Dragons and Mages: A Limited Edition Anthology

by Pauline Creeden

  Deanna nodded, the weight of the decision being placed on her shoulders palpable. She picked up her lantern, the battery dead and in need of recharging, then hurried back to her house. She checked her cell phone, noting there still wasn’t any signal. She stepped into her yard. No one had arrived yet.

  She went inside and washed her face in the sink. She changed clothes and fired up her grill to boil water. She had some instant coffee left in her emergency stash thank goodness. At least she’d be caffeinated.

  A car pulled up. She met it out front as she was stirring her coffee, and the driver introduced himself as the insurance inspector. She asked if he needed her, and other than answering a few questions, he didn’t. She went inside, flipping on a light switch out of habit. Still no power. Which meant no internet either. She sighed and sat down, sipping her coffee. At least she had that.

  As much as she knew the coming repairs to her house and property, not to mention getting a new car, would be stressful, it paled compared to the plight of the dragons. Tell others? Let them know? Leje wanted to see Dr. Bijan when he arrived. But why? Was she taking the decision out of Deanna’s hands?

  A chattering pulled Deanna from her thoughts. The orange dragon fluttered outside the door. Deanna hurried to it, opening it. “You can’t be here. What if he sees you?”

  The orange dragon landed on her shoulder and rubbed against her with happy churrchurr noises. The dragon suddenly straightened, and with a chirp, flew into the bedroom.

  The insurance adjustor knocked on the door.

  Deanna let him in and they sat at the table where he told her how he’d calculated the damage, her deducible for both the car and the house, and relayed the check she’d receive. She stared at the number in shock. It’d take that much money to fix her house? She thanked him and accepted his list of contractors, happy to have a place to look. He left.

  Come play for us. There’s time. Leje’s voice filled her mind with a warm encouragement that reminded Deanna of sleeping snuggling up next to the dragons.

  She gathered her coronet, wondering why the mother dragon reached out to her now. Maybe it was because she’d finally seen her. The damage to her house and the splintered trees testified to the storm's power, and yet, if it introduced her to Leje, then perhaps it wasn’t all bad. Except why now? Why after all these years?

  Tucking her coronet under her arm and zipping her hoodie, Deanna returned to the woods. The dragon’s presence drew her, as if she couldn’t be without it for a while. In the daylight it was easier to return to the cave where the dragon sat just inside the entrance dozing.

  I would like to hear you before I leave.

  “Leave?” Deanna sat on a large boulder. “Where are you going?”

  It is mating time again. I will accompany my son to the new academy and then go onto our ancestral grounds before I return. My hundred year journey. I will eat and grow fat before my consort arrives here and I come home.

  “You’ve been here a hundred years?” She laid the instrument across her lap.

  Longer, but yes. Once in a hundred years, we mate before periodically laying eggs. Your grandmother used to play for me often. Your mother wanted little to do with this.

  “You knew them.” Deanna bit her lip, realizing with her mother’s long hours, and her grandmother never revealing anything, just how much she’d missed out on.

  I did. Please play. Something nice and upbeat.

  Deanna brought the instrument to her lips, magic tingling through her. She played a vintage jazz tune, one her grandmother had trained her on during some early lessons. The music reminded her of her family, of sitting in her grandmother’s lap listening to stories, reminders not to lose her heritage, all the while her grandmother brushed her hair. When the song ended, she played another one. Magic danced on the tips of her fingers, orange sparks much like the dragon who’d accompanied her. The energy flickered, waved and bowed in time to the music content just to be.

  While she played, the other dragons joined Leje, some landing on her back, others on stumps and parts of trees that littered the ground. They moved and swayed, enjoying the music. A large deep gold male stepped from the cage, maybe half the size of Leje, but still much larger than any who had accompanied her.

  My son, Eklan.

  “He’s gorgeous,” Deanna said.

  Thank you. He would like to meet with your doctor when he comes. We have discussed this.

