Blazed by Dragons

“There weren’t always dragons in the valley,” said the elderly woman standing before the fire. As she waved her hand above the flames, they took the shape of a small dragon flying through the sky.

One of the young girls sitting opposite her spoke up, “Grandmother, if they weren’t always there, where did they come from?”

With practiced patience the woman responded. “Hush child, listen to the story and your questions will be answered. No one knows where the dragons called home before they claimed our valley. All we know is that they came in the shroud of night.”

“We knew that dragons existed but no one had seen or heard one in our valley before. The few who heard them that night were puzzled by the sound,” as she continued the story, the sound of the dragon’s wings emanated from the fire, “a sound that many will never forget.”

“The sounds grew louder and louder, and within the hour they were upon us. Fire rained down from the sky, setting the village ablaze.” The small dragon made of flames, released a stream flame towards the base of the fire and it began to burn hotter.

“As many began to awake in a panic, the large beasts landed among the houses. Many of them were covered in scales of varying colors with webbed spines running down their backs. They used their tails to smash through houses with ease.” The fire formed a small house as the dragon appeared to land on the ground. As the dragon’s tail passed through the house, the fire popped and sent a shower of sparks up into the air. The children gasped and flinched away, and the elderly woman continued.

“Many lost their lives that night, but those who made it out will remember that night forever. We have since made the mountain our home, though many yearn for the day we can return to the valley.”

The young girl interrupted again, “Why did they come to the valley?”

The woman sighed, “I do not know, child. That is a question for the dragons.”

“Ask the ancient red, but mind your manners for her temper is fierce and her patience thin.” As she spoke the flames that made the dragon began to shift and turn to a deep red.

“Ask the wise blue, but be wary of his quick wit and sharp tongue. His words often carry as much deceit as they do truth and he will have you believing anything he says.” With this the flames shifted to a blue that would rival the midday sky.

“Ask the scaleless green who hides amongst the trees, seldom heard and seldom seen.” The dragon’s color shifted to that of a sycamore leaf.

“Ask the icy white, but do not let his preference for the cold of the tallest peaks fool you. His breath will burn as hot as all the others.” The fire burned to a blinding white causing many of the children to shield their eyes.

“Ask the greedy black, but bring gifts of food and gold and hope he is pleased with your offering or forfeit your life.” The flames turned to a pitch black, seeming to pull in all the light rather than producing it.

“Take heed children, dragons are not your friend. They are a menace to us humans, and do not care for those they consider lesser than themselves. They may play at being polite for a time but sleep with one eye open, because they strike in the dead of night.” With that, the dragon made of fire roared one last time and faded from existence.

Standing at the base of the mountain, Jess chuckled as the memory came to the forefront of her mind. She had always been a curious child, asking why something was done a certain way or how something worked. That curiosity had led to her leaving her village earlier that morning to seek out the dragons and get an answer that satisfied her.

The dragons, who now ruled the valley, seemingly called the caves, of the mountain opposite her, their home. They could be seen flying in and out of the caves, their scales reflecting the sunlight in a way that reminded her of stars. That is where she decided she must go to speak with the great winged beasts known as dragons.

The descent down the mountain from her village took all morning and most of the afternoon. All that was left to do was cross the open field and pass through the woods, a task she expected to take the better part of a day. With the sun well past its apex in the sky, she decided that it would be better to make camp here rather than in the woods.

She observed the mostly vacant field and saw a large juniper tree that would provide ample cover and a slight wind break. From her vantage point she spotted a few small game trails and decided to set a few snares in the hopes of catching something to eat other than the dried fruits and meats that she had brought with. The food served its purpose but it wasn’t very appetizing. She set three simple snares among the various trails. With the snares set, Jess made her way to the nearby juniper.

Reaching the tree, she shrugged off her pack and laid her bow against it before climbing through the foliage and into the boughs of the tree. She began to clear some of the smaller branches in order to make a big enough clearing for her bedroll, her pack, and a small fire. With the branches cleared, she pulled her pack and bow into the safety of the tree. From her pack she pulled a striking stone and started a small fire by running the back of her knife along the stone. The sparks took quickly to the dried needles and threadlike bark of the juniper. With the detritus burning quickly, she fed the broken branches into the fire.

As the fire crackled with ferocity, a high-pitched scream echoed through the valley. The noise was one Jess was familiar with, a rabbit caught in her snare. Latching her knife into its sheath on her left hip, she dashed from the cover of the tree making her way towards the source of the sound to stop it before it drew unwanted attention. The rabbit was smaller than she had hoped for, but it would still suffice for tonight. Taking the creature in her hands, she gave it a quick twist and ended its screaming. Not wanting to be out in the open longer than needed, she hastily removed the small creature and reset the snare.

