by Nathan Roden
Lucien arrayed his collection on the floor in front of him. He would move the pieces around, his lips moving but making no sound—lost in a world only he could see.
Simon once tried to join Lucien at play, but Lucien flew into a violent rage. Simon never tried again, but he did watch—from a distance.
What might have become of us had our lives been different, Brother? If fate had not dealt us such a difficult task?
If we had been born the sons of normal people. Everyday people. Might we have worked side-by-side? Would we have spent our days together—farming our land? Or tending livestock. Hunting. Fishing. Might we have shared each of life’s moments—moments of struggle, but also moments of magnificent splendor? Would we have married and watched as our children grew up and had children of their own? Might we have lived long, full lives, basking in the warmth of those we loved?
And then, Simon saw Jaclyn’s face. She smiled at him for a brief moment before fading away. Just before Simon’s world went black, he felt himself being borne away by his other family—his dragon family. In his last conscious moment, Mother Dragon pulled him to her breast.
****
Simon did not know where he was, but he had never felt worse in his life. This included the day Boone Blankenship saved him from starvation.
Simon heard the lapping of waves against the sand. The sand beneath him was cool. He did not feel the rays of the sun, but the light behind his eyelids was still too bright for him to open his eyes.
Every part of his body cried out in pain—a burning pain that felt as if his bones were on fire. Simon heard himself moan. It was all he had the strength to do.
He sensed that he was not alone. Something pushed gently against his head. He heard a sound so distant, so remote, that he was not sure it was real. He felt something against his head again, and this time he was sure of what he heard.
Soothing sounds, cooing sounds. He knew those sounds.
Mother.
Mother pushed her legs against the sand. She paused every few moments and made the sounds again while pressing her mouth against Simon’s head. She pushed the cool, wet sand over Simon’s body, leaving only his head exposed. The pain began to fade. Mother lay exhausted next to Simon, and they slept.
Fifty-Two
Simon woke with a start. The nighttime sky was clear and shone with brilliant stars. The moon watched over him—large and bright and unbelievably close.
Simon had a moment of panic. He had forgotten all about the moon’s cycle. He quickly calculated the cycle that had ruled his existence for twelve long years. He blew out a long breath and relaxed.
The full moon was still two nights away.
Simon turned his head. Mother was gone. Simon scanned the horizon and spotted her in the sky.
Simon was still buried in wet sand. He moved one leg, and then another. He felt no pain, only a cold stiffness. Simon pushed his body free of the sand and stood up. He shook his legs and rolled his head.
He had almost drowned, but there appeared to be no permanent damage.
Mother saw Simon on the beach, stretching his wings. She returned and dropped a fish at Simon’s feet. The fish was still alive, and the size of a full-grown bison.
“Thank you,” Simon said. “I really should learn to swim.”
Mother raised her head and screeched.
Simon finished eating. He spread his wings.
“I have to go and find Caleb. And Jaclyn.”
Simon knew Mother could not understand him, but he felt he had to say the words aloud. She had lost her mate—and she had saved Simon’s life.
The mountain had just come into view when Simon smelled smoke. The rain had stopped, but the beacon tower no longer burned. Simon turned and flew west over the King’s Road. Two miles away, he spotted a campfire. Not far away, he spotted another. Simon passed low over the trees, narrowing his eyes.
He saw the thing he feared the most—the banner of Morgenwraithe. The army of Morgenwraithe—Lord Sterling’s army—was poised to invade the village of Islemar.
Mother followed behind Simon, for which he was immensely grateful. Simon wondered what she would do now.
Would she return to the clan? Or would she live the rest of her life like an orphan?
Like me.
Simon landed in the clearing in front of the cave.
“Caleb!”
“Here, Simon!”
Boone, Helena, Ben, and Caleb ran to Simon. They threw their arms around him.
“Where is she? Where is Jaclyn?” Simon asked.
“We never saw her,” Boone said. “We only know she was here because Caleb told us.”
“We’ve searched for her but the rains have washed away everything,” Ben said.
“We called her name, but we were afraid the army might be near,” Helena said.
There was silence for a moment, and then Boone spoke.
“Where is the giant?”
“At the bottom of the sea.”
“Can you be certain?” Helena asked. “Can a wizard not have magic to prevent him from drowning?”
“I’ll wager his robe is bewitched!” Boone said. “He could be walking onto the shore this very moment!”
“No,” Simon said. “I would not leave such a thing to chance. I felt his life leave him. I watched him die.”
They stared at Simon, their eyes wide.
“But you can’t swim,” Boone said.
Simon shook his head.
“Mother saved me.”
“By the gods!” Helena exclaimed. “You meant to trade your life for his? You are destined to become king! You cannot be a king if you are dead!”
“I could never become king as long as Dathien lived. He killed Papa! He killed Sir Edmund! And now the other dragons have returned to the clan.”
“We still have the young ones,” Ben said. “They traveled with Captain Finn and should arrive soon.”
“Ten young dragons,” Simon said. “It will not be enough.”
Simon scowled and looked to the south.
