Fire and Thorn

by Mary Vee

  They stepped over cactus plants and through the sand to the next area. One that didn’t have rock or tree protection.

  The dragon’s roar and shouts from the squires suddenly grew louder. Gilbert looked back at two silhouettes pointing. He crouched lower. The dark figures dashed behind a bush then poked their heads up before tucking them back into secrecy.

  “Katia,” he whispered. “Two people are hiding behind that bush.”

  She lifted her head from her work and squinted. “Are we being followed?”

  “With all that has happened so far, I wouldn’t be surprised.”

  “Do you want to hide, or continue searching, sire?”

  “Continue searching, hurry.” They frantically moved from one clump of plants to another, pushing leaves aside and searching bramble.

  Katia lifted her head and swooshed her long strands behind her shoulder. “We’re going to find It. I believe with all my heart.”

  “I do too,” said Gilbert.

  They moved on to the next section, much farther from the battle. From the corner of his eye, he saw the two strangers run from a bush to a rock, closing their distance.

  “Katia, come quickly.”

  She turned.

  “The dragon flew away from the squires and turned toward the rock where those strangers are hiding. It must be the spies.”

  “Sire, this isn’t good. Look. The beast nodded at them then faced us.”

  “Stay low,” said Gilbert. “See those boulders near the acacia tree?”

  “Yes.”

  “We’ll hide there.”

  They dodged from bush to rock and slipped behind the hiding spot. Their breath raced in and out. Gilbert chanced a look back at his friends pursuing the flaming monster.

  They closed in on the dragon, aimed, and fired arrows. Smoke fumed from the dragon’s nostrils. The creature whipped around, opened its gigantic mouth, and roared at them.

  A wayward arrow flew beyond the monster toward the spies. The man and woman dropped to the ground as it swooshed over them. They quickly pushed up and looked where Gilbert and Katia had stood. They shielded their eyes from the light and shook their heads.

  Gilbert pulled back behind the boulder and rested his head against the surface. He whispered, “We can’t leave here without the spies seeing us.”

  Katia took the watch. “The steward is acting strangely.”

  “How so?”

  “He is worming his way around the outside of the battle. Even with hobbling, he is blending in with the desert terrain. I’m having trouble tracking him. Oh, there he is.” She pointed. “He slipped behind the spies. Sire, look. The steward is pointing his sword at them. He’s raised the tip of his sword up the man’s back.”

  “Imagine that. He captured them. A man with only one good leg captured the spies. He shall receive a commendation for this heroic act.”

  “Sire, he’s forcing them behind that boulder. Looks like the spies fell to the ground.” She waited. “There he is. He is walking into the open and has sheathed his sword. Now he’s hobbling back to the battle.”

  Gilbert pulled her back behind the rock. “He’s given us the opportunity to get the job done before the starlight fades. Let’s search over there.”

  Arrows swooshed and swords clanged in a terrifying backdrop as they sneaked farther away. Gilbert glanced at every plant and bush. Everything seemed the same shade of brown with no red. He stood and walked farther. “We’ve looked everywhere close by. I don’t see it.” He flopped against a tree, frustrated. “I don’t have a clue where to look next. Father said they found it with the first morning light. We missed it somehow.”

  The dawn air spiked in temperature. Moisture in the morning air amplified noises from the battle. Screams from the injured. Bellows from the dragon. War cries from those who could still fight. He looked back at the battle. Two squires had thrust their swords at the dragon. Two others risked their lives retrieving fallen arrows on the ground beneath it.

  Despite the squires’ valiant fighting, the dragon remained strong and energized. The squires no longer shot the arrows far enough. Those with swords failed to lift them high enough. They were weakening.

  One of the squires fell. It looked like his best friend, Ben. “Not him. Please, not him.” Gilbert bolted from the safe place.

  “Wait, sire. You can’t go to him. Not now.” Katia ran after him and grabbed his arm. “What good will you do there? Do you think you can kill that dragon by yourself?” A tear dripped down her cheek. “I thought you wanted to save Aerlis.”

