Keee-oh! Keee-oh!

The familiar alarm-call of a seagull jars repeatedly on my half-awake mind. Slowly, I open my eyes and stare at the sapphire sky that seems to lean on me in amusement. But I can't look at it for long. The bright golden orb of the sun glares at my face, forcing me to close my tired eyes almost immediately. As I lay there, with my eyes closed, I can hear sound of waves rising and falling and rising again while cold water keeps on lapping at my feet. I try to feel around me and warm, coarse sand greets me all around. It isn't difficult for me to guess that I'm lying on a seashore, in close proximity of water.

How did I come here? I try to grope in my mind for answer.

A few vivid images flash across my mind; a young girl standing on the deck of a ship, a giant of a man standing behind her, curling her fluttering golden hair in his left hand and pointing the tip of a dagger at her delicate throat with his right hand; a group of hostile men staring at me with unsheathed swords gleaming in their hands; beyond the giant masts the massive neck and head of a sea monster moving from side to side, poised to pounce any moment at the luckless ship and the people on board.

The sea monster!

A cold wave jolts through my spine and brings back my memory in a flash. I can recall everything now. Hadn't I been the master sorcerer of the kingdom of Aldriana who had been captured and tried for killing his wife? But they couldn't actually kill me as the law of Aldriana prohibited the State from sending a master sorcerer to the gallows. Instead, they sent me on board the royal ship that roamed the seas in search of sea monsters, so that I could help the hunters with my magic skill.

As I remember this, a bitter half-smile forms on my lips. Capturing and killing sea monsters is profitable even for a king as these giant creatures horde the golds and jewels from the ships that they swallow, inside their belly. The wealth that can be amassed from killing them can fill an emperor's treasury easily.

And I remember Lenny, my daughter. She had been thrown into exile on board along with me as there was no one in the world to claim her custody. Aldriana doesn't have any orphanage. The orphaned children are simply abandoned on the streets. A few of them survive, but most of them succumb to hunger and diseases.

I didn't care whether she survived or not. She had been the reason for which I killed her mother. But they thrust her upon me, tied her along with my doomed fate.

It has already been fifteen years in the sea. She is sixteen years old now.

The events of the fateful day float up before my mind's eye. Jobe, the captain of the ship, had spotted a giant sea monster and decided to chase after it. But my sorcerer's insight had told me that it was far more powerful than anything all our combined strength could take down. Jobe didn't heed to my warning. He was mad with greed anyway.

Pointing the dagger at my daughter's throat, he commanded me to launch an attack at the monster. But as I have said before, it was way more stronger and with a single strike of its tail it split our ship into two. As I was thrown into water I tried to look for Lenny and swim my way through the wreckage of the ship and the swarm of mutilated corpses. Finally I got hold of her and pushed her upon a floating log. I tried to swim by its side, but the monstrous waves pressed me under and slowly my consciousness slipped away.

As I remember everything now, my anxiety for Lenny comes back. Forcing my eyes open I try to look around me. With all my strength I strive to sit up and search for her. A few feet away from me, the huge log lay struck in the sand. Upon it, she lay still with her face turned towards the sky.

A faint cry escapes my lips. I crawl towards the log and grabbing it, drag myself into a kneeling position. Gathering her still form in my arms, I try to feel her pulse.

She is alive! My chest heaves in a sigh of relief. Carefully, I begin to apply my healing spells on her.

She wakes up slowly. Her warm brown eyes look into mine in bewilderment and I feel a pang of guilt suddenly gripping my heart. Every time I look into those eyes, I can't help but feel this way.

She was the reason I killed her mother; suspecting her of unfaithfulness. For, in order to master my art I had given all my vitality to the elements of magic. Never in my wildest dream had I thought that I would be able to father a child. But the miracle had happened and I hadn't believed in it!

Remorse gnaws at my heart now when I see her warm brown eyes and small square chin. They are chiselled after my own eyes and chin.

If only I had the power to foresee how she would look when she grew up! All my powers of sorcery couldn't endow me with this ability to look into the future!

My painful reverie is shattered by a faint murmur. She is waking up.

I stand up and look around. We are on the open beach. About a hundred meter away the sandy ground has slowly risen into a rocky bank. Clusters of unfamiliar-looking trees have crowed on its edge. I decide to go in that direction.

Lenny looks weak. I ask her to lean on my shoulder and together we start walking towards the high bank.

