FireBlood

There weren't always dragons in the valley, but by the time I reached adulthood, they were legion.

The worst pest anyone had ever had to deal with

The adults, the Breeders, lived high in the mountains, as they couldn't tolerate the high oxygen of the Valley. But their younglings needed our environment to grow and thrive.

They raided crops, causing inconceivable damage, but impossibly, the King had passed a law: They could only be hunted once they reached a certain weight, if they caused too much damage, only in the midnight hours of the summer season, or if they attacked first.

As the younglings were fond of meat.

That day I was removing rocks from the South Field: I would have to till in the next days, to plant before the smog season, but there were many rocks that could break the plough and I could not afford a replacement.

It would be so perfect for all my 'suitors', coveting my land, just waiting to 'save' me from a bad decision.

When my father had died two years before, leaving me in charge until my brother came of age, he had hardly given me a gift.

But that had not been his decision...

The land wasn't anything remarkable, but it was ours, free from debt, if that meant anything in a kingdom where the ruler had no honor , no care for his people except to take from them until they had nothing more to give... and then invent a war and call them to arms.

It was hot and humid and I was sweating and cursing trying to move the rocks with the help of Denver, the horse that had carried Father to the war and had brought him back in one piece...

Denver was a calm, quiet hard-worker, which was more than I could say about my brother, who was lazing in the grass, trying to compose some sort of chant.

That was literally fraying my nerves.

" Cole! Why don't you give me a hand! " I grunted, distracting him from his singing.

" Why should I, Elora? he sighed in annoyance. You have everything under control. "

He said it with his usual malice and taunting tone: born for greater things, he did not feel at his place as a laborer, and farming, hard honest work, was something he positively abhorred.

I had hoped he would change his mind as he grew older, but at 13, he was becoming more stubborn with every passing day.

" It might help to have another set of hands to move these rocks! "I growled, wiping the stinging sweat from my eyes.

He glanced at me and started juggling with four rocks, adding a fifth one just to irk me. He excelled at singing, playing the lute, acrobatics, but could not be persuaded to do a single useful thing in his day.

" What's the point? he grunted back. The crops will be wrecked, it's not by farming that you will be well-fed in the winter. "

"If no one produces crops, you won't be able to beg for food after a performance, "I shot back bitingly, and it did have more of an effect than I thought it would.

"Sure, sure, coming, coming! " he said, balancing on his hands and walking onward to me as though this was as natural to him as using his feet.

I felt more annoyed than amazed by this feat. " And what will you do now? Grab the shovel with your feet and help like that, maybe? "

When he actually tried, I couldn't help myself and burst into laughter. The fatigue and tension was getting to me, I couldn't stay angry at him, and he knew it.

He dropped from his handstand and laughed himself. For a moment it felt like the old days, where problems were not piling up without end, the time when I could count on Mother and Father to take care of the rest of the world.

So long gone... after laughter I felt like crying, but Cole wouldn't have understood, and for once I felt no resentment towards him. Best to savor that moment to the end.

" We'll be okay, Cole said, his eyes twinkling with humor. It'll be the best spring ever, we will have more yields than we can handle, "

I was about to answer a 'you wish' when Denver whinnied in panic.

He was a calm horse and never gave a warning without just cause, never panicked if there wasn't a reason. My breath caught in my throat and fear overwhelmed me. That could only mean one thing.

Our laughter had betrayed us, we hadn't heard the signs until it was too late.

One of them was slinking its way towards us.

It wasn't huge, maybe 50 kilos, with budding wings, meaning it was a two year old, probably a bull, from the looks of its iridescent scales. Hungry for meat, sniffing for its next meal, its snout black as night and dripping gooey greenish mucus, the infamous venom that afired the skin if it fell upon it.

Denver wanted to run away, that much was certain: his eyes were rolling in their sockets with fear.Last time he had been confronted to one of them it had not ended well...

I had two pickaxes and two shovels at my feet, but my sword and hunting bow ( which we carried with us wherever we went, for defense and protection) were on the grass beyond the field, unreachable if the dragon decided to pounce.

There was no choice, I had to use what was there to distract the creature long enough...

