Worth More Than Gold

There weren’t always dragons in the Valley. The Great One gifted each clan one dragon egg before his death. When the dragon would hatch, it would mark its new home and other dragons would begin to make nests there as well. For as long as anyone could remember, nearly every clan was home to at least one dragon.

Every winter the Valley Clan used up more wood than the last, in hopes of keeping their egg alive to see the spring. It had been over fifteen years since The Great One’s passing when the egg finally began to show signs of hatching, and the villagers could not be more ecstatic.

Currently, every clan in the nearby area was part of The Chosen, and the Valley was about to join them. To be amongst The Chosen was a great honor - it meant the noblest of creatures deemed your home fit for their presence. Dragons brought wealth and good fortune to wherever they resided.

The leader of the Valley Clan was one of the few remaining members who were present for the gifting ceremony fifteen years ago and was finally bearing witness to the most important moment in his clan's history, and he would be sharing that moment with the two most important people in his life, his children.

Jericho was a large man with copper-toned skin, a bushy black beard, and a scar that crept over his lip. His eyes widened in youthful awe despite the glare of the blazing sun, gripping the shoulders of his children on either side of him.

"Anya, Milo, you are about to bear witness to the greatest accomplishment of our clan. You were both just babes when The Great One blessed us with this gift.”

He kissed each one on the forehead and turned his attention back to the egg. A small talon clawed its way through.

Anya was a young woman with hair going down past her shoulders. Her skin tone and hair color matched her father’s to a tee.

She looked up at her father and smiled. She had missed his joyful grin these past few years. Milo’s face matched her own. His blue eyes were a sharp contrast to Anya’s. Both watched as Jericho beamed in excitement and pride upon seeing another talon pierce the thick shell.

The onlookers gasped. A visible crack had formed and an eye could be seen. An elderly lady gestured to the clan's leader. "Jericho, it’s nearly time. Come and lead the Valley into making history."

Jericho took a step closer, his children close behind him with bated breath.

The seconds felt like hours, until finally the top of the eggshell came apart, revealing a silver-colored dragon hatchling. The very first in the Valley. The hatchling sniffed the air, its eyes yet to even open, as it began to crawl around. The people surrounding the dragon all backed away as it began to circle its egg, before giving off a small sneeze. A bright orange flame came out of its mouth.

Silence fell over the people. No one dared to break the magic that enveloped them all. After what seemed like an eternity, Jericho stepped forward, choosing to meet the small creature's gaze. He slowly extended his hand. The dragon paused, sniffing the hand until it accepted the new scent, and met it with its head. He hoisted the dragon above his head as he turned to face his people.

“Sylvia has been born! Let us bring the Valley into a new age of prosperity, and join The Chosen!”

The Valley erupted into cheers. The dragon took its first flight, its silver wings glistening from the sunlight, flying higher and higher as it began to circle its new home. Anya did not watch the dragon. Instead, her eyes fell upon her father whose own eyes had begun to brim with tears.

“Sylvia… you named it after…” Anya began to say but was cut off by her father, who knelt and gave her a crushing bear hug.

“I think she would’ve liked it. She always looked forward to today. She never once doubted it would come.” Jericho said, his voice ever so slightly cracking. He pulled away shortly after, wiping away his tears.

“Right then. Anya. I need you to fetch Milo. There’s something I need from the two of you.”

—

“You want us to go where?”

Milo stared at his father in disbelief, waiting to catch a glimpse of a smile to indicate a joke, but nothing came. Anya stayed quiet, waiting for her father to explain further.

“I need the two of you to go to the Mountain Clan. It’s tradition for the first hatch of a clan to be told in person. You remember this Anya, don’t you?” Jericho asked.

Anya nodded. It was long ago and she was much younger, but she vaguely remembered people over the years coming to deliver news of a newborn dragon. She doubted Milo remembered anything. She was barely five years old when The Great One departed. Milo stared blankly at their father, unfamiliar with what was being discussed.

“The Mountain Clan are our neighbors and strongest allies, so we should talk to them first,” Jericho said.

“But why won’t you be joining us?” Anya asked.

