By Teisha Rowland
I scrambled up the jagged mountainside, the indifferent wind numbing my face. Why don’t dragons prefer tropical islands?
The thought of my bedridden mother and hungry siblings spurred me onward. Just a few gold coins from the dragon’s treasure. Easy in, easy out.
I glanced down at the valley. Our dwindling flock of sheep dotted the browning fields like a disappointing lack of mini marshmallows in a hot cocoa mug. I didn’t blame the farmers for vacating; it’s hard being a peasant.
Overcoming the last rocks, I came face-to-face with the cave’s yawning, stalactite-fanged, ruinous mouth.
I crept softly inside, stumbled in the darkness, and flopped right onto a heap of cold metallic coins and polished jewels that tinkled around me. What kinds of things do dragons buy?
More gold cascaded from above and I looked up—into two ember-like eyes, boring into mine.
“Dragons don’t buy anything, girl.” The dragon answered, apparently reading my thoughts. Its immense serpentine body sprawled languidly across its treasure, which matched its golden scales. “We take.” An inner blaze illuminated its mouth, and smoke curled up from between teeth sharper than my mother’s tongue.
“Then why all the gold?” Beneath me lay an unfathomable fortune, but I remained still under the dragon’s gaze. “What’s the point if you don’t spend it?”
“The point is the having. Or, that’s how it used to be.” The dragon sighed. “In exchange for a few coins, every day I try to avoid eating any of you pathetic peasants.” It huffed. “There’s no appreciation.”
“The fields dried up and the farmers left!” I rose to my feet.
“What am I supposed to do about that?” Its roar echoed, amplified by the cave’s walls.
“You could… carry water, or, or… make a reservoir?” I stepped back, my resolve wavering.
“Oh, I’m a civil engineer now, am I?” Flames licked the unmerciful teeth.
“You ate our sheep!” I blurted, then covered my mouth. Too late.
“Only the sick or old ones!”
I pondered this. The dragon was actually right.
“You see! And nobody says, ‘Oh, I’m so glad the dragon ate my sick sheep instead of my son.’ No appreciation,” it repeated. “It’s not easy being at the top. Lonely too.”
The dragon shifted, scattering coins just beyond my reach. “You planned to steal my treasure? Speak the truth; your thoughts are an open book to me…”
“No… just some coins…” For my declining mother and hungry little brothers and sisters.
“Ah… How noble.” The dragon sneered. “But it doesn’t matter. Nobody takes just a few coins. It’s always the entire treasure.”
“Why?”
“Because of this.” It outstretched a claw with a golden band.
“You could have all this gold and more,” a voice buzzed inside my head.
“When I claimed this treasure, the dragon told me it was cursed, that I’d end up like Fafnir, whoever that was. But I took it anyway. The ring helped me find more. The more my fortune grew, the more I wanted, thinking only of myself. And then I forgot…” Its gaze momentarily unfocused. “I forgot… why I’d wanted the gold. Who was I? I think I had a family once, a house, children…” Its voice trailed off.
“Can you return to them?” Poor dragon; it suddenly reminded me of our senile sheep that went astray.
The dragon shook its head. “It’s too late for me. Maybe with you it’ll be different.” Straining, the dragon pulled the ring off and dropped it between the gold and me. “I liked your thought; why not go somewhere tropical? Maybe they’ll appreciate dragons there.” It lumbered to the entrance, then paused. “Remember what is precious to you.” It flapped its enormous leathery wings and was gone.
I gaped, dumbfounded. It just left! The entire treasure was mine.
The golden band thrummed compellingly. Grinning ear-to-ear, I snatched the ring up and slipped it on.
Heat tore through my body. My limbs stretched, sprouting yellow scales. My thickened skull shattered stalactites, while the treasure disappeared beneath my sinuous belly and tail. Wings erupted from my shoulders, scattering coins. My coins; my treasure.
“You need more gold.”
I had a nagging feeling. Was I forgetting something?
