The Dragon and Princess Madeline

by Kirstin Pulioff

  “I never understood what she meant,” King Theodore sighed, settling down onto the edge of the bed.

  “What’s that, my king?” the steward asked, repositioning the pillows and refilling the oil in the lanterns beside him.

  An audible grunt escaped the king as he pushed his body back. His eyes glistened in the candlelight. He looked between the candle, the window, and his steward.

  “It’s nothing,” he grumbled, his eyes wandered to the window once more. His steward continued putting things in order. The king sighed. “It was just something Eleanor used to say. Whenever there was a problem, when I would get mad, she would always look at me with those patient eyes of hers and tell me, ‘Look for the rainbow, wait for the rainbow. It will solve your problem.’ Over the years, I have sought that rainbow for many things: wars, tournaments, even Madeline’s betrothal. I’ve needed a rainbow every day of my life since she’s left. It hasn’t been easy.”

  “Losing someone never is, my king.”

  “No, but finding a rainbow should be.” Coughing uncontrollably, he leaned over in agony as he tried to catch his breath.

  “Instead, all I see is that dragon—staring at me, mocking me, terrorizing me, all day. I just wish a rainbow would come to answer this problem.”

  “It will, it will,” his steward pacified him, lending him his arm with a saddened smile. “Now back to sleep before you hurt yourself again.”

  The king did not argue, but his eyes focused out on the horizon.

  Under the watchful eye of the new king, the courtyard filled with stockpiles of supplies and battle gear. Over the passing of a week, it had seemed to drown under the massive piles. The heart of the castle, known for its cheerful dances and harmonious chatter disappeared under the threat of imminent battle.

  King Braden had never commanded a battle before. His experience began and ended with the siege last fall. His head pounded with contradicting thoughts. Every moment a new strategy, a new face to worry about, or a concerned voice wiggled its way in, demanding the attention of his heart and mind.

  Braden rubbed his temples, listening to the rhythmic clashing of metal, the knights’ footsteps, and the thumping of the dragon above. An unspoken routine had formed over the past days, numbing the fear of the dragon in his mind. Braden looked up, watching the dragon move from the forest toward the castle, hypnotized by the ease of its movement through the air. The pressure of the air pressed against his body as the beast swoop passed him.

  “Men!” King Braden yelled. “Mark my words. As prophesied, the time of the dragons is here. We will no longer sit idly in terror of this beast. It is time to recapture what is ours, what has always been ours. The red dragon didn’t stand a chance against Soron; the green won’t either. Men, join me in battle. For the kingdom of Soron and our people, this dragon will be no more.”

  Silver light blinded him as the sun reflected off their raised swords. Power rushed through him. Looking at his men, he saw their determination, strength and devotion to him.

  “Grab your gear and follow me!” King Braden commanded, charging toward the gate.

  The men rushed behind him, grabbing what they could carry from the piles of gear and supplies. Forgotten armor, fallen arrows, and overturned boxes of bread littered the square as the knights left. The echoes of their heavy steps over the cobblestone dwindled into a resounding silence.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  The red banners of Soron streaked through the sky as the king and his knights charged out of the castle. The warm winds of the afternoon brushed against them as the steel gates slammed shut. Stealing a quick glance backward, King Braden saw the charred surface of the castle walls, the burned flags, and haphazardly hanging banners. He clenched his jaw to stop the gut-wrenching feeling from spreading. His childhood home was at war again, and this time he would save it himself. He charged through the village.

  They rode past the tournament field, noting the piles of ash that continued to fall from the brittle beams. The strength of its foundation was damaged beyond repair. Braden took in the ruins, the few salvageable pieces, and steeled himself for the responsibility ahead.

  He fixed his gaze on the dragon, perched atop the tallest trees along the forest edge, and charged through the curved roads leading past the village. The trees swayed beneath the dragon’s weight as it opened its wings and swung its long tail around. The large head swiveled, watching them with dark, beady eyes.

