Oath & Curse

“There weren’t always dragons in the valley,” Lila said to her nephew as he etched Toby was here into the varnished table-leg with his penknife. A few men with swords on their belts were having a belching contest by the bar. Meanwhile, the barmaid was busy bussing the tables.

“There won’t be any for much longer either,” Toby said with an imitative burp.

“Pay attention,” Lila chided, wafting away the smell. “You want to know what happened to your parents, don’t you?”

Toby glared at his aunt from behind his half-eaten dragon fruit and flagon of ginger root tea. For years, he’d wondered where his parents had gone but she had kept it secret. He didn’t know if they’d grown sick, if they were lost, or if they’d abandoned him. Anytime he’d ask, Lila would say he was too young to know. She wouldn't even tell him their names. Over the years, the unanswered question grew within him as festering loneliness. Except for the last time, she’d said one word: dragons. No matter how desperately Toby pleaded, she refused to say more. He was certain she meant to tell him the dragons had killed his parents—but why had she changed her mind? Did she think he didn’t understand how the world was? And was she really going to tell him the truth now—in the privacy of a crowded tavern? Or was she distracting him from what he wanted to do: enlist with the cavalry.

“They sacrificed themselves for me,” he speculated. “To save me from the dragons.”

Toby was three years old the last time he’d seen his parents but he still dreamed of their faces. How his father’s soft expression contrasted with the heroic angles of his jaw. His mother’s intelligent eyes and laughing smile. They’d hover above him, kissing his forehead and telling him they loved him. The warm feeling of belonging would spread through him like sunshine and he’d know that everything would be okay. He would live in that moment forever if he could but the dream wouldn’t allow it. Their faces would tighten with pain as they shrank into the darkness, leaving him alone. Then, coldness would leech into his heart, freezing it solid as a candle plunged into an icy river. But ever since Lila had hinted at their fate, the dreams had changed. It wasn’t the darkness that took them now but fire. He’d watch their fear-stricken faces vanish into an unforgiving wall of flame. Then, he’d be running away as the dragons chased him, hissing and spitting jets of fire from their venomous maws.

“That’s why I have to slay the beasts,” he declared.

“Oh really?” Lila asked.

“Yeah, really,” Toby said as he finished his vandalism of the table leg, satisfied with the legibility of his mark. He felt that he was a man now at thirteen years old. In less than a year, he’d be old enough to become a knight’s squire.

“I’m not some useless child, okay?” He said.

“I’m not saying you are. I’m just saying to listen and then make up your mind.” Lila said. “If you knew the whole story—”

Terrible thunder erupted overhead, violently shaking the walls and ceiling, sending volleys of dust cascading over the suddenly quieted tavern, blanketing the tankards and drunkards in snowy motes of plaster. Toby felt a familiar sinking coldness in his stomach. Then, as the dragon’s roar faded and the copper pots stopped rattling, a middle-aged miller withdrew his head from the window, turned to the room, and announced:

“All clear!”

The momentary stillness broke into a circus of murmured conversations.

“No need to panic!” One of the soldiers at the bar said, piggy-backing on the miller’s words.

“Like I said” Lila continued, struggling to hide the bolt of fear that had etched itself across her face. “There weren’t always—“

“I don’t get why I can’t talk to them.” Toby interrupted, indicating the soldiers. The king’s cavalry. The Oath Killers.

“Because there is something you don’t understand yet” she explained, losing her patience by ounces and attempting to refill it with her drink. “But you will.”

“Lila, come on, I’m old enough.” Toby pleaded.

“Must you insist on using my first name?” Lila asked, beleaguered. Toby maintained an imploring expression, a thin mask for his own fear. His aunt took a reluctant breath and spoke. “I’ll make you a deal. If you hear me out, I will personally introduce you to the cavalry as the strongest boy in the village. But—“ she said before Toby could cut in, “you have to call me mom for the rest of the day.”

“What!” he rebelled. “Why do I have to call you that? I don’t want to. You can’t make me.”

“I’m the one who takes care of you,” Lila argued. “I feed you, clothe you, and teach you. I’m the reason there is a roof over your head. “Like it or not, that makes me your mom.”

