by Katrina Cope
Well, look at you. You almost look like a miniature dragon but without the nasty teeth and fire.
Pride fills my chest, and I can’t help but parade in front of her a few more times.
I don’t know if she picks up on my pride or if she means it: What you’ve made is completely awesome.
“Do you think that it will hold against a sword?” I spread it out wide, looking it over as I pose in front of Elan.
I don’t know. Let’s see.
I take the jacket off and hang it over a rock, spreading it out with the scales facing out. Pulling my sword from its sheath, I swing it directly at the scaled area. A loud clatter sounds, and the sword bounces away, letting the full force hit my sword. I drop the sword when the vibrations rattle up my arm. I dash to the cloak and have a look at the scales that I hit. Not one of them is dented.
“Look at that, Elan!” I can’t contain my excitement. “This may even be stronger than a shield. What’s even better, it protects more of my body.”
And that is worth its gold! It even looks like me.
I weave my arm back through the sleeves of the cloak right as a heavy thump sounds outside.
I glance out into the sunlight and see a brilliant-red dragon standing not far from the entrance of the cave.
I still smell Valkyrie blood. This cannot be from Elan several days ago. Ness lifts her nose to the air and breathes in deeply. In fact, the Valkyrie blood reeks stronger than before. Where is she?
- CHAPTER SEVEN -
The red eyes scan the area and stare straight into the cave. I can smell her. Let her out! Let me get to her! I’ll rip off her limbs one at a time.
Sobek moves discreetly into the space between Ness and the cave. Isn’t that a bit drastic?
After what they’ve done to our younglings, that’s what they deserve. They have enslaved my youngling for over a year, and she is treated terribly.
I’m sorry to hear that. Despite the threat, Sobek sounds sympathetic. Still, he does not move from standing between us.
I tuck myself behind a rock and pull my scale cloak over me. A crack between two rocks leaves just enough space to peer through and see what is going on.
The red dragon prances in front of the cave, her long red tail whipping behind her. Where is she?
Her footsteps become more impatient, and she stomps back and forth in front of the entrance, her nose twitching as she sniffs the air. The Valkyrie reek is strong. Let her out. I need to get my claws on her.
Elan casts me a glance, noticing that I’m squatting under cover of the scales and rocks. She strolls out of the cave and chuckles. Oh, Ness. I don't know what you're talking about. It’s just me. She pauses at the entrance, blocking it from the red dragon with Sobek. I know I’ve been hanging around the Valkyries way too much. Here, I can prove it. She moves closer and tilts her wing, shoving the spot where she had been cradling me earlier in Ness’s face.
The red dragon gives her a strange look.
Here, smell this. It reeks, doesn’t it?
Ness screws up her nose.
See? It’s just me. I’ve been spending way too much time in the Valkyrie area, trying to sort out this alliance and stop what is happening to the younglings. I’m so sorry to hear about your daughter. She shoves her wing in the red dragon’s face some more. But this smell is just me. It happens every time I go. I’ve just come back again, and I been sitting inside that cave, which makes it impossible for the fresh air to push away the smell of the Valkyries.
The red dragon’s nose screws up tighter. She pulls her snout away from Elan’s underwing and snorts a puff of smoke followed by a blast of fire as she sneezes. That’s an awful stench. Have a bath, for dragon breath’s sake! Or do you love the smell of Valkyries so much that you can’t stand to wash it off? She exposes her teeth in a sneer.
What? Do you think I bathe myself in Valkyrie smell? I’d rather roll in dragon manure—and I have tried to wash it off. It doesn’t go away. The oils from their skin stick to me.
Even though Elan sounds convincing, Ness’s suspicions don’t leave her face. You’re just a Valkyrie lover. You and your family worship the ground they stand on.
Elan sits upright, looking put out. I beg your pardon? I’m not a Valkyrie lover. Even so, certain Valkyries aren’t as bad. I’ve met a few. They are the ones without the wings. They don’t fight against us to hurt our dragons.
