The rain had stopped, though the sky was still as dark as pitch, and the men of Roma were out in the streets once more. Some were still talking loudly, laughing at jokes they'd shared while huddled in doorways during the storm, while others carried on their way to their respective destinations. Every so often a man would stop and glance up at the sky or over his shoulder at someone else. 

No one noticed the shadow that had begun to descend upon them, moving silently through the streets, its wings wide and catching the wind. With a loud roar, I turned towards the houses, and from my mouth came a dreadful mixture of acid and poison. 

Instinctively, the people took a step back. A few moments later they could see what had caused such a reaction. 

I landed on a roof, making loud cracks in the foundations of the houses. A long tail followed me down, swishing dangerously as it scattered splinters across the rooftops, leaving destruction in its wake. 

There, at the top of the building, was my imposing figure. My wingspan was enormous, and my eyes shone a deep gold. My claws were sharp and serrated. I let out a low, guttural growl, but they knew immediately that they were in the presence of something uncontrollable and vengeful. 

The sky and the stars were gone. A dark veil settled over the city, covering the sky. 

For a while I hovered high above them, obscuring the streets with my shadow. My anger was palpable, and I careened through the city streets, tearing through slates and tiles as though they were made of paper. Smoke billowed from the fires I had started in my rampage. The men cowered in fear as I made my way closer to them, and some even fell to their knees in surrender. But I wasn't done yet. I flew higher, hovering over them like a vulture, before diving down towards them again with a deafening roar. I threw myself tearing, shaking and smashing. 

The people of Roma watched in horror as I flew around the city wreaking havoc in my wake. Everywhere I went buildings were destroyed and crumbling to the ground. Every so often they heard piercing shrieks and cries for help, but fear kept them from helping their fellow man. The sky was dark with smoke, and the wind carried with it the stench of burning wood. 

The destruction didn’t stop there. I flicked my tail and the roof of a temple crumbled and fell to the ground. Flames blazed high into the night as poison filled the streets. Another blow, and another, and another, burst into flames and fell. 

The people of Roma cowered in fear as they watched me unleash my rage on their city. No one dared move or make a sound as I circled around them and released more deathly breath from my open mouth. 

On all sides, men leapt to their feet and ran. Women and children huddled together in cantonments. No one could touch me, so they ran away instead, some huddling together in cantonments and others leaping to their feet in search of safety. There was weeping and wailing everywhere as those who had weapons threw them to the ground in surrender. 

Everywhere I flew there was destruction. People rushed away from me, too scared to even look at me. I heard their terrified screams as I let out my deathly breath from my open mouth. No one dared move or make a sound as I circled around them again and again, raining down poison, smoke, and destruction in my wake. There was weeping and wailing where only moments before songs had been sung of the joy to come. 

Soon the whole city would be deserted, and nuggets of gold would be offered as tribute to send me far away. Soon the people would feel on their skin what a life of suffering was. That was the hope. For all I cared, they could all run away, and none die, but for a long time they would live in poverty and fear. I would either enjoy hunting them down, making them feel insecure, or I would watch them destroy each other in fear. Yet I wasn’t happy. 

I heard the sound of a small bell and paid attention to it. There, over the rooftops, was a looming figure watching from afar like a ghostly shadow. A wolf born from courtesy and humanity. A wolf hungry of justice and in search of his lost mate. His armour shone in the night, his mane and mantle towering like a moonlight god and his rhomphaia gleaming with eerie light. My heart stopped, while my eyes widened as never before; then my soul was clouded with deep wrath. 

As I noticed him. As I recognised him, his presence provoked sweet memories, then only suffering. I didn’t want to hope and suffer again. I would have eaten it in a single bite, and I would have taught my heart not to hope. 

Meanwhile, Ophirix was looking at my work when suddenly something flew out of the darkness over his shoulder. It was only an old nightingale, which perched fearlessly close to his ear and brought him a message. This was nothing new to Ophirix, who knew the language of birds. 

