The Wyvern and The Dragons

“There weren't always dragons in the Valley.” I wiped a tear from my niece Kya’s face before tucking her stuffed animal under her arm and leading her away from the pile of embers she once called home. “When we were kids, the village had a festival at least once a month. We’d go home sick from all the sweets we ate and your grandmother would have peppermint tea waiting for us."

The little girl tilted her head and raised a brow, “Grandma didn’t go with you?” My jaw flinched as I admitted, “There was no reason for her to be there. She hated all the loud noise and the village was so safe, that she didn’t need to worry about us. We all looked out for each other.” Kya warmly smiled and grabbed my hand, “We still look out for each other.” I nodded. Kya was right. Even though The Dragons kept us living in fear and poverty with the winged beasts they commanded, the villagers still banded together like a family.

When we reached my mother’s house, I knelt to face my niece. “I’m going to see The Dragons. We’ll find a way to get your parents back.” I kissed her forehead as my mother opened the door. I stood and whispered, "The Dragons have Max and Myra. I’m going to see them.” Kya overhead me and added, “Mom and dad didn’t have the grain for this week’s tax, so the two Dragon guys whistled for a real dragon to come. It was the red one with holes and burn marks on its’ wings. The Dragons threw mom and dad in the cart and left me behind to watch our house burn down.” My mother’s brows tensed as she wrung her hands. “Be careful Ty.” I embraced her and assured her, “always.”

The Dragons live in a village at the base of the mountain next to a deep cave. No one knows for sure, but we all suspect they house their dragons in the cave. In the early days of The Dragons’ rule, a few villagers ventured on horseback only to return on foot. Since we only have one horse in my family, I walked to their village. My mind raced as I tried to find a point of leverage. We had no grain to spare, no jewels remaining, and nothing to barter.

I looked up searching for inspiration as I walked through an apple grove and I sharply inhaled, startled by the captivating sight of a woman peacefully resting on a tree limb. Her skin glistened in the light breaking through the foliage as she pulled a few strands of ebony hair away from her silver eyes. I watched entranced as she slowly inhaled the nature around her. With every exhale, her stress faded and she slipped into a peaceful stillness. I found myself afraid to speak and unable to move. After what felt like an eternity, she looked down and smiled. “No one ever comes to this grove.”

Fumbling for a way to respond I cheekily quipped, “No, but I’ll make a habit of it from now on.” She rolled her eyes and flatly stated, “No, you won’t.” Feeling a challenge, I straightened up and defiantly asked, “Who’s going to stop me?” The woman slyly smiled and leaped down from the tree limb. She moved the same strands of hair away from her eyes and stared directly into mine. Her steely silver gaze felt like a poison swirling in my veins as she slowly moved closer to me. “This is Dragon territory.” My pulse raced and my chest tightened. The air escaped my lungs as I choked out a whisper, “Are you a Dragon?” She relaxed her gaze and smiled at my fear, having clearly achieved her objective. “I was once married to a Dragon.”

I looked down at my feet and saw my hands were shaking. I smoothed my cloak to steady myself and sheepishly asked, “What’s the best way to ask them for a favor?” There was frost in her voice as she simply said, “don’t.” I nodded and zoned out as I processed the implications of her advice. I couldn’t bring myself to meet her gaze, so I kept my eyes firmly fixed on the ground. “Thank you, and sorry for disturbing your peaceful afternoon.”

I turned to walk away feeling more hopeless than ever. After a few steps, I heard her voice cutting through the stillness of the forest, “Stop.” I froze and waited for what felt like ages. Finally, I felt a hand grip mine. “I think your first impression may not have been your best impression. I’ll allow you to try again.” She led me to the edge of a lake and motioned for me to sit. When I did, she perched on a nearby rock and stared at me expectantly.

