The Dragon Plague

There weren’t always dragons in the Valley. A long time ago, dragons were few and far between, hiding in caves and on mountaintops where they kept their hoards. Everyone lived in the Valley together, where they were safely surrounded by tall, sharply pointed mountains that caught the clouds and kept the Valley lush and full of life. The edges of the mountains were rich with minerals, the rivers were full of fish, and deer grazed in the meadows. The people of the Valley had everything they needed, and lived peacefully with one another.

The dragons – giant, fire-breathing, winged lizards – did not come from the sky. Instead, they began to break out of the ground, as if the earth was an egg they hatched from. Horrified, the people of the Valley debated on how to protect themselves from these monsters. Some turned to weapons, others to magic, and some performed rituals and sacrifices to the gods, begging for salvation. Communities began to separate and retreat as the dragons grew in number, destroying the land and hoarding the wealth of resources for themselves, until no one remained in the Valley.

Seven kingdoms formed beyond the mountains surrounding the Valley, where food and water was difficult to find. Wars over the limited supplies caused a schism between the kingdoms, and as the newly-birthed dragons grew in the Valley, they began to leave and attack the surrounding settlements.

In a too-late answer to the prayers of the people, the gods granted each of the seven kingdoms one warrior each that would be blessed with a power to help them fight the dragon swarm. But with every gift, came a curse. Each generation of warriors had to learn to use their unique abilities and overcome their curse.

My predecessor had largely been considered a failure. His gift of stealth served him well in his early years, in battles with the warring kingdoms as well as during dragon attacks. He daringly traveled into the Valley to obtain minerals, food, and water to help our kingdom prosper. However, his curse was that his gift would only serve him at night, after the sun had gone down. If he was not able to escape a battle or the Valley before sunrise, he was easily caught by enemy soldiers or the superior senses of the dragons in the Valley.

The other kingdoms, and the dragons, as well, learned that our kingdom was weak in the daylight. We were on the brink of total destruction by the time I was born, in the walls of the palace after my parents had fled their village which had burned to the ground. By the time I was ten years old, my predecessor had learned to defend himself during the day, and to evade death in the event of capture until he could sneak away in the night. One day, in a desperate attempt to claim resources from deep within the Valley, he planned a trip that would take several days. He did not return.

We knew he was dead when my gift manifested, and my training began immediately. I had always been small, short and thin despite years of strength training, and used my stature to my advantage. While I did not possess the blessing of superhuman stealth as my predecessor had, I worked to develop my own skills in that regard, as well as several types of combat training and survival skills. I excelled in hand-to-hand combat, but also became quite skilled with a bow and a sword.

My training was rapid and intense. I had begun training to be a soldier since I could walk, to aid the warrior in his battles, but as he passed while I was still so young, it was imperative that I become battle-ready as soon as possible.

Like many of the warriors who came before me, my gift did not involve physical abilities that were of obvious use. In fact, the intellectual nature of my particular gift made it virtually inconsequential to my training. However, it did grant me the insight to embark on the most dangerous quest any warrior had ever attempted.

I knew why the dragons came from the ground. I knew that the abundance of resources, combined with the growing community of the people of the village who lived free of fear or conflict, caused a collection of magic to accumulate deep within the earth, and I knew that this is where the dragons were formed. Dragons would continue to come to creation in the Valley unless this magical source was harnessed and controlled.

I also knew that I could not do this alone, and that is why I sent word to all seven kingdoms for their warriors to join me. I wrote nothing except that it was our only chance to defeat the dragons and reclaim the Valley. I knew that it was a difficult choice for a kingdom to send off their blessed warriors to aid their enemies and leave the kingdoms vulnerable, but I also knew that every kingdom would agree to my request.

I waited for the six other warriors to arrive in a rocky plain, a sort of neutral territory as it had no water, no minerals, and no life to be desired. Typically, I stuck to the shadows, and avoided being seen, but today I stood in the sunlight, starkly contrasted against the pale gray stones in my black cloak. I wanted the warriors to see my vulnerability and take it as a sign that I am trustworthy. As I knew, the warriors were suspicious that this was a trap. My kingdom had lost any fragile allyship with the other kingdoms in the years that we were decimated by dragons. They believed that I intended to await the warriors with an army and overthrow them before attempting to overthrow their kingdoms, and take what little they had. In this wide-open space, the warriors that approached me could see from miles away that there were no hidden armies, but they were still cautious to approach.

