A World Without Dragons

There weren’t always dragons in the Valley. At least, that’s what the Old Stories say. Linus was fond of the Old Stories. They told of a time before dragons, a time of a thriving, peaceful society. Where grand cities once littered the Valley, and paved roads stretched from one end of the Valley to the next. A time when people had a place they could call home. Of course, that was before the dragons.

Linus liked to escape into those Old Stories and imagine a world without dragons. A world where they weren’t always on the move. A world of prosperity instead of survival. Somewhere they could raise crops, raise a family, and build something permanent.

He trudged along near the back of their meager caravan. He and three others were responsible for herding their small band of sheep this morning. A rear scout followed close behind. The remaining members trekked ahead of them led by the forward scout.

A wagon wheel creaked beside him as it squished mud beneath it. A light wind whispered through the sparse trees. Beyond the sounds of travel, all was still. Even the sheep were more quiet than usual. Keeping one eye on the sky as well as the road. They were well aware of their place in the food chain.

The quiet put his instincts on edge. He scanned the eastern horizon. With the first rays of morning light crawling over the mountains, the peaks began to cast long sharp shadows across the Valley. Linus intently watched those ridgelines for several minutes. In the early morning light, it was hard to tell if the shifting shadows were caused by the rising sun, or something more. His survival instincts were starting to kick in. They needed to find shelter and fast.

As the sun continued to creep up in the sky, some white pillars caught his eye. A potential place to hide, but perhaps too far off? Would it be better to risk staying on the road in search of better cover, or take their chance with the pillars? They couldn’t be sure what kind of shelter the pillars would provide until they got a closer look.

The pillars reminded Linus of the Old Stories again. What were they from? What kind of people lived there? What was their civilization like? How many people lived here, in this one spot, never having to move? Could these pillars have been part of one of the great cities? Could it have been Thivus? Or Ephesia? Or maybe even Oricum? Could these pillars have once lined the Halls of Etrium?

A sudden clamp on his shoulder startled him from his revery. Linus swung his fist in a futile attempt to defend himself, only to hit the brick wall known as Viktor. “Whoa there Linus!” he exclaimed.

“Sorry Viktor.” Linus replied “You scared me. You shouldn’t sneak up on people like that. I could’ve hurt you.”

“Right. Cause you punch with the strength of ten men instead of a little girl.” Viktor replied sarcastically. Viktor was a tall, broad, scarred man with a missing left eye. He was a grizzled survivor through and through, and Linus really wasn’t much of a threat to him. Viktor had joined their small caravan many years ago after his was ravaged and scattered on the plains of Erido, on the north end of the Valley. He’d been a great asset to the group since joining.

“I may not have the strength of ten men, but at least I have two hands to punch with.”

“Ooh!” Viktor said, throwing his right hand to his gut. “Hit me where it hurts.”

Viktor had only one hand instead of two. In place of his left hand, was a large metal shank. He lost his arm in the same attack that destroyed his caravan. Details of the attack were spotty and inconsistent at best. And though Viktor would never confirm it, it was widely believed that he was involved with bringing down a dragon. Making him somewhat of a legend among the group, and a personal hero of Linus’.

“Anyway.” Viktor continued. “We’re falling behind. We need to find shelter.”

“How about those pillars?” Linus asked, pointing in the distance. Viktor took a moment to consider before responding.

“I didn’t even see those. It could provide ample cover for the group until nightfall.” He looked ahead to the group while he pondered the matter. “Let’s catch up to the group and head over there.”

They started walking at a brisk pace to catch the group. Linus kept one eye on the mountain ridges as they marched on. Viktor noticed and looked to the mountains as well. There were no signs of dragons yet, but that didn’t mean there weren’t any in the area.

“Have you seen anything come off those mountains yet?” Viktor asked.

“No, I don’t think so.” Linus replied. “But something feels off. It’s too quiet.”

Viktor stopped Linus in his tracks and placed his good hand on his shoulder. “You have good instincts Linus. Survivor instincts. Just like me. Use them. They got us this far. With luck, they’ll get us through tomorrow, and with my good hand still attached.” He said, holding his hand up with a smirk.

Linus held back a laugh. Viktor had a decent sense of humor, all things considered. “It’s not very smart to make people laugh in the morning.” Linus said. “Might attract unwanted attention.”

