The Discarded

In the early hours of the morning, distinct sounds of huffing and puffing were heard across the valley. Within the nearby forest, a large scaled dragon with bright red wings tucked by her side made her way methodologically amongst the fallen leaves. The air was crisp while she shuffled searching for something important. Today, on the seventh day of frost, like each year before, she found what she was looking for.

A pause in the dragon’s breathing and the crackling of the leaves confirmed she reached the new precious addition to her world. A thin shaking child nearing the end of his toddler years sat wide eyed at the base of an oak. His mouth opened and closed as if he wanted to scream but couldn’t make a sound. Slowly lowering her neck and massive head to the ground, the dragon attempted to reduce her size. The members of her kin had told her that the little ones would be less intimidated if she did that. The child had immediately disappeared into a fetal position as if to block out the sight of the monster that towered in front of him. Undeterred, she had approached placing the side of her head gently across his frail body. He was cold to the touch and tensed up. It was the warmth of the dragon’s head that had slowly reassured the boy, and as his body relaxed, she scooped him under her wing. This was the easiest way for her to transport him back to the meeting location. Her wing was warm and she could feel that the boy had dozed off. She longed to tell him that the worst was over and that he was now safe.

***

The Abduction

The Kumar family had been excited to visit Venice, Italy. It was 2022 and it had been Dyia Kumar’s dream since she was a child. Up until recently they had been having a blast, that was until everything suddenly collapsed. It had now been more than 24h since Dyia and her husband Raj had seen their little boy Veer. All had happened so quickly. The Kumar’s had gone out to a small restaurant by their hotel, and while Mrs. and Mr. Kumar enjoyed a piece of pizza, their son who had been running around the table, seemingly…vanished. Mrs. Kumar had taken her eyes off him only for what seemed like a couple seconds…and just like that, Mrs. Kumar’s dream had transformed into her own living nightmare.

Her eyes were red and puffy as she looked at the nonchalant Venice police officers. Since the beginning of the search she was convinced that they weren't putting nearly as much effort as they would have if a small Italian boy had vanished. Early on, she had asked for all vaporettos and water traffic to be halted in order to find her child and stop the abductor. They had simply shaken their heads saying there was no proof it had been an abduction, and that the boy could just have easily drowned. They had made it clear that it was a priority of the Venice police to avoid unnecessary alarm to the public & tourists…

***

1769 - Venice, Italy

It was on the seventh day of frost that the murder of a young girl and her mother horrified the town. What locals had witnessed was a stout ghoul like monster emerging from one of the many wells characteristic of Venice. After grotesquely killing the pair, the demon had pulled the mother and daughter back down with it. Following this incident, all wells had been sealed shut by fear of the demon re-emerging to claim additional victims. Hearing echoes of the incident in Rome, the Order of the Brothers of Rome had made the journey all the way to Venice to have a first hand look at the location of the incident. Upon arrival, and to the horror of the townsfolk, the Order had decided to unseal the well and explore for themselves.

It was an unassuming young man with a frail body and scruffy hair that was selected to explore the well in the name of the Lord & the Italian people. As he swung his leg over the side of the well he was provided with a lantern and instructions to maintain continuous prayers for protection.

“My lord please bless me and protect me”

The rope moved into action and slowly lowered him into the dark pit. All he could see was his hands and the wall in front of him. Anything below his waist seemed swallowed by darkness. As he was being lowered he started shaking, unsure if it was the result of the cool air of the well, or the deep dread he was feeling.

“Mercy for your disciple...pardon the sins of men.” suddenly his prayers trailed off.

“I FOUND SOMETHING, STOP” he screamed.

His voice bounced off the walls of the well reaching the top. A sudden jerk of the rope and he was at a standstill. He couldn’t believe what was lying in front of him. It was an opening in the wall of the well. This passageway, large enough for a man to walk through, stood before him. Taking in a deep breath, he hesitantly set foot into the passage. Once he was standing upright he turned towards the top of the well.

