Chained By Fate

There weren’t always dragons in the Valley. There weren’t always dragons in the Valley. There weren’t always dragons in the Valley. Wow, I think I nailed that line, but what if Ruth was right?

I’ve heard stories about the dragons that breathe fire from their nostrils and the dragons that come in different colors like emerald green, royal blue, and sangria red. The dragons that can fly faster than the famous 1986 US Air Force fleet, the F-15E Strike Eagle, and the dragons that have bodies most similar to the Neuquensaurus or the Omeisaurus.

There is no way I couldn’t capture one in the Valley. It is the only place in Wisconsin, and all of the United States for that matter, that has had repeated sightings of dragons.

Valley, Wisconsin, is just a name known to foreigners. Quinctilianus Hadrianus is the name the locals gave to it. Quinctilianus Hadrianus is named after a young adventurer from Apulia, Italy, who had found this place all those years ago. He’s become one of the most remarkable people in the most recent history of Quinctilianus Hadrianus, Wisconsin. So much so that local authority figures had to ban families from naming their children anything that had to do with the name. For example, you cannot call nor name your child Quinctilianus Hadrianus, Quinctilianus, Hadrianus, Hadrianus Quinctilianus, or anything remotely close to the title. Just as a sign of respect towards the ambiguous Quinctilianus.

The sun started to fall from the sky, and I was not near any camps. I also didn’t think to bring a sleeping bag on this journey because I planned to return at noon. I guess I had been too caught up with exploring. I hadn’t been watching the sun like I was supposed to.

I made Ruth, the fairy who had told me NOT to go on this journey, watch my dogs Cleo and Phesto and my cat Hill while I was gone. I swore to her that I would be back around noon since I’m sure she had places to be.

I set my backpack down on a smooth rock with jagged edges. I took my crimson Quilted Reefer Parka out of my bag and wrapped it around my shoulders. It is mid-winter; though it hasn’t snowed these past couple of years, it still is freezing, reaching as low as 32 degrees. I genuinely hope I do not freeze to death.

There is still a bit of light from the sun, so I've decided to write a journal entry:

Wednesday, November 16th

My journey to Quinctilianus Hadrianus – mid-winter

I’ve always liked the beginning of journeys; this journey isn’t much different. Although it is cold, I am so happy to be back on the trails finally. It feels like it has been years since my last adventure, even though it was just mere months ago, during the summer.

Beginnings are always so full of promises, so filled with happiness and magic.

The first page of this book will be the door to all the new opportunities this journey may have in store for me. It is like the first day of a new job, the prologue to a brand new book, the first date with a new person, seeing new things first, and learning new things. I like beginnings and ‘first times’ because I know there will always be more to explore. There will always be more.

All ending are just beginnings in hiding.

I wonder what this remarkable journey is going to bring. I am trying to manifest good fortune in the upcoming hours. Even if I didn’t find a dragon, I still didn’t want to come back home empty-handed. Whatever I see or find, I am going to be happy.

Now that I think about it, what am I supposed to do once I find a dragon?

I quickly stopped writing and flipped to the back of my book. All adventurers must have a step-by-step guide on traveling the lands properly.

I flipped through the how-to guide and searched for the section titled ‘Dragons.’ Page 267. The first two pages are dedicated to the basics of dragons, like how they fly, what colors they come in, where they live, and how far they can travel in one sitting, just the basics that every traveler already knows. I flipped through the complete how-to guide and couldn’t find anything on what to do. I felt like I was flipping into the abyss until I finally found the questions category.

The most often asked question is, what do you do when you find a dragon? First, you begin by staying calm; if you overreact, the dragon may overreact. For example, if you see a red dragon, which indicates a fire-breathing dragon, and you start to freak out, it may try to set you on fire in defense. So when you see a dragon, stay calm and try to talk to it. If it shows signs of not wanting to be friends, slowly retreat. Do not run away fast.

If you are a fairy or a witch, we strongly advise you not to look for dragons; thank you. Dragons are sacred creatures, and there aren’t too many of them left, so the authorities ask everyone to leave them alone. Take your pictures, document their behavior, and please go back and share them with everyone. Do not harm them, or else you will be in for a hefty sentence. That shouldn’t be too hard.

