The Dragons War

There weren’t always dragons in the Valley, and soon it will be that way again. The fifty year war for our Valley was promised to end soon. King Orhan said that our homes would be taken back, that the dragons who were tearing apart our village would be purged. I clung to that promise like a security blanket throughout training. I think many of us did. The thought of sleeping in warm comfortable beds instead of disheveled, worn-out tents. Freshly cooked meals, not month old bread. That dream, that promise, kept us going, kept us on our march forward.

“Hey, Mat.” I feel a whisper in my ear. “Hey, Matilda.” I peek over my shoulder to the stocky built man searching for my attention. “What, Willard?” I hiss, stuttering back to walk in line with him. He looked around to make sure the General was still at the front and the captain's weren’t making their rounds. “What do you think it’ll be like?” He asks quietly, moving in close enough that I can smell his stale, dirty breath. “The dragons?” I questioned. He gives a curt nod. “Yeah. What do you think it will be like to fight them?” I take a deep breath, my heart pounding into my chest at the thought of it. “Not much fun likely.” I pick up my steps as Captain Abaddon passes by, his cold eyes sweeping through the crowd.

I give it a minute after he passes, before slowing my steps to land next to Willard again. “Well it won’t be any fun with hair like this.” He mocks, pulling on my straggly, shoulder length dirty brown hair. “Ow, Will.” I warn, swatting his hand back. “It’s not like yours is much better.” I state, pointing at his blonde hair encasing his face, down to his chin. He brushes it back clumsily. “I just like to be in fashion.” He says with a cheeky smile. “You look like a twit.” I grumble. He pouts his lips, turning his nose up. “You’re so heartless.” He sighs dramatically. I smile, jabbing his side with my elbow. He pushes me away, rubbing the now sore spot.

“Anyways.” He says, pulling me back in close. “What are the dragons going to be like?” A hint of excitement dancing across his eyes. “I don’t know.” My sword suddenly feels heavy, like it was trying to pull me down to the ground and sink me into the mud. “I think it will be fun.” Will says with some joy. My brows furrow. How was he so sure, so excited for this. I open my mouth to question him further but a yell bursts through the quiet. “‘Eh! Back in formation!” Captain Abaddon’s booming voice cuts through my ears, as he stomps forward.

“Yes Sir!” I quicken my pace forwards, back in my spot in line. “Get distracted again-” He lifts my hair up between his fingers and lets the strands flow through them and back to my shoulders. “-and we can go for a little walk.” He states suggestively, my face feels flushed as I continue to stare forward. “It won’t happen again, Sir.” I say softly. His face sours, eyes staring holes through me. He huffs before stamping away back to his surveillance. “Sorry.” Will says in a hushed voice. I look over my shoulder, and nod. I trudge forward again, keeping up with the steady pace the General has set.

It’s hard to tell how long we have been walking at this point, two hours? Five hours? All I knew was that my legs felt like jelly. So much so I was starting to trip over nothing. A blast from a horn startles me back, one long blast, then another. My heart stops. We’re here. The people in front of me start to break off once we enter a cluster of trees by the edge of a cliff. I continue forwards, till I hit the ledge, I look down to the valley below. There stands the village, looking dark, yet peaceful. I wrap my hand around a tree branch and lean out more, trying to get a better look at the seemingly abandoned buildings.

A blur streams upwards in front of my face, so close I can feel the warmth from it, the wind billowing my hair outwards. A startled gasp escaped my lips, as I stumbled backwards, tripping over roots onto my back. I stare at the sky as it twirls gracefully, before diving back down. “Get back, you daft bimbo!” A firm hand grasps my upper arm, pulling me to a stand. “Don’t blow our cover.” A woman hisses in my ear, pulling me back, then pushing me towards the back trees. “Sit down, shut up and wait for report.” She gives me a stern look then stomps away. “Yes Lieutenant General!" I whimper.

“What’s up Levera’s butt?” Asks one of the men off to the side. “Heard she had to leave her child behind.” Says another. “We’ve all had to leave something behind.” scoffs the first man. “What makes her so special?” The second man nods in agreement. “We’re all basically orphans anyways. Why give her kid special treatment?” He laughs, others around him join in his snickering. I take a deep breath, trying my best to ignore them. They were right about one thing, orphans ruled the world at the moment. Surnames were now for the wealthy.

I settled myself down next to Willard, who was shooting dirty looks towards the cackling men. “Those ignorant little…” He starts, but I hush him. “Don’t. You’ll just start a fight.” He grunts, handing over a stale bread roll. I take a reluctant bite, craning my neck to see over the crowd to see General Ernaline, Lieutenant General Levera, Captain Abaddon, and Captain Till, crushing their heads together with urgent whispers.

“What do you think they’re going on about?” Will asks, gazing in the same direction. “Trying to figure out what to do.” I guess between bites. They step away from each other then head towards the crowd, each of them picking people out. “You.” Captain Abaddon points at Willard. “Up, with me.” He says then continues to the next person. Will scampers up, collecting his belongings as fast as his body could move. “Good luck.” He says before running off to catch up with the small crowd forming around Captain Abaddon.

