Kingdom of the Lost Keys

|There weren't always dragons in the valley|

“I told you didn’t I?” Hera grinned pointing to the aging words perched high above them.

“Yeah, you weren’t kidding,” Mira replied gawking at the giant valley sign shadowing the entrance to Grimsley Valley.

Grimsley Valley, a large valley situated somewhere between the middle of nowhere and the outskirts of vast emptiness, was cushioned between two looming mountains and mostly sheltered by the forest of tall trees. They sported giant signs at every entrance to the valley, welcoming any daring traveller that may venture near the isolated civilization. Each wooden sign had etched underneath the bold “Grimsley Valley” their chaotically written slogan: ‘There weren’t always dragons in the valley’. An obsolete and, as Mira perceived, slightly misanthropic greeting for outsiders, the sign did nonetheless epitomise the valley in all its unearthly glory.

“So, you’re, what, bragging that you now have the most dragons living in your valley after coming in last place in the ‘most dragons’ competition?” Mira raised an eyebrow quizzically.

“Yeah, you wish,” Hera snorted balancing precariously on the heels of her feet and swinging her hands like an impatient child with too much energy. “No, this place had quite literally never seen a single dragon before. Something to do with the climate on the other side of the mountains… or maybe they were just bribing them with big chunks of meat in the villages… bribing the dragons I mean… cause they never came our way. For us, this valley is all most of us have ever seen, so dragons, well, let’s just say they were as much a myth as you are. But they’re here now. Just, one day decided to inconveniently migrate here. Our slogan really just says it as it is.” Hera leant down to Mira’s level. Mira wasn’t small for her age; she had a medium build and height with dishevelled shoulder length ginger hair. Hera, on the other hand, a youthful looking elf in her late 30s, was fairly tall, lanky, with long thick dirty-blonde hair that tangled around her pointy ears and caught onto anything that had the misfortune of being near her when she walked past. “Word of advice,” She indiscreetly whispered to Mira, “The folk round here will tell you that our slogan is some mighty metaphor about great change and prosper,” the words seemed unwilling to be spoken as Hera spat them out, “It’s dragon dung. Ignore them. They’ll lure you into a false sense of greatness, and believe me, this place is not great and certainly doesn’t have great company either… And I do mean you Phil!” Hera raised her eyes at a pointy eared tubby bloke with a long sharp tail that lazily trailed behind him. He had been suspiciously glowering in Hera’s direction as he wobbled past. Two hours ago the appearance of someone like Phil would have had Mira discovering a hidden ability to Olympically run in the opposite direction. However, she returned a dazed look of someone having entered a conversation halfway through.

“Since when have you cared about the truth Hera?” He spat in a deep mellow voice, flaunting a shiny badge that bulged on his pumped out chest as it reflected the thin rays of sunlight. A mayor’s badge perhaps Mira pondered.

“Nobody, and I mean nobody gets anywhere by telling the truth. That’s not what anyone wants to hear.” He swung round with superfluous force, head held gratuitously high and with his badge blinding anyone who looked in his direction he wobbled off with surprising speed.

Hera growled after him.

“Now that’s a more realistic slogan for this godforsaken place,” She snarled, then turned back to Mira in time to see her let out a defeated sigh and start to kick around the random stones and twigs that lay undisturbed on the ground.

“I know this isn’t exactly the luxury I’m sure you’re used to in your human place, and frankly it’s more of a back watered alley kind of valley… ha! Look at me rhyming like I know what I’m doing.” She let out another snort of laughter, but noticing that Mira didn’t share her enthusiasm for spontaneous poetry she changed her approach, “I’d understand if you wanted to turn back kid…”

“How do you suppose I do that?” Mira snapped cutting Hera off. She quickly realised her misplaced anger and doubled back, “Sorry,” she sighed, “I mean… I don’t really have much of a choice do I? Not unless you have a magical portal in your pocket I could just borrow.”

Hera gazed up thoughtfully.

