Conquered with a Boy

The sun was peeking over the horizon now. I could see 5 deer out in the clearing and I only needed one to last me the fortnight. I knew I had to be quick with my arrow as I wasn't the only one hunting. That's when I heard it. It's been many years since I've heard that sound. The distinct cries of a child who couldn't be more than 3. I wasn't the only one who heard it either. The handful of deer took off into the trees. I knew that if we all heard it then they did too.

I ran back into the trees as fast as I could towards the crying child. I heard the gush of the wind, knowing that meant I was too late. I crouched behind the closest rose hedge and peered over to get a look. I was right. One of the older dragons was standing in front of the child peering down at him.

The child was a young boy with a dark complexion. His hair down past his shoulders. He had stopped crying and was staring the dragon in the face. Not scared or frightened, only amazed. I watched as he took steps towards the great beast. It was as if they were playing a game of chicken but neither of them budged. The dragon crouched lower to get a closer look at the child. It was at this moment the child reached for him. I sat holding my breath, for what felt like forever, not knowing what the old dragon might do. To my surprise, this dark gray giant leaned into the toddler’s hand. The beautiful child giggled. The first sign of happiness we have seen from him. The dragon grunted in agreement.

I had lived among the dragons since I was a young girl. Though we lived in the same forest, we kept our distance from each other. I believe this was because of the awful experiences they had encountered with other humans and, honestly, I’ve heard terrifying stories that convinced me to keep my distance. Seeing this interaction has brought those same stories into question. The dragons have never been hostile towards me, but I have never given them reason to.

As the seconds passed, and I watched these two together, I knew I had to make a decision. Either remain hidden and let the dragon take the child, not knowing how the others of the hoard would react, or come out of hiding in hopes I’m not burnt to a crisp. Self-preservation or sacrifice. One of the benefits of living in solitude in the forest is avoiding these kinds of decisions.

One move and that was it. My decision had been made. I stood up faster than I had originally anticipated. The dragons head snapped to look at me and he snarled quietly. His body language the act of a defensive parent. My hands were outstretched in front of me, palms showing. I wanted to let him know that I meant no harm. I could feel the sweat creeping down my neck. I have never been this close to a dragon. I could see the incredible details in his scales. Gray was a simple way to describe him but now I could see the black and gold diamonds that are scattered throughout his entire body. It was magnificent.

Green eyes were peaking from behind the wing of the dragon. They weren’t filled with terror or excitement, just curiosity. Probably wondering if I was going to leave here with all my hair intact as that was what was going through my mind.

“I want to help,” I said. The dragon continued to glare lowly at me. “May I take a look at him, to make sure he is okay?”

Leaves and branches crunched as he slid his wing back to reveal the young boy. I scanned him up and down and he looked good. No signs of malnourishment but definitely dirty. From the looks of it, he was taken care of by someone previously. Why would anyone abandon someone so perfect in the place the dragons call home?

I kneeled on the ground, “May I take a better look at you, sweetheart?” The boy shook his head and stepped closer to his new guardian. The dragon nudged him with his wing in support of my request. The look of confusion on the boy’s face was evident. The dragon stood and took a step closer to me. The distance between us quickly disappeared with this step. He had scooped the child up with his wing and laid him down in front of me. Still on the dragon’s wing, I lifted his arms up and examined his face. It’s been a long time since I had seen a child, but I don’t remember any quite as beautiful as this one.

“You are a very beautiful child; do you know that?” I could see the corners of his mouth lift just a bit with that question. He leaned into my hand as I caressed his face. A huff from the dragon caused the boy and I to simultaneously look up. I could tell the dragon was listening for something in the distance, but I wasn’t sure what.

Suddenly, the boy was in my lap and the dragon had stood all the way up. He lifted his wings to begin his ascent. I held onto the boy with his face in my chest. Dirt started to circle us as the dragon got higher. The new silence made it seem like the dragon was all but a dream. No evidence of him besides the last few leaves falling to the ground.

The child’s hands reached to the sky as he cried, “Vici”. It wasn’t a loud cry but a soft whisper in hopes his new guardian might return. I hadn’t remembered the story of Vici until this child spoke his name. One of the greatest dragons to ever live. I remember being told the stories of knights and noblemen who had all succumbed to Vici’s fire. This could not be the same dragon, I thought. Those stories we grew up on were full of chaos while this dragon seems to be the opposite of that. The onset of those memories distracted me for only a moment. How did this child, no more than 3, know the stories of VicI?

“Do you have a name?” I asked.

The boy looked at me and quietly said, “Declan.”