I took a deep breath and started, “I’m sorry for interrupting your peace, fair beauty, but I need some advice.” She smiled warmly, “What’s troubling you?” Remembering her previous advice, I hesitated before stammering out, “The Dragons have captured my brother and sister-in-law. They could not pay the tax. I found my niece outside the embers of their home and promised I’d try to get her parents back. I need to ask The Dragons to release them, but I have nothing to barter. I’m lost and scared. Would you be willing to share any wisdom with me?”

She gently put a hand on my cheek. “I was right about you. Your first impression definitely was not your best impression.” Her brows raised compassionately as she softly smiled. I felt strangely comforted by her presence and wanted that moment to last forever. Just as I remembered the stakes of my mission, she continued, “I’ll talk to The Dragons for you. I’m sure they’d be willing to make an exception for a poor Dragon widow.” Her words seemed humble but tinged with a touch of sarcasm at the end that made me question the depth of her connection to The Dragons. Regardless, she was willing to help, and for the first time since I saw the smoke rising from my brother’s farm, I felt hopeful that they could be brought home safely.

I followed her to the village until we reached a pub. She walked over to the bar and pointed to a stool. “Sit.” I quickly sat and she continued, “You’ll wait here. I’ll go to the great hall to speak with The Dragons. What is your brother’s name?” I tensed at the thought of waiting in a pub full of drunk Dragons. “Max…my brother’s name is Max and my sister-in-law is Myra.”

The bartender approached and smiled, “I haven’t seen you in quite a while.” The woman smiled playfully, “I just got back a few days ago. I had business elsewhere.” He wiped the bar in front of us before asking, “Was it profitable?” She smirked, “very.” Turning toward me she added, “He’s with me. Look after him?” He nodded, “absolutely.” The bartender poured a mug and put it in front of me, “Drink up pal, it’s on the house.”

In her absence, the bartender supplied me with a hearty bowl of delicious stew and the sweetest mead. After a few mugs, I worked up my confidence to talk to him. “Who is she?” He didn’t look up from wiping the bar as he asked, “Who did she say she is?” “A Dragon’s widow.” The bartender chuckled, “That’s true.” Encouraged by his candor I pushed, “but that’s not the whole story?” He dropped the towel on the bar and stared directly at me. “Word of advice pal—know your place. You have no idea who you’re dealing with. I don’t know how you got her to do you a favor, but I’d count my lucky stars, keep my head down, and stop asking questions about her.”

I glanced down and saw part of a dragon tattoo on his forearm beneath a rolled sleeve. I’d seen one once before when the Dragon thugs came to collect their “tax” of grain, but this dragon looked entirely different. Looking around, everyone seemed to have a dragon tattooed on their forearm, but they were all different. Lightening the mood I asked, “Why does everyone have a different dragon tattooed?” He smiled warmly, “We all have our own dragon.” My mouth opened in surprise. “That’s a lot of dragons. No wonder you guys are so powerful.”

Emboldened by the mead I smirked, “Where can I find an egg? It seems like The Dragons have it pretty good. If I find a dragon and raise it, can I join?” He laughed, “Just drink your mead. You’re not finding any dragon eggs.” Curious, I continued, “What if your dragon dies before you do? Do you add a second tattoo for your new dragon or are you out of The Dragons?” With an eye roll, he quickly answered, “The Dragons are a family—you’re in for life and no one outlives their dragon, just as no dragon outlives their owner.” Before I could annoy him with the slew of questions bubbling up, I heard the door creak.

Max rushed over and gave me a big hug with Myra quick to follow. The woman stood at the door. “Let’s go.” We hurried out the door behind her. Two horses pulling a cart were waiting in the street. The woman motioned for us to get in the cart. Myra and Max quickly huddled in the far rear corner. Remembering my previous interactions with her and the bartender’s insight, I asked, “Where should I sit?” She smiled and answered, “at my left,” and gestured to the front far corner. She followed me into the cart and the driver started down the road. The wheels rambled softly along the gravel and dirt road until we reached the apple grove.

