When Endings Become Beginnings

There weren’t always dragons in the Valley, but one arrived on a summer day when sunlight smeared the sky in peachy orange. The beautiful creature, milky white with wings of silver, fell from the heavens. It spiraled down through the clouds like a rock caught in a raging waterfall. Upon smacking the ground, the earth rumbled. Fortunately, it landed in a flowered meadow on the outskirts of Bee Haven.

A crowd encircled the large body, intrigued but anxious. Of course, the villagers had heard stories of giant lizards that roamed the land before the Great War, but such beasts had perished during this terrible event. Except… here was proof of their continued existence. The people whispered in awe.

The thing was larger than a two-story building. It lay belly up with crooked wings and twitched in pain. A shiny gray mane grew from its head and neck. More hair covered its tail tip and forearms. Its four limbs ended in paws like a cat, and its reptilian face had feline features and whiskers. Black spots mottled the scales on its nose and rump.

Everyone hung back, but not Ella and Verna. The young women, known for their unusual powers and strange behavior, wove their way through the mob to the object of everyone’s curiosity. Upon reaching their goal, they halted a mere foot away.

Ella’s robes of shiny blue and gold swirled from the sudden stop. She slid the hood off her head and held out Fireweaver, a double-edged athame forged of steel with a walnut handle. Her green eyes glowed against her dark skin. As she began spell-casting, loose strands of curly black fluttered around her stoic face.

Verna waited beside her, flustered and pale. She fidgeted with a giant red braid that hung over her chest and chewed on her lower lip. In contrast to Ella, she wore a simple brown tunic with matching pants. Her pupils dilated to where black overtook the natural gray of her eyes. Then she hummed a mysterious tune.

No one spoke while the witches performed their magic.

Ella furrowed her brow. “This is a mother. She’s carrying eggs.”

A collective gasp came from those standing nearby.

Verna nodded. “But her aura is dull, wrapped in shades of soft blue. We’ve little time to take action.”

“Action?” The booming voice made everyone turn. “Let the thing die. We don’t need their kind meddling in our affairs.” Master Luka glowered. He stood on the opposite side of the dragon, shoulders back, with his arms crossed. His cinched tunic hugged his plump yet muscular frame. Tight pants encased his legs. A scowl puckered his lips under a heavy mustache.

Ella mirrored his defiant stance. Although half his size, she showed no agitation. “But I can salvage the eggs.”

“Why? For what purpose?”

“Dragons channel magic and—”

“No. I forbid it.”

Verna snorted. “Are you afraid?”

That question made the crowd step back.

Luka’s cheeks turned red. “My decision is based on logic and history. Dragons caused mayhem in the past. Let them remain dead and buried. And you two have no say in the matter.”

“But the eggs could be worth a lot of gold.” Ella clenched her hands into fists. “Plus, the ancient texts exaggerated events.”

“No, they gave us a warning, which trumps any fanciful notions you have on making potions or reading fortunes.” He stomped his foot and motioned at the troops who accompanied him. “Spear the beast. End this problem now. No sense messing with what-ifs and maybes.”

The men strode forward and jabbed the poor dragon’s head and chest until she stopped moving.

Luka grunted his satisfaction. “Now bury the bitch. Deep.” He turned toward the witches. “I’ll post a couple of guards tonight. So, don’t get any funny ideas.” Then he gestured at the crowd. “Go on now. Show’s over. Everyone, leave. From now on, this area is banned until further notice.”

#

After the crescent moon rose into the starry night, Ella and Verna left their cottage. Both dressed in simple attire that afforded minimal impediment to movement and speed. Using cloaking magic, they evaded detection but kept to the shadows of the houses to ensure success. Then the witches entered the rustling meadow at the edge of the Bee Haven. Scattered pine trees provided handy hiding spots along the way to their destination.

As expected, two of Luka’s men watched over the makeshift grave of the dragon. They stood beside a crackling fire pit that spit sparks into the air and chatted about how to create a proper mead. The shortest one, a heavy-set fellow with brown dreadlocks, frumpy clothes, and gold armbands, switched to the topic of working with bees. “First, ya gotta smoke a pipe. The critters can’t stand the stench. They react and move slower. That’s when you can collect their honey.”

