Wherever there are Dragons

I slept far more often than I used to. Perhaps it was the old age. Perhaps it was the call of hibernation I fought off constantly living in a place like this. I couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps it was a spirit of despair that drew me back to that blissful sleepland. It was a slow poison, but far more fatal than the other conditions. Sometimes I wondered why I even bothered to get up anymore. What was the point of living on if this was all that was left?

I stirred out of slumber, awakening in a dark cavern. I was groggy, grumpy, and in the mood to murder something. More importantly, I needed to move—otherwise I knew I wouldn’t move again.

I stretched. My joints creaked and groaned, protesting like strained chains. I pulled myself to my feet, then lumbered down the main tunnel. Small jar lanterns of muted green glowworms guided my path—unnecessary for my keen eyes, but they aided my companion. I paused where the tunnel branched to his chamber and craned my head into it.

There was Tollook, the wizard, hunched over his desk and scribbling in the lanterns’ glow. He was so absorbed in his work, he didn’t even notice as I slipped in behind him.

He was an obsessive one, that wizard. Sometimes I mused over the circumstances that led to me opening my cave up to him. We were kindred spirits of a sort. He had been hunted like me; I suppose that made me sympathetic to his position. Either way, his presence brought much amusement.

Crouching, I crept closer to him, then uttered a hoarse rumble. Tollook jumped, his hand jerking and knocking over a bottle of ink. He snatched his papers out of the bleeding ink’s reach while I chortled wickedly.

“Curses, Reech,” he snapped. Lines of black ink were slowly dribbled down the desk onto puddles on the cave floor. “Do you know how much this ink costs?”

What makes you think I care?

“I only have one bottle left.”

You act like that’s my problem.

“It takes half a day to get to Fishook village. The least you could do is give me a ride so I can buy more.”

I rolled my eyes. Moons. How many times had he demanded this of me?

It is a myth that we let people ride us. Dragons do not degrade ourselves to being mounts for little hairy mammals like yourself.

He frowned. I turned to leave, but he quickly piped up, “Are you going out? I made a fresh potion.”

I grumbled but turned toward the small basin sitting in the corner. It had a shimmering blue liquid in it, and swirled with a slow current. One of the perks of living with a wizard was that I benefited off of his magical talents. He often brewed me a potion that strengthened me, seeing as my own strength had diminished, due to…

I forced my thoughts away from that source of everlasting bitterness and instead lapped up the potion. Sparks of energy trickled down my throat and into my stomach. Cool strength slowly began to blossom in my muscles.

Rejuvenated, I raised my head and continued down the main tunnel. Tollook followed closely behind. As we walked, the dim light began to grow brighter, and a light carpet of snow crunched beneath our feet. A cold wind shivered past, and the cave entrance yawned before us.

Observe, Tollook. I said, nodding to several slow-falling snowflakes. It's horrible weather outside. Your tiny little meat suit would freeze if you rode on my back.

He scowled, drawing his heavy robes closer to himself. “It’s important work, Reech. You could at least pretend you care.”

I sighed heavily. Important work? It is over, Tollook. We’ve all given up. It baffles my mind why you haven’t yet.

"I haven’t given up because I know that they can drive us into hiding and kill us, but they can’t stop us trying to find a way to stop them."

I glanced out of the corner of my eye at his angry earnest face and felt pity. I knew as much as the next that the battle was over. We had lost long ago. But those papers, books, and ink kept him busy and full of purpose. So I said nothing. I had a feeling that deep down he knew the truth as well—but I understood the delicate power there was in denial, so I kept my mouth shut.

Without another word, I pulled my wings outwards. Flapping laboriously, gathering the wind, I slipped off the cliff and into the air.

An icy world of swirling white greeted me. I angled myself down, gaining speed as I descended before sharply turning upwards. Freezing wind currents strained the membranes of my wings and I closed my eyes. Yes. This was life. Not wasting away quietly in some mountain cave. To live was to move and breathe.

