Son of a Dragon

My mother once told me that humans are greedy, violent, ungrateful creatures who never think. Never think about what they’re doing or what will happen after. The bedtime stories she told me were terrifying: a young human boy was gifted magic beans for his sick ox. Instead of sharing the beans and feeding his starving mother, he climbed the beanstalk, stole from the sky giants, and even killed one of them. A pair of children were abandoned by their selfish parents in the woods. They get taken in by a kind old woman living alone in the forest. She feeds them her best saved treats and in return, they kill her to have all the rest of the food to themselves.

Like mother said: greedy, violent, ungrateful.

I used to be frightened by her stories thinking that a human boy would come to kill me with an axe too. After I grew up a bit, I realized more and more how stupid that boy was. After chopping down the beanstalk, they wouldn’t have any more food. It would be impossible for a human to collect all those beans or dig a grave for the poor, dead giant. The story didn’t clarify what happened next, but I think the boy and his mother were killed for the shiny things he stole that would not feed his family.

Humans like shiny things.

We like shiny things too, but we don’t kill other dragons for it. If more than one dragon finds a shiny thing, usually rocks and jewels and scales, the dragons fight over it, and the winner keeps it, and that’s that.

My mother has quite a few shiny things. She keeps them in a pile to use as a pillow for sleeping. I don’t have many shiny things (and besides, they hurt to sleep on), so I use moss, grass, leaves, and fur for sleeping on. Mother wouldn’t let me fight the other dragons unless she was there. I was weaker than the other dragons, more breakable.

Because I wasn’t a dragon. I didn’t understand when I was younger why I looked so different from mother and the other dragons. I didn’t understand why we lived apart from the colony whose network of caves and eyries riddles through the top of a dormant volcano, until mother explained to me that I wasn’t in fact a dragon. I would never grow scales, never fly on my own, never breathe and exhale the inherent magic in the air like they did.

But my mother loves me. She found me like the kind old witch in the story, and fed me and raised me. Some of the older dragons don’t like that she kept me. But they couldn’t complain after she left the ancient volcano. It’s unfit for non-dragon creatures. Too hot. Too dangerous. Too sacred to the dragons. It was said a long time ago that the ancient fire dragon, Kveth, had blessed his magic on the volcano to keep it from ever erupting again and turn the land into a haven for his descendants. A dragon can give one blessing in their life, but it is akin to passing down all their magic power, so most dragons don’t do it unless they have to. A lot of dragons from ancient bloodlines have compiled their magic and are proud of the heritage they hold.

It used to hurt knowing that I wasn’t welcome by most of the other dragons. That I was too weak to live with the only family I’ve ever known in her ancestral home. I used to think I could make myself stronger through training. I’d run through the pine forests. I tried hunting and foraging rather unsuccessfully at the time. It wasn’t until mother caught me trying to walk on hot coals trying to fire-proof my feet that she made me stop. She had taught me letters and numbers and which herb was good to eat and which herb would irritate my skin, but after that day, she saw the pain and longing in my eyes to do better, to be better, and she started training me in earnest.

She made me run while carrying things. She taught me how to hunt properly with snares and sticks. Most importantly, she taught me magic. I can’t use magic the way dragons can, so it was harder. I couldn’t speak the dragon-tongue with my mouth correctly. It was especially tough when I was younger because I couldn’t get the growls and snarls correct. But once, I grew up some and my voice got deeper, all of mother’s and my efforts started to bear fruit.

I could speak dragon-tongue; I could run all day carrying my catch; I could use magic. Granted, I wasn’t as good as mother or the other dragons, but I could get by on my own if I wanted. I was no longer afraid of a human coming up to kill me with an axe or stealing my few treasures. I knew the possibility of meeting a human was quite small.

Until now.

The human was smaller than me. It had brown hair on its head and face. It was wearing something shiny. Armor, the word suddenly sprang to mind. That’s armor he’s wearing. Human females don’t usually have hair on the bottom of their face, so this human was male. I had some too, but his was quite a lot.

