The Dragon Tree

by Kavich, AC

  Come on… come on!

  She had too little experience using her reptile body. Her paws and talons were a blunt instrument when she needed surgical precision. The more she struggled to tear loose a single leaf-laden branch, the more she tore the tree apart. If she didn’t stop raking the tree, there would be nothing left.

  Distraught, Eva clawed her way back up the face of the cliff and onto the plateau. She collapsed again on the rocks and turned her tired eyes toward the ocean. It was a seething expanse of endless gray and black. Even in her enormous dragon body the ocean made her feel very small… and very alone.

  And then she saw a flicker of green.

  Hiroki’s heart was thundering in his chest. The strain of hauling the ship for miles had worn him down so severely he felt himself getting lightheaded. He flapped his wings less-forcefully and his grip on the hull was loosening.

  We’re almost there, Hiro! Keep pulling!

  Hearing Billy’s voice in his head again gave Hiroki a charge of fresh energy. He wrapped his tail more tightly around the crane and redoubled his efforts. His night vision wasn’t as powerful as Billy’s. The shore was dark and difficult to make out until…

  A burst of bright orange flame appeared on top of the cliffs. The light it cast brought a hulking creature with mustard yellow flesh into view. It stood sentry on the plateau where Billy roughly dropped Hiroki’s Buick a few hours earlier. The creature unleashed another column of fire and Hiroki was certain he had not imagined the sight.

  It had to be her. It had to be Eva!

  The yellow dragon leapt off the cliff and flew along the edge of the bay, blasting fire every few seconds. The light from the flames showed Hiroki the entry point into the harbor and he finally understood.

  She’s lighting our path, like a lighthouse! She’s guiding us in!

  Hiroki opened his mouth and screeched happily as he hauled the fishing trawler into the bay. Billy let go of the ship’s rear and flew around to the bow where he latched onto the railing beside Hiroki and helped him pull.

  They dragged the ship all the way to the rocky beach. The belly of the boat dragged along the bottom of the shallow water before it finally bogged. Billy and Hiroki let go of their package and settled down to rest on the beach.

  Eva stopped circling the harbor and landed on the plateau.

  We did it, Hiro. But we have to get out of here.

  Billy nudged Hiroki with his blue wing then took flight. He soared up the cliff face and landed on the plateau. A moment later, both Billy and Eva were in the sky. Billy had Hiroki’s Buick in his claws once again as he flew out over the harbor then banked to the east.

  Hiroki summoned the last of his strength and took off after them.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Eva had been nothing short of distraught over her inability to access the dragon tree’s leaves. But once she took to the air with Billy and Hiroki, she was amazed at how quickly her distress melted away. She could tell by the way they flew that both boys were exhilarated after their daring rescue of the fishing trawler. It was contagious. She felt a rush of adrenaline in the hot blood coursing through her body. The wind had calmed, the rain had slowed to a drizzle and she felt much lighter in the air.

  With the Buick still dangling from his claws, Billy took the lead. He turned back to look at her and she thought he could see him smiling.

  You fly like a pro already, Eva! And you look hot in yellow.

  Hiroki hung back beside Eva. He flew so well in his new body it was hard to believe this was his first night with wings. He nestled the edge of his green wing just under her yellow wing. They flew like they were holding hands. When she slowed, Hiroki gently nudged her to encourage her onward.

  Billy plotted a wide course around Hudson and Alpine to make sure they wouldn’t be seen by anyone on the ground. The trio soared over the Washington forest – brilliant green by day, black and silver by night – and climbed their way into the mountains.

  Billy slowed when they reached a hilltop with an unnaturally clear slope beneath it. Innumerable stumps were all that remained of a once dense patch of forest. There was heavy machinery on top of the hill – trucks and cranes and threshers – along with several rusty storage trailers. The worksite would have been abandoned anyway given the late hour, but the heavy storm rendered the site a muddy mess.

  It will be safe here until dawn.

