Dragon Spells

by Melinda Kucsera

  Ah, so you do have it. How do I get that orb away from you? Sovvan shifted her weight and didn’t make a sound. Good. But that maniac had bested her each time they’d fought. Ran’s counting on me. I must beat her this time. But how?

  Ran looked at her and mouthed something. Aww, honey, I believe in you too. Oh no, Metalara had noticed her intended victim was looking at something behind her. I guess it’s now or never.

  Ran must have realized his error because he waved to Metalara. “Excuse me. Could you explain what this mark is? Because I don’t see it.”

  “I know what she’s talking about.” A thirtysomething woman stepped into the doorway. She must be that Scribe, Melinda. Melinda motioned for Ran to be quiet, not that it mattered.

  Metalara was already turning into the cinderblock Sovvan had swung at her head. “Hello, Metalara. Did you miss me?” The block crumbled on impact, but Sovvan had hit hard enough to turn Metalara’s head one-hundred-and-eighty degrees around, so the creature had a nice view of her metal backside.

  While that clockwork creature tried to turn her head, Sovvan thrust her hand into Metalara’s belly and grabbed a magic ball. It rang like a struck gong, and its power pulsed through her, releasing her wings. Some of that energy rushed down the link to her twin, setting that chain of promises afire.

  “What is that glowing ball?” Ran asked from the foyer.

  “It’s the syntrophic orb. It’s order to her chaos.” The clockwork woman grabbed her head and turned it back to face front, but Sovvan was already skipping away with the orb. “You bit—”

  “Language. There’s still a child present.” Melinda shook her finger at Metalara.

  “What she means is—this is the good orb.” Sovvan might have made it to her family if a dragon’s claws hadn’t closed around her ankle, tripping her. I guess Akasha was right about the dragon. Because one was pushing its armored head out of the debris.

  “So pretty, like my orb only brighter.” The dragon rose out of the rubble, sending rocks and dust flying in all directions. White ones and zeroes just visible to the naked eye radiated out of a black ball in her other clawed hand in expanding concentric circles.

  “Here, catch!” Sovvan tossed the gold orb then she was flipped upside down and hanging from the dragon’s claws as it studied her. Hopefully, Ran or Miren had caught that orb.

  “Who are you?”

  “I’m Sovvan. Who are you?” Sovvan eyed the dragon. It wasn’t that much taller than her, but it was covered in metal, and she wasn’t.

  The dragon opened its mouth, but the answer seemed to be stuck in its throat. When the answer came, part of its armor fell off revealing a lattice of blue ones and zeroes. “I was the Newsletter-Dragon. Now, I’m not sure what I am,” the dragon said, and Sovvan got the impression, it was female like her.

  “You’re an abomination. That’s what you are.” Metalara yanked on the dragon’s tail, but she couldn’t use that to lift the dragon. She was too heavy.

  “Why is everything so black and white in your world? You need to make room for shades of gray because that’s what most creatures are.” Sovvan picked up another piece of cinder block and threw it at Metalara.

  “Sovvan’s right. I wanted to be the best dragon I could be, but I needed matter for that.” Then the dragon looked around at all the devastation. “I just wanted some page time. I didn’t want to hurt anyone.”

  “But you did. You hurt Papa a lot,” Ran said as he edged toward a pale gold-glow. Damn, it had fallen short of her family.

  From what Sovvan had come to understand, the black orb was the bad one. It was the one hurting her family and driving Metalara nuts. I must get it out of the dragon’s claws. That creature might be more reasonable without it, and the ensuing scuffle would buy Ran some time to get the good orb. The only question in Sovvan’s mind was how?

  Since she was still hanging by one foot in the dragon’s grasp, Sovvan put the other one to good use. She kicked out and knocked that black ball out of the dragon’s claws.

  “The entropic orb,” Metalara whispered in awe as she dove for it.

  But the dragon had the same idea. She threw Sovvan at an already damaged wall and charged after it. “That orb is mine.” The dragon extended her claws for it, and her eyes took on this greedy look. “I must have all the shiny orbs for my horde.” Her claws sparked with electricity again.

  “It’s mine to destroy.” Metalara threw an uprooted rhododendron plant at the dragon, but she batted it away.