I close my book and place it back in my backpack. I snuggled into my coat and lay my head on a hard rock on the ground. I slowly started to doze off into a deep slumber.

Ezekiel's point of view

The sky is an intense blue, the moons beaming down on my scales; everything is calm. The wind gently blew the tree up on Sporack Moutain, swaying the orange and yellow leaves back and forth. I've lived here, in this valley, with my family for as long as I can remember. But this is the first time that I have truly been able to enjoy this paradise.

My dad has always been the leader of our pack. He always kept everyone in line, especially me. Every dragon in the group looked up to him as a supernatural figure. I just saw him as a dull, stingy old dragon because that's all he ever was.

I was the only dragon who had to stay behind on missions because, unfortunately for me, I was the firstborn. Correction, I am the first to a leader, an alpha if you must, of a pack consisting of 2,500+ dragons. I am their tressure. I've always been told I possess such innate power, but I was never told how to use it. I wasn't even told what it was. Heck, I was never taught anything! I've spent my days locked up in a cave because my dad was worried about me getting hurt.

“Remember, Ezekiel Finn, that every season is not a growing season. Every season is not a good harvest. There are seasons of watering, seasons of planting, and seasons of pulling up weeds. All seasons are important. There are times where THEY are testing you to see if you will succeed. Are you going to stay positive? Are you going to continue to water and plant even if the harvest fails?” My father would constantly remind me of this analogy every time I would ask why I couldn't go out.

I never understood any of it. But I guess it was just another one of his idiotic lessons.

He disappeared not too long ago after my youngest sibling, Kaida, uncovered an old photo stashed away in our cave. The image was of our dad when he was barely a wyrmling and a fairy. Kaida quickly told our siblings and me, and word spread like wildfire. The dragons started to assume that the fairy was our long-lost mother, who had gotten attacked by humans shortly after Kaida was born.

The only reason why people started to believe the assumptions is because no one ever saw my mom, only my dad. My mom, like me, was always forced to stay inside because she was at high risk of being captured. But every time I try to think of her, my mind can never picture her; it's always her stories that come to mind.

She used to tell me stories about who my soulmate was, “I can just picture her. She's gorgeous. She has curly red hair with beaming blue eyes. She's small but has the personality of a tiger.” “She's human?” I would ask curiously. “She is, Finny, she is. But don't go telling your father now, okay?” “Yes, mom.”

Word around the valley is that my mom was the fairy in the picture, so we have no clear memories of her. Because she erased them when she left all those years ago. Logically, I think it makes no sense why would my dad have children with a fairy? Wait, how would my dad have children with a fairy? Like he's a dragon, and she's a never mind. That's gross.

The wind finally calmed. All I could hear now was my wings flapping up and down. It is just me and the night sky; I have never felt freer in my entire life. This was the day I had been dreaming of since I was trapped in the cave.

As I soared through the open valley, I saw something gleaming in the moonlight. It looked like a ruby red jewel. I dove down and gently landed on the cliff's edge, careful not to make any sudden movements.

I snuggled up next to it so I could get a better look. It was cold. I ran my claws across it, and it was soft. It couldn't be a ruby; rubies aren't delicate. I wrapped my body around it to keep it warm. I'll just sleep here and check it out in the morning. I pulled it in closer and slowly started to close my eyes.

Danelle's point of view

A warm feeling around my body suddenly awakened me. It wasn't my coat, so what could it be?

I opened my eyes and saw a glowing arrowhead waving up and done in front of me. I put my hand out and felt it. My hands started to burn. I quickly grabbed water from my bag and poured it onto my hands. The water only relieved the pain for a moment. I didn't know what to do, everything was dark, and my hands felt like they were on fire—this wasn't in the adventures training guide.

I backed up and quickly was met with a wall. I turned around and felt the wall because I didn't remember it being there before. It was scaley and rough. Oh shit.

-

Coming soon on Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/story/312592266-chained-by-fate

Note* I made the cover page as a joke. I think it looks funny, so I am keeping it.

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