by Dana Gricken
“Father, I’ll be upstairs if you need to speak with me. We have some things I’d prefer to discuss in private – away from those who can’t be trusted.”
Little Dragon Girl
Elara stood in front of a large vanity mirror in a small room in the cabin, trying on a beautiful dress top and skirt Alona had found for her. Despite telling her not to go to too much trouble, Alona insisted and rummaged through the drawers before she found the perfect outfit. The entire set sparkled with white and gold; far too elegant for such an occasion. Alona stood behind her, adjusting her skirt and smoothing the wrinkles out. Once Alona had finished her nitpicking, she stood beside Elara and gazed into the mirror.
“What do you think?” Alona asked, with a wide grin.
“I like it,” Elara said before she frowned. “But it seems a little too fancy for me. I grew up in a poor neighborhood. If you saw the Wards, you’d understand. I have no right to wear these clothes.”
Elara reached behind her to undo her top, but Alona placed a gentle hand on hers.
“Nonsense. You’re worth much more than you realize, Elara,” Alona replied before a nostalgic smile tugged at her lips. “It belonged to my daughter, Calianna. This was her room. It’s been ten years since I last saw her, but a mother’s love never dies. I wonder what she’d say about you?”
“Fane told me what happened,” Elara replied, looking down. “I’m so sorry, Alona.”
Alona sighed and released her hand from Elara’s. “It’s a beautiful outfit, isn’t it? Dragons don’t really like to dress themselves in glamorous clothing, but you’re our special guest,” Alona paused, contemplating something for a moment before she smiled. “You know, you kind of remind me of my daughter - intelligent, strong, and beautiful. Never afraid to speak her mind. I’d like you to wear it. At least, in memory of the days long gone.”
Elara nodded in defeat. “Then I will.”
They shared a smile in the mirror, as a tear formed in one of Alona’s eyes. She quickly wiped it away and then turned to Elara.
“There’s something else. Wait here,” Alona said with a mischievous tinge in her voice, before she quickly left the room.
As Elara looked in the mirror, she noticed the blue curtain behind her shuffle. She turned around and approached it slowly.
“Hello?” She called out, but there was only silence in response.
Elara quickly yanked the curtain open, and to her surprise, she found a little dragon girl. The girl giggled and jumped up and down.
“You found me!” She yelled, smiling widely.
Elara had to admit that the little girl was adorable. She had dirty blonde hair, with golden yellow eyes and small, pointed ears. She wore a satin blue dress, with black laces tied around her petite stomach. Her horns must’ve just begun to develop, Elara thought, as they resembled stumps on the top of her head.
Elara smiled, bending down to the little girl’s eye-level. “My name is Elara. What’s yours?”
“My name’s Mayliss,” She replied shyly, tucking a loose strand of blonde hair behind her ear.
“And what were you doing behind the curtain?”
“I was playing hide and seek with my father, but he never came for me,” The girl frowned, and looked down at her feet self-consciously. “My daddy promised he would.”
“Well, that’s a shame. It looks like fun. Who’s your Dad?”
“The other dragons call him the Advicer.”
“It’s pronounced advisor, my little dragon,” Alona corrected, as she stood in the doorway of the room.
Elara stood up and turned to face Alona, as she walked further into the room with a golden flower bracelet in her hands and a smile plastered across her face.
“I see you’ve met Mayliss,” Alona said, patting the little dragon girl on the head as Mayliss beamed. “Are you playing hide and seek again?”
“Yes, but daddy stopped playing,” Mayliss said, as she gave the same heart-wrenching frown as before.
“Maybe if we have time later, I could play hide and seek with you?” Elara said, and Mayliss nodded while a smile lit up her face.
Alona turned to Elara this time, holding out the tiny bracelet in her hands. She led her over to the mirror, as Mayliss watched in silence from a distance.
“I believe this will make the outfit complete,” Alona said, gently slipping the chain around her wrist and adjusting it to perfection. “It’s a dragonleaf bracelet. Pretty, isn’t it? What do you think?”