His comrade, a taller brute with a heavy chin, bulging biceps, and a balding scalp, put his fists on his hips and cocked his head. “Yeah, but why? Wouldn’t they still attack?”

“Nah. Trust me. This method works.”

Verna rocked on her heels as she listened to their conversation. “These clowns don’t know much,” she whispered. “The smoke scares the bees. They think their hive is on fire, so they eat the honey and get full. That’s why they get sluggish.”

Ella smiled. “True enough. Well, we can easily take out the guards. They seem rather inept.”

“What do you propose?”

She reached inside a pocket to retrieve a small pouch. “Hypnos powder.” Ella winked. “This mix will put them into a trance.”

Verna cocked her head. “When did you have time to concoct that?”

“I have emergency supplies.”

“Oh? And what else have you squirreled away?”

Ella rolled her eyes and tied the pouch to her belt. “Shh. Let’s discuss this later. For now, we need to get closer.” She motioned for Verna to follow her on all fours. Together, they crawled to a location where the breeze blew away from them.

Then she cleared her throat. “Good evening, fine gents.” Her announcement came out as a lilting melody. She jumped to her feet.

“Hey.” The big man spun about and waved his sword. “This place is off-limits. So, go home.” He fluttered his fingers as though shooing away an annoying gnat.

“But, Ulrik, I can share more info about bees. Aren’t you interested?” She retrieved Fireweaver and clutched it tight against her side.

He lifted his eyebrows. “Hey, how do you know my name?”

“Oh, I know lots of things. Come closer. I’ll tell you more.”

Ulrik scratched the back of his skull. “Yeah. Don’t think so. You’re magic users. Luka warned us about you.”

The shorter man cleared his throat. “And we don’t want trouble with Luka, okay?” He raised his left hand. “See this?” He jabbed at the ring on his finger. “I’ve got a wife. And a kid on the way.”

“A baby?” Ulrik chuckled. “Gerald, you’re kidding, right?”

Gerald squinted. “No. I’m. Not.” He enunciated each word to enforce his point.

The laughter increased. “Oh, Lord. You’re not dad-material.”

“Says who?”

Verna snatched the pouch, untied it, and raced forward. “I’ve no patience for this nonsense.” She flung the powder at Ulrik and Gerald.

The dust sparkled as it fell, coating the guards with a glittery residue. They stared at her, mouths opened wide, before looking at each other. Nothing happened.

“Dormi!” Ella’s cry made Verna jerk. Her athame was pointing at the men. In an instant, they slumped to the ground. Their swords thumped beside their bodies. “You have to say the spell to activate a special blend,” she said, using a matter-of-fact tone.

“Right. Sorry.” Verna shuffled her feet.

“Hey, don’t fret. Your quick action ensured our success.” The witch grinned. “But we must hurry. Dig up the dragon. The effects won’t last long.”

Verna made a face. “Um, I didn’t bring any digging tools.”

“No need to.” Ella raised her athame. “The soil is still loose.”

“Can we move it with magic?”

“Yes!”

Verna moped. “Wish I could do that.”

Ella patted her companion on the arm. “Learning will come. Give it time.”

#

Removing the dirt required little effort. However, carving through dragon scales proved to be a challenge. Not only was the skin chainmail-hard, but it resisted enchantment or spells. In desperation, Ella used Fireweaver since she had no other option. Upon opening the belly, she discovered an egg had burst, but the others were still intact. Greenish gunk covered them.

“Ugh. Stinks like rotten meat.” Verna pinched her nose.

Ellen sighed. “Well, now we know why the mother fell mid-flight.” She reached down to retrieve the eggs one at a time. They resembled polished gems, each a different color, and the oval orbs shined under the light of the stars. “She swelled from sickness and was close to death. The fall injured her further. Still, the other eggs are viable.”

Verna collected them. “I’ve got six.” She rotated a pink one for inspection. “They remind me of smooth potatoes, but they’re as heavy as clay bricks.”

“Admire them when we get home. I’ve finished fishing. There are no more.”

“Whew. I should have brought a bigger bag, but what I have will do.”