“I used to have one, a while back, cute pocket sized one that I picked up in the black market. Used it all the time when I couldn’t be bothered walking to the stalls, until I discovered that Misty had eaten it when he started to randomly teleport everywhere. Actually…” Hera started to tap the air with her finger as her eyes lit up “I could totally market that to some moron who would believe it’s real magic! Why didn’t I think of that sooner? Ha!” She clapped her hands giving Mira a start and then sauntered off back into Grimsley Valley, unaware she was leaving Mira behind “I think I saw that glutenous cat in the square this morning…” she muttered into the distance.

“I guess that’s a no,” Mira sighed. She pulled out her phone from a back pocket and turned on the screen. 67% battery left, no new messages and unsurprisingly, no signal. Man how she had regretted not charging her phone overnight. There’s nothing happening tomorrow, I’m sure the battery will last, she had told herself. Something she was now sickeningly regretting. Her naked wallpaper with the faces of her best friend, her dog Heather, and herself, smiled mockingly back at her. This was the reality that she had left behind, unexpectedly, a mere two hours before. It wasn’t like a dragon filled fantasy land was foreign to her, not at least when it remained in the pages of the books she was always reading. And whilst Mira had read almost every book in her school library she had never come across one that might help her if she ever found herself randomly transported into a fictional world.

Help 101: How to survive a kidnapping by the fantasy book you were just reading

Mira made a mental note to keep a diary whilst she was trapped in this world so that she could get that published back home. She had a feeling that someone in the future might be grateful for it.

Reading books was Mira’s way of channelling her social anxiety. She hated being the main character, repulsed by the thought of being in the spotlight and thrived best when she sat behind the pages of a good book, letting the protagonist take the reins, make the decisions, stand up to evil, make friends and fall in love. But she preferred it when she was reading it, not living it.

***

Just two hours before, Mira had been walking her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Heather, in the woods next to her house in a little countryside village in Scotland. It was a route that she had taken many a time, but on this particular trip, Mira didn’t exit the same woods she entered. During their journey Heather had come across an odd looking branch protruding from the roots of a large withering tree. Her intrigue caused enough of a commotion that Mira ventured over to have a look. The weird branch wasn’t a branch at all, it was the handle of what appeared to be an old rusty key that was lodged in the ground. Mira gave the key a few sharp tugs, but when nothing budged she tried twisting it out instead. At that point, a loud door-opening-like click echoed round the trees followed by a blinding beam of light and then… dragons. Lots and lots of dragons.

Next, she was running through what she thought were the same woods with two giant angry fire breathing reptiles chasing her straight into Grimsley Valley, and, into Hera.

At the time, Hera had been on the verge, of what she described as, an “entrepreneurial breakthrough”. Her “entrepreneurial” partner was cloaked in darkness and carrying a suspiciously alive-looking sack over his shoulder and had been completely unabashed by the scene that unfolded when Mira and two dragons arrived in the middle of their negotiations. After reviving herself from the collision, Hera had casually shooed away the dragons as if it were a common rat, yelling unrepeatable curses at them. Once the mysterious saviour had assured that the dragons were gone she turned round to Mira and started examining her like she’d just uncovered a rare jewel. It came to Mira’s upmost confusion that this strange person seemed more shocked to discover herself – a human – crashing into her rather than two giant fire breathing reptiles.

The inevitable “Where am I? What’s going on?” introduction concluded with Mira’s persistent argument that it was the dragon that was the mythical being and not her, the human, when Hera continued to ogle and prod at her.

“Sure, dragons weren’t always in the valley…” Hera shrugged as Mira swatted her away after another attempt to prod her ears, “…and they were a bit of an urban legend before The Kingdom became ‘a thing’…” She mimicked air quotes in the air whilst glowering “…and Exalos became ‘the ruler’. But back then this place was full of boring law abiding twerps. Unlike now.” She grinned menacingly “Anyway, getting side tracked, Humans, HA! Now that is urban legend.”

“Well I mean, we’re not are we? I’m right here.” Mira replied flailing her hands in desperation to make her point.

“You may not want to say that too loudly,” Hera hushed. Clapping a hand over Mira’s mouth she intensely scanned over every nook and cranny in the wide alley-filled street whilst paying no attention to where she was placing her hand and gifted Mira a vicious poke in the eye. Once Hera had concluded that they were perfectly alone with the hooded dealer she turned back with a wide grin and winked at Mira as if Mira was supposed to understand what was going on. Unsurprisingly, she didn’t, and she stared back in disbelief through one eye, as the other was still recovering.

