Dragon Walker

Lost

The wind was cool as her wings glided through the air. She preferred a warmer breeze, most dragons did, but they, the mature ladies got stuck with the evening fly overs. They did their duties – raised new generations and then got put on the least liked patrol schedule. But, at least she got to fly. Eelou dove down, choosing to do a full spin as her wings stretched to their full length. Her violet scales caught some of the remaining sunlight, sending tiny rainbows cascading down to the trees below. This was her happy place.

An intrusive thought ruined her moment. “Once upon a time you would have blinded ground dwellers with those scales.”

It was Doreen, her faithful fly over partner of too many years to count. The red, older dragon flew down to meet Eelou. Doreen’s scales didn’t catch any of the light. She had fifty years on Eelou and her scales had completely dulled with time. Eelou supposed her shine would soon be nonexistent as well.

She sent a thought back. “Times change.”

Doreen gave a snort. “True. Time moves slowly until you suddenly find yourself at the end.”

“You are not near the end, Doreen. If you keep talking like that, I’m going to ask to switch partners.”

“Eelou, you’ve been saying that for years.” It’s true. It was their thing. Doreen said something depressing and she threatened to leave. Eelou would never leave her though and Doreen knew it. Also, their thing.

There was movement below. Her dragon eyes focused in on the movement – something small, low to the ground, and definitely not allowed in this particular forest. This was dragon only territory. It was a major offense to be in these woods without permission.

“What is it?” The alarmed thought popped into her head. Doreen’s eyes weren’t quite what they used to be.

“Not sure. Maybe a major infraction. I’m headed down, watch my tail.”

Doreen snorted with acknowledgement.

Eelou dove majestically as her wings cut through the air. She was made for flight, but the restrictions only allowed her a few hours a day of being airborne. She was a designated caretaker. Caretakers raised the hatchlings – their own, those born by the Chosen, the Warriors, and any others they were assigned. Her life was mostly on the ground. Feeling the wind race past her was a rare treat.

Her eyes found the creature. It was struggling in a bramble bush. A tangled mess of brown hair with lightly tanned skin. A ground dweller.

As her taloned feet touched the ground, Eelou hardened her face, baring her teeth. She would have to issue a death sentence. That was the absolute law – no trespassing, no interacting between the species unless you were one of the Chosen. This dirty little creature was not chosen, not a dragon walker.

The creature heard Eelou as she approached cautiously. It looked frightened, but awed at the same time if that was possible. Big green eyes met Eelou’s and there was a tug in her heart. A feeling she had never felt before. What was this? It begged her to get closer, to really look at the tiny thing that had gotten itself stuck in a bush. She should release her flames and be done with it as the law and her duty told her to do, but she couldn’t. Something inside her said no.

Eelou swallowed the fire building in her throat. Smoke filtered through her nostrils as a result.

The creature let out high pitched squeals of delight at the sight of Eelou’s smoke release. The laugh confirmed it. This was a ground dweller child – a baby of only a few years if she had to guess.

The happiness was warm. A tingle beneath her scales radiated throughout her entire body. What was happening to her. She’d never been this close to a ground dweller before, at least not before initiating the death sentence. She always did her duty and this interaction was forbidden.

A thought not her own pierced through her confusion, “Falcot is here. Everything alright?”

Instinctively, Eelou shifted her body to block the child as her head jerked up to see the giant, deep brown dragon. Falcot’s hyde was covered with scars. There hadn’t been a war in centuries, but you wouldn’t know it by looking into his ever suspicious, on guard eyes.

“False alarm. Just animals scurrying about in some abandoned ground dweller trash. I’m cleaning up.” She sent that back, hoping Doreen wouldn’t glean too much from her thoughts. They had known each other a long time.

Doreen tilted her head slightly before nodding. The red dragon turned to face Falcot, relaying Eelou’s message.

The stern male dragon gave a disgusted look at Eelou before flying off. He never said a thing to her, but why would he concern himself with just a caretaker.

The child stirred, getting itself further tangled in the bramble.

