The Dragonlings and the Magic Four-Leaf Clover

by S. E. Smith

  Paul drew in a shocked gasp. The man did look like one—well, if he thought of Leprechauns as tall and stately instead of short and somewhat rounded. The man’s eyes narrowed, and Paul was confident he didn’t miss anything in his scrutiny of them.

  The King stopped in front of them. His gaze moved from one to the other before his lips pursed for a fraction of a second when another woman, who had the same green skin, facial features, and vivid red hair, hurried up behind him. The man took a deep breath before he spoke.

  “I am King Tamblin… of the Leprechauns,” he announced with an almost pained expression though his voice was cool and confident. “This is my sister, Tia.”

  “Hello,” Tia said with a warm smile.

  “What brings you to my kingdom?” Tamblin demanded.

  Zoran stepped forward and introduced himself. “I am Zoran Reykill, King of the Valdier,” he stated.

  Ha’ven stepped next to Zoran on his left side. “I am Ha’ven Ha’darra, Crown Prince of the Curizans,” he introduced himself.

  Viper nodded to Tamblin. “I’m Viper d’Rojah, Prince of the Sarafin. I’m looking for a small black tiger cub with dark brown eyes. He likes to eat things that he shouldn’t. Have you seen him?” he demanded.

  Tamblin’s eyes twinkled with amusement, but he didn’t appear at all surprised by the introductions—or Viper’s question. A frown creased Paul’s brow.

  Tia’s eyes sparkled with excitement and merriment. She was biting her bottom lip in an effort not to laugh. Clearly, she was not the type capable of keeping a secret for long.

  “King Tamblin, if I may explain,” Paul said, stepping forward.

  Tamblin turned to face him, a slight frown furrowing the man’s brow. Tia leaned forward and whispered in Tamblin’s ear, but Paul still heard her say his daughter’s name, and he distinctly heard her say ‘you know, the one with the princess gown and wand.’ Tamblin’s lips twitched, and he nodded.

  “You are the storyteller,” Tamblin stated with a straight face.

  Paul raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Yes,” he replied.

  A hint of a smile tugged at the corner of Tamblin’s mouth for a moment—before he laughed outright. Paul looked around when many of Tamblin’s warriors began to chuckle as well. He looked back at the King with a quizzical expression.

  “It would appear that you and my sister have a lot in common. If you would follow me, I believe there is still more of the story to be told,” Tamblin said with a bow of his head. The king raised his hand, and the warriors parted, stepping back and bowing in respect. Creon and Mandra each fell in step with Paul as he followed Tamblin.

  “What did he mean by ‘there is more to be told’?” Creon asked in a low, wary voice.

  Paul chuckled. “Something tells me the kids are here,” he replied under his breath.

  “The kids?!” Mandra softly exclaimed, looking up and scanning the area.

  “Do you think they were shrunk like we were?” Ha’ven asked, falling back to walk with them.

  Paul shook his head. “I don’t know. I never added shrinking to the story, so this is all new to me,” he confessed.

  Zoran gazed around them. “This is incredible,” he said to Tamblin with a wave of his hand at the glittering city.

  Tamblin smiled and glanced over his shoulder at them. “Thank you,” he said.

  “Tamblin, can you share what is going on?” Paul asked.

  Tamblin nodded to his sister who was hurrying up ahead of them. “It would appear that a group of children are searching for their lost fathers and have decided that I, Tamblin, King of a magical species known as Leprechauns, must have spirited you away to the Kingdom of Glitter,” he responded with a chuckle.

  “Is that a yes, you’ve seen the cub then?” Viper asked with a growl of frustration. “My mate is going to skin me alive if I’ve lost him.”

  Tamblin laughed. “Yes, he is alive. I believe Santil is quite miffed with that one. He tried to eat him,” he replied.

  “Thank you, Goddesses!” Viper muttered in relief, lifting his hands and running them through his hair.

  “Now all we need to do is find Vox, Kelan, and the twin dragons,” Ha’ven continued.

  Tamblin raised an eyebrow. “We have found two more men. I fear we had to contain one. He would not cooperate,” he said.

