Mad About The Dragon

by Selene Griffin

  Once they were wrapped up, Maia went around saying her goodbyes to everyone, chatting a bit here and there with a few of the twenty or so other dancers that were involved, before finally heading back out to her car. By two in the afternoon, the temperature had gotten up to nearly 100 degrees and she was once again thankful she could start her car from her keychain. Jumping into the relief of her car’s AC, she’d get started on the trek back home.

  With the rest of the day ahead of her, she knew what she wanted to do. Something about living in Vegas her entire life had given her a deep respect for time spent alone and in silence. What better place to find Silence in Vegas…than out in the desert?

  Chapter Two

  A big, floppy hat and cat-eye sunglasses. Not really what you think of when you hear desert gear, but they did the trick. Of course, she grabbed a few other, just as important things from home during her quick pit-stop. Namely, a hiker’s pack…and she had made sure to fill it with a few bottles of water, some non-melting snacks, a mini first aid kit (pocket flare gun included!), a compass, fire making utensils and her handy-dandy map. The map was specifically of the Valley of Fire area and about 10 miles of the desert surrounding it. She had been meticulously marking off the areas she had already been through, keeping track of nearly every inch she had covered. The process was very much like the one archaeologists tend to follow, with the grid patterns and following an ordered process to cover the most ground possible. Maia had learned early on that it wasn’t wise to run around all willy-nilly in the desert by yourself in any random way you pleased. You needed a game plan if you wanted to make it back out in one piece, let alone alive.

  All packed up and ready, she gave Celia a quick ‘hi, bye!’ as she ran back out of the apartment building and hopped back into her car. Knowing she was heading out to do one of her favorite things, she decided to throw on some of her favorite music. With a couple quick taps on her iPod, now plugged into her CD player, the rocking sounds of Huey Lewis and the News came bopping out of her speakers. Singing along to Hip To Be Square, she hit the road.

  She followed the same path as always, zooming up along route 15, northbound towards a tiny little place named Crystal. Appropriate, no? Crystal, Nevada wasn’t even really a town, but a gateway of sorts. The only people who technically ‘lived’ there were those belonging to the Moapa River Indian Reservation across the highway. Otherwise, the only thing Crystal offered was a travel plaza rest-stop for those traveling along route 15. Most of the road ran through barren desert with nothing around for miles. Crystal was a gateway into the dusty landscape for those leaving Vegas, offering respite and resupply to those passing by.

  Roughly a half an hour later, she pulled into the large parking lot and she made a point to park her car towards one of the far ends. Even though the plaza was never full, she tried to be courteous and leave the closer spaces for people that were here for a quick stop. After all, she was planning on being here for hours. Slinging her pack onto her shoulder, she headed into the building. She didn’t actually have to get anything, but there was something she always needed to do when she came out hunting.

  The plaza was simple, mostly just a convenience store with added bathrooms and showers to accommodate long-haul drivers. There was also a small diner off in one wing primarily run by those from the Reservation. Their waffles were to die for. The store half had all of the things anyone might need while out traveling through the desert, all neatly arranged and fairly priced. But it wasn’t any of the sundry goods she was interested in seeing. It was Johnathan.

  “Maia! How good to see you again!” The older gentleman behind the register said in a friendly greeting, standing up as she approached the counter. He was a man of the Moapa tribe, perhaps in his late 50s and had been kind to Maia from her very first visit.

  “Hi, Johnathan! How’ve you been?” She asked, flashing him a smile as she pulled off her sun glasses.

  “As well as can be expected, young lady.” His standard response when she asked how he was. “Looks like you are all set to hit the sands again, hm? Got everything you need?”

  “You know it. My old scout leader would be proud. If my mother had given a damn enough to put me in Girl Scouts, of course.” She grinned at him, setting her sunglasses on the brim of her hat rather than hold onto them. “I just wanted to stop in, let you know I was heading out for a hunt and see what you’ve been up to.”

