Homecoming

There weren't always dragons in the Valley. The dragons had been enslaved by foreigners and robbed of their fire-breathing abilities. They longed for their homeland, but escaping persecution seemed impossible.

Only the Manitou people were left to occupy the land. The dragons had previously protected their people against the relentless attacks of nomadic tribes.

The thievery of the dragons came with newfound vulnerabilities for the Manitou. For a time, Manitou Valley became barren and destitute. It took nearly fifty years for the lands to begin to replenish themselves.

After a century, the dragons were a distant memory for the Manitou.

Manitou Valley was nestled between the banks of the furthest braids of the Apenimon River. Splendid panoramas abounded with the Kajika Mountain Range to the north, the Tacincala Woodlands to the south, and the rolling hills of Liwanu to the far east.

The Manitou numbered one hundred thousand in population and were a sturdy and self-sufficient sort. They honored their land and cherished their traditions.

The young held to campfire stories told to them by the elders. Oftentimes the stories were based upon the dragons who had occupied their homelands nearly a century ago. Manitou children were especially delighted when Bodaway, an elder of the Valley People, would conjure dragonic images from the fire. The children would stare transfixed by the magnetic wave of Bodaway’s hands as ephemeral flames displayed the ferocious nature of the dragons. Brilliant flames danced through the crowd, singeing onlookers' brows and alluding to the speed, strength, and power of the true dragons of old.

At times, the natural happenings of the Valley seemed just as fleeting as those flames. Ayita, a young woman of the Village, had long suspected that magic was a force of the Valley. She reasoned that the nature of the Valley was intertwined with magic perhaps even stronger than Bodaways. On occasion, she would lay in grassy fields taking in the blue hues of the sky. If she listened intently enough, she swore she could hear voices in those breezes.

And so it was, at the dawn of the year 120, a shrill breeze from the Valley traveled to the East to the land of captivity and registered with the dragons to return.

Their powers returned to them by forces unknown and every last dragon escaped without fail.

Homecoming was imminent.

Miles away, Ayita awoke early to collect Syringa blossoms in the woodlands just off the River bank. This was the eve of her coming-of-age ceremony, and her preparations were in order for celebration. Nearly every member of the Valley would be in attendance. She drifted the even waters on her birch bark canoe traveling about a mile upstream from her family’s sleep place.

She felt especially reflective this morning. Her thoughts continued to return to the passing of her grandfather “Poco”. The anguish of Ayita’s loss last month had put her into deep sadness. Poco had been her friend, teacher, and closest confidant. Some might have viewed his action-oriented, and paradigm-shifting ways as emotionlessness, but to her, he had been brilliant. She swore to his memory that she would do everything in her power to follow his direction.

She found a place for her canoe on the bank of the Apenimon and began gathering blossoms. She recalled his sage advice to search for happiness in virtue alone. She collected enough blossoms to overflow one medicine bag and cover an entire apron. As she walked back to her canoe, she couldn’t help but find happiness in the beauty of her collected flowers. Regardless, she knew what Poco had meant. There was huge significance in one’s choices.

She had decided at the time of Poco's passing that she wouldn't show any weakness to her family. She felt protective over her family, as they were overcoming the loss of Poco as well. Yet only she knew the strength of the bond that she had had with her grandfather.

She felt a huge weight on her chest, but she would bear it.

Just as she approached the Apenimon, the ground shook beneath her feet. Gasping, she dropped to her knees and observed reflections in the River. She rose to gaze upwards as hundreds of beasts passed overhead. They flew in the direction of her people.

She jumped in her canoe and paddled home with great intent and fury in every stroke.

The dragons had returned.