by Sarah Hite
“Daize, that’s a dragon!” Callen exclaimed.
He looked down at his sister as she said, “I know that.” The dragon was only about eighteen inches long. One wing was broken and several nasty looking cuts marked her sides and belly. “Ok, smart Alec, let’s take ‘her’ home. Maybe Mama and Dad can help her.” As he looked around, trying to figure out which way they should go, Daize took off her cloak and wrapped the tiny dragon in it. They turned south and began walking, but soon Callen realized that they were even more lost than before. He did not want to tell Daize, knowing that it would frighten her, but he could not just keep walking around the woods. Just as he was about to give up, a shadow crossed their path.
They turned around to see who, or what was there. The boy sighed with relief, “Shaelynn! I’m so glad to see you,” he said to the two-foot-tall, three-year-old dragon.
She did not smile, but softly said, “Come, let me take you home.” They followed the dragon back through the trees toward Ciciana. She noticed the little girl’s bundle and asked about it. When they told her that it was a tiny dragon, she suggested that they take her to the king. Of course, Daize declined and said they were taking the dragon home with them. Shaelynn said no more, but watched them run home when they reached the city.
She herself turned and jumped into the air. She flew to the upper level, and landed in the courtyard. She walked to the door, avoiding a section of the snow covered stone. Fear and anger welled up within her as she looked upon the spot, for that was the place where Vidar had nearly killed her brother. The king had placed a memorial there, as a testament to the actions taken to save the young dragon.
The palace guard nodded to her and opened the door. She turned down a passage that branched off of the main corridor, and stopped outside of the conference room. She was about to see if someone could open the door when a servant suddenly came down the hall carrying a tray full of beverages. She knocked on the door for admittance, and Shaelynn slipped in behind her. The servant set the tray down on the table and turned to leave. She paused for a moment when she saw Shaelynn, but left the room without saying anything. Shaelynn was often at the king’s feet, especially when Ania was gone.
She slipped up to the table and rubbed her head on the king’s knee. He looked down at her and smiled. He patted her head for a moment before turning his attention back to the conference. “Flame?” she asked softly. The king looked down at her; he raised a finger, asking her to wait. “But this is important,” she said. Shaelynn did not speak often and usually quite softly, so Flame knew something must be up.
He raised a hand, stopping the conversation. “Just a moment Hendrick.” Lord Hendrick had been appointed Lord of the Arza province after the war. The older, dark haired man nodded. As a retired member of the Dragon Guard, he knew it was better to let a dragon speak their piece.
Flame turned back to Shaelynn. “What is it Shae?”
Shaelynn looked down for a moment before saying, “The baker’s kids were out in the woods again. They found a dragon in the snow. She was no bigger than me when I first hatched.” Flame looked down at her, concerned. A hatchling? He wondered why a hatchling would be in the woods. He was about to ask her a question when she added, “She was hurt; I said to bring her to you, but they took her home with them instead.”
Lukair rose from his place next to the king. “I’ll look into it,” he said and left the room. As he did, Shaelynn laid down at Flame’s feet.
An hour later, Lukair returned carrying a small bundle. He carefully set it on the table in front of Flame, and allowed the king to unwrap it. What they saw, was a tiny dragon, roughly the size of a house cat, struggling to breathe. Flame looked up from the dragon to the men assembled around the table. “We’ll continue this later,” he said and stood from his chair. He carefully, gently picked up the little dragon, and left the room. Lukair and Shaelynn followed him out of the castle, and over to the Dragon Guard’s house; the Guest House was next door. Pai was sitting in the sun talking to Silvrin.
He saw them approach and welcomed them. Silvrin acknowledged them as well and asked to be dismissed. “Hold on, you should see this,” the king answered. He looked up at Pai and added, “We’re going to need your help too.” Lukair took a folding table from the nearby building and set it in front of the king. Flame laid the bundle down, and gently unwrapped the dragon. “Two children found this little one in the woods,” he said sadly.
