The Breath of Death

There weren't always dragons in the Valley. But once we brought them inside our walls this became their home.

They once raged in far off lands, blistering their winters with their flames, scorching the earth until ash fell from the sky, replacing the snow that capped the lands. In their wake, nothing grew, water was scarce, and no life was able to thrive.

Now we live in fear that one wrong move could mean their hellfire reigns down on us, destroying the Valley in its entirety.

"You off this early?" Eliana asked, meeting me at my horse.

"Morning is the best time for they are oft asleep," I said as I tightened my quiver to the stirrups.

"Are you sure they sighted any? Last time it was a fool's errand, and you risked your life to not get paid."

I put a stack of arrows in the quiver. "If a patrol says they saw dragon scales, then I need to go check. The Duke entrusted me with this duty and I will see it done. You know as well as I do how important this task is – so, for now just focus on the handsome sum we will be paid if ever we are to be successful."

"I can hardly think of money when I know you are riding an old horse underneath dragon legs. If the time came when you need to run from them, you're better off running on your own two legs than relying on this fat thing."

"He's not that old," I said as I checked him to see if he could hold the weight of the saddle.

"So you agree that he's fat, then?"

I went to grab my bow but Eliana grabbed it before my fingers could touch it. I sighed.

"It's not just about us," I said. "We need those dragon scales. Otherwise, we're undefended if the wraiths come back."

"I know," Eliana said, a cold sting in her voice. "But I was the one that redressed your burns for months, only for them to scar all over, forever reminding me that it could happen the next time you look for dragon scales. I don't care about the money. I care about the soft skin you once had and how it will never return. Is the same going to happen with your life next time?"

"I've learnt from last time," I said. "I'll make sure it doesn't happen again."

I went for the bow but was too slow for Eliana yanked it out of reach.

"And if you survive the dragons then you fight the Wraiths when they come back? When does it end?"

"Well, when we fight the Wraiths, hopefully, we will be wearing dragon scales for armour…"

I waited for Eliana to speak – she wasn't one to shy down from an argument, having grown up needing to haggle the corn her father grew in exchange for meat. That was a fool's errand. But she was far more successful than I'd ever been.

She handed the bow out to me. "We'll see if you've learnt from last time, then," she said, and as soon as my fingers were underneath the bow, she dropped it.

She walked off. I knew this moment would come but that didn't prepare me for how much it hurt.

As I rode out on the horse that groaned under my weight and a weapon in my hand that I knew would be of no use, I headed straight for the dragons, praying that I didn't get burnt again. That would make Eliana incredibly angry.

The Valley once stood as a beacon of hope for all. Its high walls protected the interior, allowing fields of green to extend as far as the eye can see. I had spent my whole life within the walls, never having to fight or starve from lack of food. Never had the thought of going beyond the walls ever crossed my mind. I had seen all that I wanted of the outside world from those that came here looking for salvation.

I pass them in the fields on my way to the dragons.

They lug about hoes and pickaxes as if they're as heavy as longswords, their arms frail and without muscle. Their skin is bright crimson, having scarred and blistered from the flames they ran from.

We allowed these survivors to come inside the Valley, blessing them with water – a commodity they remember from a life they lived long ago; and in return, they were put to work in the fields, barely able to relax their failing bodies.

They don't last long.

Every time I pass them, I see one or two laying face-down in the field, their bodies unable to withstand the heat of the sun for long. They don't get back up.

The Valley's fields have always been green and well-tended.

I've heard the same story over and over from them. They told me what I need to know about the outside world, and that's why I've never ventured outside the walls.

Most of the survivors had never encountered the dragons that took everything from them – they were forced to walk across the ashes of their hometown, breaking through the corroded limbs of friends and family that were indistinguishable – their skin weltering from the scorched earth that they walked upon. Even days after a dragon had shot its breath upon the earth, heat would still emanate from underneath, as if a fire had been lit and tended underneath their feet. As they walked, their shoes crumbled, the clothes scorched and their skin charred – all of it melting off them.

