alright.”

“Selenia”, Allanthe whispered. Selenia bent down closer to hear his faint words.

“I will be joining our family and ancestors in the Skies. I hear them calling to me. I see their beautiful golden wings gently stirring the air, patiently waiting for me to join their flight. They are at peace Selenia. They smile down at you. Know that you are loved by them all. Know that you are loved by me.”, he gasped out those last words in between shudders of pain.

“I’ve always loved you. From the very beginning your spirit tugged at my soul. You are meant for greatness, Selenia my love. You are greatness. Now is a time of life for you. Now is a time of adventure. They’ve told me so. It is now your time to shine as bright as your golden hair. Your beauty within will bring light back into the darkness that is embracing this world. You are needed. You must be strong. You must be brave.” His words fading quieter and quieter with every word spoken.

“Noo..I can’t let you go. You are my world. I don’t..I don’t know how to be brave when my family is not by my side. When you are not by my side”, Selenia sobbed with tears streaking down her face.

“You will not be alone on this journey. You will have a friend by your side. One you love as much as you love me. I will watch over you from the Skies my dear Selenia. Your family will be waiting when the time is near. I will be waiting for you when you are ready to fly into the Skies. That time is not now.” He coughed violently. So much pain, she thought. She can see he was holding on just for her and he was in so much pain.

“Remember the day you took me on my first flight in the sky?”, Selenia gently asked. It was time, she thought. It was time to let her Allanthe be at peace. Those green specks flickered once again in his eyes. She knew he remembered.

“Do you have faith in me? Take my hand and with your hands in mine, know that I will never let you go. Feel the flutters of the beating wings. Slow your racing heart as you listen to the waves lull you to an inner peace. I am here by your side. Let the breeze blow away your sorrow and fears. Let the currents guide your path. Your heart will know where to go.”

She felt his heart give out one last beat. She saw the smile spread across his scarred face. A face that once had been golden and perfectly sculpted.

She heard the whisper in the wind. “I love you Selenia Sky.”

She knew he was no longer with her in the physical world. His spirit now with their family and ancestors. Selenia let the tears flow freely down her cheeks. She saw Allanthe as he had been. The boy with the playful grin. The man dancing in celebration of life. The arms that embraced her during times of sadness and joy. The wings, those beautiful wings, that carried her on countless flights. The tears freely flowed and Selenia felt her innocence drift away with each fallen teardrop.

Chapter 4

You will not be alone on this journey. You will have a friend by your side. One you love as much as you love me.

Those words whispered in her ears and woke Selenia from her nightmares. She didn’t know when she fell asleep. It was midday at the time of ambush. Stars now twinkled above. Her ears twitched to the sound of a soft cry in the wind. Someone was hurt. The sound was familiar. Someone she knew, Selenia thought. Someone is alive.

She looked down at Allanthe’s peaceful state. “I will be back to send you off my love. I will not leave you here alone. I will return to send you off with the proper rites of our ancestors.” She kissed his forehead, the one spot left unblemished from the fire.

Selenia followed the soft cries of pain. It came from the shoreline. A silhouette appeared on the sandy shores. The full moon cast enough light for her to see to whom the silhouette belonged. Green leathery wings with a gold underbelly. Adelaine in her dragon form.

“Adelaine”, Selena shouted. Her sister in every way but blood. Allanthe’s sister. The princess of the realm. She ran to her side. Parts of her wings were aligned at odd angles. They were intact but fractured or broken. She saw scratch and bruises but no deep cuts.

“Selenia”, Adelaine whispered.

“Where is Father? Where is Allanthe? Are the children safe?”

Selenia turned away, fearful of her tears being seen.

“Hush now Adelaine. We will find a healer for you. You will be back to your energetic self in no time at all. You can go back to giving those boys your breathtaking smile and break their hearts one by one.”

Selenia studied her sister and friend. No, aside from her wings, she didn’t have any big wounds. Selenia breathed a sigh of relief.

“Can you shift back to your human form? We will need to travel North to find a healer."

“No”, Adelaine whispered. “The flame within is no longer burning bright for me. Our people were gifted with the flame of life by a spirit of the otherworld. Our ancestor showed kindness to the spirit during life and in return, she gifted the flame of life to our people in her time of death. We seek this flame within to shift from human to winged form and to return back to human. The flame is no longer there. All I see is empty darkness.”

A gift can be giveth and taketh away, Selenia thought. As with anything in life, there are both good and bad. The summoner must have used another spirit, one not as kind as the first spirit, to distinguish the flame.

“That would mean....”, Selenia couldn’t finish the sentence.

“Yes”, Adelaine concluded. “That means my spirit will reside in my dragon form until the flame of light burns bright again.” Resolution shone in her sister’s eyes.

“We will find a way to have that flame reignite in your soul dear sister. I will not give up until you are back in human form. We need the princess of the realm back to lift the spirits of our people.”

Adelaine is likely now the Queen, Selena thought quietly. A kingdom of spirits with only two living souls.

Selenia looked across to the blackened landscape beyond. Ashes. Nothing but ashes. She closed her eyes, willing the tears back. No, there is no time for sorrow. Her heart heavy but her will resolved, she turned her back on the only home she knew.

She has a summoner to track down, a dragon to avenge, and a spirit to wheedle into returning the flame of life.

Storyline is entry for fantasy lore contest by @steemmonsters and @neoxian. Double my chances! 😊

Image Sources:
Dividers1, Dividers2, Pixabay Image, Card snippets, Ruelle Video, Pixabay cloud