“That’s a strong name for a strong boy.” The boy looked away after I said this. I could tell he was still distracted. His mind was wandering and I wished that I could sneak a peek into those thoughts.

"You can call me Lou," I smiled at him. His emerald eyes smiled back.

Slowly, I stood up holding onto Declan’s hand. I asked if he would like to come home with me and he protested. “Vici!” He cried. He tugged on my hand to the spot where he and his dragon had sat together and he plopped on the ground.

“Would you like to wait a bit for Vici?” I questioned not expecting the dragon to grace us with his presence again. Declan nodded. I sat down with Declan and watched as he played in the dirt. This only lasted a little while until I could see his eyes fighting to stay open. He laid his head on my lap and fell asleep rather quickly. I am not sure what this boy had gone through, but whatever it was had worn him out.

—

We were woken by a sudden vibration and loud thud. I opened my eyes, not realizing I had fallen asleep. I could feel Declan’s heart beating through the strong grip he had on my arm. His heart stopped racing once he realized who it was standing in front of us. His Vici had returned.

I continued to be wary not knowing how to approach the beast. Declan did not have the same opinion. He ran to the dragon, much to Vici’s surprise. Vici looked down at Declan eyeing him curiously. The boy sat underneath Vici’s large chest and smiled. There was a connection between these two and that was hard to deny.

After watching these two, my eyes wandered to behind Vici where a large deer was laying unmoving. Vici used his tail to push it forward towards me. I could now see the large holes where Vici’s teeth had been inserted.

I gathered some sticks to build a small fire. I set the sticks in a pile and wrapped some rocks around it to contain the flames. As I used two rocks to spark the fire, Vici huffed at me. If I could speak Dragon, I would swear he laughed. I stood and backed away from the makeshift fire pit.

“You do it, then.” I said while folding my arms. Vici rolled his eyes and blew a small flame. Luckily, I was already prepared with my knife so it didn’t take me long to get the deer cut up and placed on the hot coals to cook. As I made supper, Vici laid watching Declan play. It made me happy to see Declan so unaffected by his new conditions.

“Alright boys, supper is done.” I yelled over my shoulder. Declan continued to play with his stick pretending it was a sword. Vici grunted at the boy giving him the look that parents give when their children don’t listen. Declan suddenly sat on a log nearby. I laughed out loud and brought him a piece of meat. Unfortunately, we didn’t have any plates but what toddler needs one anyway. I grabbed the biggest piece and walked it over to Vici. “Thank you,” I said as I held up the meat. Vici took it from me gently. I grabbed my piece and sat next to Declan. We all sat and ate our supper in silence.

I didn’t realize how late it was getting. It’s not smart to stay out past dark though I’m not so worried with Vici here. I should still get Declan home and ensure he gets a much-needed bath and good nights sleep.

The fire was still burning lowly so I stomped it out to ensure the safety of the forest. Vici watched as I took a blanket out of my small bag and wrapped Declan up. I threw my backpack and my bow over my shoulder and picked up my new ward. When I looked up at Vici, he leaned forward, almost as if bowing, in the same way horses do. I knew it meant he wanted me to climb on. Never in my life would I have imagined that I would ride a dragon. Though, I didn’t plan on telling this gentle giant no.

The air was cold as we flew above the trees. I held on tight to Declan and had his face buried in my chest. This experience is one of the most magnificent ones of my life. Nothing would amount to watching the sunset from the back of a dragon.

I could feel us slowly descending back into the trees. Branches were snapping as Vici ran through them. Surprisingly, we were missed by any of the flying pieces. The landing was less abrupt then I expected it to be. Not knowing where we were, I slid down Vici’s wings slowly until I felt the ground beneath my feet. I walked around Vici to find my small Cabin sitting in front of him. I suppose it shouldn’t surprise me that he knows where I live.

It was cool inside the cabin when we entered. The air was a little musty almost as if no one had been there for years except it was only this morning when I left. My home isn't big or full of nice things. There's a small fireplace in the front area to keep me warm during cold nights. A small table with two chairs but I've only ever had to use one. Until now I suppose. I have one room in the back with a small bed and I laid Declan down in it. He didn't wake the entire walk from Vici to the bed and curled up tightly once under the covers. I could see his eyes flutter beneath his eye lids. How peaceful this beautiful child looked.

The moon was out and Vici's entire form shimmered in the moonlight. "Thank you, again," I said as I put my hand on the side of his face. He closed his eyes and I could feel his body relax. I wondered if we would wake to our new friend in the morning.