by LJ Davies
She seemed preoccupied, but the moment she spotted me; her behaviour instantly changed, her frustrated attention replaced by a more familiar friendly attitude. She rushed over, completely ignoring what she'd been doing and acting like it had never happened. It seemed unnecessary for me to think about her behaviour, but after having to read Tarwin's for so long, I just did it without thinking.
"It’s not much, but it’s home," she admitted, gesturing over the rounded room. "Sorry I didn't have time to spruce things up. This place was never anything too fancy."
Her sudden disregard for whatever was bothering her left me rather suspicious, but before I had time to consider it, she'd already returned to the centre of the chamber. It didn't appear that she was hiding something from me, although she seemed troubled, like Tarwin would often be with her father.
Confident I was safe; I allowed my eyes to scan the chamber. Clay pots sat on stone tables, all set at around a dragon’s height, in the middle was a smoothed circular ring set slightly lower than the rest of the room. A fireplace made from rocks occupied its centre, together with a pile of charcoal, ashes and two pieces of charred log.
As I glanced up, I saw the ceiling above the lower circle wasn't a ceiling at all. Unlike the roof bordering the chamber, a central shaft stretched upward a considerable distance, forming a smooth cylinder lit by rough patches of glowing moss. I now understood that Risha wasn't just looking at the ceiling, she was looking at one of the openings lining the shaft's circumference.
She continued to shout, seemingly expecting a response. All I could see were the smooth walls, but before I could look properly a light breeze sweeping into the chamber caught my attention. I glanced to my left to see another opening similar to the one we’d entered through, albeit with a few minor differences. It was larger, with a shelf resembling a stone balcony outside. The walls flanking it were crossed by pillars of rock silhouetted against the fading sunlight, making it look like the teeth of a beast. The somewhat aggressive appearance was subdued by the gentle movement of a thin, white curtain, parted in the middle and swaying softly in the light breeze.
"I'm home!" Risha shouted upwards again, drawing my attention back to her.
"Oh, come on, Boltock, you useless leatherwing!" she yelled again.
I hopped down the small ledge defining the lower ring of the chamber and peered up into the roof. As I did, a shape appeared from one of the upper ledges.
"Oh, I know, you've been calling for like... Five minutes straight." came a male's voice, before adding wittingly. "How long have you been gone, about three days?".
"Actually, it's only been about three hours," she retorted.
Uninterested in the stranger's sarcastic tone, she moved off to the side of the lower ring.
Before I knew it, a dragon leapt from the stone perch, spreading his wings. At least seeing another creature like me wasn't such a shock the third time round. Even so, I observed the newcomer in just as much detail as I’d done Risha as he drifted effortlessly to the floor, landed and retracted his wings.
This dragon was clearly a male. He was about my size, he had many unique features – but the same basic dragonish look, four legs with pawed feet, two wings, horns and a small row of spines along his back; that was where the similarities ended.
His scales were largely dark green except for the ones on his underside, which turned to brown. Small bony clusters capped his shoulders and hips, resembling sharp rocks thrusting out from his scales. His horns were also different, he had two on either side of his head, but they were much larger, bearing a rocky texture. Unlike mine, they curved round like the horns of a ram. There was also a cluster of rock-like scales on the tip of his tail, forming a spiny club. Finally, a third smaller horn sat at the end of his nose, similar to the stubby spines on his shoulders, hips and tail.
"Well?" the new dragon announced, speaking to Risha, who'd taken to leaning on one of the walls.
"Well, what?" she answered, sounding like she knew exactly what she was about to hear.
"Where have you been?" he enquired, edging closer to her.
"Looking after this one," she replied, nodding at me.
"Is this the one who flew into a tree?" he asked with a chuckle, instantly making the heat of a blush build in my cheeks.
"Yes, if you must know, and he's our guest, so why don't you be polite and start the fire while I get some food," she snapped, before flying up into the raised roof and leaving me alone with the new dragon.
He sighed as if he'd also anticipated her response, before slowly trudging over to the fire. I watched him closely as he reared up, opened his mouth, paused momentarily on his hind legs before surging forward and producing an intense green flame. The flickering light bathed the chamber walls with a mystical, emerald glow and I was left stammering.
All those legends, all the stories? It really is true.
Up until now I'd never believed them, primarily because I couldn’t breathe fire and never felt I could, and yet he lit the wood with ease.
"She's so bossy, always getting me to do all these things. It's what sisters do, I suppose," he muttered, rolling his eyes and speaking so casually it was like we'd known each other for many winters.
Then he shifted closer, his eyes narrowing.
"I've never seen a dragon like you before," he announced, his puzzled gaze fixed on me. "Are you a Valadarii scale-smith or something? What element is white supposed to represent?"
A flood of confusion overcame me, so much so that the thought of what he might mean drowned out all my more recent thoughts.
What does he mean by ‘element’? What does the colour of my scales have to do with it?
I paused for a moment, thinking hard about his remark. Becoming lost in my thoughts I tried to recall his name, cursing my ignorance when I failed to remember. I wasn’t comfortable asking a question without knowing his name, but it had completely slipped my mind. I wanted to make the best first impressions I could, but questions needed answering, some more than others, so his name would have to wait.
