The Summoning

Euphrosina banked hard to the right and dove toward an enormous grey cloud. If she timed everything just right she’d be struck by lightning.

As the cloud enveloped her milky white body, the static became palpable; an invisible force that gradually increased the deeper she flew. By the time she reached the cloud’s center, the dragon’s fur was standing on end and her yellow wing tips began to tingle. Crackling and popping sounds could be heard from all about, causing her to smile in anticipation.

This is going to be huge! she thought.

*****

Lightening flashed in the distance, causing eerie shadows to flicker across the dinner table. Fifield Hartford jumped out of his seat and headed to the door.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes,” he shouted as thunder began to rumble through the valley. “The storm is headed this way and it’s dragon weather!”

“You and your dragons,” Safrona sighed as Fifield closed the door behind him. “Sometimes I think the dragons eat better than we do.”

“Ma?” Issac asked.

“Yes, son.”

“You don’t like the dragons, do you?” the young boy asked.

“It’s not a matter of liking the dragons. It’s a matter of your father being the only person who’s ever seen a dragon. He may be the only person who still believes in them,” Safrona said.

“I believe in dragons!” said Issac.

“Me too!” said little Essie.

“Don’t you believe in dragons, Ma?” asked Issac.

“I believe the two of you best finish your dinner before your father returns.”

As the children finished their meal, Fifield rushed out of the barn, a small bundle slung over one shoulder. He headed to the far side of the pasture and hoped he could return to the farmhouse before the rain started. But he didn’t mind getting wet if it meant he had a chance to see a dragon.

Several years ago, during a storm much like this one, Fifield had seen a beautiful white dragon frolicking in the clouds. He’d stood transfixed for minutes as the dragon danced from cloud to cloud. Suddenly, the dragon turned and looked at him in surprise. The man smiled and waved at the beautiful creature hoping his staring had not upset it. The dragon smiled back and then flew off into the distance.

It was an experience Fifield couldn’t keep to himself but perhaps in hindsight should have. Nobody would believe his story. A few oldsters privately conceded that dragons may have once roamed the skies, but that was long ago. Now there was no such thing as dragons.

Once a valued member of the community, Fifield quickly found himself an outcast. Over time he slowly gained acceptance by some people, but everywhere he went he still carried the stigma of “the crazy farmer claimed to see dragons.”

It was all worth it to Fifield. Watching the dragon dance through the sky was a memory he would cherish forever. He hoped he would see her again and made regular tributes of food to the dragon to honor her and thank her for the gift of allowing him to see her.

Now at the pasture’s edge, he quickly examined the large tray perched at chest level in front of him. Brightly colored dragons flew amongst the clouds painted on the tray’s surface. The tray was securely fastened to a fence pole and should hold up well during the storm. He lowered his bundle to the ground and quickly began moving its contents onto the tray: a small shank of ham, a loaf of bread, and four oranges (one for each member of his family.) Finally, he removed two large truffles and tucked them between the ham and bread where they would be less likely to blow away.

I hope Safrona can forgive me for the truffles, he thought, then quickly headed back to the farmhouse.

Fifield knew it was hard for his wife to watch him give tribute to dragons when they did not have any surplus. It didn’t help that nobody but him had seen a dragon in over a hundred years. He wondered if he was the only one left that believed in dragons. If so, that didn’t bode well for the dragons.

It seemed the dragons were in a quandary of sorts. According to the legends, dragons were shy, magical creatures whose existence relied on the belief of their followers. Dragons usually remained invisible to humans. True believers, however, could always see them. Hundreds of years ago, dragons formed alliances with their believers. Over time, as alliances failed, many believers were persecuted and killed by enemies. The result was a paradox of few who believed in the dragons and no sightings to generate belief.

Fifield stopped in his tracks. He had an idea that might help the dragons. Safrona wouldn’t like it, but he had to try.