Pai leaned down in order to get a better look. He snorted, “I don’t know what kind of dragon this is, but she is fully grown. I will need to dress her wounds, and set that break… but I’m afraid my paws would be too big to be of much help.”
Lukair looked up at the young shaman, who was also Ciciana’s messenger, and then back at the tiny dragon. “Would it help if I did it? You could tell me what to do.” Pai looked over at him, and nodded, then asked for some supplies. When the supplies had been retrieved, he walked Lukair through the process of setting the broken wing, and dressing the wounds that covered the dragon’s body. When Lukair was done, the shaman suggested that they keep meat on hand. “She will probably need to eat when she wakes. Let her rest as long as necessary, and keep her warm.” He turned to Flame and added, “I need to speak with my father.”
He nodded, knowing that the Keep’s shaman would probably want to see her himself, and answered, “Hurry back, but don’t over exert yourself.” Pai gave a swift nod, and took flight. Flame really hoped that the young messenger would not push himself too much. Ever since he was injured during the Battle of Magree, he had trouble breathing after too much exercise. No creature, no matter how large, can take a javelin to the chest and not have some level of infirmity. Only the combined efforts between Ania, Henreth, and two shaman brought the youth back from the brink of death.
A few days later, the tiny dragon woke. She tried to sit up, but was too weak, and fell down. Flame had brought her to his personal study, and had made a place for her by the fire. She looked around, and saw him. She balked, backing away as far as the sides of the wooden crate would let her. She looked around the box fearfully. Seeing her awake, Flame stood from his chair and went to the door. He asked a servant to bring the meat the cooks had prepared, and in a few minutes, he took the bowl and set it on his desk. Then he ushered a group of yapping dogs out the door. He shut the door behind him, and walked over to the crate. He said, “Those walls are not to keep you in little one, but to keep them out.”
He gently picked her up, causing her to squirm, and set her down on the desk. She stayed where he had set her, in the middle of his desk, looking very miserable. He took a piece of paper from a drawer and laid it on the desk. Then he poured the small chunks of meat out of the bowl, and onto the paper. The little dragon smelled it instantly, she turned to it and struggled to her feet. Flame watched her struggle for only a moment, before sliding the paper closer to her. She ate the meat within a matter of minutes, and in such a manner as to suggest that she had not eaten in quite a while. She snapped up the last chuck just as several dragons were heard landing outside. He went to the window and smiled, “We have guests. Let’s not disappoint them.” Then he added, “I’m sure you’ll want to talk to them.” He picked her up again, but this time she did not struggle. He carried her back out to the Guest House where they met Pai, Shaman Kei-ata Lorbrein, and Elder.
“You made good time,” he said, and noticed that the little dragon seamed very excited to see them.
“When Pai explained the situation, we did not hesitate,” Elder replied in his deep voice. The shaman nodded, “Is this her?” he asked, looking down at the tiny dragon in his arms.
“Yes.” He set her down on the little table.
What happened to you? Kei-ata asked.
Northern raptors are hungry in the cold months of winter, and there was also the unexpected snowstorm, the little dragon said without enthusiasm. The shaman looked her over for a minute while Elder studied her. She stared at him as well, as if she were trying to determi
ne something. Lukair stepped out of the Guard House just in time to hear the shaman say, “Whoever you got to take care of her, did a good job. She should be well enough in a month or so.”
Lukair merely smiled. He stepped out from the doorway and joined them. “Welcome back,” he said.
“Lukair.” Elder responded simply. Kei-ata nodded to the young man.
“What does she say?” Flame asked.
“Her name is Alamine. She’s a Pebbline dragon from the Southern Kingdom.” Elder sounded surprised.
“Southern Kingdom?” Flame and Lukair asked at the same time.
Elder chuckled. “Yes, there are three dragon kingdoms that lay east of the sea. They are simply called what they are. The Northern, Middle, and Southern.”
“What kind of dragons live in the other two?” Lukair asked. He wanted to surprise Ania with the new dragons.
