A Short story by Joel Dawn

Long ago, when dragons roamed the land, there was a kingdom where humans prospered. They had times of peace and times of war, but these were the petty affairs of humankind and the dragons above paid no attention to such trivial matters.

On the highest mountain in this kingdom, an elder dragon made his roost for hundreds of years. One fateful night, a daring adventurer scaled this mountain and climbed his way to the top where he drew his blade against the elder dragon. It was a long and fierce battle, but eventually the dragon was slain, fallen victim to the adventurer.

The adventurer claimed the horn of the dragon as his prize and sounded it from the mountainside, shaking the very core of the earth, signifying that he had conquered the great beast. After crafting armor from the dragon's bones and a helmet from its skull, the man journeyed back down the mountain and rejoined his kingdom. Having completed his quest, he returned victoriously laying claim to the throne. He was the new king of the humans, the slayer of dragonkind.

For many years after, peace reigned and no dragon harmed the kingdom. All feared the king who proudly bore the bones of their ancestor as his trophies. Even other humans were too cowardly to approach a king with such massive power. Rumors began that the king was an immortal, further cementing his standing in the world.

* * *

However, unknown to the king, his slaying of the dragon had already gained him three eternal foes—the offspring of the dragon he had killed. The roost was not empty on that fateful night. Before the warrior had even set foot on the mountaintop, the elder dragon was already worn out from its effort to hide its younglings, instructing them not to make a sound and not to leave until they heard the roar of victory. When the horn of the dragon sounded out across the world, the younglings peeked from their hiding spot only to see their father laid slain. The great and powerful dragon they had known was weakened in its valiant effort to save its young and was overpowered by the human who had challenged him. They remained hidden within the nest for three days and three nights before finally leaving their place of hiding to properly mourn their lost parent. Shaken and vulnerable, the younglings refused to leave the safety of their nest and remained closed off from the outside world.

After ten years, the young dragons set out from their nest at long last. Though they were still whelps, they grew ever closer to adulthood, and now had only to prove themselves. The three brother dragons formed a triangle, and each looked toward the sky and let out a howl of fire to form an oath.

The eldest of the three dragons spoke. “Ten years ago, our father was taken from us by the humans. Ever since, we’ve had only ourselves to rely on and through our hardships have grown strong, tougher than any other dragons. Our kind have grown slaves to our fear, fear of this human king who wears the skull and bones of our dear father.”

His brothers each looked down, and the youngest whimpered.

The eldest dragon continued, “We each have yet to prove ourselves true dragons. We are still but whelps in the eyes of the world. With this oath, we have sworn to undertake a quest—a rite of passage into dragonhood. We shall purify our dragon blood by spilling the blood of the human's dreaded king. With this oath, we shall free dragonkind from the clutches of human adventurers who have since been inspired by our father’s murder to claim more of our lands for humankind.”

Now the middle dragon spoke, steam hissing from his nostrils. “We will need help. As we are now, we are no match for the human champion. However, I accept the oath. We will avenge our father.”

After him came the youngest. “I, too, will keep the oath and will become a great dragon!” He nodded his great, scaly head to emphasize his confidence. “As for help, perhaps we should visit our uncle, the blue dragon. In his prime, he was said to be the greatest dragon of our time.”

“We would have to travel to the north, through the frozen wasteland to reach him, but since we have no other lead, then I think it is a good idea.” The eldest seemed satisfied. Then he scratched his chin with his front claw in thought. “Actually, why don't you visit him? We should split up, each on his own path to avenge our father. In three years, we shall meet here to see how much we have grown.”

“Where then should I go?” asked the middle brother.

“If one of us ventures north, and our final goal lies in the south, then that leaves only the west and east,” replied the eldest.

“An unknown destination, other than the direction,” marveled the middle brother. “Sounds exciting. I shall take the east.”

“Then it is settled. I shall take the west, you the east, and our wet-nosed brother the north,” the eldest concluded.

“Wet nose?” the youngest pouted.

“You are still the most like a whelp of the three of us,” the eldest chuckled. “You still shed tears even after all these years. Our father was a great dragon and a great loss to us, but we must show no sign of weakness. Among each other, we can trust our deepest feelings of sentiment, but on the field of battle, you must show only true strength.”