All this was after the dragons attacked. Those lucky few never saw the dragon's full breath – otherwise, they would not be here.

I see the fear instilled on their faces now that the dragons have been brought inside the walls. More survivors drop in the fields daily, their hearts unable to take the toll of living side by side with their tormentors.

I ride on past the fields – they bring me too much sadness. They fought so hard to survive and were forced to work in return for safety. Now, all our lives can be taken with just one breath from a dragon…

I reached the Valley's hilltop and peered down. Three dragons, lumbering in size, lay asleep. They were entwined together, their bodies curled amongst each other, their tails wrapped around their outside. They were the babies, the ones we separate from their parents in the hopes that it would keep their parents at bay. It seemed to anger the adults but for now, they have not attacked us. It seems that every day we edge closer to our damnation.

Outside their circle, I can see dragon scales on the floor. There are four of them – two blue and two red, just like the dragons that lay beside them. The babies tend to shed dragon scales until they become full-sized adults, allowing us to use them if we can get our hands on them. No weapon of ours can pierce a dragon scale and it's the only material that can protect us from dragon fire.

Only the blue and red baby dragons seem to shed their scales – the silver one of the three does not. I've often found that weird, especially since the other two seem to be protecting it. Even as they slept, the silver dragon slept in the middle, protected by the blue and red one.

Atop the walls that surrounded them, manned ballista were aimed at the dragons. If one of them were to give any indication that they were getting ready to attack, the ballista would riddle it with javelins. If a baby dragon is ever harmed, its scream rings out across the land.

If that happens, the adults will hear it. Then we would lose the only thing that is preventing them from attacking us.

My job is to get the dragon scales on the floor without waking the dragons. If I wake them, then they may attack, and the only reason they haven't attacked yet is that they haven't tasted human blood yet. After they've tasted human blood, a baby can't be controlled. It would try to eat everyone until it’s stopped.

No pressure. Since they were asleep, I thought it best to go without my horse. Eliana was right, he would do more harm than good. I needed to be as silent as possible.

Before venturing toward them, I doused myself in oil. This prevents my scent from reaching a dragon's nostrils, but one ember from their breath would set me alight. The Duke said that would be better than one of them eating me.

I crept towards them, bow in hand, clenching it as tight as I could. Its purpose wasn't to ward off one of them but to calm my nerves. It didn't do a good job.

The dragon scales shone in the sunlight. They lay incredibly close to the dragons, so much that they reflected light onto the blue one's head, close to its eye. The two red scales lay too close to the dragons so for today it would be wise to get the blue ones and make off with my life.

Last time, there was no dragon scale, and I circled the dragons for hours trying to find signs of one. Now that they were in front of me, I yearned for that day when I couldn't find any. At least then I didn't have to get close to it.

It didn’t save me from the fire it breathed in its sleep. I was lucky it was only a small breath that set me alight.

Closer to the dragon, I could smell its breath. It smelt of animal blood and charred flesh, each breath making me dizzy due to how acrid it smelt. The air around the dragon was hotter than a fireplace, its very breath distorting the air around it. With each exhale, embers floated in the air. I needed to stay away from its mouth.

I couldn't venture any closer for the embers danced in front of me as the oil clung thickly to my skin. If I were to move closer then I would surely set alight, and if that happened, as selfish as it sounds, I would want one of the dragons to eat me, to end it quickly, rather than slowly burn until I am but ash in the wind.

Crouching down I extended my hand out to one of the dragon scales. It was the furthest one from the dragons and I pulled that one with ease. That one wasn't my concern – it was the one closer to it.

Dragon scales are heavy so I needed to drag it through the grass until I could lift it with two hands. Every scrape in the grass made me wince for I don't how sensitive dragon's hearing is, or how light a sleeper they are.

After that one was secured in my satchel, I reached for the other one, the one closer – the one shining in the sunlight. On all fours I could barely reach it – my fingertips were just able to touch its edges. Embers danced above my hand, making me lay on my stomach to reach for it.

