by Cherron Riser, Ashley Nicole Davis, Tara Ann Moore, & Taylor Lexus Brown
Screams sounded from just outside of the hut Spearwa and I slept in that night. Heat permeated the air around us, setting off my dragon as I pulled myself from our bed. I flung the furs and covers from us and stood to pull on my clothes. Spearwa moaned and turned toward me in confusion. “What is it?”
“I do not know, but I am going to find out. Stay here. I don’t want you hurt,” I answered, throwing a linen shirt over my head.
I flung up the door and ran out to see the sky alight with fire. Dragons flew overhead, at war with each other. Another clan had come, and my family, my home, was under attack. My family was dying. Magic flowed over me as I jumped into the air. It hurt to transform so quickly, but they needed me. Even if they had practically disowned me.
My wings lifted me higher and higher into the sky, soaring toward the castle, and I hoped my family was safe. I landed just outside of the manor and saw the battle in full force. Dragons of many shapes and sizes tore into each other. Flesh, fire, and ice filled the sky and the air with the odor of death. I turned just in time to see a blue dragon stab at me with his tail of ice. I managed to dodge just in time to avoid it and shot a breath of fire toward it. The blue dragons were frozen dragons of the north and had always wanted to take over the Scottish lands.
Fire and ice burst through the night as dragons fought and men ran the grounds, trying to avoid the monsters around them. There was a reason we seldom revealed our true form to humans. It was a frightening sight and gave them ideas. With one wing, I struck back at the dragon before me, slicing deep through its thick scale armor. Blood began to pour, but I didn’t stop. I bit hard, ripping through the throat and tearing out all the flesh and veins I could. It was cold blood, not like that of most living things.
When the ice dragon before me fell, I turned to see the battlefield littered with bodies from both sides. Once again, I shifted and searched. Brothers, sisters … my father were all dead. I had been too late. In the darkness, through the smoke and eerie calming that comes after the wrath of war, a scream pierced the night. Blue light flashed from beyond the castle into the town.
“Spearwa!” I called out. The magic which filled that light was hers. There was no doubt about it. Once again, I transformed, hoping I could make it back in time. More light flashed through the sky, frantic and bright. My heart raced, and fear consumed me. Not my precious and beautiful Spearwa. I couldn’t lose everything in one night.
Landing just outside of our small hut, I arrived just in time to see a blue dragon rip my beloved in half. Rage consumed me, and I rushed the beast with all I had in me. My sight grew red, and all I could do was feel and taste as I tore apart the dragon before me. He had killed the only thing in my life that mattered, and he would pay for it or I would die making him. Claws dug deep, fangs tore and ripped, and yet I felt no peace. The dragon before me wiggled back and fell to the ground, and as it settled, I rushed toward Spearwa, transforming to my human form, and held her close.
“No! No! This can’t be happening!” Rage-filled screams echoed through the night, billowing from my throat like the fire that burned in my soul. Her blood soaked through my clothes and covered my skin, but I refused to let her go. Morning dawned before someone was able to pull her from my arms. Life would never be right, not without her.
I later found out the dragon who killed her had not died. It had managed to escape while I was lost in my grief. Since that night, my only goal was to find that dragon and destroy it.
Over time, more and more of my people were put to death, taken from the world out of fear and corrupted words of religious men. How I survived, I do not know, but here I am, still fighting and still hoping for my revenge. A revenge that was beginning to seem like it would never come.
Centuries had passed since that horrid night when I lost my family and my love. Over time, most of my people were wiped out by internal wars and fearful men. We were hunted like vicious animals, and in a way, that was exactly what we were. With the passing of time, I found myself moving from place to place, searching out new lives. Until the start of the Information Age, it was a lot easier to start over. Now, it took a lot of money and contacts to keep myself hidden and safe.
If the blue dragon who killed Spearwa was still alive, I had yet to find him. My search never ended, but I was less focused on it. After all, by now, the rage had cooled. I crushed up the soda can I had in my hand, as I walked down the busy Knoxville street toward a small occult store which doubled as a café. I had been there several times before and always enjoyed the food.
In the distance, the sound of the water fountains could be heard. Kids laughed as they ran and played through the squirting water that jetted from holes in the ground in Worlds Fair Park. The day was bright and sunny. The perfect sort of day for everything to fuck up.
My hulking body looked strange in this day and time. I was large, tall, and though I kept my hair pulled back, it was still long and thick. I kept a trimmed beard and mustache on my face, which outlined a war-worn jawline. My eyes were hard, deep, the vibrant green unable to hide the life I had lived. As I ducked to enter the door of the shop, a bell rang when I stepped inside. I breathed in the fragrance of freshly brewed coffee and warm ham and cheese grilled sandwiches.
“Well, look at you. You want me to toss that can for you and get you your usual?” Lauren, the shop’s owner, said as I walked through the door. Her bright smile always seemed to lighten my mood a bit, and I gave her a gentle nod before heading over to my usual table.
A few moments later, she walked over with my coffee and sandwich, along with a paper for me to read. Lauren had blonde hair and blue eyes. She was tall and a little on the flat side; most would describe her as willowy, especially since she wore loose, flowing clothing. She set my food and paper down and then took the seat across from me. “You know, Liam, I will never understand you. You come here every Wednesday for lunch and sit down to read the paper like an old man. Sometimes you buy things, sometimes you don’t. Either way, you never say much, and I never see you with anyone. Do you like being a big mystery?”
“I do, and maybe I am older than I look. I like this place, and it is usually quiet in here. Now, thank you for my meal. It looks wonderful,” I answered, giving her a smile and lifting my cup of coffee to take a nice sip from it. “Oh, so perfect.”
“Well, take your time and enjoy. Oh, I’m going on vacation for a few weeks. Several of us have been saving up for over a year to go on a trip to Scotland. It is going to be amazing! Anyway, I have a friend, one of the coven members, who is going to watch the store for me until I get back,” Lauren called back from the counter.
Looking up, I arched a brow at her and nodded. “It is a beautiful country. I’m sure you will enjoy your trip. It has been a long time since I have been.”
“I thought you might be from there. Sometimes you have a bit of an accent in your voice. You hide it well but not from me,” she laughed, leaning against the counter.
I shook my head and turned back toward my paper. Something about Lauren and the way she liked to tease put me in a good mood. It was part of the reason I came every week. The monotony of life after living so long had grown stale, but Lauren was lively. She had spunk and joy the likes of which died with Spearwa all those years ago. Hearing Lauren talk about her trip brought back memories from that time, and I turned, lost in thought. The distractions had been getting worse, memories invading my thoughts at every turn. It made me wonder if there was something coming for me.
