by Logan Byrne
I looked at the guys, thinking back to what I’d said on the summit of the mountain, before looking back at her. “That’ll be fine,” I said.
If being with all of them was even going to be something I’d consider happening, then I needed to be comfortable around all of them first. I felt as if that was a pretty important first step.
“Can you tell us about the dragon?” Tyvin asked.
The woman froze, then slowly looked up at us. I could both see and feel the terror she was exuding. “The…dragon?” she whispered.
“Uh, yes, we saw the damage outside,” Tyvin said.
“May I ask why you want to know about him?” she asked.
“We want to kill him and take his ember,” Aidan said bluntly.
“Aidan,” I cautioned softly.
“Let’s just get to the point already,” he said.
“You cannot just kill the dragon. He’s far too powerful,” she said, looking around as if he could hear her.
“Lady, I don’t know if you’re doing an act, but we just want to know where it stays,” Adam said.
“I wish I could tell you, but I cannot. Ask for a man named Clifford in the pub. He may know something I do not. Here is your room key, room nine,” she said, handing me a brass skeleton key and scurrying off.
“Well, that was helpful,” Aidan scoffed.
The hallways were narrow and the runners covered in dust, and cobwebs stuck in the corners. I could hear faint talking from the rooms we passed, sometimes stopping as we moved near only to pick up again the further we got from them. “Elemental powers are back,” Aidan said suddenly, snapping his fingers and making a small flame to guide us.
“Room nine,” I said, after we’d walked up a small winding staircase.
The lock clicked loudly before I pushed open the old wooden door. It creaked, the hinges rusted, as if it hadn’t been opened in decades. “This is quite grim, even for me, and I’m not material,” Tyvin said, covering his nose.
The room was covered in a layer of dust. Feathers and straw had begun to leak out of the side of the single mattress against the wall. A stone fireplace lay dormant and the attached bathroom was barely intact.
“Adam, go open the windows and Tyvin, you blow the dust out of the room. Create a large enough funnel and it’ll go away,” I said.
“Stand back,” Tyvin said, and we all put our shirts over our noses and squinted our eyes shut.
Tyvin swung his hands around, taking in a deep breath, before flicking his palms forward and summoning a tornado-like wind, swirling the dust in the room. It danced around in a circle, collecting in a storm, before it was pushed out the windows.
The room wasn’t clean afterwards, per se, but it was much better than when we’d walked in. At least we wouldn’t be sleeping on a layer of centuries-old dust.
“What are the sleeping arrangements?” Adam asked.
We all looked at one another, and I stood up straight and continued to assert my dominance, not only as a princess, but as a woman. It was a giant perk of living in a society like ours.
“By the end of the day, I’m going to pick one of you to stay in the bed with me. The others can sleep wherever else,” I said, walking towards the bathroom. I stayed strong, not looking back, before closing the door behind me and turning on a faint light bulb above.
Why in the hell did I say that? Had I really just set myself up to pick just one of them to stay with me tonight? Were they going to kill one another so that the last one standing would have the spot? I’d really messed up with this one.
I freshened myself up, the light bulb dangling on a string above teetering gently back and forth while I washed my hands and left the room. The guys were all sitting around, not battling to the death like I thought. Tyvin was reading a book and Aidan sharpening his blade with a stone Adam had lent him. Interesting.
“Should we head to the pub? I’d like to meet this Clifford and figure out what the deal is with this dragon,” I said.
It felt like a completely different world as we stepped out of the inn and onto the street. The sun was quickly fleeting, so I buttoned my coat and looked around. Villagers walked by, the women wearing bonnets, and the men wore suit jackets and some walked with canes. It was weird, this place, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. It was almost as if Telerius had sent us back in time with his portal, but I knew that wasn’t a possibility.
We found the pub, the place lively and full of action. The bartender was slinging pints across the bar top and men arm-wrestled in the corner. “You’re a damn fool, Clifford! Ye ain’t going to do that!” a man yelled to another man at the bar.
I looked at the guys, they nodded, and we approached the man being yelled at. “Clifford?” I asked.
“Who the hell wants to know?” he scowled, turning around.
He must’ve been about seventy, with white hair parted to the side and a thick white mustache curled at the ends. He looked grumpy, the lines on his face deep. He took a swig of his beer and stared at us, waiting for an answer. Aidan stepped forward to speak to him.
“What can you tell us about the dragon?” he asked.
10
“Now what in the hell do kids like you want to know about that damn dragon out there?” Clifford spat, his flappy lips covering his missing upper row of teeth.
“We want to slay it,” Adam said.
“Ha!” Clifford exclaimed, grasping his belly. “Listen up everyone, these kids think they’re gonna slay that dragon out there!”
The pub’s patrons erupted into laughter, most of them, anyway, before calming down and going back to their booze and individual conversations. “You four think you’re ready to take on such a beast?”
“We’ve battled creatures some would consider more dangerous,” Aidan said.
“I knew my eyes weren’t deceiving me,” Clifford said, noticing my ears. “You all are fae. Can’t say we get much of your kind around here all that often. That old coot Telerius sending you out on a feat?”
“You know Telerius?” I asked, confused.