I was just about to ask what he was doing as he rummaged through a set of clay pots when Risha returned. Landing beside him holding another pot in her mouth. Two pieces of rope wrapped around a handle on either side. She looked to her brother, drawing his attention away from his rummaging.
"Nice to see you're making friends," she observed, her brother responding with a dry laugh and a flick of his tail.
With that, she moved over to the fire, placing the pot on the green flames, not at all fazed by its colour, before sitting back against the smooth border of the lower ring.
"There's nothing left for you to do, so you might as well come and sit down," she said, turning to her brother.
With a wry smile he walked over to take a seat beside her, slouching forward and staring into the flame.
I stood by, watching the two of them going about their business and wondering just why I was here.
Why have they invited me into their home so willingly? Only close friends do this back home.
Seeing them together triggered a blur of thoughts about Tarwin. She'd not been this calm and homely in a long time, and yet the monsters from her peoples’ legends were?
How far from home am I?
I'd travelled a long way before hitting the tree. Waking up on a stone bed in a strange city full of dragons was something I thought to be impossible. The idea was ridiculous, but it was real, here I was standing in another dragon’s home and despite what I thought, for now I was stuck here.
"You can come and sit down too," Risha's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "I won't bite," she added, patting the stone beside her with a forepaw, before nodding toward her brother.
"Though, he might." Confusion covered his face, before she nudged him softly with her wing.
"Oh, ha-ha," he retorted dryly, rolling his eyes with a huff.
I'd never been offered hospitality like this before. In fact, I'd never actually been in anyone else's house.
Even so, it didn’t feel uncomfortable, and seeing no harm in it, I sat next to the pair.
"So, Blaze, why did you fly into a tree?" Risha asked as she stoked the fire with a forepaw.
I considered the question. How do I answer that without sounding like a fool?
They were clearly keen to hear my story, but how could I explain what had happened? I paused and thought for a moment. I assumed they knew nothing at all, as neither had made any mention of seeing those winged monsters hanging around wherever I'd been found.
Shrugging off my apprehension I began. I started by telling them about the creatures, how they had attacked my friend and how, deep down, I wanted to know what they were more than the two of them wanted to hear my crazy story. Just then, Risha interrupted.
"Sorry to interrupt, but… What kind of creatures?"
From the look in her eyes I could see she was genuinely intrigued, and her voice sounded somewhat sympathetic, even her brother looked incredibly eager to hear more. I considered the best way to describe them without simply repeating the fact they were horrible.
"They looked..." My mind was still processing the information, only to see the obvious answer was right in front of me. "They looked kind of like us but much larger. Oh, and they only had two legs, not four."
I paused again, the thought of what I was about to say next reminding me of their foul taste. "Their flesh wasn't... Well, it wasn't alive," I continued, hoping they wouldn’t think me crazy for saying.
"Wyverns!" Risha’s brother declared, proudly demonstrating his knowledge.
She turned to him; a disapproving frown plastered on her muzzle.
"What's a Wyvern?" I asked cautiously.
Her eyes flickered between her brother and I as he stared back with an equally disapproving expression.
"Am I okay to answer him?" he grumbled.
"Fine," she sighed haughtily.
His eager attitude resurfaced, and he pressed a forepaw to his chest, wings spread as if to offer a lecture.
"Just like you’ve said, they're horrible creatures. They were supposed to have been killed off centuries ago," he blustered, almost forgetting to pause for breath. "There have always been rumours that some still lurk in the darkness. Slaves to wild men, Orkin warlords and whatnot. You know, all the evil..."
Risha interrupted his speech with a nudge. He blinked, sighed and instantly slouched down, saying nothing, while she maintained a more considered approach.
"And what about your friend? Wyverns hate dragons."
I was about to tell her what Tarwin had done, when I remembered that she wasn’t a dragon.
No reason to tell them that she’s not for now. They may like me, but I've no idea how they feel about humans.
"She managed to kill or injure one, I don't know for sure."
I paused, thinking of how the second creature fell back into the bushes. It had been blinded, for sure, but it was possibly still alive.
"Then the other monster knocked her out and took her. I was chasing it when I hit the tree, and well, you know the rest better than me."
Risha's brother stared at her, still disappointed that she'd stopped him mid-sentence, but there was no mistaking the look on their faces wasn’t good.
"We'll have to take you to the Elders tomorrow, now you’re awake they’ll want to talk to you," assured Risha, making no further comment on what troubled her.
What or who she meant by ‘the Elders’ confused me. I had heard that word before, it was the name given to the older members of the village. The humans respected those people, they were considered the most experienced and wisest, often sought out for their wisdom or advice. My recollection offered me some reassurance. If there were wise citizens in this city, then they should be able to help.
My contemplation was broken when her brother stood up, spread his wings and flew up into the chamber.
"Dinner’s nearly ready," she announced, seeming to notice my unease at his sudden departure. "He'll be back in a moment."