The youngest simply nodded, taking the reprimand seriously.

“We shall meet again in three years, brothers,” the eldest declared. “Good luck and grow strong.” With that said, the eldest spread his wings and soared into the distance, heading westward. The middle brother too departed but to the east. Finally, the youngest headed north, but his young wings were not yet ready for long flights and he soon crashed into the snow. Undeterred, he sought direction from the North star and continued his trek on foot.

* * *

In time, the eldest found himself soaring over the western land. Below him were many trees, and it was hard to determine what could be under the mass of greenery. Still, he knew something big must be ahead. He could see the trees shake and quiver from movement through the woods.

Before he could look much further, he was suddenly blindsided by a sharp pain in his wing. An arrow had struck him. He gave a howl and began to turn around, looking down to find his foe. Instead of spotting his enemy, he found many more arrows heading straight for him. Losing control, he fell downward, crashing into the trees below and falling unconscious.

Three nights later, the dragon awoke. He slowly opened his eyes and glanced around carefully, unsure where he was or what had happened since he fell from the sky. He saw no trees, only rock.

“Someone must have seized me then,” the dragon thought to himself. “What an embarrassment! Barely into my journey, and I have already been captured. I hope my brothers are faring better than me.”

A rough voice spoke, interrupting the dragon's train of thought, “Oh, so you finally woke up?” The dragon instinctively turned his head and saw a large beast standing over him. This beast was huge, the dragon was only the size of its paw in comparison. It was orange like fire but had black stripes over it as well. It was a tiger. “I am called the Great Tiger of the West, guardian of the woods,” he introduced himself. “Now I ask, who are you, strange reptile? Friend or foe?”

“I am a dragon, the eldest son of the great wyrm that was slain by the dreaded lord of the humans,” the dragon replied. “I have no qualms with you, I'd like to call you friend.”

The tiger growled at the mention of humans. “A friend, indeed. An enemy of the humans is always a friend of mine.”

“Even such a great beast as you fears them?” the dragon asked.

“I fear none,” the tiger answered with a low growl. “But it would be considered foolish even for me to fight them. The humans are barbaric. They destroy without thought of the consequences. Their own ignorance is the very core of their dangerousness.”

“What do you mean?” The eldest was curious.

The tiger turned around and began to head outside. He looked back at the dragon and motioned for him to follow with a fierce look in his eyes. Immediately, the dragon obeyed and followed the tiger to the cave entrance.

Beyond the cave was the forest once more, but unlike the forest he saw from the skies, this one was withered and ruined. Tree trunks were scatted on the ground, long dead. Many stumps remained, leaving only memories of what once stood tall and proud. Much of the land was scorched as well.

“Humans have slashed and burned this land.” The tiger spoke softly, with a hint of sadness in his voice, “All the life that was in the land has since fled. I am all that remains, and it is my job to protect what little forest remains.”

He turned to the dragon with the utmost seriousness. “Your coming here must be the work of fate, whelp.” The tiger sat down and continued on. “The dreaded lord of the humans has sent his men here in order to get wood and to construct fortifications and weapons such as those that pierced you and made you fall from the sky. They would have hunted you and killed you had I not scared them off and protected you. Now I ask for nothing in return, but I do have a proposal that I think could benefit us both. Why don't you help me protect the forest? With me roaming the ground and you patrolling the skies, we would make an excellent team. In return, you would also weaken your enemy. Without wood, his people will begin to falter, unable to fortify their cities and build their weapons.”

The eldest listened carefully and thought over the tiger's words. He made a lot of sense, but there was still something missing. “I would be honored to help you, Great Tiger of the West,” the eldest replied. “But tell me, is there a way to heal the land the humans have ruined?”

The tiger chuckled. “You are nobler than I have thought, young dragon.” He grinned. “There is a way, but it is dangerous—hence, I never brought it up. But if you are so determined, then I'd forever be in your debt.”

“I wish to heal this land,” the eldest confirmed. “Please tell me how.”