Liar! Ness sneers. You’re just a liar. You have been smooching up to these Valkyries and looking after your own family. You don’t have to hand over any of your younglings. That’s not fair!
Elan puffs up her chest and pulls her shoulders back. Do you realize who you’re talking to? You should be showing me respect. I am second in charge of all these dragons, and you should be bowing down to me and doing as I say.
Ness sneers, and she prances in front of Elan and Sobek. Right! That’s not going to happen. Just because you are born with golden blood does not make you a leader. You have to earn your right by fighting for it. She spins on a heel, her eyes challenging. If you think you’re so high and mighty, then fight me to prove it.
Sobek stands tall, his massive frame towering over both the female dragons. Hang on. Those aren’t the rules. Elan is second in charge and the one to be obeyed when Mother is away. You can’t fight her. You have to do as you’re told.
Make me! Ness pulls back her top lip, revealing her pointy teeth.
Sobek moves toward her, and she lashes out, striking him across the face with her claws. Crimson blood runs from his face and tarnishes his golden scales. She had run her talons through the underside of his scales. There. That proves it. You bleed just like the rest of us. There is nothing special about you or your blood.
Elan rises from her haunches and stands defiantly. You will not treat my family this way. Anger radiates from her every scale, showing off her impersonation of her mother, which I have witnessed a few times now. Each time is just as intimidating as the last. During moments like these, I can see why Elan is the next in line to rule the dragons. She may be born of the blood, but she has every bit a leader lying deep within her despite her talkative and friendly nature.
I don’t want her to fight. I don’t want her to get hurt. I don’t want any of them to get hurt, but there is nothing that I can do right now to stop the inevitable. I feel like a coward hunkered down behind boulders, peering out between the cracks and remaining cloaked inside my scaled gown. Please don’t let this happen, I say to myself over and over, wishing it to go away. But as I do, Elan lashes forward and scratches Ness the same way that the red dragon had scratched Sobek.
Ness throws her head forward, letting out a deep growl accompanied by a large plume of fire aiming straight for Elan. Elan turns and shelters herself with her scales while spreading her wings high, spinning around until she hooks Ness, slashing her face with the claws on the edge of her wings.
Ness pulls her head back, and Elan takes the opportunity, tilting her head down and charging at the red dragon with her horns pointing forward. Ness darts to the side and lashes out with her claws as Elan runs past. The talons fail to dig past the scales, leaving Elan unscathed.
Elan spins around with bared teeth and charges for Ness’s wing. The red dragon darts to the side, using her wings as leverage, and Elan’s teeth connect near her shoulder.
Elan bites down, clasping and piercing the membrane of the wing. She shakes her head and rips holes into the upper wing as well as gashes in the shoulder of the other dragon.
Ness bellows, and it echoes down the valley and across the wastelands. I can’t see the dragons down there, but I can imagine every head turning toward the cliff face. It’s not the kind of attention I want up here.
Ness’s teeth remain exposed, and she lashes her head around and sinks them into the side of Elan’s neck. The sharp, pointy tips of Elan’s scales shoot into Ness’s mouth and pierce the inside of her mouth. It doesn’t stop her from clamping her teeth down deeper into Elan’s side.
; The combined blood of two dragons pours down and splashes onto the ground, leaving crimson puddles. I want to call out and tell them to stop, but that would just put Elan in more danger because it would prove her a liar and show that she is sheltering a Valkyrie. I don’t want any more harm to come to any dragons. I want peace in the land, not a dragon fight.
Elan twists her body and scratches her claws into Ness’s underbelly. At the same time, she swings her tail around and hits the red dragon on the head, knocking it enough to make her let go. Ness bellows in agony, unclamping her jaws at the same time, setting Elan’s neck free.
Oh, Vanir! I am so worried. What happens if Elan loses? My mind ticks over all the possibilities.