*****

Euphrosina’s entire body was tingling as she prepared to leave the cloud. The air was buzzing loudly with static energy. She slowed, then banked hard to the left, exiting sideways to expose as much of her body to the outer edge of the cloud as possible.

BOOM! A massive bolt of lightning blasted along the length of the cloud and continued to the ground. As Euphrosina pressed against the bolt of energy she shivered in ecstasy. What a wonderful feeling! It was like scratching an itch and being tickled at the same time. Euphrosina’s body swelled to twice its normal size and gave off a pinkish glow as she absorbed as much energy as she could. It felt like she could explode.

The dragon hovered next to the cloud for a moment, catching her breath and basking in the afterglow. The only thing that could make this better was if her sisters were here. Coming to this world always brought back their memory, for it was where they had died. This was why she seldom came to this world. This and its lack of believers.

She had returned this evening because of an overwhelming feeling that she was needed here. She didn’t think the storm was the reason but wasn’t one to let good lightning go to waste. Perhaps the farmer needed her. He seemed to be the only person in this world who believed in dragons.

A flash of light in the forest caught her attention. It reminded her of the Summons, but that was impossible. Of all the creatures in every world she’d traveled to, Euphrosina was the only one remaining who knew of the Summons. Suddenly she felt very lonely and closed her eyes against the pain.

When she opened her eyes, another flash of light came from the forest. It certainly looked like the Summons. Whatever this was must be the reason she was here. Purpose and curiosity replaced the loneliness that had invaded her heart.

*****

Fifield entered the farmhouse and called for his children, hoping his wife wouldn’t spoil his plans. He knew she didn’t believe in dragons. He also knew that she loved and trusted him, but there were limits.

I may be sleeping in the barn tonight, he thought.

“Quickly, children! I have something to show you,” Fifield called out.

“What is it Pa?” asked Issac, as he came out of the bedroom followed by his little sister.

“Put on your shoes and coats. We’re going to the barn.”

“It’s almost bedtime. I was just getting ready to tell them a story,” said Safrona, entering the main room with a skeptical look on her face. “What’s this about going to the barn?”

“We’re going to the barn for our story tonight,” said Fifield. “You’re welcome to join us.”

“A story about dragons?” asked Safrona.

“You know me too well,” replied Fifield as he helped Essie with her shoes.

“We better hurry or we’ll get soaked,” Safrona’s reply surprised even herself.

Soon, the little family was gathered in the barn with a cow, horse, dog, goats, chickens, and pigs. The animals didn’t seem to mind the company. Clyde the horse, enjoyed people and kept nudging each member of the family for attention and to make sure they weren’t hiding any apples or carrots from him.

Fifield began with the basics, “What do you children know about dragons?”

“They’re big and beautiful and magical!” Issac replied.

“That’s true,” assured Fifield. “They’re all that and much more. They also love storms like this one. They swim in the rain and dance with the lightning.”

“I want to see a dragon, Papa,” said Essie.

“I would like that too, sweetie,” said Fifield. “Seeing a dragon can be tricky. Not many people have seen them.”

“Is there anything special that helps?” asked Isaac, already searching the sky through the doorway.

“I’ve placed some food out there on the dragon tray. That may entice one to come this way. But the most important thing you can do is believe that dragons are real.”

“We believe! Don’t we, Essie!” called Isaac.

“Yes, we believe!”

“Then let’s try to see a dragon, said Fifield,” excitedly carrying Essie to the doorway and standing next to Issac. “They love stormy weather like this so keep watching the sky and maybe we’ll be lucky.”

Safrona had quietly listened to the exchange and shook her head. She loved Fifield to death and knew he was an honest man. He must have seen something in the sky those years ago, but a dragon? Why had nobody else seen one?

The tributes had to stop. It had been fine to play along when it was just Fifield and her but with two growing children, they had nothing to spare. Tonight would be the beginning of the end. After no dragons were spotted, the children’s interest in dragons would quickly wane and her husband would be outnumbered. Hopefully, he’d give up without a fight and stop raiding her cellar for imaginary dragons. (And she could stop hiding her truffles from him.)

