CRAIG MAYERS

Dragons in the Way

There weren’t always dragons in the Valley. Ducking back behind the boulder, Salk thought about those days, not so long ago, before the dragons came. Before this particular dragon came. Life had been peaceful and food plentiful. A nostalgic smile on his face, Salk recalled his last unhindered trip into the Valley with Rindie, his faithful, furry companion. Absently, Salk reached up and scratched Rindie’s neck and let his mind travel back in time. That last trip had been both successful and, although challenging, it actually bordered on fun, something with which Salk was not intimately familiar.