  Ha’ven and Zoran grinned. “Vox,” they both said at the same time.

  Tamblin nodded. “I believe that is what the man named Kelan called him, along with a few other names,” he stated, falling quiet as they walked through the city.

  “Now, we just need to find the twin dragons,” Trelon said.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Hope’s nose wiggled as a familiar scent floated in from outside. Sniffing, she tilted her head and stared at the open doors leading out onto the balcony. The older dragonlings were talking in hushed voices. Morah was asleep on the couch, and Leo was sitting on the table in his tiger form sampling food from each of the platters that were being brought in for them. Several of the women Tia had left with them were laughing as they watched Leo.

  What’s is it? she whispered to her dragon.

  Daddies! I’s smell daddies! her dragon replied with excitement.

  Where? Hope asked, standing up from the floor where she was drawing.

  Near. We find our daddies! her dragon insisted, pulling at her to shift.

  Hope bit her lip and looked at the women. They were too busy watching Leo and his antics to notice that she was moving closer to the open doors. Focusing like her daddies had shown her, she slipped through the doors and onto the balcony.

  She could feel her body changing. She embraced the feelings and gave herself over to her dragonling. A second later, the tiny emerald green dragonling was scurrying along the balcony.

  Where is they? Hope asked.

  Her dragonling paused and sniffed the air. She looked around until she saw movement on the cliffs near the waterfall. Her daddies were moving along the rocks toward a dark cave.

  Daddies! Hope and her dragon squealed in delight at the same time.

  The tiny emerald-green dragonling bounded across the balcony and leaped towards the railing. It took several tries to climb all the way on top of it. Shifting back into her two-legged form, Hope balanced on the railing and began frantically waving her arms.

  “Daddies! I’s here! Here’s I am!” Hope called at the top of her voice. “Daddies! I’s here!”

  She saw both of her fathers turn their heads toward her at the same time. In her excitement, she took a step closer to the edge, clapping her hands when they saw her. Her lips parted to shout to them again when her foot slipped off the edge of the balcony railing. Unable to right herself, Hope twisted, her arms reaching out to her fathers and her eyes imploring them to help her as she fell.

  “Daddies!” she screamed.

  The cliffs near the waterfall:

  a few moments ago

  * * *

  Cree looked over at his brother. They had made it to the far side of the cavern and had been scaling the rocky cliffs for the past hour. They had decided against shifting into their dragon forms after seeing the flying beasts with the warriors on their backs.

  Their best bet was to stay in the shadows and work their way around to the palace. They were halfway there when Cree felt his dragon straining to break free.

  What is it? he demanded, crouching on a narrow ledge.

  “Do you sense something as well?” Calo asked, climbing up next to him and kneeling on one knee.

  “My dragon is going crazy,” Cree replied.

  “Mine is too,” Calo stated, looking down at the shimmering valley. “Look!”

  Cree looked down. In the distance, he could see Zoran, Paul, and the others walking down a wide path. Two massive black beasts with glowing red eyes trotted on either side of them while a legion of warriors surrounded them.

  “Dragon’s balls! Where have we landed?” Cree cursed.

  “It looks like we are
the only two who haven’t been captured. There are Vox and Kelan,” Calo said, pointing to another section in the center of the plaza. “Looks like Vox isn’t being very cooperative.”

  Cree turned to look at Vox and Kelan. Six warriors surrounded Vox who was pacing back and forth. From the flashing of teeth, it was obvious he was one very upset leopard. He curled his fingers around the edge of a rock when he felt his dragon hiss out a warning.

  Hope! his dragon roared.

  “Hope!” Cree said at the same time as his brother.

  They frantically searched the valley below them until they heard a soft cry carried on the breeze. Cree’s eyes widened in horror, and he rose to his feet. Calo stood up behind him, his hand raising and stretching out as if to stop what was about to happen.

  “Goddess, no! Please, no!” Calo begged in a hoarse voice.