Toby wanted to argue that the cooks fed him and that even though he was able to stay at the inn because she worked there he had chores and that was as good as paying rent. But he saw the familiar veneer of sternness in his aunt’s eyes and beneath it, an uncomfortable vulnerability. He looked away. It would be easier not to fight her on this.

“Fine…” He said and reluctantly added, “mom.”

Lila appraised him as if expecting to see something: a sign, an indication—but it wasn’t there.

“Okay. Before I begin, do you have enough to eat and drink?” Lila asked, finishing her ale and gesturing for another by raising her mug, pointing at it, and arching her eyebrows at the barmaid.

“I’m fine” complained Toby. “Just tell me the story!”

Lila brushed a brown lock of hair behind her ear as the barmaid hurried over to refill her drink. Toby practiced flipping his penknife and catching it by the blade. He’d been training with the knife since he found it discarded in the alley behind the inn three days ago. It wasn’t a sword but it was a start.

“It’s on the house tonight,” said the barmaid. “Since you’re picking up my shift tomorrow.” Then, she was off to tend to the other tables, leaving Lila to start her story.

“Even before there were dragons, the people were scared of the mountains because of the animals and evil spirits,” said Lila, wiggling her fingers like a witch. “Most people wouldn’t dare go farther than the foothills without guards. Only the bravest man in the village had the courage to venture out alone. Veros. He was betrothed to a woman but, never one to care about the opinions of others, he broke tradition and left her. She was... too afraid to leave her home. Eventually, Veros gave his heart to someone whose courage—and recklessness—rivaled his own. Kyliri. My younger sister. She was always brilliant, clever, and possessed of an insatiable curiosity. On top of that, she had a way of speaking that was—well, I hate to say it—delightful. Naturally, Veros was drawn to her like iron to a magnet.

“Together, they went on adventures throughout the lands, exploring the forests and underground ruins. While searching the old temple that’s built into the cliff-side, they found a statue of a great stone egg, held up by three iron legs. It was perfectly carved without a single defect save for the hairline crack along the top. I’m not sure how but when Kyliri touched it, the egg gave her a vision of her fate.”

“What did she see?” Toby asked. He couldn’t help but interrupt, having always been fascinated by stories of magic.

For an instant, Lila thought she saw a shift around Toby as if the change in his mood was visible in the air surrounding him. She glanced around the bar and saw the soldiers laughing with drinks in hand, the farmers betting their fields at the tables, and an old woman weaving on a small loom by the fire. Everything seemed normal. Lila looked back at Toby. He seemed normal, too. It must have been her eyes playing tricks on her again.

“In her vision,” Lila continued, “Kyliri was in a field during an eclipse, shaking with fever. She writhed in agony as smoke began swirling from her skin. Then, an explosion of pain gripped her as she burst into flame. Horrified, she awoke from the vision, screaming, and she knew she had been cursed. She could feel it crushing her soul as if her heart had been turned to stone. You’re probably too young to be aware of your soul but, believe me, you’d know if it were cursed. Anyway, she languished and mourned for weeks, sinking into her grief, unable to even find comfort in Veros’ arms for fear of spreading the curse.”

“Curses can be spread?” Toby asked.

“Yes, sometimes. For a curse on the soul—like Kyliri’s—it can spread when two souls touch.”

“How do souls touch?” Toby asked.

“How are babies made?“ Lila countered.

“What?! But—“ he started, but couldn’t find the words. His aunt raised her eyebrows and tilted her head forward as if to say it was obvious.

“We can discuss the finer points later,” she said, “when you’re feeling a little more mature.”

Toby stared at his feet.

“And you wonder why I haven’t told you this before,” Lila teased. “Where was I? Oh right. Kyliri didn’t want to spread the curse so she distanced herself from Veros. Most days, she'd walk through the fields alone, gathering roots, berries, and pine cones to bring back to Veros but she'd hardly speak to him. It must have broken his heart. That’s why, one day when she fled into the fields, he followed her:

““Kyliri, wait!” he called to her, “You don’t have to go through this alone! Just talk to me!” But the more Veros pushed, the further she fled until, fed up, she disappeared for several days. Worried, Veros searched the valley for her. When she seemed to be nowhere else, he went back to the temple, reasoning that if she wasn’t there, at least he might find a way to break the curse. Kyliri was furious with him when she found out.”

