Willow: The Cursed Dragon-Wolf

Supernatural Realm:

A young girl of about 10 years old was carrying a bowl filled with red apples. She was taking it to the Dragon Queen's chamber, walking the long passage that led to the Queen's room. She started humming a tune the Queen's youngest son had taught her, shaking her head. Her dark long hair danced along with her.

"Leona," a voice whispered, prompting the little girl to stop her humming and turn to look behind her. Her hazel eyes widened. Standing before her was a lady. Her face was twisted and wrinkled, but her body looked young. One of her eyes was closed and looked rotten, and the other half looked good.

“Where did she come from?” Leona wondered.

"Are you the one who called me, ma'am?" Leona demanded. She was not scared of the strange lady at all.

"Yes, I did," the strange, ugly lady answered in a whisper.

"Okay, you have my attention, ma'am. How did you get into the Palace of the Dragon King? Did you lose your way?" Leona questioned.

"I did not lose my way, Leona. I came here to see you," the lady responded with a smile.

"To see me? Why?" the little girl queried.

"Can I have one of your apples, please?"

"The apples are not for me, ma'am. They are for the Dragon Queen, but you can take one," Leona said and stretched forth her little hands towards the lady, who smiled and grabbed one pf the red apples.

She looked behind the little girl with fascination. "Who is that?" she asked, pointing at nothing in particular. That grabbed Leona's attention, who quickly turned to look behind her to see what the old lady was pointing at. There was nothing there.

The lady opened her rotten eye and a maggot fell down into the apple and quickly burrowed into the apple.

"There is no one in here except you and I, ma'am," Leona told the lady.

"Maybe my good eye deceived me," the lady said apologetically.

Leona's eyes went to the apple in the lady's hands, and to her utter surprise, saw that the red apple was gold and no longer red.

"How did you do that, ma'am?" Leona asked with keen interest.

"I did magic on it," the lady replied.

"Really?" Leona asked, wide-eyed.

"Yes, I have magic, and I teach you how to turn apples into any color of your choice, but you have to do something for me," the lady said, and that piqued Leona’s interest the most. She continued, giving the golden apple to Leona.

"Don't give this apple to Jay, Lillian, or Kate. Give this apple to Willow, Jay's younger brother. Can you do that for me?"

Leona nodded. "Yes, ma'am, Willow and I are the best of friends."

"Good, make sure he eats the apple. If you do a good job, I will fulfill my promise," the lady said and heard the footsteps of someone heading their way. "Someone is coming. I will see you soon," she added and disappeared.

Leona turned around to continue her journey to the Queen's room when she came across the Queen's handmaid.

"What kept you so long, Leona?"

Hiding the golden apple behind her, Leona said, "Sorry, m'lady, I was just—"

Forcibly collecting the bowl of red apples from her, the handmaid interrupted her, "Keep your excuses, child. No one wants to hear that. Go to the kitchen and find something to do there. Wash the plates, mop the floor, or help with the cooking." Then, she turned around and went back to the Queen's room.

*****

One hour later...

"Hello, Willow," Leona greeted the young prince of Dragons, her friend. She had entered the prince’s chamber and saw the prince drawing.

Willow, a young boy of 12 years old, smiled as he saw Leona. He had black hair and two different colored eyes—one was green and the other was amber. He had told her to always call him by his name whenever they were alone. Leona was an orphan. Her late mother was the Queen's handmaid who died after her mate, who had died when he challenged Ares to a fight. "Hello, Leona, come and see my painting."

"I will see your painting later, Willow. I got you something. You will like it," Leona said. Her beautiful young face lit up as soon as she smiled.

"You got something for me? Where is it?" Willow demanded eagerly.

Leona presented the golden apple to him. "This is it."

"Wow, is this really a golden apple?" At Leona’s nod, Willow continued, "I haven't seen one before. It's for me?"

"Yes, Willow."

Taking the golden apple from her, Willow stared at it in shock. "Thank you, Leona."

"I have to get going. I was cleaning the kitchen before I snuck into your chamber to give you that," Leona said and left his chamber.

Willow was still staring at the golden apple when his elder brother, Jay, walked in.

"Is that a golden apple?" Jay, a young boy of 15 years old, strode into the chamber and grabbed the apple from Willow. Just like Willow, he had dark hair, and his eyes were green.

"Hey, give me back my apple."

"I won't give it back to you. It's now mine," Jay said and took a bite out of the apple.

"I will report you to your father."

"He won't do anything to me. I am a full dragon and the crown prince who will take after him someday. You, on the other hand, are not a full dragon. You carry wolf genes from Mother, which is disgusting. A true dragon never submits to other creatures," Jay said, mocking him.

"But Father did when he wanted to marry the Princess of Werewolves."

"That's because Mother is his mate," Jay said.

"Whatever. You can have the apple. I will get another one."