  Cree’s heart pounded, and he dove off the ledge at the same time as Hope slipped. Shifting, he didn’t care about anything but reaching his daughter before she hit the ground. He reached out, calling to Calo’s symbiot and his own.

  The two symbiots appeared, diving over the balcony at an incredible speed. Even so, Cree could tell that they would all reach Hope a fraction of a second too late. There was no saving their beautiful, fragile, little girl from certain death.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Arosa watched the events unfolding with a heavy heart. This was all her and Arilla’s fault. They had meddled with the natural universe. Aikaterina had always warned them that there would be consequences if they did. Still, she couldn’t let the precious little girl die.

  Focusing, she changed her shape and transformed into the corporeal form of the wood fairy that she had used before with the four-leaf clover. She reached out and wrapped her arms tightly around Hope, drawing the fragile little girl close to her chest before she slowly descended to the moss-covered floor of the cavern. The two symbiots landed on each side of her a split second later.

  Arosa turned and spoke in a soft, soothing voice to the sobbing little girl and the two shimmering symbiots. The symbiots brushed up against her, trying to reassure themselves that their little charge was safe. She looked up as the twin dragons landed and shifted. The wretched fear on both men’s faces tore through her, causing a rush of emotion that manifested into a physical pain inside her.

  “Hope,” Cree choked out, his arms reaching for his tiny sobbing daughter. “Daddy’s here, my little dragonling.”

  “We’re here. I’m so sorry, my little princess. We should never have left you,” Calo said in a thick voice that trembled. “Goddess, how can we ever thank you for saving our daughter?”

  “I’m not…,” Arosa started to say.

  “It’s the Queen of the Wood Fairies!” a voice cried out behind them.

  Arosa turned, her eyes widening when she saw the group gathering around her. Caught, she wasn’t sure what she should do. She looked down when a tiny hand cupped hers.

  “I’s knew you was reals,” Morah breathed, staring up at her with shining eyes.

  “I… am?” Arosa said, wondering frantically where her sister was and what she should do now.

  “King Tamblin, may I introduce the Queen of the Wood Fairies…,” Tia began before she paused.

  “Arosa…. My name is Arosa,” Arosa replied, clasping her hands in front of her and folding her wings.

  “Arosa,” Tia said with a gentle smile. “Arosa, may I introduce King Tamblin, King of the Leprechauns of Glitter.”

  “I know…. I mean, he…,” Arosa was at a loss for words.

  She focused on her connection to her sister and was surprised when she couldn’t feel it. Unsure of what to do next, she swallowed when Tamblin stepped forward and lifted one of her hands to his lips. She had never felt the touch of a man’s lips. Startled, she pulled her hand away from him and curled her fingers in the fabric of her long gown.

  “You are truly a gift to both my people and to our visitors. Thank you for your bravery in saving the child’s life,” Tamblin said, lifting his hand to tenderly brush a lock of hair back from her flushed cheek. “I have never seen eyes shimmer with gold the way yours do,” he murmured.

  “Does this means you’s still wants lots of golds?” Morah asked with a frown, looking worriedly at the golden forms of Crash and Princess Buttercup.

  Tamblin chuckled and shook his head. “No, my heart belongs to the people of Glitter. I invite you to join us in celebration of new friendships,” he suddenly announced.

  “That’s goods because we’s only gots two wishes left,” Morah replied with a sigh, holding up the now rather tattered-looking four-leaf clover.

  “Two? I thought we only used one,” Zohar said with a frown.

  “No’s, I uses two. I’s wants to meet the Leprechauns and for foods,” Morah stated with a nod. “I’s knows my numbers.”

  “Oh, I didn’t think the first one worked,” Roam replied, scratching his head before he looked around with a frown. “Does anyone know where Leo is?”

  Arosa saw a flash of panic cross Roam’s face. She was about to reassure him that the little boy was safe when a sound from the entrance to the palace drew their attention. She watched with a bemused expression as a man came running out.

  The man was wearing a set of funny green clothes. One hand was holding his pants up while the other tried to grab the tall, black shiny hat that was about to fall off his head. On the right side of the hat was a large, four-leaf clover. Behind the man was a tiny, black tiger cub with a piece of green material hanging out of his mouth.