“That doesn’t make sense,” Toby criticized. “He was just trying to help her.”

“She didn’t want him to get hurt. You see, Kyliri changed when she was cursed. It was as if her spirit of life—her sense of adventure—wilted within her and she needed time to heal. So the next time Veros followed Kyliri into the fields, she ran until she reached the Cliffs of Novendelle—the ones that overlook the lake. When Veros caught up, she warned him to stay away. Veros was persistent but the more he tried to convince her to return, the closer she'd edge toward the ledge, swearing that she’d sooner jump than endanger him. At first, he swore he’d meet her at the bottom if she jumped. Then, as resignation settled on him, he vowed never to stop searching for a cure and walked away.”

“He left her there on the cliff?” Toby asked.

“He had no choice. Even someone as thick-headed as Veros could tell that she needed space.”

“So she didn’t jump?”

“No,” Lila answered. “But she thought about it for a long time. Eventually, she returned to Veros. Together, they went searching for answers in the one room of the temple they hadn’t dared explore before: the dragon’s mausoleum. There, Kyliri found the engravings: four iron plates depicting her fate. For Veros, it was half a wish come true. Kyliri would live but she was doomed. At the next eclipse, she’d be transformed by fire into a dragon.” Lila said, finishing her drink and setting the empty mug on the table.

“Woah. So one of the dragons used to be… your sister?” Toby breathed, wondering if he could believe such an outlandish claim. “But they kill people!”

“Maybe. They definitely eat sheep. It’s hard to know what they’ve done because people are so quick to blame the dragons for everything. Veros knew there would be rumors but he didn’t care. Unable to find a cure, he tried to convince Kyliri to share the curse with him. He described a beautiful future in which the two of them were dragons together. However, Kyliri feared she’d lose control of herself when she transformed. Nothing pained her more than the thought that she’d hurt someone she loved. To her, it was a fate worse than death. So she decided to leave the village.

“As the thin rays of dawn spilled across her room, she packed a bag in secret. It’d been months since she and Veros had shared a bed. Still, she took care not to wake him. As she was leaving, she saw him outside, already awake, surveying the valley.

““You think a dragon would be braver,” he teased without looking at her. When she didn’t answer he said, “I’ve been wrong to pressure you, Kyliri. Sharing the curse is your choice as much as it’s my choice to accept it. If I don’t respect your wishes now, then any life together—human or dragon—would be filled with bitterness. If you don’t want to share your curse, then so be it. Become a dragon on your own. I hope you fly freely and never feel hunger or loneliness.” Then, turning to meet her gaze, he said. “But know that I would become a dragon for you and I’d never regret it so long as you wanted me by your side.”

“Kyliri laid her bag by the door and sat beside Veros, placing her hand atop his.

““I don’t know if I’ll still be me when it happens,” she said.

““You will be,” he said—”

“Wait a second,” interrupted Toby. “How do you know they said all of this?”

“Just listen,” Lila said and took a sip from her mug then, remembering it was empty, she set it back down. “After that, they started sleeping in the same bed. One autumn night, they got to talking about their futures, going back and forth for a while, engrossed in their discussion, and then it happened. Under the warm breeze—“

“Okay, I get it,” Toby said, disgusted.

“That night, my sister shared her curse with Veros and so he was doomed to become a dragon just like her,” Lila said, vacantly staring into her empty mug. “They knew at once, of course. The curse has a sort of sign, a glamour that surrounds the cursed person at certain times.”

“What did it look like?” Toby asked.

“Just a sort of shimmer. Like dust on a mirror but beautiful.” Lila said. “So they waited for the eclipse, not knowing when it would come. After a few years went by, it seemed the eclipse would never come but still, they made their preparations. They knew better than to tell the townspeople. They would've been ostracized at best and exiled at worst. They only told one person. Me.” Lila said and, suddenly aware of her wistful expression, forced a half-smile. “In exchange, they asked for a favor—but we’ll get to that later. As they had no way of predicting when the eclipse would occur, they did what all young lovers do: they enjoyed each other’s company.