The woman’s thoughts were disrupted by a massive flash of light from outside that startled her. It lit up the barn’s interior like daylight for a full three seconds and was quickly followed by the loudest and longest peal of thunder she had ever heard. Essie screamed, then giggled with delight. The animals, however, were quite alarmed. As Safrona tried to quiet them she heard Isaac yelling and went to see what was happening.

“Look! There, by the big, dark cloud! She’s beautiful!” Isaac exclaimed, pointing a finger skyward.

“Good eye, my boy! What a lovely shade of pink,” Fifield said. “Essie, do you see her?”

“Yes, Papa! I never knew dragons were so pretty.”

Safrona scanned the sky where her family was looking but saw only rain clouds. Her family seemed sincere, but nothing resembling a dragon was out there.

“What are you looking at?” she asked.

“A dragon, Mamma,” said Essie. “She’s very pretty.”

“Do you see her, Ma?” asked Issac pointing at where they were looking.

“No, I’m sorry.”

“Oh, there she goes!” cried Essie.

Safrona watched three heads turn in sync as if tracking something across the sky.

“Will we see her again?” Issac asked.

“I hope so,” said Fifield.

“Look at the pretty rainbow!” said Essie.

“Yes, she left a trail behind her. You two head into the house now. Mama and I will be right there.”

As the children ran off to the house Fifield reached for his wife’s hand. Safrona took his hand in hers and began walking to the house.

“Thank you for letting me bring them out here. This was important to me and the dragons,” Fifield said.

“Fifield I didn’t see the dragon. I’m having a hard time understanding what just happened. Everyone already thinks you’re crazy. Now they’ll think our children are crazy too. What do we do now?”

“I’m not sure,” Fifield replied. “I’ll figure something out.”

“Well, you need to figure it out soon, because I’m getting very tired of dragons.”

As they walked towards the farmhouse Safrona looked back to where the dragon had been.

There’s nothing there but a big, dark raincloud. If there had been a dragon I would have seen it. Right?

*****

It had been many years since Euphrosina had flown so fast. Freshly charged from the storm, she shot across the sky leaving a pink vapor trail in her wake. As she drew closer to the forest it became evident that someone had summoned a dragon.

She didn’t understand how it could be happening, but the Summons was unmistakable. Near the southern edge of the forest was a large ridge that ran for several miles. The east side of the ridge ended abruptly in an exposed face of rock jutting out from a sea of pines. 50 feet above the forest floor the cliff face opened in a wide maw. Bursts of colored light exited the cave and soared skyward at regular intervals. Now that she was closer, Euphrosina could see that the lights were images of dragons. It was the Summons; a sacred plea to dragons to help those who believed and served them.

But how? All humans who were part of the old alliance had been hunted and killed by their enemies. Euphrosina was very curious about who or what she would find. Upon landing in the large opening, the dragon immediately entered the tunnel and followed it towards the large chamber where in times past the summoner would be found. The tunnel air had hints of burning wood and human. Could it be that a human had summoned her?

It took only a moment to reach the brightly lit chamber. As Euphrosina boldly poked her head into the chamber colorful images of dragons that had been swirling around the room seconds before faded away. Numerous painted figures of dragons on the walls ceased glowing. The large room’s only light now came from a small campfire off to the side.

This was normal. Once a dragon arrived there was no need for the Summons to continue. What was unusual was the lack of a summoner. The room was empty save for the campfire and a small bundle lying nearby.

The dragon added puzzlement to her curiosity.

Why would somebody summon a dragon and leave before the dragon arrived? She thought. How Rude!

She was just getting ready to head back to the storm when she noticed movement near the bundle. Euphrosina moved into the room to investigate. As she got closer she stopped in surprise. The ‘bundle’ was a very young human sleeping soundly under blankets - blankets covered in blood.