I shove the rest of the bread in my mouth and stand, putting my things together. “You.” I stand straight and turn. Lieutenant Levera stands there. She was a foot shorter than I was, but her stare made me feel like an ant. “With me.” She says, then quickly moves on. I fumble with my things to get them all away, then make a quick pace to the back of the crowd. General Ernaline makes three hand gestures, and his team moves out. Lieutenant raises her arm and flicks two fingers forwards. She moves forwards and we follow suit.

We sneak past the Generals group, who sat behind trees that lead to a dirt path. We continue around until we hit another path, Lieutenant gives the hand motion for us to stop. We froze, squatting behind the trees. Our eyes wide, and ears open. We stay for a while, as dusk starts to softly take, we wait. “Positions!” The General's voice echoes throughout the valley. We stand and make to the dirt path. Lining up five to a row, Lieutenant Levera taking the front. “Shields!” In unison we pull silver shields from our backs, setting them to our arms. “Swords!” Metal against metal sounds as swords are drawn from their sheaths.

Swords battering against shields ring out, slowly everyone joins, a faint yell becomes a roar as all voices join. My own rips from my throat, desperate, and determined. “FORWARD!” The shouts before become more deranged, and footfalls burn into the ground. One hundred feet sounds like a million. A blinding light comes from the right. I look over, a brilliant red dragon hovers in the air above General Ernaline’s group. A blinding blue flame emitting from his mouth, onto the soldiers below. Howls and screams of pain come from the flames. When it subsides, all that's left is ash. My steps stagger and slow. How many are gone? Just in one attack? Was I next? This isn’t how I want it to end. This isn’t why I signed up. I didn’t want to sign up. I don’t want to fight. I just wanted to eat, to have some type of warmth. Have a sense of being.

A hand grabs my wrist and pulls me forward, almost making me fall, my attention being pulled back. “Don’t dwell. Keep moving.” Lieutenant says, her face was stone, but I could swear the corners of her eyes were wet. I stare forward, thousands of dragons slowly emerge from the mountain walls and broken homes, deafening roars break out over the valley again, this time it fills me with dread. My breath quickens with each step my feet take. My heart was pounding so hard in my stomach I wanted to double over. My eyes become saucers, and I dig my heels into the dirt to stop my momentum forward. A seven foot long, round dragon lands in front of us, causing the earth to shake, its tiny wings settling back into its body.

Its large blue eyes seemed bright against its gray skin. It breathes in, causing its round body to inflate more. A powerful burst of wind comes from its mouth. My footing stumbles before I leave the ground completely. I fly off the path to the right, sending me straight into the rocky side of the mountain. My ears ring, and I can feel a burst of pain rip through my throat as I scream. I hit the ground with a solid thud. I lay on my side, staring out at my dragon riddled ground. I tighten my grip on my sword.

I can’t just lay here. I have to get up. I need to move. I push myself to a stand. I heard a soft hiss and rattling behind me. I turn on my heels. A five foot long, pure white dragon stared at me, it looked a lot like a lizard with six legs. It’s scales lifting upwards then concave back down, a rattling sound similar to the tail of a snake. I lift my sword, and widen my stance. It opens its mouth, in the back of its throat there's a small ball of light, it quickly grows larger and larger. My mind catches up to what I’m seeing and it clicks. I dive out of the way just as a thick, bright, blinding light shoots across the land, crashing into a building, causing debris to fly.

I regain my footing again. The dragon gives a high pitched screech. It charges forward. I take my stance, staring it down, it takes a leap. I take a step to my left and swing my sword upwards. I can feel the contact. I can feel it once it's through. Can hear the sickening thud of the body on the ground. I take a steady breath before looking over. Instead of a dragon laying there, small white and yellow glowing specs are floating through the air.

I did it. I’m still alive. I hear a soft bur. My hand tightens, and I whip around. I look around, but nothing comes into sight. I hear it again, closer to the ground. I look down. Standing there is a carbon copy of the dragon I just fought, but it was a duller white and no larger than a puppy. It was a baby. She was protecting her baby. I ready my sword, readying to strike. It clumsily stumbles towards me. It leans forwards, sniffing my leg. It burs again and rubs its head against my leg.

Tears well in my eyes. I drop my sword and toss aside my shield. I fall to my knees, it crawls onto my lap and cuddles in. “I’m sorry.” I whimper. “I’m so sorry.” I scoop it up, holding it to my chest. Its mother was an innocent bystander, trying to protect her child, and now she was gone, because of me. I need to leave. I need to run. I grab my sword, placing it into my sheath, replacing my shield back on my arm. Then my feet take over, running for the path. I ran past soldiers, dodge dragons, and the spells they cast. My feet hit the path.

“Hey!” I freeze. “Where do you think you're going?” I turn to see Levera, sword drawn, a war crazed look in her eyes. “I… I.” I stutter, my shield tilting down enough for the top of the baby's head to peek over. Her sword arm weakens, slightly lowering. “What are you…” “I can’t.” I interrupt. “She was innocent. The baby… I.” She stares at the baby, then through me. “Run.” Levera says fiercely. “Far.” She turns her back to me. I took an uneasy step, then another, then I ran. I don’t look where I’m running too. I don’t care much. Just away from the battle. Away from the war.