Sympathy for a Dragon

There weren’t always dragons in the Valley. The elder folk remember a time when spotting a dragon was rarer than an albino crocodile creeping in Perth Marsh (which is rare, but not too) or apples bursting into flames on the branches where they hang because Dan was displeased (which is super rare, but does happen). Yes, there was a time before dragons menaced the Valley of Mannaz. But that was yore, and this is now. 

You’ll be a dragon slayer. 

“You’ll be a great dragon slayer. Like your father."

She marked her daughter’s tunic with a piece of sialc. Blaer stood on a stool while her mother worked. Her mother Elna on a knee beside her, a few pins in the corner of her mouth. 

"Tonight you receive your gleddyf, or flaming sword. You are seventeen now, a woman. And it’s time you carry on the legacy your father left behind. Tonight you take up arms against our reptilian oppressors." She leapt to her feet and stood shoulder to shoulder with her daughter. "Tonight you begin your hero’s quest. Tonight you become—!”

“Mom. Yeah, I know. Chill.”

…..

The gleddyf floated in the center of the magic circle, as if suspended by an invisible thread from the waxing gibbous moon. Eleven Elders in coffee-colored cloaks surrounded Blaer, who knelt before the sword. The Elder Hynaf removed his hood and offered the following petition:

“O Dan, Lord of Fire and Earth, bestow upon Lady Blaer your mighty power that she may protect this land, the great and good Valley of Mannaz, and its people, us humble children of the Valley.”

Somewhere outside of the magic circle, among the throng of village folk, someone sneezed. For a moment there was silence. Blaer opened one eye to see.

A girl with curly blond locks — Nina, best-friend of Blaer since childhood — mouthed the words, “My bad.”

Blaer looked down and tried not to laugh.

Elder Hynaf broke the silence that followed the sneeze, saying, “Bless you,” then resumed the incantation.

“O Dan, if fair lady Blaer be the true next Dragonslayer, then may the noble gleddyf burst into flames upon her grasping it. But if she be not the true Dragonslayer and the sword should remain dark, then forgive us, O mighty Dan, for our impertinence."

Knowing this to be her cue, Blaer took to her feet and reached for the sword. Silence. Somewhere in the valley, the scream of a nighthawk. She grasped the sword’s saffir-colored handle and pulled it to her side, then thrust it upward toward the starry sky.

Nothing. No flames. Nothing at all.

At first nothing, then suddenly the sword exploded with light and everyone shielded their eyes because for a moment it became brighter in the Valley than at noontime.

“Long live the new Dragonslayer!” A man shouted from the crowd.

“Long live the new Dragonslayer!” Many in the crowd echoed.

Blaer looked at Nina. The sword was now in a soft glow. Nina blew her a kiss with both hands and Blaer lowered the sword and smiled to her friend.

…..

“You were freaking awesome!”

On the table before them was roast duck, figs, apples, every type of berry, chilled grape gwin that was sweet (but gets you drunk), blood pudding, brown ale in glass pitchers, pyramids of buttery scones. A jyglwr on stilts, juggling. A cartwheeling jester. A man with long black hair blew fire into the sky. Above them, the Big Dipper.

Blaer blushed. “Thanks.”

“No, I’m serious. Like, when the sword didn’t light up at first, and then it did, and it was super bright. Hey, are you drinking beer?”

Nina glanced across the table at Elna, Blaer’s mother, who was dressed elegantly with silver earrings and was conversing. “Your mom doesn’t care?”

“Special occasion, I guess.”

“I should say.”

A group of boys the same age or a bit younger were playing with slingshots by the tree line. When they walked past the girls, one of the boys said, “Hey, first girl Dragonslayer. Pretty cool, hey fellas?” The other boys chortled. Nina gave them the dirtiest look they’d ever seen and they knew to keep it moving.

“So freaking annoying,” said Blaer. She took a sip of beer.

“Seriously! Immature as ffyck.”

Clink-clink-clink-clink-clink.

Blaer’s uncle Hewthyr, her father’s brother, had raised a glass and would now say a few words.

“Blaer, dear, I’d like to raise a toast to you. Here’s to many years of health, good fortune, and safety.”