Jay smiled as he took another bite from the apple.

"Why are you in my room?"

"Nothing, just to look for you and trouble," Jay said and left Willow's chamber.

_____

Leona was alone in the servants’ quarters. She was cleaning when the strange lady appeared.

"Did you give the apple to Willow?"

"Yes, ma'am. He took it from me."

"Did he eat it?"

"I didn't stay to see, but he took the apple from me," Leona answered. "I have done as you asked. Can you now teach me what you promise?"

"Of course, child. Draw closer to me, and let me whisper it into your ears," she said, smiling.

Leona did as she said, and once she was close enough, the lady placed her left hand on Leona's head, and a dark shadow entered her body. Her once hazel eyes became solid dark.

The strange lady crouched down to Leona’s level and smiled, which Leona returned with her own.

"You know what to do."

"Yes, mistress," Leona responded, her voice still normal but her smile cold.

"You remember how to say the curse correctly?"

"Yes, mistress."

"Then, be ready," she said and disappeared. No sooner had she disappeared, one of the servants, a male, ran into the servants’ quarters.

"You are being summoned by the King," he told Leona.

Nodding, she left for the throne room with the male servant trailing behind her.

Opening the large oak door that led to the throne room, she saw King Henry, his wife Lucia, Lillian, Kate, and Willow. Some dragon warriors came into the throne room after her and stood behind her.

On the floor in front of the King laid Jay's lifeless body.

"What did you give to my son?" King Henry demanded, his green eyes shining in fury.

"Nothing, Your Highness," Leona answered without fear.

King Henry stared at Willow for a brief moment and returned his gaze to Leona. "Dragons don't die, especially when they are royals, whatever you had given him killed him. Again, I ask: what did you give to my son?"

"I did not give Prince Jay anything, My King."

"Bring it," King Henry commanded, and one of the servants carried over a tray. On it was the golden apple, rotten and filled with maggots. "Willow said you gave him the apple which Jay took from him and ate."

"I did not give Prince Willow any apples," Leona said and turned her gaze to the shocked young prince. "Tell them the truth. Why are you lying?"

The strange lady, who watched what was happening through her large mirror hanging on the wall of an unknown cave, shook her head in anger.

The first son of the Dragon King isn't who she wanted.

"B-but I am not lying. You gave me the apple," Willow said and repeated her exact words. "Tell them the truth. Why are you lying, Leona?"

"Willow, where did you get the apple from?" King Henry demanded.

"Father, it was Leona who gave me the apple. You should ask her where she got it from and not me."

"Stop lying and tell them the truth," Leona said and started crying.

"Willow, tell me the truth. Are you the one who gave Jay the apple?" King Henry demanded.

"No, Father. He took it from my hand and ate it before leaving my room," Willow replied. "Leona gave me the apple. She said it was a gift for me."

"You are lying," Leona retorted.

"I am not."

"Willow, I know you are lying," King Harry said to the shock of Willow, his sisters, and his mother. "Leona might be telling the truth. Your probably gave Jay the apple to eat out of jealousy since he is a full dragon."

"I did not, Father. You have to believe me," Willow said, greatly alarmed. The death penalty awaited anyone who took the life of a living soul. It was their rules. He faced his mother in great fear. "Mother, you believe me right?"

"Yes, I do, my dear," Lucia said and faced her husband. "Henry, how can you say Willow killed his own brother?"

"Anything is possible, Lucia."

"Willow did not kill Jay. Just because he is not a full dragon like his siblings doesn't mean he is lying. If the reverse was the case, you would have believed Jay immediately. Just because he hasn't shifted yet to any dragon doesn't mean he is jealous of his older brother."

"I don't have time for you, woman," King Henry said angrily and pointed at his two Dragon messengers. "Go and call my oracle immediately," he commanded.

The two messengers quickly left the throne room to do as instructed.

"For your mother's sake, I hope you're telling the truth," he said, facing Willow and starting to pace around Jay's dead body.

Five minutes later, the two messengers returned with a lady dressed in a long black dress that floated in the air. She had long dark hair and eyes. She was holding a staff made with water, and at the top of the staff was a white eagle statue.

"You sent for me, my king?"

"Yes, Oracle. My son, Jay, is dead," King Henry said and pointed at Jay's lifeless body. "Can you do something about it?"

She walked around Jay in a circle before stopping to face the King. "There is nothing I can do for him, my king. He is dead for real," Oracle announced. "What could kill a Dragon?"

"This," King Henry answered, pointing at the rotten golden apple. "He was eating the apple when he started choking and fell. Before they could bring him here, he was gone. The apple looked fresh before, but now it is rotten."

"Who gave him the apple?" Oracle asked.

"Willow gave him the apple, and he said Leona gave it to him. I don't know who is telling the truth," King Henry replied.