“No; you have your treasure, the gold. That’s all that matters.”
My own inner voice whispered: My mother. My family.
I screamed—roared—nearly deafening myself. I clawed off the ring.
I was myself again. Had I imagined being a dragon?
The ring vibrated on the floor. “Put me back on! You need more gold! All the gold!” It raged in my head.
I scowled down at the ring. “You picked the wrong big sister to boss around.”
Concentrating on my true valuables—my family, our flock, even the neighboring peasants—I slipped the ring on.
The transformation came faster, but I was ready.
“You serve me now,” the ring spoke in my mind.
“No.” Smoke escaped between my fangs. “Gold is meant to serve people. Otherwise, it has no value. You serve me now.”
“Who’s that?” the dirt-encrusted farmer asked, pointing at the portrait above the shop’s counter.
“Oh, that’s my great-grandmother,” the young woman tending the store replied. “She learned how to tame the dragon. After it built the reservoir, it imported hardy sheep and has helped everyone ever since. By investing some treasure with compound interest, we founded our charity here, Save the Peasants.”
“Wow, amazing. Could the dragon do a special delivery?” the farmer asked, leaning closer.
“What’d you have in mind?” She warily rubbed her shoulders.
“Well, there’s this barn…”
“A whole barn?”
The man nodded eagerly, dust floating off his shirt. We need it; ours fell apart.
“Your family breaks the curse through generosity, and I’m reduced to enabling menial labor—charitable works! Wish I’d been lost forever.”
Hush.
“Yes, it can! Luckily the secret of taming the dragon was passed down through our generations.” She pulled out a request form. On her necklace, a simple golden ring buzzed indignantly, like an impotent hornet throwing a tantrum.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
About time one of those enchanted items got its comeuppance!
Completely! Thanks for taking the time to check out my story.
I did a double-take and said to my daughter, “Someone else has my name!” ;-) I really like the twist on it, very cool ending!
Hello, fellow Teisha! My family is similarly amazed to see another one of us! My mother made up my name (apparently before it was the cool thing to do). Thanks for reading my story; glad you enjoyed it!
My mom came across a book called Tisha and my folks decided to add an e to it. I’m OK with being named after a book though! Very cool to “meet” you!
You have such a way with words! The impotent hornet from the last line really made me laugh 😂 ‘Oh, I’m so glad the dragon ate my sick sheep instead of my son.’ So funny!
Thanks so much and I’m glad you enjoyed it! I had fun writing it. I think we need more stories with self-entitled mythical creatures :)
I nice twist on the dragon treasure.
Thank you, Alex — I’m glad you enjoyed reading it! Have to try a twist to make it acceptable for Wacky Wednesday!
“Our dwindling flock of sheep dotted the browning fields like a disappointing lack of mini marshmallows in a hot cocoa mug.” Great line! Great story! I loved the unique twist on dragons!
:D Yes, I had fun with that line (and special thanks to the Havok editors for helping polish it)! Whenever a story can invoke mini marshmallows it’s a win in my book. So glad you enjoyed the story and the different spin on the Fafnir myths. Thanks for reading!
What a fantastic read! I absolutely love the twist!
Bit late here, but thanks so much for your positive comments and support! Was fun writing this. Possibly creating a novel around the idea now. 😁
Love this description: “dwindling flock of sheep dotted the browning fields like a disappointing lack of mini marshmallows in a hot cocoa mug”.
Also really like how she fought temptation and used the dragon to help the village. Great story!
Thanks so much, DJ. May your hot cocoa always have abundant marshmallows. 🔥😊 Apologies for the delayed response; I’m working on developing a novel around this idea now, and just revisiting comments. Hope you have been well.
THIS. WAS. AWESOME!!!
Count this one on my list of faves for the month!
Thank you so much, Rose! Really appreciate the praise (even if I’m getting back to this two years late). Working on developing a novel around this piece now. Hope you have been well!