Tales of Flame and Brine

"There weren't always dragons in the Valley." The somber tone was ruined by the naturally breathy voice coming out of a shiny pink mouth, slick with glitter lip gloss.

"Do we have to listen to this story again?"

"Shh!" The rebuke came fast before softening into a coo. "It's his favorite story-"

"Bee."

"Carrie." Bee glared at her pointedly, lime green nails tapping along the lavish cover of her grad history book. Two pairs of brown eyes met head to head in a staring match, unwilling to waver and concede. It wasn't until a grunting, warbling mid-size sack of fire and scales started waving his spiked tail in front of their faces that they broke into giggles. Bee looked down and smoothed her hands along the plump sides of a little burgundy and byzantium colored dragon, about the size of a pony. "Laufin is a socially conscious, progressive young dragon who wants to always stay connected to his history, and his legends. He's got big dreams, doesn't he?" her manicured nails scratch gently, lightly along the bones of his wings, careful not to nick the membranes. "He's got powerful ancestors yeah?"

It was very clear to Carrie that Bee wasn't even addressing her, instead cooing at the dragon who lapped up the attention and affection like bone marrow. Despite having heard this same history lesson hundreds of times over the course of her life, she would have to endure it once more, because Bee had a point- Laufin just ate up this story all the time. His nostrils would quiver, his luminous thistle eyes would glow with the heat of his magic, and his tail would thump pleasantly slowly along the thigh of Bee as she spun the tail.

Once Bee was certain Carrie wouldn't offer any protest, she turned to Laufin once more and stroked along his whiskers as she began again.

"Some 365 years ago, they would say the Earth had no dragons. Which isn't strictly true, right, the dragons didn't just pop out of thin air. Dragons existed for thousands of years before humans ever did! It's just that as the human population grew, so too did their hubris . . . and the dragons decided the best tactic for survival was to go underground. So, they built systems of caves deep underground- so deep that man could scarcely fathom the darkness within- gathered all the other magical species they could find to help preserve some of the old ways, and they waited. And waited.

"And, around 2023, they were sorely disappointed. With a shortage of food, a new world war ravaging the earth, and a desperate need for energy sources, humans dug a little too far down. They were looking for diesel and instead they got dragons. The greed of humanity had finally doomed them, it seemed, because the wrath of these ancient beasts were unlike anything they had ever seen before.

"The dragons had hoped that upon their return to the world above, it wouldn't be too dissimilar to the world they had left. Lush landscapes, fertile soil, clean air . . . so imagine their surprise when they were not only rudely awoken by relentless oil drills breaking into their dens, but then the humans that once had only spears and catapults were coming at them with heavy artillery! But what the humans had in the way of advanced technology, dragons met at every turn with the magic inherent to their species. It was a bitter battle that saw losses on every side- but it was undeniable that humans were getting hit the hardest of them all. Fifteen years into the war and the human population had been decimated to just a fourth of its size. Humanity prayed for a miracle, a savior to turn the tide and save them all from extinction.

"What they got instead was . . . Brutes. I know . . . so scary." Bee exaggerated a shiver that rolled through her body, giggling when Laufin blew a puff of warm air onto her cheeks. A cheeky expression painted her face as she glanced mischievously at Carrie, who only flapped her hands at the young woman to continue her story.

"Yeah, kind of a simplistic name for a creature that resembles the unwanted love child between a Kraken and a shoebill, but its name sort of resembles one of the sounds it makes upon arrival to the shore. No one knows where they came from, but suddenly there was a third party to this war, and they weren't looking to help anyone. According to old testimonies, the first ever of these monsters were discovered coming from the ocean, so scientists and historians surmised that they might have been creatures that previously lived in the deepest, darkest depths of whatever nightmare fuel trench could hold such monstrosities in the ocean. And, with all the fuss in the world above, not to mention fallout from some atomic bombs having nearly killed the ocean, maybe they suddenly got a few surprise level-ups that allowed them to ascend from the deep into our world.

"This third side was like a parasite, just there to eat whatever it could in as big a quantity as was available. Dragon was a rare yet delicious delicacy the Brutes could gobble up; tactically speaking the dragons could run, or fly, circles around them but the Brutes had one advantage in that they were gigantic fucking things. The smallest dragon could be about twice the size of a horse, but the smallest Brute could be about the size of a house. Their largest ranked somewhere around mountains, and there were only four dragons who could match that sort of bulk. I can only recall reading that a handful of dragons were eaten by these Brutes, so rather than expend all that energy to catch a dragon, they were very much content to snack on the easier to obtain humans.

"I'm not much of a science person so, theories aside, it was quite clear to human beings that the Brutes would be the final nail in the coffin of man's journey in the universe.

"Until . . . . Hana and Laeten.