“Did you break?” Hera panicked and leant in to examine Mira some more. Temporarily stunned Mira didn’t move, until, without warning, Hera raised her hand and flicked her on the forehead.

“Ow! Jeez, I am alive!” Mira yelped back. “Give me a minute to process all this.”

“Well you’re a barrel of laughs aren’t you round ears,” Hera tutted. Mira blushed and pulled her hair over her ears.

“Rude much.”

Hera shrugged and pulled back her own bushy main of hair into a rugged ponytail. Underneath poked out a pair of pointy ears.

“Oh!” Mira exhaled with realisation, “Pointy ears!”

“Rude much?” Hera brazenly retorted.

“Touché,” Mira nodded. Accepting a temporary closure to the conversation Hera turned back to the hooded seller who was impatiently tutting behind the shadows of his hood with his hand outstretched. Hera thudded a clanking pouch unceremoniously into their outstretched hand. It was weighed for a moment in their hand before a hiss issued from behind the hood.

“That’ssssss not what we agreed Hera.”

“Well,” Hera started, a matter-of-factly, “I did just save you from two rampaging dragons, in my books that calls us fair and square which means my extra payment is now simple generosity.” She shrugged.

“Oh very good. Ssssssneaky assss usual I sssssee.” The shadow hissed menacingly. They tilted their head slightly; a hidden gaze pried over Hera’s shoulder. It loitered there for a moment before retreating back to meet Hera’s stare. “Issss that really… a human?” They finally asked.

“Couldn’t tell. Could be a fake, you know? That same hoax again from the faeries. Why would you care?” The mystery seller leant in so close to Hera that Mira was now struggling to make out what was being discussed. She used this window of opportunity to quietly, and what she thought was perfectly sneakily, move away.

“What?!” Hera screeched, “The human is not for sale!” Mira stopped and spun round.

“Ssssso, you admit she issss a human!” Even without a visible mouth Mira could make out a large triumphant grin from underneath the hood.

“No I didn’t! Anyway, I found her so she’s mine.” Hera snarled.

“I didn’t consent to this,” Mira pointed out.

“That’sssss the new deal Hera!” The shady figure replied completely ignoring Mira’s opinion. Her wide eyes slipped into slits as she eyed up the scene before her. “You know asss well asss I do, dragonssss weren’t alwayyyssss in the valley.” They hissed back at Hera before slithering into the shadows.

“Steve! You get back here you slithering piece of… urgh never mind,” Hera growled picking up the pouch of clanking coins that had been dropped during Steve’s departure. She turned back to Mira who was now rooted to the ground. “Hey!” Hera yelped as she crashed into the petrified Mira, “What’s wrong with you? I’m not actually going to sell you, you know?” She scooted around her and started to walk away with the expectance that Mira would follow.

“What are you going to do with me?” Mira nervously asked. It was a bizarre moment where Mira could have easily just run away, she had the perfect opportunity, but instead she remained rooted to the ground, rooted to an intense curiosity; a strange captivation and lure towards this juxtaposing elf standing in front of her. She was peculiar; her kind demeanour contradicted her devious endeavours.

Hera slowly turned her head, a mischievous grin widening across her face

“Why human, I plan to steal your off-world magical energy and sell it to the highest bidder,” the colour in Mira’s face drained almost instantaneously as she started to shift uncomfortably on the spot. “Ha!” Hera screeched “I’m just kidding!” She slapped Mira on the back so hard that she stumbled over her now jelly-like legs. “Yeesh, who do you think I am? Exalos?”

“Who?”

“Kingdom of Exalos… Exalos, being the ruler, the one who’s hunting down dragons to channel their magic? Didn’t you do any research before you came here?” Hera sighed.

“I would’ve if I knew I was having a vacay,” Mira replied gaining enough strength in her legs to follow in Hera’s wake. “I’m really not meant to be here.”

“Yeah, now your behaviour makes sense,” Hera gazed up as she walked on “The screaming, the running… the questions… I think it was the round ears that gave it away.”