The first to arrive was from the kingdom of Dral. She stood more than six feet tall, and had hair and skin so white it nearly blended with the white of her clothing. She was called Emma, and I knew from hearing rumors of her that in this bright sunlight, the glow cast off her white figure looked natural, but in dimmer lighting her brightness grew. She had limited capabilities of brightening or dimming her godly light, but could never fully extinguish it. There were even rumors that she was actually quite dark-skinned, but the glow surrounding her made it impossible to see. The blessing here being that she was never in the dark, and could draw attention to herself if needed. She often used her light as a distraction to lure dragons away from farms and villages before she and her soldiers would attack them. The curse was that she truly couldn’t hide. Her light would shine through covers and around corners if she tried. I spoke to her briefly as we waited for the others, but she kept her head held high and responded shortly, clearly expressing her distrust.

Shortly after her safe arrival, Garrett and Viktor, who had been watching from a distance, decided it was safe to approach. The two were from neighboring kingdoms that had a tentative alliance. The kingdoms remained suspicious of each other, but a few years ago found that their resources were best shared between them. It was unsurprising that the two warriors had met up beforehand, as they had come together several times before in battles against dragons.

Garrett’s gift was the ability to protect others from physical injury. He could not make someone indestructible, but if he concentrated, he could quickly heal or prevent serious wounds. It was rumored that his curse was living with the knowledge that he could not save everyone, but I knew that his actual curse was that his body was in never-ending, agonizing pain. He learned to ignore the pain, but his temperament was consistently irritable and hostile because of it.

Victor was blessed with senses greater than even a dragon’s. He could see minute details clearly for miles, he could follow a scent trail, and hear the stealthiest of enemies approaching. His curse, however, was that he could no longer survive on food, and had to drink blood directly from another person on a regular basis. The others in his kingdom respected him as their appointed warrior, but they also feared him, and he had to raise and care for himself. Because of this, he tended to have more animalistic mannerisms. Instead of coming to stand with me, Garrett, and Emma, he crouched on a taller rock behind Garret to keep an eye on things.

The rest of the warriors, seeing that our gathering was safe despite the continued tension, arrived quickly. Hildegard came from the kingdom of Alexia, just north of mine, and I had met her before. She possessed great leadership abilities, aided by her telepathic blessing. She could not directly read thoughts, but she could perceive the general feelings of the people and creatures around her, as well as project her influence into the minds of others. She often used this ability to calm dragons into complacency, at least enough that they were much easier to take down. Her curse also seemed to be telepathic in nature; unless she was purposefully influencing otherwise, everyone around her regarded her with suspicion and disdain. She found herself on occasion fighting to stop her own people from banishing her from the kingdom. Even when they knew that what they were feeling was not based on reality, they had difficulty controlling it, especially in larger groups where she could not sway the minds of all of them.

Lillian arrived at much the same time as Hildegard. Her kingdom was the closest to this meeting spot, and she endeavored to expend little energy to arrive on time, which I had planned for. Lillian was capable of great feats of strength and speed, enough to kill a dragon or two or three smaller ones if she did so fast enough, but these bursts did not last long and left her weak and vulnerable. Her method of attack was to cause as much damage as possible until her time ran out, at which point her soldiers would take over and protect her while she recovered.

All of these warriors were of varying ages, relatively young adults but older than me at nineteen. However, arriving within the instinctual protection of Hildegard and Lillian was the youngest of the group, who had bravely started off on her journey on her own, but was watched over from afar when Hildegard and Lillian saw her hiking across the stony plain. Adelina was only seven years old, much younger than a warrior had ever come to be, and she had been her kingdom’s warrior since she was four. The success of her predecessor had allowed for several years of relative peace and abundance so that she was not direly needed, but she was dedicated to becoming a capable warrior.

It wasn’t only her age that caused the other warriors to want to look after her. Her blessing was one of the most unique to ever occur, and was incredible to behold, but people often tried to take advantage of it. Adelina could manifest something out of nothing – she could make something appear out of thin air, and whatever appeared would be what a person needed the most at the moment. The need for whatever appeared might not be immediately apparent, but it was always revealed quickly.

As useful as this talent is, Adelina cannot manifest objects voluntarily, and this nature is what causes concern for the child’s safety. Adelina only manifests objects as an involuntary defense, when she is being directly attacked. This has led many criminals and well-intentioned individuals alike to do harm to the child hoping to get the things that they desire, although what is needed is not the same as what is wanted. At a particularly worrisome time for the girl, she had manifested gold after being attacked by a village leader who needed gold to trade for food for his starving people, and many others attempted to replicate the event to no avail. Among the things that Adelina was rumored to have manifested was food, silk, and gems, but it was usually odd things like a candle, piece of string, even at one point a large bird. And through all of this, Adelina would cradle a broken arm or nurse a bleeding cut with a smile and say that she was happy to help.