  Maia and Johnathan had developed something of a paternal relationship. She thought of him as a favorite, uncle-type figure. She didn’t know very much about him, but she trusted him and enjoyed his light friendship. It added a special element to her favorite hobby, having a friend here to chat with when she came out. Not to mention it added to her own personal safety to have someone who gave a shit about her nearby, knowing she was out there by herself.

  “Minding the gates, of course. It’s my duty.” He gave her a bit of a wink to go with his smile. “Send out the hounds if you aren’t back by midnight?”

  “Standard procedure, Lieutenant. Just don’t let them piss on my body if they find it, yea? I’d like to at least leave a beautiful corpse. Something for the media to latch onto,” she responded with that same grin and a little mock salute. “I’ve got my phone, though, and I know the number to the plaza here. If I get into trouble, I’ll be blowing you up in a heartbeat, no worries there.”

  He gave her a sage nod to which she responded with a wink before turning to head back out into the blazing sun. Before opening the tinted glass doors of the plaza, however, she popped her sunglasses back on and adjusted her hat. No sense searing her eyeballs before she even got started.

  As she walked out across the parking lot, heading for the dusty expanse all around, she pulled her map from the small front pocket of her backpack. During her last visit, she had only managed to cover a portion of the area just off to the east of the plaza. She would have to trek through that portion to get to the other half still needing her attention. Stuffing the map back in the pocket, she got her bearings and headed out.

  As odd as it might sound, exploring the Mojave wasn’t as dangerous as you might think. So long as you knew where you were, brought the proper gear, and of course avoided being a complete idiot, you would be fine. Maia spent the better part of three hours wandering around that day and had nary an issue. She even found a new piece for her collection! A lovely specimen that was one of the thicker pieces she had come across over the years.

  Then…the sun finally won the battle. Heat exhaustion was no joke, especially when you were totally alone in the desert. Tossing back water like it was her job, she sought out the nearest shady shelter in the form of a lone rock structure. In this part of the desert, the landscape had taken on a russet color that was absolutely gorgeous. In the brighter sun that still lingered overhead, it was like a desert of solid fire, hence the name Valley of Fire…or at least she presumed. Though when the setting sun cast its paintbrush of colors across the sky, this landscape became something out of a fantasy.

  Settling down in the shade of the rock, she pulled another bottle of water, some of the snacks, and her iPod from her backpack. At this point, she might as well hang around until the sun got a bit lower and the desert started to let some of its heat back up into the sky. As she popped a few butter crackers into her mouth, she scanned through her iPod for something to listen to. She opted for the same playlist from that morning and set Lindsey Stirling and friends playing from the little device speakers she brought with her.

  The sound of sweet violins and challenging cellos wafted unchecked across the open landscape, catching the ear of someone not too far away. Standing halfway up another rock formation, a man stood with his eyes closed…simply listening to the sound of music that carried on the breeze. He stood tall, his long dark hair pulled back from the strong features of his face. He wore the clothing of any typical desert hiker, though he seemed far less bothered by the heat than most. Not even a hint of sweat marred his caramel skin.
>
  Curious at the source of this music, the stranger made his way down the sandy desert floor and followed the trail. As the music grew louder, he became more and more bold, striding to the pile of rocks he was sure produced the sound, with confidence and curiosity. He paused, hearing the sound of someone humming along to the music just around the edge of the rocks. Narrowing his eyes, he listened. It was a woman…that much he was sure of.

  Maia nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw him in her peripheral vision. Yelping, she turned and looked up at him with wide eyes and a twinge of fear. It passed and was quickly replaced by confusion as her eyebrows came together and she studied him with scrutiny.

  “Who are you?” A simple enough question, though she might have asked it in a rather accusing tone of voice.

  The man held up his hands to show he carried nothing and was no threat. That didn’t really serve to alleviate the worried, slightly annoyed look on Maia’s face, however, and he seemed to take notice.