*********************************************************

The early morning sun awakens me. Sitting up I look at the sleeping face of my child. She looks so serene and beautiful!

I turn away my gaze from her face. I can't forgive myself ever for what I have done.

I come out of the makeshift hut I had built yesterday with my magical power. I had also gathered some crabs and roasted them in the small fire I had made in front of our hut. The night here is quite chilling and the fire helped to keep us warm. Today I need to find materials which will help me to make clothes and prepare sources of food for the two of us. I'll also try to gather enough wood and creepers so that I can make a boat that will help us escape from here.

I take a walk along the beach. Soon I find out that the place we have been stranded in, is actually a tiny desolate island, or to be more precise, a huge mountain that has raised its head above the sea and climbed into the sky. The foot of this mountain is covered in dense forest, but the upper part of it is almost bare. Huge boulders jut out of its barren sides, making it look like the skin of a giant frog.

As I start going back to the place where we had drifted ashore yesterday, I notice something strange. All over the beach there are pieces of flotsam which show me that there has been a shipwreck in the nearby water.

‘A second shipwreck!’ I mutter to myself as I know quite well that the flotsam from our shipwreck hadn’t traveled to this island the day before. It was only the two of us that had reached this desolate island. As I approach the place on the beach where we had floated ashore yesterday, I face an unexpected scene.

A body has floated ashore. From a distance it looks like a huge bundle of rags. Water is lapping at its legs.

My pace quickens. As I come nearer, I have a better look at it.

A handsome young man lay there on the sand. His raven black wet hair surrounds his angelic face like black venomous snakes. Beads of salt glitter on his long eyelashes and winged brows. The full pink lips define a sensitive mouth with a natural pout.

I’m surprised to find Lenny there. She is kneeling by the side of the prostrate body.

I kneel down by her side and check the pulse of the man. He is alive but very weak. Carefully, I probe for the sign of life that seems to still flicker within him and I feel a faint resistance there.

‘A cursed one!’ Goose bumps break out on my arms as I realize what this may mean to us. A cursed one is destined to bring misfortune to whoever is attached to them and as I look at Lenny, I see that her heart has already been captured by the angelic beauty of this young man.

‘Poor child!’ I can’t help but shake my head. ‘Why did it have to be like this? Why?’

Lenny’s face darkens with fear as she sees the sad look in my face.

"What’s the matter, father?" She asks in an anxious voice. "Isn’t he still alive? Save him, father! Please!" She implores with tears in her eyes.

I feel helpless. My instincts tell me that it would be better to leave him alone at the hands of his fate. But I can’t ignore Lenny’s imploring look. As I hesitate, I see her look change into one of shock and hatred.

"Why are you letting him die, father? How can you do this?" She cries out.

I make up my mind. Whatever happens, I can’t make her hate me anymore than she already does.

Summoning all my healing power I concentrate on reviving him. Carefully, I cancel the resistance offered by the curse in him and channel my healing magic into him.

Little by little, he starts responding to my endeavors. His long eyelashes quiver and a pair of mesmerizing blue eyes slowly open up. Lenny is the one kneeling in front of him and his gaze falls on her first. I can see the bewilderment in his face as he utters weakly, "Are you a nymph? Did you save my life there?"

I look at Lenny. She is visibly uncomfortable. I-I’m Lenny! Th-This is my father here! He has saved you." She stutters.

The young man tries to sit up and turn towards me. "Thank you so much!" He says.

I help him to sit up. "Who are you?" I ask him.

"I’m Gail", he replies.

"I’d ask where you came from and what happened to your ship, but it can wait. You need to change your clothes and eat something first. Let’s go to our hut." I tell him.

"Wait! Do you live here? But your clothes look like those of a sailor! And, there can’t be any human living on this island!"

I ignore his question. There are a lot of things I need to know about him and it will require some time, too.

I help him to stand up and as he leans on me for support, I start walking slowly towards our hut.

****************************************************

In the deepening shadows of twilight, we sit in front of the hut. Gail looks better now. There’s a touch of colour on his cheeks which makes him look livelier. Lenny is busy making some changes in the clothes which I have prepared with my magical power. From the corner of my eye I can see that she is often stealing a glance at Gail and blushing.

‘How beautiful she looks!’ I sigh inwardly. Except her eyes and her chin, she is a living image of her mother. Every time I notice the similarities I can’t help but curse myself!

‘Will I ever be forgiven for what I did?’