“Only if they hear you.” Viktor replied with a clap to his shoulder as he pressed on after the group. “Come on. Let’s catch up.” Such an upbeat attitude for such a scarred man. The dragons took everything from him, but Viktor never let it get to him. A true hero in these troubled times.

In a way, Linus looked up to him. Viktor had plenty of his own troubles but was always looking out for Linus and always made him feel safe.

They were just a few yards away from the group when Viktor stopped in his tracks and started looking around. Linus looked up at Viktor and then towards the mountains in panic. The wind had changed. The morning glare made it hard to see what was coming, but sure enough, the undulating of wings could be seen in the eastward sky. Linus could hear his heart thumping in his ears, reducing all other sounds to a muffled drone. The mornings hunt had begun. And it was heading in their direction.

Viktor crouched low and motioned for Linus to stay put. He covered himself in his hood and quickly stalked toward the rest of the group. Like everyone else, his clothes were earthy browns and greens. Meant to blend in with the landscape when seen from the skies above.

He reached the front of the column and signaled for them to stop. The men pulling the cart, grateful for the break, began lowering their burden. Viktor sharply made the hand signal for “still”. A quick slice across the throat with a palm closing to a fist pulling down.

Everyone froze. Then cautiously proceeded to blend themselves with the environment. Like their clothes, their other travel effects were meant to blend with their surroundings. The cart was draped with a canopy of dead branches and leaves. And the sheep received regular mud baths, keeping their fur dark and caked in dirt.

The men at the cart lowered it to the ground and took shelter beneath it. The individual travelers, currently not on a duty rotation, crouched in place and pulled over their hood coverings. The sheep handlers, grabbing the snouts of their animals, pulled the sheep to the dirt in a well-practiced motion. The sheep knew this action well and had been trained not to make a sound while in this position.

With everyone else still, the two sheep Linus was supposed to be escorting, caught his attention. When the column stopped, they had taken the opportunity to graze on the sparse grass near the side of the road. He watched them anxiously. Hoping they would keep their heads down, quietly content with their grass.

Of course, hope didn’t exist in the Valley. One sheep, ignorant of the tension in the air, raised its head and looked around. Finding Linus with its gaze, the sheep opened its mouth and let out a loud bleat. Linus took off towards the sheep. He slid between the two animals and pulled on their snouts in the familiar, silencing motion.

Linus, heart pounding in his ears, scanned the sky in anticipation. Sweat dripping from his face, his eyes darted back and forth trying to see in all directions at once without moving his head; straining his ears for the flapping of wings, or the bone chilling cry of an apex predator.

One tense minute passed without incident.

Then another.

A few more minutes passed in silence. They appeared to be in the clear. Linus buried his face in the sheep’s wool, wiping his sweat on the dry mud, and exhaled a quiet sigh of relief. He looked toward Viktor in search of the all clear. Viktor was looking in his direction. But he didn’t find the relieved reassurance that he had expected in Viktors face.

Instead, he found an expression foreign to the solid warrior’s face. Nervousness. Viktor wasn’t looking at Linus, but beyond him. Linus froze, his just calmed heart instantly jolting up into his throat. In moments, a large shadow passed by the right of the column.

Linus raised his eyes and spotted the object of their fear flying overhead. The terrible beasts that had conquered this valley and reduced humanity to the small, scared nomadic groups they now were. A dragon.

The great flying serpent was far above them. A long, dirty yellow ribbon in the sky supported by powerful wings. Linus could make out long black talons protruding from the tips, designed to easily tear flesh from the monster’s prey. The early morning sun gleamed off its scaly underbelly, highlighting the creature’s majesty against the deep blue of the sky.

It flew in a straight line, not giving any sign that it had noticed them. The dragon occasionally veered from side to side, gliding on various air currents. It continued in a southerly direction until it flew beyond their sight.

The group stayed still in their camouflaged state for several minutes. Past experience had taught them that a dragon on the hunt would often circle back for a second pass. Catching prey that thought the dragon had moved on, off guard. They waited for what felt like an eternity before Viktor gave the signal to move.

Viktor led the group off the left side of the road, heading for the pillars that they spotted in the east. Moving quickly, the small group spread out in an effort to diminish any dust cloud they might kick up. Individuals were assigned to watch the skies on each side for any more dragons. They doubled their pace, wanting to reach cover well before the sun was at its highest. Most dragons could be seen hunting when the valley no longer housed any mountain shadows to shelter their quarry.