Grabbing the rope in her mouth she carefully lifted the pot she'd placed on the flame, gently setting it down in front of her, instantly generating a cloud of warm steam. No sooner had he left, than her brother returned with three shallow bowls in his mouth, all stacked neatly within each other. He placed one out for each of us, sliding them across the floor with a swift push of his tail.
Risha removed the lid from the pot, releasing another plume of vapor. Holding the rope carefully in her mouth and using her tail to tip the vessel, she poured out some of the contents into each bowl.
The siblings instantly began eating their meals, while I wasn’t so eager. It was nothing like the food I was used to, which was usually raw game or fish. This stuff looked like a meaty soup, I'd seen soup before, though I'd never eaten it. Accepting food from strangers didn’t feel like the smartest move, but I'd already munched on the leaves Risha had offered.
Can't be too bad, right? Can't be poison for sure.
Although it didn't look appetising, I was conscious of the need to be respectful to my generous hosts. Lowering my snout into the bowl, tasting the watery cooking sauce and picking up a piece of what looked like meat, holding it at the end of my jaw for a few moments. To my surprise it tasted good, and sure there was no harm, I continued.
It was delicious, certainly cooked to favour a dragon's palette; in fact, I'd never tasted anything quite so nice. I quickly polished off the remainder of the meal, this time chewing and savouring every morsel. After finishing, I looked over to the others; seeing we were all done and with a subtle look from Risha, her brother gathered the clay bowls, carrying them back up into the roof, while she carefully put the lid on the pot and set it down near the fire.
"So, you obviously don't have a nest of your own, which means you’ll have to stay here," she began, and before I could even consider responding, she continued. "Come on, I'll show you where you can sleep."
I paused for a moment, surprised at her suggestion. I'd just been invited to stay here, and I still had no real idea where ‘here’ actually was. Bewildered at how fast everything was happening, I sighed.
She's right – my options are kind of limited.
Risha had already flown up into the roof, so without any further delay I followed her into the shaft. She led me to one of the ledges, similar to the one her brother had been lounging on earlier. When she landed, I set down beside her, getting my first real look at what the it concealed.
Reaching into the wall through another smooth opening was a smaller section of the cave, a cosy area with a pile of straw and quilts spread across the floor. Cut into the far wall was an opening through which I could see the opposite level of the neighbouring structure. The roof was a high dome, giving me the impression that it had been intended for something larger than me. Edging by Risha, I moved towards the rounded window at the far end. It was an almost perfect circle and peering out I was greeted with a captivating view of the city.
The light had faded, shrouding the structures in darkness, making the place look very different. The huge hanging formation opposite resembled a swarm of fireflies, its sides lit by blue glowmoss, along with the recently-lit addition of mostly orange braziers and lanterns combined with odd green, blue and grey flames.
My hearing tuned in to the evening's rhythm, although it was surprisingly quiet, the calming gushes of the distant waterfalls, the far-off beating of leathery wings and the distant voices of other residents filled the air. The evening smelt fresh and was strangely warm for the time of year.
It was obvious that the dragons didn’t seem to care about what season or time of day it was, because even at this late hour, the air was filled with them. Some appeared to be much larger than I was, making me believe I still wasn’t fully grown.
I knew from conversations back home that I would grow to be much larger, even so, the majority of dragons I assumed to be adults weren’t that big – they were the size of a large horse at best. Most of them held different coloured lanterns
in their mouths and foreclaws, creating luminous patterns in the darkness akin to fireflies. I glanced down at the still waters far below to see what looked like an entire city staring back at me, and with one final breath of fresh air I brought my head in from the opening.
Is this it? Am I just going to sleep here while my friend is lost out there with those foul things?
I had to remind myself that, for now, I didn’t really have any other option. If I wanted to help Tarwin, I needed help, whether I liked the delay or not.
With an amused chuckle Risha came in from the ledge and, realising that I'd completely forgotten she was there, I jumped. It was rather strange having someone else caring for me, especially someone I'd only just met, but I was beginning to feel comfortable in her presence.
Maybe she really is worth trusting?
I looked up, trying to think of a way to apologise for being so ignorant, though she didn’t show any sign of offence. It was almost as though she knew the sights and sounds of the city would grab my attention.
"It's pretty amazing when you see it for the first time. Trust me, I know," she assured.
"Yeah, I'm used to small villages on the ground," I replied, gesturing all around us. "Not... Well, not this."
A giggle escaped her muzzle before she turned to leave, only to unexpectedly stop and glance back, taking time to consider what she was about to say.
"Oh, I was just wondering, if it's not too much to ask. Your friend, how did she manage to kill a wyvern?" she asked, seemingly trying not to offend me.
She looked genuinely intrigued. These wyverns were obviously revered.
In my enthusiasm to answer, I was blind to what I was saying.
"She shot it in the eye with an arrow."
"A bow and arrow?" she replied, clearly taken aback by the answer.
Her words suddenly snapped me back to what I'd revealed. There was clearly no way a dragon could draw a bow. I thought hard about how to answer, fearing she’d condemn me for fraternizing with humans. I’d no idea how she or any of the dragons here even viewed humans.