As soon as it rested on his shoulder, he began to sing his song. Ophirix always loved to listen to them, for the liquid tones flowed together like silver water, forming a crystal-clear pool. That was what he usually heard, but this time it was like hearing the roar of a hurricane and the black waves of the sea. 

“Wait! Wait!” said the nightingale to him. “Look at the moon, look at the moon. Look at the wolf howling in the moon.” 

He did not understand the meaning of this yet turned his head towards the moon anyway. There he saw too the same ghostly figure I saw, standing on the roof of a house. 

Volusius stood and watched me, but when I was close enough, he turned into a wolf and ran away. He jumped from roof to roof. He stopped sometimes to glance back at the sound of my landing, but then he ran off again, luring me far away. 

I sprinted after him. His paws skidded across the pavement as he rounded a corner and darted down a narrow lane. 

He ran. Ran as much as he could. Volusius ran to a large wood on the edge of the city, where he returned to human form and waited. 

The moon hung bright in the sky, and the stars returned. Through the wide space between the trees, he could see me landing, while far behind me the lights of a burning city could be seen. 

He could see me clearly now; my enormous wings spread out, my razor-sharp claws extended, and my blazing eyes fixed upon him. I seemed unstoppable as I advanced, ready to devour him. 

I stared impassively at my prey. I expected his small body to tremble in front of mine on that frame of time that seemed like an eternity. My muscles started to twitch; my claws twitched with anticipation. In one leap, I could bury him into my throat. 

“Come, boy. You saw for yourself the death and destruction I cause,” I said, advancing step by step and flapping my wings menacingly. “From here you will witness again the sacking of the greatest city of you mere mortals.” 

Volusius said nothing. His rhomphaia glowed an eerie blue in the night. The blade was sharp, ready to cut. The dragon's body fell to the ground like an empty shell, and I emerged from it like a chick from an egg. 

“You want it, don't you?” said I. “Hate must be swelling in you now. Take your weapon, hero. Use it. I am here. Hit me with it. Give in to your rage and save the city. With each passing moment, you keep the dragon alive.” 

Volusius looked at the dragon's body in front of him. It lay on the ground like newly removed dress. The scales no longer glittered in the night, they were dull and grey. The eyes, which a few minutes before had shone like torches, had darkened, the gaze was now lifeless. 

Them Volusius looked at me: he could no longer see me in this agony. 

“No! We don't have to do this,” said Volusius, taking off his helmet and lowering his rhomphaia. 

“It is inevitable. It is your destiny. It is your story!” said I. 

“Yes. It is my destiny. It is my story, but you must be the one to write it. You won't be able to do that with my blade in your chest.” 

The sound of trumpets and bells could be heard in the distance towards the flames. The fires were slowly dying, and people were busy carrying water. Perhaps Sofia was among them. 

"As you can see, my young hero, the fires are out, the city is saved... now kill the dragon and claim your reward. Be the hero of this story and return to Sofia, she is a good friend and with time she will help you found a better nymph than me." 

By this time Volusius was on the verge of laughter as I looked down at him from above the dragon's body. 

“You were right...” he said amused, “...one must never abuse magic, and you must have abused it, thinking there will be better nymph that you, and mistaken yourself as a dragon. 

I feel no anger or hatred towards you, nor any desire to gain any prize or treasure. I am Volusius Ulpius Vopiscus, known as Isengrimus, my claws are of steel, my grin of iron, but I will not cover myself with glory in this way. I have no reason to hate you.” 

"If that is your verdict in this dark hour, I will give you a reason to hate me!” answered I. 

I returned into the dragon's body and attacked without hesitation. I opened my jaws, and hissed, releasing a stream of white phosphorescent poison gas. He dodged left and right, changing from wolf form to a man's and back again, all the while avoiding my attacks. His movement made him appear as a dark blur against the background of the night sky. 

At that moment, Volusius heard a voice in his head. The words were punctuated by fear, and they echoed in the back of his mind as if Ophirix had cast them from a bell tower. 

“If you love my sister...” he said in a tone full of fear, “...cut off her head, but don't hit her chest.” 