“Yeah, the bastard still owes me a favor, and I won’t let him forget it,” Clifford said, taking a swig of his beer.
“I know you might not believe in us, and that’s fine, but we just need to know what you can tell us about the dragon,” I said firmly.
“Well all right, I’ll tell you, but if you go and get yourselves killed then that’s none of my business or concern, ya hear me?” he asked, looking at us intently with bugged-out eyes.
“Understood,” I said, exasperated.
“That dragon out there is a menace, I’ll tell you. We ain’t ever had problems with him before, and this village was peaceful and prosperous. People minded their own damn business but helped out when their neighbors needed them. Now, everyone is too scared to come out of their homes for fear he’s going to swoop down and eat ‘em,” Clifford said.
“What would be his motivation to do that?” Tyvin asked. “I thought dragons were solitary and didn’t like interacting with people all that often.”
“He’s gone mad, I tell ye. It’s like he has some disease or anger issue against us. He’s mighty large, too, as big as a house with six floors in it, if you can believe it,” Clifford said.
“Nobody in your village has attempted to slay him?” Adam asked.
“Well, a few men have gone off in search of his lair, but they ain’t come back…yet,” Clifford said. “Don’t think they will anytime soon, either, if you catch my drift.”
“Is there any notion or clue of where this lair is?” I asked.
“To the east, most people say. The dragon always flies away to the east, so that’s your best bet. Or you could just stay in town and wait for him to come back and try your luck then,” Clifford said.
“Wouldn’t we be risking the lives of the townspeople?” Tyvin asked.
“Their lives are already at risk. I think they would be less at risk if people were trying to fight him. Then the dragon’s atte
ntion would be on all of you and not on some poor lady just trying to play with her baby,” Clifford said.
“Well, thank you for your help with this. We will slay that dragon and be on our way to leave your village in peace,” I said.
“What feat are you on?” Clifford asked.
“The third one,” I said.
“Three? Why in the hell are you doing that many?” he asked.
“I have to do four, it’s my right and calling,” I said.
“Well I’ll be damned, you’re Kira,” he said, opening his eyes wide.
“You know who I am?” I asked.
“I told you I know Telerius, and I met your mama once, too. Nice woman, even if she does scare me to death. By the way, you four aren’t happening to stay in that inn across the way, are you?” Clifford asked.
“Yes, why?” Aidan asked.
“Watch out for that innkeeper. She’s been known to bite people. Some think she’s a werewolf. I just think she’s lost her damn marbles, but oh well. Have a good night,” Clifford said, before finishing off his drink and walking to a table with other men on the opposite side of the room.
“A werewolf?” Tyvin asked.
“I hate them,” Adam said, shaking his head, as if he’d already had to deal with one.
“We’re barricading the door tonight,” I said.
“Yup,” the guys replied in unison.
“I overheard your conversation with Clifford. He’s quite the character,” the bartender said, as he cleaned glasses with a rag behind the counter. “Here, on the house. There’s more in your future if you kill that damn lizard.” He set down four shot glasses before grabbing a bottle of darkened amber liquor and filling each of the glasses to the top.
“What’s this?” I asked.
“Something to put a little fire in your gut. You’ll need it,” he said.
The four of us shrugged, picking up the glasses and clinking them together. “To slaying a dragon,” I said. I took mine in one large gulp, the alcohol burning a hole in my throat and esophagus as it went down.
“Shit,” Aidan said, coughing a little.
“Yeah, that’s strong,” Adam said.
“Why are you giving us free alcohol?” Tyvin asked.
“I want that dragon gone, and you four are the only ones I’ve seen come to fight him who look like they have a chance. I know fae have elemental powers, and those weapons you four are sporting look up to the challenge as it is. I fear every time that thing comes back that my pub is going to burn down next,” he said.
“When was the last time he was here? The dragon,” I asked.
“About four days ago, I think. He should be coming back tomorrow,” the bartender said, just as the building shook. “Or, maybe he’s here now.” I could see the terror in his eyes as he grabbed the bottles and tried to secure them.
“Show time,” I said, before running outside.
The dragon wasn’t close, maybe a few blocks away, but damn was he huge. His body was long and cylindrical, his huge head supported by a fat neck. Long, skinny horns pushed out of his skull and gleamed in the air. Wings the size of a small town extended outwards and pinkish-purple scales adorned his body. He roared, blowing a stream of fire into the air, and I felt the heat as if I were standing in an inferno.
Villagers screamed and ran as the dragon began to take a few steps forward. He could scale so much land in such little time, his massive claws digging into the road like a sharp knife through melting butter.
“Enough of this,” Aidan said, blasting forward a massive bolt of fire that smacked the dragon in the neck. He roared, making the town’s signs and hanging lights shake and rattle.
The dragon looked down at us, spitting out a flame of his own. Aidan jumped forward, pulling up the earth below him, as a dome of rock erupted and encompassed us. The shell began to heat up instantly as the dragon’s flame continued to blast it.
Beads of sweat formed on my forehead and brow as the earthen wall began to light up from the heat. “I can’t hold it much longer, he’s too powerful,” Adam said.
