The Valley Of Dragons

“There weren't always dragons in the valley, and they weren't always called dragons. They didn't choose the name the blood beings gave to them. They were Seraphic-godlike, astounding, intellectual, humane, and beautiful. Decades have come and gone since anyone has come in contact with a dragon and lived to tell the tale until today—June 6th, 5024; I'm B.D, your sincere journalist unveiling our local news. Behind me are three deceased dragon beings. How could this be? Why? And who's to blame-cut!” Beatrice Davitch, a law enforcement nuisance, and her trusty ostrich height cameraman, Navi, could smell a story a mile away. Navi needed to “stop whining and hold the camera straight!” He's the type to avoid conflicts, but his fingers had swelled like sausages in his gloves, and his eyes began to freeze shut. They were 20 feet from the deceased, the police cars, and the emergency vehicles, barely able to make out the yellow tape, politely bickering in the middle of nowhere; A car passed them, pulling up to the furthest part of the scene.

The valley was covered by a comforter of snow, giving it a perfectly leveled appearance. The driver was Doctor Sidereus, who observed the professionals struggling to get around; he took a deep breath “nope,” he said to himself and quickly placed the vehicle in reverse when his door suddenly was flung open. He immediately threw his head back to shield himself. Lieutenant Beck was a strong man with broad shoulders, a bald head, and a salt and pepper pillow-like beard. It was strange to see him crouching in the open car door, snow trickling onto his exposed head. “Dr. Sidereus, it’s been a while.” Sidereus could no longer hide at this point, “Lieutenant? I didn’t see- wow, small world, it has been some time since last-” Beck hums, never breaking eye contact or moving from his spot. Sidereus finds himself awkwardly stuck but continues, “I couldn’t help but notice you have a large team out there-“ cutting him off, “I do.” Beck replies, “Now he’s not blinking!?” Sidereus’ mind races as he fiddles with the seatbelt. “I would just get in the way.” says Sidereus, the Lieutenant smirks, reaches across, unbuckles the doctor, puts the car in park, removes the keys, stands, and turns to leave “you will,” he replied. Sidereus reluctantly gets out and looks back to his heated seats, “I hate June” he closes the door and hurries in pursuit of the man.

“ I'm hoping you won’t need me then?” Beck never fails to get the Doctor to leave his comfort zone. Sidereus shoveling his feet through the snow, catches up to Beck, standing over the scene. Sidereus stands next to him; his vision becomes dilated, his heart beats in his throat, and he is instantly dizzy and sweating; he has seen many crime scenes in his career, but nothing was as senseless as this. “Breath, doc. You’ll pass out.” Sidereus nods in agreement, “slow and steady.” accompanying the Lieutenant, Kaimi Tims, head of forensics. She is a hummingbird of a woman, eccentric,witty, and light on her feet. “You must be the zoologist?” She half bows to Sidereus, who has no idea, but begins to sink uncomfortably deeper into the snow, “He’s a cryptozoologist.” Replies Beck, “I study unknown, legendary, or extinct animals.” Chimes Sidereus, “legendary?” Now Kaimi is the one confused? “Bigfoot, the Loch Ness creature, the Magnificent chupacabra, the Seraphic beings,” he motions towards the bodies “Dragons!” she exclaims forward and is now very invested in the conversation. “Thank you for coming at short notice.” She whispers to Sidereus and points to his PJs. Beck gestures a gentle shush to Kaimi. Sidereus has “gone lost within.” He is working the scene out in his thoughts. He slowly moves along the beings, stops, tilts his head, and motions them over. “What do you see, Sidereus?” Beck throws his voice across the snow. They rush over to see what he sees. “Beck, do you see that!?” Explains Sidereus, “do you?!” He looks over to Kaimi. Before either can respond, the words pour out of Sidereus, “this was a sacrifice.”