Elara stared at her new reflection in the mirror. She looked radiant - that much she had to admit – and anything was better than burned, torn clothing. She wanted to be happy and express her gratitude, but she felt guilty and out of place. Instead, she just smiled politely and nodded, not wanting to upset Alona.
“It’s lovely. Thank you,” Elara said, as she faked a smile which Alona returned. “Can I ask you something? It’s about Fane.”
“Of course,” Alona replied, still fluffing Elara’s clothes.
“Fane calls me Bria. He said it’s a word in Dragontonian. I guess it’s his nickname for me,” Elara said as she blushed at the thought, and hoped Alona didn’t notice. “But he won’t tell me what it means. Do you know?”
Alona paused suddenly, looking up at Elara. “He calls you Bria?”
After Elara nodded, a large smile spread across Alona’s face, perhaps wider than she realized. “I think it’s best if he tells you himself. It’s a very special word.”
“Bria, you’re needed in-” Fane began as he stuck his head into the room, but stopped midsentence when he saw Elara. “Aren’t those Calianna’s clothes?” Fane asked, addressing his mother.
Alona sighed. “Yes, they are – but she doesn’t need them anymore.”
“Fane, if you’re upset, I can take it off,” Elara said.
“No,” Fane replied, firmly. “It’s all right. Don’t change. You look....nice,” He said softly, and Elara nodded. “The Emperor would like to speak with you in the Ark Room. Just the four of us, this time.”
“What about me?” Mayliss asked, and suddenly all eyes were on her.
Elara walked over to her and kneeled down. “How about this? After the meeting, I’ll play hide and seek with you.”
“Do you promise?” Mayliss asked, with a gleam of hope in her sparkling golden eyes.
Elara smiled. “I promise.”
Suddenly, two voices were heard down the hall. Loud, clunky footsteps were approaching in their direction.
“Advisor, let’s not be hasty now!” Elara heard the Emperor beg before the advisor entered the room and walked over to Mayliss.
“Come on - we have to go,” The advisor demanded as he lifted his daughter into his arms. “Mommy’s waiting downstairs.”
“But I want to stay with Ellie!” Mayliss wailed, as she struggled to wiggle her way out of her father’s arms.
As he walked over to the doorway, he turned back to face Elara, Alona, Fane, and Emperor Zarian.
“I’m sorry Emperor, but nothing you say can make me believe that keeping the girl here is safe for our people,” He began, before glaring at Elara. “And you - stay away from my daughter. The dragons have suffered enough without you contributing to it, don’t you think?”
With that, he was gone. Elara would never forget the frightened and saddened look in Mayliss’ eyes. She didn’t know what to say. Maybe he was right? From downstairs, the four of them heard the door open and slam shut, with a gust of wind following behind it.
“I’m sorry about my advisor,” The Emperor began, but Elara shook her head.
“No. It’s all right. I understand.”
“It was my fault,” Fane said solemnly, before turning to Elara. “He said we should’ve returned you to the outer-world and I couldn’t take it. I angered him.”
“It’s nobody’s fault,” Alona interjected. “The advisor is just afraid of the Grey Knights – and with good reason. Hopefully, he’ll come to his senses soon and see that both the dragons and
the witches need Elara. What other choice do we have right now?”
“Elara, if you could join me in the Ark Room, we have some things to discuss,” The Emperor said, before leaving the room and walking down the hall.
Fane smiled at her to cheer her up. “You’ll be all right, Bria. Not everyone thinks like the advisor. I can assure you, you’re wanted here – and I’ll keep you safe.”
THE ARK ROOM WAS NOT as fancy as it sounded, Elara realized as she stood awkwardly in a dark and dingy room at the end of the hallway. The wallpaper, stained and damaged due to the curse of time, was beginning to tear as Fane, Alona and the Emperor were busy lighting candles. Without technology and electricity, Elara almost pitied them. She noticed that there were no windows or any means of escape besides the single door. Some humans would call Elara foolish or naïve to remain in an enclosed environment with three powerful dragons, but she felt no danger at all.
When the candles had been lit and given a few moments to warm and brighten the room, the four of them gathered around the small table. The meeting had begun.
