Dragons in the Dark

"There weren't always dragons in the valley," Frilxian croaked as the crimson embers of the dismal fire lit his ghastly visage. His ancient bones quaked as his wide, unblinking eyes fixated on the younglings around the fire.

"Those of us who were young still remember the unending fields of green, the smell of the springtime bloom, and the sun blazing overhead in that cerulean sky. Humankind had finally reached an impasse with each other and decided that our petty squabbles would never end. So the wisest of us decided to put an end to it, once and for all.

"They sought powers from the Divine Council and, using magic, were able to eradicate the evil within humanity's hearts by broadening their minds. Everyone realized that their hatred and their fear had given way to war, poverty, and prejudice. Once the truth was revealed to them, they renounced their inner darkness and there was peace throughout the land, which brought prosperity along with it. Truly, 'twas a paradise.

"But then..." Frilxian paused. "They came."

"In the times before The Eradication, you'd hear tales of dragons. Fantastical winged creatures, soaring majestically through the skies. The stories were meant to inspire humanity into hoping for a brighter future.

"But these... creatures. They were not those of legend."

The children around him leaned in so they could hear the story better. All except for Braia, a younger child, who instead tightened her grip on her father's arms.

Barius held his daughter closely and caressed her hair lovingly.

""I will never forget what I saw that day. The first attack was ruthless. The valley was incinerated almost instantly and anyone there during that blaze were reduced to cinders. Any sense of grace that you would expect from these beasts was erased from the moment you saw them. Their ghoulish movements, shadows flickering in the flames, black smoke coming off them as though they were disintegrating.

"It didn't take long for the people to revert to their primitive darkness. The dragons had brought fear back to our society and We turned on each other. Friend against friend. Family against family.

"Some thought the Divine Council was punishing them and sought sacrifices to appease them. They were quickly dispatched.

"Others fled to the mountains to avoid the fires. They didn't last long either. The only way to avoid the dragon's pyre was to remain as silent as possible. Talking and yelling became whispering. Running became sneaking.

"And as for fighting? Our strongest projectiles could not penetrate their armour. Our sharpest swords could not strike their hide. Any chemical weapon was ineffective against them.

"These ferocious creatures could not be slain, by any weapon made by humankind. To this day, we still don't have any clue on how to defeat them.

"The smoke that billowed from the dragon horde polluted the skies. I haven't seen the sun in fifty years. I miss it's warmth. I miss being able to breathe without my lungs filling with ash. I miss the fall of the spring rain that didn't burn my skin."

For a fleeting moment, Frilxian looked older than his body would normally indicate. As though he had not lived just this one lifetime, but many.

"But I'll never forget the smell of charred corpse. The horrible sound of the dragon's screeching. The look on my father's face when he pushed me into the sea for safety, sacrificing himself."

Braia hugged her father tighter.

"And so," Frilxian continued, "humanity was forced into hiding. We went underground. Those of us that lived, at any rate. And we stay alive by being safe. We stay away from the dragons."

Frilxian concluded his story with a heavy nod from his weary head. The dying embers were fading out, nearly extinguished now.

Braia rubbed her eyes.

"It's getting late," Barius said. "We should go."

He picked up his daughter and nodded to the old man.

"Be safe out there," Frilxian warned. "Dragons rule the dark."

Barius carried his daughter out the cave entrance into the wasteland. Whether it was merely the night sky or the overcast of smoke in the air, the field was pitch black, save for the small pyres that scorched the earth. Barius crept across the field, gripping Braia tightly in his arms, scanning what little he could see in the darkness.

His feet scraped the ground, careful to not make more sound than the quiet crunch of soil beneath him.

The wind howled, breaking the tense silence of the desolate world.

Barius stopped.

"Dad?" Braia whispered.

"Shh," he replied, covering her mouth with his hand.

He glanced around, sensing danger.

He stepped forward, even more cautiously.

Braia looked over her father's shoulder behind him. Though she was young, her eyesight would still be enough to recognize danger, if it presented itself.

The pair moved quickly, but silently through the terrain, eager to return to their own home.

A soft thud permeated the darkness around them. A small cloud of dust brushed past Barius' feet as he stopped his walk.

"Dad," Braia whimpered, nearly in tears. She patted him on the back, desperate to get his attention. "Dad."