“Excellent. Um, I’ll need help in cleaning up the mess.” Ella stuffed her athame into her pocket. “Alas, I can’t use my magic to accomplish this goal.”

Verna gave her a quizzical look. “How come?”

“I’m spent and can’t focus. Trust me on this.”

“Okay.” She shrugged.

They began the task of sliding dirt back over the dragon, but the effort took longer than expected. By the end, sweat coated their skin and soaked their clothing. Both panted from exertion.

A sudden grunt came from Gerald, signaling he would soon wake, after which Ulric mumbled and rolled to his side. The women ran to the closest tree they could find and ducked for cover.

Gerald sat up first. “Whoa.” He cracked his neck. “What happened?”

“Dunno.” Ulrik rubbed his eyes. “Last thing I recall, you were yammering about bees.”

“Mead.” He snapped his fingers. “That was the topic.”

“And you bored us to sleep.”

“Seems unlikely.” Gerald twisted about to scan the burial ground. “But nothing’s amiss, except the fire’s died.”

“No. Something stinks.” Ulrik rose to his feet and snorted. “What’s that nasty odor? Did you fart?”

“Nope. Maybe you did and wanna blame it on me.”

“Or it’s coming from the dragon?”

Ella and Verna snuck away while the guards conversed.

#

Loud banging woke them before dawn. The annoying noise continued until Ella answered the front door. She swung it open, and Master Luka waited outside. He resembled an angry bull with his huffing and tapping foot. His narrowed eyes and gritted teeth didn’t bode well.

“You think you’re clever, don’t you?” Spittle flew from his mouth.

“Good sir, what is the cause of your concern?” Verna arrived and clasped her hands together in front of her chest. Her loose curls, red as fire, flowed over her shoulders and back. The nightgown she wore opened up to reveal her pert bosom.

His face flushed. “Search the house. Leave nothing unturned.”

Ten men flooded into the small cottage. They pushed the women aside, upended furniture, emptied cabinets, pulled out garments, and flung objects onto the floor. Dishes broke, silverware clanked, glasses shattered, and dried herbs were crushed or confiscated. Precious books ended up with torn pages, crystals fell from toppled shelves, and curtains came off the windows.

Luca found Fireweaver, still lying on the kitchen table, and slid it into a hidden pocket inside his shirt. He patted his new toy and grinned. “This will come in handy for slicing meat.”

Ella trembled with hot fury. Verna hung her head as tears rolled down her cheeks.

“Aha!” One of the men brought over a chest that contained two eggs. “Jackpot!”

Luka reached for his prize. “Excellent.” He waggled an egg as he turned toward the witches. “Thanks for saving me the trouble of doing a nasty extraction.”

“But why?” Verna asked. “What do you want with them?”

The man offered a lopsided smirk. “After your speech about how they could be valuable, I couldn’t leave them in the ground, nor did I wish to waste my guards on the non-stop babysitting of a dead beast. Plus, I’ll inform the villagers that you disobeyed my direct orders. I’ve been itching to find a way to discredit your kind.”

“I should fry you where you stand!” Ella flailed her arms about in a menacing fashion.

“Doubt it.” Luka returned the egg to the chest and gestured at his men. “You don’t scare me, little girl, and there are multiple witnesses.” He patted his pocket. “Plus, I have the thing you use to cast spells. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.”

She froze. “What do you plan to do with us?”

He laughed. “I’ve already done it. Your precious objects are broken. Your reputation will be ruined. Perhaps you’ll gain a new perspective for the future, which is don’t try to outsmart me.” Luka marched to the front door. “Come. Let’s leave these women to reflect on the consequences of their actions.”

After the group exited, Verna broke down and sobbed. “Why did I let you talk me into such a stupid scheme?”

Ella grabbed her companion by both arms and shook her. “Calm down. Right now.” She waited for the waterworks to fade. “A little labor will fix things. And we got off with a slap on the wrist.”

“Why didn’t you stop them?” Verna snuffled. “They took Fireweaver, and you did nothing. Don’t you care?”

“An athame directs magical energy. It’s not intended for cutting things. Unfortunately, after last night, it’s no longer effective; I need a replacement anyway. Besides, four eggs remain. So, we’ve achieved our objective.”

