by Aya Knight
The general walked back to the army of men. “It appears we must have a traitor living within Mirion. Firehart knew we were en route to slay him. It appears the beast has run away like a coward,” He yelled loud enough for his voice to echo against the cave walls, amplifying so every knight could hear. “We shall find the filthy waste—no matter where he runs. This war is not over until his body falls lifeless to the floor.” He gritted his teeth in anger, “Firehart will die!”
Kale leaned forward; his chest pounding in fury. “Did that ugly, bald monster just call me filthy?”
Thomas jumped in surprise, reaching out with impressive speed to cup his hand over Kale’s mouth. The silencing spell had worn off sooner than anticipated. He knew his magic had been weakened after transforming Kale into a human.
“What in bloody hell was that?” General Jedah spun around, turning in the direction where the two hid.
Both Thomas and Kale pressed as far back as they could squeeze into the dark crevice, holding a pocket of air within their chests so their breathing would not draw attention.
Jedah paced toward them, his head slightly tilted and eyebrows lowered as if carefully listening for something.
Thomas’ chest burned horribly. His old body didn’t have the same stamina it once did.
“What is it, General?” Saldin inquired, baffled by Jedah’s actions.
“I am positive I heard someone speak over here.” He narrowed his eyes as he examined the wall, stepping even closer to where the two concealed themselves. It looked as though his piercing eyes were staring directly toward them.
Thomas exhaled slowly and silently, unable to hold his breath any longer—his heart raced.
“Sir,” Saldin placed his hand upon the general’s shoulder, “I believe the sound you heard was one of our own men. This cave is formed purely out of stone; everything we say—every move we make echoes off these walls.”
General Jedah now stood mere feet away; so close they could hear his heavy breathing.
It’s over—we’ve been spotted, Kale thought. He was fearful that, because of him, Thomas would be slain in the most vicious way by the general’s army for betrayal to the kingdom.
The general snickered. “What am I thinking, Saldin? There is no logical way a dragon, so massive in size, could possibly hide within these walls—right before our very eyes.” He paused. “Then again, not everything is logical in this world.” Jedah gave a final glance toward where they hid, as if to satisfy his suspicions that there was indeed no one there. He turned, walking toward the assembly of knights. “We march, men!” the general called out, gripping his sword by the copper-toned hilt carved in the shape of a serpent. He raised it above his head, “Make way for the kingdom of Mirion!”
To the far right of their narrow span of sight, Thomas and Kale could see someone wearing flowing black robes approach the general. His long, pale fingers clutched a rod topped with a red banner. They could only assume he had been cowering in safety for what he thought was going to be a grand battle against a fierce beast.
“Do not worry, General—we will find the dragon,” he spoke in a low, dark tone. “Although gone, the smell remains.” Hidden beneath the darkness of his hooded robe, they could hear someone—or something take in a long whiff of air. “I will not forget the beast’s scent.”
Thomas quickly realized the man in black was a figure who he had heard about from Rogerick. As he could recall, General Jedah found him, starving, weak, and alone. As Rogerick had explained, the origin of the being was unknown, but it was rumored he was an outstanding hunter and had an exceptional sense of smell that could not be matched. It was said Jedah only rescued the being in order to bind him to an oath—taking on the role as a servant, answering to every demand, and executing his abilities to carry out both the righteous and immoral requests of the general—until all dragons were slain.
Thomas closed his eyes, hoping the man—or being, in black would not capture the scent of his perspiration. He watched silently in relief as they made way for the forest. The plan worked. Thomas was proud he managed to conjure the spell with enough time for them to seek refuge within the cave walls. As the final knight’s footsteps echoed upon his exit, Kale and Thomas breathed heavily—the air felt exhilarating as it filled their lungs.
The two remained cautious, holding their bodies uncomfortably still for what felt like hours, expecting General Jedah to surprise them with a sudden ambush. Finally, the cave grew dark, filling them with the confidence that nightfall had washed over the blue skies, and it would be safe to emerge from the crevice. They each stretched their achy limbs, throbbing from being held in awkward positions for such a prolonged duration.
Kale had been so focused on recent events with General Jedah’s army he had nearly forgotten the life-altering change which occurred earlier. As he shook his tingling arm, pressed between his body and stone for the past hours, reality struck him.
“Oh no… No, no, no.” He glared angrily at Thomas. “All right, we’re safe—now turn me back!”
Thomas shook his head. “If I were to do that, Kale, you would be dead within the week—at most. The general’s army will not rest until they find the black dragon, Firehart, and slay him. Besides…” he looked down. “The book containing this spell did not say how to reverse the process. I only know how to transform a dragon into a human—not the other way around.”
“Ugh!” Kale tugged at his black hair in frustration. “Hair… Great—just great, I’m hairy now too!” His eyes fixated downward, as he investigated his new body in better detail. “What in Pan’s name is wrong with this body?!” He pointed downward.
Thomas placed a hand upon his stomach as it pulsed with laughter. “I see we’re going to have quite a bit of work ahead of us with getting you used to your new body.”