Volusius asked no questions and with a quick gesture he returned to human form and with his fairy blade decapitated my head neatly. All strength left the dragon's body and it fell heavily to the ground, his body and limbs bent at awkward angles, like a tangle of leaves on the forest floor. 

I came out of the dragon’s body, and I said: “Good. I can feel your anger. I am helpless. Take your weapon! Hit me with all your hate and your journey to become a hero will be complete,” and then I spoke the following words: 

Iuppiter ianuam novit. Iuppiter ianua est. Iupiter ianuae est clavis et custos. 

Ianus est et Summanus. 

An impenetrable force ripped his limbs from the ground, trapping him in an immobilizing grip, no matter how hard he struggled. But with a single stroke of his fairy blade, Volusius severed the invisible hands that had held him captive and vaulted forward with a guttural roar. 

Climbing the dragon's body, he was met with a powerful divine wall and thrust backwards. Then Volusius reacted with the same spell and prepared to attack his beloved woman again. 

Thus, we were engaged in a duel fiercer than can be described by human voices. A vicious duel ensued, things invisible for human eyes where he slashed through, and objects moved by ethereal hands until he managed to fling me off the top of the dragon's body. Towering high above us now, Volusius poised himself for one final assault. 

I looked up and said, “Good.” I gestured to the wolf. 

“Use your aggressive feelings, boy! Let the hatred flow through you. Feel the desire to destroy those who have destroyed your city!” 

Volusius relaxed his shoulders and loosened his grip on his weapon, then lowered the blade until it hung idly by his side. He looked at the city for a moment, then back at me, but quickly realised that it was not the city that was falling apart. He took a step back, banishing the hatred from his being. 

“You learn spells quickly...” said I disappointed, “...but you don't learn everything well.” 

“I will not fight you, Varuclezia. I can't.” 

I climbed up the dragon's body to join him in a melee fight. 

“It is unwise to lower your weapon before the dragon.” I attacked, this time with my claws, two serpentine fangs sprouting from my angry face. I attacked, I attacked, but he continued to dodge despite I was vulnerable. I was fast and perceptive, but he was faster and more perceptive. He was a monster, his face was human, but its appearance was that of a wolf. 

“Your heart betrays you, Varuclezia. You do not want this fight any more than I do," he said. "Your heart is aching, and I knew that you don’t want this fight any more than I do. Why can you bring yourself to accept my help?” 

“You don't know what I want,” I replied crying. 

“I know what you need. You came to my aid against the dragon, so let me come to yours. You know you want it.” 

Tears flowed from my sad golden eyes, and I said: “I want... I want all this pain to end! And if the suffering of this city won't do that, then it will be your blade piercing through my chest!” 

The sky seemed to get darker with every word uttered, and Volusius was forced to flee into the surrounding forest. 

While our fight was ensuing, my brother reached the woods. As Ophirix arrived and saw the dragon's body, the anger and fear radiating off him was almost palpable. 

He stumbled towards the body with a mixture of dread and determination, calling out for me in an anguished voice that echoed through the night. 

“Varuclezia!” he cried worried, “Varuclezia!” 

No voice answered him. He then raised his staff, its bells ringing out through the air like a cry of sorrow, and began to chant in a deep, rumbling voice as he pleaded with any soul that may have been nearby to help him find me. His plea was met by silence, and he allowed himself a moment of relief since this meant I was alive. Then he turned his gaze upward to meet the eyes of the owls that roamed around this place. 

He sent out one last prayerful call for his lost sister: “A woman who looks like me, she must be close by. Please search for my sister, for I fear for her life.” 

His plea was answered almost immediately as several of the owls took flight in search of me. 

Meanwhile, I wandered through the forest. I stormed through the thicket, my anger growing with every choked bell I heard from my brother's distant chimes; not knowing those were sound of love and care. 

I hissed with my forked tongue and fought and fought against the shadows. Volusius hit and run, until I calmed down and changed strategy. 

No more impatient, I listened patiently to the forest and struck where he was, before he hid again. Then I went to look for him. I stormed on until the darkness of the forest engulfed me whole. 