  As Billy’s words entered her mind again, Eva wondered if he was communicating telepathically with Hiroki as well. She had not yet attempted to send a thought to either boy, but she knew Hiroki would have wasted no time before experimenting with the skill. Not only would Hiroki be far too curious to resist, he would also be determined to prove that he could do anything and everything Billy could do.

  Billy hovered over the top of the hill. He softly set down the Buick next to an industrial wood chipper. As Hiroki drifted down to the ground and landed beside his beloved car, he clapped his wings together in a dragon facsimile of applause.

  Eva was the last to land. She aimed for the cleared slope. If she missed her target or failed in any other miserable way, the boys were less likely to notice. To her great relief, however, she floated gently to the ground and landed gracefully on the smooth cross-section of a wide stump. Despite her attempt at landing out of sight, the boys had watched from overhead and they both screeched their approval.

  Take a bow! said Billy.

  Eva dipped her head low then slid off the stump and scrabbled up the slope. When she reached the hilltop the boys hopped toward her. She could see they were both as giddy as she was to reach a safe hiding place, but none of them knew the proper way for dragons to hug. For lack of a better option, they huddled together and layered their wings.

  Nobody blow fire in my face! Billy laughed. I’ll throw you off the hill.

  They all backed up and found a patch of dirt where they could stretch out. Eva studied both Billy and Hiroki. They shared many features, but their body shapes were quite distinct. Billy was the larger of the two while Hiroki was thin and lithe. The differences between their dragon bodies matched the differences between their human bodies. She looked down at her own yellow form and found that her dragon body was closer to Hiroki’s than to Billy’s. But while Hiroki’s serpentine body was unmistakably masculine, there was an obvious femininity to her form.

  In the east the dark forest expanse had begun to appear green. It could only mean that the sun was rising. In a matter of minutes, the change back to their human bodies would begin.

  If you wait behind the storage trailer we’ll bring you clothes from Hiro’s trunk.

  Eva nodded to thank Billy for his suggestion. With a final glance at Hiroki, she turned and plodded through the mud. The rusty storage trailer was only about ten feet tall. It wasn’t long enough to conceal her dragon body, but it was more than large enough to hide her after the change. She was less worried about being seen in her birthday suit than freezing while she waited for the boys to give her something to wear.

  During his first night as a dragon, Hiroki hadn’t thought much about the change back to his human body. But during the final few minutes before sunrise, he was very apprehensive. Would the change back be as painful? Would the change happen at all? Just because the “dragon rules” worked for Billy didn’t necessarily mean they would work for Hiroki and Eva. Perhaps the sun would rise and nothing would happen. They would both be trapped in their dragon bodies forever.

  Both of his concerns turned out to be groundless. When the sun peaked over the western hills, the change was swift and painless.

  Billy was already standing at the Buick, his hands covering his nakedness. He hopped up and down, obviously anxious to pull his clothes out of the locked car. Hiroki popped the trunk from the Buick’s dashboard. He only rifled through the donated clothes for a moment before pulling on a pair of ill-fitting corduroys. Shirtless and shivering, he carried an armful of women’s clothing to the storage trailer and rapped on the metal to announce his presen
ce. Eva’s bare arm reached around the corner to snag them.

  “Thanks Billy!” she yelped.

  “No, it’s Hiro,” he said with a sigh. “I don’t have any shoes for you. Meet us in the car when you’re done okay?”

  Since Billy had the forethought to undress before his change and toss his clothes into the Buick, he was now wearing those clothes as he reclined in the backseat. In the front seat, Hiroki and Eva were both stuck wearing clothes that were two decades out of style.

  “My Mom was working an overnight shift, so she won’t know I’ve been gone all night—” said Hiroki.

  “And my pops doesn’t give a crap where I am,” Billy interjected.

  “But Eva, if your parents think a tornado hit your house and you just disappeared…” Hiroki trailed off, still amazed by Eva’s harrowing tale. “Every cop in Alpine is searching for you right now.”

  “He’s right,” Billy mumbled. “We gotta make sure no one sees you with us.”

