Theo stayed hidden under that large slab of rock for days, pitifully miserable.
How long will I be like this? she cried inwardly, but no tears watered her reptilian eyes as she longed for the things of her normal, human life. I have no chamber, I have no horse…no table to dine at, no servants…
Though in her mind she wished for a bed, her dragon form was well at ease, lying on the cold, earthy ground.
From there, she watched as animals of all kinds passed. Birds pecked at the ground, rodents scampered by. A deer once came into view, only to bound off again when it sensed Theo nearby. Theo often saw dragons, the tiny ones that came out to bask in the sun. These were the dragons that Theo was used to seeing, before she was turned into this oversized beast.
Once, a small dragon came right up to Theo. It was the perfect miniature of a large dragon, exquisitely detailed. Curiously, the young dragon peered into Theo’s eyes. It must be a baby, Theo thought. It looks innocent enough.
There was a rustle in the undergrowth and the hatchling turned its head. Its interest redirected, the little one toddled away without another look at her.
. . .
There came a time when a rabbit drew daringly close to Theo. She supposed the animal had its eye on some clover, not far from where she lay in the shadows.
The rabbit lopped a couple steps at a time, pausing to check its surroundings. The wind carried its scent to Theo. With every small hop, Theo felt her body get tenser. Hop, hop, hop…hop. Too close.
Immediately, Theo was up, the creature suddenly lifeless, crushed under her two front foreclaws. Horrified, Theo removed herself from it. Blood spilled from its smashed skull- a gruesome sight, yet she couldn’t take her eyes off of it. The scent of fresh kill was strong, making her salivate. She was lured in by it. The moment her muzzle touched the carcass, she snapped it up and swallowed it whole without another thought. As impulse faded, she dropped to her belly and mournfully licked the blood from the blades of grass. She forced herself to stop, even though the taste was so good. Theo buried her head in her foreclaws, depressed. Never before had she been so disgusted with herself.
“Theora?”
Theo sprung to her feet and whirled around to see Damon standing there.
“Did you find a cure? Please tell me you found a cure!” Theo begged him instantly, hoping he wouldn’t notice the rabbit’s blood dribbling from her chin.
Damon shook his head and looked to the ground. “No, I haven’t yet, sorry. I just came to make sure you’re alright.” He brushed more hair in front of his face, as though to hide his eyes, turned and walked away.
Theo thought for sure she could hear the sound of her heart dropping to the pit of her hollow rib cage. A throbbing, empty echo.
. . .
The day came when she grew sick of the cool shade. Reluctantly, she ventured out to where the sun hit. The heat soaked through her tough hide to her core. She closed her eyes to enjoy its pleasant warmth.
In the distance she heard a strange sound. It continued on, rising and dropping, speeding and slowing in a weird musical manner. As she became used to it, she closed her eyes again and allowed herself time to set aside her worries.
Time passed and she noticed the sound was gradually increasing in volume. When it became so loud that Theo believed the source was just around the bend, she looked in its direction.
She saw the silver head of a dragon appear. She uneasily drew herself in as she saw that the dragon was at least her size. The strange noises that echoed for miles came from deep within his throat, and his body moved in slow and subtle sways that Theo guessed to be his way of dancing.
His eyes were closed as he concentrated on his composition, yet he also seemed to be aware of her presence. He opened his eyes to gaze at her, and ended his melody with one long lasting hum.
“Greetings,” he purred. “I am Clyde- heard from the distance!” He flexed his silvery white wings which gleamed in the sunlight. Theo viewed him, thrown by his oddity.
“I’m Princess Theora…” she murmured at a loss.
The dragon grinned in a very reptilian way. “My respects, Princess,” he said, dipping his head as a bow. “But may I tell you that I am one of the few dragons who would know what a princess is?”
Theo blinked. This dragon, Clyde, was succeeding to confuse her even more.
“You see,” he explained, “I am considered a Cragerian, because I used to be a human, part of the kingdom, Crageria. The offspring of Cragerians were hatched and began their lives as dragons from the start, thus they are not considered Cragerians. I do believe you are princess of the kingdom, Wystil, yes?”
Theo nodded bleakly.
Clyde mirrored her nod, looking very pleased with his conversation. “Princess Theora of Wystil…” he breathed. “How very nice.”
Theo looked down at the ground. He must have read the sadness upon her for he dropped his cheery mood.
“I know how you feel,” he sighed. “I felt the same way when I lost everything.”
Theo slumped. Over the past week and a half she had noticed dragons could not produce tears.
“It’s not all bad, you’ll see.”