Sobek moves to step in, and Elan screams, Don’t you dare! This is my fight! The brother halts and watches, his face contorted with anguish that deepens as Ness pounces and digs her teeth deep into Elan’s neck.
- CHAPTER EIGHT -
The ground rumbles, and a menacing roar thunders through the cave and down the valley, more profound than either dragon has managed to expel thus far.
I cringe, hoping it’s not a dragon from the valley, an older dragon who knows how to fight better than the dragons in front of me. The urge is strong to dart around and see who it is, but I can’t afford to expose myself. These dragons scare me at the best of times, and the last thing I need is to be a small meat sandwich between ten or more dragons several sizes bigger than me.
The two fighting dragons halt then stagger to stand straight. They pull their eyes from each other as they search for the invading dragon.
The ground bumps and rattles as a big dragon stomps its way toward the two fighters. What is the meaning of this?
I breathe a sigh of relief. It’s Eingana, the leader of the dragons—she has finally returned. A sense of safety fills me as she stomps toward the two dragons, her teeth showing in a full nasty growl.
Sobek approaches her. Ness flew down and demanded to know where the Valkyrie smell was coming from. His voice is humble and hesitant, and his eyes flick toward the cave. Elan proved that the scent is from her because the stench has clung to her scales from spending so much time with the Valkyries.
He glances at the dragons one by one, finishing with Ness, then he continues. Ness did not believe her, despite the awful stench clinging to Elan’s body. Elan even shoved her underwing in Ness’s face.
His mouth tilts up slightly into a quirky smile for a moment, but it quickly disappears. Eingana watches him intently, and I am sure that she noticed.
Sobek continues, Ness did not believe Elan and challenged her position as second in charge of the dragons in the area. Elan did not strike first, Ness did. He indicates the gash on the side of his face. This is proof. He raises his chin high. It is after this that Elan jumped in to prove her honor, as you were absent, Mother.
Eingana stares at the red dragon, back to Elan, then back to the challenger. Ness, is this true?
Ness stares at the ground and doesn’t answer.
I take this as a yes. I hear that you have a substantial nest. You have five eggs about to be hatched.
A look of dread crosses Ness’s face, and her eyes flick up to Eingana, the redness in them spreading to her whites. It is like the spread of a contagious disease taking over her.
Because of your actions, you will be handing over your firstborn from the hatch. You will have to give from your babies to take another red dragon’s place this year.
She appears to be in shock. No. Please, no. I sacrificed one of my babies only last year. They have been mistreating my baby. There must be another dragon ready to give away one of their babies.
You have no one but yourself to blame for this. Eingana pulls her shoulders back, and her voice remains strong. You have not obeyed our rules, and this is your punishment. I have the final decision over any of the other tribes if a particular dragon disobeys my ruling, and this you have done. The decision is final.
No. Please, no! Ness falls to her knees and begs.
Let this be your lesson. Eingana turns her back to the red dragon. Now leave.
The terrified look does not leave Ness’s face even as she bends her knees and pushes off into the sky. Her flight is lopsided from the injury caused to her wing. The damage was not so significant that she can’t fly, but it stops the wing catching the air completely. Although it will heal in time, she will never be a fully functioning dragon again. Ness has learned the hard way. Even though it is my blood she was after, I still feel pity for her because I understand her plight.
Sobek runs up to Elan. Are you all right?
Eingana stomps up, observing Elan’s injuries. She shall live. She’ll be sore for a bit, but she will heal. It is part of being the leader of the dragons.
I don’t hear much sympathy in her voice, but I guess that is what she has become, a tough leader in any circumstance, cutting away the emotion of what happens to make level decisions. Is the Valkyrie okay?
Elan and Sobek both nod. Yes, Elan says. She hides in the cave. She tilts her head toward the cave, and Eingana turns around to look inside.
I don’t see her.
She is hiding, and she’s hiding in an extraordinary way. A quirky pride fills Elan’s voice. You can come out now, Kara. Show Mother what you’ve made.
