Land of the Dragins
Stay out of the woods...
The forest floor crunched beneath her large feet. It wasn't particularly cold, but the morning mist was quite thick. Her hunt had been unsuccessful so far, but patience she knew, was the key. Just a few minutes longer and perhaps the mist would dissipate enough for the smaller creatures to begin scurrying around. She had ventured beyond the boundaries of her usual hunts, but prey seemed to be scarce on this foggy morning.
A sound.
As a force of habit, she ducked behind a group of trees. She struggled to tuck her large frame in, squeezing herself within the small grove. She waited, listening for the sound again until, alas, there it was.
It was a strange noise. In all her years hunting, she had never heard it before. It seemed too small to be a deer or moose and too large to be a rabbit or squirrel. She listened for it again. It seemed to be coming from her left. Slowly, she peeled herself out from the grove, one vertebrae at a time. Peeking with her large eyes around each bush and tree stump as she stalked her way over towards the sound.
Finally she came upon it. Nestled in a pile of leaves in a small clearing was a shape. She steadily approached. Slowly extending one long finger, she poked the being on its side. Nothing. She tried again, pushing a little harder this time. The figure rotated so it was facing her. It made a small noise. A gurgle or imperceptible speech. She realized what it was.
Staring up at her with blazing blue eyes, was a child. A human child.
What is a child doing alone out here? she thought to herself. Before she had time to talk herself out of it, she instinctively scooped up the toddler in her hands and coddled it close to her broad chest.
"You're coming home with me," she said.
----------
"Absolutely not!"
"But why?"
"We can't take care of a baby! We already have enough problems, don't you think?"
Danya took a deep breath before continuing, "I know that there is a lot going on. And we can ill-afford another distraction. But, what was I supposed to do?"
Burtrus responded, "Leave it there? It's not our problem. Where did you find it?"
"Near the Edge."
"The Edge!? What were you doing out there? Are you insane?"
"I was just hunting. It was misty and there were no animals around so I ventured a little further than usual."
"We should never be going out there. Let alone picking up any souvenirs. And a child of all things! What were you thinking?" Burtrus implored.
"He was alone. And cold. How was I supposed to just leave him there?"
"Because maybe his mother was nearby by and will be coming back to look for him."
"I don't think so. You don't just lose a baby like that. I think he was deliberately placed there."
Burtrus took a second to think. "I don't know. It just sounds strange. I don't trust it. You should put him back."
Danya took in another long breath through her flared nostrils. "I will not be doing that." She looked down at the child, now asleep in her arms.
Burtrus fumed. Danya could almost see the smoke escaping his nostrils. Several thoughts sat on his tongue before he finally spoke. "They've done enough to us already. We don't owe them anything."
Danya looked up at Burtrus, her large eyes pleading with him to accept her. "I couldn't leave him there. He's staying here." After a moment she added, "And none of that is his fault."
"Well, then he's your responsibility," Burtrus said defeatedly, "I will have nothing to do with this."
----------
"Where is that boy?" Vanas slammed his hands down on the table, "He'll be late for dinner."
"I already warned him multiple times, but he doesn't listen."
"He'll have to learn some day, Ryga."
Just then, the door latch lifted and a young boy came in in a huff. He closed the door behind him and leaned against it, eyes closed, trying to catch his breath.
"Where have you been?" asked Vanas deliberately, taking his time with each word.
"Out. With Wilhem and Fergus."
"What were you doing?" Vanas sternly inquired.
"Just a bit of fun. No harm done," replied the boy, very matter-of-fact.
"Wilhem was there?" asked Ryga.
"Yes, why?" asked the boy.
"Well, with all that his family is going through I am surprised they have let him out."
"He said they said it's good for him. Keeps his mind off of everything."
"I don't know. I don't want to judge or interfere, but as a mother, I feel that's a bit odd. If I was in their situation I certainly would not let my other son out of the house until this whole thing was resolved. Certainly not out near the Outskirts."
"The Outskirts?" Vanas anrigly cut in.
The boy gave Ryga a chiding glance. Thanks for blowing my cover, he seemed to say. He took a breath, looked to the floor and dug his toes into it as he answered, "Yes."