  Then the answer had been given and she needed to—what? Her desire to play faltered and she set her instrument down on her lap. “Then you’ve made the decision? It’s not in my hands.”

  Leje strode forward. She rested one clawed hand gently on Deanna’s leg. Warmth seeped through her jeans where the dragon touched her, and the desire to cover the scaled hand with her own moved her to do just that. Your job is so much more important. You must learn the dragon magic so you can nurture my children. The Musimagium would call you a Draco Magus, a member of a very rare and special order. I believe the doctor will tell you more. You may find additional allies. Now play. For it is through playing for us you will find the magic. Leje removed her hand and bowed her head.

  Deanna lifted the coronet and worked through several band pieces that she’d played in school. The more she played, the deeper her connection became with the dragons. The orange dragon landed on her knee, bobbing his head in tune to the music. A Dragon Sprite. The words filled her mind along with a picture of the dragon flitting from branch to branch during a greener time. I’m yours.

  Her notes faltered, though she quickly recovered. A dragon of her own? A dragon mage? Her mind swirled with all the possibilities. Something told her she needed to get back to her house, so she wrapped up her song. “I have to go,” she said.

  You have visitors coming. They heard the music. Be careful, draco magus. You have secrets to guard. Leje turned her head toward the cave and Eklan, along with the smaller dragons, scurried into it.

  Deanna stood and hurried down the path, deciding that if she had people hired to fix her house, the next thing she could do would be to clear the path. Maybe she’d even get Dr. Bijan to help her as part of his dragon research. Smiling at the thought, she emerged into her front yard just as Chet pulled up in his blue truck.

  A cap from the local feed store sat on his head, pulled down low over his brow, and he wore a Carhartt jacket in deference to the early spring chill in the air. “We were checking the cattle in the lot closest to the forest and heard music.” He glanced at her coronet. “So that was you. Not the country we listen to, but nice. You were playing in the woods?”

  She smiled and kept her instrument tucked beneath her arm. “Yeah. Cheers me up to play. Seemed like the thing to do. Everything okay with your cows? They didn’t get hurt by the storm?”

  “All good. Thanks for asking. Mostly, Paula wanted me to check on you. See if you need anything.”

  “Maybe I can use your phone later, but I have instant coffee and food, so I’m good. You hear from the electric company?”

  “Nope. Okay then. Um, don’t worry about bothering us with your music. It was kind of nice, and I think the cows liked it too.” He touched the brim of his hat, then got into his truck. She watched him turn around and head back to his place.

  Deanna chuckled with the thought that his cows liked the music, though she knew some mages had animal companions. Maybe a cow could be one of them. Not for her though. Too big and too much work. She picked up her instrument and went inside.

  Dr. Bijan appeared as Deanna pulled her chainsaw and gas, along with brush cutters and a pair of leather gloves from her garden shed. She put them in her wheelbarrow, thinking she’d need something to move the debris out of the way and went to meet him. He stepped out of the car, tall and broad shouldered, probably at least six foot, if not more. He wore a chambray shirt with pockets, the sleeves rolled up to reveal tanned forearms. A long scar, puckered like a burn, ran up the back of his right arm. His worn jeans and hiking boots wouldn’t be out of place
in town, and he was clean shaven, his dark hair short and spiky.

  “Hello, I’m Dr. Khalid Bijan. You must be Deanna. I’m glad I could make it. I trust you are okay after the storm.” He strode forward and held out his hand.

  Immediately, he put her at ease. Leje wanted to see him, which must mean that he was known to the dragons somehow. She shook his hand, liking his strong, but not overbearing grip. “I am. Thanks. The house needs work, but it’s fixable.”

  He glanced at the carport. “Looks like your car is totaled. If you need to go into town or anything, I’ve got the rental.”

  “Sounds good. Why don’t we go inside? Most of the house is still intact and I can get you something to drink. We don’t have electricity, but I’m hopeful it won’t be too long. Can I help you carry anything?” She wiped her hands on her jeans in case she’d gotten them dirty.