“Hello,” I said, remembering my greeting. It had been some time since I spoke the common-tongue, longer still since I’d spoken aloud (along with learning magic, I could use close-range telepathy, like mother).

“H-hello,” he stuttered. “How did you get here?”

I blinked. “How did you get here?”

“I walked.”

“So did I.”

He seemed to pull himself together then. “Where are you from? Don’t you know this mountain is dangerous? What’s your name?” he fired off, caution filled his eyes.

“I’m from here,” I answered calmly. “Why is this mountain dangerous?”

“Are you kidding? Everyone around here knows this mountain houses dragons and all sorts of magical creatures. They could kill you in an instant.”

“Why would they kill me?”

The man, who had been peering furtively at the evergreen and fern-filled surroundings, returned his attention to me. “What do you mean, ‘why’? They’re dragons. Of course, they’d kill you. Dragons kill people, and people kill dragons.”

I paused staring at the funny paradox this man presented while he muttered about something “crazy”. His eyes kept darting around the area like they were looking for something. I wondered if it had to do with those “lost marbles” he mentioned in his stream of babble.

“Why did you come here?” I braved to ask.

“Not that it’s any of your concern, but I’m here on official business of the crown prince’s guard and guild,” He appeared to puff himself up at that.

“Why would the crown prince be coming?”

The man – flustered – sputtered out, “Who said anything about the prince coming?”

“If you’re part of the prince’s guard, and you’re here, then the prince must be planning to come here too. Why would he do that?”

“To hunt. He needs to kill a dangerous creature to prove his strength and valor before his coronation. And the prince has it in his mind to kill a dragon as it’s the toughest creature to fell.”

“He’s coming to kill dragons?” I asked with worry.

“Yes, in fact, he’s bringing a quarter of the entire imperial army to come with him.”

“That’s not good.”

“What’s not good?”

“Tell him he can’t come here to kill dragons.”

“What on earth are you talking about? The crown prince can go wherever he pleases and kill whatever monsters he likes.”

“Dragons aren’t monsters.”

“Huh?”

“Dragons. Aren’t. Monsters.” I took care to pronounce each word so the man understood. “Dragons do not kill humans unprovoked. It’s always humans who bother us first looking to sate their thirst for blood and gold.”

The man looked at me with newfound confusion and suspicion in his eyes. “What do you mean ‘us’ and ‘their’? You speak as though you weren’t human yourself.”

“I’m not.”

“Yes, you are,” he said angrily.

“No.” I take a breath and feel the magic tingling my skin. “I’m not.”

Before the man can protest, I’m gone. With the help of magic, I’m faster, stronger. I returned home in a handful of minutes what took me an hour to walk from my home to the place with the stranger. The soldier, I realized.

Mother, I sent my thoughts out telepathically in dragon-tongue.

Yes, my child? I heard her. She’s close, or my message wouldn’t have reached.

Mother, I just met a human.

Although there are no words, I could feel her shock and worry.

I’m okay. But mother, he said that the crown prince was coming to hunt dragons. He said the prince was bring a quarter of their army to do it. What do we do, mother?

Silence. Then, I’ll tell the others. Stay home for the rest of the day.

My footsteps echoed around the cave to my rhythmic pacing. What do I do? There are lots of humans. Mother and the dragons are strong, but an army is dangerous.

An hour later, mother returned. I have spoken with the elders.

And?

And they do not see the risk in the humans coming.

How?

They believe they will be safe in the nest. The humans will not be able to survive in the area long. Even if there are magicians among them, the territory is too large and would take too long. Dragons are physically strong and proficient in magic. Combined with the geographic advantage, it is not likely that the humans will be successful in their hunt. Rest assured, the others are warned and ready, but we will not move preemptively.

What about you mother?

What about me?

You don’t live in the nest.

She smiled a toothy grin. I don’t need to.