Leaving my hood over my head, I emerge in my scale cape. Eingana tilts her head to the side as she watches me step out into the sun. The golden scales on my cape glitter in the sunlight.
Interesting. What is it? she asks.
“It’s a cape. It has a leather lining that will protect me from the cold when I’m on Elan’s back and when she takes me into the clouds. That altitude makes it chilly for me.” I open the cape to show off the inner leather lining then close it to show off the neatly attached scales. “It is also a shield. I won’t have to carry that big bulky thing I used back at the academy when I need protection in a fight or if they ever let me help protect them during the reaping. I can just keep this with me. As you know, your scales are tough, and it is hard for anything to penetrate their protection.”
Ingenious. Eingana nods in approval.
Silence hangs in the air, and I wait for her to say something, but she doesn’t. My impatience grows. “Is there any news? Has anything changed at the academy? Are my friends okay? We were so worried about you. You took so long that we had thought you had been captured or something.”
She snorts out some smoke. That’s not going to happen!
“You know Odin can be quite persuasive and aggressive.”
He will achieve nothing if he tries to harm me. He may be a god, but that doesn’t stop me making him my lunch. Eingana lifts her chin.
So what happened, Mother? Elan’s brow creases. Did you manage to fix anything?
A look of pride passes across her face, and she nods. As a matter of fact, I did. The mother glances at me. Kara’s friends were impounded under Odin’s Palace. He did not forgive them despite their innocence and the fact that they were only taking the dragon for a quick ride before bringing him back. It took me several days, but I managed to track down Loki and demand an audience with Odin. She frowns. I wouldn’t be surprised if Loki has been up to mischief. Over the last few years, he has been using his shapeshifting forms too many times. But for once, I demanded he use it for good and change into a dragon to help communicate with Odin. It was a meeting that Odin couldn’t understand.
Her mouth works up at the sides. Loki has some interesting facts and theories. He has an amazing mind with what he thinks about and plans. He is a schemer, that’s for sure. We will have to watch him. She paces in front of me. After a long talk with Loki, he transformed into god form to talk to Odin then back into dragon form so Odin would think that Loki’s dragon form was the only way he could understand us. Through this discussion, I managed to get Kara’s friends released. It was part of the bargaining. I don’t think they have been received back into the academy very well yet, but that will come with time. Your friends are tough,
especially the redheaded one, Hildr.
“Oh, yes. She is.” I nod.
What about the dragon alliance, Mother? Elan asks. Did you manage to sort Odin out and put him in his place over demanding one of ours?
It took some threatening, but yes, I did manage to get this sorted. He cannot have one of ours. We are still low in numbers. He is not happy about it, and I do not trust him, but he has no right to an emperor dragon. Unfortunately, the alliance remains the same. We must still give up one dragon of each breed every year.
What about Kara? Sobek asks. He had been standing so still that I had almost forgotten he was with us. Can she go back yet? She won’t be safe here. It’s too hard to protect her in this little area. The dragons are way too wild to accept her being here. Being a Valkyrie is an extra reason for them to eat her for lunch.
Eingana stares at me for a long moment. Something is lingering in her eyes that I am unable to decipher. She looks at Sobek. The discussion of Kara was brought up, yes. I have proven that she was only doing what was right by sticking to the alliance. I mentioned that Elan’s capture by Odin would have made me angry, and Kara was releasing Elan so that my wrath would not be brought down on the Valkyries or Asgard. Odin knows he is in the wrong, but he doesn’t want to accept that Kara was right. He has agreed to let Kara come back. Her eyes drop to the ground, and she looks troubled.
What is it, Mother? Elan spreads her wing, touching her mother’s back.
She releases an agitated sigh. I cannot guarantee Kara’s safety or that she won’t feel Odin’s wrath if she returns to the academy. I’m afraid, not only because she is wingless but also because she is allied with the dragons, that it will cause her much grief among the Valkyries of the academy. She turns to look at me. It is up to you, Kara, if you want to risk it.