  “I’ve got it all on a hiking frame.” He opened the back door and slid out a large metal frame with several bundles including what appeared to be a rolled up prayer rug next to a sleeping bag. He slid his arms through the straps. “I’ve got everything here.” A small, thin bag tied to the top looked like some kind of instrument case. She knew better than to ask what he played. Among mages that was considered rude.

  “Then I’ll get the door.” Deanna opened the door, noting that a warm almost pinon or maybe roasted olive scent emanated from him. She likened it to the aroma she’d smelled next to Leje, only less sharp and hot. She followed him inside, letting him know he could take his things to the first guest bedroom down the hall. “Would you like hot or iced tea? Or water?” she offered.

  “Warm tea would be good. It’s chilly today.” He disappeared down her hall.

  Deanna went to the kitchen and filled her pot, then took it outside to the grill, lighting the coals. Sooner than she expected, her guest stood next to her. “It won’t take too long, Dr. Bijan,” she said.

  “Call me, Khalid.” His brows furrowed. “You’re not yet a Draco Magus, are you?”

  Chapter 5

  “No. I guess not. How can you tell?” Deanna turned back to the sputtering coals. She’d added some from the bag, but it’d gotten rained on and was still damp. She activated her lighter and held it to the coals. They struggled to catch.

  “Because you didn’t do this.” Khalid whistled a short tune and then his eyes glowed yellow. A moment later the coals lit, flames dancing across their surface.

  Deanna gasped. “No, I can’t do that.”

  “Didn’t think so. You didn’t smell like a Draco Magus.” He smiled. “That’s not a bad thing. I’ve only met a few and no women, though sadly they don’t train their female mages in the Middle East and North Africa where I’ve spent most of my time. Your message was the first I’d received talking about dragons in America.”

  A strange feeling settled over her, as if she might ought to be offended that they didn’t train female mages where he’d been mingled with a feeling of being special. “How many have you met?”

  “A handful. It’s not common. But then again, neither are dragons. Where are yours?”

  The casual way he tossed out the question worried her. “What kind of work have you done with dragons?” she asked, hoping to deflect his inquiry.

  “Mostly field studies.” He talked about observing them in the wild, doing behavior analysis, even working with a Draco Magus in southern Egypt for a year to document the training of his young apprentice.

  The water boiled and Deanna brought the kettle back into the house and filled their mugs. She made a sandwich for herself and offered to make one for him. She’d saved a package of pork chops and another frozen tube of hamburger in a cooler filled with ice. She’d cook them this evening and then take the hamburger out to the dragons. Whether or not Khalid accompanied her remained an open question.

  “You’re hesitant to have me see your dragons,” he said. “I could show my credentials, the work that I’ve done. At least when your power is restored.”

  A knock on the door interrupted him.

  “Just a moment.” Deanna went to the door, expecting to see Chet or Paula. Instead, a red truck with the electric company’s logo parked diagonally in her driveway. “Yes. Can I help you?” She smiled at the older man, hoping he’d give her the good news that she had power back and could take a hot shower. Washing with cold water in the sink sucked.

  “We wanted to let you know that we’ll have your power back up and running sometime tomorrow. The inspector needs to review everything and make sure that there isn’t any danger in turning the power back on. We’ve turned it off at the meter. Sorry about the delay, but the storm did more damage than we thought. Our crews worked as fast as they could,” he said.

  “Understandable. Thanks for letting me know.” She tempered her disappointment with the fact that no doubt they’d done all they could do and were keeping her informed.

  “Thanks for your understanding, ma’am. We won’t bother you tomorrow, but we’ll let you know once you’re turned back on. Looks like we must change where the power comes into your house. Is your breaker box on the second floor?”

  “No, the first. In the laundry area. The first floor is fine. No damage.”

  “Good. Then we’ll figure that out tomorrow. Thanks.” He turned and headed back to his truck.