" Cole, get on the horse," I hissed through my teeth, keeping the dragon in sight at all times.

For the moment it was advancing slowly with that twisted way of theirs, that came from walking on front legs smaller than their rear ones.

I could hear its raspy breathing; already the air was getting too thick for it, it had to go towards the mountains and lighter air, or die from staying at these heights. But for that trip it needed sustenance...

" No argument! I grunted urgently, putting a hand to hold Denver's reins. Go now, run run run! "

Cole was terrified but I wasn't sure what scared him most: the dragon, or running from it and leaving me in charge of confronting it.

" Now!!!" I urged, jerking him up which put us in the dragon's scope and forced him to move.

Within seconds he and Denver were gone. I couldn't even hear the galloping, the feral breathless growl of the dragon was forefront on my mind.

It was said they needed thin air to breathe fire, that their lungs were their weakest spot, but for all the knowledge I had gathered on those creatures, I was not in any way prepared to face one so big.

I had killed some the size of cats , a few bigger ones that were roaming, or had been caught in traps and were still alive, but usually I had my sword, the advantage.

Now it was like facing them barehanded.

I had the sharpest pick axe in hand before it could reach my level, snarling with hatred as potent as its putrid fire-breath.

I just had the time to put it up for defense that the dragon attacked, hitting my 'weapon' full force, but it only made me stagger backwards, vanquished by surprise.

Our father had taught me to fight, to defend myself, but the fatigue of the day... I could barely hold the pick axe steady and my fingers felt numb and useless.

Add to that the fear, a living thing in the pit of my stomach, robbing me of all breath. I was not in the best of shape to fight for my life... but our father had always said, that was the way it happened. Not when you expected it, not when you were ready... simply, it came.

The beast had hurt itself and black blood was dripping from its flank, hissing onto the ground, leaving a smelly gooey trail that was toxic to plants and animals alike.

I couldn't attack. I was reeling from the pounce myself and incapable of any aggressive action. Just stay alert for the next assault, which took but a few breathless seconds to come.

I had not evaluated its weight accurately enough. The blunt force of its attack made me stagger, and if I managed to take a swing at it, the pick axe barely nicked its tough hide.

I felt warmth under my armpit and I knew I was bleeding but I could not spare my wound a second, for it was already back on the attack run.

This time I managed to duck as it jumped towards me: I flattened on the ground and thrust the pick axe as hard as I could, ripping through the softer flesh of its underbelly. Showering me with blackened blood that started hissing on my exposed skin right away.

The FireBlood. I couldn't help but grunt in pain; luckily none had gone into my eyes, or they might have become useless.

I rolled away while the beast snarled in rage rather than in pain. I had not hurt it so much but I had made it very very angry.

I did not have its speed but it was beyond me. With the goo hissing on my skin, I couldn't think of a single strategy to win this fight.

I needed a real weapon to have a chance.

So I ran. As quickly as my legs could carry me; they felt so heavy, made of lead, incapable of lifting my feet off the ground one more step.

I could hear the dragon snarling behind me, I could already feel its claws slicing through my flesh...

I don't know how I made it to the edge of the field, I was out of breath and out of strength but I flung myself on my weapons and finally dared look back at my enemy.

And let out a cry of horror.

The dragon would have caught up with me, but in my panic I hadn't heard the hoof beats, I hadn't seen that Cole had come back for me. Putting himself and Denver right in the beasts's path to give me time to escape.

Despite the panic, Denver was doing the best he could to beat the dragon away, urged on mercilessly by my brother.

But the dragon would not be subdued. It was wounded but not beaten and so enraged that it would not admit defeat.

Even as I ran forward, screaming at Cole to RUN, the dragon spat blood on Denver's face, making him panic as he was now blinded. He bucked and whinnied and Cole wasn't able to hold on, the horse was insane with pain.

I ran and ran, why were they so far away? Sweat pouring in my eyes as I saw the dragon pouncing on Cole on the ground; my brother was dazed by the fall, having almost been trampled, but not enough to be unconscious for the next part.

Had time stopped? I could see Denver staggering and falling to the ground because of the dragon blood , Cole's look of pain and horror as the dragon bore down upon him, opening its putrid snout and revealing razor sharp teeth that were black and red in color.