  “I already beat you once. How do you expect to win against me? I’m more powerful than you, and I have technology on my side.” The dragon sent a bolt of power at Metalara, locking her gears up, and sending that metal maniac into a slide. The two creatures slammed into each other, but that black ball didn’t fall into their grasping hands or claws. It shot toward her family.

  “Oh hell no, You’ve done enough damage for one day. Incoming!” Sovvan spread her wings to slow her fall and this time, that move actually worked. She dropped to the ground and ran instead of trying to fly to her family since she hadn’t yet learned how to fly.

  That Ball is Mine!

  [Westchester, NY]

  “I got it!” I crowed with excitement as I finally freed that golden ball from the crack it had fallen into.

  Its glow made it seem larger than it was, but this orb was about the size of a small marble, and it fit easily in the palm of my little hand. I just had to get it to Papa. At least I think that was Auntie Sovvan’s plan. She hadn’t explained that part, but objects that glowed generally had some magic in them, so this ball was probably good for Papa.

  “Oh hell no, You’ve done enough damage for one day. Incoming!” Auntie Sovvan shouted.

  As I turned to see what she was talking about, I tripped, and the gold-glowing ball of whatever it was shot out of my hands. “No! I need you for Papa!” I scrambled after it until Uncle Miren grabbed my arm and yanked me back to the foyer and my downed Papa. “But we need it.” I pointed at the ball.

  It was flying toward the bad one, and the bad one was rushing toward us. Uh-oh. “What happens when they meet?” I tried to grab my aunt’s skirt as she ran past, but it slipped through my hand.

  “What?” Auntie Sovvan glanced over her shoulder, and her eyes widened when she saw the two orbs on a collision course with each other.

  “What happens when they collide? Will they go boom?” I spread my arms in imitation of an explosion.

  “That’s a really good question. Hopefully, they’ll balance each other out. Misriah? Do you have any insight?” Auntie Sovvan scanned the foyer, but there wasn’t much here except red tiles, a short-carpeted staircase, and four wooden doors.

  “Who’s Misriah?” I asked. Why did I always have to ask the obvious questions? Why couldn’t people just provide explanations without being asked?

  “Your father’s guardian angel. She’s a real pain in the neck sometimes. Misriah? Are you ignoring me? How rude.” Auntie Sovvan propped her fists on her hips.

  “You can talk to her?” I wasn’t sure what to make of that development.

  “And fight with her on occasion, but you didn’t hear that from me. Come on, we’d better get you behind cover.” Auntie Sovvan grabbed my other arm, and my feet left the ground as she and my uncle hurried me away from danger.

  They didn’t stop until we were beside Papa. He still hadn’t moved, but Auntie Sovvan was here now. She’d help Papa.

  “Wake up, bro. We need you. Time to get up and do your thing.” Auntie Sovvan let go of me, so she could grab Papa’s hand, and a white flash passed between them, blinding me.

  I rubbed my eyes to clear them. When I could see again, Papa’s eyes were open. “Papa?” I poked his chest.

  “What happened?” Papa put his free hand to his forehead and grimaced.

  “Come on. Let’s get you on your feet. Explanations can wait.” Auntie Sovvan seized Papa’s other hand and pulled.

  “You’re really bossy. Did you know that?
” Papa said.

  “Of course, I’m the eldest sib. It’s my job to keep things moving. Now, up you go.” Auntie Sovvan hauled Papa to his feet. He swayed, but she held him firmly upright.

  “You’re only what? An hour older than me?” Papa glared down at his twin sister, but she was only a few inches shorter than him.

  Auntie Sovvan shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. I’m still older than you, so you have to listen to me.”

  “Why are they circling each other?” I tugged on the hem of my aunt’s robe and pointed at the two orbs. They were locked in a close orbit around each other, but that orbit was shrinking with each revolution, and the balls were rising.

  Soon, they’d crash into each other if the dragon or Metalara didn’t catch them first. They both punched and kicked each other as they fought to reach the glowing balls.

  “What are they?” Papa grabbed his sister and spun her to face the revolving orbs.