"What's the matter with you, boy? You know it's dangerous out there."
"Yes, yes. I know."
"I don't think you do," Vanas stated firmly, anger rising in his voice, "I don't think that you truly understand."
Several tense seconds passed by. Vanas looked deep into his son's eyes, and his son stared back harder.
----------
"Please, sir, isn't there something we can do?"
The constable looked up from the parchment on his table. "I already told you," he began, "we do not venture beyond the Outskirts. Anything - or anyone for that matter - that passes beyond the trees is considered lost forever. I will not be risking the lives of anyone here."
"But you'll risk the life of my child?"
"You know the rules as well as I. I'm sorry, there's nothing more I can do." His stare lingered for a few moments before he looked back down to his desk and continued working.
"He was not even 2."
"Pardon?"
"I said he was yet to be 2."
"My apologies, Ma'am, but to whom are you referring?"
"My son. The one that is missing. The one that you have refused to look for, is only 1 year old. He has not yet reached his second birthday," she replied somberly, tears welling in her eyes.
His mouth agape, the constable spoke, "I am deeply sorry for your loss, Ma'am, however that doesn't change the situation," He cleared his throat and continued, "It is clearly stated in our town charter that no one ventures beyond the line of trees at the Outskirts for any reason and any and all property that soever passes through will no longer be under provincial protection. As also stated, you are free to form a search party and set forth either together or alone into the unknown, however you would be doing so independently and without protection from the provincial government."
"Well, that's ridiculous."
"These are the rules set forth by our town generations ago. For the safety of our people."
The woman stood there staring for a few minutes longer knowing she should leave, but also having more to say. After a few seconds she blurted out, "But do we even know if anything is out there?"
At that, the constable pushed back his chair and quickly rose. He walked over to a chest, opened it, shuffled around inside, and pulled out a bunch of pieces of parchment. He walked back over towards the woman and threw them down on the desk. He presented his hand to her palm-up and raised his eyebrows, inviting her to have a look.
"What is this?" she asked.
"The answer to your question."
The woman sat in the chair on her side of the desk, for the first time since she'd entered, and begin rifling through the documents. Scanning until she had a solid idea of their contents, she looked up and said, "Are these true?"
"All first hand accounts given directly to constables, lords, or other gentry. Some of those date back all the way to the founding of Bevellton."
The woman stared at the constable, eyes wide and mouth agape. "Oh my," she mumbled partially to herself.
"Do you understand now?" asked the constable.
She swallowed hard and nodded as she placed the parchment she was reading back into the pile on the table. The constable began to organize them and walked them back over to the chest, burying them deep within its contents where he found them. Doing so he spoke, "So, Mrs. Dimas, I hope you can now understand my position. And the legal grounds from which I deny your claim."
"Understood, Constable Beardsley," she gave a brief curtsy, "I thank you for your time."
"Of course, Ma'am. I wish I could do more. But now you understand."
He gave her a nod and she turned to leave.
Mrs. Dimas stepped out the front door and down the wooden steps and started making her way back home. To herself she mumbled, "I am not afraid. My baby's out there. If he won't help, I'll do it myself."
----------
"They are true, Zurna. All of the stories."
"But how do you know? How does anyone know?"
"Didn't he show you first hand accounts?"
She nodded. Then spoke, "Yes, and they certainly seem real. But when was the last encounter? No one has reported anything in the last several decades."
"It's the way it is," her husband replied, "and you don't want to mess with the status quo. We don't know what kind of danger we would bring upon ourselves if we ventured out there."
"But it's our son!" Zurna shouted, "How can you just sit there?"
"We have to accept that he is gone, Zurna. And you shouldn't have been out there to begin with. There is nothing we can do."
"That's not true, we don't know. He may still be alive. It's only been a few days, it's still possible."
Her husband sighed before speaking. "Zurna, he was not even 2 years old. There is no way that a toddler of his age could live that long in the woods. He has likely starved to death or been eaten by a tiger by now - or worse. We can't risk it. We have to focus on the rest of our family now. Do what's best for Wilhem. It's over, you have to accept that."