" Don't touch him! " I yelled at the top of my lungs, hoping to distract it long enough.

But it had its victim under its paw and it would not give it up for a breathless, fear-stricken scream.

I wasn't seeing clearly anymore, I didn't even feel fear to be right next to this beast, the only thing thing that pushed me to act was panic, the thought of my brother being ripped to shreds by that vile creature.

I jabbed as hard as I could in the dragon's neck, slicing around to destroy as much as I could before it turned back on me.

I could hear Cole whimpering in pain, I had to get the creature off him!

If I could survive the next few seconds.

If I had just jabbed and done nothing else, the dragon would have bitten my head right off. But by keeping my sword in its neck,when it felt the pain and jerked back to take care of this annoying pest that I was, it actually damaged itself more than I ever could.

I was trembling as I kept holding onto that hilt for dear life, my arms bearing the brunt of the pressure.

The dragon hissed, its eyes going from yellow-black-gold to a strange dull gray as it gasped and gurgled.

I had seen these creatures die before but this was the closest I had ever been to one so big, so powerful, that could have eviscerated me with one swoop.

Impossibly it shrieked in defeat, a sort of disbelieving screech that almost seemed human, making goosebumps appear all over my body. Except where it had bled on me, that was still on fire.

And then it fell on its side and exhaled a breath that smelled like sulfur and rot.

I stood there transfixed, expecting it to spring back, it couldn't be over, an adult would come from the mountains and burn me for this defiance of the law...

But Cole moaned in pain and the paralysis broke.

It wasn't over after all.

I nearly gagged and I had to quell a scream of despair rising in my throat.

"It bit me, Lora, it bit me, " Cole sobbed in pain, the teeth marks all too obvious on his shoulder and arm.

Tears started falling from my eyes without me even realizing it; just two years before I had seen the same marks, the black veins spreading from every wound, corrupting the flesh... on our father's back and side, where he had been bitten.

The Curse. The FireBlood venom from the bites was deadly. Some survived, in excruciating pain, for months.

Our father had lasted 10 whole months before succumbing, his flesh rotting off him with every passing second.

No cure, no reprieve.

"Lora, help me, please, " Cole sobbed, already gasping in pain from the spreading venom.

I felt like screaming, but I somehow ran to Denver and shushed him to be calm, wiping the FireBlood from his eyes. Horses were more resistant, or because of the way his head was made, he had only received the blood in one eye, making him able to see and recognize me despite the pain he was in.

I guided him over to Cole and ignoring my brother's protestations, I managed to hoist him on the horse.

I couldn't breathe, sobs kept coming up in my throat, robbing me of breath. But I could not leave it at that.

I had to do something to help him, I had to try!

I started walking briskly, running back to pick up my fuming sword, covered in that devilish blood. I could not be weaponless right now.

Jared's eyes grew wide and he choked on his mouthful when he saw who was at his doorstep. He lived on the outskirts of the Royal Town, a healer like no other. His potions were renowned all over the kingdom and it was said he supplied the Queen herself... but with what no one knew exactly.

All I knew was that he was Cole's only hope. He had managed to make Father's life bearable after his bite, he made potions like no other.

I was out of ideas and running on pure panic. He was the only person I could think of.

It had started to rain and night had fallen while I pushed Denver towards the city and we must have looked like a very sorry sight. I knew he recognized me before I even spoke.

"Help us please, " I sobbed, nearly falling from exhaustion.

Jared caught me before I splattered on the wet ground and dragged me inside. " Elora, what's wrong? What happened to you? "

Dragging me he smelled it. The FireBlood on me.

"No! "he grunted, checking for bites, thinking I was the one infected with the Curse.

"Cole, it's Cole, " I cried out and he let me fall to the floor to take care of my brother.

I got back on my feet by the time he had gotten Cole off the horse.

" Get Denver in the stable, clean his eye with this, " Jared ordered, giving me a vial after setting Cole on his "patient" table, where he had the best light to examine wounds. " Clean your face too, now! "

I knew from his tone he wanted me out of the room, he didn't want me to see... mostly his reaction to the wound, since I already knew what had happened to my brother.