“The way they looked at each other then—knowing that their bodies would be irreparably changed—it was as if they were determined to memorize every detail of each other’s faces. If you’ve ever seen the way young lovers gaze upon each other in the midst of summer, believe me, it is nothing when compared to the intensity with which Veros and Kyliri gazed upon each other.”

“Enough of the gooey romantic stuff!" Toby said. "I want to hear about the dragons!”

“Well, okay," Lila complied. "But the gooey parts are important because they led to… well, never mind. I’ll tell you later.”

Toby crossed his arms but said nothing.

“They knew at once when the eclipse began. They could feel it in their skin before they saw it in the sky. They sat where they were, facing each other, knowing they’d never see each other in human form again. They didn’t break eye contact even as the fever set in and their skin ignited, filling the air with the stench of burnt bread. Just as they leaned in for a final kiss, the pain overtook them, forcing them to curl inward as their flesh burned away and they burst into flames, all the while determined to not look away. I think it was the sight of each other in such anguish that drove them mad when they transformed. It was… a terrible sight. My sister…”

“You were there?” Toby asked, his heart heavy as a stone. Something about the description of the two lovers catching fire reminded him of his own parent’s fate. He felt his face and neck grow hot.

“What makes you ask that?” Lila deflected.

“You’re describing it like you were there.”

“It’s not important," dismissed Lila. "You wanted to know where the dragons came from and there it is.”

“And my parents?” Toby asked, afraid to voice the question that was really in his heart.

“I’m sorry. I can’t." Lila started. "Don’t make me—"

“It’s not about you!” Toby cut her off, standing and raising his voice, enraged that she was going to deny him the truth again. “We had a deal! Don’t you care about anyone but yourself?”

“Toby, please.”

“No!” He shouted, ignoring the tears that were blossoming in Lila’s eyes.

A cheer erupted from the bar. A chorus of “Slay the dragons! Slay the dragons!” sounded as the soldiers forced ale into their bellies. Toby felt a familiar sinking feeling. Had Lila been telling the truth at all? Had her sister and her husband really been transformed into dragons? Could they remember her or anything from their lives as humans? No. It didn’t matter, thought Toby. They’d gone insane as she said and they’d killed his parents.

“I’m going to talk to the soldiers,” Toby said, making up his mind on the spot. “Will you introduce me?”

“Toby, please, just wait.” His aunt replied.

Ignoring her, Toby stood from his chair and walked to the bar. He was so unimposing that the soldiers didn’t even notice him approaching. He marched right up to the captain with his penknife tucked in his sleeve and proclaimed:

“My name is Toby. Please, take me on as your squire.”

The man turned to face Toby. Then, wiping the beer froth off his mustache, he growled, “That’s very admirable of you, boy, but no. You would be nothing but a burden.”

“Give me a chance and I will prove myself to you," Toby demanded. "I’m not afraid.”

After a speculative moment, the knight said, “you don’t have the stones to face a dragon, son.”

His casual use of the word ‘son’ stoked the anger in Toby’s heart. “I’m brave enough,” Toby declared. Then, ignoring his better judgment, he added “Are you?”

“How dare you question me?” spat the man, puffing out his chest and cracking his knuckles. “You better take it back or I’ll give you a nasty bruise.”

“I’m not scared of you.” Toby rebuked, dropping his penknife from his sleeve, catching it as he’d practiced, and pointing it at the man’s throat.

A gasp fluttered through the tavern.

“Toby, no!” Lila hissed, moving to get out of her seat. Then, hesitating, she addressed the soldier. “Sir, please! He means well. He just doesn’t know when to shut up.” She directed the last two words at Toby.

Ignoring Lila, the soldier said, “Listen, boy. If you don’t put that thing away, I’m gonna have to put you in stitches. This is your last warning.”

“Take me on as your squire!” Toby repeated. “Unless you’re a coward!”

Resignation fell across the man's face. Heedless of the penknife pointed at his throat, he battered Toby to the ground with one burly arm. Before Toby could move, the man stepped on his wrist and twisted his boot. A squeal of pain rent the silence, followed by the clatter of the penknife on the floor.