  Eva turned to face him, offended. “Are you saying I have to walk back to town?”

  “I’m saying we’ll take you as far as we can,” said Billy more softly. “Then you have to get out and walk.”

  “I can’t believe after all I’ve been through, after all we’ve been through together—”

  “He’s right, Eva,” said Hiroki. “It would make no sense for you to end up with us. And that’s just the start of it. If you were thrown out of your house by a tornado so violent it ripped off the roof and tore up your neighborhood, there has to be… trauma. You have to look like you’ve been through an ordeal.”

  Eva shook her head angrily and lifted up her sweater. A massive purple bruise stretched from her armpit to her hip. “How’s this for trauma?”

  “Holy hell, is that from smashing into those cars?” Billy asked, unable to take his eyes off her injury.

  “Or from the roof of my house. Or from the tree. Or from crashing on the cliffs. My whole body hurts but I don’t really remember how I hurt which area.” She lowered her sweater again and turned to look out the window. The worksite was waterlogged and dreary after the night’s storm. “I guess I was barefoot when the storm hit. Is that believable, since the two of you are experts on this sort of deception?”

  Hiroki nodded. “Where have you been all night? Wandering around your neighborhood? If your legs aren’t injured, why didn’t you just walk back to your house?”

  Eva groaned, an angry smile forming.

  “She hit her head,” said Billy. “When the tornado tossed her she hit her head. She was disoriented and didn’t know which way was up. So yeah, she wandered around her neighborhood.”

  Hiroki wasn’t satisfied. “Then why didn’t anyone spot her? An injured girl walking around the very neighborhood where she disappeared, and where dozens of people, maybe even hundreds, were looking for her? No one will believe it.”

  “The only explanation that will make sense is the truth, and they won’t believe that either!” Eva yelled, her frustration building. “Just start driving, please. Whatever has to happen, I want it to be over soon.”

  Hiroki nodded reluctantly and put the Buick in gear. His wheels spun in the wet dirt, but they found traction. Billy pointed out the forest path that would take them down the mountain and Hiroki piloted the car that direction.

  Billy sat up straight and leaned forward between the front seats. “Between Eva destroying her house and Hiro and me dragging that ship into the harbor… we have no idea who might have seen us last night.”

  “What are you saying, Billy?” Hiroki asked.

  Billy lifted Hiroki’s backpack and unzipped it. With a heavy sight he reached inside and pulled out a handful of black leaves from the dragon tree. “I’m saying that as much as I want to get up in the air again tonight, I’m going to eat these leaves instead. I’m going to eat them tomorrow too, and at least a few days after that. We all should. Agreed?”

  Hiroki looked at Billy in the rearview mirror and nodded. “Agreed.”

  “Yes, agreed,” Eva whispered.

  “And one more thing,” said Billy. “You should both keep your distance from me for awhile.”

  “What?!” Eva cried. “What are you talking about?”

  “After the beating I put on ‘what’s his name’ and his crabs, there could be some heat coming down on me. I don’t want either one of you to get caught up in that mess.”

  Eva turned to face Billy. “Who’s ‘what’s his name’?”

  ***

  Reiko hated overnight shifts.

  She worked half the week at the 24-hour medical clinic and picked up extra shifts at Alpine Hospital. The best way to make sure she could bring home a decent paycheck was to work the hours no one else wanted to work. Unfortunately, that meant dusk to dawn.

  Reiko peered into several rooms to check on resting patients. Some were exhausted this morning after being kept awake the previous night by the storm that rolled through the area. There were reports of damage from a tornado in one neighborhood, but it was across town from her home.

  Down the hall, Reiko heard animated conversation from a room that was empty an hour ago. A newly arrived patient usually meant bad news for the family, but the voices she heard from the room were jubilant. Notepad in hand, she headed down the hall.

  “My goodness, Eva!” Reiko yelped.

  Eva was propped up against a pile of pillows, her hair in a tangle. She wore a hospital-issue gown and an expression of exhaustion. Her parents were sitting beside her, clutching her hands from either side of the bed. Her twin sisters were in constant motion, exploring every nook and cranny of the room.

