Orion's Dragon

A dragon’s existence was nothing short of extraordinary. In the Proioxis star system the sightings of supernovas were not only signs of wonder, but of new birth. Each time a star died a new dragon was brought into being. The great beasts that flew through the forests of the galaxy, their bodies a mesmerizing shade of colors as if made from the embers of the dying stars. They danced among the cosmos, scales shining brighter than any obstacle they passed. Each dragon was at least the size of the smallest space cruiser, large enough to fit an entire town of people on board. Yet for their size and iridescent scales, sightings were rare, and photos ever rarer. The few photos that existed were blurry, the dragon’s outline nothing more than a faint blur that could just as easily be a rather large cloud of gas and dust. When humanity had reached for the stars thousands of years ago, they hadn’t expected to find the creatures, and it seemed the dragons were determined to remain as elusive as possible. So, humanity tore their eyes from the beasts and looked to the other mysteries of the galaxy. In their minds, they thought that if they explored the galaxy’s every other facet they would have to run into the dragons sooner or later. Nothing could remain unknown forever.

~

The dragon was determined to be unknown for the rest of his rather long life. A star’s death was a rare occasion, but the death of a dragon was even rarer. He soared through the stars, not a single care in the world, save not to be spotted by prying humans. Some may have called his existence lonely; he would have described it as nothing short of pure freedom. A dragon had no need for food or water, nothing but space to stretch their wings. Dragons were solitary creatures by nature, but he was certainly more so than most. While others traveled with a companion, or even an entire constellation, he stayed aloof, and left nothing that would tether him in the future.

He certainly didn’t feel a pang in his heart when his kin flew by, bliss written across their smoky features. No, whenever that happened he simply veered away and continued his endless journey, a witness of everything Proioxis held.

~

Leo’s mom was going to kill him if she saw him without his sister. With that thought in mind, he raced through the cruiser’s hallways, boots barely making a sound on the slick floors. He didn’t bother to look around as he ran, windows allowing full view of the vast forest of stars just out of reach. The walls and floors around him were different shades of an earthy brown, as if to remind the inhabitants of the ship of their old home. Leo had been born amongst the stars far too long ago for the design to have any effect on him. He hadn’t spent his childhood stomping through mud and feeling crisp air on his skin; he had spent it in the cruiser’s vast chambers, desperately learning anything and everything he could about the galaxy around him. All for one end goal: to truly walk among the stars. If something happened to his sister he could kiss that dream goodbye.. Cordelia, a name far too long for the tiny five-year-old. It hadn’t taken long for Leo to give her the nickname Cora, much to his mother’s chagrin. Ever since she could walk she had followed her brother everywhere, and inevitably picked up his desire to be closer to the stars. At first Leo had found it annoying, then endearing, then anxiety inducing. Cordelia telling him she wanted to follow him to the great beyond was cute. Her telling him she would do it first was terrifying.

“I gotta stop talking about my lessons in front of her,” he muttered to himself as he turned the corner. Usually the halls would be packed with people, but at this early hour anyone with any sense was asleep. Which usually meant Leo, but of course he had to fall asleep reading a book the one night he was supposed to watch Cora. It wasn’t his fault! He hadn’t known that she’d figured out how to unclasp the door! Luckily, she was nothing if not predictable. On the flip side though, if she was where Leo thought, he would be in big trouble indeed.

~

The dragon hadn’t meant to slow down as the cruiser loomed in his line of sight. Usually zipping by was enough to keep the humans off his tail. In their defense, it was quite difficult to track something that looked like an animated cloud of stardust. Yet the dragon found himself drawn to the ship. Soon enough he saw why as another figure became visible behind the cruiser. Another dragon. Unlike his own bright orange scales, this one was adorned with scales the color of the black sky around it, so much so that they practically blended into the void around them. The strange dragon’s coloring would explain why they were so close to the ship without seeming concerned, but it was still quite reckless for a dragon. Still, even from where he glided he could see the triumph in the other dragon’s amber eyes, as if they were looking at some sort of prize. Something about it scared him. Yes, there was triumph, but also viciousness. The dragons had long ago found something that the humans often forgot. Humanity was so determined to explore every corner of the universe, but in their pursuit they had forgotten how dangerous the stars could really be. Beautiful, yes, but just as deadly.

~

Leo hated the way his uneven breaths echoed across the corridor. Space was a place without sound, and long ago Leo had found he preferred stillness to noise. Still, he was as likely to calm his raggard breaths as he was to find his sister out of trouble. The longer he went without finding her the more likely his original theory was correct. His wild thoughts came to a sudden haltas another figure turned the corner, crashing into Leo before he could stop himself. The man steadied himself on the wall as Leo fell to the ground.

“Where are you off to in such a rush, Leo?” As soon as Leo heard the voice he let out a sigh of relief. The man was taller than him, black hair cropped closely to his scalp and outfit rather unassuming considering the circumstances. When humans had left Earth they hadn’t expected to take their fashion trends with them. Jeans were still just as good for everyday activities as a space suit was for star walks. Leo scrambled to his feet and saluted the officer with a look of seriousness. An eye roll from the man was enough for him to drop the act.