“GIVE ME LOOSE” he yelled.

As the rope fell to his feet, he entered the dark tunnel. Something about this passage did not feel right, and the dread he had felt earlier was now growing with each step. Instinctively, one of his hands gripped the rope around his waist. It was his lifeline, the only link to the outside world. Placing his lantern far in front of him as he walked, he made sure his body maintained a slight angle so he could run at a moment’s notice.

“My lord, I am here in your name to protect mankind, your children”

His voice was shaking as he pronounced these words, but it was better than hearing the sound of his steps endlessly echoing in the dark.

It was as he finished his prayer that the passageway opened into a larger space. Even though his lantern was supposed to be the only source of light, he could make out a faint glow on the floor further ahead. As he approached the source of the glow, he released a nervous cry. What lay before him didn’t seem possible. It appeared to be a large hole, the edges of which were coated in blood and a small doll rested by its side. The surface was opaque, but oddly, he could distinguish a milky glow rotating within. Placing his lantern above the hole he realized the light did not go beyond the surface. He dug deep into his pockets, retrieving a small coin. He wiped the sweat off of his forehead before throwing the coin in. Swallowing it whole, the coin penetrated the surface and disappeared. It was only moments later that it erupted in a bright flash of light nearly blinding him. A deep animalistic growl echoed throughout the space, bouncing off the walls surrounding him. The young man's hand shook violently and he dropped the lantern, swallowing him in darkness. Running as fast as his legs could take him, he fell, got back-up and crashed into walls along the way. But that didn’t matter, he just needed to make it out. As he reached the end of the passage, he tugged on the rope .

“BRING ME UP. OH PLEASE LORD” he yelled.

The crowd above frantically pulled on the rope. Once his hands could reach the edge, he dragged himself over the stones and collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air.

“What’s wrong? What did you find? Speak boy!” one of the Brother’s screamed.

“The demon’s passageway, Lucifer’s home…I-I-I’ve found the Gateway of the Fallen Angel.”

***

Venice, Italy, 2022

Dressed in white gowns echoing the pope’s ensemble, The Order of the Brothers of Rome silently rushed through the dark streets of Venice holding their precious package. Even though it was the middle of the night, the procession would usually cross paths with isolated groups of tourists who would brush off the odd encounter as some strange Venetian religious ceremony. In reality, they were not wrong. The Order had been founded centuries ago and prided themselves as the protectors of mankind against earth’s demons. Their credo reflected their life mission: The protection of the many guide our actions.

So tonight, was in fact a religious ceremony of sorts, one that had been practiced each new year, on the seventh day of frost, ever since the discovery of the Gateway of the Fallen Angel. After the 17th century incident, the Order had concluded that the demon had come to hunt, and the only way to keep the demon out of their world was to bring him once a year, a human sacrifice to appease its desire to return. And that was exactly what the Order had done ever since. Veer Kumar was nothing more than a sacrifice for the greater good of mankind.

Brother Roberto pulled up a side of the sheet covering the cage they were carrying. Veer looked up at him and opened his mouth to say something. The cloth that was tightly tied over his mouth muffled the sound, and Roberto could not make out what he was saying.

“Shhh small child. Settle down. The worst will be over soon…” Roberto whispered.

Placing the sheet back into its original position, he quickened his pace. They were almost there. It was nearly time. The clock on the nearby church showed twenty to midnight.

It was only a matter of moments after that that they reached the well. The Brothers expertly moved into action knowing what to do next. As two Brothers of the Order stood at different extremities of the street to deter the tourists, the other four unsealed the top of the well and pushed it open making a deep metallic thud. While one gathered the rope and threw it over the ledge, another fastened it to a metal hook at the base of the well. Tonight, only two of them would need to descend to the Gateway. This year, it was Brother Roberto and Brother Marcel who would have the honour of accomplishing the ceremonial sacrifice. As Roberto fastened the cage to his back, the other brothers sprayed holy water and mumbled soft prayers.