“Very well,” the tiger answered back. “Further west is a huge tree that towers over the rest of the forest. Every hundred, years it drops the seed of life, which can replant an entire forest. Find this seed, and it can be done.”

“What’s so dangerous about that?” The eldest was skeptical.

“This tree was corrupted by the humans. A human ate a forbidden fruit and now watches over the tree. In his jealousy, he won't allow anyone near it.”

“I'm not afraid of any human,” the dragon boasted. “I can beat him.”

Once again, the tiger chuckled. “Perhaps in time, but for now, you still have training to do. This is no ordinary human. This fruit made him grow as tall as the tree itself. He is called the Giant of the West. You’d be as harmless as a flea to him—even I cannot best him.”

The dragon growled and looked down in frustration. “Then what am I to do?”

“You have two years until the seed spawns,” the tiger remarked. “I will teach you all I can within this time, and if you pass all of my training, I have a gift to bestow on you that I believe can help; a golden apple from that very tree. I have no idea what power may lie within it, but if you are willing to take the risk, it shall be yours in two years’ time.”

Having found his quest, the eldest eagerly accepted the training. Each day, he would train with the tiger and together they would set out to battle the humans wherever they sought to invade and plunder the waning forest. After two years, the eldest grew much stronger and larger—three times the size he was before. Now he was able to stand as tall as a good portion of the tiger's leg, rather than just its paw. At the end of his training, he was presented with the golden apple, and without hesitation, the eldest took a large bite. There did not seem to be any effect however.

“Perhaps the gift will be realized in time,” the tiger suggested.

The eldest shrugged his wings. “It does not matter. The seed shall spawn, and I will be there to seize it. I won't let anything stop me! Goodbye, tiger sage. It was an honor to train under you. I swear to you that the forest will be returned. I will not die here—I must yet return to my brothers in one year!” He spread his wings and took off to the west.

Before long, the eldest dragon spotted the large Tree of Life in the distance. Sure enough, there was a massive figure leaning against it. The dragon pressed on fearlessly and was soon within reach of the tree. The giant had long seen the dragon approaching and risen from his resting spot. When he stood up, he towered above the tree. The giant was a gruesome human. His teeth were crooked and rotten, his hair and nails long and untrimmed. Within his hands, he grasped the trunk of another great tree, resting it over his shoulder like a club.

A crooked grin of yellow teeth mocked the dragon, eager for a battle. The giant readied his club, rearing back before swinging it at the dragon who flew toward him. However, the dragon instinctively dove downward, dodging the blow. Swiftly, he quickly launched himself back up and let out a breath of fire to scorch the giant's skin. No scream of agony came, rather the giant seemed unfazed and merely prepared to strike again. His club missed once more. Now the dragon headed for the giant's face and prepared his claws and teeth to dig into the human's flesh.

"Giant or not, he’s still a human, and humans can bleed," the dragon thought. However, to his surprise, the giant simply turned toward the dragon and opened his own disgusting mouth, chomping his yellow teeth down in an attempt to crush the dragon in his own jaws. Instead, the giant’s yellow teeth shattered and he cried out in pain as the dragon flew out of his foul mouth.

The eldest dragon had turned to solid gold, and his hardness had broken the giant's teeth like glass. Taking advantage of the giant's agony, the dragon slipped around him and grabbed the growing seed instead. With the seed in his enormous talons, he flew eastward back toward the ruined forest. He left the giant alone, seeing no point in torturing the human beast any further.

Soon, the dragon was soaring above the ruined woods. He cracked opened the seed with his claws and sprinkled the dust within over the forest. Before his eyes, a whole new forest sprouted instantly and the land was restored with renewed greenery. Overjoyed at his success, the dragon named itself protector of the west and spent the remainder of the year striking fear into the hearts of the humans in order to preserve the new life he created. After a year however, he turned the work back over to his old mentor, the tiger, and set out on a final journey—to reunite with his brothers.

* * *

During the three years that the eldest dragon met the tiger sage and restored the ruined forest, his brother, the middle child of the dragon whelps, lived his own great tale. This dragon soared to the east, which was a land of clouds and mountains. There was said to be wise old hermit that resided at the top of the heavens in the east, and so the dragon flew to every mountaintop looking for this great sage.