  The dragon followed Braden’s path carefully. As soon as they reached the wheat field separating the village from the forest, it took to the sky. Brandishing his sword, Braden ordered his men to spread out over the field, positioning for attack.

  “Arrows, on my mark,” he yelled. “Now!”

  The air filled with arrows.

  The green dragon swooped high, darting quickly to the side to avoid the arrows. Its tail, a spade-shaped spike, carved the air, as fluid as a serpent and precise as a bird. The beast’s shriek rumbled through the air, and Braden covered his ears as the sound struck him. His breath caught in his chest as the dragon met his eyes in challenge.

  Closing in on the forest edge, he kicked his horse one final time. The dragon spat fire in their path. His horse reared up as the flames claimed several of the bushes around him. Sulfur smoke filled their eyes and noses, making it hard to see or think. With a quick wave, he ordered his men further into the forest until the canopies covered the sky and hid them from the dragon.

  Small glimmers of green shone through the open patches above them. Braden looked up, watching the shadow pass overhead, listening to its shrieks. An idea formed in his head. His men came quickly at his call, their faces smudged with dirt and soot.

  King Braden kept his voice down and drew his plan on the ground. They dropped their faceplates and moved back, creating a wide circle around him.

  He lifted his hand and counted down on his fingers. When he reached zero, he threw his head back and roared. He screamed with every ounce of emotion, every bit of rage, calling up his battle cry to the dragon.

  Answering his call, the branches above him burst into flame. Burning embers fell down on him, small burns catching beneath his armor, sizzling, refreshing his memory of his father. He screamed as the dragon burst through the trees above him, sending a flurry of leaves and branches around him. His men watched as Braden raced recklessly towards it, his sword raised high.

  With a great jump, Braden threw himself at the dragon, bouncing off with a thud. He swung his sword over and over, connecting with the scales. The sword slid off, leaving the scales unscathed. He watched his men charge from all sides, unable to penetrate the dragon’s natural armor.

  “We will not lose, we cannot lose! Show her what Soron does to dragons,” Braden yelled, desperation in his voice as he chopped at the scales.

  In response, the dragon roared up, twisting its long neck and tail. It swung at the men, knocking them off their feet and throwing them into the tree trunks.

  The dragon’s neck recoiled as it focused on Braden, lying still at the base of a tree. Without his helmet, the deep welts and circles under his eyes were darkened by soot. Soft circles of smoke puffed from the dragon’s nostrils as it walked closer.

  Braden’s head pounded, and nausea rolled over him in a wave as he tried to sit up. When he re-opened his eyes, the dragon stared at him, face to face. Digging his feet in the ground, Braden pushed himself back as far as he could, against the base of the tree. His only way out stared him in the eyes. Jumping to his feet, he grabbed for his sword and took a deeper stance.

  “It looks like it’s just you and me then,” he said under his breath, fire in his eyes.

  He feinted to the left and darted to the right, catching enough speed to move behind the dragon’s neck and scurry onto its back. His leather shoes slid down the slick surface of the scales. Fear gripped him as he lost traction, and his fingers slipped off the soft ridges. In a last effort, he grabbed his daggers, slamming them into its back at an upward angle to penetrat
e between the overlap of the scales.

  Braden threw his head back and a wave of relief rushed through him. Looking around from the neck of the dragon, Braden saw exactly what they needed to do to bring her down. The dragon was big, powerful, and awkward in the small space between trees. If they led her towards the denser trees, there might be a chance to restrain her wings and pin her down. It seemed to be a long shot, but right now it was their only option.

  Braden whistled for his knights’ attention. Their heads shot up, watching him circle his arms, gesturing their strategy. In the blur of a moment, his men scurried off.

  Braden took a deep breath and rubbed his brow, feeling his sweat drip off to the side. His heart pounded in anticipation as the dragon’s wings bounced, trying to knock him off its neck. Braden laughed heartily, relishing the thrill of control.

  One by one, he carefully removed the daggers and plunged them higher to climb the narrow neck. He climbed slowly, careful to keep his movements balanced.