Jericho sighed. “I want the news to spread quickly, but I have to stay in the Valley while Sylvia is still adjusting to her new surroundings. You know how dangerous a newborn dragon can be.”

Anya and Milo both nodded. Anyone who had been born in the past twenty years knew of the dangers a dragon presented. Even a hatchling could devastate a forest in a matter of minutes. The Valley was not nearly as flammable, but it was certainly an understandable concern.

“The Mountain Clan is only about a day or two’s travel. By the time you two are back, Sylvia should have adjusted and I can join you in spreading the news to the rest of the clans.” Their father pleaded with his eyes, something neither of them could resist.

“Alright dad, we’ll go,” said Anya. She turned to Milo. “Let’s go grab our gear.”

Milo had already begun to make his way out of the room. Jericho motioned Anya closer before she could follow her brother. He looked her straight in the eye.

“Anya, keep an eye out on your brother. I want you to keep him safe. Please.” he said. Anya stared back, seeing herself in the reflection of her father’s dark brown eyes. The eyes of a man who had already lost too much. She knew those eyes too well, seeing them in her own reflection every day. Somehow seeing them on her father hurt more. Her eyes drifted towards the door and caught a glimpse of Milo, seeing him staring at the pendant on his necklace. The one their mother had gifted them when they each came of age. She pulled her attention back to her father. She held his hand tightly and nodded.

—

The first thing Anya noticed upon entering the Mountain Clan was the sheer number of people. The Valley had a few hundred people, but the Mountain Clan was well near the thousands. She suspected it had something to do with the number of dragons they had gained over the years. A shadow of a dragon passed high above her head, solidifying her theory.

The siblings wandered in the center of the town until an older-looking woman spotted them. She had short brown hair and kind eyes. Anya thought she looked familiar, but couldn’t quite place her finger on it. The woman greeted each of them like old friends.

“Anya! Milo! It’s such a wonder seeing you both again. What are you doing here?”

A memory clicked inside Anya of a similar woman talking with her father, except before her hair was longer. However, the eyes had the same caring expression in them.

Right. This is Vecepia, the leader of the Mountain Clan.

“Hello, Ms. Vecepia. We are here on behalf of Jericho Dene, leader of the Valley Clan. We come bearing important news” Anya said. She puffed out her chest, as she’s seen her father do before. Milo snorted and rolled his eyes.

Vecepia chuckled, “So your father sent you two. How is he? I haven’t spoken to him since the funeral…” Vecepia began to trail off, realizing exactly who she was talking to and who she was talking about.

“Come to think of it, I’ve not seen the two of you since then either. You’re both so grown up now, are you doing alright?”

Milo shrugged, “I mean, she’s been dead for over three years, I think we’re past it by now.” His words cut like a knife. Anya recoiled at the harsh words, looking at her brother.

“Milo! Why would you say that?” Anya asked. Her brother gave another shrug but refused to elaborate, so she turned her attention back to Vecepia.

All thought had left Anya’s mind, she was unable to continue where she had left off after that.

Vecepia noticed the awkwardness and sought to move on from it, to spare Anya of any troublesome feelings, “I see that you both have grown up. Now, what is it you were here to tell me?”

Anya couldn’t help but note the concern in her voice was even greater, despite her attempts at masking it. She chose to ignore it and prayed that Milo would do the same.

“Our dragon egg from The Great One has hatched. The Valley Clan has officially joined The Chosen,” she said, unable to help herself from beaming with pride.

Vecepia’s eyes widened before a beautiful smile graced her lips. “It has? That’s wonderful news! Absolutely wonderful! I will put out a notice today. My people will be happy to know that our allies in the Valley Clan are doing well for themselves.”

She leaned down to place a hand on Anya’s shoulder, “Thank you, for keeping the tradition alive.” She looked over at Milo and nodded at him. “Both of you.”

A roar from a dragon awoke them from their moment. Anya and Milo both jumped at the sudden sound.

Vecepia shook her head, eyeing the deep blue dragon above them. “That’s Eris. She’s grown restless since we’ve put her eggs in the hatchery. I can’t say I don’t understand a mother’s concern.”