Theo met his eyes. “I can’t stay like this,” she whispered.
“Yes, I suppose you still have something to go back to.” He almost sounded bitter, but it passed quickly and Theo could not be sure. “Perhaps you would like it if I introduced you to others?” he suggested.
Theo thought that the thing she wanted the least was to be around more dragons, but an ache of loneliness lingering within her made her nod. Theo couldn’t understand herself. She had expected to lose such a human characteristic when she became a reptile.
Hopefully, Damon will know to look for me there, where the other dragons are. That is, if he ever finds a cure…
She followed Clyde at his side and, as they walked, he chatted pleasantly.
“I was a messenger boy, as a human,” he remarked.
Theo’s response was minimalistic, but she was truly interested. It comforted her that he was a dragon she could relate to. She listened to his stories of being a messenger earnestly. Then he got to a story far more severe. He told her of his experience when the Maelstrom attacked, telling her of who he lost. He talked about how Wystil refused to let them in and how they could do nothing but escape through the Narrow Valley.
“When we got past the mountain range and found the firesap fruit- you’ve heard of the firesap fruit, yes? Well, everyone was so eager to eat that no one took a moment to think before it was too late.”
“That’s what Adder said,” Theo recalled.
“Ah, so you’ve met Adder? He’s the eldest of us Cragerians…He’s very wise, very wise indeed.” He nodded. “Anyway, after all was done it took us quite some time to accept our new forms. And when we finally did, there was a split between us. Adder was actually the one who proposed the new philosophy that we were all equal and should be untouched by materialism.
“Our bodies were equipped to survive in the wild and physical things no longer brought us comfort. Many of us liked Adder’s idea. With our new lives, we were ready to accept a new way of thinking. However, not everyone felt the same way. Laurel used to be a Cragerian duchess. She was quite familiar with being pampered and cared for by her servants. Because I was once drawn by visual attractiveness as a human, I can say with certainty that she made a very beautiful dragon. She was not willing to give up her life of nobility and see her servants rise to the same level as her. She demanded that she be respected as part of a higher class. Adder tried to explain to her that those ways were old. There was no longer any such thing as wealth. The noble blood that once ran through her veins had been changed.
“Still, she refused to give in, giving herself the title the Golden Dragon. She still had with her four servants who stayed loyal to her. When everyone else refused to do as she willed, she and her servants left for the Lake.”
“The Lake?” Theo echoed inquiringly.
“Yes,
there is a lake a ways from here, farther up along the mountain range,” he said. “It is there where the other rogue dragons tend to lurk about.”
“Rogue dragons?”
“We refer to those who do not associate themselves with the main colony as rogues. The Golden Dragon and her servants hated Adder’s proposal, while many others took it too far. They relished the thought of having no masters and no one to tell them what and what not to do. They became violent, lashing out at anyone they did not like. When those of the Colony were disturbed by this, they confronted the merciless dragons. Outnumbered, the brutal ones sneered and left for the Lake, as Laurel had. I would advise you to stay away from there. Some rogue dragons have been known to kill and eat other dragons in a kind of victorious feast.”
Theo shuddered, wanting to change the subject. She asked, “So the Colony is your group?”
Clyde tilted his head in an unsure kind of way. “Yes…” he replied. “I am an ally to the Colony. The Colony is the largest tie of dragons and I’m associated with many of them. While they generally believe that no dragon has authority over another, they take on the duty of watching over hatchlings and frisks, making sure that they are kept safe. That often includes guiding them away from the Lake.”
“What are frisks?”
“A dragon, unless formerly a human, starts out as an egg,” Clyde began. “Then, when they hatch, they are sensibly known as hatchlings. Hatchlings have the instinct to climb trees for safety from many of their predators. They stay in their high places until they grow into frisks. We know them as frisks because they are extremely energetic, exploring their abilities and the environment around them. By the time they are accustomed to themselves, their interest is piqued, usually by one adult dragon in particular. This is their pupil stage, in which they will find a dragon willing to mentor them, focusing on hunts for big game, flying, and also more mental skills. It is often at this time that the young dragon learns how to speak. After their year of being a pupil, they become a striker. Strikers are often proud and easily offended. The time for a striker to mature into an adult varies, usually taking about one to two years. Should it take much longer than that, strikers have been known to ‘leave for the Lake’ to join the rogues.”
“What am I?” Theo asked suddenly and Clyde looked her over.
“I suppose you are a mix,” he said. “Judging by your size, I would assume you were of striker age, but you still know very little of your athletic abilities, yet you ask questions like those of a pupil.”