I try to shut away the feeling of remorse and renew my conversation with Gail. "So, you were going to tell us what brought you near this island," I remind him.

"Yes," nods Gail. "As I told you before, I’m an adventurer and I came to know about this island and its treasure only a few months ago. My partner and I decided to explore it immediately. We had quite an uneventful journey till its shore came into our view. But as we approached it, our ship hit the submerged rocks near the North of it. After all, it’s part of a submerged mountain range. The water here is quite treacherous."

"So it’s a treasure island!" I say to him. "And you are a treasure hunter! Fine! What are you planning to do now that we are all stranded here?" I ask him half-jokingly.

Gail smiles, too, but the smile doesn’t come up to his eyes. The blue irises look hard and determined as they stare into mine. "Why should I worry about escaping from here when the master sorcerer Roland is with me?" He throws the question at me.

I stare back into his eyes. He doesn’t avoid my eyes.

"I know that you can easily put together something that can take us away from here. Probably you have already made up one."

"Yes, I have and I’ll sail out early tomorrow morning." I say coldly. I already know what’s going to come next.

"Look here, Master Roland!" He speaks out. "I haven’t come this far only to return empty handed. I’ll go for the treasure tomorrow. I’ve a map which describes elaborately where the treasure is hidden. I’m sure we’ll be able to recover it without much trouble."

As he speaks, I see the greed glimmering in his eyes. I turn my gaze towards Lenny. Her face glows with all the innocence of a child’s first crush. Unknowingly, I sigh and shake my head.

"I don’t agree with you. I’ll leave with my daughter tomorrow. You may stay back if you want. "

As I say this, I stand up and start walking away towards the beach. For a moment I turn my head and try to look at my daughter’s face. Her eyes are fixated at me, tears and vexation sparkling there together.

I turn my gaze away. I can guess what she’ll be saying once she masters her courage to speak up. They say love can turn even wise people into fools and she is just a raw kid there!

As I walk towards the western side of the beach, I can’t help but shake my head indignantly. I’m vexed at my own lack of power. Why can’t my magical power prevail over a human mind? I can only control and transform inanimate things. What kind of a master sorcerer I am!

Ever since that fatal blunder that I made, I have tried to master the secret of fortune-telling, a sort of a magical power to foretell about certain turning points of one’s life, but in vain. I guess I’m not the right material for prophecies and fortune-telling!

Suddenly, I become alert. Far away in the horizon a huge bird is rising into the sky. Stretching its enormous wings it is circling up into the sky. It glides over my head and circles three times in air. Then it flies over towards the western sky and quickly disappears from my view.

My heart leaps inside my chest. The hairs on the nape of my neck stand up immediately. The sudden appearance of this strange bird brings a sense of premonition, as if it just came to warn me against something terrible that will happen soon! What is going to happen? What am I supposed to do to prevent it?

With all the unanswered questions gnawing at my heart I return to the hut. From a distance I can see that the two of them are talking among themselves in a low voice, their heads bent together, almost touching each other.

They notice me coming and Lenny stands up. With deliberate steps she approaches me.

‘Father, Please don’t leave without him! I-I can’t go without him!" She says with tearful eyes.

A strange feeling of tenderness melts my heart. I know that she can never forgive me completely, but the years of toiling in the sea together has created a bond among the two of us; a bond which is perhaps stronger than all the hatred she must have felt against me ever.

"Lenny!" I address her softly, "I know it already. Don't worry! I won't leave without you two."

She smiles at me. I try to smile, too, but can't. What's going to happen to us? If only I knew the answer! But I'll try to protect her anyway with everything I have got.

As Lenny occupies herself with preparing our dinner, I come away from the hut and sit on the still warm sand. Gail too, comes and sits down near me.

"I've got to ask you something," he says to me.

"Yes?"

"Will you please help me with my search tomorrow?" he asks. "My companions are all gone and you two are the only people here who can help me. Don't worry! Whatever we can find there will be equally divided among the three of us." He smiles at me.

I don't reply. Somehow I can't bring myself to trust him in any way.

He can see how uncomfortable I feel. Laughing, he says, "You don't believe me? Or is it that you don't need money? Just think that you can buy your freedom back if you have enough money! You have already spent fifteen years of your punishment on the sea."

'True.' I think in my mind. Aldriana has this strange custom in which a person sentenced to life term imprisonment can offer to buy his freedom back after twelve years of serving in prison. I have already spent fifteen years of exile in sea, offering my service in every possible way. The only hurdle to my probable freedom is that I don't have any money on me.