While he flew around, the clouds above grew dark and a great storm began that hindered any further movement. Forced to land, the dragon narrowly avoided several strikes of lightning and perched himself atop the nearest mountain. The wind too was fierce, shaking the very earth itself. The dragon scanned his surroundings and noticed a nest of eggs on top of some rocks. They were not well protected from the wind, and bits and pieces of the nest began to fly off, carried by the storm. Eventually, enough of the nest eroded away that the eggs rolled onto the rocks and started to head off the cliffs.

Concerned, the dragon forgot his own safety and leapt toward the edge to catch the eggs just before they fell. He was about to return them to the nest, but the storm had already completely blown it away. Instead, the dragon curled into a ball in the rocks and tucked the eggs in between his belly and tail so that they would remain safe. He was heavy enough not to be in any danger of falling from the storm and so he soon drifted off to sleep protecting the eggs.

Bright rays of sun shone down him on the next morning and stirred the young dragon awake. He looked up and noticed the sky was now mostly clear. A few clouds remained, but they were white rather than dark. Suddenly he remembered the eggs, and he looked down to make sure they were still safe. He moved his tail aside to take a look, but to his surprise, the eggs were all seemingly cracked and broken. Grief-stricken, the dragon let out a small howling cry of sadness.

Several bird calls answered the dragon’s cry, and three baby chicks hopped onto his back. “The eggs weren't broken—they hatched!” the dragon realized as he greeted the young birds.

“You saved us!” chirped one of the birds.

“Yeah, you're a hero!” chimed in another.

The birds hopped around the dragon, singing happily.

“It was nothing,” the dragon responded and settled in to enjoy their cheerful singing.

Suddenly the sky grew dark once more, but ignorant to the change, the birds continued singing. Concerned, the dragon looked up. This time it wasn't clouds but a large shadow cast over the mountain. A great bird descended from the skies above. It was as wide as the mountain itself, and its shadow stretched across land, creating the illusion of nightfall. As it spoke, the very mountains themselves shook.

“Who are you, stranger, and why have you come to this land?” the great bird asked.

Now the newborn chicks fell silent and looked to the dragon as if they were curious too. The dragon did not flinch and kept calm as he answered, “I am the middle brother of three dragons. We each set out on a quest to grow stronger so that we may avenge our father and reclaim our land from humanfolk. We plan to defeat the dreaded king of the humans, slayer of our kind. I have heard there was a hermit sage in the mountains, and so I have come seeking his wisdom.”

The great bird suddenly vanished in a flash of lightning, and booms of thunder echoed in his place. In that spot now appeared a smaller version of the bird who had towered over them. “I am the sage,” she introduced herself. Her voice was now soft and feminine. “I watched you guard my children, and for this, I am in your debt. I leave my nests below, where it is safe from heavy winds, but the humans have recently invaded my land and begun to endanger my eggs. All the more reason for me to aid you. Tell me, dragon, do you have any musical talent?”

The dragon shook his head.

“Well then, I could teach you a song I know, but it would take three years to master,” she suggested. “Is that alright with you?”

“Perfect,” the dragon eagerly responded. “I have three years before I meet my brothers again. Please teach me, great sage. I will be your student. What is your song?”

The bird laughed. “So eager to learn before you even know the truth of my offering. I admire that. I will teach you the song of storms. With this song, you can call upon great winds or lightning. The nature of the heavens themselves will be on your side.”

“Ha! My brothers will be very jealous of such a power!” The dragon swelled with excitement. “Well then, let's begin immediately!” And so, the middle brother practiced the song every day for three years. Within the first two years, he showed great talent, but it was the third when he completely mastered the song. He could sing better than even his teacher, summoning storms much stronger. On his final day, as a parting gift for his teacher, he summoned such a great wind that it blew all the humans out of the footholds of the mountains. The eastern land was returned back to the birds in one terrible gust. His quest complete, the middle brother set out to meet his three brothers, certain he was now the strongest.