I could just wrap the tips of my fingers around the edge of the dragon scale, but not enough to pick it up. I tried to pull it closer across the floor by tipping it towards me. As I did, I saw the light move from the centre of the scale to the far edge.

I looked up, horrified. The reflected light had moved up from the dragon's cheek, shining directly into its closed eye.

I yanked the dragon scale away and angled the reflected light out of its eye. But it was too late.

The dragon's eye was wide open and staring into the distance.

I pulled the dragon scale to my chest and got to my feet. Before I turned to run, I saw the dragon's eye looking directly at me.

I ran as fast as I could, my heart beating hard in my chest. The weight of the dragon scale slowed me down, but I couldn't stop.

The dragon had begun moving – I could hear the ground behind me trembling and the grass being pulled up underneath its claws.

There was no point being quiet or sneaking anymore so I whistled as loud as I could to my horse. It started to gallop towards me from a far distance, reminding me that it was indeed a slow horse. Neither I nor the horse could outrun the dragon. Even if I were to get atop my horse and start riding in the other direction, we would not be able to get away quick enough.

I had no plan. I silently prayed that the ballista would shoot the dragon, but I knew that that wasn't the best plan.

The ground trembled around me as I felt the dragon moving towards me. My horse was getting closer and closer. The air around me getting unbearably hot.

I dropped the dragon scale I held to my chest and ran as fast as I could. Without that weighing me down I could make ground faster.

My horse was nearly in reach before it stopped dead, rearing its front hoofs in the air. It was scared.

"Come on!" I shouted to the horse but it was no use, it just kept rearing its hoofs. Even If I reached it, I would not be able to get it to take me out of there.

I ran at the horse, feeling as if I was about to pass out from the heat that surrounded me, and ran around it.

The dragon loomed close to both of us, its mouth opening wide, the stench unbearable.

I put my hands on my horse, but it was frozen still.

The dragon's mouth was close to us, nearly able to engulf us both, its teeth dripping saliva.

Instead of pulling myself atop the horse, I did the only thing I could. I pushed it with all my might.

The horse fell onto the bottom teeth, getting impaled instantly. The dragon closed its jaw and slammed it shut.

Whilst it was busy beginning to chew, I turned and ran. I did not feel it come after me, so I was able to run far enough away to safety.

I turned, breathless, and looked back at the dragon. Red blood dripped down its blue scales. It had just finished eating. It turned and went back to where the other dragons lay, curling up into a ball.

"Only one!?" the Duke yelled. "Four lay in the field and you get only one? The Wraiths close in, and you only get enough protection for yourself."

I stood in silence.

"Ensure that he only gets paid half the amount we pay for one and take that one from him. He needs to learn a lesson," he told the guards and they stripped me of the dragon scale and put a purse in my hand that rattled with only three coins. "Out of my sight," the Duke said and I was taken from his presence.

"You're back," Eliana said. "I feared the worst. Where is your horse?"

"We will have to get another," I mumbled.

"Did you get any?"

"I got one," I said and held out the coin purse.

Eliana's face was full of glee and admiration until she took the coin purse and felt how measly it was. She didn't give in to her disappointment.

"This is a good start. We'll put it to good use. It won't be enough for a horse, but we'll be fed for a week."

I smiled at her.

Her face darkened.

"Have you heard?" she asked.

"Heard what?" I replied.

She bit her lower lip. I knew that look, it meant that something was on her mind, but she didn't want to say what it was.

"What haven't I heard?" I asked.

"The Wraiths," she said quietly. "They attacked one of the lower districts. One close to us."

I couldn't speak. Our biggest fear had come that close while I was away. Away failing to get protection against them.

"They walked through their walls and attacked them. Not many survived," she said.

That was how wraiths attacked – they walk through walls, swinging their scythes at everything as they walk through houses. Swords swing through them, attacking nothing. Nothing stops them – nothing except dragon scales.

"They stopped when they reached the border, but that's because the dragons protect the rich that live there. Godrick," she said, "I'm scared."

"I know," I said. I was too. But there was nothing I could do. They would come for us next.