“Well, the Northern Kingdom is closer to the equator, so mostly Fire and Desert dragons. However, there are quite a few Forest dragons, including the Royal family. The Southern Kingdom is primarily Ocean dragons. Ice dragons make up a good amount of the population as well, and of course the Pebbline dragons. Well Alamine, what brings you to the Middle Kingdom?”
Alamine looked up at the larger dragons, and a shadow passed behind her eyes that quickly faded into sorrow. I was sent by Queen Alani. The Southern Kingdom has fallen under attack, and we know not by what. She asks for aid. As she told them what happened, the elders’ expressions were not long to change.
Can you describe the attackers? Elder asked.
The only description we have comes from a frightened child. He witnessed one of the creatures kill his father. She gave them the description the boy had given the council, and added, I have never heard of such creatures, perhaps the boy was mistaken.
Elder had gone quiet; his stance ridged. Everyone noticed the change in his demeanor. “Elder?” Flame prompted.
Elder looked down at the young king; his eyes revealing something along the line of fear. “I have heard this description before, as a mere child myself. The boy was not mistaken. The dralics have returned.” After being prompted further, he added, “Dralics are similar to dragons. It has been said that our races have a similar ancestry, but we are nothing alike. Dralics kill without reason. They nearly wiped us out once.” He turned to Kei-ata. “We must tell the king.” He looked down at Alamine and answered her mental question, “No, I’m afraid it would be safer if you stayed here.”
“And as Head Shaman, I think it would be beneficial to your recovery if you stayed as well. It will be at least a week before you are well enough to travel. Your wing alone will take about a month to heal.” Kei-ata added.
Alamine looked down, she was clearly not happy with their response, But it has been weeks since I left. I do not know… she sighed, unable to finish the sentence. However, the other dragons understood her concern. When she had left, they had been under attack, and she did not know what had happened since. She did not know the fate of her kin.
While the dragons had been talking, Lukair had asked Flame a question. He nodded and turned to the dragons. “I know you don’t want her to travel, but we were wondering if it would be alright to take her to Ania. She’s in Aretell right now and could take her home. I know when she finds out about the attack, she’ll want to help.”
The dragons looked at each other, and the boys could tell they were having a private conference. Finally Elder turned back to the young king and said, “She can go on one condition, Pai goes with them. If a medical emergency occurs during the trip, he can take care of it.”
They soon agreed that Lukair would accompany the dragons to Aretell. Flame turned to Shaelynn, who had stayed back, out of Alamine’s sight for fear of the small dragon’s reaction. “Would you like to go with them?” he asked.
As all eyes turned to her, Shaelynn took a few steps back. She glanced at Pai for a moment, and then ran off toward the palace. “Would you like me to go after her?” Lukair asked.
Flame sighed, “No, let her be.” He knew Shaelynn was unhappy, and that she had been upset when Ania had been delayed in Aretell. He also knew that she missed her parents and wished she could see them more often. It had been almost a year since their last visit. Her mother, Princess Saydene, known as Moon to her friends and family, had been restored to her position as Clutch Guard, but this time her friend Hana would join her. Shaelynn’s father was a member of the Dragons’ Royal Council. He had been on the war council during the war, and had taken over Moon’s position on the council after she had been reinstated. Unfortunately, this kept them very busy and made visiting their daughter nearly impossible. Flame decided then and there to send her along whether or not she wanted to go. The child needed a distraction, perhaps this would work.
Alamine stared after her, still not quite sure if she had really seen her. She looked up at Elder for an explanation. He heard her question and looked down, since he had been watching Shaelynn; he could tell the child was hurting. Before answering Alamine’s question, he turned back to Flame. “How long has she been like this?”
“Since the last time her parents came to visit. She… He stopped and looked at Lukair.
“She’s been very depressed. Only Ania could seem to cheer her up, but she’s been in Aretell for the last month, and Shae’s been getting worse since then. When she found out that Ania would be delayed, she disappeared for three days,” the younger man said.
“I think the only reason she returned was because of Alamine. She interrupted my meeting with the lords to tell us about her,” Flame added.