* * *

However, before telling the tale of the brothers' reunion, there is still one last brother who had a quest to complete. At the beginning of those three years, the youngest dragon headed north to meet his uncle, the famous blue dragon—the strongest of all dragons. Unfortunately, this young whelp still had weak wings, and he could not fly the entire way. It took him several painstaking months to even reach the cavern where his uncle was said to reside.

To his dismay, the young whelp soon discovered a great battle had taken place at the cavern. He was greeted with the bones of his uncle, his skull severed from the rest of his skeleton, defeated in battle. Disheartened, the young whelp shrank back, unsure what to do. If his powerful uncle was defeated, what hope did he have? Doubt plagued his mind, and he turned to despair. He left the cavern and spent the next three days and three nights sleeplessly wandering the barren land of snow, brooding over his situation.

His stomach growled for food, and his body yearned for rest. He eventually came across a small human hut. He decided to enter, weariness overpowering his distrust for humans. An old woman was inside, with a crooked nose and a cackling laugh. In the middle of the room was a large cauldron, which she stirred and added an odd variety of mixtures to. She looked up at her reptilian guest and let out an amused cackle.

“It’s not often I have a dragon as a guest.” She grinned, showing off her rotten yellow teeth. “What brings you this way? Are you lost or something?”

“I came to the north to visit my uncle, only to discover he has perished.” The whelp frowned, shaking his head. “Likely at the hands of humans,” he added.

“Oh, the blue dragon?” the old woman asked, and the dragon confirmed. “Indeed, three human princes slayed him in order to earn the right to their father's throne. But never mind that, dear. If you came all this way on an empty stomach, surely you must be hungry and tired, hm?”

Once again, the dragon nodded. “Good!” She clapped her hands. “Then stay a while, and I will cook you up really good." She cackled once more. "I mean, I will cook you something up really good!”

In his drowsy state, the dragon did not realize this human woman was a witch—and one who planned to eat him! She plied him with an odd smelling drink, which the dragon kept drinking down without question. As he downed each cup, he only felt more and more thirsty. The world around him began to blur, and then all sounds faded away as the whelp's head hit the table. He was poisoned and fell dead.

His spirit departed to the underworld, the land of the dead. Everything was dark, shrouded in mist. He could hardly see a thing as he stumbled through a river, searching aimlessly. He eventually came to the river's end and encountered a large blue dragon lazily laying on its side. It was the spirit of his uncle.

“Young nephew, what brings you to this accursed place? This surely must be a dream, for you are far too young to have followed me here already,” the uncle called to the whelp.

The young dragon bowed his head and wept, “I was tricked, uncle. I was promised food and drink, and instead I met my death.”

“Dry your tears, whelp, they will not help you here,” the uncle scolded. “It was three human brothers that killed me. And it was the hateful human lord who killed your father, my brother! Why then would you trust the humans? They are all evil and bring only death and ruin.”

“There are good dragons and bad. I thought humans might be the same,” the young dragon responded.

His uncle erupted in laughter. “Ha! After all that's happened, you believe such? Well..." he paused, lost in thought. "Perhaps you may be right. But those who killed me, your father, and yourself are not the ones you'd want to show any kindness toward. Do not let yourself be fooled any longer. Believe what you want, but you'll only shame yourself and be tricked by a human again.”

“What do you mean ‘again’?” the whelp asked. “I am dead, I have no second chance.”

“There is a way out, but you must remember the words I have spoken to you or it will all be in vain,” the blue dragon commanded.

“A way out?” the young whelp repeated skeptically. “Then why are you still here?”

“Waiting for you, of course.” The blue dragon smirked. “The dragons of old told me you would come here, but I did not want to believe it, hence my surprise when you did. But now that their wisdom has been proven correct, I shall aid you in your quest. You cannot escape without the soul of another dragon, you see. One of the souls must be sacrificed in order to let the other leave this realm.”

“What?” The whelp shrank back, not wanting the task laid upon him. “I couldn't possibly leave knowing it would be ending your existence, uncle!”