The blood was limited to the outside of the blankets and smelled of a man - likely the person who brought the child to the chamber. The dragon was not familiar with human children but was fairly certain this one was a girl. She was probably only two or three years old and appeared unharmed. Euphrosina wondered if the child could walk or talk.

After a thorough search of the room, the dragon determined that she and the child were alone. A man had been here not long ago and left through the smaller tunnel that humans used to access the chamber. He was wounded and smelled of blood.

Why would a wounded man summon a dragon, and then disappear before the dragon arrived? Why would he leave a small child behind?

Euphrosina pushed away the answer that began to enter her mind. She was curious and puzzled but some answers were too absurd to consider. Instead, she quickly headed back to the storm to clear her head.

Irritation began to overshadow her curiosity and puzzlement. Summonings had been occurring for over a thousand years. Never had a human left the chamber before a dragon arrived. Never had a child been present. Why would someone break with tradition?

As she entered a cloud her thoughts began to settle. Perhaps she was looking at this the wrong way. She didn’t know who had summoned her but she knew he was wounded. What circumstances would cause a wounded man to summon a dragon and then rush off, leaving a child behind for the dragon to find?

Euphrosina wasn’t sure what the answer was, but she assumed that the man must have a very important reason. He must be a believer if he’d summoned a dragon. Wasn’t that reason enough to help? She would find the man and learn more.

The dragon dove from the cloud towards the cave entrance the human had used. She was not surprised that wind from the coming storm had blown away most of his scent, but she could pick up enough traces to follow his trail. He was following the same path he took to get to the cave. Whoever this man was he was certainly clever. He left scant evidence of his passage in either direction.

Within minutes she caught sight of the man, only he wasn’t alone. Attackers had him hemmed in on all sides and had just moved in for the kill. The man was outnumbered six to one and never had a chance. Before Euphrosina could get close enough to provide any assistance he was down. The attackers ensured he was dead then they began searching the area.

They’re looking for the child, thought Euphrosina.

As the storm blew in, the men called off the search until morning when the weather was better and there was more light. They mounted their horses and rode west, away from the cave.

Euphrosina quickly looked over the dead man. She didn’t see anything unusual about him and sensed nothing magical in the area. She needed to question the child. Was that even possible?

She now understood why the man had quickly left after summoning her. He was being pursued by vicious men who wanted him dead. He must have known they were very close behind. The man couldn’t have known how near Euphrosina was when he summoned her. Rather than risk his pursuers finding them before the dragon, the man decided to buy time for the child with his life.

As she entered the cave, the dragon wondered if she could even communicate with such a young child. The last human she had spoken with had died over a hundred years ago. On her way back to the cavern, she practiced a few words in English which she believed was still the local dialect.

“Hello. Friend. Dragon. Summoning.”

Good enough, she thought as she entered the large chamber.

The child was still sleeping. Euphrosina didn’t know how long the girl would sleep, but she figured it was better to take care of this now than later. The dragon sat down nearby and tried to look friendly.

“Hello,” she said in a gentle voice. “It’s time to wake up. I need to talk with you.”

The girl’s eye’s fluttered open and she sat up to look around for the speaker. She immediately froze when she saw the huge dragon sitting near her.

“Hello,” said the dragon. “My name is Euphrosina. I’m a dragon.”

The little girl squealed with delight, “Dragon! Dragon! Sena! Dragon!”

“Sena!” the dragon smiled. “I haven’t been called that in a very long time. What is your name, little one?”

“Brindle.”

“Brindle. What a lovely name.”

“Sena fly?”

“Oh, yes. I love to fly. Would you like to see my wings?”

The toddler nodded energetically and Sena slowly and gracefully unfurled her yellow wings. She flapped them gently causing a breeze to stir within the chamber. Brindle stood and mimicked the dragon, flapping her arms up and down. As she did so, Euphrosina noticed something swaying under the girl’s tunic.

“Brindle, what’s under your tunic?”

“Necklace,” the little girl replied, pulling out a large medallion on a chain much too long for her little body.

