By Cynthia Wilfert
“Oof!” Thud.
Gideon paused mid-step and sighed. He turned back to find the man he’d been charged to protect sprawled in the dirt.
Gritting his teeth, Gideon grabbed Zeke by the arm and hauled him up. “Need another break?”
“No, no… Just tripped… I’m fine.” The younger man’s face was red, his breathing labored. “We must reach the valley.”
“So you’ve said,” Gideon muttered, watching the pudgy scholar trudge forward.
How Zeke had convinced the king of this foolish errand, Gideon would never know. They’d barely managed to sneak past the enemy encampment. Now, while his brothers-in-arms were fighting to save their kingdom, Gideon was trekking through the wilderness following this so-called prophet’s “vision” for their salvation.
“Remind me how this is going to save us all?”
“I don’t know, exactly,” Zeke huffed. “I just do as Elohim commands.”
Gideon scoffed. “Right. Elohim.”
“You don’t believe?”
“In an ancient Creator God? Sure. That he still cares what happens to us?” Gideon shook his head. “He abandoned us when the dragons died.”
The dragons had served Elohim and protected His chosen people. The kingdom had been safe throughout the dragon age; no army could stand against them. But the decades since had been fraught with violence. At this point, it would take a miracle to avoid total destruction.
Zeke frowned. “If that’s how you feel, why did you come on this quest?”
“Because I follow orders,” Gideon snapped. In truth, he’d initially been proud to be chosen for a “crucial” mission. He just hadn’t realized how much faith would be involved.
Gideon stalked ahead. They hiked on in silence until they finally crested the ridge.
Ossa Valley spread out before them. It was a desolate place. Nature had begun to reclaim it with rough underbrush and struggling saplings, but it couldn’t erase the evidence of catastrophe.
The ground was littered with gargantuan skeletal remains. Skulls the size of carriages, rib cages larger than most homes in the lower town. Barren bones, as far as the eye could see.
The last remains of the dragons.
“Wow,” Zeke breathed.
“You’ve never been here?” As a boy, Gideon had trekked to the valley with friends. It was a rite of passage. He remembered feeling awed at the size of the bones, caught up in fantastical tales of the creatures that died out long before his birth. It had seemed like a magical place.
Now, he saw it for what it was. A graveyard. It represented the death of hope.
“Never.” Zeke coughed. “I was a sickly child. Spent most of my time studying.”
Gideon rolled his eyes. “Well, we’re here now. What do you need? Is there some talisman buried in the dirt? Some elixir you can make from the bones?”
“I’m not a magician!”
Gideon threw up his hands. “Terrific. I can’t wait to see you perform deliverance by prophecy!”
Zeke recoiled and turned away. He took a deep breath, stepping closer to the cliff’s edge. He closed his eyes for a long moment, nodding, as if listening to something Gideon couldn’t hear. He cleared his throat, and screamed, “Bones, take heed!”
Gideon flinched, startled by the volume and the command.
He stared as Zeke stood tall and swept his hands toward the valley.
“Elohim says He will make you live again!” Zeke yelled.
He then ranted about flesh and muscles and resurrection.
After the surprise wore off, Gideon felt his blood pressure rising. He was wasting precious time on a mountaintop with a madman.
A sudden breeze wafted over them, but it did little to cool Gideon’s temper. “That’s great. You stay here and yell at the dead. I’m going home.”
He made it several yards back down the path, muttering about delusional prophets, before the breeze turned into a gust. Was a storm approaching?
He stopped. Zeke might be crazy, but Gideon was still responsible for his safety. He set his jaw and turned back, fighting the wind to get to the prophet’s side. Grit blew into his eyes. He scrubbed at them… and stared in shock.
A maelstrom had swept into the valley. Dirt and debris whipped up into a funnel cloud. Gideon gaped as it grew, bones swept up in its fury. “We must find cover!”
Zeke shook his head. “We’re supposed to be here!”
Gideon threw down his pack and got a grip around Zeke’s waist, intending to drag him to safety. But the scene below froze him in his tracks.
The bones met in the air, connecting. Forming shapes.