“Well, well... good,” said I. 

I wandered around the most tangled part of the woods, moving the bushes, keeping my eyes peeled, looking for Volusius in the half-light and ready to give my poisonous bite. 

"You can't hide forever, Volusius," I seethed, seeking out my quarry in the dark recesses of the park. "Surrender or face your doom!" 

“You know I will not fight you,” replied he. 

“You must surrender to your darkest desires and save your city. Or do you not care about it as much as your obsession for me?” 

“If you mistake my love for obsession, then for you I can only feel pity...” said Volusius hidden in the dark, "...I won't hate you. I can't hate you." 

“You love me... but I'm not the only one you have feeling of tenderness” murmured I. 

I paused and had a cruel thought that even Volusius could sense in his bones. 

“...Sofia! She has always been there for you... it is she who will remain by your side when I am gone. You were probably so caught up in your feelings for me that you did not remember she existed. You were wrong to fall in love with me, for if you will not put an end to my pain, then she will have to bear the pain instead." 

Volusius emerged from the shadows, eyes bulging with rage and a rhomphaia held high. His blade sparkled in the night, reflecting my fear back at me. He blocked my path with a menacing wall of steel, and I began to tremble as he slowly advanced. I felt his fear as he raised his weapon and screamed “Varuclezia!” The air crackled between us with tension until he finally struck me with the blunt end of his sword, sending me flying away from the city. 

Iuppiter ianuam novit. Iuppiter ianua est. Iupiter ianuae est clavis et custos. 

Ianus est et Summanus. 

He raised his arm and tried to push me back with a spell, but his strength was no match for mine. Branches and leaves swayed, but he could not prevail as long as I was the only one who wanted someone dead. He pushed me back and I disappeared into the darkness. 

The forest was eerily silent, the only sound being Volusius's steady breathing as he stood guard. Suddenly, a familiar melody filled the air: sweet but tinged with sadness. It reminded him of the song the strange lake creature had used on him some time ago. He became cautious and took up a sentry position. 

He waited: his senses keenly aware of any movement. 

Moments passed without incident until a distant voice wafted through the trees, calling out his name. 

"Volusius! Volusius?" said Sofia, looking for him. 

“Sofia?” he called back, curious but still cautious. As he relaxed, the melody of the sweet song returned to his mind. But just when he let down his guard, something caught his attention from the corner of his eye. 

Without warning, a dark figure charged towards Sofia with malicious intent. Volusius sprang into action running at full speed to protect her from harm. 

“Sofia!” he screamed a warning just before reaching her side as she turned toward him in surprise. 

Volusius did not hesitated to defend his friend, but realised too late that the Sofia he was close to was nothing but an illusion and, if it was any consolation, it was painless for me. His rhomphaia pierced me from side to side, piercing my belly, and my blood began to gush. 

“Thank you...” I said weeping with happiness, “...now fulfil your destiny. Finish me off and take your place among the heroes!” 

Volusius looked at me, then took his purple handkerchief from his pocket. The handkerchief opened to reveal the amethyst ring. 

“It was you...” said Volusius in a gentle tone, “...it was you the nymph who found me in that forest and gave me this ring years ago, wasn't it?” 

I said nothing, but my tears flowed with even more vehemence. 

“I could never hurt you, because you pulled me out of the forest and gave me this ring that reminded me of what I wanted to become.” 

I continued crying, but my happiness turned to anger. I bit him, injecting him venom with my serpentine fangs. He did not react. He just hugged me gently and consoled me. 

“So be it... take it out on me,” he said caressing my green hair. 

Volusius stood still as I wept. Something broke in me, and in through my sobs anger disappeared. 

“I can't stand being angry anymore...” said I, “...I want my anger to stop. Why bad things had to happen to us?” 

“I know, I know,” he said, continuing the tender embrace and for the first time I felt at peace. My bite left his grip, and I leaned back against his chest. 

We remained silent for a moment, then Volusius looked worriedly at the blade in my stomach. I smiled. 

