Valley of Fire

“There weren't always dragons in the Valley.” the old man’s voice cracks. He looks drawn and ill; his skin is marred with scars from battles long past and black with dirt and soot. Perhaps at one time he was a great warrior of a man, but the years of fighting for survival have taken their toll. His sunken green eyes glimmer in the light of the fire as his mind seems to reminisce on more peaceful times. “Before the infestation we had buildings and homes peppered along the mountain sides, and a busy city in the heart of the Valley. We had countless vehicles and thousands of paved roads to travel along. There were stores - all types of stores. The best were the grocery stores-” he pauses, as a childlike eagerness masks his face. “They were filled with all kinds of food. Foods you couldn’t even imagine now.” A slight smile graces the corners of his mouth as he speaks. “You can still see some remnants of them now if you’re brave enough to venture that far.” he warns while he stretches his hand out towards the distant mountain ranges as he seems to fall back into his memories of a world long past.

The small unit of mismatched soldiers mill around the fire as they begin to set up camp. The old man seems to enjoy the company and continues to talk about the world before The Fall. “I vaguely remember when the skies were still blue. Some days it was peppered with white puffy clouds and a cool breeze would blow through the Valley.” he smiles, showing a mouth full of yellowed rotting teeth. A slender man named Gene, scoffs and rolls his eyes, “Whatever you say old man. Look, we didn’t stop to hear the ramblings of a senile old man, so don’t waste your sentiments on us.” The old man smacks his lips dryly and turns from Gene. He clears his throat with a phlegmy hack before he looks around to speak to anyone else who would listen. “I hope you kids brought something to fight with. They don’t go down so easy, ya know.” His tone has turned melancholy, “The last group that came through here never came back and uh…” his voice trails off and his eyes begin to turn glassy.

“We appreciate your concern, but we’ve got a mission to complete and turning back isn’t an option.” snaps Red while he pokes at the fire with a spear. As the embers flew up into the dark night sky the unit was reminded that it is a new moon tonight, which meant it is safe. Standing a head taller than the rest of the men in the group, Red is a mountain of a man, and the leader of this unit. He has spent his life fighting for the survival of what is called “pure mankind'' and he is determined to win at any cost. “We’ll keep out of your way and you better do the same.” he orders. The old man opens his mouth in dispute but quickly changes his mind. “Get some more wood for this fire.” Red barks at no one in particular. “I also want all rations accounted for - and someone bring the asset over here. I don’t want it out of my sight.”

A soldier appears from the blackness of the night, ushering a frail looking girl over to the fire. She is covered in a hooded cloak, but her long red hair hangs in her face and down past her shoulders. She has shackles around her ankles that clink as she shuffles over to the fire. The soldier firmly sits her next to the fire near the old man and reaches for the end of a chain that is linked to the shackles. With a large mallet and a spike, he secures her to the ground before spitting at her feet and walking back to the rest of the men. The girl stares fearfully through the rising flames towards Red when his eyes catch hers. She holds them for a moment before darting away, but can still feel his piercing stare under his furrowed brow. “Gene, keep an eye on this thing.” he calls out, pointing at the girl. “I don’t trust it.”

Gene wanders closer to the girl with an armful of wood to add to the fire. He gazes down at her, a grimace across his face, while he throws the logs into the flames. Embers fly back out and land near the girl’s bare feet, singeing her skin. She whimpers and pulls her knees up to her face and rests her chin. Gene kneels down just next to her ear and whispers maliciously, “Careful, it’s hot.” Like a wild animal she lunges towards Gene, hands extended like claws and screeches. Gene jumps back and laughs, “So you have a little fight left in you, huh?” and backhands her. She clasps her face as tears well in her eyes and she retreats back into a fetal position while returning to stare at the dancing flames.

“Leave the poor thing be. Her days are already numbered.” assures Evaria, the unit’s dragon specialist. Her golden brown hair is tied back into a tight ponytail showcasing unique scarring along her neck and collarbone. “I could explain to you a thousand times as to why you shouldn’t pester an amalgam, but you wouldn’t understand and I don’t feel like wasting my breath, so just cut it out.” she hisses. Gene throws his hands in the air, conceding, “I guess you’re right, Evaria. We should treat this monster like one of the rest of us, right?” he starts, “It’s not like we’ve spent our entire lives living in fear. Sure, our lands are scorched, our water polluted, ash rains from the sky and,” Gene marches over to Evaria as his rant starts gathering the men, “we are hunted like prey. Do you know how many people I have witnessed, first-hand mind you, being burned alive? Do you know how many children I have seen snatched in the jaws of creatures from your worst nightmares? Oh, how about the countless people I’ve grown up with, cared for, and lived with only to hear them scream in sheer terror and pain and watch helplessly as they are pulled apart by beasts for breakfast? Too many, Evaria. Far too many.” he finishes. Evaria stands there, unwavering as Gene huffs and walks away. The men are silent as the harsh reality of their life, and their mission sweeps over the unit.