"I will not!" she shouted, "I will not accept that. My baby is out there and may still be alive and I need to find him. I fear not the Dragins, nor the death that would follow. However, I do fear the possibility of living the rest of my life knowing that my son died and I did nothing to stop it!" She stood up and made her way towards the door where she began to put on her coat. "I am going to find our son," she turned to look at her husband, "I need to know if you are coming with me."
Fernal Dimas looked back into his wife's eyes and nodded his head with an unspoken,"No."
"Then I go alone." She stepped out the door with her pack, walking stick, and coat and heard it slam shut behind her. She wiped away a tear as she headed towards the woods.
----------
The sun shining through the trees created a rapture to the scene that made the illicit nature of the picnic that much more enjoyable. She knew she wasn't supposed to be there, but looking this pretty, it was hard to imagine this area being in any way dangerous.
She held the other half of the apple up to the mouth of the child in her arms and he graciously took it. He began sucking on it and the juices ran down his face. She giggled and asked the other boy to hand her a napkin.
Doing so, the older son asked, "Mum, can I go play near the brook?"
"Yes, just be careful," she said as she patted the mouth of the child in her arms. With glee, the older boy ran off towards the small brook that sometimes formed during rainy seasons, kicking his shoes off as he did. She watched him go, a smile cresting her face.
She turned toward the line of trees to her right and let her mind wander. She knew the old lore and the stories about the woods, and the dangers it presented. However, she couldn't help but think that they were lined with a bit of half-truths. It had never occurred to her to actually spend time here, but with her husband out to work early and the beautiful weather, she felt inclined to take the boys out for a picnic.
The toddler in her arms finished off his apple slice with a small burp and it brought her back to the moment. He turned to her with his blazing blue eyes and stuck out his hands, full of sticky apple juice.
"Oh, Cirol, you messy boy. What would you do without me?" She took out another napkin from the basket nestled in the grass beside her and wiped the child's face, nose, and hands. She snuggled him close and rubbed her nose against his. "You sure are messy, but you're my little pumpkin. Mummy loves you. And you're getting so big. I can't believe you can walk already. My heart! Soon you'll be running off just like your brother." She kissed his forehead. Just then, she heard a shout.
"Ow!" came her older son's scream, muffled by the distance and the wind.
"Wilhem, darling! What's wrong? Mummy's coming!" she shouted back. She placed Cirol down on the grass beside her and ran off towards the brook. When she arrived, she found Wilhem on his left side in the stream, the water soaking through half his clothes. His left leg was submerged under the water but as he writhed in pain it surfaced and she could see the large gash and blood spurting out.
"What happened?" she asked.
"I was just playing and hopping through the brook and my foot slipped. As I fell, I scraped my knee pretty bad on a rock."
"Are you ok?"
"It stings a bit, but I think I'll be fine. I think I can walk"
"Alright, well let's get you home and a bandage on it."
She helped pull him up and he stood, the water running off his side as he did so. Wilhem hobbled up the bank with her assistance, the left side of his outfit now several shades darker than the right. They crossed back across the clearing toward where they were having the picnic and he replaced his shoes on his feet when he came to them.
His mother continued ahead and spoke as she did, "Don't tell your father about this. We weren't supposed to be out here to begin with and the last thing I need is to let him know that you got hurt. If he finds out he's going to —"
She stopped.
"Where's Cirol?"
"I don't know," said Wilhem, "I was in the brook. I thought you had him."
"I did," his mother replied, "I just put him down here in the grass. I was only gone for a moment. Where could he have gone?"
She frantically looked around the area surrounding the basket. There was no sign of him. She tried to listen for a sound of his laughter, or worse - his scream, but there was nothing. Her heart pounding, she began to fear the worst. Sure enough, she saw it. A small footprint made in the soft ground at the entrance of the woods.
She grabbed Wilhem's hand. "We need to go."
----------
"What are you so afraid of?" the boy asked.
"You know."
'The Dragins?'
"The Dragins," Vanas said, confirming it with a head nod.