In preparation for this meeting, rumors also spread of whether it was decent to include a small child in such a dangerous quest, but I knew . . . there was no other choice. We needed her for this to work.

“Thank you all for meeting with me,” I said to the warriors around me. “I am Elis, from the kingdom of Grogonia. I know the tension between the kingdoms makes collaboration difficult, but that is exactly why I believe we have never been able to fully eradicate the infestation of dragons. With our combined efforts, we can reclaim the Valley and rejoin our kingdoms in the peace and harmony which they once existed.”

“There are thousands of dragons in the Valley,” Hildegard argued, approaching me with a suspicious glare. “The seven of us are no match.”

“No, we’re not,” I agreed. “Even if we tried to destroy them all, even if we used every soldier in all of our kingdoms combined, the dragons will continue to be born out of the earth. Now, I know that you are all aware of the blessing I received from the gods. I know what the source of the dragons is, I know where it is, and I know how to stop it.”

The warriors gaped at me in stunned silence. I looked each of them in the eye, giving them a chance to argue, but they waited for me to continue. Untying a large scroll from my hip, I walked to a table-like boulder and unfurled an old map of the Valley. It showed where human settlements once were, as well as various lakes and rivers, feeding grounds for wild game, and mineral-rich mines. Much of the map had been annotated with recent discoveries made by expeditions into the Valley, detailing the approximate location of dragon nests, and various other hazards. None had travelled farther than a few miles into the Valley, leaving a large portion of the center a blind spot.

“We’ve been developing this map for as long as our soldiers have dared to penetrate the boundaries of the Valley. We’ve collaborated with spies from each of your kingdoms, as well, to collect as much information as possible. It would be unwise to put too much faith in this map, but combined with my gifted knowledge, I have plotted a course that will take us through the safest probable path to here –” I dragged my finger along the red-inked line I’d drawn to it’s destination, near the center of the Valley. “This is where the source exists. It sits deep within the earth, but the dragons climbing out of it has left it exposed.”

“Say we succeed in finding this source,” Emma interjected. “What are we meant to do with it? Does your gift tell you that?”

I looked her directly in the eye, and with confidence I knew Hildegard could sense, I replied, “Yes. The source is condensed into a crystal small enough and safe enough to handle. At present, the flares of power it gives off manifests as newborn dragons. We will be able to change the nature of this so that it produces something else; water, to begin with, but as we maintain control over it, we can use it to create whatever the Valley is most in need of.”

“What kind of human could harness such power?” Garrett said with ferocity, like a striking snake. “In the ages of peace, before the kingdoms were separated, man knew no corruption, but it exists now and will continue to exist no matter how peacefully we live. Someone will try to use it for themselves, possibly to harm others.”

The other warriors turned their glares to me. I nodded sagely, surprising them that I agreed with this concern. “That is a likely outcome. To begin with, I suggest the seven of us maintain equal responsibility for this power, and guide our separate kingdoms into peaceful unity. I know many of our monarchs and lords will not be easy to persuade into relinquishing their authority, but perhaps, this will be a problem for future warriors to oversee. Right now, our problem is the dragons. The rivers that come out of the mountains are beginning to dry up as the dragons use them before they can reach us. Without water, the crops that we eat, as well as all plant life, is beginning to die. We cannot keep up with feeding the livestock, and the few that we are able to keep are killed or taken in dragon attacks. If we don’t act now, there will be no humans left in the world.”

“He’s right,” a small voice said. We all turned to look at Adelina, who spoke as clearly and confidently as any leader even as she was barely tall enough to see the map on the make-shift table. “Many in my kingdom have travelled farther away from the Valley in hopes of finding a new land that could support us. To the north, there is a sea of ice and snow that few have returned from alive. To the east, a desert that cannot be crossed even with a caravan of supplies.”

“The south is a mountain range even more treacherous than the ones surrounding the Valley,” Hildegard added from the experiences of her own kingdom.

“There are many dangers to the west,” Emma announced with reverence. The boundaries of her kingdom were narrow along the mountains, but stretched far from north to south. They were among the first to begin searching for better resources. “A swamp that is impossible to cross, if not for the terrain, then for the monsters within it. An ocean under a constant storm with high waves that crash against the cliffs that border the coast. Places that remain unknown with no expedition successfully returning. Our thin ring around the Valley is the last safe place for us.”