“Hear, hear!” A few said raising their glasses.

“If only your father could be here. I know he’d be so proud of you today. And I’m sure he’s smiling down upon us tonight, from up there.”

One the party-goers leapt to his feet and raised his gold chalice and cried, “To Ryfe! To Ryfe the Fearless! May Dan rest him!”

“Dan rest Ryfe the Fearless!” Many cried.

“And may the favor of Dan be ever upon you, my dear niece. Hear, hear!”

“Hear, hear!” Toasted all. And all got back to making merry.

…..

It was after midnight and many of the guests had gone home. Some stayed and were drinking mead and playing cerrigach — a game of skill and chance that involves pulling colored stones out of a leather purse — and betting on it. Blaer’s mother had gone to bed. And Blaer and Nina were sitting on the grass near the tree line.

“Your Destiny is dope,” Nina said.

“I mean, yours is super dope too.” Blaer took a sip of wine from a small pewter flask and passed it to Nina.

“My life has obvious pros and cons,” Nina replied.

“Okay, but being a spirit healer is awesome. And you were totally born to do it.”

“I know, I know.”

“So…what’s the problem?”

Nina gazed at the glow of the flames made by torches around the banquet table, then turned her focus back to Blaer.

“What about marriage?”

“Oh, gawd. Why do you even care?” Blaer grabbed the wine flask back from her friend.

“You might not,” said Nina, “But I kind of do.”

“And you think no boy will want to marry you…because you are a two-spirit.”

“I mean...maybe?”

“Listen Nina, times are changing, and everyone’s figuring out that love is love. No matter what. One-spirit, two-spirit. You’ll find someone for you.”

“Dan willing,” said Nina.

“Anyway, your two-spiritness is part of your gift. As a healer I mean. It’s dope.”

“It’s dope. I know.”

Suddenly Nina turned her focus to something in the woods. Blaer turned to follow her gaze.

“What is that?” Blaer said.

“I have no idea.” The girls jumped to their feet and cautiously approached the tree line.

“There's something glowing in there,” Nina said.

Blaer looked back to make sure no one at the party could see that they were about to go into the forest beyond the tree line. Going into the forest was strongly discouraged — especially after dark.

No one was looking and they disappeared among the trees.

A few steps in and they could find the source of the glowing light.

“Oh my,” said Nina.

“Can that be what I think it is?” Said Blaer.

“I think it is.” Nina reached down to pick it up.

“Nina! Don’t freaking touch it!”

“It’s all covered in like black spots.”

“Ewww! Girl, that’s is definitely a dragon egg!”

Nina poked at it with a stick. “Do you think dragon eggs would make a good omelette?”

Blaer broke out laughing. “You are nasty.”

“All right, well grab a rock or something.” Nina said.

“What? Why?”

“Why? Blaer, you’re a Dragonslayer, remember? Obviously you gotta kill it. So just smash it with a rock or whatever and let’s get out of here. This is def creepy.”

Blaer just stood there and stared at the glowing egg.

“Consider this practice, hey? I mean it should be easy. You don’t have to slice its throat with a flaming gleddyf or anything this time, right? No black blood squirting out from its severed arteries. No—

“Okay, shut up.”

Blaer found a heavy stone and lifted it above her head but just as she would let the rock fall onto the egg the egg began to shake. The stone fell to one side and the girls both leapt back. The purple glow of the egg became brighter and it began to rock on the mushy soil of the forest floor. It rocked more and and more until it began to crack and then a beak appeared from within the cracking place and soon some little green and black baby claws were coming out and then finally the whole egg broke open and fell apart and there was a little baby dragon all covered in mucous working on getting its slimy little eyes open for the first time. And the eyes were actually big and bulbous compared to its head and once he got them open it took some time to get used to the light even though it was dark save for the moonlight and then the little baby dragon yawned.

“Oh. Em. Dee!” Nina gushed. He is so ugly!”

“He’s so cute!” Said Blaer.

“Seriously! He’s ugly-cute.”

“He is.”

Nina goes, “He’s smol!”

Blaer checked the party again to make sure no one was looking. Then she lifted the baby dragon and took him in her arms.

“What are you doing?”

“You know what I’m doing. We’re taking him home!”