Theo looked down at her feet as they walked on. I’m a complete mess, she thought, discouraged. She was quiet the rest of the way and Clyde respected that, falling silent as well.
At last, they reached their destination- a clearing of grass and dirt with large rocks strewn all around. This place, Clyde called the Camp.
Theo was immediately shy. At least a dozen dragons of all different colors were there, settling on rocks, scuffing the dirt, and murmuring in conversation like humans. It was weird for Theo, seeing all those reptiles laying around and talking.
If Clyde sensed her sudden insecurity, he completely ignored it.
“Look here, Jacinth!” he called to a nearby dragon and brought Theo close. The dragon was deep red.
“Hello, Clyde,” she greeted him. “Decided to come in for a visit?”
“Yes, well, I thought my friend here could do with some introductions,” Clyde said.
Jacinth looked at Theo contemplatively. “I have heard of a new comer,” she said. “You may call me Jacinth.”
Theo ducked her head. “I’m Theora,” she replied, choosing not to introduce herself as a princess, as she remembered what Clyde had said.
“Ah, Theora,” Jacinth echoed. “What is that in reference to?”
“Um…” Theo did not know how to respond. Thankfully, Clyde came in with an answer.
“The name Theora was given to her by her family, as is custom to humans,” he informed Jacinth.
“Ah, so you’re a Cragerian?” Jacinth concluded. “Very few chose to keep their original names.”
Once again, Clyde helped Theo out. “No, in fact, Theora is a Wystilian! I do not think she has yet been told of our naming customs…” Clyde turned to Theo inquiringly.
Theo shook her head.
“Dragons name themselves,” Clyde explained to her. “It plays into the dragons’ belief that we are all equal and have no authority over each other.”
“Oh,” Theo was surprised. This was not at all what she was accustomed to.
“I chose myself a human name, as did a few other Cragerians,” Clyde went on. “But most of the later generations have taken a liking to nature references, like Jacinth here.”
Jacinth smiled. “Except they usually need some help thinking of them. Clyde happens to be quite good at suggesting names for the little ones.” She laughed. “He’s actually somewhat of a legend!”
“Oh,” Theo said again. She didn’t know what else to say.
Theo’s failure to keep the conversation going led to an awkward moment of silence. Theo noticed dragons nearby looking in their direction. She felt their eyes fall on her, yet the dragons also seemed interested in Clyde, leaning over to whisper to each other. Theo thought she heard one of them call him the Namebearer.
Clyde began to shift uneasily, repeatedly looking towards the woods. Jacinth seemed to pick up on this, for she took action.
“Here,” Jacinth spoke up to Theo. “Why don’t I show you around?”
“Great idea,” Clyde put in quickly. “I’ll be going…maybe see you later.”
“Clyde!” Theo was alarmed at the thought of him leaving her.
“Oh, do come on Theo,” Jacinth willed, and she gave in reluctantly.
Clyde said goodbye. Not long after he had disappeared into the forest, Theo could hear his singing start up again.
“Why did he-” Theo started, but was cut off.
“He’s not one to stick around Camp,” Jacinth answered, pulling her off to the side.
“Really?” she asked. Then why did he bring me here?
“Clyde was trying to do you a favor,” Jacinth said, as though reading Theo’s mind. “He himself prefers to be on his own most of the time.”
He seems the social type to me, Theo thought.
Jacinth had them standing far off to the edge of Camp, mostly hidden by a tight clump of evil looking plants that twisted and tangled in a heap. Little, slender dragons wove in and out of the thicket, easily steering around the thorns that stood in their way. Theo watched them as they went.
“You may want to consider giving yourself a new name,” Jacinth told her.
“Why?” Theo asked.
“Well, for one thing,” Jacinth explained, “you’re a dragon now. Why not fit into our customs? Secondly, if you choose to stick with Theora, you’ll have to explain yourself repeatedly to each and every dragon.”
“You don’t understand,” Theo conveyed. “I can’t stay a dragon! I am a Princess. I have responsibilities.”
“A princess?” Jacinth questioned.
Clyde wasn’t lying, Theo realized.
“Yes, I am the daughter of the king,” Theo reworded for her. “And the king is the ruler of thousands.”
“I see,” Jacinth replied. “You must be important to the humans, then.”
“Very,” Theo breathed, glad that Jacinth understood. “So it’s important that I get back to them.”
“How?” Jacinth asked. “I am familiar with humans turning into dragons, but not the other way around. Does the Wizard have a solution?”
“Apparently he’s working on one,” Theo buried her head in the ground. “I can’t believe all this is because of a fruit! What does a firesap fruit even look like?”