“For now,” I countered. “Perhaps, given the time and resources, with peace between our peoples, we could develop ways to stretch water sources and expand across the world. Perhaps the Valley is only a starting point. But the fact remains; we reclaim the Valley, or die.”

With that, I rolled the map up once again, tying it to my waist, and turned to start walking toward the mountain range. “I’m going. I need all of you to succeed, but I’ll go either way, so follow me or go home.”

It didn’t take long for the others to fall into step behind me. As I had instructed, they packed light and brought no horses or carts, which would only slow us down as we passed through the mountains. The first leg of the journey was spent in near silence, with Viktor doing what he could to maintain higher ground than the rest of us, and all of us helping each other over difficult places. Emma’s light allowed us to continue our journey after dark, an ambient glow that didn’t cast harsh shadows, and we didn’t stop to sleep until we were already on the other side of the mountains, prepared to descend into the dragon-infested Valley. We took turns keeping watch, although Viktor refused to sleep except when Garrett was awake, but there were no incidences.

I knew everything would work out, but I woke early, fidgeting anxiously for what was to come. Our first main hurdle would be crossing the territory of one very large dragon, so big it could swallow three or four deer whole in one bite. I began by discussing with the others that I had chosen this path because, while this dragon is a terrible danger, it would be much easier to evade one large dragon than many smaller ones.

“What exactly is your plan?” Hildegard asked as she paced next to the small fire we had built to ward off the early morning chill. I had to remind myself that the surge of defiance I felt at her comment was not my own, only from her curse.

“This dragon has been known to kill and eat other dragons,” I explained. “It is insatiably hungry and constantly looking for food to fill its enormous belly, and it can smell food for miles. I think it best that we find it and incapacitate it rather than hope it will not catch up to us. The other dragons give this one a wide berth, so if we do so, we should be safe for a considerable distance.”

Frustrated, Emma, Hildegard, and Garrett began arguing about how we could possibly incapacitate such an enormous dragon, beginning to doubt my plan. Viktor, who had been peering over the edge of the cliff and becoming more agitated as time went on, suddenly perked up and growled.

“There. It’s there. It’s coming for us now.”

The rest of us hurried to look over the cliff. We were quite a distance up the mountain, but we could easily see the scaly blue back of the dragon in question beginning to climb toward us, turning it’s head back and forth to catch our scent.

“It’s bigger than I thought!” Adelina exclaimed in fear, the first time her dedication had wavered. Lillian put a protective hand on her shoulder.

“What do we do?” Hildegard demanded urgently.

“Its legs are short, it almost slithers,” Viktor observed, able to see it more clearly than us. “Its soft underbelly is protected.”

“Elis, will we die before our journey begins?” Garrett snapped at me furiously.

I stood a bit away from the group. This was a pivotal moment in my plan, and I had to allow it to unfold, as much as wanted to intervene. Fortunately, the group realized what must be done quickly.

“We . . . we can’t,” Lillian breathed in horror.

“Its okay,” Adelina reassured everyone, who stared at her with torn expressions. “It’s what I’m here for.”

“I’ll protect her,” Garrett announced with finality. “She won’t be harmed.”

“I won’t even know it’s happening,” Adelina said again. “Trust me, it will be fine.”

“We can’t hurt a little child,” Hildegard hissed with disgust. “What kind of monster—”

“That dragon is going to find us in a matter of minutes,” I said solemnly. “Unless someone has a better plan, we have to act fast.”

Everyone recoiled at the idea, even Viktor crawling back a few steps and shaking his head in refusal, but Garrett took action. With great force, he stepped toward Adelina and shoved her shoulders hard, making her fall to the ground. Even though I knew it would happen, and I knew that it had to happen, I flinched at the pained grunt that escaped Adelina’s lips as she hit the ground and had the air knocked out of her.

Garrett was clearly shaken with apprehension and internal conflict, but Adelina’s eyes glazed over as if she were in a daze, and all around her, something began to form.

It appeared to be a plant of some kind, growing quickly out of the ground in thin vines, sprouting first small leaves and then large, juicy berries, pure white and round. We could only watch in awe as the growing slowed and then stopped, leaving a huge bush full of berries.

Adelina climbed out of the bush immediately after, and we all sighed in quiet relief. “Thank you, Garrett! I don’t feel anything at all!”