And eat.

Several sparrows joined my glide. They twittered about the cold weather and how there wasn’t anything to eat. They asked if I had seen any worms. I told them no, and to leave me alone. But they persisted, swooping and weaving around me. I politely mentioned how I was in the mood for a snack, and that birds of a feather didn’t necessarily pertain to dragons. They dropped away after that and left me to my solitude.

I circled the grey sky several times, before spotting my prey—a slow-moving buck picking his way through the snow. Teeth bared, I plunged downwards, striking quickly so the creature didn’t suffer.

After my meal, I settled on my favorite stone outcrop and began sunning myself. It was difficult, living as a dragon in these winter lands. But I had no other choice.

Like so many others, we had been driven to the edges of the world to escape the grasp of the wraiths—a brewing force of dark beings that had poured out of the earth like blood, devouring all life in their path. There was no reasoning with them—no peace to be acquired. They only wished to consume. The world had slowly been forced to its knees, reluctantly recognizing its new masters with venom. We had all given up and accepted this world as our new normal.

All, except for people like Tollook.

I’m not sure where he hid his irrational sense of hope, but it drove him to studying and practicing different magics and spells of combat against the wraiths. It was a fruitless endeavor. Magical beings like us had banded together countless times to try and stop the wraiths, and nothing ever stopped them. Nothing, except dragonfire.

In the early days, I had generously poured out floods of my dragonfire upon the wraiths, joining my brothers and sisters. I had survived where so many had not, and had paid a terrible price.

I shook my head, jarring myself out of those brewing thoughts. Wonderful. Once again, Tollook’s influence had soured my mood. I needed to be free of these lingering memories. And what better way than to take to the skies once again?

I stretched out my wings and crouched low to the ground, preparing to take off. A breeze stirred through the trees. I wouldn’t have paid it any mind, had it not carried with it a startling scent. I froze, inhaling deeply. Yes, there was no doubt of it.

Human.

Fishook village was stationed several miles away. Their scent wouldn’t carry over that distance. Sometimes there were hunters. But this was different. This scent had a freshness to it, one of a small beating heart.

I crawled down to the forest floor, snow puffing up around my paws, and began following the sightless trail.

It took a little under ten minutes before I finally found the source. I stopped along the line of trees and gazed at the forest clearing. There was a very large basket sitting in the middle. I could make out the back of a little head with curly black hair peeping out the over the top. It was a human child. There was no doubt about that.

I was trembling. Another scent was intermingling with the child’s. It was faint, but it burned my nostrils with the scent of rotted meat and insects. My mind was scrambling to make sense of it. What were they doing here? They had never come this far north before. They already had everything—why were they here?

My stomach was churning and became more sickened when I noticed the tall black poles. There were three of them, each planted in upright positions around the perimeter of the clearing. Black iron. I crept to the closest one and inspected it. There was an engraving on it, one word that I knew all too well.

Sacrifice.

The wraiths had finally polluted this land. I had been hoping that they would never discover this place, where we all hid in the desolate wilderness. But even now, I was beginning to see what a foolish hope that had been. The wraiths would never stop. Never. And now they had forced their cruel system of sacrifice upon the humans in Fishook village.

One victim, usually a child, was brought to the wraith’s offering ground. Everyone else would be spared. Then the cycle would repeat. The wraiths would never have to worry about running out of fresh bodies to consume. It was twisted. It was cruel.

It was not right.

Familiar fears stirred within me. I needed to get away and warn Tollook; we needed to leave as soon as possible. But before I took to the air again I paused, then looked back at the basket. The child within must have heard my approach, for it was now staring at me over the basket’s rim. Two hazel eyes set in a dark face held me in their gaze. I hesitated, then stepped into the clearing and approached.