  “Not someone who’s going to hurt you, I promise.” An odd response, but he continued in an attempt to actually answer her. His words tinted with a hint of a Latino accent. “My name is Ignacio...I heard your music and came to see what it was...where it was coming from.”

  “Oh!” Maia looked down to the iPod and speakers, reaching out to tap the screen and pause the song that was playing. “Sorry… I didn’t think anyone was crazy enough to be out here other than me. Um, my name is Maia. Again, sorry.”

  “No, no Maia. That’s ok. I liked it. Who is that?” He asked, dropping his hands and taking a step closer as he said it.

  “Uh… that one was The Piano Guys. They do classical covers of modern music and stuff…” His movement closer caused her guard to go right back up and it was evident in her tone. He stopped moving.

  “Can I ask what you are doing out here by yourself?” His voice was a smooth and buttery tenor and even though she was still a bit surprised to see someone standing there, she found herself enjoying the sound of his voice, that accent was like a drug, so she answered.

  “Ah… well, I was out looking for desert glass and got a bit too friendly with the sun, so I decided to hang in the shade for a bit.” A concise and true answer. “What about you? I don’t see a travel posse there behind you either.”

  He actually glanced behind himself before he realized she was teasing, to which he smiled and shook his head. He had a gorgeous smile and it really paired well with his eyes. She noticed how intense the amber color in his eyes was and for a moment was mesmerized until his voice snapped her out of it.

  “Heh… I live out here. Believe it or not.” The smile remained on his face, and for a moment Maia found herself staring intently at the adorable crinkles that appeared beside his eyes. She shook her head, mostly to pull herself away from ogling him but it also worked as a pre-response to what he had just said.

  “Wait. You live out here? Where? On the Reservation?” She gestured with her water bottle back in the direction of the travel plaza and the Reservation lands.

  “Uh… sort of. Yea.” It sounded like he had changed his mind on talking about it. “You said you were collecting desert glass?”

  “Oh, yea! It’s a hobby. Kinda like playing with a really big Zen garden filled with stuff that could kill me,” she said with a morbid little laugh. “I even found a piece while I was out today! Uh, glass, not death. You know.”

  The way she said it made him think of an excited little kid and it made him smile. He watched as she pulled her backpack onto her lap and dug into the small front pocket to produce a palm-size chunk of glass. It was at least two inches thick all around with swooping, almost carved edges. The color was an opaque amber color that he found quite impressive. He moved closer and even went so far as to crouch a few feet away from her.

  “Wow. That’s gorgeous. You found that out here?” He nodded out towards the open sands, lifting his eyes to look at her face. She was beautiful, with the soft brown of her eyes that complimented the warm ochre shade of her skin. She looked as if she had been made to be in the sunlight.

  “Yea, about a quarter mile that way.” She pointed off towards the southwest. “I’m pretty sure this one is from a lightning strike. Check it out. It’s so cool how something so beautiful can be formed from the sudden heat and violence of lightning”

  She offered the lump of glass to him, her fingertips grazing across his palm as she handed it over and all remaining feelings of being cautious faded away. Something about him seemed familiar and she felt the urge to continue talking to him. The way he took the glass and seemed genuinely interested in it and the way she talked about it only enforced that urge.

  Two hours later and the sun was long gone, taking its heat below the horizon with it and leaving a blanket of stars in its place. The two strangers still sat there together under the rocks, sharing snacks and stories as the minutes ticked away. Their laughter and talk echoed across the desert but they noticed very little aside from one another. Eventually, Maia glanced at the clock on her iPod and realized how late it was getting. Not to mention how much time she had spent talking alone with a man she had just met. It was a shock, but she wasn’t really all that upset about it.

  “I have to admit, I have really enjoyed hanging out and talking with you, Ignacio,” she said, absolutely loving the way his name felt on her lips. “But it’s getting late. I should probably start heading back before they send out a search party.”