  “What are you talking about? Of course, that’s what I want. I’ve searched for the Rose, now I want to save my friend.”

  He yanked his arm away from her so hard she fell to the ground. She rubbed her hands. “I thought you had committed yourself to bring the Rose home. Nothing else can save us from the dragons.”

  “Don’t do this to me, Katia. You expect me to turn away from my friend who could be dying?”

  She stood. “For the sake of the Rose, yes.”

  “I could get the Rose tomorrow. Ben needs me now. We could work together to kill the dragon then have the whole team search for the Rose. I can’t leave him to die there.”

  Gilbert took a step forward. Katia stood and grabbed his arm, refusing to release her grip. He yanked again and released all the hurt bundled inside. “Have you ever left someone behind knowing they could die?”

  Silence.

  “Tell me, Katia, have you ever done what you’re expecting from me?”

  She dropped her head into her hands and trembled. “Yes, sire. I have.”

  Silence.

  “Well, I can’t. Not to Ben. I have to help him. He would do this for me.”

  She pulled her hands away from his arm. Her tear-stained eyes looked right through him as though he were invisible.

  “Katia, I’m sorry.”

  She opened her mouth but didn’t make a sound. She pointed behind him. “The dragon is taking flight. It’s turning toward us.”

  He grabbed her hand. “Come on. Hurry.” They ran, but there wasn’t a boulder near for protection.

  “Where can we go, sire?”

  The squires called to the dragon, taunting it to turn toward them. Two sprinted toward the king.

  Sybil arrived first. “Quick. Get down, sire.”

  Huffs of disgusting dragon breath blew on them. Her eyes widened. “Oh, no.” She wheeled around and gasped at the towering beast.

  Arrows sprang from the bows, pelting the monster from behind. It turned and released a ball of fire.

  Sybil took the opportunity and grabbed King Gilbert's arm. She rushed him away to safety. “Sire, hide over here, under the acacia tree.”

  Justin and Katia kept close behind. “Please, sire, stay hidden. We can’t fight the creature and guard you.” Justin glared at Katia. “Can’t you make him stay hidden?”

  She held her hands out and opened her mouth. “I…oh, forget it.”

  The dragon struck down Charles with the force from its flapping wing. The squire struggled to stand but tumbled back to the ground.

  The bright and morning star slowly faded. Gilbert swallowed hard. He’d been selfish, devoting so much time to the battle. He whispered, “Great King above all, forgive me. I humbly confess that I cannot do this on my own. I know I am not qualified to rule the kingdom by myself and need the Rose.”

  Justin turned to the king. “We need to trust you to stay here, sire.”

  “Please don’t pull us from the battle again,” said Sybil. “You must remain hidden, for your safety.”

  Gilbert closed his eyes. “All right. Go.”

  Chapter Sixty

  “We can’t stay hidden here, Katia,” said Gilbert. “We’ve missed a clue somewhere in what we’ve been told or read.”

  “I agree. Tell me what you remember.”

  “The Rose is not in an easy place to see. The bright and morning star is shining on it. That’s all I can think of. Not many pl
aces like that exist here. Where is the light mostly focused?” They brushed sand from cracks in rocks and dug into crevices in boulders. Pastel pinks, lavenders, and gold painted the eastern horizon, and the bright, morning star faded more.

  Sweat dripped down his neck. Slimy mud coated the palms of his hands. “Where else can we look?” He searched more to the left, then to the right.

  Katia focused on a spot straight ahead, not too far away. “Sire, were those boulders here before?” She pointed.

  Not that he recalled. “That has to be it. The center of the star’s light is on that very spot.” The rising temperature scorched the sand beneath their feet. Gilbert climbed to the top of the largest boulder and found a deep, narrow crack barely wide enough for a plant to thrive.

  He leaned close and peered inside. A radiant crimson bud waited for someone to take it as their own. The leaves reached out and up, like open arms ready to welcome someone in need.

  “I FOUND IT!”

  Katia gasped. “Hurry. The dragon has taken flight.