  “The black one ate your magic and hurt you.” I leaned into his leg. “I’m not sure about the other one.”

  “He’s right.” Uncle Miren picked up his crutch. It had fallen in the commotion earlier.

  “The gold one is the good orb but only in moderation. I used some of its power to restore you.” Auntie Sovvan elbowed Papa in the ribs.

  “Why isn’t the black one affecting me anymore?” Papa ran a hand down his sternum, and whatever his magic told him made him shake his head.

  “Because together they balance each other out, like you and I do. At least I think so based on what I learned on my quest to find you, but I could be wrong about that, so we should find some cover in case they explode on contact. And I owe you a hug.” Auntie Sovvan bent and wrapped her long arms around me, squeezing me tight as she picked me up. “And that brings me to my other point. The next time you get into serious trouble, could you do it somewhere easier to reach? You wouldn’t believe what I had to do to get here.”

  “What did you have to do?” Uncle Miren asked.

  My too quiet Scribe looked up from the phone she was typing on. She was also interested in the answer, but so was I.

  “I’ll tell you later. Help our brother. He’s not out of the woods yet, not as long as that black orb’s still in play.” Auntie Sovvan scanned the split-level foyer for a safe place to hide. She still held tightly to me.

  “Is that—” I started to ask when Melinda nodded.

  “My phone? Yes. It fell out of your pocket.” She kept typing away in the furthest corner of the foyer. From there, she could see most of the action, but she was far enough away that she was safe from most projectiles.

  “Let her write in peace.” Auntie Sovvan scanned the foyer for a good place to hunker down.

  “Why?” I laid my head on her chest. She was softer and curvier than Papa, and her white dress was like a cloud under my cheek.

  “Because someone went to a lot of trouble to ensure this story would never be finished. I don’t think that person should get their way.” Auntie Sovvan adjusted her grip on me as she turned her back to the laundry/boiler room.

  “Here. I’ll take him.” Papa held his arms out for me.

  “And who’s going to keep you standing? Be reasonable.” Uncle Miren pulled Papa’s arm over his shoulder when he swayed again.

  “I’ve got him. You need to keep your hands free to—incoming! Move it!” Auntie Sovvan bumped Papa and sent him and Uncle Miren stumbling away from the white beam that shot through the doorway.

  It was as wide as a hand, and it struck the foyer’s rear wall and blew through that, almost hitting our Scribe, but Melinda darted out of the way just in time. A shockwave followed the beam. It slammed into us, but Auntie Sovvan leaned into it and stayed on her feet.

  “What’s happening?” I curled into my aunt.

  “Those two orbs finally collided.” Auntie Sovvan edged closer to the beam until she could poke her head into the doorway and peer into the laundry/boiler room.

  “Did they cancel each other out?” Uncle Miren crept toward the other side of the doorway.

  I looked too and had to shield my eyes as another white bean shot skywards perpendicular to the first one, blowing a hole in the ceiling and the apartments above it.

  “Those orbs are mine!” The dragon flapped her armored wings hard to gain altitude. She crashed through the ceiling, and the two apartments above this room, and finally through the roof, raining more debris into the laundry room as she chased the leading edge of that beam.

  That deadly light also burrowed through the floor and the ground below, forming a brilliant, but possibly deadly, cross. I hoped the two orbs weren't at its center, but I feared they were until Auntie Sovvan started to gray out.

  “Leave my aunt alone!” I pounded on the clockwork arm wrapped around her throat.

  “Not again. Don’t you ever give up?” Auntie Sovvan’s hands were suddenly transparent, and I was sliding down her disappearing body to the ground.

  “Ran!” Uncle Miren grabbed me and pulled me away from the deadly-looking white rays still shooting through the building. I crashed into his legs, grateful to be away from that metal meanie.

  “Why can’t you just die, Agent of Chaos?” Metalara shoved Auntie Sovvan into the horizontal beam of light generated by the collision of those two orbs.

  “I’m not one of them.” Auntie Sovvan turned solid again and screamed as she slowly disintegrated in that white death ray.

  “You all must die.” Metalara reached for me, but Uncle Miren shoved me away from her, and I ducked under the beam. “Papa, save Auntie Sovvan!”