Eelou had to get it to hold still. She had a lot of experience with hatchlings, surely this creature would be the same. She cooed at it; a deep rumbling of rhythmic sounds came from her throat - a dragon lullaby.

This had an instant effect on the child. Eelou continued her singing as she watched its eyes droop. It yawned.

“Big doggie help find Bet,” asked a sleepy little voice.

It spoke! What should she do? She couldn’t reply back in any way it could understand. Dragons could only communicate with ground dwellers who were their bonded walkers and only the Chosen had bonded walkers. Eelou was not a Chosen.

“Luc!” A female voice rang out in the otherwise quiet forest. Another ground dweller.

Eelou’s stance immediately changed to one ready to defend the child. She growled and snapped her teeth ready for come what may.

“Bet!” The little ground dweller recognized the other voice.

“Luc!” A young ground dweller came crashing through the foliage, an axe in her right hand. She raised it immediately upon seeing Eelou.

Strong arms, dirty pants, thick boots – this was a logging ground dweller. Eelou attempted to take it all in. She had only ever seen them from afar before.

“Get back. Get away from him.” The ground dweller advanced on her. Fear was not an option for this one. Curious. Eelou could turn her to ash in a blink of an eye.

“Bet! Big doggie help!”

“Yes, Luc. It’s all okay. I’m going to get you out of there.”

Eelou snorted. That’s all she was trying to do – get the little one out.

“I just want my brother, then we’ll go. He’s only three. He doesn’t understand the laws.”

The “It” was a he. It was hard to tell in the bramble and it – he – was so small.

Eelou took a step back. She didn’t know or understand what was happening, but she wanted this ground dweller to know she was not going to hurt the boy.

Cautiously, the girl, probably a teenager if she guessed right, moved swiftly toward her brother. Her eyes never left Eelou as she deftly moved forward, like she’d probably been in these woods many a times. Trouble.

“Luc, hold very, very still, okay?” The girl looked away from Eelou and focused on the boy.

“Close your eyes.” The girl raised her axe as the boy squeezed his eyes shut.

Instinctively, Eelou growled at the girl.

Without looking up, the girl answered Eelou. “I’ve got this, dragon.”

Eelou held her breath.

The girl chopped at the bramble, smoothly and concisely. She swung her axe with a purpose and skill. Eelou hadn’t seen such strength in a female ground dweller before. She wondered if all loggers were like this one.

The boy was free. Gently, the girl pulled him into her arms while still holding the axe. It was an extension of her.

The girl looked up at her, making eye contact. There was a slight sliver of violet in each of her green eyes. Eelou hadn’t noticed that earlier.

“We’re leaving now, dragon and we won’t be back.” The girl started to back away still holding the boy and axe. Bet and Luc. She knew their names now.

The violet in the girl’s eyes shimmered momentarily.

“My name is Eelou, not dragon.” Eelou felt indignant. She had a name too.

The girl froze. “Eelou? Your name is Eelou?”

Eelou felt a tingle a million times stronger than what she felt earlier surge through her body. It felt as if everything she was, was reaching out to this girl, Bet. It was like her insides were singing – alive for the first time.

Bet fell to one knee, dropping her axe. She tightened her grip on Luc though. Eelou couldn’t blame her. What was happening?

Eelou felt everything inside her coming to a head. The buildup moved through her body and the only way to get rid of this feeling was to release it to the sky. She reared back her head, releasing a mighty roar into the sky. Bet joined her in her screams as Luc began to cry.

Just as quickly as it started, it was over. The only noise was Luc softly crying as Eelou sagged back. She was exhausted.

Eelou reached out hesitantly. “Bet, are you okay?”

“I think so, minus the fact a dragon is in my head. Can you read my mind?”

Bet held Luc tighter, trying to comfort him. Eelou thought she was also trying, without knowing it, to shield him from her. Being a good sister.

“That’s not how it works. Dragons send and receive thoughts only. Nothing without permission.”

“Good.”

Luc sniffles. “Doggie loud.”

“I didn’t mean to scare the little one,” Eelou relayed to Bet. She could feel Luc’s being, but she couldn’t send him thoughts like she could Bet. Interesting and confusing at the same time.