“Open up a tunnel and I’ll hold the fire for as long as I can while you guys get out,” Aidan said.
“Don’t be a hero,” Tyvin said.
“It’ll be fine, I can handle it,” Aidan said.
With the inferno continuing, Adam let go, breaking open a slanted tunnel beneath us. We three ran down as the shell began to crack and crumble. Tyvin pulled Aidan inside and Adam closed it up just before I heard the shell break open above.
The dragon must’ve realized we weren’t inside any longer, because the flames stopped. We peeked our heads up out of the ground a safe distance away. The dragon, now bored, flew upwards, and we watched him go east and soon disappear from view. He was gone.
“I guess tonight wasn’t the time,” I said.
“I think I need another drink,” Adam said, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
“The heroes have returned!” the bartender yelled as we walked back into his pub. The place erupted with music and beer flew from the patrons’ glasses as they smashed them together.
“We didn’t kill him,” I said.
“But you scared him away! Who knows what that beast would’ve destroyed next if you hadn’t done what you did,” the bartender said, before pouring us some more shots.
“Oh, more of that,” Tyvin muttered under his breath.
“To our heroes!” the bartender exclaimed.
“Yeah!” the patrons replied, taking massive swigs of their drinks.
I shrugged before grabbing my drink and sucking it down. I winced, coughing a little, as I felt a fire so strong in my gut I had to wonder if I now had my own ember.
A few more drinks came, all of us getting a bit too into it, as the guys danced with the patrons and I laughed and watched. I supposed this was a much-needed break from the seriousness of my mission and these feats.
After all, this was almost over, and I would never get the joy of being here again.
11
We stumbled out of the pub an hour later, the liquor exerting its hold on us as we struggled to stay upright. I burped, convinced fire was going to come out of my mouth like the dragon’s, but it didn’t. The town’s streets were fairly empty, just a few stragglers and wanderers in the night, as we laughed and tried to keep our composure while we walked to the inn.
“What if we get eaten,” I whispered, laughing.
“She’s not a werewolf,” Tyvin said, burping up some whiskey. “She’s just, you know, different.”
The door creaked as we opened it, and I noticed a sign on top of the woman’s desk saying closed, before we snuck down the hall and up the narrow staircase that was fit more for gnomes than fae. I pulled our key from my pouch, straining my eyes as I squinted to find the keyhole.
“Where is it?” I asked, fumbling around. “There.”
I twisted the key before we walked inside and realized we’d left the windows open this entire time. The room was frigid, the drapes flapping in the short bursts of wind that flew through the openings. “Here,” Aidan said, taking a deep breath and mustering a flame in the fireplace.
Tyvin closed the windows as Adam took his weapons off and fell back into a chair. “This should warm the place up in no time,” Aidan said as the fire began to crackle, the flames dancing around the old logs inside.
I fell back into the couch as small plumes of dust puffed up on either side of me. I laughed, the guys having a little chuckle too, before I shook my head and tried to stop my vision from blurring. I was a little tipsy, possibly even drunk.
We had alcohol in our kingdom, but it wasn’t something that I dabbled in often, if at all. I supposed there were different rules for me, being a princess and all, and besides, we only really drank stuff like wine during celebrations, and not just because we wanted to have a good time.
“So, what’s the deal with you doing everything harder?” Adam asked, looking at me.
“What do you mean?”
I asked.
“Your mom, she makes you do these harder feats, right? My sister had to do one feat before she could marry,” Adam said.
“It’s because she’s royalty,” Tyvin whispered, as if I couldn’t hear him while he sat right next to me.
“Yeah, that,” I said, laughing. “My mom wants me to be prepared to lead one day, or something like that,” I said.
“That’s got to be a lot of pressure,” Aidan said.
“It’s fine, I’ve been preparing for it my entire life,” I said.
“Doesn’t make it any less hard. All those people in the kingdom looking to you for guidance. Has to be a lot of pressure,” Aidan said.
“Well, when you put it that way,” I said, laughing a little.
“Is it what you want? To lead, I mean,” Tyvin asked.
“It’s my destiny,” I said.
“That’s not what I asked. Is it what you, Kira Frost, want?” Tyvin asked, looking at me intently.
“I don’t know, I guess so. I don’t want our line to fall to another woman, that’s for sure. My family has been ruling for so long,” I said.
“And they’ve done an amazing job. You come from a long line of strong female warriors, all of them stalwart and proud. But just because those women were happy to lead doesn’t mean you have to be,” Tyvin said.
“She doesn’t have a choice,” Aidan said, walking away from the fire and sitting on my other side. “Once she’s bonded and things shift, she’ll have to lead. It’s her duty to the crown and to our people.”
“Once she’s bonded,” Adam said, scratching the back of his head.
“Quite the thing, isn’t it? I’ve been studying our customs for so long, and I’ve always been proud to be fae, but I have to admit it might the hardest custom and tradition for me to accept,” Tyvin said.
“There are other options, you know,” I said, looking around at them.
“I’ve never read of any other option, and I’ve read just about every single scroll and artifact our kingdom has available,” Tyvin said.
“What if I didn’t choose?” I asked.