“You’re right next to them,” Jacinth said, nodding to the plants in front of them. “These are the only firesap plants we know about, but we think there used to be many, many more. What have you heard about their fruit?”
“They heal dragons,” Theo sighed, trying to see as far into the tangled plants as she could. “And unfortunately by experience I know what they do to humans.” She spotted a firesap fruit deep within, hanging like a bell from its branch.
Its skin was orange, marked with scars and splotches of other colors like yellow, red, green, brown…About the size of a chicken’s egg, it started at the top as one point and ended in three. Theo guessed that the grooves running down it made the fruit easily divided into sections.
“Yes, but it doesn’t just turn humans into dragons,” Jacinth told her.
That caught Theo’s interest. “You mean it turns animals into dragons, too?”
“Well, we call them monigons instead of dragons, but yes.” Jacinth nodded.
Theo took a moment to think. That monigon she’d seen on the rooftops back at the castle was the perfect image of a reptilian cat. Narrow body, flicking tail, slanted eyes, daintily placed claws. It had the frame and behavior of a cat, but with reptilian modifications and additions.
“It makes sense now!” she breathed. All those different types of dragons, or monigons, she’d seen in her days- how greatly they varied in size and shape. She could see what each monigon used to be. Wyverns, with two wings and two legs, resembled birds. The pack of monigons the royal family used for hunting resembled hounds, built for speed and gifted with the sense for tracking.
The only thing that confused her was how different her dragon body was from her human body…Now, instead of balancing on two legs, she was forced to walk on all four. And though humans lacked wings and a tail, she now possessed them both.
Another question developed in Theo’s mind. “How are there so many monigons? Wouldn’t they only be found in this area where the firesap plants are? Are you sure there aren’t other firesap plants elsewhere?”
Jacinth shook her head, amused. “I’m quite confident that these are the only firesap plants. As I said, I have reason to believe that there used to be many more of these plants before. My guess is that there was a period of time when animals of all kinds gradually came to eat of the fruit and reaped the consequences. Then, those monigons reproduced and-”
“So they can reproduce?” Theo interrupted.
“Oh, yes. Dragons and monigons are very well developed.”
“I don’t understand…Why would a dog or a cat, or any animal that eats mostly meat want the firesap fruit?”
“The firesap plant is very tricky, as I’m sure you’ve gathered. I suppose it has its ways of making its fruit appealing to an unlikely crowd.”
Theo imagined all types of animals coming to eat of the firesap fruit. The thought of a bear monigon frightened her. What would that look like? Perhaps a huge, bulking mass like the beast in that one myth I’ve heard- a monster full of claws with flames blasting from its mouth…Wait…Breathing fire!
“Do dragons breathe fire?” she asked.
Jacinth smiled mischievously, then answered her by sprinkling the ground with sparks. Theo wanted to try picking them up, but all she could do was scratch at them.
“Want to see real fire?” Jacinth appealed to her, having Theo turn her head to the clearing. Jacinth breathed in and came out with flames that reached incredible lengths ahead of her. Blades of grass were singed as the hot, yellow light licked past them. Other dragons watched with obvious admiration. It was one of the most amazing things Theo had ever seen.
“Can I breathe fire?” Theo asked quietly, not wanting to look like an idiot by trying without knowing first.
“You could,” Jacinth answered pleasantly. “The last impressive thing I know about the firesap plant is what it got its name from. See that knot of amber there?”
Theo nodded. The branch which it clung to looked dry and cracked. Fresh sap oozed from the cracks onto the older, harder sap below.
“That sap, one lick and you’ll be breathing fire until the end of your life! I don’t know who figured that out, but I ought to thank him…or her, whichever it was.” Jacinth smiled.
Theo walked around the clump of plants, spotting multiple lumps of amber. One mound was so large it reached the ground and was the shape of a miniature mountain.
“Amazing,” Theo awed. “What happens when monigons lick it?”
Jacinth shifted uncomfortably. “Any monigon that licks or eats the firesap dies within a few days, sometimes less than that. It doesn’t happen very often, and we try to keep it that way by making sure there’s always an adult at Camp to keep watch.”
“What about a human? What would happen to them?” Theo pursued, eyeing the firesap with endless attraction.
“Probably the same thing,” Jacinth guessed. “I don’t think a human’s ever been quite that foolish.”
Theo looked back at Jacinth, wondering if there was an insult hidden in that last comment. She decided it didn’t matter anyway.
Just then, a group of dragons around Theo’s age intruded, curious and bright eyed. Theo pulled back ever so slightly, feeling her personal space was being invaded.