“Please continue to search for the queen. There is something I must do.”
“No, Simon,” Caleb said. “I know what you intend to do. The Red Dragon is too powerful. He will kill you.”
Helena crossed her arms.
“Will you stop being foolish, Simon? We need you, here and now—and we will need you when the war is finished.”
Boone looked at Caleb.
“Caleb, just how big is this red dragon?”
“I haven’t seen him. I’m blind.”
Helena rolled her eyes.
“I know that!” Boone snapped.
“He is as big as Papa,” Simon said. “At the least.”
“Then you are off on yet another suicide mission,” Boone said.
“I am smarter than he is,” Simon said. “And I have learned much from Nigel and Alice about evading attacks.”
Simon glared at Boone.
“There are fifty full-grown dragons that will follow their clan leader to the ends of the earth. They are the difference between our success and our failure. The Red Dragon stands in our way.”
“If you don’t come back, we will never know what happened to you,” Helena said.
“Yes, you will,” Simon said. “Two nights from now the moon will be full. If I am still in that valley, I will be dead.”
“I’m coming with you,” Caleb said.
“No,” Simon said. “Absolutely not.”
Simon faced south and spread his wings. He pushed off—and crashed to the ground, chest-first. He tried to lift his head, but found it impossible.
“Caleb!” Simon growled. “Stop that, at once!”
Caleb pulled himself onto Simon’s back.
“Now, we can go.”
“Tell Mother to stay here,” Simon said.
“She won’t listen,” Caleb said.
****
Simon landed behind the hill, out of sight of the valley where the dragons lived. Cale
b climbed down.
“I don’t know why you insisted on coming,” Simon said.
“Maybe I can help you,” Caleb said.
“I don’t want you to help me.”
Mother sounded a series of screeches.
“What did she say?” Simon asked.
“She says I cannot use magic like Sir Edmund did. The clan will not tolerate it again.”
“You see?” Simon said. “You should have stayed with the others.”
“If you die here, someone will need to know your story. For the minstrels.”
“Please, tell me that’s not why you’re here.”
Caleb’s lip quivered, and he began to cry.
“I couldn’t help Papa. And I couldn’t help Sir Edmund. I don’t…I don’t want you to die. You are my friend.”
“I don’t want to die, Caleb. You are my friend. My good friend.”
Simon launched into the air, roaring as he passed over the hill.
The valley floor sprang to life. Dragons stood and raised their wings in defensive postures. On the horizon, dark figures grew larger. Eight dragons entered the valley and dropped fresh kills to the ground. Newborn dragons pounced on the meals.
The leader of the hunters roared, shaking the earth.
The red dragon.
There was no posturing. No opening ceremony. No ritual battle dance. And there would be no quarter.
There could be only one clan leader. The loser would never see another sunrise.
The Red flew at Simon at full speed, behind a wall of flame. Simon flew at the Red, dropped one wing and darted to his left. He changed direction again and slammed into the Red’s side.
The Red rolled twice, losing altitude. He regained his balance and roared even louder. He turned toward Simon again, not bothering with maneuvering or strategy, but relying totally on brute strength.
Simon flipped himself over and dove straight down. The Red gave chase. Simon leveled out and flew beneath the Red. He blew a blast of flame at the vulnerable area behind the Red’s breastplate. The Red screamed, halting his flight in midair. His next move caught Simon off-guard.
The Red wrapped its talons around Simon’s neck and dove toward the ground. The Red’s grip was far too strong. Simon could do nothing but watch the ground coming closer.
Simon crashed into the ground with the weight of the Red on top of him. Simon groaned and rolled onto his back. The Red got to its feet. It wobbled momentarily from the impact, but had not been hurt. The Red shook its head and roared.
It took everything Simon had to get to his feet, but he knew he had no choice. He made it into the air just as the Red dove at him.
Simon flew toward the hill. The Red spread its wings. The dragon clan screeched their approval. The noise echoed off of the valley walls.
Simon landed, his lungs burning. He tried to make fire, but produced only a pitiful short burst.
“Caleb. I’m afraid it’s almost over. Take Mother and go. Tell the others…tell them I love them.”
“Tell them yourself,” Caleb said. He raised his hands and began to chant words that Simon did not understand.
“No, Caleb. I don’t—”
Simon was hit with a wave of nausea. And then a wave of dizziness. His vision became cloudy. He tingled all over as if he had been struck by lightning.
“What are you doing, Caleb? Stop—!”
Simon blinked hard. Caleb and Mother were…they were…shrinking!
“Caleb! Stop!”
The tingling sensation went away. The nausea stopped. Simon’s vision came back to normal. If anything, his vision was even clearer than before.
Simon raised his wings. He looked out to his side.
Caleb and Mother were not shrinking after all.
He had grown. He had grown a lot.
Simon looked down. Caleb lay on the ground, curled into a ball.
“Caleb!”
Simon and Mother bent down.
“Caleb, what’s wrong?”
“Hurry, Simon,” Caleb croaked. “It will not…last.”