Elder and Kei-ata looked at each other. They knew that her forced exile was hard on the whole family, but they had not imagined that it was this bad. After all they had been through, Moon’s exile, Kwan’s imprisonment and torture, Sayden’s capture; every member of her family had lived through horrifying events, only to lose the child because of a stubborn nation’s inability to let go of old, meaningless superstitions. Shaelynn had been force to stay in Ciciana while her family returned to the Keep, and it was especially hard on the child. She was far too young to be without her parents. Everyone on the council wished there was a way to bring the child home, but they would not be able to protect her from every fearful dragon. She may be unhappy, but she was far safer in the home of the Dragon Guard commander. Until they could find a way to convince the population that the feared black coloration was not an ill omen, and would not bring doom upon them, the child would have to live outside the kingdom.
“We will speak to Kyeon. If he knows the situation, he may be able to grant them leave to see her more often.” Elder said, still looking off toward the palace. He turned back to Alamine and answered her question. Yes, she is a black, but you should not fear her. Shaelynn has done much in her short life, and none of it has been bad. He gave a short account on the events of the small dragon’s life, so that she would understand.
So, what you are saying is that if the superstition is true, she would be a good omen not a bad one.
Her observation made Elder smile. Yes, I suppose I am. In a sense, she also saved your life. If she had not found the children in the woods, you would not have received the care you needed. Alamine nodded; she was beginning to understanding Shaelynn’s nature.
“Enough delay, the sooner we tell the king about the dralics, the sooner we can help the Southern Kingdom,” he said a moment later. The two elders took flight, and Flame gave Alamine the option of staying in the Guest House with Pai, staying with the Dragon Guard, or returning to the palace while they prepared for departure. After a brief conversation with Pai she decided to stay with Lukair, since he had cared for her injuries, he could continue to watch over her.
Questions
A group of children sat in an average sunlit room, full of couches and chairs. Their ages ranged from seventeen, to eight. The older students sat on the furniture, while the younger children sat on the floor. A young woman with long dark hair styled in a braid, stood in fron
t of them. She wore a thick, dark green long sleeved dress and leather boots. A deerskin cape hung by the door, and a birch wood staff leaned against the wall. She looked the children over and asked, “Okay, who can tell me the difference between a Forest and a Desert dragon?”
A sandy haired boy about twelve years old raised his hand. “Aren’t Forest dragons smaller?”
“Yes. The Forest dragons, like Chekal, are the smallest breed of local dragons,” she answered.
“Aren’t they different colors?” Ania looked over at the small, ten-year-old boy. He smiled up at her shyly from underneath long black bangs.
She stepped over to him and kneeled down. “What do you think?” she asked kindly.
“Well, Forest dragons are the colors of the forest, so, Desert dragons would be colored like the desert, right?”
“Good, can you think of any other differences?”
“Um,” he looked down for minute, “You said that Forest dragons are the smallest, so Desert dragons would have to be bigger?”
“Go on.”
“If the Forest dragons are smallest, and Pai is a Mountain dragon, that would mean that the Mountain dragons are the biggest. So the Desert dragons would be in the middle?”
Ania smiled at the boy. So far in these classes, which she had held every month since the beginning of autumn, he was the only one to make that connection. “You’re right. However, the Mountain dragons are the largest dragons that you have seen. They stand twelve feet tall, and are twenty feet long. Ice dragons are about twenty-five feet tall, and thirty feet long. Fire dragons stand no less than thirty feet tall, and are no less than forty feet long. The average female Fire dragon is five feet taller than the average male.” She smiled as the children oohed, and exclaimed. She was about to continue when a girl, about twelve years old, raised her hand. “Yes?”
The child asked, rather informally, “Are you going to marry the king?” Shocked, Ania stared at the girl. “I- She did not know how to answer that. She did want to marry Flame, but the situation was complicated. If she became the queen, she would have to step down as Guard Commander, and she could not see herself doing anything else. He had not asked her, but she knew that it was only a matter of time.