“Who are you?” one of the younger dragons asked, peering at Theo. Something about her reminded Theo of a nosey kitten.
Before Theo could think of what to answer, the dragons bombarded her with more questions.
“Are you a rogue dragon?” a greenish-grey male asked her. “Or are you a rogue dragon that wants to be a part of the Colony? Or does that ever even happen?”
“Did you wander far away as a hatchling and just now return?” another asked.
“Surely you’re too young to be a Cragerian?” a beige dragon insisted.
“My name is…” Theo started, pausing to think, and the group fell silent. I better give them a different name, she decided. Otherwise I’ll never hear the end of their questions. Quickly, she selected a word that she had always liked the sound of. “River.”
Immediately, the dragons let their other questions go unanswered, releasing upon Theo a new flood of comments.
“Oh, what a pretty name!” the beige one approved.
“Yes, good choice!” another agreed.
“I’m quite sure I’d considered that one for myself…” yet another spoke her mind.
Jacinth laughed, interrupting their endless chatter.
“Have mercy, you four!” she chaffed and Theo took note to thank her later, when she had the chance. “At least introduce yourselves before you scare her away.”
“My name is Larke,” the beige dragon said with a smile.
“Lichen!” the greenish-grey male declared.
Pika was the third to introduce herself. Her scales were a dusty brown.
The last was patterned black, white, and yellow. She presented her name to be Oriole.
Theo looked at them all. Their colors match whatever their names refer to, Theo observed, deciding it couldn’t possibly be a coincidence. They tried too hard, she judged.
Before the group’s prattling could start up again, Jacinth said she ought to show River around to the others. The four agreed enthusiastically, and Jacinth had to send them away before they’d actually leave them alone. Theo exhaled in deep relief as she and Jacinth left them behind.
“Sorry,” Jacinth apologized. “Most of us aren’t that obnoxious, I promise. Why don’t I introduce you to some of the males? They aren’t so excitable.”
“If you say so.” Theo prayed to Heaven that she was right.
Jacinth didn’t lie. She walked along giving Theo each male’s name, barely having to pause.
“This is Shale,” she said, stopping by a charcoal grey dragon. The dragon nodded to Theo in bored acknowledgement.
“Jackdaw…Waxwing…Auk…” They gave such little response that Theo gave up on greeting them vocally, which she didn’t mind at all.
“…and this is Cedar,” Jacinth finished, stopping by a raw umber colored dragon, having moved half across Camp. “I think that’s enough for today, would you agree?”
Theo nodded gratefully. I’ve already forgotten their names, anyway?
??
The two of them chose a spot of their own to settle. Theo took a liking to a shaded grass area while Jacinth lay on a rock not far away.
She noticed a couple of dragons nearby. One of them, a dark brown one, was badgering the other. “Jay, what’s with you?” he said. “You’re barely even listening to me! Who is that you’re too busy staring off at?” Theo blinked as she realized both of them were looking at her.
“Oh, I see,” the male growled. “You’d rather be talking to her, is that it? Fine. Go and see if she’ll even turn her ear to you.” He stalked away, leaving his sandstone colored friend alone.
Theo tried to look away, but she could sense his smitten gaze set on her. Uncomfortably, she attempted to distract herself, experimentally opening and closing her wings until she realized he was standing in front of her. She collapsed her wings against her side, unnerved.
“Hello,” she said hesitantly. “Is there something wrong?”
The male started and shifted his weight self-consciously. “Oh, um…” his voice wavered. “I just don’t rec-recognize you. What’s your n-name?”
“River.”
“Oh, th-that’s nice…I’m Jay. My friend behind me is Badger…” Awkwardly, he looked back, only to realize that his friend had left him a while ago. “Never mind,” he mumbled.
“Ho, there!” a loud voice called out and another male leapt to Jay’s side. Immediately, Jay took on a defeated look, staring at the ground.
The newcomer greeted Jay and then turned to Theo with a charismatic smile. Theo became even more uncomfortable.
“What is it we have here?” he asked, looking her up and down approvingly. He kept his wings slightly open so that they caught the sun, casting brilliant colors on the ground within his shadow like a stained glass window.
“Um…” Theo began, but just then Jacinth intervened.
“Greetings to you, Cobalt,” Jacinth said rather distastefully.
“Jacinth!” Cobalt responded, his smile broadening with endless charm. “Won’t you introduce me to your friend?”
“No, I think you have enough females at your heels,” Jacinth replied scornfully. To Theo, she said, “Do come, River.”
Theo followed without protest, more than happy to evade the others just as it was beginning to get dark.
Chapter 4