“A hatchery?” asked Anya.

“Right, this is your first dragon,” said Vecepia. “Now that one has chosen to stay with you, it won’t be long before another comes. And when that happens, you’re going to want a hatchery to keep their eggs safe. You’ll find that leaving multiple eggs outside can be difficult to deal with.” she explained. Her face scrunched up for a brief moment, “Do you two want to see our hatchery?”

Anya looked over at Milo, who had been quiet for most of this conversation. She worried that she had embarrassed him with her earlier comment. To her relief, Milo nodded his head in excitement, looking back at her, silently pleading for her to agree. She grinned.

“We would be honored to.”

The hatchery was a tall building at the edge of the town. The sun shone through the skylight where Anya could see two dragons circling the building. She recognized one of the dragons as Eris. She looked at Milo, who had his own look of awe on his face. She followed his gaze and realized what it was that had caught her younger brother’s attention.

The building itself was filled with rows and rows of dragon eggs, each kept in a separate nest. The eggs were a variety of colors, all shining from the sun. One egg drew Anya’s attention. It was aureate, so pure that Anya would have sworn it was made of solid gold. She didn’t notice how close she had gotten to it until she could practically see her reflection in the sheen of the egg. Beside her, Milo was enamored by the sheer multitude of eggs that resided in the hatchery.

Vecepia couldn’t help but smile at the childlike wonderment in the two’s eyes. She mentally patted herself on the shoulder for suggesting the kids come and see the hatchery.

“How many eggs are in here?” Milo asked, his eyes remaining fixed on the rows and rows of eggs.

Vecepia thought for a second, looking around the room. “I think right now, we are somewhere in the hundreds? I don’t have an exact number off the top of my head, but somewhere in that range,” she replied.

Anya and Milo both turned their attention towards the Mountain Clan leader, dumbfounded.

A hundred dragons? How can one clan handle such terrific power? Anya thought.

Vecepia waved her hands.

“A majority of them will most likely never hatch, but we must treat them all the best we can, in respect for The Great One and the dragons that have put their faith in us.”

She smiled, looking wistfully at the many eggs surrounding the three. “A dragon’s egg cycle can last decades upon decades based on what we learned from The Great One all those years ago.”

She nodded towards the golden egg Anya had found herself fascinated by. “That one is from our first dragon, Aurum. It was one of the first eggs she laid, and I still don’t believe it’s close to hatching.”

There was a loud creak as Anya felt the cool breeze of the outside press against her neck. They all turned to the source of the sound, seeing a young man, roughly the age of Anya, standing by the now open door.

“Ms. Vecepia, I-” the man stopped, noticing two strangers on either side of his leader.

“Oh, my apologies. I didn’t realize you were with guests.”

He shrank, partially hiding behind the door. Anya stifled a laugh. He must’ve been in his early twenties, but it was clear to her that he was not used to talking to those in power.

The benefits of being the daughter of a clan leader, I suppose.

Vecepia smiled warmly at the young man, motioning for him to come inside. He did so, pulling the door shut.

“It’s alright Felix, these are just some friends from the Valley. What is it you need to tell me?”

Felix stood taller than before, though his eyes still flitted around the room.

“It has something to do with the situation in the Hills,” Felix stammered. His eyes landed on Anya and Milo, who awaited his next words.

“This may be something you want to hear in a more private company,” he finally finished.

Vecepia’s face for once bared no hint of concern, and if she was hiding anything, Anya certainly couldn’t tell. Vecepia nodded to the young man.

“Right, I’ll come with you in just a moment,” she said, before turning to the siblings.

“I’m sorry you two, but I need to excuse myself for the time being. You’re welcome to stay here a little longer, just try not to touch anything. And remember to close the door behind you.”

Anya smiled, “Thank you, that is very kind of you.”

The two bowed to Vecepia, who smiled in turn, closing the door of the hatchery as she exited

Anya looked closer at the eggs, mesmerized by their beauty. Milo came up and lightly tapped her on the shoulder.

“There are a lot of eggs in here, aren’t there?” Milo said.

“Yes! It’s amazing, just thinking about it,” Anya replied, still captivated.

