By Jess Welker
A woman strode into the dragon stable beside the stadium, then paused in the stone building’s dim light because a young girl stood in front of the stall containing a Tenebrous dragon. Warily, the woman advanced.
The girl startled. “I didn’t think anyone was around.” She crossed her hands and tugged at the hems of both sleeves of her dress.
The woman peered into the stall’s cave-like darkness. Shadowy black scales rose and fell as the animal breathed the steady breaths of sleep, so she faced the unknown girl.
“Isn’t he beautiful?” the girl asked. Her fingers traced a fissure in the stone wall. “And he’s the gentlest flyer. You wouldn’t guess he’s an absolute beast in the races.”
The woman studied the girl’s gaze, wistful and naïve, a feeling she recognized from her own youth. “Doesn’t the dragon rider Nightsun also have a Tenebrous?”
“Have you been to many races? Have you met Nightsun?”
“Not face to face,” the woman admitted.
With a sigh, the girl said, “You’re right. She does.” Shrewd eyes turned to the woman. “But Nightsun and her dragon haven’t arrived yet. Would you like to pet him?”
Eyeing the sleeping dragon, the woman hesitated. “He might not allow a stranger near.”
“You don’t have to be afraid.” The girl slid open the stall door.
Mentally calculating the risk of dragon teeth against human dreams, the woman stepped inside first. She crossed the yellow straw to the dragon’s side and laid a hand on his scales. If it was possible that dragons retained consciousness even while napping, he relaxed at her touch.
Short, shallow breaths issued from the girl hovering behind the woman. “He likes you.”
“He’s asleep,” the woman demurred. She kept her hand in place, alert to the slightest shiver that would warn of a waking dragon.
The girl reached out and lightly touched the dragon’s neck. She whispered, “Dragons are the loveliest creatures in the world.”
But the woman, glancing down at the claws curling around the dragon’s feet, would have selected a different superlative. Fiercest, maybe, or most awesome. The stories told of Nightsun’s famous dragon would have listeners believe that every Tenebrous was unpredictable and aggressive. “I remember seeing my first fire show when I was a little younger than you.”
“Didn’t that thrill you?” Giddiness carried her voice higher. “Didn’t you ever try to become a dragon rider?”
The woman sought the words that would pull the girl down to reality. “My parents were adamant that I finish school. They were right, of course. After that, well, keeping a dragon can be expensive, besides all the work to care for one on top of raising a family.”
With a sigh, the dragon shifted, tucking his legs under himself. Together, the woman and the girl backed out of the stall and closed the door.
“I’ll see if I can get a free ticket for the next show,” the girl boasted. “Then you can watch my dragon and me in action.”
“I would like to see you on a dragon sometime.” The woman laid a firm hand on the girl’s shoulder. “When will you graduate school? Maybe I can help—”
A man shouted from the other end of the stable, “You there! You scamp! Get out of here!”
The woman and the girl turned toward the bellowing newcomer. Behind them straw rustled. When they faced the dragon again, his serpentine neck arched above them, and a golden eye glinted.
“You, girl!” The man stomped toward them. “I told you the next time I caught you trespassing would be the last. You’re coming with me.”
As if she possessed the wings of her desired dragon, the girl fled the shadowy stable to the afternoon light outside.
After a few jogging steps in pursuit, the man clutched his side and waved his hand in defeat. Shaking his head, he muttered, “Foolish kids don’t realize how snappish some of these high-strung animals can be.” He eyed the dragon’s sharp dentition, which flashed in a wakeful snarl.
The woman chided the dragon with a strong pat on the neck. “I was with her the whole time. No one was going to hurt anyone else.”
“Nevertheless,” the man said, “I was hired to watch over the dragons, and that’s what I intend to do. Back to my post. Let me know if you need anything, Nightsun.”
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Ooh, clever… I had to read it a second time! Very well written!
This was great! Your twist caught me by surprise in a good way. :)