The Dragon Thief



There weren't always dragons in the valley.

At least, that was the rumour. Old yarns spun by the eldest in the village as they sucked on their pipes. Some called them lucky. But more still were bitter. Complaining, as folk of their vintage were wont to do.

Before the dragons, our fields were flush with sheep, they said. The mountains were free for us to roam. Now we cower.

Pests, they called the winged creatures on the hill. Useless. Irritating.

Unwanted.

If only someone would get rid of them.

Until, one day, I did.

"Go on then, Pike." A hard shove sent me stumbling on the uneven ground. "Show us what a big man you are!"

"Leave off," I snapped, smacking those rough hands away. "I'm going!"

With a scowl, I turned to stare at the cave mouth up ahead, yawning open like a toothless maw. This high up the mountain, the wind was bitingly cold. It wound its way under my clothes and made me shiver.

"It's not even that scary anymore though, is it?" said a voice from behind me. "I mean, Leah made it back with a scale."

Another voice agreed. "Bono brought back a tooth, and he's an idiot. It's not really a dare if everyone's done it."

"Are you taking it back then?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

A snort. "Hell no. You're not getting out of it that easy. All new members have to steal a dragon treasure, or you're out. Proves you're not a coward."

I didn't see how scales and dung could be considered treasures. But it had become a rite of passage amongst the village youth. Climb the mountain, they decreed. Climb the mountain…and face the terrors within.

Their voices fell quiet behind me as I scratched and clawed my way up the incline. As much as they boasted about bravery, none of them followed any further. From this point forward, I was on my own.

I gritted my teeth and climbed. The wind was unforgiving. The shifting stone even less so, often threatening to send me tumbling back down the steep drop. With raw palms and chattering teeth, I finally pulled myself up onto level ground.

Darkness beckoned me.

I took a moment, hands on my knees to catch my breath. The air twisted strangely where the wind was forced to bend around curved stone. It made my ears hum with the pressure. Every shift of my feet echoed into the emptiness. Down below, the small crowd of watchers were little more than a grey blur against the rocks.

I took a deep breath.

Each step sent more of a chill up my spine. As I inched inwards, slow and steady, the light behind me grew fainter. Like the sun going down on the horizon, leaving me stranded, alone, in the dark. I stepped over scattered scales. Picked my way through fallen teeth.

My lip curled at the sight. Was this the mark of bravery from those before me? Tip toeing around only half in the cavern? Snatching up cast off scales and scurrying away like a mouse?

I knew that I could do better.

I crept on, into the depths. Into the dark. Into the well of shadows carving deep into the mountain's heart.

And there, I found a real treasure.

What a miracle. What a prize.

What a fool.

The village was in flames.

Someone was screaming, while others ran to try and douse the fire before it could spread even further. My heart pounded in my ears as I ran through the wreckage, weighed down by soot and dread. I spun in place. In the sky, dark clouds churned as wings cut through them like blades. Metallic scales caught the firelight where the remaining dragons swooped low, their roars even louder than that of the blazing fire.

Then, with a beat of wings and a streak of colour, the last of them turned and disappeared into the building storm. They were gone. Not to their mountain, which nearly glowed with firelight, but to the eastern horizon.

They left nothing behind but ruins.

An iron grip closed around my arm. I sucked in a breath as I was hauled around to face my father.

"Pike!" He was pale and grim. His jaw was clenched. "Come with me. We've been summoned."

He dragged me towards the village centre. I stumbled for a moment before falling into step beside him. A quick glance up showed that his eyes were darting. People ran past us in a panic. It was becoming hard to breathe.

"Father, what's happening?"

He didn't answer. Just picked up the pace.

The clouds rumbled ominously. They cracked open just as we reached the steps of the church, unleashing rain so suddenly it shocked me. Before we could be drenched, my father opened the door and ushered me inside.

My heart stopped. Before me sat all three of the village elders. They wore matching dire expressions. Lady Myer was weeping silent, bitter tears while her lips twisted. Lord Asher had his head in his hands.

My father stepped up beside me. I felt frozen, staring at the empty space between myself and the circle of chairs.

"What is so urgent that you needed to see us now?" my father demanded, putting his hand on my shoulder. "We should be out there helping."

High Lord Merle met his eye without flinching. His voice was frighteningly calm, all the more unsettling for the screams from outside overlaying it.

"The rain will put out the fires soon enough," he said blankly. "And it is best we got this over with."

"What?" my father snapped.

Lord Merle nodded. Lady Myer took a breath, then rustled around in her cloak. Her hand withdrew holding a torn strip of cloth. The edge was singed, but the insignia on it was still clear.

My stomach swooped. A strange numbness stole over me. I'd removed my coat, thank the gods, but if anyone searched our house, they would find it- torn from my climb up the mountain.

This can't be happening, I thought.

"Is this not your family's crest, Oberon?"

"It is," replied my father, as impatient as he was confused.

"We sent a runner up to the caves when the commotion started. She found this."