Facing Willow, Oracle stretched forth her right hand to him. "Place your hands on mine, my child." she said, and Willow quickly went over to do that. She closed her eyes, and a third eye opened on her forehead, and the eagle statue’s eyes became white. She removed her hands from him and returned her gaze to King Henry. "Willow was speaking the truth. Leona gave it him."

Willow, who didn't even know he was holding his breath, breathed out a sigh of relief and went into his mother's open arms. His two sisters smiled in relief.

That was all the King needed to hear.

"Hang that child to death. Use the dragon claws on her, for death shall beget death," King Henry ordered.

"You could have just said the truth, Leona. Nothing is hidden under the sun for long," Willow said with a sad sigh.

"Take her away," King Henry ordered. Two guards came forward and grabbed Leona's hands.

"Please, leave me alone. I didn't do anything. They are lying. The Oracle lied, please," Leona pleaded as they started dragging her out of the throne room. She returned her gaze to Willow, then to King Henry, and finally back to Willow and spoke, "I curse you today, Willow. You shall have a great thirst for blood, and no one can quench it. You will carve blood, but no blood will satisfy you." She returned her gaze to King Henry as the guards closed the large oak door behind them as they left the throne room with Leona, but her voice was still heard loud and clear. "And you, Henry, for wanting to kill an innocent child, your whole family shall be the first he will start with. It is my curse to your household."

_____

The guards hanged Leona to death. They didn't see a dark shadow leaving the lifeless young body.

_____

"She is dead, my King," one of the two guards told King Henry when they returned.

"Good. Take my son, Jay, and bury him before he starts decaying. His death shall soon be announced," King Henry ordered.

"Yes, my king," they both said at the same time and carried the dead crown prince with care. Some guards followed them out of the throne room.

"I shall take my leave now, Your Highness," Oracle said and left the throne room.

"You all should leave. Let me mourn Jay alone," King Henry told his family, and Lucia with her daughters and Willow left the throne room.

_____

In an unknown cave:

"I said the curse as you instructed, mistress," the shadow on the cave wall said with a male voice as he appeared. "And the young child has been put to death."

"You cast the curse on the wrong prince," the lady told the shadow.

"But you said I should say the curse to the dragon prince standing once I had seen the dead one, mistress."

"Yes, but the dead one isn't who I wanted. I needed Willow to eat the apple because of the genes he carried, but his brother did," she told the shadow.

"So, what are we going to do, mistress? Are we still carrying out our plan?"

"Yes, I just have to wait until the curse manifests."

******

None in the royal household took the curse Leona had said seriously until the next night when it happened.

Young Willow, who was in his room drawing, suddenly had this sudden bloodthirst to kill. His green eye and amber eye glowed as his fingers start turning and growing into long claws.

His painting forgotten, he stood up and left his room. By the time he had reached the door of his chamber, he was walking on four large hairy legs.

His large black wolf broke down the door and came out of the room he was in. The wolf roared loudly, shaking the foundation of the whole palace, and fire came out of his mouth, eyes, and tail. He ran towards his parents’ chambers. The urge to kill them was overwhelming.

The dragon guards that came out when the wolf roared couldn't take down the extremely large wolf.

The danger bell rang, alerting the whole palace.

Reaching his parents’ chamber, he gave the door one push and sent it flying across the room. His mother nor his father were in there. He headed for the throne room.

The large oak door broke into two, interrupting the discussion of the Wolf King, Creek, and his daughter with her husband. King Creek was visiting his son-in-law’s kingdom after hearing about the death of one of his grandchildren.

The dragon’s and wolves’ guards in the throne room prevented the wolf from advancing.

"I told you. There is something wrong when we hear the bell," King Henry said to his father-in-law. "What can a large wolf be doing here?"

"Oh, my goodness," Queen Lucia said in shock not believing her eyes. "That is not just any wolf, Henry. That is our son, Willow."

"Willow is just a twelve-year-old boy. His wolf can't be this large," King Creek said in surprise.

"That is Willow's, Father," Queen Lucia said. "I know my son’s wolf."

The urge to taste their blood came to him once again. Standing up on his hind legs, he roared and charged towards the guards who stood in his way between him and his parents.

Within fifteen seconds, none of the guards were standing as one fling from the wolf made them lose their consciousness.

More Dragon warriors rushed to challenge the wolf from behind him. Willow breathed fire and blocked the door, but then, the dragons were immune to fire.

He charged at his father, who was still in shock at what was happening, and could have succeeded in cutting his throat if not for the intervention of Oracle.

She appeared in front of Henry. Her third eye opened, and a bright light emerged from it and entered into his two different colored eyes.

In the next few seconds, the wolf dropped down to the floor, weak.

"What was that?" King Henry asked.

"Your son, Willow. The curse of Leona is hovering around him." Oracle answered.