“What’s the ration count?” Red asks the unit, breaking the silence. “I want everything over here next to Evaria.” he orders. Several of the men had caught some squirrels and other small rodents during the trek through the Scorched Forest earlier in the day, and all rations were to be shared. “Looks like we have about fourteen.” Evaria counts while the men drop off their spoils. Red looks disappointed, “Well, I guess it’ll have to do. Get them cooking.” he tells her firmly.

The unpleasant smell of burning fur fills the air as the rodents are roasted whole on a spigot. Evaria appears mesmerized while they cook, “I’d say around, uh, eight minutes.” she says quietly as she spins them slowly above the flames. “Eight minutes for what?” Gene asks reluctantly since they haven’t spoken since Gene lost his temper. Evaria glances over at him and smiles, “Oh, just for their eyes to pop.” Gene’s face contorts in disgust, “Beautiful. Thanks Evaria.” he grunts, “I think you just ruined my appetite.” he smiles back at her. The two of them are generally engaging in playful banter throughout the long days, which is a nice reprieve from the knowledge that this is likely a one way journey.

As the food is being prepared, Red leaves the light of the fire to check on some of the other men who have set up camp further away from the group. From time to time he will leer at the captive girl over his shoulder, his eyes narrow and untrusting. The old man, who has remained silent since Red’s scolding, scoots over closer to the mysterious prisoner. “Hey, girl. What’s your story?” He asks quietly, but the girl clutches her knees tighter and ignores him, keeping her gaze on the fire and the roasting squirrels. “Psst! Girl, are you okay?” he persists. “They don’t seem to be treating you very well. Is everything-” The old man is interrupted by Red. “Mind your business, old man!” he roars as he comes stomping back over towards the fire. “I-I’m sorry.” the old man stammers, taken aback by Red’s booming voice. Red grabs him by his matted hair and pulls him up from the ground, his feet limply scrape the earth beneath him. For the first time Red could see the extent of the scarring on the old man’s face. “You’re lucky we’re even allowing you to live, you old fool! We could just as easily kill you and no one would bat an eye. I told you to mind your own goddamn business, and that’s what you’re gonna do. Do I make myself clear?” Red sneers through gritted teeth before releasing him. “I-I just wanted to have a little conversation. That’s all. I didn’t mean any harm.” he says as he clutches his trembling hands together begging for forgiveness. Red turns and starts back towards his men.

“It just gets so lonely out here all on my own.” the old man admits sheepishly, and mostly to himself. Red stops in his tracks, and spins to face him, then his eyes dart to the girl. His veins begin to bulge from his neck and forehead. The mounting rage and contempt he has for her and what she represents builds as his fists clench and his arms shake. The girl can see the wild fury in his eyes as he rushes towards her. Gene and Evaria are too slow to stop him as he grips his hand around her neck and lifts her up, her shackles rattling as she kicks her feet. His hate filled eyes seem to pierce her soul as he speaks to the old man. “This-this creature,” Red growls, “is not what it appears to be.” The girl is at Red’s mercy while his grip tightens, making it harder for her to breathe. “Notice the eyes,” Red seethes as he yanks the hood off her head. Her wild red hair shines brightly in the light of the fire, and her eyes retracted into fine slits, “the pupils are not like yours and mine, they are what some people would call ‘more advanced.’” The old man stares in awe at the girl as Red twists her neck to show him her eyes. Red continued, “The skin is not smooth like ours either, but tough, and if you look closely,” Red pulls up the sleeve on her cloak and yanks off a piece, “it has scales - not skin.” The girl tries to scream, but only stifled grunts and gurgles emerge. “As you can see, this-this thing is a perversion of what it means to be human. An imposter. It’s just another reminder of the monsters that WE created all those years ago during The Fall. Instead of leaving things up to nature, we decided to play God. We wanted to conceive unnatural creatures to unleash on our enemies, but we took things too far and there was no turning back.” Red’s voice begins to crack, “We created monsters that looked like monsters; lived and killed like monsters, but now…now there are monsters that look like us? No. I won’t have it.” he pauses for a moment before turning back to the old man, his eyes wide and crazed, “So you have nothing to say to this thing. Nothing to ask it, nothing to say to it. There’s nothing worth hearing from this fork-tongued monstrosity!” he shouts.

Just then, a terrifying screech echoes in the distance. Red’s face goes white and his eyes widen with terror. He releases his grip as the girl collapses to the ground, gasping for air. “Quick! Put out the fire!” Evaria shouts as she rushes to grab her bow. The fire is quickly extinguished, sending white smoke billowing into the air. “Shit, Red! What did you do?” Gene scrambles to grab his gun. Red calmly walks over to his pack, “Put that down, you know it won’t help you.” he orders as he grabs his spear. The ground begins to tremble as the distant screeches and growls grow nearer. A distinct sound of wings fills the air as the unit huddles together around the extinguished fire, its warm embers still warm beneath their feet. The darkness of the moonless night engulfs them as they prepare to defend their lives when the rumbling and growls seem to cease.

In what feels like hours, the unit waits for the attack. Everyone lingers quietly as they listen intently for a noise or sound. The deafening silence is broken by the old man who begins to snicker. “It’s too late for you now. They know you’re here.” he says eerily, proudly extending his forked tongue.