Bet nodded her head in understanding.

The ground shook slightly as Doreen touched down. Eelou was off her game to not realize the presence of her friend.

“I’ve been calling you. What is going on?” Doreen growled as she gazed upon the two ground dwellers.

This put Eelou on alert. She could feel the dragon instinct in her friend, feel the buildup of the fire.

“Stop!” Eelou screamed into Doreen’s mind. The command felt absolute, like nothing else she had ever said mattered more than this.

Doreen immediately paused, swallowing her flames. Smoke exited through her nostrils.

Eelou sighed with relief as little Luc giggled.

Doreen growled again.

“She’s marked!” Eelou heard the thought, but didn’t understand.

“Just look at her!”

Eelou really looked at Bet for the first time since everything happened. Some of her hair had come out of its tie. Completely understandable in these circumstances. But her hair had changed. There was a noticeable streak of soft violet mixed in with the unkempt hair. With panic, Eelou scanned Bet. Everything else seemed normal… except her eyes. The sliver of violet was now bigger and more obvious.

Realization, shock slammed into Eelou. Bet was a dragon walker, HER dragon walker! How could this be? She was not a Chosen, but a caretaker. Everything she’d ever been told about her existence was wrong.

“Dragon walker.” Eelou sent the thought to Bet, almost absent mindedly. Their bond was growing quick.

“Dragon walker?” Bet stammered in confusion.

“The sun is disappearing. We’re due back to the nest.” Doreen cut through Eelou’s mind.

“Yes. But, what do we do? This is not possible.”

“Tell the girl to go home. Nothing can be figured out tonight. You can meet her tomorrow, here at the same time.” Doreen always being the sense of reason.

Eelou snorted. This was the best plan, the only plan they had.

She relayed the message to Bet. For being so young, the girl was taking all of this in stride.

Bet nodded and picked up her axe. She backed up slowly before turning to run back to her home beyond the dragon woods.

Doreen pushed off the ground, wings flapping. Eelou followed. Normally, she liked to take the lead, but tonight, as her mind wandered over all the new possibilities in her life, she was happy for someone else to guide her.

She’d always been told the Chosen were such by birthright, dictated by the blood of their ancestors. She was of average parentage. A caretaker by birthright. How at seven hundred and twenty-eight did she become a Chosen? How did she and her dragon walker avoid a death sentence for insubordination? By law, the two should have never met. But they did and bonded. Eelou’s blood had sang out, marking Bet as her companion – a ground dweller meant to walk among the dragons.

The Change

She felt a little kick to her ribs. Once a kick like that would have annoyed her, now they brought her comfort. Luc was safe in bed, snuggled up next to her. Her eyes still heavy with sleep, Bet pulled him closer. He was all she had left.

Bet’s eyes opened with a stark realization – she now also had a dragon. Was that nightmare real? Carefully, she snuck out of bed, leaving Luc securely under their parents’ old quilt. Rays of morning light seeped in around their burlap window shades as she tip toed across the wooden floor planks to her dresser. Their entire small, but cozy home was made of wood. As all homes were in the loggers’ thicket. Wood was great for blocking wind, but it tended to absorb the outside temperature. The floors felt comfortably cool today, so she could wear light layers to the yard.

She picked up the antique brass hand mirror from the top of her dresser. She took a deep breath, running her fingers across the etched floral pattern. Something she had done since she was little. The time was now or never. She slowly tilted the mirror up to look at who might be staring back at her.

She checked her eyes first. Mostly green with some purple in them. Definitely more than usual, but at least, the same amount as last night. Might be hard to explain this to the crew, but the sun was known for playing tricks on people. She felt some relief, maybe this wasn’t so bad.

Her gaze shifted to her hair. Bet dropped the mirror. It crashed to the ground, landing on its back. A crack now ran through the middle of it. Who had been that girl in the mirror? There’s no way it could have been her.

She peered downward into the slightly broken mirror. Her hair was violet. All of it. Every last strand. Her eyebrows had lightened up some. This was not her. This was not logger Bet, anyway. Was she truly a dragon walker? And what exactly did that mean?