  Without warning, the dragon rammed herself into the branches of the trees. Braden barely held on, sputtering as branches stuck in his hair, nearly knocking him off. Twigs jabbed him as it turned around and rubbed its long neck along the rough bark.

  He gritted his teeth, fighting the pain in his back, and looked up at his gleaming dagger, ready to end it all. One more deep plunge, he thought, pulling the dagger loose.

  His left foot slipped on a falling leaf, leaving him hanging, suspended by one knife. Braden held on in desperation, knowing two things for sure. If he dropped from here, he would be injured, and if he didn’t, he’d probably still get hurt. His breath started to sting as his throat tightened between the two choices. There wasn’t time to decide. The dragon leapt to the other side, swinging Braden from the back of its neck to the front. He now hung beneath its powerful jaw. The dragon bent down. Braden’s fingers slipped and his body slithered down the scales, landing with a thud by its feet.

  His head pounded. He opened his eyes to see a big mouth, small black eyes, and a cruel dragon smile.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  The air quieted and the rumbling subsided as rocks and dust settled back to the ground. When Madeline opened her eyes, it was dark all around her. She coughed, finding it hard to catch her breath between the dusty air and the rocks pressing against her body. Her ribs ached; the tip of a sharp rock lodged between them, keeping her breath short and labored.

  “Daniel? Elias? Sophia?” she called out breathlessly, hoping someone was near enough to answer.

  Mumbles surrounded her.

  “I’m over here.” Madeline heard a trembling, familiar voice. Madeline could see Sophia in her mind, holding back tears.

  “I’m here with Sophia,” Emmett coughed, putting her at ease. She jumped as someone grabbed her hand, grimacing as the rock poked her further.

  “I’m here too, always by your side,” Daniel said, finding her hand in the darkness. Madeline tried to choke back her tears of relief, but they fell anyway. They were all there. Relief washed over her as she heard the grunts of people freeing themselves.

  “Elias?” Madeline asked, seeing a soft pulsating light out of the corner of her eye.

  “I’m over here,” he said, brushing the dirt and dust off his robe. Soft rumbles continued around them as they tried to uncover themselves from the fallen rubble. Sparks of light formed behind her as the wizards relit their wands and torches, illuminating fearful faces and highlighting new cuts and bruises.

  With the dust in the air, an illusion of mist hung over them, illuminated by the wands.

  “What is that?” she asked, more to herself than anyone. At the other end of the tunnel, away from their group, a light glowed. She pushed the rocks off herself, unconsciously dropping Daniel’s hand and walking toward the light, kicking the rocks aside carelessly as she strode forward. She tripped, tearing the bottom of her dress and scraping her knees and hands. She bit her lip, attempting to stand up and keep her emotions under control. Hidden holes in the uneven ground trapped her foot, tossing her to the ground again, tearing more of her dress and exposing her green necklace.

  “We have a problem, Elias,” she said with a measured breath. The tension in her voice carried through more clearly than she’d intended. The cave went silent as all eyes focused on her and her necklace.

  “Why is your necklace glowing, Madeline?” Daniel asked, jumping up with concern. Everyone else took a step back.

  “I haven’t had time to explain everything,” she started, seeing his wide eyes and furrowed brow.

  “Oh my,” Elias said under his breath, pushing himself to his feet. “This is quite a surprise.” He walked toward her, trying to find a reason for its sudden luminescence.

  “Is it burning you?” he asked.

  “Burning you?” Daniel asked. “What is going on?”

  “Daniel, please don’t worry,” she said, reaching out for his hand. “This shell is more of a treasure than you knew. But it wasn’t a shell that you found in the mountains. It’s a scale.”

  “A scale, like a fish scale?” he asked incredulously.

  “Well, more like a dragon scale.” Madeline tried to laugh, but her face refused to smile.

  “What!” Daniel exclaimed. The wall closest to them started to crumble. “What?” he asked again in a hushed voice.

  Madeline heard some of the men exhale, and Emmett gave a low whistle. She felt bad, seeing the confusion in Daniel’s face, and pulled him closer to explain in secrecy.