Nonetheless I did as he asked, leading Denver to the stable, cleansing his wound with the putrid smelling potion, and then my own face. I was crying as well, trying hard to stop, as tears were completely useless, there was no solution, no miracle, no reprieve.

Denver whinnied softly at my distress and rubbed his head against mine, making me cry harder, but for a second only.

I rose from the slump I had fallen into, sniffling away my despair.

I wasn't giving up hope this time.

Jared didn't hear me coming back in. He had cut off Cole's shirt, revealing the wound. It looked worse in that light, his flesh looked black and shredded and I felt like gagging.

Jared looked overwhelmed himself; he had grown very fond of us after treating our father and he was always ready to help us if we needed it. Perhaps we reminded him of his children, that he hadn't been able to save.

He went to his potions and fished out a small vial with a reddish liquid inside. I stood transfixed as he poured one drop into a glass and it started boiling over with black smoke. He sprayed it on my brother's wound, drawing him out of limbo with cry of abject suffering. His flesh seemed to sizzle, producing red smoke. I wanted to scream but I kept it contained; Jared was doing the best he could, he knew what he was doing.

" Come on come on come on! " Jared was saying under his breath, almost praying.

My brother screamed and writhed in suffering but finally fell unconscious again and the smoke simply vanished.

Jared hid his eyes with his palm; obviously not the reaction he wanted.

" Can you help him? " I asked, making him jumpstart.

He had trouble looking me in the eye. " I... I am so sorry, it's too late. I thought the... but it only works after a few minutes of the bite. "

" There has to be something to do, I insisted. I am not giving up on him. He will be all right, there must be something to do. I am not losing him too! "

Jared sat down , looking tired and defeated. I suppose he had seen many such displays before, all in vain. No one escaped their fate. But I could not abandon my brother. I could not accept this.

" A few weeks ago, a man came in here for a potion to stop pain. We talked, he has seen a lot of the world... He told me, 5 years ago, he was bitten by a dragon. A Seer told him he could break the curse if he destroyed the bloodline of the one that bit him. So he went to the mountains, alone, under the FireBlood Curse. And slayed the forbear of the one that had bit him. And he is alive to this day. "

Jared looked at me, hesitating, as though regretting what he had just told me.

Knowing full well what I would ask him now. " Do you know where this man is? "

I had never been in a tavern before and Jared wouldn't let me go in. I could hear the ruckus of the men drinking and the stench of alcohol and vomit that came from the establishment.

He directed Cole and I, ( Cole was passed out on Denver) to a side alley and told us to wait there.

I was feeling very uncomfortable, exposed, even under the cloak Jared had given me. I did not want to stay there longer than I had to.

I was beginning to think something had happened to Jared , it was simply taking too long, when the side door opened and a man grunted in a burly voice; " I don't see why we couldn't talk about it inside- "

He sensed my presence right away and whipped back, jerking his sword out in a fluid movement.

I stood there transfixed by what I was seeing. He was a ravage of scars, his face a mess to look at, only one eye still valid, the other blue and gray, useless and blind, many burn marks, attesting to a battle for survival that had left him half the man he was.

He only had one arm; I could only imagine the other one had been ripped out and I felt queasy just looking at him.

"What is this, Jar? You ambush me with children now? " the man growled.

"Peace, Derek. They're harmless. They're the reason- "

"That boy will be dead in 4 months' time, " 'Derek' declared after sniffing the air, sheathing his sword, deciding I was not a menace after all.

"Help us, " I said before Jared could intervene.

Derek turned back to look at me with his good eye. " What are you talking about? "

" My brother was bitten, please help cure him. "

He glared at Jared , having guessed the source of the information. I can't help you. "he added before I could add anything else.

" He is my brother, I won't let him die, " I said, trying to sound determined. My voice was quavering badly.

" Not your decision. His fate is set. " Derek said, turning to walk back into the tavern.

"You survived! You're still alive! " I protested.

" You call this being alive!? " he retorted spitefully, and even in the poor light of the alleyway, I could see the ravages done to him by the wounds, the FireBlood... or was it alcohol? His breath was monstrous.

" Please help us " I insisted desperately. He was our only, our last hope.