"What's so scary about them?" his son asked, "Have you ever seen one?"
"Not personally. But my great-great-great grandfather did. And he was killed by one. And every generation since we have been warning our children of their danger, as I have tried to do with you," Vanas answered.
"Well, I'm still not convinced. There hasn't been any sightings or disturbances with them in decades. How do we know they are even still there, or care about us at all?"
"We don't know. But there is only one way to find out. And no one wants to be the one to do so," Vanas said solemnly.
"How did he tell his story?" the boy asked.
"What?" asked Vanas.
"Your great-great-great-grandfather," the boy continued, "was killed by one, you said. Then how did he tell his story."
"It wasn't immediate. Members of his hunting party were able to find him writhing in pain in the woods. They were able to haul him back to town in an effort to save him, but it proved futile. The whole time he was raving on about the Dragins. 'Large hands, massive feet' he said 'Eyes as wide as the morning sun.' Hours later - the townspeople being unable to save him - he died. But they were able to record some of his story. Through the years, other members of the town in increasing numbers were able to corroborate with similar stories of their own. They lost several members of the town in that time, some of whom were innocent victims who stumbled upon an unfortunate situation and some of whom were idealistic daredevils who were seeking an adventure." He stopped and noticed his son's face had turned white. He continued, "The town then decided that though they couldn't stop anyone from venturing out there, they would remove themselves from any liability if someone did."
The boy swallowed, speechless.
Vanas continued, "Argan, my boy, we have every reason to believe it's true. We have to err on the side of caution. You don't want to be the one who finds out. Even if you did, it might be too late for you. And besides, if you did go out there, no one would go after you."
Just then, there was a commotion in the street. Ryga threw open the shades and looked out the window, Vanas and Argan coming up behind her.
"What's going on?" Vanas asked.
"I'm not sure," Ryga replied, "people just started flooding the streets."
Vanas ran out the front door and into the street. Through the commotion, he pushed his way to the front of the crowd.
"What is going on?" he asked.
"It's Zurna Dimas. She's heading into the woods. Beyond the Outskirts," someone replied.
"What? That can't be. Why?"
"She's going after her little boy!" someone else shouted.
Vanas stopped in his tracks. The rest of the crowd kept moving towards the Outskirts. Towards the woods. Towards the Dragins.
"She's crazy, she's going to get herself killed!" someone shouted.
"She might get us killed as well!" said someone else.
To his right he noticed a group of people making their way in the same direction. Leading the pack, with his bow over his shoulder and quiver on his back, was Fernal Dimas and his son, Wilhem. He ran to catch up with them.
"Fernal, what is going on?" he asked.
"My wife is going into the woods to look for Cirol." Fernal answered.
"Alone?" Vanas asked, "Is she insane?"
"Probably. But she's a mother. And it's our son. So, I can't let her go alone. That's why we're going after her."
"Well, at least let law enforcement do it!"
"She already reached out to the constable and he denied her."
"The town charter," Vanas said nodding his understanding, "No one's gone into those woods for generations. She could get killed or eaten!"
"Don't you think I know that?" Fernal shouted, "don't you think I tried to stop her? She's indomitable. And it's her baby boy. There's no way she will be stopped. She will pursue him to her death. A death which I fear may swiftly come."
Vanas thought for a moment. "No," he said, "not true. She will live, as will Cirol. We are going to get them and bring them back safely, come what may."
Fernal stopped and took his hand and shook it firmly. "Thank you," he said, "truly and deeply."
"Let me get my things," Vanas said as he ran off home.
----------
"Get back!" Bertrus shouted, "Everyone hide. Get back!"
"What is it?" called Danya.
"Someone has passed through the Edge. They are heading our way. Get back!"
Listening, Danya grabbed the child from the ground and ran. In her large hands, he seemed even smaller and delicate than he had been on the ground.
When they all cleared the area, Burtrus shouted "Close them!"
Two large, burly creatures yanked on the ropes and the barrier slowly slid closed. It shut with a loud bang that echoed for several seconds in the ensuing silence.