  Deanna shut the door, but not before the orange dragon flew in. She turned, hoping Khalid couldn’t see from the dining room and shooed the orange dragon down the hall. He went, ducking upstairs, presumably to her bedroom. Great. Now she had to worry about a curious juvenile dragon showing himself before she was ready. Just because Leje wanted to see him, didn’t mean she expected him to see her children, and a strange over protectiveness filled her, as if they were her children and she needed to protect them.

  “You know,” Khalid said as if their conversation hadn’t been interrupted. “If you were a fully trained Draco Magus, you could see in the dark. Actually, most apprentices can do that. I have the detailed notes from the elder magus in Egypt.” He smiled, his teeth flashing white against dark skin.

  “You? Train me in dragon magic?” She frowned. “That wouldn’t make me a part of the Musimagium, would it?”

  “You make it sound like that’s a bad thing. Have you listened to the rumors about us? That we’ll corrupt you and make you one of us, beholden to our rules and regulations.” He sipped his tea. “Other than the ethics of magic, which frankly most magical people comply with anyway unless they’re psychopaths, there are those who are part of the pomp and circumstance and those who aren’t. Like me.”

  She still didn’t quite trust him. Her grandmother had spoken about the magical civil rights movement, how difficult it was for mages of color to gain any sort of recognition. That Khalid sat before her, with his PhD in Magical Creatures of the Desert, probably should reassure her. It didn’t. He was a man, and he’d studied in Cairo and London. “They don’t have a good history,” she said. “I’m not sure their present is much better.”

  “Ahh. Yes. There are those who still believe in the old ways, who feel that some mages are getting above their station. But I think you’d be pleasantly surprised. But no, you don’t have to become a card-carrying member. I’d be happy to teach you what I know without requiring your admission into the Musimagium.” He finished his tea.

  She refilled his cup and offered him another tea bag, providing a saucer for him to put his used one on so she could compost it. “Good,” she replied. “Then I’m interested in hearing more.”

  Khalid chuckled over his cup of tea. “If all you know about the Musimagium is what you hear on the frequencies, then no wonder you think they’re horrible. A lot of those guys just like to hang out on air and gripe about things, without realizing that the world has changed and to some extent the organization has changed with it. You can’t expect to move forward while you are living in the past.”

  “I learned the past informs the present, but if you say they’ve changed, then I’ll give you the benefit
of the doubt. Like you said, I don’t have to be a member of the organization to learn. So talk to me about what you want to do here and about the training.”

  They spent the rest of the afternoon talking about dragons. The conversation continued into the next day with a pause to eat and rest before picking up again. At some point, the electric company came and turned back on the power, which gave her the Internet. Her cell phone resumed service, and she took a few moments to call the companies suggested and make an appointment for one to come out the next day and survey the damage. By then, it was late afternoon, and Khalid helped her begin the arduous task of cleaning out the refrigerator since all the food was spoiled and the freezer where most of the food was still okay since it’d been just a little over two days. She’d double check everything over later. Khalid accompanied her on a trip into town to get the basics. By the time they returned, it was dark and she was exhausted.

  “We’ll start in the morning,” Khalid said.

  “That sounds good. I’ll get dinner started and then we can make a plan,” Deanna replied.

  Khalid went to the downstairs spare bedroom to take care of his belongings while she made a beef and vegetable stir-fry, happy to have her coffee maker back. She’d be looking forward to that in the morning.

  While the meat simmered, she hurried upstairs to her bedroom. She’d cracked a window and noticed the small orange dragon was gone. Closing her eyes, she focused on Leje. Is it safe? She worried the small dragon had left because of Khalid’s presence. An image of the small creature sleeping, nose tucked under its wings after a meal of a pack rat filled her mind. No words, though a sense of safety and contentment radiated from him. She took the image to mean that it was safe, that he’d just been out hunting and was sleeping. She left the window open in case he wanted to return before she went to bed, then hurried downstairs.

  “You were talking to them, weren’t you?” Khalid sat in the living room, his laptop open. “Oh, and I need your Wi-Fi password.”