“Bet?” Luc stirred, sitting up in bed.

“Good morning, sleepy head,” Bet said nonchalantly as she scooped up the mirror, placing it back on the dresser. She had to figure this out, not just for herself, but for Luc’s sake as well.

For now, though, she had to get them ready for a day in the logging yard. Bet quickly tied up her hair. She grabbed a scarf that used to belong to her mother and wrapped it all around her colored hair. She’d throw on a hat as she left for the day. Everything would be fine. It had to be.

Bet quickly got herself and Luc ready. The logging yard was calling them.

“Hungry, Bet?” Luc asked as he stretched up, trying to reach where Bet kept their dry provisions. A few tins on a high shelf. Someday he’d be able to reach, but not quite yet.

She grabbed some jerky, handing it to him. “Alright, bud, let’s get going.”

Luc happily gnawed on the meat stick as Bet grabbed a few more provisions for later and her axe. She hooked the axe carefully to her belt.

Next up was the sling. It was the easiest way to travel around without losing her baby brother. Bet hoisted the boy up and into the sling. Luc was old enough that he could help get himself in there now. She appreciated the help. He got comfortable on her back, one hand on her shoulder, the other holding tight to the jerky. They were ready.

Bet took the key on a string from around her neck. She unlocked the ladder door in the floor in the corner of their home. After lifting the door of wooden planks, Bet started down the rope ladder a few steps.

“Goodbye for now, home. We’re off to see what adventures the day may bring!”

Luc giggled. This morning tradition always made him happy. Their father had said that every morning before they left for the logging yard. Luc didn’t remember their father or mother necessarily, but Bet refused to let their memories die.

She replaced the padlock and locked it. After tucking the key safely back in her tunic, she began the descent. Loggers preferred to live high up for as long as they could. Something about being up with the trees and wildlife. That was just a part of you here.

They started down the dirt path to the yard. Bet was probably going to be a bit late this morning, but hopefully not enough to earn the ire of any supervisors. She just wanted to get there, do her job, and figure out this whole dragon thing after.

The yard was active already as her fellow loggers got to their assigned duties for the day. Today was a chopping day for her. Not her favorite. Bet preferred the scouting days where she got to scale the tallest trees, determining which ones were ready to be harvested.

Jaston was waving her over to a large pile of freshly chopped trees. That must be where they’re starting this morning. Her friend was tall, dark skinned, and skinny, but he was all lean muscle. He had been her saving grace these last few years. Life had been tough, but he’d always been there when she needed a friend. Jaston was probably her best friend and always had been since they were little.

Bet let Luc down.

“No running off today, okay? Be good,” she instructed him as he ran toward the other kids. Everyone brought their children to the yard. They could all play together while the community collectively watched them. Unfortunately, Luc, on occasion, would get distracted and wander off. A butterfly had been the reason they’d somehow run into a dragon yesterday.

“Rough morning?” asked Jaston teasingly.

“You don’t even want to know.”

“Of course, I do. Tell me about it.” He said that so truthfully. He meant it. Could she trust him? She could and she knew it, but she wasn’t ready. She had a lot to process herself before she told anyone.

“Some other time. This our pile for the day?”

“Yup. Gotta fill the dragons’ quota by the end of the week.”

“Our only reason for living.”

“Bet.”

“They could easily tear down whatever wood they needed. They don’t need us to do it for them. It’s just a job to keep us busy, distracted from wanting more.”

“Careful, Bet.”

“I don’t care if one of their spies tells on me. I’d say it to the Chosen’s faces.”

“Keep your mouth shut for him.” Jaston gestured at Luc who was happily running around, not a care in the world.

Bet paused. Jaston was right, per usual. She had to do her best to fall in line for her brother, so he could live.

“Jaston, if something happened to me, would you take care of him?”

With no hesitation, “Absolutely. Is something going on?”

“No. Just wanted to make sure he’d be okay no matter what.” Bet looked at her brother a little longer before pulling her axe from its safety.

“Are your eyes more purple today?”

“I don’t think so. Maybe the sun is just hitting them in a weird way this morning.”

Jaston nodded before swinging his axe down into a tree.