Bertrus clawed his way up to the sentry tower. He did his best to hide his brawny body behind the tops of the defense wall and still be able to see over it. His hot breath fogged in the cool evening air. He perked up his pointy ears, but could barely hear over his pounding heartbeat.
Countless seconds passed. Slowly, out of the gaps of the trees, something emerged. It's small hands were held above its head.
----------
After about an hour's walk, Zurna arrived at the edge of the town and where the plains began to slowly give way to the forest. The fence, dilapted by years of wear, marked the town boundary and the start of the technical no-man's-land until the border of Haggon, several miles to the south. This was colloquially known as "The Shift." The road curved slowly east as it winded its way towards Haggon. However, after about half a mile, there was a fork. Not a man-made fork, but after generations of erosion, the grass and trees surrounding the road had been torn away leaving a partial path. This trail only extend about 100 yards until it was overtaken by and disappeared into a covering of trees. Continuing down this way, tree cover become thicker and thicker until the stark entrance of the forest became clear. This area is what the locals had dubbed, "The Outskirts." No one dared venture beyond the line of trees into the woods due to the fear of Dragins.
She stopped at the edge of the trees and let out a deep breath. This is it. She stepped forward.
For what seemed like hours, Zurna continued through the woods. At this point, the trees began to change shape and the spaces between them grew slightly larger. Many were full of scratch and slash marks and several were blackened, no doubt from exposure to fire. She gulped. Taking a moment to gather herself, she remembered her mission, and continued.
Not long after, she saw a clearing in the distance. There was what seemed to be a structure, but she couldn't make out the specifics. As her foot came down, a branch snapped and she froze.
Ahead of her a bit, there was movement followed by commotion. She saw a figure scuttling between the trees and heard guttural sounds and squeals of fear. As she came nearer she noticed that there were more of them and they were gathering and vaulting themselves behind the structure. There was a loud bang and after what felt like minutes, she stepped forward. She could finally make it out. It was almost entirely made of wood. The tops of the logs sharpened to a point. Several holes pockmarked the wood, seeming to Zurna to insinuate heavy fighting had taken place here. In the center was what appeared to be a giant gate of sorts, but not as linear and symmetrical as something made by man, but rather thrown together like an animal burrow or beaver dam.
I've made it. This must be the lair of the Dragins, she thought to herself.
She raised her arms above her head and stepped slowly forward. She closed her eyes as she entered into the clearing expecting a burst of flame or some projectile to be thrown.
And there it was. A hiss and a thwack. She opened her eyes. And there, stuck in the outside of the wall, was an arrow - still vibrating. The shot had come from behind her. She turned and was greeted by a large crowd emerging from the woods. Bursting through the underbrush was her husband Fernal and son Wilhem, the former of which came running towards her.
"Zurna, my love," he said, "what were you thinking? You could have gotten yourself killed!"
"The most danger I have been in so far is from that arrow you just shot."
"It was a warning shot. It looks like we arrived just in time. This is the lair of the Dragins!" As Fernal said this, Zurna turned back towards the wall and began to see sets of large eyes peeking out over the structure. There was a loud rumbling and large licks of flame began to rise over the structure.
Fernal motioned for her to step behind him as he raised his bow again. The other men in the group, including Vanas, did the same.
"You fire on my signal," shouted Fernal, "not a moment before." He raised his bow and drew an arrow. A figure appeared on top of the structure. He zeroed in his vision. The figure was partially hidden by an appendage of the wall. The figure stepped forward. Fernal loosened his grip.
"Halt! Stand down!" he shouted to his ragtag army and lowered his bow. He squinted and put his hand to his eyes to block the glare of the large flame. He could now clearly make out the figure. It was immense with a wide head and large eyes. It stared back at him. He realized there was something strange about the gaze. Something familiar.
He slowly and cautiously stepped forward, placing his bow down on the ground and raising his hands above his head. "Oh, mighty Dragins. Fear not. We do not come to harm you. Our baby boy wandered into these woods and we wish only to have him returned to us." He laid down on the ground hands spread apart and the others followed his lead.
