Stacey Maynard

Stone Valley Saga

There weren't always dragons in the Valley, there were rumblings, but no one had seen a dragon for more than a century. It all started one cold night, the winter of my eighth year. It had been a hard winter, with many losses across the land. Our village, called Stone Valley, was not large by any means, nestled in between two large mountains along a strong river. It was always open to travelers and anyone else who chose to call it home. One night, the men and women were gathered in our great hall to speak about the discovery of two small dragons found along the southern border of our lands. I watched them as I hid behind the enormous chair that my father Alrich was perched on as he listened to the concerns of his people. Though not a king by name, my father was called the King of Men and was looked upon as a leader whose wisdom was sought after by many. The clamoring of the crowd had reached an almost deafening height when a sharp clang rang out through the hall. All eyes turned towards Sabine, an enchantress to some, merely a witch to many more. Her coven stayed towards the northern outskirts of the village, however they were still seen as members of the community. Even as exiled as some of them seemed to be. I watched as her knuckles blanched as she gripped her staff, the source of the echoing cacophony. “Alrich…” she purred, her voice soft and alluring, one of her many gifts. Sorcerers or enchanters as they were called across the land dedicated their lives to various magical practices. Sometimes, they were as harmless as placing a rainbow in the sky. However, on the other side, they had a penchant for being downright deadly. “These dragons do not have to be our downfall, we have the opportunity to use them to our advantage, our greatest advantage.” She continued melodically, her words weaving in and out of the villagers ears. She knew that no one would speak up against her, except perhaps my father. The two of them rarely saw eye to eye and as my father spoke this would be such a time. He was not swayed by the power of her voice, its potency waning over perhaps their years of tentative friendship, or even a deal struck between the two. “It’s madness, Sabine, pure madness to think that you and your enchanters would stand a chance against dragons.” He said, his emphasis sounding as if he spit the word from his throat. It pained me to hear how he spoke about enchanters, knowing that my mother had once been among their greatest. “Dragons…” He said trailing off. I did not know if my father was having trouble finding the words or if he was just choosing them carefully. He took a breath before he began again, his resolve renewed. “Dragons are not something that can just be wished away with your spells and staffs, they can only be dealt with using swords and steel.” He said knowing just the reaction that he would release in Sabine. The enchantress was incensed at the audacity of her old friend’s words, her nostrils flared as she brought down her staff hard onto the stone ground. The sound cracked through the great hall and echoed off the walls as smoke billowed out, her black hair flared out and the image of a dragon filled the great hall. “You forget that I am more than just spells and staffs, you forget just how powerful I am!” She said, her voice taking on a life of its own as it boomed throughout the hall. The people cowered in fear of her, scrambling to get out of her path as she advanced on my father. I looked on in awe of her, while most were terrified by her power, I was fascinated by it. No one else dared to stand against my father. Though he was not impressed nor intimidated by her display. He had seen many things outside the Valley during his years at war. He saw her smoke and mirrors as a mask to hide the fact that she was merely flesh and bone.