“My advisor would normally oversee these meetings, and then the townspeople would join to include their opinions on the matter, but this is really a unique situation,” The Emperor began, as the candlelight illuminated his face among the darkness. “And we don’t have time to be formal right now. We need to decide where to go from here, and what to do about the Dragonwitch.”
“Well-” Fane began, before the faint sound of shouting and chanting in the distance interrupted his thoughts.
“What in dragon’s flames is that noise?” Alona asked as the group shared a look of confusion.
The four exited the building to find the advisor standing on a wooden box directly in front of the Ark, evangelizing to an ever-growing crowd of dragons.
“Listen to me, fellow dragonkin! Your beloved Emperor is harboring a fugitive from the Grey Knights! The Dragonwitch is here!” The advisor yelled, only pausing to take a breath. “Can’t you see what that means? It won’t be long until the Knights come looking for her here, and who knows what that will bring for our families and Camena’s well-being!”
The crowd gasped as they surrounded the advisor and listened to his concerns.
“Advisor, what is the meaning of this?” The Emperor asked in exasperation, as the four of them caught up to the crowd and pushed their way through.
“You wouldn’t listen to me about our safety, Emperor! I’m afraid I must go over your head to tell the truth to our fellow dragons about the heathen among us!”
“Advisor, this is unnecessary. You’re going to scare the citizens of Camena. Come inside and we can talk this through,” The Emperor said, but the advisor shook his head.
“All you ever want to do is talk, Emperor! I’m not willing to stand by while the dragons continue to suffer, especially for human scum!”
“Advisor, you’re beginning to sound like those awful Fallen Ones,” Alona scolded, and the crowd shuddered at the word. “Please stop this fighting.”
“Dragons have every right to hate humans! They’ve taken everything from us!” The advisor spat, and some of the townspeople began to agree.
Elara noticed Mayliss in the crowd, huddled against her mother with tears in her eyes. The crowd was becoming rowdier with the shouts of the advisor, and she could see Mayliss was uneasy with the commotion. As soon as they locked eyes – bright golden into deep brown – Mayliss squirmed out of her mother’s grasp and ran right into Elara’s arms. Elara held the sobbing, frightened little girl close to her as the advisor looked on furiously.
“Look at what you’ve done, advisor – you’ve scared Mayliss!” Alona shouted.
“I thought I told you to stay away from my daughter!” The advisor bellowed as he approached Elara, with a deadly fire in his eyes.
Before Elara could react, Fane drew his sword and held it near the Emperor’s throat, protecting Elara and Mayliss. The sword brimmed with burning flames - crackling and ready to inflict damage. The dragons had never seen him like this before.
The crowd gasped and looked on in apprehension, suddenly hushing. The tension was palpable. Even the Emperor was frightened.
Colrek shook his head. “By raising your sword, you disrespect the land we walk on. I dare you to strike me down, Fane. Show the others just how far you’ve fallen for this human.”
Mayliss clung to Elara out of fear, but she gave her a tight hug and a smile to reassure her. Elara walked towards Fane and placed a hand on his. He felt his anger begin to fade away.
“We won’t win arguments this way, Fane. I don’t want to treat everyone like an enemy,” Elara said. “Please, put down your weapon.”
The advisor watched, waiting for Fane’s response. Fane reluctantly lowered his weapon and holstered it. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but it was short-lived. Before anyone could speak, a loud crash was heard at the gate near the town square which led into Camena.
Suddenly, the tall, stone wall that guarded Camena – which everyone claimed was impenetrable - barreled over in a dark, star-patterned fog. Around twenty witches riding on Tiburon’s – black, horse-like creatures with eight legs and large horns – rode over to where the crowd stood. Even poised, they still looked intimidating.
The dragons weren’t sure whether to attack or flee and so they waited patiently for the witches to make the first move. All conflicts were briefly forgotten for those few moments. Mayliss hid behind Elara’s legs as Fane stood in front of them, prepared to draw his sword again.