“I doubt that you’ve suddenly decided to see me as a superior,” he said affably, helping Leo to his feet. Leo smiled and shrugged.

“What are you doing up so late, Cyrus?” He asked the man, barely five years his senior. The two had met in some astrophysics class years ago, and they had quickly become close friends.

“You still haven’t answered my question,” he responded, his voice a candace lower than Leo’s own.

“Why should I tell you? You’re not in charge of me.” Cyrus tilted his head as Leo let the words sink in and realized his mistake.

“Technically I am, in a loose sense.” Leo cursed his own stupidity. While Cyrus was a low ranking officer, he was still light years above Leo, a student. Leo had complained about it before, but there was a strict age restriction for officers.

“I can’t find Cora,” he finally relented. Cyrus’ easy expression dropped to reveal one of concern.

“Where do you think she went? She couldn’t have traveled, far right?” He asked, pushing dark bangs out of his face. Leo began walking at a brisk pace; Cyrus followed instinctively.

“If I ran off on my own, where would I go?” Cyrus was silent for only a moment before cursing, a habit Leo had picked up some time ago.

“The space walkers.”

~

The dragon’s curiosity was once again piqued as a small figure floated away from the cruiser, tethered by nothing more than a fragile thread. He had heard of the way the humans tried to walk among the stars the same way he flew through them, but really it was nothing more than a cheap copy. He could never imagine being tethered like that. He found himself traveling closer. For all his scorn he was still curious to see what this ‘star walking’ really looked like. Upon closer inspection he saw the strange being was even smaller than what he had seen in the past. Their body was covered in a thin layer of what looked like scales, though not as vibrant as his own. Now, if it had been any other day the dragon would have turned around then and there, to ensure he remained unseen, but again he felt something pull him closer. Behind the human the other dragon continued to loom, two slits revealing amber eyes that watched his movements. Sound could not travel in space, yet it was clear what the black dragon was trying to say.

Leave

He froze as the black dragon bared fangs as shiny as the star cruiser between them. Yes, he would have flown away any other day. Yes, he would have turned away from the conflict like always. But not today. Call it fate, happenstance, or maybe just stupidity, but today the dragons soared even closer. Something about this encounter was different.

He simply didn’t like the way the black dragon was still watching the small human.

~

“Do you really think she could have figured out how to turn the machine on?” Cyrus panted as he stopped at the hallway’s corner. The walls around Leo were beginning to feel suffocating, the earth closing in around him the longer his sister was out of his sight. When he was alone he could pretend his fear didn’t exist; that he was overreacting. Seeing Cyprus this worried, though, now that increased his anxiety tenfold. Even the vastness of space just outside the window wasn’t enough to slow his thoughts.

“You and I both know how easy that machine is to use,” he responded, pushing past Cyrus, who followed with another swear.

“They were made to be accessible in emergencies,” he muttered under his breath. The space walkers were quite possibly one of the most important pieces of equipment aboard the cruiser. In an emergency they could be used to evacuate the entire ship in a matter of minutes. Sure, floating in space wasn’t very helpful on paper, but in the event of the cruiser becoming inhabitable they could be the difference between life and death. For people like Leo however, they were tools to get closer to the stars. Qualifying to use one took years of training, yet actually using them was so easy even a child could do it. A child like Cora. Leo came to a sudden stop as Cyrus halted.

“Idiot, what are you doing-” Leo’s words were cut off as Cyrus pointed at something in the distance, the corridors' large windows giving them a perfect view of the galaxy. The officer’s eyes were wide, dark pupils reflecting the pinpricks of starlight outside. Leo couldn’t hide his shock when he saw what Cyrus was pointing at. In the distance a giant creature made of stardust dwarfed the ship, scales a flaming orange. The sight was like nothing Leo had ever seen before. It was beautiful.

It was deadly.

~

As the dragon got closer he could see the human in the space walker was nothing more than a child. Her body was enveloped in the crude scales, her head covered by a glass structure. She made no move to flee from the dragon as he approached, and, if he wasn’t mistaken, she was actually smiling at him. Shouldn’t she be afraid of the giant creature? Was the glee from ignorance or wonder? Were the two even mutually exclusive of each other? He moved closer to try and pick out what she was feeling. From behind the glass her mouth moved quickly, but, of course, anything she was trying to say fell on deaf ears. He didn’t know it, but her wide eyed expression was reflected on his own face, white pupils shining like the stars around them. She held out small hands and reached for his snout, fingers going in and out of fists as she tried to kick herself closer to the beast. Instinctually he moved to her waiting hands, nosing her open palms. Everything in space was so cold. For years he had figured that only his kin and the stars they came from held any warmth, yet her hands seemed so warm when she touched him.

Were humans too, born of stardust?

~

The black dragon watched the two interact with nothing but contempt. He had heard of the dragon before, the reclusive witness of Proioxis. Some of his kin thought of the witness with pity, others with indifference. Many thought he was lonely. The black dragon saw him for what he really was. Arrogant. A dragon so proud that he refused to speak to even his own kind. And now he met with the human, as if that wasn’t the one thing every dragon knew to avoid. Humans were nothing more than parasites. The black dragon was done letting them believe that they owned the galaxy. Today, he would show them who the real owner was.

