Verdant

The earth dragon stomped out the final glowing embers of the forest fire, taking care to grind them into the earth. There was something uniquely satisfying about extinguishing them like this, rather than by willing the earth to flow where he desired it to. He looked around at the devastation to his territory, thinking about the many mundane things in his life which had and would change. The animals had fled, and his den had been filled with ash, among other things. For food, he would have to hunt in another dragon’s territory for some time. Surely the water dragon to the south wouldn’t mind too much? Her marshes were teeming with life. As for shelter, he could either dig his den out, or find a new place to sleep. The lightning dragon to the west made roost in a large cavern. Perhaps he would agree to share until the forest had a chance to grow back?

He let out an exhausted breath at everything he would have to do in the short and long term. Right now, he let his mind wander as he crawled over the scorched landscape, wondering where the blaze had come from. As the smoke in the air cleared, the twin suns shone upon everything below. His emerald scales were covered in dirt and ash, reminding him that he had better bathe sooner rather than later. Two series of thick spikes stuck out from his sides, lining his shoulders and back. The earth trembled slightly with every step he took, his wide tail scraping over the ground, erasing all but a few scant marks from his claws. He took a moment to scrape a few irritating rocks from his curled horns. Looking at the ground, he noticed a pattern in the devastation. The blaze had come from the southeast. He rolled his shoulders, popping a few joints, before diving into the earth, racing towards where he knew there was a human village.

As he neared the village, he jumped out of the ground, landing with four tremendous thuds from each paw. The fire had come from here. He set his eyes on the charred husks of buildings, wandering around the outskirts until he noticed the corpse. Looking at it, he knew it was a naga, a former human who had stolen the soul of a dragon. White hair, red eyes open and empty, drawn and quartered. This one had been “cleansed” by the Ausbauen, a religious sect that routinely hunted naga. He looked away, angered by what had been the source of the fire. At least now the fire dragon’s soul was free. He searched for others, but the naga was the only corpse around. All others appeared to have been taken or buried. He was about to leave when he heard a small sound, drawing his attention to an area he hadn’t checked yet. He snorted, clearing his nostrils of soil, and knew there was still another soul here. He followed the scent to an open barrel, miraculously spared from the fire, to find a small child hiding within. She was dirty, her light hair covered in ash, trembling slightly from the chill.

Why do you hide, little one? He asked her with a soft sound, drawing her attention.

The girl slowly looked up, tears welling from her brown eyes, and then cowered in fear. “Go away!”

Do you think I mean you harm? He said as he withdrew from above the barrel. I assure you that I have no ill intent toward you humans. Your people have tended to the forest and its denizens since long before I came to live here. Occasionally I would encounter them in the forest and offer advice. They were quite pleasant to speak with.

He waited for a short while until a pair of tiny hands gripped the barrel’s rim. The girl peeked over the edge, warily watching him. “Mama said I had to hide, so I did…” she said.

You are the only soul here now, aside from myself. He lowered himself to the ground. I don’t think your mother will be coming back. What about your father? Was he here before the fire spread?

“I don’t know where papa is,” she replied. “I never met him.”

That is unfortunate. He looked up at the suns. Humans give each other names. What is yours?

“Yours first!” she demanded, rising. “Mama said it’s rude to demand another tell you their name!”

He audibly chuckled. I have no name. My sire and dame could not speak as I do now.

The girl shrunk back for a moment. “Emi,” she finally said. “Do you want a name?”

He chuckled again. The thought has only rarely crossed my mind. But if you have one you would like to give me…

Emi stared at him for a while. “Mama said the forest was ver-dent? At least she did before the fire took that away. And you’re green like the forest was. Is that okay? Verdent?”

The word you are looking for is verdant. He enunciated. But you may call me that if you wish.

“Verdant,” Emi said carefully. “Will you stay here Verdant?”

I will stay, but you cannot, Verdant said, rising from the ground. The corpse of a naga is bound to draw some unwanted guests. It is better that you be with others of your kind. Come now, I will take you somewhere safe. There is a city south of here that should do nicely. It is called Friedlich, much like this realm.

Emi shook her head vigorously. “No! I want to stay here! This is home!”

Look around, Emi. Verdant encouraged. Your home is gone, until other humans rebuild it. And even then, it won’t be the same home anymore. Either way, your future depends on the kindness of strangers.

Emi looked around at what little she could see of her home’s remains. “Ok,” she said quietly.

Verdant lowered his head next to the barrel, allowing Emi to grab one of his horns. He snaked his head around to gently set her on his back, between his shoulders and the largest of the spikes. He began crawling south, resigning himself to a long day of slow travel. For now, the safety of this innocent child took priority. As the day wore on, Emi became brighter, noticing things and asking questions. Why did Verdant’s horns each have nine rings? He was between nine and ten centuries old. He was a dragon, so could he breath fire? No, he’d need a connection to the element of fire to do so, like the fire dragons. What kinds of dragons were there? There were five types of dragons: fire, earth, lightning, wind, and water. Some dragons even possessed more than one elemental connection. Her questions seemed endless, and Verdant enjoyed their simplicity.

“You said your… sayer and dam couldn’t talk, but you do, so why is that?” Emi asked.

Sire and dame. Verdant enunciated. I possess the power of speech from an experience that I hope no other dragon must ever so much as witness. He shivered slightly at that unpleasant memory, pushing the dying man’s face out of his mind. Please do not press me further about it.