  “Hello, Mrs. Tanaka,” Eva smiled. “Don’t worry, I’m okay.”

  “We think she’s okay,” said Rosa with a shake of her head. “After what she’s been through, it’s a miracle she’s still in one piece.”

  Salvadore rose from his chair and offered Reiko a place to sit. She smiled her thanks but declined with a nod.

  Reiko stepped forward and slalomed between the twins to reach Eva’s bedside. She lifted the chart from the caddy on the wall and quickly scanned it. “Cuts and bruises, no signs of concussion. What happened?”

  “The tornado hit our home,” said Salvadore with a sigh. “The top floor is completely destroyed. A burst gas line ignited. Eva… she…” Salvadore trailed off, a wave of emotion robbing him of his voice.

  Eva squeezed her father’s hand. “It all happened so fast, but I must have climbed down to escape the fire. I was scared and needed shelter. I wasn’t thinking—”

  “She hid inside a parked car!” squealed Anita.

  “She totally fell asleep!” added Myra.

  Eva nodded. “I feel so terrible that my parents were worried, and that everyone was looking for me. I don’t know how to make up for that.”

  Rosa shook her head and rubbed Eva’s arm. Her eyes went moist. “The house can be fixed and lost possessions can be replaced. In fact, Eva, your closet was completely destroyed so you get a new wardrobe out of this.” Rosa tried to laugh, but after a long night full of maternal terror it was difficult to even smile. “We’re just so glad you’re back with us, sweetheart. Nothing else matters.”

  Reiko felt herself about to cry. It was unprofessional, she knew, but Eva and Hiroki had been friends for years. Eva was the closest thing to a daughter she had ever had. She patted Rosa’s back then leaned down to give Eva a hug.

  “I’ll make sure Hiro knows you’re here. He’ll want to come see you.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Tanaka. That would be nice.”

  Down the hall, another family was gathered around a recovering patient.

  The Coast Guard had followed the rescue beacon on the lifeboat and had rescued ten sailors. They assumed that the fishing trawler itself was lost at the bottom of the Pacific. They delivered their new passengers to Alpine Hospital where they were treated for mild hypothermia and a few minor injuries. To a man, they swore that the Alpine Angel had gone down in the storm with Douglas
Humphries still aboard.

  Hours later, at dawn, rangers in the Hudson nature reserve were shocked to spot a fishing trawler grounded in Grays Harbor.

  It was the Alpine Angel.

  Douglas Humphries was the only person onboard the ship. His head was bleeding from a gash under his hair and he complained of a severe headache. He was also borderline hypothermic after his ordeal at sea. The rescue workers had extracted him from the ship and rushed him to the hospital.

  Humphries reclined in a bed much like Eva’s, propped up on the same pile of pillows. Humphries’ eldest son Philip was on his honeymoon. Humphries had insisted that he was perfectly fine after his ordeal and that Philip must not interrupt his trip. Esther was asleep in a chair, still wearing the coat she hastily pulled on over her bathrobe before her driver transported her to the hospital.

  Aidan sat at his father’s side, one side of his face black and blue from his run-in with Billy Rasmussen at the library. “You hit your head pretty hard, Dad. They think you have a concussion. After you’ve had time to rest—”

  “Don’t patronize me, boy. Don’t you dare patronize me!” Humphries fidgeted nervously under his sheets and picked at the tubes running into his right forearm. He looked like a caged animal. “I came to as soon as the beast threw the ship onto the beach. I looked out the wheelhouse window and I saw it. Perched on the bow like a hawk, but it was no bird. It was green and snarling.”

  “But how is it possible? I mean, it sounds like you’re describing—”

  “A dragon, yes!” Humphries cried.

  Esther stirred in her chair, her eyes fluttering open.

  “Go back to sleep, Mom,” said Aidan with a sympathetic smile. He turned back to his father and spoke quietly. “I know you think that’s what you saw, but Dad, there’s just no way.”