The cart came to a stop and the woman turned to me, “it’s time I finished my morning meditation.” The sun caught her silver eyes and I felt weak. I forgot everything that just happened and found myself absorbed in the present moment. I was just a guy with a crush on a girl way out of my league. Foolishly, I blurted out “I didn’t get your name.” She raised a brow and calmly replied, “Because I didn’t choose to give it.” In a blink, she was out of the cart and sitting on the limb where I first saw her.

The driver continued and we were home in no time. My niece and mother raced out sobbing with joy when they saw Max and Myra return. “How Ty? How did you manage to convince The Dragons to let them go?” my mother sobbed. “Shh…Shh…It’s okay mom. I ran into someone who knew The Dragons and they intervened for us.” My niece clung to her parents, “Then they’re my hero. They got my mommy and daddy free.”

When supper time came, I told my family my stomach was still in knots from the day. I couldn’t tell them I was still full. They would have so many questions. Why did that woman help me? Who is she really? Why did they feed me? Who paid for it? I have so many more questions myself, but exhaustion overcame me and I fell into a deep sleep.

As the morning sun flooded my room, I woke feeling empty. I was still groggy as I pulled on my coveralls and headed out to the fields. Max and Myra were already weeding the barley when I got there. “We were starting to worry about you,” my sister-in-law said gently resting a hand on my shoulder. I grabbed a cultivator and began working a patch of soil. A little too casually I asked, “What happened yesterday?”

My brother stopped pulling weeds and looked at me through bleary eyes. “You know what happened. We didn’t have the grain to pay the tax and The Dragons torched our house and held us captive in their dungeon. If your friend hadn’t intervened, we would have rotted waiting for someone to settle our debt.” Looking down I sheepishly admitted, “She’s not really my friend. I just met her yesterday on my way to talk to The Dragons.” Max furrowed his brows and threw a shovel at me. “What the hell Ty! With Myra and I prisoners, you were all Mom and Kya had left. If they captured you, the girls would have starved. How could you be so reckless?”

I hadn’t realized how dangerous my lack of a plan was for my family. Max was right. If I put in extra work, I could have saved enough grain to pay their debt in a week or two. That would have made much more sense. Max was always the practical one, the hardworking one, the reliable one…He was content to grow where he was planted and he was happier for it.

“Ty?” Myra asked, “Are you okay?” Reality once again grasped my attention. “Sorry. My mind drifted.” Turning toward Max I continued, “I’m sorry. I let both of you down. I let the whole family down…again.” Myra smiled gently, “One way or another, you brought us home safely. Let’s just put all the stress of yesterday behind us and focus on rebuilding our lives.” Myra was right. The sun was warm, the soil was soft, and we had work to do.

Myra and Max began saving to rebuild their home, but we all knew it was a dream they may never realize. The days faded into weeks and life resumed its familiar routines. I found myself growing increasingly restless with the meaninglessness of it all. I was desperate for change but lacked the direction or motivation to do anything more than continuing my basic existence. Each day I felt more and more detached from myself.

As I meandered through the market on my way home one lackluster afternoon, a bright apple caught my attention. My mind transported me to the apple grove and the “dragon widow” I met there. For a brief instance, I was invigorated, as if I had just plunged into a cool lake on a hot summer day. I felt more alive than I had in weeks. I knew the answer had to be there. If I could just go there, maybe I could reconnect with that feeling and find the answers to the questions my deepest self is afraid to ask.

I was already careless taking my first trip there and the thought of my family suffering gave me pause. Since that day, no Dragon had come by our farm to collect the tax. Maybe things were best left alone, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing. I decided it was safest to go at night. The Dragon’s village was quiet at night, except for the few dragons that flew overhead circling the town. The grove would be empty.

I left a few hours after sunset and wandered through the grove searching within for answers. I stopped at the base of a knotty old tree and climbed onto one of its lowest limbs. I sat down and leaned my back against the trunk as a cool breeze swept across the nearby lake. I watched in a serene stillness as the moon slowly crept over the horizon, where the lake seemed to spill into the sky.