I slept fitfully. My comfy pile of pelts couldn’t lure me to sleep’s domain.

At first light, I was up and patrolling the area. The forest expanse of the mountain was fairly dense with lush foliage. I circled my magic and circled the area until I saw the waves of armor glinting in the sun. They marched – or tried to – through the thick brush. In the middle of the formation was a young man with red hair and a golden circle around his head. A crown. I had seen a few in mother’s bed.

I tracked them to the entrance of the volcano and watched the fight. Mother and the elders were right. The men were tired, hot and sweaty. The dragons were numerous. There were indeed a few humans who could use magic, but their spells took time to cast and were much weaker than dragon magic.

Some dragons were hit. Some humans died. I watched and waited. Watched and waited.

After a full two days of fighting, the humans began their retreat. I had fallen asleep in a tree the night before and took the opportunity to stretch as I left to see mother at home.

When I arrived, I saw blood. Blood, rich and red, oozed from an injury on her side staining her pearlescent scales.

Mother! What happened?

It’s merely a scratch, son. It’ll heal in no time.

She must’ve gotten hurt while I was sleeping last night. I started toward her gathering the magic at my fingertips in preparation to help heal her.

“That’s him,” said a familiar voice. “That’s the man I saw three days ago.”

It was the soldier from before, beside him was the red-haired man and a host of other humans. For a moment, I recalled the terror I once had towards a human boy with an axe before

“Was it you who spoke with Jack three days ago?”

“I spoke with a man.”

“What did you tell him?”

“To not attack the dragons.”

“Why?”

“Because they’re my family.”

“They’re your family?” he chuckled, unamused. “They’re monsters. They must be slain.”

“Dragons are not monsters.”

“They kill humans.”

“They never attack without provocation. You attacked us first.” I said with anger in my voice.

“You speak like you’re one of them.”

“I am one of them.”

“I see they’ve brainwashed you. Very good dragon,” he said, addressing mother.

I did not brainwash him. I raised him. This is my son, she projected to the humans.

“A dragon raising a human child? Preposterous.”

Leave, now. You will not get another chance.

“You are injured.”

I am a dragon. Mother rose to her full stature seemingly filling up the entirety of our cave-like home.

“Men, fall back!” he called.

As the soldiers started to scuffle off, I turned to mother. Are you okay? Let me heal you. Your wound is too high for me to reach right now.

I heard the swoosh and thunk of the arrow before I saw it. It’s thick barbed fang glowing with magic had pierced mother in her wound.

“Mother!” I cried.

She collapsed. I turned to toward the entrance. A pair of men stood where they had at the release. “We did it!” said the one with the curved wood bow. “Finally, a downed dragon for the prince and our kingdom. I told you it was a good idea to keep one of them special arrows ready.”

“This one will look very nice once it’s stuffed in the great hall, Your Highness. Just look at those scales. Look like stars and pearls, don’t they?”

They had shot my mother for a trophy.

“Why did you let them go? Why did you give them a chance?” I said aloud, not coherent enough to use telepathy with mother.

“I saved you. I thought I could save them too.”

“But you said it yourself. Humans are ungrateful.”

“You are not.”

“But I’m – I’m…” I faltered.

“You are human, son. And you are dragon. Do not deny who you are in part or full.”

Mother lifted her snout and breathed pure magic onto me, into me.

“Your blessing,” I gasped.

“You are my greatest treasure,” she sighed and breathed no more.

After a moment that seemed like an eon, I stood up from my mother’s side and spoke to the humans who were my kin but had killed my heart.

“I am Ardor, son of Amor. For your apathy, greed, and violence, you must pay.”

At that, I let the magic fill me. I felt the earth beneath my feet and the wind at my back. A thunderstorm bloomed on the horizon, and I released my fury in full.

I am Ardor, a human, son of Amor, a dragon. And I will let the world know what happens when their essence is reflected. That will be my story.