Destiny Fulfilled

~Brandon James Scott Scholl

Joumos stood on the narrow path that led to the lair of Edric Mauvais. Edric had heard the announcement of Joumos and Ariana’s future wedding and in a fit of rage and jealousy; he had kidnapped her and taken her to his kingdom, a kingdom of darkness.

Many knights had been requested by King Malkeck, yet that made Joumos even more uneasy about the fate of his beloved bride to be. He had once again taken up his armor plating and his sacred weapon for one last battle. His armor was tarnished and warn by previous battles that gave him the honor and glory only and honest and just man should deserve. His weapon, Kinoshi, was feared by many people. It was given to him, in his youth, by an Asian traveler. He had been walking down the path to his home and the nomad told him it was to be his tool and one day, it would be the key to keeping his future safe. He knew that the nomad was referring to this moment.

Joumos stood in an aggressive stance. His entire body tense with anticipation, he was prepared for war. He was willing to go to the underworld and back if that’s what it took to get his beloved Ariana. As he advanced on to the enormous castle that was under Edric’s rule, heat started to hit him. The closer he got to the moat crossing of the castle, the more he realized it wasn’t a simple moat at all. He looked over the side just as a large fireball came straight up at him.

He jumped back from the ledge as the fire blasted past him. Then, he heard another sound. The sound of weight moving through the air. Just then, a dragon burst out from the moat of hellfire. He grounded himself and boar Kinoshi in front of himself.

The enormous dragon flew high into the air and then turned towards him. The beast released the foulest roar any man had ever heard from a beast of creation. No, this beast was not of God’s creation, it was from the pits of Hell. It came down with lightning speed, aimed for Joumos.

He raised his other arm, bearing his shield. Then, he put it between himself and the dragon as it belched fire at him. When the dragon flew overhead, roaring its unnatural sound, Joumos threw the shield. It had been heated by the fire of the beast and was no longer able to be held.

As the dragon came down for another attacked, Joumos was standing on the crossing over the fiery lake. He jumped to his left as another assault of fire rained down at him. However, this time was different. The dragon continued and then moved underneath the crossing where Joumos was standing. That’s when he took Joumos ran to the other side and jumped off the opposite side of the moat, towards the fiery lakes below.

As he started to fall he placed his mighty sword out in front of him. Then, the dragon was just within reach as it passed and he punctured the scales of the dragon’s throat until it stopped and was locked in, holding and sustaining the tug and weight of Joumos. The mighty beast roared at the pain it felt from this attack and started to gain altitude in the sky. Joumos pulled out a smaller dagger from inside his armor and started climbing up the neck of the best with his sword and his dagger, inching closer to the head of the creature.

As he reached the head, the dragon was turning around and starting its dive towards the ground yet again. He turned himself and was now eye to eye with the dragon. Fire poured out of its mouth as well as another scream of anger from the monster. Joumos took his sword and plunged it into the eye of the beast. Another scream came from it as the sword plucked out the once, useful eye from the dragon’s face.

When Joumos turned around to see where they were flying, the dragon was aimed at the remains of Edric’s empire. He slid himself down the dragon’s throat as the course did not change. Every time he looked, the tower of the castle was closer and larger. Then he looked at it one last time as he secured himself with the weapon he had and that’s when he and the dragon slammed through it.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

As Joumos awoke he had Princess Ariana kneeling beside him. Her beautiful brown hair swaying in the wind as if by a celestial gust. Her green eyes piercing into him as she stared into his eyes. He felt her beauty as it resonated off of her and he felt warmth.

“Are you alright,” the angelic Ariana asked. Joumos moved slowly and got to his feet.

“I am fine my lady.”

As he stood into the eyes of his beautiful bride, fear had come across her face. Then, blood pooled around the front of her dress as shock also came over her face. She fell to the ground as Edric stood there, smirking.

“NO,” Joumos screamed as he pulled Kinoshi at the ready and jumped at Edric. As Edric attempted to block the initial attack, Joumos twirled to his right and plunged his blade squarely into Edric’s abdomen. Edric stared at him with pure hatred in his eyes. They were not eyes of a man but of a demon. Red and lusting for blood and destruction. Edric pulled himself down the sword, impaling himself further, but also inching closer to Joumos’s face.

“You may think you have won this battle, knight. But you have yet to win the war. There have been things set in motion even you cannot stop.” Then Edric fell limp and lifeless on the steel blade.

Joumos released the corpse and ran to the side of Ariana. She was still breathing but bleeding a lot. He felt his heart beat faster with the fear of his beloved leaving him cold and alone. He had been told that he would defend and keep his future safe, and he had failed. Ariana opened her eyes and looked sweetly into her savior’s eyes.

“I love you…” were all the words that came whispered out of her mouth as tears rolled down her face. She had fallen back into unconsciousness. Joumos picked her up and carried her out of the castle to his steed. He whipped the horse numerous times to make him run faster than the four winds could move to his kingdom in the hopes he could save her.
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Ariana opened her eyes and felt stiff and sore. Light was all around her and she couldn’t take it all in. There was a figure that was next to her side, in a chair, where she was laying. It took her a moment for her eyes to adjust before realizing it was her Joumos. The man that had risked his life and did whatever it took to save her life.

She reached out and touched his hand and then held it firmly in hers. To this, he had awoken and smiled at her with more warmth than she had ever seen within him.
“How are you feeling,” he asked her softly.

“I’m sore but I will live.” Tears came to his eyes and he held her softly in his arms.

“I thought I had lost you, my love.”

“…Never. I will be with you always.”

The both laid there in each other’s embrace. Joumos thought about what the nomad had once said about he would defend his fate and destiny and Kinoshi would help him succeed. For the Asian was right, his future, his fate, his destiny, was safe and in his arms, where she belonged.