I was startled by shadows silently moving through the trees. As they grew I saw two well-armed Dragons escorting someone in a hooded cloak. They approached the lake and I pressed my back firmly into the trunk, sitting motionless and hardly breathing. The person between the Dragons looked up at the night sky. Her hood fell and ebony locks cascaded down her back. As she looked down I saw her moonlit reflection in the lake. A piercing set of silver eyes stared back at me and she grinned as a cat would eying a mouse. I was wholly unprepared to run into her and I felt ice moving through my veins sending a shiver down my spine. She effortlessly unclasped her cloak and it fell in a heap beside the shore.

The Dragons each grabbed one of her elbows as they escorted her into the lake. I felt my heart pounding in my chest as I watched the water lap at her shoulders. Without warning, one of the Dragons placed a hand on her head and pushed her under. I could see his biceps flexing as he held her under. I slid off the tree limb and raced toward the shore. By the time I reached the water, they were walking back to the shore. One of them shook his head at me and laughed while the other grabbed the cloak and headed back to The Dragons’ village.

I rushed into the lake and was waist-deep when I saw a blur burst out of the water in front of me. The silver beast shot directly into the night sky. It circled above me swinging its’ barbed tail menacingly. I stumbled backward and raced toward the shore. I was sure it was a dragon but it only had two legs. Glancing over my shoulder, my fears were confirmed. The creature was one of the mythical wyverns. Sly, cunning, and dangerously smart with a fatal poison in its tail barbs. I forced forward so quickly I could hardly breathe. By the time I reached the village, I collapsed at the gate gasping for air. I looked around and saw the creature was gone.

I almost laughed at how foolish I must be to think a wyvern would bother following me. A sinking sadness settled deep in my bones as I realized I failed to save the woman. I forced back tears and trudged home. The whole ordeal was so terrifying and disturbing that I vowed to accept the status quo happily from that night forward. A simple life as a farmer, each day like the one before, was better than the terror and chaos of aiming beyond my reach. My mother opened the door as soon as I reached the front step. “Tyvion Drevison what on earth were you thinking? Max searched the whole village for you. And why are you so wet. We were worried sick.”

I lowered my head. “I’m sorry mom. I was just trying to clear my head. You didn’t have to send Max after me. I’m a grown man.” She frowned, "Don’t you realize your actions affect more than just you?” She turned, walked to her room, and slammed the door behind her. As much as I hated to admit it, she’s right. I put everyone in danger. If they wyvern followed me, it could have destroyed the whole village. I grabbed some sour mead and sat at the kitchen table.

How could they callously feed their friends’ window to that beast? The Dragons were even more heartless than I realized. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat as I wondered if that was the price for summoning a dragon. If she hadn’t saved Max and Myra, would they have been sacrificed the next time they needed a beast? I felt nauseous at the thought. Putting the sour mead aside, I walked to my room in a half-present daze and let sleep overcome me.

I woke early the next morning determined to make things right with my family. By the time Max and Myra woke, the cart was nearly full of bags of barley. “Wow, I’m impressed,” Max yawned. “I’m sorry I worried you,” I confidently assured him, “I know you were up late searching for me and I’m going to make it up to you. I bagged the grain and I’m taking it to the market. Enjoy a day off with Myra and Kya.” Max smiled with an ease I hadn’t seen in months. I threw the last bag into the cart and headed to the village square.

The day meandered along at a welcomed mundane pace. The birds passed every so often, a woman chased her two children through the fountain, and the crowds chattered on in a dull hum. For once, I found the boredom refreshing. The sun was in the middle of the sky and I only had two bags left to sell. I was moving the bags to the front of the cart when I recognized a familiar voice behind me asking, “barley or wheat?” I quickly spun around to see a woman push an ebony lock of hair away from her silver eyes. For a breath, she held me transfixed in her piercing gaze. Before I could answer, she smiled and nodded to the Dragon beside her. He threw a bag of silver in the cart and grabbed my final two bags of grain. Without saying another word, they slipped back into the crowd and faded out of sight.