  “I am not food!” the man yelled.

  “Jett!” Tia chided, shaking her head and laughing as Santil ran by her.

  “I swear I didn’t do it, Tia. That tiger cub was waiting under the stairs,” Jett said, watching as his friend finally tumbled into the fountain several yards away from them.

  Arosa was delighted with the antics going on around her. Captivated, she—along with the other adults—watched Santil and Leo with amused expressions. The children, distracted by Santil and Leo, ran over to the fountain. Even little Hope wiggled out of her father’s tight embrace and squealed with delight. Soon, the sounds of splashing water and children’s laughter filled the air. Even Santil let down his guard, and with the help of Leo, who was in the shape of a little boy now, they began a water fight. The rest of the younglings quickly joined in.

  “I guess we don’t need Santil to dress up as the King of the Leprechauns anymore,” Jett observed.

  “No, though I have to say Santil made an excellent Leprechaun before the paint washed off of him,” she said, wrapping her arm around her husband’s and shaking her head.

  “Well, it looks like we’ll have a few green Leprechauns of our own before the night is over,” Paul chuckled.

  “I just hope it washes off or we are going to have some explaining to do when we get home,” Zoran replied.

  Arosa tilted her head and studied the playing children as a chain reaction of groans dominoes through the men as Zoran’s words sank in. A soft chuckled escaped her. The children appeared to be unconcerned with their changing color.

  With a sigh, she realized that she should leave. Arilla and she had already caused more than enough mischief. They would be lucky not to get a stiff reprimand from Aikaterina for this little adventure. Still, it would be worth a rebuke for the chance to spend a short amount of time with these species. They always filled her with their amazing essence of love, warmth, and curiosity.

  “Let the festivities begin!” Tamblin announced to the people gathered around him. “Let us prepare a celebration for our new friends and a warm welcome to the Kingdom of Glitter!”

  Cheers rose up. She started and took a step back. It was time for her to leave. Her hope of fading away soon dissolved when she felt a firm hand grasp her wrist. Tamblin turned to her, his eyes filled with determination.

  “Not so fast, my beautiful Queen,” he murmured. “Tonight, I would be honored if you would be my guest and sit by my si
de.”

  Arosa’s head was nodding up and down even as an unfamiliar feeling beat in her chest. Lifting a slender hand, she rested it over her breasts. If she didn’t know any better, it felt like… a heartbeat.

  Sitting atop the fountain, Arilla chuckled at the stunned expression on her sister’s face. Deciding she would have some fun as well, she waved her hand. Inside the massive cavern, millions of shimmering green clovers suddenly opened up under the mushrooms, lighting up the interior with a wondrous green glow.

  Chapter Fifteen

  I want to thank you for doing all of this,” Paul said, standing beside Tamblin on the balcony later that evening.

  “It was good for my people to have some excitement and to celebrate,” Tamblin quietly replied.

  “When Ariel told me about your kingdom, I never expected it to be like this,” Paul admitted, gazing out over the vast, glittering cavern.

  Tamblin smiled. “Lady Ariel gave us a gift we never expected nor believed was possible. She gave us the freedom to leave our home here, yet… I find I have no desire to live outside,” he replied, remembering Lady Ariel’s gift of the Tasiers.

  Ariel had shared with Paul the story behind the people of Glitter. This moon was the birthplace of the Tasiers, the normally small, furry creatures that the dragons thought tasted like chocolate. Hunted to the point of extinction on their world, it had driven a divide between Tamblin’s people centuries before. Some had taken shelter in the caverns, while others had learned to adapt to the harsh and very dangerous deserts that overtook their home.

  It turned out that the Tasiers’ waste was what gave the moon life—in the form of the fertilized mushrooms. When the last of the Tasiers were taken, the mushrooms and other plant life disappeared, leaving the small residents left behind vulnerable to the elements and predatory creatures such as the sand worms. Fortunately, the sand worms were the natural food source for the Tasiers.

  “I almost forgot. I believe this belongs to you,” Paul said.