“I cannot leave you like this!”
Caleb raised his head.
“Go!”
Simon flew back to the valley. The noise from the dragon clan died down when they saw Simon return. The challenger had come back to the valley much larger than when he left.
The Red took no pause for such thoughts. Its only thoughts were born of rage and the desire to end the challenger’s life.
Once again the Red flew directly at Simon. This time, Simon did not turn away.
The dragons collided head-on at full speed. Simon blacked out, but only for a moment. The Red did not fare as well. It tried to pull up before crashing into the ground but its wings bottomed out. The Red’s chest hit the ground, followed by its chin. It rolled end-over-end, finally coming to a stop.
The entire valley fell silent.
A lone screech sounded.
The Red’s mate.
The Red pushed to its feet. It shook its head, roared, and returned to the sky. The Red zeroed in on Simon and pushed itself forward. Simon lowered his head and drove himself at the Red. This time, the Red flinched and veered to its right. Simon felt a surge well up inside him. His senses came alive, all at once.
He tasted victory. He smelled it in the air. He felt it in his bones. He heard it in the brazen silence of the clan.
And he saw it in the eyes of the Red.
Something crashed into Simon’s side, knocking his breath from him and sending him tumbling through the air. He recovered in time to see his new attacker—
The Red’s mate.
Mother was right on her tail.
Simon snapped his head around and located Caleb. The boy stood on top of the hill, listening. And waiting. Simon swore to himself. Now everyone was in danger—and he didn’t know how long Caleb’s spell would last.
The Red circled overhead and then dove at Simon again.
Simon roared.
“This ends—now!”
Simon flew at the Red, but he dipped to his left at the last second. He snapped his jaws down on the middle of the Red’s wing. He whipped his head back and forth, side-to-side, with every bit of strength he had. The Red screamed in agony, helpless to do anything.
There was a loud snap! followed by a horrible ripping sound.
Half of the Red’s wing was torn from its body. Blood sprayed into the air while the red dragon screamed. The Red fell helplessly to the ground, crashing onto its left side.
The Red’s mate dove for the ground. Mother blindsided her, sending both of them rolling across the valley floor.
Simon dove at the Red. The Red rolled onto its back, spraying fire at Simon.
Simon kept coming. He turned to the side, shielding his vulnerable belly. He changed direction in an instant and kicked the Red with both of his back legs.
Simon landed. He approached the Red, warily. The Red tried to raise its head but was unable to get to its feet.
Simon heard the distant voice inside his head. His conscience. His…humanity, trying to intervene.
The contest is over. The victory is yours. The winner is clear.
Simon squeezed his eyes shut. He shook his head.
No. It does not work that way—not in the world of dragons…
Simon looked into the reptilian eyes that surrounded him. Watching. Waiting…
Simon grabbed the red dragon’s head with his front talons. He slammed its head to the ground.
He did it again. And again.
And it was all over.
Mother moved to Simon’s side. The Red’s mate charged at them, until Simon and Mother bathed her in fire. The Red female turned and retreated. She loosed an anguished cry and disappeared beyond the horizon.
Simon bent over, his chest heaving. His adrenaline began to subside, leaving him exhausted. He began to shiver. That was what he thought it was, at first.
Caleb’s spell was wearing off.
A member of the dragon
clan flew to where the red dragon lay. It put its head against the red dragon’s chest. The dragon rose up and sounded a series of screeches. The other dragons answered in kind. Mother added her voice.
The only person who could tell Simon what was happening stood behind him, on the top of the hill. The tingling that ran through Simon’s body continued.
He was shrinking.
Simon launched into the air. The screeching of the clan grew louder.
“I’m sorry,” Simon said aloud, into the wind. “I cannot stay for the coronation.”
He flew to the hill and landed on the other side, behind Caleb.
“You did it!” Caleb said. He hugged Simon’s leg.
“No, we did it, Caleb. I would rather they did not watch me become smaller before their eyes. Right now, it may be too much for them to comprehend. I need for you to stay with Mother and lead the clan to Islemar.”
“But—!”
“No argument this time, Caleb. You are the only one who can communicate with them. I have to find Jaclyn before Sterling does.”
“You’re putting me in charge of the dragon clan? I’m…I’m just a boy.”
“You have never been ‘just a boy’, Caleb.”
Mother landed next to them. Simon stepped toward her and laid his head against her neck.
“We did it, Mother. Bless you.”
Fifty-Three
Simon started the long journey back to the north. He flew at a high altitude and dozed for much of the way. By the time his destination was in view, most of the day was spent. He could see the faint outline of that night’s moon—the last moon before his transformation into a man.
Simon landed in the clearing. He checked the cave. He walked to the stake that Jaclyn had been lashed to. He swung his talon at it, severing the stake in half.
The air was unbelievably still and quiet. Simon stepped to the west. A wave of sorrow overwhelmed him.
He could not leave. Not yet.
Simon walked down the path to the north, dreading the scene that lay ahead. He stopped for a moment and took a deep breath. His friends had done what they could.