The descent into the well was arduous. Roberto was no longer a young man and the physical exertion was taking a toll on him. It also didn’t help that he was accompanied the most fearful of the Brothers who was quietly sobbing. The Order prided themselves in their stoic demeanor and Roberto secretly believed Marcel was a stain to the Brothers’ reputation.

By the time they reached the gate, Brother Roberto was out of breath. Large drops of sweat trickled down the side of his face and onto the ground. Glancing at his pocket watch he saw it was two minutes to midnight. It was time. Dropping the cage from his back, he removed the sheet and fumbled with the metallic lock while Veer remained too terrified to move a muscle. Roberto scooped the little boy out of the cage and removed his gag as Brother Marcel circled the gate lighting the ceremonial candles. The milky glow within unnerved Marcel, so he kept his eyes straight ahead.

“Marcel! Hurry up Brother, it’s nearly midnight.” squealed Roberto.

“Sorry Sorry, I’m ready. We can start.” said Marcel as he shuffled awkwardly over to Roberto’s side.

“Let’s do this quickly and get out of here. Brother Marcel, you hold the boy”. Roberto handed Marcel Veer’s frail body as he started speaking.

“The Brothers of the Order of Rome are here in the Lord’s name and in the name of Humanity to plead with the Fallen Angel to remain where he is. As a concession, we offer you the body and soul of one of us, this year and all years to come.''

As the last words were spoken, Brother Roberto picked up a small vial of holy water, removed the cap, and poured it over the young boys' head.

“Good boy, it’s almost over now.” said Roberto.

Leaning into Marcel’s ear he hissed. “Throw him in Brother.”

Marcel sluggishly looked at the shaking boy and back to Roberto.

“NOW!” Yelled Roberto.

Closing his eyes, Marcel took a step forward and sighed before letting go of the boy. A scream exited Veer's mouth but was silenced as his body disappeared beneath the opaque surface. Both men raised their tunics to shield their eyes as a blinding light illuminated the room.

****

The Discarded

Drums and rhythmic bursts of laughter are heard in the distance as Ether approaches the location of the yearly celebration. Veer is still tucked beneath her wing, but she senses him move, likely woken by the joyous energy in the air. Like every year since the arrivals began, the ceremony is just waiting for its guest of honor, currently in her care.

A young girl runs up to Ether as she enters the village. She carries a flag emblem of her kin.

“Do you have them?” pants the young girl.

Ether grunts an approval and the girl answers with a wide grin. Turning around to face the rest of the village, the child cups her hands around her mouth.

“THEY ARE HERE!” she screams before running off to join the rest of the group.

As Ether reaches the crowd within the village, she spots Waterlis and Diggeon the two other head dragons surrounded by the rest of the community. Their grunts and roars rhythmically fuse with the celebratory yells of the people. Each year, the celebrations grow louder as their village increases, and it has been this way for hundreds of years. But today is a special day for the young boy in her care. Releasing her wing, Ether delicately places the boy in the middle of the chaos. The moment he touches the ground the crowd silences, the sound of nearby bugs taking over the quiet space.

Veer rubs his eyes looking around at the curious gazes surrounding him. The sheer number of people is overwhelming so he opts to return to a fetal position. As Veer hides, an old woman with a frail build slowly makes her way across the crowd supported by two small purple dragons with piercing blue eyes. She is wearing a robe of bright purple, the symbol of the highest rank amongst humans, and her status dictates how the village acts. As she advances, the crowd spreads apart in an orderly fashion. At each step she takes, the expression on her face betrays the pain that echoes throughout her body.

The old woman’s name is Miss Margaret, she may seem intimidating, but her presence soothes the young Veer. Peering at her through his knees, she smiles at him. Softly placing a hand on his back she whispers a small chant. At first her voice is alone, but as the words come, the rest of the crowd joins in and beautiful harmony fills the air.

“We are the Discarded,

We did not choose this life

We were not here by choice…

We are the Discarded,

The dragons are now our brothers and sisters

We live in harmony, our purpose fulfilled.