"I can't help anyone, " he replied gruffly.

"Derek, please, " Jared intervened.

He snorted in anger. " Do you have any idea what you will face, girl? What you will need to do to save this brother of yours? You do this, you will never be the same again, trust me. "

"He dies, I will never be the same again, "I countered.

Derek sighed in resentment. "Can you even fight? Can you face a dragon? Or else you will just die along with him. "

I pulled my sword from its sheath and placed it on his neck, too quickly for him to react and parry.

But he only tilted his head, unafraid. He was testing me.

"Let's see, "I said with much more confidence than I really felt.

After the war, Father had taken to give me and Thomas lessons in sword fighting, so that we may be prepared to face whomever might harm us.

After Mother and Thomas died in the fire, I became his only pupil, as Cole was loath to even touch a weapon.

I tried to remember everything he had taught me, every single lesson, but I was not very skilled. Staying in Derek's blind spot was proving harder than I expected , he was quicker than he looked, and did not seem very dizzied by all the spirits he had ingested.

And when he struck, I was always taken by surprise, barely able to parry, my muscles aching from trying to bear the weight of it.

I became exhausted so quickly, sweat pouring in my eyes, breath harder and harder to draw in: Derek was almost laughing.

Finally, he jostled me down and put the tip of his sword to my neck.

" Hopeless, " he declared.

He turned away, smirking in satisfaction. I just knew he was.

I knew I was pathetic, it was all true. But that didn't mean I could let Cole die. Father always said: " It's not skill that matters most, it's heart. "

Jared was preparing to argue with the one-arm soldier, and I attacked from his blind side. I know I was loud, but he should not have been able to see me.

He whipped back and I saw his dead eye glowing for an instant, glowing black and golden, like one of the dragon's eyes...

And suddenly I was on the soggy ground again, Derek's good arm having ripped my sword away... But something was holding me by the front of my mud-caked shirt.

I could barely breathe, and I could hear Jared protesting, but he wasn't seeing what I was seeing. The glow in that eye, the ethereal fingers nearly ripping my shirt.

" That's right, Derek whispered harshly. Even if you manage to save him, he will never be the same. The boy you knew, your brother? He is already dead. "

I felt like crying but I resisted. " Help me, " I begged.

" Of course, he snorted, letting go of me. He might be better off changed. Looks like a brat..."

" Help us. " I insisted.

" What's in it for me, girl? " he retorted.

" My name is Elora, not 'girl' ... and I don't have any money. What, what do you want? "

Jared looked at me warningly, as though this was the worst idea, never ask them what they want, but what choice did I have? I had nothing to give him.

" Unlimited food and board. Could you give that? Work isn't my thing, now that I only have one arm... and no one will ever hire me as bodyguard or soldier again," he said with obvious bitterness.

" All right, " I said, hardly believing my luck. Maybe there was a chance for Cole after all.

" Let's seal this pact, make if official, " Derek said.

" I don't know how to read or write. " I admitted.

He started laughing. " Because I do? Jared will be our witness. You pledge to give me food and board if I help you get to the mountains to find your dragon... whether or not your brother survives. "

I hadn't thought about that. Even with his help, nothing guaranteed success.

" What if I die? " I put to him.

" Then Jared thinks of some compensation... In or out? "

I looked at Jared , hesitating. But in truth I had simply no choice.

" Don't do it, stranger! Cole intervened suddenly. Unlimited food and board? It'll take her two weeks, no, less, to put you to work! Even the rats, she makes them work, back out while you still can! "

Despite myself, I laughed. It felt too good to see my brother up to his usual mischief.

" Laugh, boy... " Derek said, grinning as he walked up to my brother, allowing Cole to see the ravages on his face. " You think you've known pain? Wait until your blood begins to boil. Then you will know the meaning of "FireBlood". "

" Let's seal this pact, Cole said, impressed despite himself. Let's get this poor show on the road, what are we waiting for? "

" You have my pledge, " I told Derek.

" You have mine, " he said after a second's hesitation.

And that was it. I realized my hands were trembling. Everything had happened so quickly and now I was about to embark on a quest that would surely result in death.

Cole's, mine?

Or the Dragon's?

THE END