A Tale For Her Brothers, from Songs for the Dragon King,
By Vivian Hadding

She sat by the fire
Lonely
Absorb in her music
Rhythms and harmonies rose and fell
Spilling through the trees
Mixing with their leaves
Weeping to the beat of her heart

The wind heighten her perception
Cool, invigorating
Urging her onward
An eagle screamed
Promised release
If only for a moment
From the pain
The lost love of the Dragon King
The loss of the Evil Emperor's soul

They came from the mountains
Powerful, lethal and daring
Wild and wanting
They had been dreaming
When her ballads had awakened them
They smelled her soul
Lost sister
Luna's daughter
Free and frightened

They followed the notes
Vibrations ethereal
Mixed with the soil
The rivers, the winds, the oceans
Their blood raced to greet her,
It had been too long
Since they'd all dance together
Since they had shared their stories
Heard her laughter
Witnessed her smile

They ran as one breath
Brothers golden
Dark marks inked in varied patterns
Pulsing with desire
To reach her
To guard her
To heal her
To teach her

They circled and sat
Just beyond her awareness
Silently
Watching
Waiting
Giving her the time she needed
Before one stepped forward

Great paws
Deep earth
Claws uncoiled
Muscles flexed
Strength just barely restrained
And he asked

Sister, what ails thee?
Are you not free?
You have escaped the Evil Emperor
Was that not your wish?
Why did you leave him?

And she looked at him with deep sad eyes
And answered...

There was a time I loved him
I trusted and believed him
I thought of naught, but to please him
I sang for him
I danced for him
I put great care, great love in all his needs
I kept his heart, his home immaculate
Even when he strayed, when he mistreated me
I never gave in to my own desires
But, resoled myself to give him more
To make up for his inadequacies

After a time
He became even harder, colder
More calculating
He no longer loved me
He couldn't, for how can love be so harsh
So cruel, so thoughtless
He spent more and more time away
Waring and merry making with his friends
And yet, he kept me as a beggar
Wondering why he even bothered to keep me
Reminding me with every breath
That he owned me

When he did come home it was in anger
In chaos, in strife
Looking for someway to punish me
For his guilt
For his crimes
I stayed no longer his love
But his prisoner
Shackled and beaten
I hoped, I prayed
That his heart
Would someday return

I waited in silence
I waited in vain
I waited for a man
Too broken to be healed
Who did not wish to mend
For he thought himself perfect
And the rest
Just minions to be toyed with
I waited for a lost, forgotten dream

And when I'd lost all faith
All hope of ever being free
Of being whole again
I crashed into the Dragon King
He with his soul filled eyes
Knowing, searching
Pulling my dreams
From the depths of my heart

He rekindled my faith
He instilled such peace
And I,
I fell in love with him

But, he's a Myth
Her inked and golden bothers scolded

A myth she repeated,
He seemed so real to me
So powerful and gentle
Her voice cracked
She bit her lips to keep her tears in check
The Dragon King, she whispered
My dream no more
No more
No more.....
And she picked up her guitar
And she began to play
And sang so softly only the wind heard her say
I love you now and forever
But, I can not stay...

No more
No more
My dream no more....