Aqualons

The guards of our prisoner

We honor our world by mastering the ocean

True protectors, the kin of honorable commitment

We stand by strength, power and determination.

Groundbearers

We understand our mother earth and she provides us with protection

Our kin is the mountains, the land and our forests

We are the providers

We stand by dedication, solidarity and creativity.

Airwings

Master’s of the sky

And monitors of the gateway

We share the sky with our brothers and sisters

We stand by courage, agility and adventure.

We are the Discarded,

Discarded from our previous world

But here we are wanted.”

As the last note is uttered by the crowd, Veer sits staring at the woman. A warm glow emanated from her gaze. Veer listened to the words of the song but is unsure of what he heard. He knows he is young and doesn’t understand much, but, could it be that this group of people and terrifying looking dragons live together? One thing Veer knows for certain is that he is no longer part of the world from which he was taken. This thought makes him want to cry. He misses his mother and wishes she could hold him again.

The crowd quiets down again and Miss Margaret addresses them.

“Kins, please regroup, we are about to start!”

Encouraging Veer to stand up, Miss Margaret presents him with her small wrinkled fingers.

“Young boy, it is a pleasure to meet you, my name is Miss Margaret, please get up and join us.”

Reaching to grab the woman’s hand Veer is pulled to his feet. The strength in the woman surpassed what he expected.

“I'm Veer.” he whispers

“Well, it is a pleasure to meet you. Come with me and we’ll explain everything to you. Just let me know at any moment if you don’t understand.” she says.

Three groups shape into a military-like formation in front of Veer and Miss Margaret. At the head of each group a flag bearer and a dragon stand. The group to Veer’s left proudly holds a blue flag with vertical black lines. Miss Margaret straightens her back and points to the people he has been observing.

“Young Veer, listen closely to my words.” Articulates Miss Margaret.

“These are the Aqualons. In essence, they are the guardians of this world. Aqualon kin, please introduce yourselves”.

A man with a bushy brown beard and long hair approaches holding a wooden staff bearing the Aqualon flag. He is muscular and towers over Veer and Miss Margaret.

“Jonathan, the floor is yours.”

“Greeting’s Veer. You probably won’t understand everything said today, but what you should understand is what each kin stands for. At the end of this, it will be your choice with whom to go. We are just here to tell you who we are, and you decide who you would like to go with.” Jonathan smiles back at Veer as he utters these words.

“Do you understand?” asks the man

“Yes, ok...” says Veer, his arms nervously tapping the side of his leg.

“We are the Aqualons, the guardians of this world. We are led by our head dragon Waterlis. He is a water dragon. Contrary to other dragons, he doesn’t produce fire, but can breathe underwater, control currents and is an excellent fisher.”

Everyone in the crowd erupts in laughter as Jonathan mentions this. Waterlis lifts his head in the air and blows out a jet of water.

“Oh yes he is!” yells the crowd, and cheers resonate.

“We, the Aqualon, live a majority of our time in water. Our bodies have adapted to a wet environment with help from our Aqualon brother and sister dragons.”

Jonathan slowly lifts his long brown hair to reveal gills on the side of his neck. Spreading his fingers apart Veer notices they look like frog feet.

“Apart from fishing, our main responsibility is to care for the prison at the bottom of our sea. You see, hundreds of years ago in 1769, a water dragon by the name of Callixtus decided against all the rules within the dragon community to make his way through the same gateway you arrived through.” His voice becomes more somber as he mentions Callixtus’ name.

“Callixtus was not a good dragon, he caused harm to the people on the other side. So, when he returned, the dragons worked together to stop him and place him in an underwater prison. To this day, he remains there. We, the Aqualon, work to keep him there today and forever. Since then, it was decided that no one should pass the gateway from this world to our previous world.” Jonathan pauses for a moment.

“It was shortly after that the Discarded started arriving.” whispers Miss Margaret.