The Beginning

Eelou felt better than she had in years, no centuries. She shot straight up, her strong wings pushing the air aside as she ascended further into the sky. The sun was dwindling for the day, but that didn’t stop its last rays from warming Eelou’s scales. Her scales were a deeper, richer violet and the sun’s touch easily bounced off of them, creating rainbows of light. The magic of her bond with Bet had woken up a hidden part of her. A part that she didn’t know was there.

She reached out. She could feel Bet and little Luc with her. Eelou couldn’t communicate with Bet just yet. She must still be out of range. That was something they would have to work on.

“Showing off, are we?” Doreen entered Eelou’s mind. The thought felt happy, but there was a tinge of bitterness to it. Something she hadn’t gotten from her friend before.

“Sorry, I got distracted,” Eelou replied back.

Eelou started back down, joining Doreen on their flight path.

“Do you know what you’re going to do?” asked Doreen.

“I thought getting to know the girl some would be a good first step. Then see what this bond can do. I know so little about dragon walkers. The Chosen always kept that to themselves.”

“Yes, they’re a secretive bunch. It’s the way of things.” Doreen sent this thought as a matter of fact.

Eelou had once thought like this too. She had believed in duty and order for the prosperity of her species. Now, her world view was skewed because what she was experiencing wasn’t supposed to happen to her. It was supposed to be out of her reach, but it wasn’t. It was like it had actually been living inside her this whole time, waiting until the right moment to burst out of its prison. Eelou felt alive for the first time. Like a dragon should, she thought.

She was interrupted by Doreen. “I’ll stay on patrol up here and let you know of any trouble. “

They were here. “Thank you.”

Doreen snorted.

Eelou went in for a landing. She reached out to her dragon walker.

“I’m almost there, Bet.”

Her four taloned feet touched the ground. She relaxed her wings as she looked down at her dragon walker. Bet had a scarf and hat on today. Her eyes looked the same. That was good. Her axe hung at her side with the blade safely covered. She felt safe. Luc was perched on her back in a cloth sling.

“Big doggie!” Luc exclaimed while waving one of his tiny hands.

Eelou lowered herself to the ground, laying down. She figured she would be here a while.

“What’s doggie?” She sent the thought to Bet.

“Uh, a human – ground dweller – companion animal. We call them man’s best friend.”

“That sounds nice. He doesn’t know I’m a dragon?”

“You’re the first he’s ever seen.”

“You’ve seen dragons before?”

“From afar.” Something in Bet changed. Eelou could feel a coldness.

Eelou sent a gentle thought, “What is it, Bet?”

After a moment of hesitation, Bet seemed to steel herself against her memories. She looked down at the ground.

“My name is Betty. I was named after a character in an old cartoon book my mother loved as a child. It had been passed down for generations.”

Most books from the old world were forbidden. Eelou knew where this story was going.

“The book was found by someone and turned in.”

Bet looked up at Eelou, matching her eye contact.

“That night, I tucked Luc into bed. He was only one. I was supposed to stay with him. I promised I would, but I didn’t. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to my parents.”

The violet in Bet’s eyes seemed darker as she spoke. There were no tears though. Eelou could tell this was a girl who had already cried all her tears.

“I don’t like fire.”

Eelou nodded. Nothing made sense anymore. This girl and her bother had been left alone in the world for something that seemed, so small now. She had found her dragon walker, but she wasn’t supposed to have one. She was so confused. The principals of their world felt – wrong.

“Do you have any family?” Relief seemed to overcome Bet as she shifted the conversation from herself.

Eelou lowered her head. Dragons didn’t live like ground dwellers. Their lot in life was determined by their birth, but they didn’t grow up with parents or blood siblings. Caretakers watched over the hatchlings until they were of age to contribute to the group.

She shook her head, unable to put together a thought to explain to Bet. Looking at Bet and Luc, Eelou realized what she may have missed out on all these years.

“Pet doggie! Bet, please pet doggie?” Luc asked.

Bet looked up at her, a little unsure. “He wants to touch you. Would that be okay?”