With her fresh kill in hand, she surveyed the area checking for any signs of danger. Not seeing anything lurking in the tall grass she started toward her camp. As she walked, a large shadow passed across the ground. Panicking, she crouched down into the grass and looked towards the sky. All she was able to see was a glint of red descending on the other side of the valley towards the caves. As a wave of relief washed over her, Jess picked up her pace and began to jog back to her camp.

Reaching the large juniper that served as her camp, she took one last look around before ducking back into the safety of its boughs. Her small fire had become nothing but a pile of dying embers. She threw some dried needles and small sticks atop the embers and gently blew into them, breathing life back into the flames. After feeding larger sticks to the fire, she skinned, cleaned, and cooked the rabbit. As she ate, she listened to the sounds of the valley, the chirping of crickets, the occasional hoot of an owl, and the distant flap of large, leathery wings.

After finishing the meal, she pulled off her cloak and climbed into her bedroll, tucking in for the evening. As sleep slowly took her, the subtle scent of petrichor filled her nose. Tomorrow would bring rain.

Jess awoke to the low rumble of the approaching storm. Still groggy, she started to pack her camp. Knowing that it would be hard to find dry wood later, she rolled some of the juniper branches into her bedroll and stuffed it in her bag. Donning her cloak and gear, she set out to check her snares to see if she was able to catch any small game during the night.

The first snare stood empty, as she had expected. The rabbit's cries the night before would have scared any other animals from the area. Untying the small length of rope, she added it to her pack and continued to the next trap. The second snare held a squirrel and the third a rabbit. She tied the two animals to her pack and started for the woods, hoping to make it before the rain started.

Walking with intent, Jess made short work of the distance between her camp and the woods. As she entered underneath the thick canopy of trees another line from her grandmother’s story came to the forefront of her mind. “Ask the scaleless green who hides amongst the trees, seldom heard and seldom seen.” As the memory faded, she surveyed the woods, looking and listening for any movement. The only movement to be seen were the creatures of the woods scurrying to safety from the coming rain and the sway of branches from the wind blowing at her back.

Feeling safe that there were no large predators in the immediate area she started her trip through the woods. After a few minutes of walking the storm finally caught up to her. As the sound of the rain hit the canopy above, she pulled her hood up and tucked her hair down into the back of the cloak.

The ground here was rocky and full of roots, making it difficult to travel with any speed. The rain would be even more burdensome, making it slick and even more dangerous. Not wanting to slip and injure herself, she tried to stick to the large game trails while doing her best to maintain her heading.

As she moved deeper, the rain picked up and the sounds from above drowned out the noises of the forest. With only the thunderous sound of the storm above, the woods grew eerie, putting her on edge. Every crack of thunder caused her to jump and she felt like she would die of fright before making it out of the woods.

The next few hours felt like forever to Jess but she made it to the edge of the woods. Her escape from the woods was farther from the mountainside than she wanted, but without the sun to guide her path she expected to be off course slightly. Taking in the new area struck her with grief, the area had been blackened and held the scent of garlic. What she thought to have once been a lush field was now a large field of black mud.

Feeling slightly defeated by the sight of destruction, she began to trudge toward the mountainside. She stuck to the tree line, picking the slightly rough terrain over the viscous looking mud. The walk was a brief one but she was exposed to the elements more than before and was now soaked to the bone. She had finally made it, tired and miserable though she was. Now came the hard part she thought, finding a dragon and convincing it not to eat her immediately upon sight. That could, however, wait until tomorrow. The rest of her day would be spent resting and getting dry.

Spotting a small hollow not far up the mountain, Jess gathered some wet wood from the ground and began her ascent. The climb would normally have been an easy one, but with all the added weight she found that she had to test every step up the rocky slope. Arriving at the mouth of the hollow, she stood staring into the darkness, trying to discern any movement within. Not seeing any signs of life from within she quickly ducked inside, glad to finally be out of the rain.

Once inside she dropped the stack of wood and shrugged off her pack. Pulling her bedroll from its resting place inside the pack and unfurling it she checked the wood she had gathered that morning. Thankfully the pack and bedroll had kept it mostly dry. She stripped off her cloak and set to building a fire. With the newfound light she was better able to take in the cave, it was not very large and had black walls that reflected some of the firelight.

Famished, she pulled the rabbit from her bag and set to skinning and cleaning it. The rain had made its fur very slick and the time since its death had caused the body to stiffen. Working with the rabbit was tough and took her longer than usual but she eventually had it skewered and roasting above the fire. She then set the wet wood around the fire and draped her cloak on her pack to dry it out. As the smell of the rabbit filled the cave she thumbed the leather wrapping of her bow, thinking of home when a deep grumble filled the cave.

“You do not belong here child!”