"The first dragon and human pair. Thanks to the dragons early decision to wreck communication lines early in the war, news from the other side of the world was near impossible to get. So most folks assumed that everybody was fighting the dragons. Not true as it turned out, in certain areas of the world there were some folks who sought peace with their new draconian neighbors instead of their erasure from the earth. And in one particular area of the earth (historians argue over whether it was India, Pakistan, or New Zealand), they had made some significant headway in engaging the dragons in harrowing, yet respectful discussions. And so, seven years after the start of the war between humans and everything else, Hana and her partner, the dragon Laeten, rode into battle against a Brute in the Baltic Sea.

"As the burning, mutilated form of the Brute sunk beneath the waves, Hana and Laeten looking down from their bloody, dazzling glory, the tides of the war were irrevocably changed. So too was the fate of humanity, as a new era was ushered in . . . an era of cooperation and comradery between dragons and humans. Hana and Laeten, and their entire village, shared their reports and methods for communicating and living with dragons. With this life changing news, the few governments still able to mobilize did so quickly, scouring their populations for any who were deemed possible candidates for a new army. Thousands were sent to secret locations to train, but only a few dozen were actually chosen to participate in the new "academy" Hana and Laeten had created. An academy to train Drakonic Knights, Drakes for short- a very pretty term for basically dragon riders, but, nobody wanted to cheapen the operation with nods to any Dreamworks properties.

"See, it takes a very particular, maybe even peculiar, kind of person to match with a very particular dragon. Very few were able to match up in a Path, the mental and spiritual level upon which dragon and human achieved symbiosis. The 36 humans who could do so were trained as quickly as they could manage, and then sent out to defend our world from the Brutes. It took thirty long, painful years for the Drakes to subdue the scourge of Brutes. Of the 36 knights they lost 30- their names forever remembered and honored on every corner of the earth. The knights were never able to eradicate these creatures completely, but within thirty years they killed such a large portion of their numbers that the Brutes seemingly gave up trying to take over and descended back into the depths of the water. But that still left the uncertainty of a return . . . and one they would need an elite group of capable individuals to handle.

"So, when the world started to rebuild, dragons were the foundation, the cornerstone, and at the forefront of every decision. And what was best for dragons, was what was best for all the magical creatures they had saved centuries ago. A lot of animal species had been lost during the attack of the Brutes, but the return of magical creatures such as the unicorn, griffin, Roc, faeries, and so many more were a part of the land, which meant- a completely green overhaul! If it wasn't sustainable it wasn't in the best interests of everyone. Eco-centric architecture, sprawling and protected lands, carefully watched biomes, and a cleaner (and more heavily monitored) ocean. Energy systems, transportation, agriculture . . . all of these things were overhauled and scoured over by mages and scientists in some of the greatest collaborations of science and magic that have ever been seen." Bee traced the illustration ending the chapter in her book and grinned brightly, closing the textbook and giving over to her near constant urge to praise Laufin.

"And now we've got all these dragons, from big to small, bring cute and making every day a better and brighter day . . . yes . . . just brightening up Oakley Valley . . ." Bee murmured and cooed sweet little affirmations to Laufin who nearly rolled off the bed trying to get Bee to scratch her long nails along the stretch of scales in the meeting point between his throat and his chest.

"You spoil him and then he's always looking at me like, 'you should be more like her, you should be praising the ground I walk on!' and I tell you what? I'm not doing it." Carrie piped up, eyes never straying from the sowing machine as she finishes up an order.

"That's on you." Bee snarked back, gently pressing her hands to Laufin's sides and humming in delight at the heat there. Laufin- like many other dragons- ran hot like a well tended hearth, and on early spring days when the ice still smothers flowers, it's all Carrie can do to keep her best friend from moving in and using her other best friend like a heating pad.

Carrie sucked her teeth at Bree, snickering at the affronted huff the other woman gives her, before her a flash of colors on her TV gets all their attention. The volume was down too low for them to hear, but the captions on the TV alerted them to a breaking news segment about an accident involving a large sinkhole that destroyed 25% of a coastal town. Some Drakon Knights were on the scene to assess the damages and try and help any survivors they could find. Carrie made a noise of mixed sympathy and unease, looking to Bee who had stopped petting Laufin.

"Seems like there's been a lot of incidents along the coast lately." Bee said, turning to Carrie and raising one hand up to count off the incidents. "The boat that capsized last week, the chewed up whale carcasses a month ago, and let's not forget the Knight initiate and their partner that disappeared over four months ago."

"I can't believe they still haven't found them." Carrie shook her head as she pushed her chair back from her work desk, leaning back as far as she could to stretch her spine. "Dragons don't just disappear. Even if something happened to the human, the dragons know to call for assistance for their partners."

Laufin warbled deep in his throat, the vibrations running through his body and to the bed causing Bee to shake a little from close proximity. "If you ever disappeared this whole block would unleash havoc for you. I'd make them." Bee assured Laufin, giving him gentle, quick scratches underneath his chin.