The clothes she wore were thin; I was angered that they weren’t even proper winter attire. Perhaps her caretakers thought it would be best not to waste extra clothes on someone who was doomed. They couldn’t even be bothered to honor the life given so they could live.

As I inspected her, I was surprised at her lack of reaction. She was silent, and unmoving, even in the face of a great beast such as I.

I grinned a fearsome grin and snapped my jaw playfully. The girl hardly even flinched—her gaze unwavering. My grin slowly faded. This reaction was not normal for a young human. Even adults shrieked in panic when they laid eyes upon me. I leaned in closer and noticed the dullness in her eyes, and caught a medicinal scent on her breath. Rage poured through my bones. They had drugged her. They had drugged her so she wouldn’t run away. So she wouldn’t make a fuss. So she would be complacent when the wraiths slurped her up.

I knew they did it for survival, but something inside me shifted. Then it snapped.

I carefully maneuvered my scaly paw into the basket. She didn’t cry out or scream. She just stared at me with those dark eyes as I lifted her out of the offering basket. I pressed her close to my ribcage, willing the little warmth in my blood to move to her. But she only shivered. I curse my inability to produce heat.

Pressing her to my chest, I gave my wings a few test flaps, then heaved myself and the child into the air. I knew that I wasn’t thinking—that other lives would suffer because of this decision. But I didn’t care. All I knew was bitterness and rage as I rose higher into the sky.

…

“What is this?” Tollook demanded.

I had just arrived back in the cave. I had tried to move quickly in spreading mine and the girl’s scent all over the forest so the wraiths couldn’t track us. My body was now weary and I was fighting to stay on my feet. I had just dumped the child next to Tollook, making him jump and stare at her in confusion and horror.

Congratulations. I delicately patted his ratty hair with my large paw. You’re a father. I began to walk away.

It took a second or two before I heard a mad scuffling and sputtering behind me as Tollook set off after me. “Wait, hold on, what?”

Don’t worry, you’ll do great.

“Reech, wait,” he said, scrambling in front of me. I was surprised. For someone who was glued to his desk most of the day, he moved remarkably fast. “Where did you get this child?”

I found her.

“You found her? Where? Were there people around?”

No. People don’t tend to linger around offering grounds of wraiths.

He stopped cold. Even in the low light, I could make out the color draining from his face. “The wraiths? You stole their sacrifice?”

So what if I did?

“You can’t do that!” he exploded. “They’ll come after us!”

If you’re so upset about it, you can take her back yourself, I said, settling down in my chamber. I was winded and weary. I winced at the screaming muscles in my neck as I lowered my head down to the ground.

He looked uncomfortable as I addressed the unfortunate reality of the world we lived in. “You know I don’t want to do that, but if they catch her scent, then they’ll come after not just her, but us as well. We’ll all be killed and what you did will be for nothing.”

I had realized that when I had first taken her. Unlike my younger self, the idea of death had less of a hold over me.

I exhaled slowly. You know, Tollook, I’m tired of being afraid. If you disagree with what I’ve done, you can always leave.

“But-“

You talk of stopping the wraiths, I said. Yet all you do is sit all day and scribble on those papers of yours. Is this not stopping them in some way? This one little act?

“Saving one child will not make a difference.”

Then imagine all the difference you make by doing nothing. I snapped at him.

The astonished look on his face was all the response I needed. My body weighed heavily upon me, creaking with exhaustion. I was old. Despite my desire to say more, I found myself slipping away into sleep. My heavy scaled eyelids slid shut.

..

I awoke to the smell of smoke.

I was instantly alert, snapping my head up and looking around. But then I saw Tollook and the girl sitting next to a fire. A thin bubble of water enclosed it, absorbing most of the smoke so it didn’t fill the cavern.

I noticed, with approval, that Tollook had bundled the girl in furs. He seemed to be entertaining her with a sparkling marble, performing hand tricks so it vanished and then reappeared. Her eyes followed him silently, and there was a slight smile on her face, but nothing more than that.

