The Bride Of The Last Dragon

The afternoon sun was blazing above my head, making sweat trickle down my forehead countless times. I lifted my left hand to wipe it with the back of my hand, it made my skin sting. Today, the sun was being extra harsh on me. I thought as I tried to ignore it and continued working in the fields. For hours, I continued plucking the vegetables from the dark soil with other women who were trying to make a living like me in our big village. I saw them drinking their water, and it made my thirst increase even more. I licked my dried lips as I walked to them with my muddy hands while wiping them on my old worn-out dress, which was sewn by me in many places.

"Can I get some water?" I asked in my small, hopeful voice to the young women of my age. They were busy chatting while drinking the water. For a moment, they stopped talking but didn't recognise my presence. They ignored me and continued their conversation. I again licked my lips and swallowed hard out of thirst. My mouth was so dry from working in the fields for hours. I have been working even before anyone showed up for work.

"Can I get some water, please?" I repeated myself in a ragged voice, thinking they would give me some drops to at least wet my dry mouth. But they again ignored me. I knew I wouldn't even get a single drop of water from them. I don't know why I even asked them if they had never given me water before. Even when I fainted on fields under the blazing sun no one offered me water. How did I forget they wanted me to vanish from here? With a pinched smile on my face, I walked back to continue my work. I was smiling at my fate. My mouth was dry as a dessert, and my stomach rumbled due to a lack of food. Things were spinning in front of me, but I continued to work.

"Don't faint now, or else your wages will be cut again," I whispered under my breath in my ragged voice as the hot summer air blew on my face, making a few strands of my midnight black hair dance with its flow. I tried to make my vision clear as I opened and closed my eyelids while gripping the basket full of vegetables.

"Hera—Hera '' I heard my name being called as I was on the verge of fainting. I moved my blurred vision in the direction of where my name was being called. I saw a small blurred figure running towards me as I tried hard not to faint. I held a basket full of vegetables to my chest, trying not to let them fall from my hand, or else the head worker would not allow me to work in the field tomorrow. I tried to stay still in my place as that small figure became bigger and bigger as it got closer to me. I felt a basket being taken from me as my body slumped on the muddy ground. I couldn't hold myself anymore.

"Drink some water." I heard a familiar voice saying it to me, and then I felt a wooden bowl touching my cracked, dried-up lips. I gulped the cold water hungrily, and in a few seconds, the bowl was fully empty, but my thirst was still not quenched. I took a few deep breaths to even my breathing as slowly my vision started to clear.

"Do you want more water?" I heard that familiar voice again, and it made me look at my little saviour. He was looking at me with his big, innocent eyes. I moved my head in negative as I gave him a small smile, knowing he had to go to the base of the mountain where the river was to fetch me some more water.

"But your face still looks so pale. Let me fetch some more water for you. I will come back quickly," he announced, and I grabbed the bowl from his hand as he was about to run.

"No, Helio, I'm not thirsty anymore," I said with a pinched smile on my face so my little brother could believe me. He huffed and sat beside me.

"Why don't they give you some water? You're again on the verge of fainting” he said with furrowed brows. He exhaled deeply looking at my pale face.

“I hope that the goddess of the old temple punishes them for their behaviour," he said in his mad voice as he saw women I asked for water, wasting the water by washing their faces and hands. I remained quiet. I have seen them doing it many times.

"Helio, what have I told you?" I asked my little brother, who was still looking at the woman with narrowed eyes.

"Not to badmouth anyone or the goodness of the old temple will punish us," he repeated what I had taught him with his slumped shoulder.

"Good," I said with a happy smile on my face as he remembered my words. I patted his head softly. He was still looking at them with narrow eyes, and I followed his gaze. They were now eating the food they brought with them. Looking at them made my stomach growl and my mouth water, so I averted my eyes. If I don't look at it, I won't be hungry. I was trying to fool myself, but even though I was not looking at them, my stomach growled again.

"Oh, I completely forgot. I brought some food for you." I heard Helio saying it in his joyful voice. It made me look at him with raised brows.

"Food, where did you get it?" I asked him in my confused voice as he was busy taking something from the pocket of his torn pants. He took out an apple from his pocket and handed it to me.

"Where did you get it?" I asked with a big frown on my face as he put the red apple in my hand.

"It was kept as an offering in an old goddess temple. I helped the priest fetch water from the river, so he gave me this as a reward," he said with a big proud smile on his face, making my heart sink in my stomach.

"How many buckets of water have you fetched for him?" I asked as I took his feet in my hands to examine them. His small feet were bruised because he walked on the stone path to fetch water from the base of the mountain.

"Not much,” he said with a big smile while moving his feet from my hands. “Now eat the apple before the head worker calls you back," he said as he moved my hand in which I was holding the apple to my mouth.

"No, you eat it. You have worked hard to get it," I said, moving my hand to his mouth, but he moved his head in negative and pushed it back to my mouth.

"I ate one already on my way here. He gave me two," he said with a big smile. I looked at him with teary eyes. My blurry vision moved all over his skinny frame.

"I'm full. You eat the rest of it," I said after I took two bits and then gave him to finish it. I know he is hungry too, but he refused to eat it and made me finish it. Soon the head worker called us back to work. Hello, sat under the tree waiting for me so once Im done with my work we could go back home together. I worked for a couple of hours more.

"Come get your wages," I heard the head worker calling us. So I submitted the basket full of vegetables to the counter and walked to stand in line. Behind the head worker, the old landlord of the fields was seated. He eyed me from head to toe with his lust-filled gaze. It made me hide my bare skin with my worn-out dress. I just prayed that my turn would come soon so I could get away from here. Away from his lust-filled gaze.

Soon my number came, and the head worker asked the counter how many vegetables I had plucked. I had plucked more than anyone, but he handed me only five coins of copper, whereas everyone got ten coins, and they had not even plugged half of the vegetables as much as me. I can't say anything, or else they will not let me work here again. So I did only one thing, being thankful for every good or small thing in my life. I gave him a small smile as a thank-you. Taking my money, I walked to my brother. He stood up, seeing me walk towards him.

"Helio, let's go and buy some bread," I said with a smile on my face. His eyes lit up as he heard me because I knew he was hungry, but he never said it with his mouth. We both walked to the market with me holding his hand and then after that, we walked to our house, which was on the opposite side of the village I worked in. I bought the bread with five copper coins, but it was not enough to fill the stomachs of two. On the way, I washed my face and hands in the river. Washing all the dirt off of me. Helio followed my actions.

"Now I know why all the women don't help you because you are so much more beautiful than them. Just like the goddess of the old temple," he said while crossing his arms on his chest as he saw me walking out of the river after washing my face. I am clean now without any traces of dirt on me. It made me smile at his innocence.

If only he knew why they hate me.

Would he hate me, too, after knowing it?