A woman with beautiful violet eyes and straight black hair – similar to the girl Elara had seen in the forest, except older – rode in front of the other witches upon their steeds and retreated off of her creature. She wasn’t that old, Elara guessed – maybe in her early forties.
She dusted off her black leather jacket before walking towards the crowd and standing proudly. Elara noticed the powerful staff she wielded, which was placed in a holster on her hip.
“I believe we have a lot to discuss.”
Deva Kanar
No one knew quite what to say to the horde of witches that stood before them. It had been centuries since the Palarri dragons and the witches had come face to face with each other. The Emperor – usually calm and assured – was uneasy and still. One wrong move and another war could be upon them, and the Emperor wasn’t sure they would survive it again.
Another witch got off of her Tiburon, and Elara noticed that it was the same girl she had seen fleeing in the forest through that mysterious fog of light. If it weren’t for Elara, she most likely would’ve been killed by the Grey Knights. Once the girl recognized who Elara was, her eyes widened in shock.
“I know you,” The girl said, and both the witches and the dragons looked at them in surprise. “You saved my life from the Knights. You’re pretty cool – you know, for a human.”
“You’re the Dragonwitch, then? I mean, why else would there be a human among a clan of dragons?” The older woman asked, as her eyes fell upon Elara.
“Who wants to know?” Elara asked as she walked closer to the woman.
Fane tried to stop her, but Elara waved him off. She wasn’t about to let someone intimidate her. She didn’t want Fane to constantly fight her battles for her, either.
“My name is Aria Montano, the leader of the Miracari tribe of witches,” The older woman replied, politely. “What’s yours?”
“Elara. Elara Everly.”
“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Elara. Apparently, you know my daughter, Tavia,” She replied before she scrunched her face in confusion. “How do you two know each other again?”
Tavia sighed, placing a hand on her hip in annoyance. “I snuck out, okay? After I left the Veil, I was cornered by a group of Knights. They nearly killed me, but she distracted them and I got away,” Tavia looked back at Elara this time, nodding. “Thanks for that. I’m sorry I didn’t stick around to help you out. It’s my fault the Knights took you instead.”
Elara
shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. Everything worked out for the best.”
“Tavia, you snuck out beyond the Veil? And you let an innocent be captured by the Grey Knights?” Aria asked, before shaking her head and sighing. “We’ll talk about this later.”
The Emperor stepped forward this time, a little wary. “Why have you come to Camena? We don’t want any trouble with your kind.”
“We’ve come for the Dragonwitch. We heard the rumors. We had to see for ourselves if the legend was true or not.”
“You’ve seen her. Now leave,” The advisor replied, bluntly.
Aria chose to ignore the advisor, and instead gestured towards Elara’s covered bicep. “May I see your arm?”
Elara nodded, carefully rolling up her sleeve which exposed the intertwined dragon and pentacle birthmark. The woman smiled in approval as both the dragons and legion of witches gasped. Elara realized none of them had seen her mark up close yet. It was the most compelling piece of evidence that made others believe she was the Dragonwitch. Aria rolled up the left sleeve on her dress which exposed her own pentacle tattoo.
“I have one, too. The pentacle, at least,” The woman said, rolling down her sleeve. “All witches do. In all my years, I’ve never seen a mark like yours.”
“If you think you’re going to take the Dragonwitch, you’re greatly mistaken,” Fane declared, as he walked forward to stand beside Elara. “I won’t let you hurt her.”
“Why would we hurt her? We’re not here to fight,” Aria began, calmly. “All we want is the Dragonwitch to come back with us to Andora. We want her to understand our culture – her culture - and realize that not all witches are evil Fallen Ones that the Grey Knights have portrayed us to be.”
“No deal,” Fane said, as he crossed his arms.
“From the mark alone, I believe she’s the Dragonwitch – and the legend tells us she’s the one who will bring great peace to all. How can she do that if you keep her locked away?” Aria asked, shaking her head. “Look, we’re not saying we’d keep her forever. We don’t take people as slaves. I propose that she spends the day in our kingdom. If she chose to stay longer, that would be her decision – and of course, she would be welcomed by us. We want to show her everything.”