~

The dragon’s blood ran cold as the dark one swooped down, placing itself between the girl and the cruiser. Amber eyes met his own and he could hear the dark one’s growl in his soul. In one swift motion the black dragon snapped, and the child’s tether was severed, leaving her abandoned and adrift in space. His own wings flared as the black dragon got closer. Something in the black dragon’s expression told him everything he needed to know. There would be no reasoning with him. Without warning his tail flung the child aside, not hurting her but getting her out of the way. He met the black dragon’s expression with one of his own.

Try and strike me down.

~

“Cora!” Leo screamed through his space walker, frantically trying to follow his sister's small form as she was flung away from the two beasts. One dragon sighting was next to impossible. Two at the same time? If he wasn’t so afraid for his sister he may simply have thought he was dreaming. Cyrus had chosen to stay in the cruiser as Leo had strapped into a walker. As an officer, Cyrus had tried to stop him. As a friend he had ensured that no one would stop him once out in space. His sister made no move towards him, in fact it was likely she hadn't even seen him. All her attention was focused on the two dragons. As much as he wanted to watch he pressed forward. Knowledge on the most elusive creatures in the galaxy would mean nothing if his sister was harmed.

~

The black dragon lunged for his exposed chest, flashing in sync with his heartbeat. He lurched away from the blow and twisted his body around the other dragon, making no move of his own to attack. The black dragon thrashed, his tail colliding directly with the other’s body. The blow stung, more painful than anything he had experienced before. That was the thing. He was a witness, he had only seen things like this.

When had he suddenly decided to get involved in a fight over a single human child?

~

Cora was just out of reach, frozen as the dragons fought in front of her. Despite all the action, the only sound Leo could hear was that of his own breathing. He reached out, body covered in the thin layer of the space walker’s shield. It was both funny and terrifying to think that modest armor was the only thing separating him from a very cold and painful death. Right as Cora was in reach, one of the dragons flew towards the siblings. The stare of the black titan’s amber eyes was enough to paralyze Leo. His heart pounded in his chest. All he could see in the black dragon’s grimace was death.

~

Why was her life worth so much to him? He had seen countless humans in the past, and passed each without so much as a sideways glance. His heart pounded in his chest, a rhythm mirrored by the humans in front of him, even if the two were ignorant of it. The black dragon’s jaw opened to reveal teeth sharper than anything a human could hope to create. Two things became suddenly clear at that moment.

Dragons would always overpower humans.

And he would not let that girl die.

~

Leo barely heard himself scream as the black dragon’s gaping jaw came closer to his sister. He moved without thinking and grabbed her, both plunging into the black dragon’s waiting maw. She latched onto him, suddenly acutely aware of the danger she was in. The terror on her face was mirrored in Leo’s own, yet in his mind he no longer felt terror. All he felt was relief. Even if he failed, his sister wouldn’t be alone.

~

Dragons were passive creatures. In his lifetime the dragon had never seen one of kin hurt something. They were great and powerful, yes, but he had always assumed that that power was nothing more than a facade. He had never thought himself capable of harm, but as he watched the two humans become encapsulated in the black dragon something within him snapped.

~

As if lit by a dying star the universe went alight.

~

Leo opened his eyes, and, for the first time since leaving the cruiser, truly looked at the stars around him. They were even more beautiful than from what he had seen through the windows. He was finally walking among the forest of stars. In his grasp, his sister trembled, a movement that woke him to the realization of where they were. The black dragon was gone, and in front of them was another, orange scales even brighter than before. His chest pulsed with a white light, in sync with the beating of his heart. The beast studied the two, wings flapping gently.

“You saved us,” Leo said with wonder, oblivious to the fact that the dragon could not hear him. The dragon’s head tilted, eyes still curious despite what had just happened. Leo felt the need to thank the creature, yet referring to him as just “dragon” seemed silly. Corawiggled in his grasp and frantically pointed to something behind the dragon, her fear completely gone now that the danger had vanished. Leo’s eyes wandered to where his sister was pointing and were caught on the stars behind the beast. Orion’s belt, one of the first constellations he had ever memorized. The first constellation he had taught Cora. From behind the glass he read her lips.

Orion

He couldn’t help but laugh. He nodded to Cora and waved to the dragon that still studied them. Leo still wasn’t sure what had just happened, but pondering the situation could wait until tomorrow. A tomorrow where his sister would still be safe.

“Thank you for everything, Orion.”

~

The dragon watched the two strange humans go back to their cruiser, their small forms swallowed by the ship. His body hummed with power, but even he didn’t know what had just transpired, and frankly he doubted he would ever be able to do it again. Still, the humming gave him something to ponder as he turned away from the ship. Something told him he would be remiss to ever forget the experience. The dragon, no Orion, turned back one last time to look at the cruiser before flying away into the forest of stars. He had far more to see.

A dragon’s existence was nothing short of extraordinary, after all.