She buzzed with excitement, imagining the Valley with a countless number of dragons. A wishful thought, yes. But if Vecepia was correct, it was only a matter of time before the Valley Clan would have another egg with them.

Her brother’s next words shook her down to her core.

“What if we took one?”

Anya whipped her head around to face her younger brother. She saw a fire in his eyes, and an ocean blue egg in his hands. She looked for any hint of humor in his face and found nothing but determination.

“What did you just say?”

Her brother continued, eagerness in his voice. “Vecepia said it herself - she doesn’t know the exact number of eggs in here. We could take this one, and no one would ever be the wiser!”

Anya looked at her brother in disbelief. “I think the dragon would know one of its eggs is missing! You can’t honestly be serious about this. Put that egg back right now! We’re leaving.”

Anya made a move to grab the egg but Milo backed away from her reach. “Imagine what a second egg would do for our clan! Our father! It took fifteen years for one dragon, he can’t wait that long again.”

Anya’s face softened.

“I know, but this isn’t the way. Another dragon will bless our clan soon, I promise. We just have to be patient.” Anya slowly cupped the egg in her hands as Milo loosened his grip. She placed it back in its nest with all the care she could manage.

She took her brother’s hand and led him out of the hatchery.

“We should go home. Meet me at the Mountain’s entrance. I’m going to give my thanks to Vecepia for her time.” Anya said and the siblings separated for the first time on their journey.

It was not long before Anya saw Vecepia, who was on her way to the hatchery herself. Anya took a deep bow.

“Thank you for your time today, and the wisdom you imparted to us. The Valley Clan is grateful for your generosity.” Anya said.

Vecepia gave her a hug. She patted her head whilst laughing.

“You’re a good kid, Anya.”

—

Anya found herself alone at the entrance of the Mountain. She called out to Milo but got no response. A sickening feeling emerged in her stomach.

She rushed to the hatchery and banged on the door, praying to be let in. It suddenly opened, knocking her back a bit. In front of her stood Vecepia and Felix, both staring at her with confused looks.

“Anya! Is something-” Vecepia started to ask, but didn’t finish before Anya pushed her way between them. She made her way to the ocean blue egg and her heart dropped from her chest.

It was gone.

Anya fell to her knees in horror. Vecepia and Felix both rushed to her side. Finally, she got out the words “Egg, Milo, Gone.” She pointed at the nest.

Vecepia’s face fell. She knew what was coming next, and it scared her.

A paralyzing roar echoed across the Mountain, shaking the three to their core. They exited the hatchery, immediately coming face to face with Eris. She loomed over them, cutting off any chance of escape. Vecepia stood between the dragon and the two others in a protective stance.

“My eggs were never yours to take. Your people’s lives are now at stake”

The dragon’s deep voice turned the insides of anyone listening. A crowd began to form around them.

“I know Eris, I know. We’re going to find your egg, you can trust me.” Vecepia held out her hands.

Eris thrust her head in Vecepia’s face, eyeing her as if she was prey. Anya could feel the dragon’s hot breath.

“Trust isn’t gifted, trust is earned. Lose my trust, I’ll see you burn.”

Anya stepped out from behind Vecepia. The dragon's beady eyes followed the girl’s every movement.

“I think I know who took your egg. I will find them and bring your egg back. I swear on my life.” Anya said, her legs shaking.

Eris let out a thick cloud of smoke around her, baring her sharp fangs at the young woman. Anya stood petrified.

“Keep your word and find my son. Or else each clan burns one by one.”

The dragon flapped its mighty wings, flying into the sky. The chatter of the Mountain Clan grew louder.

Anya ran for the entrance of the Mountain, followed by Vecepia and Felix.

“Milo couldn’t have gotten far, right?” Vecepia asked between breaths.

Anya said nothing, continuing her run further down the mountain. She had made it around the bend before Felix called her back.

“Wait! Anya!”

She found Felix and Vecepia kneeling on the ground. A cracked pendant held loosely in Felix’s hand, its chain snapped. Anya’s legs gave out from underneath her, dropping her to the dirt.

Milo had been taken.

And so had the egg.