“Don't worry...” said I as I started to draw his sword from my body “...I think you have realized by now that I am no mere mortal...” I pulled the blade out of my stomach and all that came out was a strange blue-grey liquid from a wound that closed quickly, “...although it's best not to exert myself for a while.” 

Still, Volusius looked at me anxiously, and only when he was certain that I was safe did he give me a look of relief. He put his hand on my shoulders and gave me a smile. Then a noise caught our attention. When we turned ourselves toward the bushes, we saw Ophirix emerging silently from the light of the dawn. 

He took measured steps and placed a small, thin glass phial with a semi-transparent liquid, the sunlight casting a rainbow of colours through it. 

“This...” he said in a voice as smooth as silk, “...is the antidote to our poison...” Ophirix turned back towards the bush, appreciating the rosy fingers of dawn, “...although my sister can still prepare a dose for you, it is always better not to wait too long.” 

The silence was palpable as he waited, the only noise coming from the gentle rustle of leaves in the breeze. The scent of earth and grass filled the air, mixed with something sweet and floral that was impossible to identify. Finally, satisfied of what he saw, Ophirix looked back at us. 

“Take care of yourself” he said to me, before leaving. 

“Wait!” said Volusius, but my brother gave him no time to continue. 

“If our people are destined to disappear, at least I am glad that my sister can be happy,” said Ophirix, then the fog lifted, and he disappeared. 

Volusius filled his lungs and with all the honesty of which his candid soul was capable he cried out: “I do not know what is happening to your people, but I swear to you on my name Volusius Ulpius Vopiscus that I will do everything in my power to bring justice to your people.” 

His voice boomed in the night, but there was no response; although I think my brother was pleased with those words. 

In the hours that followed, people flocked to the body of the dragon I had left in the park, and rumours spread first through the air, then through the seven hills of the city. People emerged from their houses and shops and filled the streets; word spread like wildfire through corridors of marble and cobblestone alleyways. “Long live Volusius, long live the slayer of the dragon,” but after that long night, both Volusius and I had other thoughts. 

The sun was high when Sofia awoke, with a small spot of soot on her cheek from the fire the night before. As tiring as it had been to fall asleep knowing what was going on between Volusius and myself, she awoke refreshed, though with her usual reluctance to get out of bed. 

She sat up in bed, her feet dangling over the floor, but found she had no desire to get up. The midday sun had gently awakened her, but that did not make it any easier for Sofia to get up. 

“Volusius... you really know how to make me worry,” said Sofia, before finally deciding to get out of bed. In fact, it was not the fatigue of her body, nor the work that lay ahead of her that kept her sitting up on the bed in her room, but the image of Volusius and Varuclezia standing sadly who knew where. It was like a curse that had prevented him from sleeping peacefully. 

Right... left... she had tossed and turned in bed, unable to think of anything but us; and now, though her body and mind were full of energy, her soul was almost empty. Volusius' gaze was sad, and she wished there was something more she could do for him. 

“With all the worries Volusius gives me, now he won't even let me sleep?” said Sofia. 

She stood motionless; her eyes transfixed on the wall before her. A trembling sigh escaped her, and she agonized over the decision that lay ahead of her. With a deep resolve, she forced herself to step forward and cross the room with determined strides. She retrieved a somber black dress and eerily plain skirt from the wardrobe and quickly donned them. Her limbs felt like lead as she made her way to the threshold of the room, stifling yet another involuntary yawn. 

From there she went into the living room where we were, no less tired than she was, sleeping on the floor of her house. 

“...” (Sofia). 

“...” (Volusius/Varuclezia). 

“...!” (Sofia). 

“...” (Volusius/Varuclezia). 

“...!” (Sofia). 

We stood there, lying on the floor, breathing calmly and quietly. We were lying on our sides, facing each other, holding hands. There was a purple handkerchief between our intertwined fingers, revealing a silver ring set with amethyst. 

Sofia smiled and returned to the room, taking a blanket to wrap our bodies in. Then she went into the kitchen to offer us the best lunch of our lives. We needed to celebrate, for the wolf had found his nymph and killed the dragon.