“Could you please be serious for one minute!” Mira yelled stopping in her tracks. Her tone change caused Hera to turn round. “I don’t know what to do, and if you won’t help me, then I’m leaving,” Mira made to walk away, to run, anything! She was confused and lost and so exhausted, she didn’t have the energy to keep up with this stranger.

“You don’t have to come with me,” Hera calmly assured. Not the response Mira was expecting it stopped her in her escape. “No one ever really knows what to do. Let’s be honest, if we did, life would be more boring than a conversation with Steve. You’d just have all the answers.” Mira didn't respond. "You didn’t mean to come here, but you’re here now, end of, and everyone here is going to take to that like a Magdragon takes to shiny things.” Mira still didn’t say anything, her head was bent low, defeat masking any pocket of hope. Hera raised her eyes to heaven and then, with a groan of reluctance leant down on one knee and turned Mira round so that they were both at the same level. “Look, kid, things change all the time, the bigger the change the stronger the feelings on either side are. People take advantage of change to cause chaos so that they can rebuild it into something that suits them. That’s how this whole mess with the dragons started in the first place. The only place we’ve ever seen a human is within the pages of books… and I don’t even read! So you can imagine how anyone here would take to your arrival. I honestly won’t be surprised if Steve has already started the rumour mill. You can’t trust anyone.”

“How do I know I can trust you?” Mira butted in.

“I’d be worried if you did trust me!” Hera laughed “No one can trust me.” Mira didn’t reciprocate her laugh. Changing her tone, Hera continued, “Are you willing to take your chances out there? With someone else?”

"I'm sixteen! I'm not supposed to be making these decisions. I should be worried about exam work, plukes, annoying peers, shopping, if I like boys or girls… and fictional vampires!” She shrieked staring unblinkingly at Hera’s shoulder as a pale white cloaked boy, no older than 8 years of age, had suddenly appeared, eyeing up Hera’s open neck, centimetres away from his sharp fangs. Without turning around Hera swung a branch she had slipped off the ground and bonked the little vampire across the head. He yelped rubbing his slowly pinkening forehead.

“Nice try Sid,” Hera grinned.

“Eh,” Sid shrugged “My heart wasn’t in it,” He spoke with a monotonous, haunting voice. “I assure you though, dragon lady, your days are numbered. Your soul is beautifully tainted with the darkness that clouds your heart and soon it will be the prize of my collection.” And with his final declaration, his impassive glare piercing the air, he flipped up his cloak and in place of a vitamin D deficient child a bat fluttered away into the distance.

"Such a charming boy," Hera sighed sardonically. “Never learns.” Mira remained staring blankly after the boy. “Cheer up!” Hera spluttered “It’s not all that bad. If you want, I can teach you some of my special tricks to get around here? And I do also have a spare room… Well, you’ll be sharing with Misty but I’m sure they won’t mind. Come on…” Hera moped hopelessly “I’m useless with emotions, and you humans are full of it! 60% apparently, at least I read that somewhere.” Hera patted Mira gently on the head before getting to her feet. Mira let out a begrudging laugh.

“I thought you said you didn’t read?”

“Accidents happen,” Hera shrugged, “As we know, dragons weren’t always in the valley.”

Mira gazed up at her questioningly,

“What does that mean?”

“What?”

“There weren’t always dragons in the valley…”

***

She really hadn’t been joking when she told Mira that it was the valley’s slogan. It came as a surprise to Mira because of how much it seemed to be used in conversation, as if it had a hidden meaning or message. Even though Hera had said the slogan “is as it is” Mira was determined that that wasn’t true, and equally determined to prove her wrong.

Both the mystery of Hera and the mystery of the dragons in the valley had caused Mira to momentarily forget that she wasn’t reading this story but living it. Snapping back to reality she watched Hera walking away, muttering to herself, still completely unaware that no one was within earshot to listen. She sighed heavily and was about to move forward when she felt her phone buzz in her hand. A chill shot down her spine as she felt her stomach leap. However, there was no text message and not even an app update, but instead, a flashing notification at the top of her phone warning her that her phone battery was going to die in five hours, and gently suggested that she activated her battery saver mode. Mira sighed and started to scroll through her apps. One by one she slid them to the top of the screen and dumped them in the bin. Translate app gone, Grow Your Own Trees Whilst Studying app gone, Music Listening Papers app gone, Algebra Quiz app gone, Name That Movie app gone, IBook app gone… bit after bit of what was becoming a seemingly unreturnable life slipped off her phone until all that was left were her essentials. The battery saver mode now activated her apps went silent, and her screen changed to black and white. The happy faces staring back from her phone seemed as if they were from a completely different lifetime.