Eelou had never been touched by a ground dweller before. That was forbidden. This entire thing was forbidden. She threw caution to the wind and slowly lowered her head.

She was eye level with the two ground dwellers who had inexplicably turned her life upside down in such a short time. She looked at Luc’s out stretched hand. Very gently, Eelou let that little hand touch her snout.

Slowly, Bet raised her hand, letting it rest on Eelou. Nothing magical happened, but Eelou knew without a doubt this was her family now. She felt whole.

The ground rumbled. Instinctively, Eelou whirled, using her body to shield her ground dwellers. Yes, they were hers now.

Three dragons were across from her. She was surprised they all fit in this clearing. She knew them all. Doreen was in the middle, flanked by a warrior on each side. Falcot was on her left while the young, arrogant blue dragon, Merc, was on Doreen’s right. She was in trouble.

“I’m sorry, Eelou, “ Doreen sent to her.

The Warriors said nothing.

“Show them. It’s the only way to get out of this.” Doreen’s thought was urgent.

“Eelou, what’s happening?” Bet’s voice brought all the dragon attention to her. Eelou couldn’t hide her now.

“Everything will be fine. Just be ready to run if need be. Stay close to the ground,” Eelou told her.

Carefully, Eelou shifted slightly revealing her ground dwellers to the other dragons. There were audible growls all around.

Falcot and Merc looked at one another. Falcot nodded.

Merc took a step forward. He opened his mouth, blasting hot air in Bet’s direction. Little Luc hid behind his sister. Bet tried to remain tall as the dragon’s breath blew all around her. Within seconds she had lost her hat and scarf.

Merc stopped. All eyes were on Bet and her violet head of hair. There was no denying who she was now.

Eelou jumped in front of her, spreading her wings wide, puffing her chest. She heard Bet rip her axe from its safety. They were in this together.

If dragons could smile, Merc did just then, displaying a mouth full of teeth. Warriors were always down for a fight. Eelou intended to give him one. She was older and bigger. She had way more on the line than this youngling.

“Eelou, they can help you. Things can go back to how they were.” Doreen pleaded with her.

Merc growled at her. If he was offering help, Eelou didn’t approve of his methods. What was Doreen thinking? Did she turn her in?

“Traitor?” Eelou sent her the painful thought.

Doreen looked away.

Eelou roared into the sky. It was one of anguish and betrayal.

Falcot stepped forward. It was time for her formal sentence.

“You must fly north across the endless waters. There is an end and you will find it.”

He looked around Eelou at Bet. “With your dragon walker.”

Eelou was beyond confused. Was he trying to help her? Or send her to her death in just another way.

“No one comes back from the endless waters.” That’s all she could manage to send back.

“Because there is an end for those who are intended to find it. The ground dwellers will ride on your back.”

Merc growled impatiently. Falcot ignored him.

“You are the beginning, Eelou. The beginning of our kind taking back our lives as dragons. You need to go. I hope to one day join you or live to see you flying back with the others.”

Merc lunged, but he was no match for the warred, Falcot. The brown dragon slapped him aside with his tail.

“Our blood does not lie when it sings. Go!” That was the last thought he sent before whirling on Merc and scaring Doreen back. The forest was alight with flames.

“Climb!” Eelou ordered Bet.

“Are you sure? How?” The girl was uncertain and Eelou understood it. She was uncertain as well. The only thing she knew for sure was she had to get them out of there.

“You’re a logger, Bet. Climb!” Eelou was urgent.

Bet sheathed her axe and pulled Luc tighter to her back.

Eelou lowered herself to the ground. In front of her, all she could see was fire and massive blue and brown bodies ramming into each other.

Bet deftly climbed onto Eelou’s back. Eelou had a moment. It was a small moment, but a moment nonetheless. This felt right.

“Hold tight.” That was Eelou’s last thought before launching them into the sky.

Toward the endless waters. She felt a probe at her mind. Probably Doreen, but she rejected it. Eelou was done with that.

She hoped they would make it.

Eelou could feel Bet and Luc on her back. They were excited as the wind rushed past them. They liked flying almost as much as she did.

They would make it to the end. She knew it.