You stayed.

He started, dropping the marble and looking at me. “Yes.”

I’m glad. I looked at the fire. What’s this?

“The girl needed to be warmed up. And, I figured you needed to be warmed as well. Here,” he said, pushing a basin toward me. It had more of the blue potion in it. “Drink that. It will help you recover.”

I lowered my head and drank, grateful for the familiar energy flooding my body. When I was finished I raised my head and was surprised he was still looking at me.

“It seems this place is taking more and more of a toll on you every day.” he said.

I regarded his concern coldly. It had been a long time since another being had been considerate of me. My clan had always been harsh; we didn’t practice kindness for the weak. I didn’t know how to react to this, so I simply grunted and settled my head back on the ground, watching the dancing flames.

"I was wrong, by the way,” Tollook said. “Small actions do matter, in the face of evil. In many old tales, the finding of a child is a good omen. An omen of hope.”

Hmm. I suppose that’s a positive way to look at things. We should probably name the girl. Do you have any suggestions?

“Well… I was thinking of Annora. It’s a name of a famous mage queen. She was very powerful.”

I was thinking spaghetti.

He looked horrified at that answer. “Spaghetti?! She isn’t a snack!”

Yes, I know. However, spaghetti is one of the only good things that has come from humanity. So it would be quite an honor for her to be named that.

He shook his head. “We’re not naming her spaghetti,” he said firmly.

Fine. Annora it is.

We both fell silent, watching the little girl. She seemed to be more aware of her surroundings, rocking a little and reaching forward to play with some twigs on the ground.

“How did it come to this?” Tollook said quietly. “How did it come to people sacrificing their children?”

You and I both know how.

He shook his head, eyes faraway as he chewed on a thumbnail. “The only thing that matters now is finding a way to snuff them out. And I’m close. If you had your dragonfire…”

If I had my dragonfire, I would be dead like the rest of my clan, I snapped. Losing my fire has been the best thing that has happened for our survival.

He shrank away under my harsh words. It was still a sore subject, even after all these years.

Suddenly, there was a horrible wailing screech that echoed throughout the cave. All of us froze. The child looked alarmed.

“They found us,” Tollook said.

I was on my feet. I thought that I had been thorough with throwing them off our scent. But wraiths were determined; I had almost forgotten how determined they were.

I barreled to the front. Even though my dragonfire was gone, I knew I would be the best foe to face off against a wraith. Tollock was behind me, and together we hurried to the front of the cave. When we reached the entrance, we came to a halt.

There they were.

They were pacing back and forth in front of the cave, wavering and smoldering. It had been years since I had seen one, and yet they never ceased to disturb me.

They were terrifying creatures, for I doubt that such things could be people. Or perhaps they had been, once—but they had since been licked clean of their humanity.

Some might mistake wraiths for shifting mists full of twigs, or small dust devils. But my sharp eyes made out the monsters. They were just figments, just whispers of beings that should have been blown out by the most delicate wind. And yet they still existed—formless nightmares that wanted to yank our breaths out of our chests.

They were hovering in front of us, but didn’t enter.

“Why haven’t they come into the cave?” I asked Tollook.

“I placed wards at the entrance, though I don’t know how long they’ll last,” Tollook said. His eyes were wide with terror and he was trembling from head to foot.

A horrible ripping, clicking sound emanated from the wraiths. Even the power of speech was beyond their capabilities, and they had to resort to a guttural method of communication. With my beastly instincts, I was able to discern the meaning was behind their torturous howls. They wanted the girl.

It was my fault this had happened in the first place, and I quickly formed a plan. Tollook, I said. You need to take the girl. I’ll hold them off for as long as I can, but you need to use your magic to get both of you out of here.

He stared at me. “Reech—”

I know, I growled. I moved into a crouch. Without my dragonfire, I won’t survive. But I’m big. And they like dragons because we have more magic and life in us, so they’ll come after me first.