Without warning Mira let out an unexpected laugh of comprehension.

“That’s what it means, right?” She looked up at Grimsley Valley’s hackneyed slogan “It’s to do with change. It’s what Hera was talking about. If you relax in your old ways you’ll never be prepared for what’s round the corner… right?” She asked of no one. At least, that’s what the words were saying to her. Why was she so fixated over this? Why did it seem that the words had been calling to her since she arrived? She just kept hearing them whenever anyone spoke, like they were calling out to her...

Suddenly realising that she had been talking to herself out loud she blushed and hastened to busy herself on her phone. Burrowing her head in her black and white screen she scrolled through her texts until she found the last messages from her mum.

Are you at home?

No, I’m walking Heather. Why?

Your dad is trying to get in.

Did he forget his keys?

Yes

Again? I left the spare keys in the usual spot, but I’ll

be home soon anyway so I can let him in.

Thanks honey. I’ll let him know.

Take care xxx

Will do. You too. See you soon xxx

Biting back a washed over emotion Mira shoved her phone back into her pocket but a clunky obstacle blocked her way. Of course! How could she have forgotten about it? The key! She pulled out the old rusty key from inside her pocket. Now that she held it, all of it, not just the part poking out of the ground, she realised that it was a little bigger than any normal key. The bow of the key had, what appeared to be, the form of a dragon’s eye, and the rest of it was lined with subtle reptilian scales. The structural design was much the same as any ordinary key you might find lying around a Victorian house… that is, if any ordinary key could open a portal to another world. Spinning it around in her hand Mira noticed an odd shape on the pin of the key that could only be seen with the light reflecting on it at a certain angle. She could tell that this shape was a number written in an ancient language. How she knew this, she simply didn’t know.

“Ooh! Is that important? Can I sell it?” Hera had returned from her lone saunter, once realising that no one was following her, and was now leaning over Mira’s shoulder gawking with greedy eyes at the key she was holding. Mira let out an almighty squeal and leapt backwards landing on something strange that let out a painful mew.

“Ouch! My tail!”

Mira, let out a second squeal, but this time toppled over a branch and crashed backwards.

“There you are Misty!” Hera rushed over to them. “You okay?” She asked. From behind her crumpled state Mira managed to make out the source of the unexpected voice. A large black cat sat pruning their tail, unabashed by their inadvertent mishap.

“I’ll live,” They sighed “The problem with teleporting is that nobody notices me arriving,” They passed a glance at Mira. “This happens a little too often.” Their androgynous voice purred musically as they let out, what seemed to be, a passive aggressive stretch and sauntered over to Hera.

“I’m okay too, fanks,” Mira announced, barely able to speak.

“What did you find?” Misty asked Hera complacently.

“This… actually, I never got your name kid,” Hera turned to Mira.

“Meewa,” She struggled to reply with.

“Meewa? Unusual name,” Hera pondered thoughtfully.

“Can you ‘elp me up?” Mira yelped. As if only just realising that Mira was in a predicament Hera moseyed over and hoisted her up onto her feet. She brushed herself down and with a look that might have killed she took a deep breath “Mira, my name. It’s Mira.”

Both Hera and Misty froze, a knowing glance drifted between them. But like opposing sides of a magnet they quickly looked away. “What is it?” Mira asked.

“Are you sure your name is Mira?” Misty asked. “It’s not something like Mirror?”

“Yes I’m sure,” Mira replied, “I’ve been sure of that for the whole seventeen years I’ve been alive with that name.” It then dawned on her that she was having a conversation with a cat. “You’re a cat!”

“I know darling, that’s something I’ve known for the whole twenty one years I’ve been alive as that species,” They smirked back.