Barius turned around.

Two red, glowing dots, rippling in the darkness were transfixed on Barius.

"Dad."

"It's okay, Braia," Barius tried to comfort her, barely hiding his own fear in his words. "It's going to be okay. Just don't make any sudden movements."

He began to back away from the pair of eyes that were staring at him, burning a hole into his very soul.

But as he backed away, the eyes did not grow smaller.

They were following him.

Barius stared deep into their red depths, not focusing on where his feet were carrying him.

SNAP.

Braia whimpered.

Barius froze and looked down. He had stepped on a twig. One of the few live twigs left unburnt in all the field and he had stepped on it.

He looked back up at the eyes.

The eyes rolled back to reveal an enflamed mouth with jagged teeth. A horrible screech pierced the darkness, an oddly low rumble emanating from its throat.

Barius turned around and broke into a run, clinging Braia to him as tightly as he could.

His breath grew more shallow with every step he took. The weight of the child and the run were nothing compared to the heart-pounding terror that he felt in his heart.

He spotted their cave and took a moment to rest. He put Braia on the ground.

"Braia listen to me," he began. "You must run."

Braia looked up at her father.

"But... what about you?" she asked.

"There's no time to argue. I will try to draw it's attention so you may get home safe."

"But I'm scared."

Barius hugged his daughter.

"Of course you are. There' nothing wrong with that. But you must be brave and face your fear."

The dragon's screech echoed above. The beast had taken flight.

"Run, Braia."

Braia turned around and ran towards her cave.

Barius attempted to follow, but diverged away from her to divert the beast's attention. Putting his hands together, Barius whistled into them, calling the dragon.

Braia's eyes burned with tears as she ran forward. Every step seemed to take a lifetime to complete and her cave seemed even further away, no matter how far she fled. The looming safety of her home seemed impossible to reach.

She looked over to her father, running to distract the creature that had terrorized them for so long.

She tripped and hit the ground with a loud thud.

Her cries echoed in the darkness.

The dragon screeched again, louder than before.

"NO!!" Barius screamed. "LEAVE HER ALONE!"

Barius raced over to Braia, his laboured breathing wheezing from him. His legs were ready to buckle beneath him. But still he pressed on, desperate to save his daughter.

The beast had stopped just beside Braia. She clapped her mouth and tried to stifle her whimpering.

The dragon sniffed at her hair, letting loose a soft growl. The mere presence of the dragon seemed to burn the air around it. The ground began to smoke, and the soil sizzle beneath it's feet.

Braia looked up and found herself catching the last sight of the red eyes rearing back as the dragon's mouth opened up to devour her. She stared into the orange glow of the inside of it's mouth and squeezed her eyes shut.

THUD.

Braia opened her eyes and glanced upwards, no longer staring into the fires of a demon, but to see her father attempting to wrestle with the creature.

Barius had slammed into the dragon's head, and wrapped his arms around its mouth. His clothes burned away as he held tightly onto the dragon. His flesh began to sizzle and he let loose a howling scream.

"BRAIA! RUN!"

Braia didn't need telling twice. She scrambled to her feet and ran with all her strength.

Her little legs were stiff and aching, and her tiny little lungs were barely able to keep up with her rapid breaths.

And yet, against all her fear, she managed to make it to the entrance of her home. She heaved open the door and looked back at her father.

He was still wrestling with the dragon, but even Braia knew it was a losing battle.

"DAD!" she called out to him. "Hurry."

Barius looked over to his daughter. He smiled at her.

The second's distraction had cost him everything. In that instant, the dragon twisted it's head and wrenched itself free of Barius' grip. The creature screeched as it's mouth opened wide and let loose a burst of liquid fire.

The orange glow illuminated far and wide, even reaching Braia's face.

The charred remains of Barius stood frozen in ash. The dragon lurched downwards and grabbed onto his head with its jaws. With a swift motion of its horrendous wings, the creature and Barius were gone from the field.

Braia fell against the back of the cave, breathing heavily. Her eyes were fixed on the entrance and her body trembled.

She prayed.

She wished.

She struggled to focus on the tiniest sliver of a hope that her father was still alive. That any moment, he'd come back to her and hold her once again.

But there was nothing.

Nothing except silence as the little girl whimpered; paralyzed by fear.