It echos; the silence between the three was heavy enough to make Beck feel small. He ground his teeth. “who would do this?” Said Kaimi. “I don’t know,” deflating Sidereus. “What do we do, doc?” He slowly shrugs and shakes his head, but it’s cut off by an idea, “higher!” He explains, “Beck would you be so kind to -“ he turns his back to Beck and motions to lift, but it’s so awkward and strange it doesn’t resonate as such. Beck’s response? “Absolutely not.” Kaimi interjects, “ I think he wants you to lift him, Lieutenant.” “Did I not say that?” Confused, Sidereus turns around with his arms in the air. “Well, if not me, then her.” Gesturing towards Kaimi.  Kaimi and Beck exchange a bashful glance. Sidereus would have missed it had he not had a history with Beck. “Why?” The Lieutenant sticks to his first response. “A photo. I need a bird's eye of the scene. I think it has to do with the ritual, but I can’t be sure unless I get a higher view.” Sidereus is becoming creatively desperate, but Beck isn’t budging. “We can get a chopper here within a few hours,” Beck quickly responds. “Lieutenant, we need the light. If it wasn’t critical, would I ask?” Sidereus says and glances at Kaimi, who has a sly look in her eye. “I just need to pick her up?” Mumbles Beck, “I think the higher, the better!” Kaimi blusters, “I mean just to be safe.” “She’s right.” Sidereus pats his shoulders. “You get five minutes.” Beck takes a knee, and the three quickly get Kaimi to his shoulders. “God, your head is freezing!” No one knows how Beck can go all winter without a hat. Kaimi tries to evade it like a public toilet seat. Sidereus notices unraveling his scarf from his head and throws it around Becks. “We’re ready,” Beck stands, and Sidereus gives guidance to Kaimi from below. Meanwhile.

“Beatrice, it’s cold; I’m hungry. Can we please go now?” Navi proclaimed from the van; He’s been loading alone for the last 40minutes. Beatrice is only allowed so many feet to every site, so she improvises a portable stool and binoculars; they always get the job done. She’s watching the Beck, Kaimi fiasco tower, pulls away the binoculars to re-evaluate her sight, then returns to her “detective work.” “What are they up to?” She whispers. “BE-A-TRICE, ITS TIME TO GO” Navi throws his frustration to the back of her head but would never leave the van. She has a moment and almost falls from the stool. She readjusts her position and binoculars a few times before she comes to terms with “it can’t be!” Navi begins trucking his way to her when she jumps down, storms past him to the vehicle, and starts to unorganize all his hard work. “What are you doing?” Navi is on the verge, and she can’t even see it. “Where is it?” She says, “where’s what? Are you ok? You act like you saw a ghost.” “The camera, Navi. Hurry!” She’s on the verge, and he can see it. He points to the bag she ransacks through, quickly connecting the camera and lens. She plows back to her stool and snaps away.

Navi graciously approaches, “Beatrice? I feel scared. Are you ok?” She immediately turns with a sinister closed smile, “of course, silly, let’s go,” She walks to the car and gets in the front seat, leaving the stool for Navi. He takes a few minutes before returning to the van. Beatrice’s smile drops. She looks back to the zoomed photo of Sidereus and begins hyperventilating. “It can’t be.” Navi closes the side doors, walks around, and gets into the driver’s seat; she has calmed herself. “Did you?” Navi doesn’t expect an honest answer, but he can tell something is wrong and decides maybe to ask at a later time. They drive away.

Hours have passed; the sun has rolled into darkness, and the valley has gone still. All blood beings have long abandoned the valley. A serenity has come over the mountains, and the moon’s glow dances off the rivers. The snow has reapplied a new coat to the valley of dragons. Standing over the cleared scene is Kamaria, the moon dragon; she is lovely; her curls resemble the galaxies swirls; her wing aura is of many colors, and her eyes resemble a dark fire. She doesn’t speak, but you can feel her loss. “We do not mourn our fallen Kamaria.” She quickly turns to find Rayda, the guide for passed dragons. She leads them into Shiloh, a paradise for the dragon energies to live forever as ancestors. She is more mighty than Kamaria, and her garments are a dark emerald but surrounded by tiny balls of light that come together to create her staff. She is peaceful and gentle. She walks to Kamaria and caresses her cheek. “Rayda, we celebrate them,” Kamaria softly responds. Rayda removes her sorrow through her tears. They dance between her fingers and become the lights adding to her staff. At that moment, Nelly, the cloud dragon of seasons; Osha, the water dragon; Kuma, the dragon of creatures and Yame, the dragon of knowledge, arrive. Yame speaks, “The blood beings have transferred our fallen, but we can still do the ascent from here.” Meanwhile.

At the history of science, We find Kaimi and Lieutenant Beck watching Doctor Sidereus rummage through his office books and files, yelling over the chaos.

“The blood beings have had thousands of years of peace with the dragons. In the beginning, dragons brought knowledge and light. They met our basic needs for survival, water, shelter, and food. Some believe they were our sun and moon.” Beck interjects, “so why fight them? And How?

In comparison, dragons and blood beings do not match up.” Sidereus agrees, “While blood beings are the dragon's creations, we’re mere miniature imitations; we are counterfeits to them in size and power. The dragon people don't simply tower over us, but transcend from the ground like mountains. Their energy or aura launches out from their bodies like wings.” Kaimi cuts in “wait, what? We came from dragons?” Sidereus shrugs, “ it’s a theory in the history of dragons…”