The older blue dragon roared in laughter. “Then don't think of it that way, whelp! Instead, my soul shall join with yours, and I will watch over you and help you grow stronger! Besides, you have no choice in the matter. You must leave this place and join your brothers, just as you promised. They cannot defeat the human lord alone! Now, once my soul is yours, I can show you the rest of the way. Farewell, nephew!”

Without further warning, the blue dragon vanished into mist. This mist then circled around the youngling. Unable to control anything that was happening, the young dragon let out a roar, and suddenly the mist was absorbed into his body. He shook and shivered as he felt a chill run down his spine. Something had happened. He felt different—stronger. A cold breath echoed in his lungs. He let out a roar again and instead of fire, out came a breath of ice. His breath seemed to have lit up a pattern on the floor, as the panels below sparkled in icy cold mist. Seeing this as a sign of his uncle's guidance, the dragon followed this path downward as he ventured further into the depths of the underworld.

At long last, he came across a spiral staircase leading downward. He puffed out his chest bravely and descended. At the bottom of the stairs was a large well full of bright water. Beside the well was a human robed in black, his face obscured by a hood. The dragon silently approached the human sorcerer.

“Not many dragons find their way down here, whelp,” the human spoke with no emotion. “Do you know who I am?”

The dragon remained silent, his eyes fixed on the human, judging him coolly. Was he friend or foe? He remembered his uncle's advice and was determined not to be fooled again. He shook his head.

“I am the guardian of the underworld,” the human introduced himself. “No soul may leave this realm without my permission. There is only one way out: to drink from the well of eternity and become an immortal.”

“Then move aside so I can drink,” commanded the young whelp.

“My, my. A bold one, aren't you?” The guardian smirked. “If it was that easy, then my realm would be quite empty, wouldn't it? No, there is a cost for everything, young dragon whelp. You'd do well to remember that.”

“What is it you wish?” the dragon asked.

“You carry two souls. I feed on the souls of the dead to survive for my own immortality. Give me the soul of your uncle, and I shall grant you eternal life.”

“How can I be sure you will keep your end of the bargain?” The dragon was cautious.

“I am the guardian of the underworld, how can you not trust me?” The human frowned.

“If you have to ask, then you are not to be trusted,” the dragon replied.

“Hmph, then you will never leave this place!” the human hissed.

“You are a liar, human. If you were immortal, then you wouldn't need the souls of dragons to survive. I shall prove your lies with your death!” The dragon roared and shook the entire underworld with his ferocity. He leapt forward and wrapped his jaws around the human, swallowing him whole. Without further hesitation, the dragon stepped into the well of eternity and drank up the water of life.

Suddenly the world around him sharpened, as if coming into focus. All the mist faded away, and the dragon himself grew five times his former size, becoming a full-fledged adult. He had been dead for three years but was now reborn into a great dragon. Back in the realm of the living, the dragon let out a roar, once more shaking the very earth itself. Unused to the air of the world of the living, the dragon let out a sneeze and in an instant, a great blizzard plagued the north for several years. The witch's hut and the kingdom to the north that belonged to the slayers of his uncle all froze into a mass of ice, unable to resist the arctic storm.

Without further ado, the dragon turned his head to the south and headed back to his old nest, where he made a pledge with his brothers three years ago.

***

Later that evening, all three brothers gathered once more. The eldest was the first to arrive. He was a lot larger than before and was definitely no longer a whelp. His skin was made of solid gold, and his strength was extraordinary.

Next, the middle brother arrived. A great wind storm blew in with him and would have toppled the older brother over if he was not so heavy due to his golden nature. The middle brother silenced the breeze he flew in on and observed the oldest brother. While both had grown, the eldest was still evidently much stronger and larger. However, the middle brother thought his power to summon storms was much more devastating than anything the eldest could do.

Finally, the youngest brother arrived. Both of his older brothers stared at him in shock. He had changed so much and looked a lot like their uncle. The youngest brother too had become a rare blue dragon and was larger than his two elder brothers combined.

While the eldest had planned on delivering the speech, it was the youngest who took charge instead. The eldest gladly relinquished the role, seeing his brother was far too fierce to argue with.