I felt more than saw my father's head turn towards me. I stayed frozen. His hand tightened on my shoulder.

"I see," he said, voice suddenly flat.

"I don't care what you did to drive them out of their caves," said the Lord. "What matters now is your punishment. The toll on our village, current and future, is on your head."

"I understand."

"What?" I finally found my voice, and it cracked as I watched my father step forward under their gaze. His chin was up, and to my horror, he said nothing against their accusations.

"I accept my fate," he said to them, not sparing me even a glance.

"No!" I stepped forward, only to find an arm holding me back. Quite silently, two guards had approached from the shadows of the room. One held me in place. The other, expression blank, moved to stand beside my father. His hands tightened around the hilt of a spear.

My father did not fight as his hands were bound behind his back. A swift kick knocked him to his knees, and I lunged forward again, only to be hauled back against the first guard's leather armour.

"Wait!" I pleaded. "He didn't do anything!"

"Quiet, Pike," my father said.

A laugh drew all eyes to Lord Asher. He finally lifted his head from his hands. His eyes were bright.

"Didn't do anything?" he echoed, tone verging on hysterical. "He's doomed us all."

"Lord Asher, compose yourself," said Merle, but was spoken over.

"You idiot. Do you even know what you have done?"

"They're just dragons." I could hear the desperation in my voice, but seeing my father on his knees was incomprehensible. "What does it matter?"

It was the High Lord who answered.

"Not many remember," he began, "but it was our people long ago who asked the dragons to come here. We made a sacred bargain. They would protect us. And we would offer them our mountains, where they could nest undisturbed."

I faltered. "What?"

"This rain is just the beginning, boy. Our valley will flood, as it did a century ago. Our enemies beyond the mountain range will turn their eyes towards us. Those dragons were there for a reason!"

This last was directed at my father, the words biting. He met their scathing looks with a blank face.

"And what is my punishment?"

"For a crime so dire," said the Lord, "there is only one punishment."

"No! He didn't do it!" I tried to say, but I was dragged backwards. "Father, please tell them!"

"You've been a pillar of our community for many years, Oberon," said Lord Merle. "What a shame it should come to this."

"They'll come back!" I cried.

The room fell still. Only the rain outside broke the silence, the screams having finally grown quiet. For the first time since we'd entered, all eyes were on me.

The High Lord leaned forward.

"What did you say?"

Heart beating wildly, I wet my lips.

"I'll bring the dragons back," I said quickly.

Lady Myer scoffed. "Impossible."

Merle raised a hand, silencing her.

"And how would you go about this?"

I swallowed. "I'll find them. Make a new bargain. But only if you promise to let my father go."

"You can't be seriously entertaining this," Lord Asher complained.

"Pike," said my father. "Go home."

"No." I wriggled free of the guard's grip and stepped forward, fighting to hide the trembling of my hands. "If I can do this, will you set him free?"

Lord Merle stroked his beard.

"Your offer is as noble as it is foolish. But given the circumstances, I'm inclined to allow it."

The others began to protest. He waved them off and leaned forward.

"But understand that you will be undertaking this journey alone, boy. Our village will be under constant threat, starting today, and we cannot spare anyone else to go on your suicidal quest."

"So we have a deal?"

"I'll tell you what." He pointed out of the window, where a break in the clouds showed a glimpse of bright silver.

"You have until the next full moon to make good on your promise. If you fail, your father's life will be forfeit, to pay for this most severe of crimes." His voice softened. "Or you could stay, and be forgiven for the sins of your father."

My hands curled into fists.

"I won't fail."

The Lord studied me closely. Then he leaned back in his chair.

"Very well. You have until the moon is full. Do not dawdle."

Heart skipping, I spun on my heel and immediately strode for the church doors. I hesitated. For only a second, I cast a look back at my father. He did not meet my gaze. Eyes prickling, I flung the doors open and sprinted out into the rain.

Thunder lashed overhead. I fled past a family huddled together and weeping over the embers of what had once been a home. The ground turned to slush as the rain poured down like some divine wrath, almost too heavy to see through.

Somehow I made it home. I wasted no time preparing, shovelling supplies into a bag and grabbing my torn coat from the chair. Then I paused.

I stepped towards my bed. Got down on my knees.

Underneath the cot was a small bundle. A blanket wrapped around a leather satchel. I drew it out, sitting back on my heels and resting the bag on my lap. My stomach clenched.

With trembling fingers, I lifted the flap, revealing my stolen treasure.

Not a scale. Not a tooth.

It was an egg. Bigger than a human head, it was smooth and speckled like a hen's. If I squinted at its pearly sheen, I could see a faint glitter of gold along the shell, marking it as something miraculous.

Breath quickening, I quickly closed the bag and slung it across my back. Then I headed for the door. There was no reason to hesitate, no time to say goodbye to my childhood home. Not when the moon's light was already shifting towards the glow of dawn.

One night down. I could not waste anymore time.

There once were dragons in the valley.

And I was going to bring them back.