“Exactly. That disaster triggered the yearly arrival of people. But, we have come together and built something beautiful. Young Veer, you probably don’t realize it yet, but you’re in a good place. It may not feel like home yet, but I assure you, it will.”

As he finishes, Jonathan bows and returns by the side of his head dragon. Veer does not know what to think, even for his young mind this seems unbelievable. As he reflects, Miss Margaret’s voice resonates.

“Groundbearers, please step forward!”

A young woman advances holding a yellow flag with the outlines of a tree at its center. Her arms are filled with tattoos symbolizing nature. Veer sees a leaf and a sun on her forearm, her hair is blond and a wide smile illuminates her face. As she steps forward, Diggeon her head dragon emits a joyous grunt.

“Hello young man. My name is Jane and I am part of the Groundbearer kin.” Excited cheers resonate among the Groundbearer’s. She waits for them to settle down before continuing.

“We are lovers of nature and we hold the key to its secrets. We live in this village that we are gathered in today. Just look around at our beautiful home.” she pauses.

“We know how to care for the land and how to feed ourselves, we understand its tempers and pains to better protect it. We are providers and care for our kin and others the same. We would welcome you with open arms if you would have us.”

As she finishes, Jane gets to her knees and pulls Veer into an embrace. Her hug is warm and reminds Veer of his mother. A sense of happiness takes over him as she lets go. Standing up she returns by the side of her kin.

“One more to go! Last but never least, Airwings please come forward!” says Miss Margaret.

An older woman comes forward. She is not as old as Miss Margaret and her posture is strong and confident. She walks forward holding the flag of her kin. It’s white with small blue strokes resembling the wind or clouds. Ether, the head dragon, also steps forward. She is the one who found Veer and she feels like she should be by Elizabeth's side as she speaks. Elizabeth’s grey hair waves with the breeze and she winks at Veer before starting her speech.

“Veer, as our song goes: we are the Discarded, but here we are wanted. And Veer, here among us, you are already part of the family.” The crowd bursts into applause.

“We are the Airwings. We are a bit different than the two other kins. We mainly live up in the sky and our homes are high up in the trees. Ether, who you have already met, is our head dragon. She flies, and with her help, and the help of other air dragons, we have adapted to our kin, as have the Aqualon.”

As she says this, Elizabeth turns around to show Veer her back. The fabric covering her softly moves as a large pair of bright red wings appear. The other kins are delighted as Elizabeth displays her wings. Bending her knees, she pushes off the floor. Her wings slowly flap keeping her a couple feet above the ground.

“We monitor the sky and the gateway. The danger is always present that something or someone unwanted could enter our world, and our responsibility is to make sure this never happens. We are also the keepers of the door which can block the gateway if ever something were to happen. We protect our world from outsiders, while the Aqualon protect our world from insiders, and our dear Groundbearers keep us all alive.”

As Elizabeth finishes, the crowd claps and bangs their feet on the ground. Veer is amazed. Even in his wildest dreams he couldn’t imagine this.

“Thank you kins!” Yells Miss Margaret. “We are nearly there. Veer come here.” She beckons him to come to her.

“Now it’s time for you to choose. You have heard all the kins speak, which one would you like to join?” she whispers to him.

Silently, Veer looks at the Aqualon, the Groundbearer and the Airwing kins and turns back to Miss Margaret’s.

“Just trust yourself, Veer. You will make the right choice.”

Nodding, he turns back to the kins and spots Ether, the dragon that found him in the woods. When she had laid her head on his back he had felt safe and he liked that feeling. It was then and there he knew which kin he was going to choose.

Taking a step forward, Veer walks over to his new kin. He places his hand on Ether.

“I want to be with you.”

As he says these words, the crowd erupts in cheers. He is lifted up into the air and he cannot hide the grin that spreads across his face.