  “It’s coming straight at us.

  “Grab the Rose, quickly. It’s almost here,” she screamed.

  The monster sucked in a deep breath then blew out a raging fire that burst across the air, singeing the king’s clothes. Gilbert rolled side to side to put out the fire then returned to his work. He stretched his arm into the opening but couldn’t feel the flower.

  The dragon’s roar boomed closer. Gilbert jammed his arm deeper into the cleft and reached as far down as he could. Still, he could not reach the flower.

  “Help me, Great King.” He shifted his arm left and found an opening wide enough to squeeze one inch deeper. As his fingertips touched silky petals, a searing pain pierced his back. He jammed his hand deeper and latched onto the stem.

  The ground suddenly fell away, far, far away.

  He rose higher into the sky.

  His back burned like fire.

  The squires ran beneath him screaming, “Sire, sire. Break free of the dragon. Hurry before it’s too late.”

  Warm liquid dripped down his sides. He tried to wiggle out of the dragon’s clutches and failed. The pain in his back intensified so greatly he couldn’t cry out.

  Below him, the steward and the last three standing squires armed their bows. “No, don’t shoot now.” He squeezed his eyes shut.

  In his hand, a petal rubbed against his skin. The sensation surprised him. He opened his eyes. If the dragon carried him off to Malum or killed him, the flower would never reach Aerlis. The kingdom would perish.

  “Was this quest all for nothing?” The throbbing in his back grew unbearable. “I don’t think I can endure the pain another moment.” His strength weakened.

  His head flopped forward, and he closed his eyes.

  Faded shouts floated up from below. “Great King, help us. The king is dead.”

  He pushed open one eye in time to see arrows soaring toward him. “Great King, let me take the Rose to the kingdom and live to serve you in Aerlis.”

  A gust of warm air lifted the dragon higher into the sky. Gilbert opened his other eye. As he tried to wiggle free, squires far beneath him hurled arrows at the dragon. Thankfully, it was too high. They unleashed every one, then, to his great amazement, they dropped to their knees. Maybe they gave up. The scribes lowered their heads.

  The gust of warm air fizzled, dropping the creature. The dragon let out a deafening roar and plummeted toward the ground, still clutching Gilbert.

  The earth spiraled up, spinning faster and faster. The creature furiously flapped its wings, swaying to the left and the right to gain altitude, but in doing so, the vicious fiend lost its firm grip of its prisoner.

  Gilbert dangled by one captive arm. He used his free arm to grab for the dragon’s leg but couldn’t reach it. He sucked in a deep breath to stop the penetrating pain ripping through his back.

  A tear blurred his vision. Helpless to dry his shame, he blinked several times and looked at his grave below.

  He wished he could have known Katia better. His body whipped to the left dangling from the dragon. His only hope was to drop the Rose for one of the squires to rescue and transport safely to Aerlis.

  The dragon frantically flapped its wings, as if fighting for its life. It screeched a terrifying, piercing cry. The more it struggled to maintain height, the more Gilbert's body flung back and forth limp. The earth and sky faded in and out of his mind.

  Death drew near.

  Air squeezed into Gilbert's lungs and pushed back out, preventing Death from stealing him. The dragon dropped to a safe height for Gilbert to fall.

  The momentum stopped. It flapped its wings and gained control.

  Gilbert searched the ground for Katia. He blinked again and saw her bow. She pressed her hands together and raised her head toward the sky, and tenderly smiled.

  The monster lowered its jaw ready to propel flames at his friends. It twisted and tightened its grip on Gilbert then flew higher.

  He recalled the dragon near Vista that had died after flying over the rose. He squeezed the smooth rose stem nestled in the creases of his hand. “You cannot conquer the Rose, Dragon?”

  The monster’s glowing emerald eyes widened. Before it turned its head away, Gilbert snapped a petal from the stem and threw it into the dragon’s mouth. “You have tried to take away everything I love and have brought hatred and turmoil to them. The Rose will win, even if I must die.”

  The enemy snapped its mouth shut.