  “I know. It’s hard to believe, but just listen. Do you remember the way it flashed beneath Dragon’s Gate earlier in the spring when we first visited it? It wasn’t just reflecting the sun.” Her excitement sped her words until they raced as fast as her heart. She spared a quick glance at Elias before continuing at a softer volume. “There’s more. Just a week ago, when the dragon first appeared above the castle, the scale burned me. It lit up and burned me then, and now it’s glowing again. This isn’t a coincidence; that same dragon must be near.” She saw Daniel’s face tighten at her words.

  “A dragon? Madeline, there’s no room here for a dragon.” He looked around.

  Madeline glanced around them as Daniel’s voice rose above her whisper. Heads shot up at the mention of a dragon. With her raised eyebrows, she shot Daniel a warning.

  Sophia ran up to them, her hair and face covered in a dark powder, her mouth open to speak. For once, all words escaped her as her eyes focused on Madeline’s neck. Her mouth dropped, and she searched Madeline’s face for an explanation.

  Ignoring Sophia, Madeline faced Daniel. “If it’s not a dragon, how else would you explain it? It’s the only thing that makes sense. Maybe not underground with us, maybe above. I don’t know.” Her eyes stung, holding back her tears, wishing that the truth didn’t sound so crazy.

  “Elias, what do we do?” she asked spinning around to find the robed wizard.

  Elias appeared to be lost in thought. “Madeline, what were you doing? You were going somewhere when this started. Where were you going?”

  “I don’t know exactly. I saw light in the other direction, and I wanted to see what it was. It seemed important…” she trailed off, pointing down the tunnel to the illuminated mist. “It’s just like that mist I told you I was seeing, only much brighter.”

  “Stay here,” Elias ordered. “Daniel, please bring some of your men, and Emmett, come with your wand.”

  Trails of dirt fell behind her as she squeezed to the side of the tunnel to allow them through.

  Sophia climbed next to her, her face stained where the streams of tears had dried. A soft brown film clung to the tendrils of her red hair, framing her face. Madeline nudged closer, offering silent support, feeling Sophia shudder.

  “Oh Sophia,” Madeline said, pulling her into her arms. “What have I gotten you involved in this time?” Madeline looked ahead, listening to the muffled sobs next to her and the grunts from the men moving the rock.

  A tremble ran through her body
as the men collectively gasped.

  “Princess!” Elias yelled. “Take that necklace off and come here!”

  She had been yelled at many times in her life, but this was different. Elias’s voice teemed with urgency too strong to be missed but held no anger or disappointment. Without a thought, she detached the necklace and ran towards them, catching her breath in the same way they had.

  A soft green glow drew her eyes downward. Partially covered under a blanket of small rocks, several illuminated orbs nestled together. Dirt and mud stained the magical etchings along the surface, showing delicate spirals and interwoven marks mimicking the appearance of scales.

  “Are those what I think they are?” she asked, her whispering voice full of wonder. The scale in her hand gleamed brighter than ever but did not burn.

  Elias looked at her, the light from below pulsating off him, deepening the shadows that cloaked his face. “Yes, they are.”

  “Dragon eggs,” she whispered, awe and fear mixing together in her voice as her eyes swept over the unhatched eggs. “What do we do?” Madeline’s eyes searched Elias’s hooded gaze for an answer.

  “Madeline, didn’t you say that your dreams were blocked by a green mist?” Elias asked, supporting her elbow as she stepped down.

  “Yes…” she hesitated.

  “A green mist, like this?” he pressed.

  Madeline’s mouth dropped as she looked more closely at the eggs. “Exactly like that.”

  Elias smiled, rubbing his chin. “We’ve solved the mystery.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “If we look at the timing, it appears your dreams started when the green dragon became active again in our territory. With that scale reactivated by her presence, it must have been blocking your dreams with visions of these eggs.”

  She stared back with a blank expression.

  “I’m taking that as an indicator that we are where we need to be, and can now do what we need to do.”