The wraiths were pressing in more closely into the cave. What looked to be glowing coals in their swirling depths stared at me. They were full of nothing, only a hollow hunger that yearned for life.

I tensed, preparing to spring—and for the end. But before I could, Tollook scrambled in front of me, flapping his arms. “Wait!”

I was startled. Tollook! Get out of the way!

“Reech, there’s something I need to tell you.” He was shaking. Fear was leaking out of him by the bucketful. “I’m not sure if it will work, but I need you to trust me. Reech, you have to use your dragonfire.”

I stared at him. Tollook, my dragonfire burned out of me years ago!

He winced. “Yes, but, you might have something new. Something… That’s grown in its place. ”

I was at a loss. What was he talking about?

There was a zip and a pop, and the wraiths were suddenly spilling forward, moving toward us with unnerving speed.

I had been prepared to run, but Tollook had shaken my resolve. Now that the wraiths were close, I felt old instincts overtake me. Should I try my dragonfire? But it wasn’t there; I would feel it if it were. A second passed, and I came to a snap decision. I reached deep into my chest—reaching for that familiar flame and felt…

Nothing.

And yet...

Something.

I drew upon it, feeling it creep from my chest up my throat. I opened my jaw and a blast of cold ice air shot out of me. The wraiths, who had begun to crowd around Tollook, let out a collective shriek. They tried to flee, but the air grew frozen with jagged ice crystals, swallowing some of them.

I staggered—ice was coating my throat and jaw. But I forced myself to press on, and another wave of ice shot out of my mouth toward the last retreating wraiths. Their misty forms froze—completely encased in ice.

I released the power in my chest and collapsed to the ground. I was so cold. So very cold. Shivering, I groaned, and a cold bile crept up my throat. I retched, and blue liquid splattered onto the ground. I stared at it, realization dawning on me.

Instantly my weakness was forgotten and I turned on Tollook.

He had crawled deeper into the cave, but when he saw me advancing, he stopped moving.

You experimented on me?! I roared. Like a common alchemist’s rat?!

Absolute terror was etched into his face, but still he opened his mouth to respond.

“Please, Reech, you have to understand, it was the only way.”

How dare you, I said, powerful voice booming in the small space. There were no words to describe the wildfire of anger burning within me. How dare this insignificant, disgusting human experiment on me without my consent? I had opened my cave to him, had revealed my vulnerability of losing my dragonfire, and he had used that against me!

I rounded on him, a snarl curling my lips and growl growing in my throat. He scurried back, wide-eyed and hands outraised.

Blinded by wrath, I raised a paw to deal a fatal blow to the cowering figure before me. He would die. He would die like he should have before I had taken him in!

There was a shifting in the shadows. I paused, and saw the little girl standing there. Annora. She was watching me soberly, not moving or making a sound. We locked eyes. Neither of us moved.

I hated him.

If that wizard hadn’t experimented on me, we’d all be dead.

But I hated him.

My paw, still hovering in the air, slowly lowered to the ground. Tollook, who had thrown his arms over his head, peered up at me.

“Reech?” He said uncertainly.

I regarded him with distain. Get on my back.

Bafflement filled his face. “What?”

I leaned close to him, lips curling. Climb on my back, or I will carry you like a slaughtered deer. We need to leave. Now.

He opened and closed his mouth in shock. Understanding finally dawned upon him, and he leapt to his feet and scurried away, returning with bags stuffed with papers and books. He scooped up Annora and after some struggle, they had nestled into the crook of my neck.

“I really am sorry, Reech,” he said, as I shifted toward the front of the cave entrance.

No you’re not. I said. You’d be sorry if your experiment didn’t work.

He was silent. “Where are we going?”

Where do you think? You just found another way to kill wraiths besides dragonfire. We’re going to wherever there are dragons.”

Taking a deep breath, I dove out into the night.