Gideon’s eyes followed one particular set as it formed into a ridged sail, then flipped onto its side.
Not a sail. A wing.
Surely the dirt in his eyes was making him see things, because he’d swear tissue was forming over the bones.
He tore his gaze from the wing to take in the whole picture. Multiple enormous bodies were coming together. He was sure he glimpsed organs—massive hearts, kidneys, lungs—before they were covered. And then the skin appeared, stretching over each creature. Scales glistened.
When the wind finally calmed, they stood facing seven dragons.
Gideon found he was still clinging to Zeke, more to keep himself upright than to offer protection. He couldn’t let go.
Zeke swallowed hard but stood firm. He again closed his eyes, listened, and spoke. “Wind, breathe into these creatures!”
Air whooshed past the two men, rushing to the dragons. Their tremendous chests expanded. Wings flapped, smoke puffed from nostrils… and eyes opened.
Gideon’s jaw dropped. “How did you…”
Zeke gave a shaky smile. “Not me. I’m just the messenger.”
One of the dragons approached, lowering its colossal head.
Gideon remembered his duty and stepped in front of Zeke.
“It’s okay. They’re our allies!”
Intelligence glowed in the huge eyes. The dragon winked at them and turned, offering a wing.
Zeke laughed. “Why take the long way home?” He clambered aboard.
Might as well ride into battle on wings of victory. Gideon took a deep breath, swallowed his pride, and followed.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I was immediately gripped by the story and didn’t want it to end! Great writing!!!!
Thank you! I appreciate you reading and am so grateful for the compliment!
Wow I loved this! It’s a great story on all its own, but I definitely got biblical vibes—Gideon’s doubt and faith, Ezekiel and the dry bones. I love the part where the newly formed dragon winks at Gideon and Zeke :)
Thank you, Tracy! Yes, this is definitely Biblically-inspired. :) I had fun reimagining a favorite Bible story with dragons. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for commenting!
What a wonderful and awe inspiring story with such an inspirational ending. Thank you Cindy for providing a reminder of how fortunate we are to have our faith and future because of it.
Thank you, Marquetta! I’m so grateful for your encouragement. :)
Yet another wonderful piece from a truly gifted writer!
Thank you so much! :)
WOW!
Cindy keeps getting better with age. Fantastic story. So proud of you.
Thank you!
This was great and so timely since tonight is Rosh Hashanah at sundown and the song “Days of Elijah” is always sung on CBN.
You are a very gifted writer!
Thank you, Millie!
what a wonder-full interpretation of the valley of dry bones!
Thank you, Laurie! I had fun giving a favorite Biblical story a fantasy spin. :)
Cindy, you are an amazing writer. I like how quickly you develop the characters in this story. I have enjoyed each of your stories.
Thank you, Maleah! I’m so grateful for your encouragement.
Enjoyed the short story and it kept me involved from the beginning until the end. I’m always impressed with Cindy’s writing skills and how she immediately gets you involved with each character. Definitely a good short story!
Thank you, Lori! I have fun getting to know my characters and I’m glad you enjoyed them, too. :)
I loved it!!!
Great story and chemistry between the pair. I could see Gideon and Zeke adventuring together for years in future… (hint, hint! 😉)
Thank you, Rose! Yes, further adventures might be fun, especially now that the kingdom has dragons again … I’ll have to ponder that for a while. :)
A really intriguing story! As others said, I appreciated the parallels with Ezekiel, and I thought Gideon’s deism was interesting – you don’t see a lot of that in Christian fantasy!
But even more so, I was drawn to the hints of more to come or more that came before. A previous dragon age, followed by a new one? What wiped out the dragons the first time? And how long will these new dragons last? I’m going to be mulling this story over for a while!
Thank you, Ryan! I appreciate your thoughtful feedback. And I’m glad this little snapshot made you ponder the larger story. I often find with writing flash fiction that my mind is spinning a much deeper, broader story, and I’m just plucking out the most important bits for the immediate short tale. It’s gratifying to hear that my readers are imagining that bigger world with me!
“Can these dry bones live…” Great story idea!
Really cool reimagining of this story! Interesting setting, and DRAGONS! Always fun. Well done.