The resemblance of the dragon on the medallion to Euphrosina was unmistakable. This was the medallion that kings had used for centuries to symbolize their alliance with the dragons. The medallion was also the key to the Summoning. She had thought the king's line and medallion had both been destroyed long ago, but apparently, she had been wrong.

The answer Euphrosina had been ignoring was not going away. It was time to get to the bottom of this. She didn’t think that continued verbal conversation would prove very fruitful so she decided to try a different tactic.

“Brindle, I have some questions for you. These are special questions. To ask these I need to talk to like a dragon, not like a person. All you need to do is look into my eyes.”

“OK, Sena.”

The girl walked up to the dragon and stared into her eyes.

“That’s good,” said Euphrosina as she stared back.

Brindle felt drawn into the dragon’s eyes as a connection formed between their minds. Eyes now closed, an image of Euphrosina filled the toddler’s vision.

Brindle, this is Sena. We can talk like dragons now. Nobody else will hear us. Can you hear me?

Yes.

I like your necklace. Where did you get it? asked the dragon.

Eyes still closed, Brindle’s hands reflexively grabbed the necklace and held it up for the dragon to examine.

Papa give Bridle necklace, the child answered.

What do you know about your family, Brindle?

Papa hurt. When he come back?

The child didn’t seem to be able to communicate any better through thought. Perhaps there was one other option. Euphrosina usually was not a proponent of viewing others' memories. Not only did it feel wrong to her, but it also had a history of backfiring and causing distrust. But how else could she confirm the girl’s identity?

Wait! Euphrosina screamed to herself.

How much evidence did she need? A man with the medallion had just completed the Summons. Who, but an heir to the throne would have the medallion and know how to complete the Summons? What did she expect to find in Brindle’s memory? A pedigree covering the last two hundred years? Brindle and the medallion were sufficient proof.

Euphrosina felt shame at how slow she had been to recognize the truth and how close she had been to invading the memories of a small child.

I must do better, she thought. Perhaps I should spend more time here and get to know some of these humans.

The dragon turned her attention back to the child. The girl had not been frightened when she met the dragon. Most humans felt fear when they met a dragon.

Then it came to her. One question would answer everything.

Brindle, did your papa tell you about dragons?

Yes, Papa say Brindle safe with dragons.

He was right, my child. I will make sure you are safe, the dragon found herself promising with all her heart.

Euphrosina blinked the tears from her eyes and broke the connection as resolve and commitment filled her soul. As Brindle’s eyes opened and regarded the dragon, Euphrosina saw the same strength and determination in them that she had seen in her ancestors' eyes. There would be many burdens thrust upon this child’s small shoulders in the coming years. Euphrosina would ensure the tiny girl all the support she needed.

*****

It had taken longer than usual to get the children to bed after seeing the dragon. Fifield shared their excitement, but it was tarnished by his wife’s response. He understood it must be hard for her since she had not seen the dragon. He wasn’t sure what to do.

Safrona was right, of course. His life had become very difficult after revealing he had seen a dragon. What would happen to his family now? He did not want his children to go through what he had endured.

As lay in bed, contemplating his situation he heard a faint knocking at the door.

“Who could that be?” Safrona said.

“Sounds like someone that doesn’t want to wake the children,” Fifield replied getting out of bed. “Perhaps they need some help after the storm.”

“I’ll be there in a minute in case there’s anything I can help with,” Safrona said.

Fifield quickly dressed and walked to the door. The faint knock was just starting again as he pulled the door open. He was shocked to see a tiny girl only two or three years old standing in the dark by herself. She was shivering and looked exhausted.

“Hello,” said the farmer. “My name is Fifield. What’s your name?”

“Brindle,” replied the girl, then looked back towards the barn.

Fifield turned into the house and shouted, “Safrona, bring a blanket. Quickly. And a pair of Essie’s socks.”

Looking back at the girl he asked, “How did you get here, Brindle?”

“Dragon. Come to barn,” replied the girl.