“What happened?” Emi waited patiently for Verdant to answer. “It’s okay,” she said when no answer was forthcoming. “Mama had things she didn’t like to talk about either. Like papa…”

Verdant turned his head to look at Emi, noticing her sullen expression, before returning his attention to where he was going. Soon enough though, Emi returned to asking her many questions. How many dragons did he know? He personally knew three, but had met many others over the centuries. How much further was it to Friedlich? It would be nightfall by the time they arrived. Did the Rasul live there? The Rasul journeyed from place to place, teaching the people over centuries. How could he be alive for so long? He had made a deal with a dragon for eternal youth and vigor, though it had come at a rather unfortunate cost. Come nightfall, Emi had fallen asleep, and the city was in sight, emerging from behind a cliff face. Crowned by a white marble palace, the granite city was divided into three tiers, with countless lanterns to ward off the approaching night. The nearest gate was facing southeast, and the guards were changing when they noticed Verdant. A horn rang out through the still air, and a flurry of activity began. Verdant narrowed his eyes, wary of what this could mean.

Time to wake up, little one. Verdant encouraged. We have arrived.

Emi began to stir as a platoon of soldiers funneled out of the gate to approach him. Verdant stopped, waiting for them to approach him. The soldiers wasted little time reaching him and fanning out to partially surround him. Verdant eyed them carefully, noticing how nervous they were.

I have not been to Friedlich for much longer than I remember… He said, eliciting tension from the gathering. Are dragons no longer welcome near the city?

One soldier took a step forward, drawing Verdant’s attention. “You could say that. How are we to know that you aren’t a naga merely disguising itself as a dragon?”

Disguising? Verdant ran the idea through his mind multiple times, irritated at his inability to find an answer. Unless the Rasul possesses such a power, I cannot think of a way for a mere naga to do such.

“And how can we be certain of that?”

Hear you not my voice?! Verdant roared. I know all too well the vile ambitions of those who seek the powers of my brethren! They deserve no mercy. And if I were a naga, I would have killed you all by now.

“He raises a fair point, Captain,” another soldier offered, whimpering.

“Silence,” the captain said. He eyed Verdant up and down for a moment “I believe a short explanation is in order. Recently, on one of their hunts, some surviving veterans of the Ausbauen returned from an encounter with an exceptionally powerful naga. It’s rare to see them turn tail and run from any naga more than once, but this one they claimed wielded a power they were not familiar with, and it became a dragon midway through the battle. For now, I must ask you to leave, for the public’s peace of mind."

Very well, I was not planning on staying for long. I came here with a purpose. He lowered his head, revealing Emi to the captain and his men.

They leveled their spears at him. “Where did you take this child from?” the captain demanded.

A fire started by a naga robbed her of her home. I ask that you take this child into your custody, and see that she be delivered to a safe and clean home. The soldiers relaxed hearing this, and Verdant snaked his head near Emi, who looked like she was about to cry. It is time for us to part ways, little one. He offered her his horn, which she took hold of. He took care to set her on the ground, where the captain took one of her hands.

“Bye Verdant,” she said with a small wave.

Verdant nodded in reply, before addressing the captain. I trust her safety to you. May our next meeting, should it happen, occur under more favorable circumstances.

The captain nodded as he and the other soldiers moved to return to the city. Verdant waited until the gates had closed before turning and diving into the ground, making his way back home. His uneventful journey was much faster without having to worry over a passenger. Emerging once again in the blackened forest, he surveyed his surroundings with sorrow. The devastation possessed a strange beauty, the moons high above painting the landscape in a silver glow, the shadows deeper than they had ever been. He sighed, reminded of how his life was going to inevitably change. For now, he would sleep here.

“Ah, I was wondering where you were,” Verdant whipped about to face whoever had spoken. He saw a man cloaked in darkness, whose face was hidden. “You’re inspecting the devastation to your home?”

Verdant growled. Where did you come from?

“Me? I’ve been searching for you. I believe you’ll make a fine addition to my collection…”

The man took a step forward, but Verdant would have nothing to do with this being, and pounded the ground with both his front legs. The ground split into a great chasm beneath the man’s feet, yet he didn’t fall, the very shadows supporting him. Verdant immediately realized this man was a necromancer. He turned to dive into the earth yet again, only to find the shadows binding his legs. He pulled and bit at them, but to no avail.

“You shouldn’t be so hasty,” the necromancer said as he gradually approached. “Look around. Your home is destroyed. Wouldn’t you rather sleep? Dreaming peacefully within your own mind? I will give you that rest, o mighty beast; you need only relax, and slip into the everlasting darkness…”

Verdant continued to struggle against the shadows, releasing a bellowing roar as walls of darkness rose from the ground. The darkness blotted out the night sky until only the necromancer could be seen, drawing ever closer with his arms outstretched and a wicked smile splitting his face.

“Come now, let me take a closer look at you,” the necromancer whispered as the shadows wrapped themselves around Verdant’s neck, pulling him to the ground. “Hmm, nine rings. No, there’s a tenth waiting to reveal itself. I knew you would make a fine addition. Now then, sleep…”

Verdant continued to struggle as the necromancer touched his head. Curse you and your kind… He managed to say as his vision dimmed, an emerald glow flowing up the necromancer’s arm. May you suffer all that you have wrought upon this earth and more… Verdant’s perception of time ended, replaced by an endless darkness. He seemed to float there for an eternity. Until finally, there was a light. And the voice of a woman, pleading that he not be angry with her. As he rushed toward the light, eager to leave the darkness behind, Verdant realized that the necromancer must have placed his soul into another human, creating a naga.