“I can see how you and Hera get along,” Mira replied, “It’s just that… cats don’t exactly… talk… where I come from,”

“How unfortunate for them,” Misty sighed “It must be torture for them not being able to speak their minds freely. Being the more intellectual species and having to succumb to the idiocy of everyone else. Must be dreadful.”

“Sure,” Mira nodded and then turned to Hera. “What’s wrong with my name?”

“Nothing!” Hera started “It’s a lovely name,” Misty sniggered under their whiskers.

“Better than Mirror,”

“Nonetheless,” Hera raised her voice “We should all get back and get something to eat, I know I’m hungry.” And with that she spun round, her long ponytail missing Mira’s face by centimetres, and returned into the valley. Mira remained on the spot staring after Hera, the key held tightly in her hand.

“Getting cold feet human?” Misty asked getting to their paws and strutting past Mira.

“I…” Mira stopped.

“Urgh, this is why cats are superior. Period.” Misty tilted their head. “This isn’t your ‘there’s no turning back’ point so, what’s really holding you back?” When Mira didn’t answer Misty turned their head round just enough to catch Mira’s unwavering stare that was following Hera. Misty sighed impatiently. “Hera isn’t to be feared. She maybe a little unusual and her methods are somewhat unconventional… and sure, she lives in the clouds more than she’s on Earth, but Hera has a heart of gold. She took me in when I was cast out, when no one else would accept me for who I am. She made sure I had a home even though she could barely feed herself. She is important to me, and others too.” Mira glanced down at the black cat. It was in that moment, seeing that stubborn, narcissistic black cat break down their wall just to protect someone, that Mira told herself: home can wait a day or two. She squinted a lopsided smile.

“Thanks Misty, but… it’s not exactly that,” Misty’s whiskers twitched. “Hera’s hiding something isn’t she?”

“What makes you say that?” Their ears perked up.

“If it’s true, what Hera says, that everyone will likely panic if they see a human, then why has Hera been so… well… I guess, blasé about seeing a human? It doesn’t make sense.”

Mira looked down at Misty who let out a hesitant sigh of defeat.

“I guess I was wrong about you human, you’re not as dumb as you look,” Before Mira could retort Misty had turned round, their eyes wide open, pupils narrowed into thin slits that penetrated Mira’s mind. She took a slight step back. “You think that you’re not meant to be here, but everything happens for a reason. You were meant to find that key and you were meant to find Hera.”

“Like a prophecy?” Mira’s eyes lit up.

“What? Ew, no. That is so last century.” Misty spat as if they had a furball stuck in their throat. “I…I’m really not the one that should be explaining this to you. If you want answers you need to speak to Syzi, the dragon that lives with me and Hera.” Misty blinked at Mira who stared back down, anticipating more of Misty’s story, the rest which never came.

“You can’t leave me hanging!” Mira furrowed her forehead in frustration. Misty bit their bottom lip.

“I can tell you this,” Misty started. They bowed their head, their gaze meeting their big fluffy paws “Don’t get me wrong, Hera would take you in and look after you no matter who you are because that’s just who she is… she doesn’t need to be told…”

“What is it Misty?” Mira impatiently snipped as Misty let out yet another procrastinating sigh.

“Hera… she’s been waiting a long time for you, or at least you and that key.” They nudged their head towards Mira’s right hand that still tightly clenched the key. She glanced down at it with passive curiosity before returning her attention to Misty who still seemed unwilling to continue. When the silence loitered long enough Misty gave in.

“And well… you’re not… exactly, who you think you are.”

***

Misty and Mira stared at each other for a long moment, Misty’s ears slightly tilted, their tail pulled into their body. Mira was at a loss for words, questions whirring overwhelmingly inside her head.

“Are you slow pokes coming, or will I be eating your share as well?” Hera obliviously called back “I have the room to eat that much, mind!” Mira looked up at her.

Hera was the one who could answer all her questions.

“Coming!” Mira called back.

Home would just have to wait a day or two.

She pocketed the key safely away and looked down at Misty who had perked up their ears at the sound of Hera calling.

“Well,” Mira asked, forcing a smile, “You coming?”