Black Moon Draw

She did not care what fate befell her. No part of her was willing to live without him. Instead of fleeing, she mustered the worst curse the realm had ever known.

Her eyes began to glow unnaturally and the magic coursed through her.

"By the blood and magic of Black Moon Draw, sealed by the Heart, you will know no peace until the heir of the Shadow Knight sheds the blood of all who wronged him and reclaims what is rightfully his! The last great battle-witch of my world will come to him in a thousand years with magic far greater than any you have ever witnessed," she hissed at him. "You and every other man of this world will kneel before her and beg for mercy, and she will grant none!"

The Desert Knight appeared taken aback but then sneered at the words of the battle-witch, raised his sword once more, and took her life. He claimed the medallion as his own and hid it away, for if the battle-witch destined to return was unable to access the magic, she was not a threat to his heirs.

And with the final curse and death of the battle-witch of Black Moon Draw - the great warrior queen Naia who ruled for but seconds - thus ended the golden era of peace and began the era of fog, darkness, and war to last a thousand years.

The vision fades, and I open my eyes. It continues to play through my mind like a movie. I'm breathing hard and sweating, and my legs are wooden, heavy, and sore, as if I was the one running.

Thank god, I have no hangover. Judging by the sky visible outside the windows, it's almost dawn. I stretch, mind racing. What part of that was really a dream and what part was something else?

I've never had a dream so vivid or real. It was short yet chock full of information that makes my head spin.

My hand goes to the medallion at my chest, and I take it off. It's definitely the same one from the strange dream, though worn by time, faded, and . . . sad. Or maybe, I'm sad after experiencing the despair of the woman in my dream.

"Heirloom," I murmur, figuring out finally what the medallion is. She also called it a Heart and said there was magic in it.

It seems pretty un-magical to me. The Shadow Knight thinks it's important and I don't quite get why. Is it simply the symbol of a bygone, golden era?

One that ended in a tragic tale of the love of a Shadow Knight for his battle-witch. The depth of her emotion makes my eyes mist over. I've never felt that for anyone, not my first love, not Jason. The love fashioned into this medallion isn't possible in the real world. It's the great romance, soul-deep true love, which only exists in books.