“New body? This body? I don’t think so, Thomas! I’d rather have died earlier than to be stuck within this flesh for the rest of my life. To live among humans…” Kale’s face cringed in disgust. “No way. I’m not staying like this, so I suggest you start looking for ways to change me back. I’ll go to the frozen island of Sundra—I’ll go anywhere you want me to, as long as you return me to my former self.”
Thomas held a hand up, motioning Kale to stop carrying on about circumstances that could not be altered at the current time. “All right, Kale, all right. But, for now, let’s make the best of this situation; it’s not going to get any easier if we stand here all night.” He glanced toward Kale’s lean torso. “We can start by finding you some clothing. It won’t make for a very good first impression if you are nude when encountering other humans. And,” he extended his arm, spreading all five of his fingers apart, “we will need to rectify your features at once–we can’t have a silver-eyed young man roaming around without drawing too much suspicion.” With a wave of his hand, Kale’s eyes transfigured to a crystal-like blue.
After Kale grew weary of arguing, he finally agreed to leave his home—the one place he had grown to love—his sanctuary for most of his life. He staggered and stumbled his way toward the cave entrance, struggling to walk upon his new legs. As they emerged into the open fresh air, relief swelled within their chests. They were safe for the time being; no one from the general’s army was waiting to ambush them from the surrounding darkness—a worry that had weighed on their minds since the knights left the cave.
A cool, ocean breeze sifted through the nearby leaves, making its way to Kale as it grazed against his human flesh, causing the hairs on his arm to prickle outward. He made a discomforted expression then created a warm friction by rubbing his hand quickly in both directions on his forearm, repeating the process on the other arm until the tiny bumps faded.
What is wrong with human bodies? he thought to himself, This is ridiculous. The wind never bothered his hardened dragon skin which had been protected by flaky scales. This new e
xterior was too soft and delicate.
“Can’t you chant some fancy words and teleport us to your village? I just want to go somewhere safe where I can close my eyes and pretend today never happened.” Kale glanced down. “Not to mention getting something to put over this hideous body.” He sighed.
Thomas turned to face Kale, who was slightly taken back by the sight of his friend’s countenance. The old sorcerer had dark bags beneath his reddened eyes. His eyelids weighed heavily over his pupils as they struggled to remain open. Within the short walk to the forest, Thomas had grown horribly fatigued after exhausting all of his energy on the transformation spell.
“We won’t be going back to my home.” He breathed heavily. “It’s too close to the kingdom of Mirion and will no longer be safe for us to take refuge. The general’s men will surely search for information in all surrounding locations to the castle. I’m sure it will not be long before they realize I am missing; soon after invading my home to find books and scrolls pertaining to dragons. I anticipated having more time with preparing for this moment and was planning to destroy all the evidence. It surely won’t take much for General Jedah to realize I warned you of their arrival.” He paused. “I do know of another location that will be safe. It’s a place where we would both be welcomed without question,just to the north and out of the rule of King Valamar.” He held out a bent elbow. “Hold onto my arm, Kale. I’ll take us just outside the town walls. I can gather clothing for you from within the inn; the innkeeper and I are acquaintances and I’m sure he would be glad to oblige. This way we do not draw attention from you strolling in—like this.”
Kale did as instructed, grasping his fingers tightly around Thomas’ arm, unsure of what to expect from the spell. Just as Thomas began to mutter a few foreign words, his legs gave out, causing his body to crumple wearily to the ground.
“Thomas!” Kale quickly knelt by his side, gently shaking his friend. As he helplessly tried to aid Thomas, he heard a faint popping sound off in the distance. Although Kale knew this likely had come from an animal on the prowl for his supper, no chances could be taken. His blue eyes panned the area, ensuring they were alone. He knew he needed to keep a clear head and get both he and Thomas to a safe location for the night.
Thomas’ eyelashes fluttered against one another as his eyes slowly opened. The bright orange and yellow light caused him to wrinkle his forehead, squinting as his pupils dilated. He licked his tongue against dry lips, adjusting his crimson pointed hat as he sat upright.
Where am I? Thomas thought to himself, peering around the area as he investigated his surroundings. He noticed a wooden caravan, immobile and missing a wheel. It looked as though it had been ransacked. There was a large red splatter on the side he was able to view from where he sat. The rear door had been ripped from its hinges and remnants of what was left behind lay scattered within the bed of the caravan, trailing onto the ground outside. He could not see any horses in front to pull the vehicle, nor could he make out any other people around.
The fire snapped and popped as a log settled deeper into the hot coals which caused Thomas to focus his attention in that direction. He immediately noticed the silhouette of a figure moving on the opposite side, causing Thomas to hunch down instinctively.
“Who’s there?” Thomas called out to the mysterious figure.