More sniffing ensued. “Wonderful. Happy to know you’re fine with what happened.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Well, you’re acting all logical.” Verna stiffened and pursed her lips into a thin line. “No emotion whatsoever.” She jabbed her finger toward a crushed vase. “My mother gave that to me. Now it’s gone.” She pointed at a flower painting with a hole in the fabric. “And that’s my artwork. I spent hours getting the colors just right.”

“I’m sorry. Truly.” Ella slumped. “I didn’t mean for this mess to happen.”

“And what are we going to do with the remaining dragon eggs anyway, hmm?”

“Honestly, I don’t know.” She rubbed her jaw. “I was going to investigate the possibilities by studying my texts.”

Verna threw her hands into the air. “Oh. My. God.” She whipped around and stomped into the bedroom. “You haven’t a clue, do you?” The door slammed.

Ella remained quiet, unable to speak after such a hurtful exchange. Her right eye twitched, which always happened under stress, and she chewed the inside of her mouth. The house stilled to where the ticking clock hanging on the wall was the only sound. She looked at the stupid thing and wondered how the men had missed it.

Boom!

The floor beneath her feet shook. Then came screaming and a horrific bellow resembling the roar of a tiger mixed with a screeching owl. Before she could react, the whole cottage rattled. Next came a whooshing noise, followed by a loud whack against the window.

Verna rushed out into the main area. “What’s going on?”

“No idea.”

The bellow resounded, this time louder and right over their heads.

The pair grabbed onto each other right before the roof flew off its foundation. Above, a giant blue tail ending in a fanned fin waved back and forth. As the early morning sunshine reflected off its scales, glimmers of light flashed with every swish. Another scream came, but it ended in a gurgle.

Ella ran for the door. “We have to help.”

“No, we don’t.” Verna stayed put. “I’ve no desire to die today.”

“But we can’t remain in the cottage. It’s falling apart.” She motioned. “C’mon.”

Outside, they encountered the unthinkable. Luka was pinned under the claws of a huge dragon, double the size of the first one. The purple creature crouched over the poor man. Blood coated its curved teeth, and saliva dripped from its gums. Foot-long spines with sharp points ran from the top of its forehead, along its arched neck, and down its back. Its wings striped in black flapped once before settling into a folded position.

Not a soul stood nearby. Everyone had fled in terror, leaving the Chief to his fate.

“I bet that’s the father dragon, but it’s a different species.”

Verna glanced at Ella. “Seriously? That’s what you make of this?”

“Why else would another one come to the Valley?”

“I dunno, but I think Luka’s dead.”

Ella yanked on her companion’s arm. “Can you read the dragon’s aura? Get more information?”

“Have you lost your mind?” Verna’s voice trembled. “We should run.”

“No. There’s no escape. Fleeing will anger the beast.” She tightened her grip. “Calm yourself. Get some answers.”

“Fine. Whatever.” Verna stood still and hummed. The pupils in her eyes enlarged.

The dragon twisted about to find the source of the new noise.

Ella prayed her hunch was correct.

Verna raised her hands to her head. “Based on his reddish aura, he’s angry and wants revenge. Oooh, and I hear strange words.”

“Words? I don’t understand.”

“Me either. Trucidator. Ovo fur. Ego olfacies meum mate. Does any of that make sense?”

Ella nodded. “Yes. It’s spell-speak language. It means murderer, egg thief, and I smell my mate.” She stepped forward and said, “Sumus amici.”

The dragon growled, shook his head, and jabbed a curved talon into his victim’s body. His ears twitched backward like a cross cat ready to do battle. A low hiss escaped his mouth, along with plumes of smoke. He extended a clawed foot toward them, palm up. Inside were the two eggs Luka had taken.

Verna winced in pain. “I can’t do this weird connection much longer. Heck, I’d no idea this was possible.” She sighed. “Et occidi inimicum meum.”

“The dragon said I killed my enemy.” Ella straightened. “Luka was carrying my athame, which still had goo on it from the mother dragon. He caught a whiff of that and became the beast’s target.”

Verna frowned. “And what happens when the dragon discovers we’ve got four more eggs, huh? Then what?”

“Uh, well. That could be a problem.”

The dragon leaned down to sniff them.