The Scream Page 4

Steel Dragon's cave, with the smell of a recent rain in my nostrils and its dampness on my back. I wore the same clothes I had when I had first entered the Dragon's cave, but apparently the Dragon had forgotten to return my backpack. The entrance to the cave was gone, of course, and only seamless mountain rock lay in its place, for another thousand years or never again for all I knew. Perhaps I had heard a legend that our time would be the last. Perhaps I hadn't.

  At the tree we'd left our horses tied to, only my gray steed remained, with my backpack strapped to the saddle between two of the saddle bags. The other horses had mysteriously disappeared, but in light of what I had just recently witnessed and been a major part of, the mention of mystery was but a figure of speech. I mounted my horse and rode away, and headed towards a nearby river to fill my waterskins and let my horse drink. I don't know how long I was away, but I'm sure Thylsia must have been thirsty.

  I still remember Jesse's scream, but only the fact that he did so, and happily, very happily, I can no longer truly remember how it felt when Jesse had planted it so firmly in my mind before he perished. I have only the memory of the memory to live with (thank Cosmo the Great!), and it is enough. And I know that, thanks to the Steel Dragon, I will never be cursed to hear that insufferable scream again. I know that I will remember it, only in passing, forever.

  I sometimes think about Jesse. I know what his wish would have been, and in comparison, it made my discarded wish of being the immortal Emperor of the entire world seem a sad, pale whimsy.