She smiled happily at him, and Garrett offered her a quick nod, swallowing thickly. Adelina’s response did not comfort him, and I knew this would not be the last time her gift would be necessary, but Garrett’s presence would protect her.

“Why berries, though?” Hildegard changed topics, reminding everyone that time was of the essence. “We haven’t eaten since yesterday, is that all this is?”

“Hardly our most dire need,” Lillian snapped, peeking back over the cliff to watch the dragon’s ascent.

Viktor approached the bush cautiously, inspecting it, before he reeled back with a hiss. “Poison!”

“It’s strong, too,” Emma agreed. “Even I can smell it.”

The air was permeated with a growing scent, a sweetness overpowered by something sour. It made me nauseous. Even without survival training, it would be clear to any living creature that these berries were not safe to eat.

“I think the scent is masking ours!” Lillian cheered. “The dragon is slowing down, looks like he lost us.”

Hildegard looked over the edge of the cliff, too. So far, Adelina had proven her willingness to sacrifice herself, and Garrett had proven that he was capable of doing difficult but necessary things. Now, we would learn if Hildegard would take charge.

“Emma, we need you to use your light to draw the beast’s attention, and lead it here.”

“Are you crazy?” Emma barked at her, standing back from the cliff to avoid doing just that. “We don’t want it to find us!”

“We want it to find the berries,” Hildegard said. “I have a plan. You lure it back up here with Lillian. The rest of us will go back up the mountain to a safe distance so it won’t be redirected. When it gets closer, Emma, you run up to us. Lillian, do you think you could sprint away from the dragon just as it’s about to close its mouth around you?”

“I can do it,” Lillian assured her.

“Stand right behind the bush, and when it strikes, run up to us. If it doesn’t work, we will continue up the mountain. It won’t be able to fit through the narrow crevices. But if Adelina’s berries are truly what we need, they should be enough to kill the dragon.”

The seven warriors steadied themselves. None were unaccustomed to battles with dragons, following orders and carrying out plans that involved more strategy than force. Emma walked to the edge of the cliff and shimmered brightly. We could now hear the dragon’s soft growls and heavy footfalls as we ran up the side of the mountain in a direct line from the berry bush. The dragon spread it’s wings to help lift it up the steep cliff, and just as it became visible, Emma turned and ran toward us, leaving Lillian in a ready stance right behind the bush.

The plan worked like a charm. The dragon lifted its head over the cliff, finding its prey and striking quickly. Lillian escaped just as the teeth snapped shut, enclosing nearly the whole berry bush in it’s mouth. Compared to the size of the jaws it was encased in, the bush looked like little more than an herb caught in the dragon’s teeth, and for one heart-sinking moment, the group of warriors feared it wouldn’t be potent enough to kill the dragon.

But it was. The dragon climbed a few steps higher, still chasing the scent of its prey, before wobbling dangerously and beginning to slide down the hill, its wings weakly beating to hold it up. It let out a horrifying roar, quiet considering what it was capable of, but enough to cause the warriors hiding up the mountain to clamp their hands over their ears and feel the vibrations through the ground.

The earth shook hard as the dragon collapsed, sliding further down the mountain to rest in an awkward blue lump that could surely be seen across the flat plain ahead of them. The warriors cheered and celebrated their victory, newly invigorated to pursue this quest.

I, too, was overcome with joy, but it was bittersweet, and I found myself choking on shaky breaths and blinking away tears as this mismatched group of dedicated warriors rushed down the mountain eagerly. Emma and Garrett lifted Adelina up on their shoulders and they applauded her. Viktor came closer to the group than ever before and nearly stood to his full height, beginning to trust them. Hildegard radiated joy, catching it from the others and projecting her own to them.

I hung back a bit, my own confidence wavering. In dealings with traveling merchants and political excursions, rumors were abundant across all seven kingdoms, but even in my homeland, no one knew the specifics of my gift, and I kept it that way on purpose. They believed that the gods had blessed me with visions of the future, and that my curse was that I was powerless to change it. I let them believe that I only knew bits in pieces of the future.

In truth, I knew the future – all of it, for hundreds of thousands of years, long after I would die. I knew every tiny detail of what would happen, and when, and why. And the curse is so much worse than not being able to change it. I can change the future, I know that I can, but I also know that I shouldn’t.

I know that I must let bad things happen. I know that I must watch people be hurt and die, I know that if I saved them it would come at a price, and I have to choose to allow it to happen the way that it’s meant to.

That is how I know that our mission is doomed to fail. I choose to press on.