Whatever it was, mumbled and spoke in an indistinguishable voice. As the figure stood, Thomas raised his arm, facing a palm toward the person. We must have gotten caught by the General’s men, Thomas thought in panic. He knew that in his current state, if he didn’t act now, there might not be a second chance to escape. As Thomas opened his mouth to begin chanting a magical attack, a voice shouted out.
“Stop!” It was Kale.
Thomas had nearly turned his friend into a pile of ash. “Jumping balt toads, Kale, I could’ve killed you! Why didn’t you say something when I asked who you were?”
“Well, for one, I was eating when you asked. Secondly, in your current state, I would be impressed if I saw even a spark flicker from your fingertips. You’ve only been asleep for a couple of hours—hardly enough to rejuvenate your energy for spell casting. I assume that in your condition it will be a few more days before you’re able to conjure anything. You’ve expended everything on turning me into this ugly heap of human flesh.” Kale flicked a twig into the fire. “Just be thankful I don’t know any magic or I’d change you into a cockroach—the only thing filthier than a human.” He laughed at his own sinister joke.
Thomas disregarded Kale’s threat. He knew how childish Kale could be when upset and had grown accustomed to it over the years.
Kale reached his arms above his head to stretch and Thomas could now clearly see that he had somehow acquired clothing.
“How did you get those?” He pointed toward the shirt and pants Kale now wore. “While you’re at it, you can also explain where we are and how we arrived.” Thomas scanned the area; his mind filled with questions to be answered.
Kale explained that after Thomas collapsed, Kale carried him through the woods, still staggering as he slowly mastered how to properly walk on human legs. They detoured from the main trail, venturing through the thick forest vegetation to avoid any possible encounters. Kale assumed there would be lingering knights stationed nearby in case Firehart returned to his den. Kale continued, informing Thomas how he journeyed through the darkness until discovering a dirt trail deep within the woods, bordered by thick pine trees.
In all his time living nearby, he had never known of the trail. Because of the small trail being placed in such seclusion, he could only assume it was used by thieves and tradesmen to transport goods between villages. After a brief debate, he decided it would be less risky to follow the trail versus carrying Thomas aimlessly through the forest. He hoped luck was in his favor and there were no humans traveling in the darkness aside from them. Even if there had been a thief making his way to raid another nearby town, Kale assumed that he being naked, and Thomas having only a tacky robe, a silly pointed hat, and slippers would hardly be something of desire to steal.
As Kale’s story progressed he told Thomas about discovering the ravaged wooden caravan. He revealed that upon approaching the rundown transport he could see that someone—or something—had gotten away with many provisions. To make matters even grimmer, whoever had attacked, completely slaughtered the three travelers who occupied the caravan. One of the men was hardly distinguishable and his limbs appeared ripped from his torso. The petrified look upon his face could only suggest this had been done while the man was still alive. The other male traveler was much larger and must have proven to be more difficult to kill. His arms had chunks of meat missing which oozed darkened blood. Bone fragments protruded from his forearm, revealing he had gone down fighting for his life. The third human had been a woman whose body remained halfway inside the caravan where she must have been riding. She was completely lifeless, though her body appeared to be unharmed.
Kale, unaffected by the death of humans, began to explain how, after visually inspecting the area, he laid Thomas on a nearby section of tall grass while searching for any leftover food or clothing. After rummaging through the leftover materials, most of which were useless to them, he came across three ripe apples and half a loaf of bread. Both were without mold and the bread felt soft, which told Kale that what happened to the caravan was most likely within the past day.
“Pardon my interruption, but you still haven’t enlightened me on how you’ve obtained clothing. Was it found inside of the caravan as well?” Thomas raised his right eyebrow, glancing at Kale’s oversized ivory shirt and brown pants held up with twine and splattered in various areas with blood.
Kale smiled proudly as if he had accomplished something grand of which Thomas would be pleased. He pointed toward a section behind the caravan where the grass grew tall.
As Thomas squinted through the darknes
s, he could faintly make out the light peach skin of a hand. It stuck out from the tall green blades, lying limp and motionless. He instantly knew it was the dead body of the larger man Kale described. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that Kale had stripped the deceased man’s clothing from his bloody body.
Thomas scrunched his face as though he had swallowed something incredibly sour. “Kale, that’s disgusting! Have you no morals?” He looked away, revolted by Kale’s actions.
“Well,” Kale replied without remorse, “it’s not like he is going to miss them. At least the clothes are getting some usage.”
Thomas shook his head in disapproval. As Kale returned to a sitting position near the fire, Thomas’ mind began to wander. Although grateful for the enduring walk Kale had gone through to carry him, he couldn’t help feeling apprehensive about where they intended to camp for the night. He pondered the dangers they might soon face. Something had attacked the three dead travelers—something emotionless to human life—something that would tear them apart given the opportunity. No humane person, or average thief, would have gone to such lengths to kill the travelers. Whatever had done this most likely did not venture too far. Thomas could tell from the many empty baskets inside, there had been far too much to carry for a single person planning to travel away from the area. Unless it was a large group who ransacked the caravan, they would have no way to cover much ground while carrying such an abundance of rations.