  It gagged, attempting to loosen the foreign matter from its throat. Its evil eyes rolled back until the irises disappeared. The villain’s ugly head flopped, and it whimpered when dropping Gilbert from its clutches.

  Sandwiched between the falling dragon and the earth.

  Destined for doom.

  Down, down he tumbled, too terrified to scream.

  Arrows whizzed up past his head and plunged into the dragon’s body. The creature no longer responded. Death had already stolen its spirit. The monster’s wings flapped in the wind striking Gilbert and flinging him to the side. The wings snapped at him again, slapping Gilbert higher. The dragon spun head over tail tumbling.

  Lower.

  Lower. To the ground.

  Gilbert couldn’t control his fall. He didn’t want to land on the monster and be impaled by its claws or fangs. He flapped his arms and leaned to the side, but it didn’t steer him away from the path.

  Far below, the two spies escaped their binds and dashed into the open with their eyes fixed on their falling evil comrade. They looked at Gilbert and cheered at his predicament until realizing the dragon’s shadow shifted directly over them. Down the slain monster’s corpse fell toward them. Its body was so vast they couldn’t run fast enough.

  Their hysterical screaming suddenly stopped.

  When the dragon’s body silenced them.

  Crushing their bones into a flat pancake.

  Gilbert continued to fall. He closed his eyes as the earth neared, and through the surging pain, wildly swung his arms. “Help. I’m going to land on the dragon.”

  Pumph.

  Chapter Sixty-One

  Gilbert sensed his body lifting in the air but had no idea why. Voices from around him groaned and wept. He couldn’t detect who they were or what saddened them. Why didn’t they cheer? The dragon was dead.

  Something pried his fingers open.

  “What’s in his hand?” faintly said a voice

  “What was he holding so dearly?” said a female voice softly.

  Was? Why did they say that? He attempted to speak. To sit up. To open his eyes. But couldn’t.

  The voices said, “We can’t bury him here.”

  “Of course not. We need to take him back to Aerlis.”

  “He tried so hard to save us. He lost his life to get the Rose. I wonder where he found it.”

  They cried.

  The weeping turned to wailing.

  “He found it in a deep crevice between two rocks…because he asked the
Great King to show him.”

  “Who will be king now? He had no siblings.”

  Gilbert tried again to speak. He couldn’t really be dead. Pain throbbed in every part of his body.

  The voices gradually faded to silence.

  This couldn’t be the end.

  Darkness blanketed him. He felt nothing.

  Silence enveloped him.

  He heard and saw nothing.

  Absolutely nothing.

  If he could, he would shed a tear.

  Sunlight broke through the dark in the distance shedding light on a flower that appeared close to Gilbert. Lavender and lily scents sweetened the air. Thousands of roses outlined fields of flowers. He drank in the scents and stretched. “The pain,” he said out loud. “It’s gone.” He shifted his back and sat.

  A hiking trail opened before him. He took a deep breath. The air smelled clean as though it had been washed with rain. A river rippled close to the trail. “How peaceful.”

  Every color and sound seemed more alive than any he’d ever experienced before. He yawned. No one seemed to be around. He called out, “Hello? Where am I?”

  A gentle answer came in a still, small voice. “Rest.”

  The soothing sound was like the words of a loving father, the tone he wished his own father had used with him.

  He touched the rose stems within his reach. They didn’t have thorns. Grass between the plants felt like soft, cushiony sand. He lay back then drifted into a deep sleep, one he had not known for weeks. When he awoke, the roses and lilies bobbled in the breeze.

  A man sat near him. He had a gentle, kind face. “Take the food lying next to you and eat.”

  He lifted his head and found bread on the ground. “I’m so hungry. Thank you.” He ate the single serving loaf.

  “Now go to the river and drink,” the man said.

  “Thank you.” Gilbert walked up the path to the river, surprised he felt no pain. He knelt, scooped a handful, and drank pure, clear, delicious water. He gulped several more handfuls then sat back on the bank. His muscles relaxed and the water soothed his soul.