Gail's offer hits my weakest spot. Yes, I need money badly. Hesitantly, I speak out.

"Well, I suppose I can help you there. But don't try to harm me or deceive me. I'll know it anyway and it won't be good for you." I try to sound as intimidating as possible.

"Done!" He says gleefully. "The three of us will start our journey early tomorrow morning then."

"Wait there! Does Lenny really need to go with us? She can wait here for us!"

"Can you really leave her alone here? Is this place safe enough for her to be waiting alone here?" He asks.

I curse him silently. He has again hit my weak spot there. I really can't leave her alone here.

We retire after our meager dinner, but for a long time I can't close my eyelids. Is Gail speaking the truth? What kind of treasure can be hidden in this island? I can't find an answer to any of them and slowly drift into sleep.

***********************************************************

Early in the morning we start for the mountain in the middle of the island. Climbing its rocky surface would have been pretty much difficult for Lenny if not for my magical power. With my power I try to curve a path up the mountain wherever possible and soon we reach its summit. A huge cave stands there with its mouth open. Gail points towards the cave. We have to enter it in search of the treasure.

We enter the dark cave. With my magic I create a ball of green light that floats in front of us and shows us the way. The inside of the cave appears to be a dark labyrinth, illuminated only by the glow of our light.

As we follow Gail through the labyrinth my heart feel more and more uneasy. My sorcerer's sense keeps on telling me that some inexplicable danger is lurking somewhere in front of me. But I can't fully realize what it can be. Instead, we follow Gail deeper and deeper into the depth of the mountain.

At last we arrive at a large open space. It is surrounded by cavernous pits of churning, boiling lava from the other three sides. As the smell of molten rocks and sulfur burns my nostrils I finally understand everything.

It is not some treasure that he is seeking. It is a volcanic dragon!

He had insisted on bringing Lenny with us only to use her as a bait, for a volcanic dragon is most attracted by the presence of a female human!

I lunge at Gail. "You bastard!" I scream at the top of my voice.

With an incredible speed Gail catches Lenny and uses her as a human shield. As I'm forced to take a few steps back, he pulls a sword out of his left wrist. The blade of the sword looks like it has been forged from petrified lava.

I swear violently. The sword in Gail's hand is actually a Dragon Slayer sword which is generally hidden inside the body of its host! How come that a mere adventurer turns out to be the host of a Dragon Slayer sword? But there's not much time to think about it. As I have realized just a second ago, the dragon is attracted by the presence of Lenny and its massive body rises out of the boiling, hissing lava. As it opens its huge jaws over our head, Gail slashes its mouth with his sword and at the same time, I use my magic to slam it to the rocky floor of the cave and hold it there.

The dragon breathes a stream of fire at us but before it can reach us, my magic freezes it into ice and the ice shatters with a smash of its huge tail. But it can't do anything more as Gail's sword cuts it into two with a savage stroke. As the two halves of its body lay there convulsing, he uses his sword to gauge out the eyes of the dragon. With its death they have already turned into two pieces of precious emeralds.

So this is the treasure that he had been looking for! A volcanic dragon's eyes have magic properties and they are extremely valuable to sorcerers.

I can't trust Gail anymore. Not after the way he has used us as his tools.

My palms join together and I'm just about to release my most powerful spell when Gail's sword flashes in front  of me. In the blink of an eye,  my arms are separated from my body and are flung into the pit of lava!

Helplessly, my body slams upon the rocky floor. Blood gushes out of the wounds and flood it.

I don't feel any pain yet. I just stare at Lenny in horror!

Her face is frozen in a shock of disbelief. As Gail takes a step towards her, she stumbles backward and loses her balance. With a faint cry she disappears from my view. There's  nothing that I can do to save her!

I hear Gail shouting her name. He rushes towards the edge of the pit and leans to see, but the churning fire there has already swallowed her. I see him walking away from there and preparing to leave the cave.

Can I let him go just like that?

With my dying breath I summon every last drop of the power left in me. Huge cracks begin to appear along the lines in which my blood has flowed upon the cave floor. They spread like lightening and with a thunderous roar, the whole floor caves in. As my vision blurs, I can see Gail disappearing in a crack from which red hot lava sprouts within a moment.

So he is gone, too! I feel a heavy pressure leaving my chest at last.

Then everything becomes dark.