What’s going on? Thought Fifield. There’s a dragon is in my barn? And it’s brought a little girl with it? What about my animals?

“Who’s there and what’s happening?” asked Safrona approaching the door.

“This is Brindle.” replied the farmer, stepping to the side, revealing the tiny child. “She said a dragon brought her here and is asking us to come to the barn. She looks cold so I thought we could bundle her up.”

Mother instincts kicking in, Safrona quickly wrapped Brindle in the blanket, then scooped her up and held her tightly to give her more warmth.

“Come here, my love,” she whispered to the girl. “Let’s get you warmed up.”

“More dragon business, you say?” Safrona asked Fifield. “Put these socks on the girl and then let’s get to the barn and find out what’s going on.”

Fifield led the way to the barn and fretted about his animals the entire way. Safe and secure, Brindle fell asleep in Safrona’s arms during the short walk.

As they neared the barn a voice called out, “Behind the barn.”

Relief and excitement flooded through Fifield. He no longer feared the dragon was snacking on his animals while waiting for him. Now he wondered why the dragon was here and why she had a child with her.

“Well met, Farmer,” said Euprosina as Fifield came around the corner of the barn.

Fifield would never forget the moment he met the dragon. It was one thing to see a dragon dancing a mile away in the sky. It was quite another to talk with one face to face. She had a furry white body that was almost cloudlike. Yellow highlights on her head and wings gave her a regal appearance.

Fifield bowed and said, “Hello, your eminence. My name is Fifield Hartford. This is my wife Safrona.”

“Who are you talking to?” Safrona asked her husband.

Fifield stood up and tried not to show the embarrassment and horror he felt by his wife’s question. Though it had been many years since she had been around humans, Euphrosina could read the situation quite well. The farmer’s wife did not believe in dragons and could not see her. That would need to be remedied considering what was about to be asked of them.

Safrona gasped as a huge dragon slowly materialized several feet in front of her. She was so surprised she almost dropped the toddler in her arms. Awe and wonder filled her as she marveled at the beauty of the creature. She couldn’t wait to tell the children that she too had seen the dragon.

“My name is Euphrosina,” said the dragon, her voice calming like a summer breeze. “I see you’ve already met Brindle. I’m glad she’s comfortable with you.”

“It looks like Brindle’s been through quite a bit,” said Safrona. “ She’s welcome to stay here tonight if needed.”

Euprosina told the couple of the Summoning, finding Brindle, as well as seeing her father’s murder. She explained that the small child was now the queen but that nobody must yet know. The dragon also advised them that though she no longer knew anyone in this world, she could trust the farmer because he was the only one who still offered tribute to the dragons.

“Fifield, Safrona,” the dragon said, looking at each as she said their names, “I have an important request of you.”

“Name it,” declared Fifield without hesitation.

“Brindle’s father died fighting for her life. He summoned me in hopes that I would see her protected. I would fulfill that request, but cannot do it on my own. I am unable to raise a human child. Will you take this child into your care and raise her as your own?”

“Yes!” exclaimed Safrona, looking to Fifield for support.

“Yes!” the farmer confirmed.

“Excellent! Thank you for your help. I have been away from this world far too long. I will come back often to visit you and the child.”

“Our children will love to meet you,” said Fifield.

“I shall enjoy meeting them as well,” replied Euprosina. “Farewell.”

“Goodnight,” said Safrona. “It was an honor to meet you.”

“Farewell, Euphrosina,” said the farmer.

The dragon leaped into the air and quickly disappeared into the now-clearing sky leaving the couple staring in awe. Fifield put his arm around his wife and gave her a small squeeze, careful not to disturb the tiny queen.

“Don’t think that just because I’ve spoken with your dragon that all is well between us with this dragon business, Fifield Hartford,” said Safrona as they walked towards the farmhouse.

“What do you mean?” asked Fifield.

“Euphrosina’s breath had more than a hint of my best truffles on it, you thief!” she said, winking at him.