A couple hours passed by the time they reached the foothills the pillars stood among. Sappho, an older woman with dark hair, walked beside Linus. “Go take a break Linus.” She spoke. “Find yourself something to drink. It’s been a long walk. You need to stay Hydrated.” Linus nodded his head in agreement and went to do as she said. He grabbed a canteen from the cart and headed off to find Viktor.

He found Viktor towards the front of the group and walked along with him. They could clearly see the pillars at this point, and they proved to be much larger than Linus had originally suspected. Coming out of the ground at an angle, they were still supporting the remains of a roof or a wall, which should provide adequate shelter for the day.

“Good work Linus.” Viktor said. “It looks like these pillars should be a big enough sanctuary for all of us. Your instincts proved to be correct.”

“My instincts and these pillars nearly led to all of us becoming an early breakfast” Linus Replied.

“How do you mean?”

“The sheep… I should have been there. But looking at the pillars, I let myself get wrapped up in the Old Stories and fell behind.”

Viktor barked a short laugh. “It’s not a crime to daydream Linus. We all enjoy the Old Stories”

“They’re just stories,” Linus said, looking at his feet. “We live in the real world. I put all of us at risk. I’m sorry, I nee- “

Viktor stopped him by blocking his path with his metal limb. “Listen Kid,” he said while crouching down to his eye level. “We live a hard life, full of risk every day. Always on the move to avoid those beasts. That is the lot nature has given us. Every person in this valley is focused on survival every day. But if we let that mindset consume us, how will anything ever get better?” He paused to let Linus ponder that question for a moment. “The Old Stories may just be stories, but something was obviously here before the dragons. If we forget that history, we give up any chance of living that way again. Don’t ever be sorry for dreaming of something better. There are few enough dreamers out there.” Viktor finished, turning back toward the pillars.

Linus stood there for a moment before hurrying after him. ‘Was it possible’ he thought? Could things really get better? Or better yet, be the way they were in the Old Stories? Many such questions wandered through his mind as they journeyed on.

The group began to funnel closer together as they wound through the foothills approaching the pillars. With their destination so close at hand, conversation began to pick up as tensions faded. The idea of a good day’s rest was sure to brighten everyone’s mood.

Catching up to Viktor, Linus was able to take a closer look at their intended shelter. The large marble pillars towered out of the ground. Once bright and smooth, they were now weathered, and pock marked. Large swathes of the stone had long since been scorched and stained black. Beyond the pillars a long roof sloped back into the side of the hill. Some fallen debris from the roof could be seen around the pillars, but it largely looked intact.

“How far back do you think it goes?” Linus asked.

“Hard to tell” Viktor replied, “This could have once been a great palace, and that darkness could stretch quite a ways. Or, it could have collapsed and may stop just short of the hillside. Either way, it should be enough for our purposes.”

“How long do you think we’ll stay here?” Linus asked, hopeful that they may get a few days rest or more.

Viktor sat for a moment with a contemplative look, then turned to open his mouth. A commotion toward the back of the caravan cut his answer short. One of the watchers was running up to the main body of travelers. Viktor and Linus moved back toward them to see what was going on.

“Markus, what is it?” Viktor asked as they arrived.

Out of breath, the watcher struggled to reply. “Dra…dragon… on our… on our trail.”

“Where? How Fa- “

A piercing shriek split the sky like a thunderclap. An olive-green mass heaved itself over the furthest hill behind them.

“Scatter the sheep!” Viktor shouted. “Get to the pillars!”

Linus, frozen in place, watched the colossal creature advance. It trundled forward on four powerful legs, tearing up the ground beneath its claws. While on the ground, its wings were folded behind its back. A single large spike protruded from the back of a head the size of a cow and a massive, hooked tail lashed out behind the dragon. Keen brown eyes examined the chaos before it. Linus was paralyzed before those eyes. He was sure it was staring right at him.

“Run boy!” Sappho yelled as she shoved Linus in the direction of the pillars, shaking him from his stupor. He ran, ran with all his might.

Up ahead he could see Viktor approaching the safety of the pillars. Linus was quickly closing the distance between them. Too quickly… Viktor was slowing down. He heard the rumble of shifting earth emanating from the pillars ahead. Viktor had stopped, many of the others behind him slowing down as well.

In the darkness behind the pillars, Linus saw a pair of orange lights spring to life. Torch lights? The lights went out, then reappeared. Not torches… Eyes.

Viktor turned around and, for the first time, Linus saw pure terror on his face.

“Run!”