Several seconds of silence followed, then a loud creak as the gate slowly opened. From the shadow, another figure emerged. As it stepped into the sunlight, reflexive gasps came from the villagers. There in its grasp was Cirol, sleeping silently, blissfully unaware of the situation. But, that was not what caught their attention.
For the first time, they could see the figure clearly. Doubts and confusion flooded their minds. Hundreds of years of stories. Generations of legends and rumors. The tales they had been told - were untrue.
The figure held Cirol firmly to its breast. It's large eyes wide with fear. It's large feet moving forward slowly and cautiously. The figure placed the child down on the ground and backed away.
"Wait," said Zurna, "I don't understand."
The figure looked back and forth between, Zurna, Fernal and the rest of the group, it's eyes softening as if it were trying to understand.
It grumbled something inaudible. Fernal and Zurna exchanged glances, shrugged their shoulders, then returned their eyes to the figure.
It tried again. A low, grumbling sound, but this time Zurna swore she was able to make out a word. "Speak," it seemed to say.
"Speak?" she asked, "Yes, we speak. Can you?"
The creature nodded. "Yes, we speak."
Gasps and whispers were heard all around the clearing as generations of fear, ignorance, and prejudice began to shed itself off like last season's skin.
"I don't understand," said Zurna, "You're not - "
"And neither are you," cut in the creature.
Without speaking further, Zurna extended her flexed hand straight out. She walked slowly towards the figure and stopped arms-length away. After a few seconds, the figure raised its arm from beneath it's furry coat, extended it, and brought its hand out to meet Zurna's. She shuddered as the fleshy, almond colored hand made contact with hers, but then understanding quickly rushed into her mind.
These were not terrible monsters. In fact, they weren't monsters at all. They were human.
"My God!" gasped Fernal.
"It can't be," said Vanas.
Shuffling was heard behind the gate and a few seconds later a large crowd of people emerged, led by one slightly larger and hairier than the rest. He stopped a few feet behind the other figure, whose hand was still in Zurna's.
He spoke, "I am Burtrus. Lord of Dragins. This is my home. Your son wandered into our woods and by chance, Danya," he pointed to the figure holding hands with Zurna, "was able to find him. She took him here. He has been well cared for. We have no intention to keep him. He is yours." He indicated the the child with his hand.
Zurna pulled away from Danya and ran to the child crying, "My baby. Oh, my baby." She kissed his head and turned to Danya saying "This is my son, Cirol. Thank you for taking care of him."
Danya nodded.
Zurna made her way back to her husband and son, coddling Cirol as she did. Then, Fernal spoke, "I don't understand. For generations our people have been told stories of the fierce and deadly creatures of the forest, the Dragins. Are we to understand that these legends are not true?"
Burtrus replied, "We in turn have abhorred your kind for decades. Your ancestors beat and killed our forefathers and banished them into these woods. Our whole lives we have feared you."
"We have long taught our children to stay out of these woods and they in turn taught theirs. Never would we have thought of the Dragins being as human as ourselves," Fernal said, "How could it have come to this? Generations of hatred and ignorance. What could have caused this rift in our species?"
Burtrus explained, "Our ancestors were scorned by society for their looks. Their large feet, large eyes, and excessive hair. They were looked down upon, cast out. Forced to feed from the gutter. They were told they looked like an abomination, rubbish. Said they looked like something the cat dragged in..."
"Dragged in..." pondered Fernal.
"...Alas, we were scorned and banished from society. Forced to live in the woods. And the legend of the 'Dragged-Ins' was left to fester and become bastardized in our absence."
"My apologies for the sins of my fathers," said Fernal, bowing his head.
Waving him off, Burtrus replied, "No need. For we have many sins to atone as well. Take your child and go, and may from this point forth our two peoples live in peace."
Fernal and Zurna bowed and Danya and Burtrus bowed in response. The villagers turned and headed back, with Vanas bringing up the rear. He hesitated for a moment, soaking in one last gaze. Danya nodded to him and he nodded back and turned to join his party. "Well, I'll be damned," he said.
About the Creator
Andrew Gavin
Welcome to my mind! Enjoy your stay!
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