"If you ever disappeared we'd know Disney finally gave you the deal of a century." Carrie chirped, cackling when Laufin's head jerked around to stare at her incredulously. A wave of reproach and irritation filled Carrie as Laufin projected his displeasure over the joke, and Carrie made the appropriate gestures of shame. "Okay, I'm sorry Fin, I'm sorry . . . you love me?"

Laufin sniffed and dropped his head down onto Bee's lap, the woman snorting at Cee's dropped jaw and furrowed brow.

"Whatever then, let Bee feed you for the rest of the week then." Carrie pouted, turning away just as she noticed Laufin shift, avoiding his panicked stare at the thought of Bee trying to cook again. With a flourish, she pulled away the frilled skirt she'd just completed and shook it out, letting Bee and Laufin peruse the finished product. "What do you think? Magical Girl? Or is it too Disney princess?"

"No it's definitely giving witch vibes, I'm in love." Bee assured her. "This is a commission for . . . what was it again?"

"A cosplay." Carrie reminded her. "Somebody wanted to do a Drake version of Sleeping Beauty, and they are paying well for it."

"Girl I wish I could sew as well as you do," Bee muttered. "At this point I don't think I'm even going to make it to vet school."

"Don't say that, you're great at this," Carrie chided. Laufin hummed a high note, sparkling eyes locked onto Carrie as he gently bumped Bee in the knees with his snout. "Laufin definitely agrees."

Bee bit her lip to stifle the silly, wide grin that usually takes over her face whenever Laufin is concerned, unwilling to let their soothing fully assuage her school anxieties. Instead, she tossed her head over to the pile of cosplay items Carrie had already finished and asked, "So did the other clients tell you what they want with these?"

"Lemme tell you something Bee. These? Are all the same client." Carrie chuckled, laughing louder at Bee's squawk of disbelief. From then on until early evening the two talked for hours about Carrie's small costuming business and Bee's struggles with her school and crush on her tutor. It had been weeks since they had gotten the opportunity to catch up, and even with all this time felt like they had only scraped the surface of all that had passed since their last shared day. They gossiped in between bites of dragon fruit and grapes, muttered about their families back home after sips of lemon water. All the while Laufin kept looking at the TV set to the 24 hour news channel, and occasionally bothered them for pieces of honey slathered toast.

When the solar street lamps clicked on, Bee knew it was time to go back to her dorm. With a groan and a luxurious stretch of her arms up to the ceiling, Bee told Carrie, "Alright. I've got to head back now, I nearly forgot there's a lab in the morning."

Carrie nodded, glancing at the cherry-shaped clock on her wall. "Yeah, the cable car down the street will be here in another five minutes. I'll walk you down there?"

"Sure!" Bee gathered up her embroidered bag and slung it over her left shoulder, letting Laufin stick his snout into the jacket pocket on her right hip, much to her amusement. All three left Carrie's little house, walking down the neighborhood block and taking a right to the cable car stop that ran from the residential sector to the town center. They had barely stopped for longer than three minutes before the brassy bell of the car alerted them to its arrival. Bee hugged Carrie tightly and gave Laufin one last cuddle and a kiss just underneath the first spike atop his skull before hopping onto the car. Carrie and Laufin stayed there, watching the car carry the waving Bee away until it turned a corner, and then they walked back home.

It was late, but Carrie still felt peckish even after snacking on the board of breads and fruits with Bee all day. She looked at Laufin from the corner of her eye and poked his cheek. "If I heat up those leftovers, you going to eat them with me?"

Laufin rumbled happily, a wave of eagerness and expectation swelling within Carrie before blinking out quickly, like the quick visit of a hummingbird upon a bloom, and Carrie snickered. So she removed the leftover curry chicken from her fridge and heated it upon the stove in a skillet, Laufin hovering just behind her and being a nuisance as he bumped into her every so often. She split the food and ate it there with Laufin, resting on the floor, her back rising and falling against the dragon's flanks.

"Do you think it's strange too, Laufin? All these incidents?" Carrie murmurs to her best friend. Laufin's head swung around to peer at Carrie with his large eyes, glanced quickly at the TV, before turning back to Carrie. A gentle huff and a timid push of his magic against her skin was the only answer, but Carrie knew exactly what it all meant.

"Yeah," she sighed, low and tired. "Yeah it all seems strange. I hope . . ." but here she faltered, unwilling to say anything out loud. "Well, sad as it all is, my bills aren't going to take a break so tomorrow I'm thinking about tackling another commission after we take you to the Menagerie for some new scale cleaner . . ." and she prattled on, fork waving occasionally to emphasize some point as the day's toil weighed on her. Soon, she would get up and clean the kitchen quickly before taking a cool shower and heading to bed, and as usual she would watch in exasperation as Laufin encroached upon her space and took up damn near three-quarters of the bed as he had done since he grew to the size he was now. But for now, she kept her eyes to her food and spoke aloud her to-do list for the next three days.

And she didn't see Laufin's eyes darken from the light, hazy thistle they usually were, into the rich and bold shade of an African violet.