****

Seven years later

Veer runs barefoot down the forest lane as his long dark hair floats behind him. He wears on his arm a cloth displaying the symbol of his kin which he’s been wearing with pride ever since he joined them. From that moment they became his family, his lifeline in this world. In the last seven years he has been taught the basics of the community and has grown into an active boy. Veer slows his pace as he approaches the meeting location. Pain echoes throughout his body as he stops. It’s been weeks since his wings have started to grow out, and the ache is becoming unbearable. His brothers and sisters had warned him of the pain, but he had brushed it off. Now he realizes he should have listened better. Pain or no pain, it will all be worth it in the end, soon he will be starting his flight training. This thought triggers a shot of adrenaline deep in his belly, and the excitement outweighs all discomfort.

Further ahead in a forest clearing, Ether has already arrived and is sprawled amongst the leaves taking in the autumn sun. Her eyes are closed and the sun reflects off her red scales, a peaceful look on her face.

“Wake up lazy girl!” Says Veer playfully.

Ether rolls over and grunts at him. She knows they must get moving. Veer still has a lot to learn about the Airwing responsibilities, and with his wings growing out, he cannot fly on his own yet. Shaking the sleep out of her legs, Ether yawns as Veer giggles.

A deep roar suddenly resonates throughout the air. Veer covers his ears and looks at Ether with confusion. He has never heard this sound before. Ignoring his gaze, she stands frozen in place.

No this can’t be.

Ether begins to run and grabs Veer by the collar. With one swift movement he is thrown onto her back. She gives a powerful push off the ground and takes off into the sky. Veer struggles to hold on as she soars in the direction of the Groundbearer village.

What is happening? Thinks Veer. As they approach, he can see that there is already a gathering of people. Miss Margaret and a group of Groundbearers are huddled together, a sense of agitation rising within. Ether and Veer land in the middle of the group with a loud thud and cloud of dust.

“What is happening?” asks Veer as he jumps off Ether’s back, but no one is paying attention to him. Moments ago he felt more like a man than he ever did, and now he feels like a small child again. Glancing up, he notices the rest of his kin trickling into the village.

“Quiet QUIET everyone. Stay calm and please put yourselves in formation.” yells Miss Margaret.

As Veer hurries to his side, a couple whispers catch his attention.

“Do you think it’s true?” hisses Jane

“Callixtus? No, that’s impossible, the prison is impossible to break out of.” replies an older man.

“Groundbearers, is your kin complete?” Screams Miss Margaret.

“Yes we are!”

“Airwings, how about you?”

“Yes, I can see the last ones flying in.” says Elizabeth.

“Aqualons? Is anyone from Aqualon here?” Her voice cracks as she says this.

“No, no, I don’t see any of them.” Yells a young Groundbearer.

In the chaos of the moment, Veer looks around and squints his eyes. Something outside the village has just attracted his attention. A man has stumbled into view. His bushy beard and long hair recognizable from any distance. Jonathan collapses as he reaches the edge of the village. Instinctively, Veer rushes to his side. Seeing him run from the group, the rest of the people follow his lead. Jonathan’s mutilated body lays motionless on the ground as Veer kneels down beside him.

“Jonathan? Jonathan, are you ok?” he murmurs.

Jonathan’s stare remains fixed in the distance unresponsive to Veer’s voice.

“Look at his chest, oh my lord, look at his chest.” screams a woman.

Looking down at his chest, Veer notices a message he hadn’t seen before written in blood. He shakes as he reads it.

We stand by Callixtus! Long live the Aqualon!

Veer stumbles backward. No, this isn’t possible. Margaret is now by Veer’s side and she lowers her aching body to observe the message. Tears run down her face. Never in her lifetime did she expect a threat to their world to come again from within. The Aqualon have been corrupted.

“Airwings, seal the gateway. We cannot let Callixtus or the Aqualon invade the other world.” she commands regaining her composure.

Veer nods in disbelief.

Miss Margaret’s back is slumped forward as if holding the entire weight of two worlds on her own. The remaining two kins watch her in silence as she speaks.

“And for the others… it’s time to prepare for war.”