Like the Seasons

There weren’t always dragons in the Valley. In fact, there weren’t any until the Lacrimae War—but, there she was, curled up gracefully with her tail under her talons. Her scales were the color of a midnight sky and under the glare of the beaming golden sun, they shone like constellations. She was breath-taking, and not in the way where she would become a muse for her kind, but in the way your body froze and your stare lingered. If she didn’t look as regal as she did, I would demand an instant re-gardening of the flower beds she so neatly laid upon.

I inched closer and closer. hoping not to startle her and risk a leg of mine. Her breathing was as strong as a leaf blower and with each intake of air, you found yourself stumbling an inch back. I grabbed onto trees and the bench arms as my feet continued forward.

We don’t know how to deal with dragons. It’s been such a short while since the war, that none of us have really gotten the hang of dragon-care. Even more so, the only times I see them is when they soar over the treetops of the Valley. I never expected them to come within twenty feet of my front door-step.

“We have to tell someone.” My aunt, Penelope, startled me as she walked up from behind.

“No we don’t.” I assured her.

“It could be dangerous. We can’t just foster dragons in our free time.” She hisses. She rambled on about the inexperience that looms over us, but I tune her out as I continue to be overtaken but it’s beauty.

She’s different, I thought. She didn’t just land her on her own volition and she had this aura to her– almost godly.

I couldn’t quite put my finger on it but I knew I had to get her out of here before anyone saw.

I took a deep breath and took one step even closer as I reached out my hand. Finally, I was able to touch the scales on her side, running my fingertips gently under the razor sharp tips. Within a moment’s notice, she opened her eyes drowsily– fist she opened the outer lids, then the inner ones. Before I knew it, I was standing face to face with a shimmering all black eyeball the size of my lower half. My reflection was trapped in and it showed the overwhelming bird’s nest that my hair formed. I quickly ran my hands through my scalp and once again, I moved forward.

She lifted her head one foot off the ground.

I froze. My palms suddenly sweaty.

She lifted her mouth and just when I thought she was preparing to bite, she let out a small whimper.

She’s hurt.

“What was that?” Pen asked.

“A cry.” I looked at her worried, “I think she’s in pain.”

“How? She looks fine to me.”

And that’s when I saw it. She lifted her side enough to showcase the bright pink and red wound slit on her.

“Can I see?” I asked the dragon. Quickly (as if she understood me), she lifted herself up from her legs. It was a foot long cut in the right top corner, where one of her hearts was. I refused to touch it in case it hurt her.

Then, it did the weirdest thing. It glowed.

I took a step back in surprise.

I had never seen this before. The glow became even brighter and more blinding. I couldn’t quite make out what was happening behind the shine.

My eyes started to focus.

Then I almost fainted, because I saw something I couldn’t quite believe.

A hand just like mine, tearing from inside her.