  But he didn’t reply because he was down on his knees surrounded by a radiant field of magic. I charged right through it, and it let me collide with his muscular chest. Oof.

  Papa was in his element now. Fighting wasn’t his thing, and it wasn’t mine either. He was much better at magicking, and there was suddenly magic in the air, and everywhere around us. It must have been released by the collision of those two orbs. I hoped Papa could use it.

  “You have to help Auntie Sovvan.” I pounded on his chest to get his attention. When I didn’t get an answer, I looked for my uncle and my Scribe.

  I panicked when my eyes kept sliding away from the corner Melinda had just occupied. Oh no, where was she? I took a calming breath and glanced at that corner in my peripheral vision, and there was Melinda still typing away on her phone. Everyone had forgotten about her, and I was starting to as well.

  That was her special power at work. Magic must be back. Since she was safe, I looked for my uncle and found him throwing whatever came to hand—discarded shoes, umbrellas, welcome mats—whatever people had left in the foyer at Metalara. But she was still advancing on him. “Papa! Help Uncle Miren too!”

  Another beam shot out at a forty-five-degree angle from the intersection of the other two beams, and it slammed into Papa’s hand. The beam was as white as his other magic, and he deflected it, striking Metalara in the back as he pushed to his feet. She landed on her knees and stared at the flaming hole in her chest then she collapsed onto her side and seized.

  “Is she dead?” I tugged on Papa’s pants for an answer, but he didn’t give me one.

  “Come here, sis.” Papa’s eyes were white blazes as he redirected that beam, so it shot through my dissipating aunt.

  Auntie Sovvan solidified as she stumbled out of the beam into our arms. Papa hugged his twin sister, and I hugged her leg. “Miren.” She gestured for him to join our group hug, and he did. Behind us, a loud boom shook the building.

  “Now what’s happening?” I broke from the hug to look and walked right into a wall of magic, and it pushed me back to Papa’s side where I belonged.

  “Stay close to me,” Papa said unnecessarily.

  How could I do anything else with his magic on guard? I glued myself to his leg after he released my aunt, so I could see what he was doing. Papa didn’t often use his white magic mostly because he didn’t know how to, so this was an unexpected treat for me all thanks to that
dragon. Had I just thanked her for that? I covered my mouth agog at the thought.

  “I’m glad your magic is back, even if it’s one I don’t recognize.” Uncle Miren leaned on his battered crutch, and it held his weight with a little help from Papa’s other magic. A green-glow rolled over the cracks in his crutch, healing them.

  “I’m just glad the white magic is letting Papa use it. Usually, it hides and refuses to come out.” But there had been times recently that it had let him use it, so maybe that was changing. I hoped it was. We could always use more magic, especially now.

  A crash startled me, and I shaded my eyes to look past the star the two orbs had formed, but I couldn’t see what was throwing the shadow growing on the debris-covered floor of the laundry/boiler room. What new danger was coming for us? I leaned into Papa’s leg and hoped it wasn’t another death ray.

  To Detect and Deflect

  [Westchester, NY]

  A stunned dragon plummeted through the ceiling. One of her wings had lost its armor plating, and her blue ones and zeroes were showing. Her eyes were very wide and a little scared. Uh-oh. What did she know that we didn’t?

  “Everyone, get back!” Papa let go of me, and a shimmering-green shield extruded from his other hand. It cupped us in my favorite type of shield; the nearly indestructible one generated by his earth magic. “Everyone, get down.”

  Auntie Sovvan pulled Uncle Miren’s arm over her shoulder and supported him as they both crouched down. I just stood there because I was considerably shorter than everyone else until Papa stopped deflecting the beam and hunkered down, so he could wrap a restraining arm around me as if I needed it. No way would I leave his side when he was actively magicking. I might miss something important if I did. The now unencumbered beam smashed through the staircase, the wall beside it, and whatever was outside.

  “Oh no, not the parking lot. My car is out there,” Melinda moaned. “I haven’t paid it off yet.”

  “Maybe the beam missed your car.” I hoped it had. We needed a little good luck right now, and the less property we damaged, the better. Especially since said property belonged to our Scribe. She needed funds for pretty covers and editing for our future books.