Dragon Valley

There weren't always dragons in the valley. There were rumors they were in the mountains, but no one in the valley now, had ever seen one.

Ages ago, there were many dragons living in the caves of the mountain tops just above the Flourishing forest and the Royal river. There was a vibrant village located in the valley. The humans who resided there, knew and respected the large beasts who frequently flew in the sky. Although they were mere blacksmiths, farmers, and a few elders, the town knew the magic of the mountains that surrounded them was special. But the sheer power of that magic also instilled a respectful fear in the village. No one traveled through the forest to approach the mountains for fear of upsetting the dragons. Feeling protected by the power, respect was paid in the highest regards to their guardians in the sky.

The folk lore passed through each generation of the townspeople, was that of magnificent beasts who were caring and giving in nature. As a species, the dragons were told to be beautiful and graceful in every way. They stayed in the mountain range but would often be seen playing and watching over the village from the sky. This was how it became known that naturally mystic animals were known to have magic in their blood, but unlike any other, the power that was within the dragon's blood was far stronger. In those old ages, the wise ones knew this and did all they could to protect the large beasts.

The villagers were unaware the last remaining dragons were fleeing for their lives as they were being hunted for their powers. At that point in time, they were sought after by evil magicians and wizards. In the dark world, dragons blood was richer than gold and frequently traded or fought over. The slaying of dragons, while sad to the humans, was a right of passage and huge bragging rights among the dark ones. Many dark wizards, witches, and trolls had attempted to slay a dragon for themselves. As the number of the dragons dwindled, the race for power became the only focus. When the dragons vanished from the sky, the entire village mourned together.

Many years passed with no dragons flying over the village. As the villagers changed with time, magic was slowly starting to creep in to the townspeople. A young prospering wizard known as Wiley, dreamed of dragons every night. He was never quite accepted by the townspeople. Since he was a little boy, his dreams of dragons made him stand out. Being the son of a simple farmer and the only medicine elder of the village, eyes were always on him. This made Wiley feel shunned yet worshiped. As a growing boy, he tended to learn herbs and medicines from his mother instead of plowing fields with his father.

His father, Web, was the most hated man in the village, known for being rude and always picking a fight. His mother, Fawn, on the other hand was loved by all and was sought out frequently for her knowledge and skills. Being a jealous man, Web always initiated fights with his wife. While Fawn enjoyed every moment with her son, she knew her husband grew more and more frustrated. To protect her son’s potential, Fawn decided to leave without a trace in the middle of the night.

After his mother’s disappearance, Wiley grew angry. He had such despair and hatred in his heart, he didn't know what was changing in him but he blamed his father with every bone in his body. He was considered too young and foolish to leave the cottage to go out on his own; he had two more years before anyone would consider him a man. Each day after his mother's leaving, he refused to acknowledge his father. This made Web even more angry. He despised Wiley and couldn't stand the thought of losing his beloved wife because of his sad excuse for a son. Web, although ignored by his son, never failed to put Wiley down and belittle him for his practices in magic. This resulted in Wiley practicing more everyday and with his anger in his heart he was turning to the dark and using it against the light.

Once Wiley realized he was practicing dark magic, he thrived like he never had in his younger years. He continued to practice his skills daily, and decided to test himself by putting a spell on his father. Conjuring this powerful of a spell would require ingredients he would have to journey into the mountains to retrieve. He only knew this because it came to him in one of his dragon dreams. He packed the things he would need for his travels and as he loaded his bags on his horse, his father stormed out of the cottage. Web was once again screaming at the top of his lungs. Wiley ignored him as he always did and rode off the property up the trail into the mountains.

For weeks no one heard anything from Wiley or even about him. Until, a group of travelers came through the valley a few months later. They claimed it was said Wiley was to have slain the last dragon.

*****

She lay peacefully in her slumber as Wiley climbed stealthy into the cave entrance. He had traveled so far and had finally arrived. He planned to sneak up and slash the dragon's throat while it slept. He had sharpened his best knife before packing and had faith it would uphold. As he quietly approached the dragon, he noticed she was laying on the ground, curled around a small space protectively. Her breath steady, Wiley wanted a closer look. The small bunch of twigs hardly looked like a nest, but he knew it could be nothing else. He listened to the large dragon snoring so peacefully, he almost had a moment of doubt. Yet he brushed off the feeling and decided to sit and admire this huge mythical creature for a few more moments. He began thinking of his wonderful mother and how nurturing she had been. He got lost in his memories for hours.

When Wiley snapped out of his day dreaming, he realized it was about to be dark. Knowing he needed to make camp quickly, he made fast work of killing the mother while she slept. Feeling triumphant and strong in the moment, Wiley lost his last bit of innocence when he felt no remorse in his decision. As he waited for the dragon's blood to seep into the special bags he made, he grew more curious about the egg she was protecting. He would just keep the egg, if there was one, or he could eventually sell it to make a fortune. He ventured out of the cave to gather wood so he could make camp for the night.

While Wiley was away, the old witch, Marge, came to the mother as she lay breathing her last breath. The witch wept for the old dying dragon and whispered prayers of gratitude. A deal was made between mother and woman to protect the eggs with a spell. The two eggs would be protected under her care until it was safe for dragons to return to their home in the mountains. Until then, they would stay hidden in the forest of the valley.