  The hint of sadness in her voice was noticed and he surprised himself by nearly smiling at the thought of her unhappy about leaving. He nodded instead, jumping to his feet so he could offer a hand to help her up.

  “Can I walk you back to where you need to go? Things can get a little crazy out there at night.” He flashed her a smile as she took his hand and climbed to her feet.

  “I’d love that, actually.” She returned his smile and then turned to load up her backpack with everything they had pulled out of it while sitting there.

  Their walk across the desert was something Maia couldn’t find words to explain. She felt a tightness in her chest the entire time they walked and it only seemed to intensify during moments of silence between them. She felt an electric urge to take his hand, stealing sneaky glances at him as they walked and chatted. Overall, she felt like a schoolgirl with a massive crush.

  Little did she know, Ignacio was sharing those same feelings with her. His own heart had felt as if it was on fire from the first few moments he spent with her and it grew hotter with every passing moment. He made an effort to walk as slowly and as casually as he could without being obvious about it, hoping to drag out the amount of time he had left with her.

  It took them just over an hour to make the walk back to the travel plaza along route 15. The stars served as their main guide, though the ungodly glow from Vegas to the southwest along the horizon worked better than any compass in this area. When the lights of the travel plaza winked into view, Maia grew a bit dejected. Her time with Ignacio was coming to an end and she wasn’t happy, nor did she know what to do about it. Thankfully, he did.

  “Maia,” he said when they were just a few yards from the parking lot of the travel plaza. “Would… would you like some company the next time you come out this way? Two sets of eyes are better than one, right?”

  She was stunned into a silent joy for a moment as she processed what he had asked her. Of course, she would love his company! After realizing she was probably standing there staring at him like a fool, she remembered to say that out loud so he could hear it.

  “Are you asking me to go on a date in the sandbox, Ignacio?” She teased him without intending to. Sometimes, she just came off with comments that were a little… inappropriate, to put it nicely. She made a quick move to sweep it under the rug. “Because if so, I’d love to.” She saw the look of relief on his face when she accepted his offer and it caused the smile on her own face to grow a bit. He was sweet, yet at the same time had this whole dark, my
sterious stranger thing going on that exhilarated her in a way she hadn’t been expecting.

  “Saturday? Say, 7:30?” He asked her with the sexiest quirk of his eyebrow, coupled with a smile. It was all Maia could do not to giggle.

  “Sounds like a plan. See you then, stranger.” She smiled, biting gently at her lower lip as she backed away a few steps.

  When she turned around to walk towards her car, she had to hold her breath to keep from squealing at the sheer rush of it all. She did chance a quick glance back over her shoulder, though, and caught him watching her walk to her car. When he saw her head turn, he gave her a little wave before turning himself to head back where they had come from, disappearing into the darkness of the desert at night.

  As she drove home, the night air rushing through her open windows, she went back and forth with herself like a ping-pong battle. How could she agree to a date with a man she had literally just met! He was absolutely gorgeous and amazingly fun to talk to, that’s how! But she had no idea what kind of person he really was. He could be a serial killer…but then he could also be some eccentric multi-millionaire who liked to go on solo desert retreats or something crazy like that!

  The entire ride back home, as well as the next few days, were a rollercoaster ride of emotions. One minute she was freaking out and thinking that she had no choice but to skip it…and the next she was swooning, making hopes and plans for how she wanted it all to go. Maia was smitten, there was no other word for it.

  Chapter Three

  Desert glass, at least the kind one might usually stumble across in the Mojave Desert, was harder to find than you might imagine. This was a lesson Ignacio learned the hard way after spending nearly two days scouring the desert floor for pieces to give to Maia when he saw her again. In all of that time and over all the miles and miles of ground he had covered, he had only managed to come up with two small nuggets of the stuff. He was sure they would be pleasing to her, but he wasn’t satisfied with it in the least.