“You insolent little brat,” spat the soldier, whose odor Toby thought smelled like distilled sweat that’d been spilled on horseshit and left out in the rain. “What makes you think you can—“

“You’ll never kill the dragons!” Toby yelled in defiance. “They’ll eat you alive!”

“You need a lesson.” The soldier barked and drew a knife from his belt. “You’ll have a scar for this. To remind you to mind your betters.”

There was the sound of a chair cracking against the floor as a figure swooped in between Toby and his assailant, shielding Toby’s face with a curtain of brown hair.

“Please,” said Lila, covering Toby’s mouth with her hand. “It’s my fault. I should’ve been watching him better. Punish me but spare the boy.”

“You must be his mommy.” The soldier growled.

Toby tried to say something but his words were muffled by Lila’s hand so he bit her, forcing her to let him go, and shouted, “She’s not my mom! She’ll never be my mom!”

Lila turned to face Toby, the mask of charm and guile stripped from her face, leaving only a wounded expression.

“I’m—his aunt” she conceded. “But I’m in charge of him.”

“His aunt?” the man said with wicked realization. “Where are his parents?”

“Dragons,” Lila said.

“Get off me!” Toby yelled.

The soldier snorted. “So he’s afraid of the big nasty dragons after all! And he thinks we should be, too. Is that right? Ha! You wait and see. By this time next week, the skies will be clear and we’ll be back here drinking firewater from the dragon’s horns!” The man finished his drink in one gulp and let out a barking laugh. The cavalry cheered. Finally, the soldier stepped off Toby’s wrist and rejoined the bar.

Slowly, the tension bled from the room.

“Are you okay?” Lila asked Toby, frantically scanning his face and his arm for signs of injury.

“I’m fine,” Toby rebuked, wiping tears from his eyes. “Just leave me alone.” Overwhelmed by Lila’s story and the throbbing pain in his arm, Toby pushed his aunt away. He had an idea of what she meant to tell him but it wasn’t what he’d expected. His ignorance was a blindness that prevented him from understanding his past. On what path did that leave him? Was he to be dragon slayer or… Could Veros and Kyliri be… He shuddered at the thought.

The next moment, he was distracted as the barmaid laid a warm towel on his arm. “That looked like it hurt,” she crooned as she cleaned the scrapes and wrapped his arm in dry bandages. “There. You’re all better.” She said. “But if you pull another knife in here, you’ll be sleeping in the rain.”

“Come on. Get up,” Lila said.

Without acknowledging her, Toby grabbed his penknife and stood up. Then, he walked back to the table, stabbed the knife through his uneaten half of dragon fruit, and took it with him upstairs to his small room. His face was flush with anger and embarrassment. How could he have been so foolish? To believe that he could defeat the dragons when he couldn’t even stand his ground against a man. On top of that, he ruined his one chance to train under a real knight. How would he ever become strong enough now? How would he ever prove himself worthy to the people of the village? And what would his parents think of him?

Toby lay in bed but couldn’t rest. It was as if he’d been holding in a scream for years, unable to let it out. He closed his eyes, trying to summon his parents’ faces in his mind but all he could think about were Veros and Kyliri.

There was a soft knock at the door.

“Toby?” he heard Lila’s voice call through the oaken timbers. When he didn't respond, the knob jostled but it was locked. After a few moments, he heard her footsteps disappear down the hall. A knot began forming in his throat. He ignored it.

And Lila, Toby thought bitterly. She pretends to be a mom but she doesn’t understand. She acts as if she knows what's best but she doesn’t. She’ll never understand what it felt like for him to lose his parents, even if she did lose a sister. Then, the dreaded thought resurfaced in his mind. Kyliri had been Lila’s sister. Lila, his aunt. That meant—No. He wouldn’t believe it. It couldn’t be true. She was lying. She must have had another sister. Or Lila was his father’s sister. Yes, that must be it. My father’s sister. She was my father’s sister. He repeated the words in the dark as if convincing himself, desperately clinging to the lie until something snapped within him and he began to cry.

Somewhere in the distance, a dragon roared.