The youngest looked between his two brothers with a solemn look. “Our uncle was killed by the humans as well,” he announced. “But worry not, I have already avenged him. Today is about our father and freeing all of dragonkind from their greed. I see that all three of us have grown into great dragons. Our father would be proud. But make no mistake, no matter what quests we have survived, a battle with the dreaded human lord will be hard fought and victory will not come easily. We cannot win this alone, only together. Do you agree?”

Each brother nodded his agreement.

“Good,” the youngest noted. “Now then, we each must have a lot to tell. It's been a long time. Let us talk the rest of the night away, then tomorrow we shall have our day of victory as we strike down the dreaded human lord.”

Each brother told the tale of how they went from a whelp to a full-fledged dragon. Each explained what new abilities they earned from their quest and impressed the others with tales of what they were now capable of. The spoke of their abilities at length, as they planned out how they could work together to defeat the human king. Eventually however, they all drifted to sleep, exhausted by their travels and the joy of reuniting once again.

When dawn came, all three brothers woke simultaneously. They were eager and ready for battle. They talked only a little then, as their plans had been made in great detail the night before. Soon, they flew off to the south toward the kingdom of the humans.

* * *

Hours later, three dragons soared above the castle. Panic struck the humans as warning bells tolled. They were long used to being protected by the great dragon slayer, their king. Until this moment, his reputation had been enough to ward off any kind of attack, dragon or human alike. It had been ages since the kingdom had seen any kind of invasion. Even the king was surprised, though he showed no fear nor did he take the threat seriously. “Let the archers shoot them from the skies,” he ordered with a shrug, watching the battle from his throne. He had a magic mirror through which he observed his kingdom—a prize, no doubt, from his days of adventuring.

By the king's command, an army of armored knights set out for the watch towers and the tops of the castle walls. Each knight drew a bow or crossbow and aimed for the dragons in the sky. “Shoot them down. They may be large, but that only makes them an easier target! They are still flesh, just like any human. They will fall!” The captain of the knights rallied his men, and the archers shouted in unison. Morale was high.

“Behind me, brothers. Not a single arrow can pierce my hide!” the eldest dragon boasted. His two younger siblings flew behind him. Arrows filled the sky, but just as the eldest proclaimed, not a single arrow was able to penetrate his golden scales. All of the arrows bounced off harmlessly.

The humans were reloading for another volley as the middle brother spoke, “Now let us use their own weapons against them!” He flew out from hiding and threw his head back as he began to sing lyrics in a tongue no human could understand. A slight breeze blew across the kingdom, growing more and more fierce. This was the song of storms. All of the loose arrows were picked up by the harsh winds, and the dragon directed the wind to drive the arrows straight back at the knights.

At first, panic struck the ranks of the knights. All orders fell on deaf ears as the first wave of knights were staggered by the barrage. There were so many arrows that they found flesh, despite the heavy armor the knights wore. Many of the soldiers fell dead, and the others were scattered. Those who remained finally heard their captain's orders to stand together and hold their shields as one.

But it was too late. Now the youngest dragon appeared directly above them. He tilted his head back and then thrust it forward with an ear-splitting roar. Icy mist erupted throughout the kingdom and froze everything it touched. All of the remaining knights and even the very walls of the kingdom were turned into solid ice. Only one figure remained—the king—who finally rose from his throne, most displeased.

He stepped outside of the castle and spoke so loudly that his voice echoed throughout the kingdom. His voice was dark, powerful and commanding. “For many years, none have dared to invade this kingdom. Who are you to think you can challenge me? You have already embarrassed me by getting this far. For this, I will never let you leave here alive, dragons.”

He pointed his great silver sword at the dragons above, then swung it toward them. The blade extended skyward. The youngest brother was the target and moved out of the way just in time. He looked up and saw the blade was still moving, realizing that he was not the intended target after all. The very heavens themselves were cut open and lightning struck from above, scorching all three brothers as they plummeted down to earth.

The blade withdrew, returning to the hilt, which was made of dragon bone. Now the dreaded king lifted one of his armored greaves and stomped on the fallen youngest brother's head, pinning him down. “Weak. All of you are weak,” the human declared. “All dragons will learn to bow down before me, especially when I have your head on a pike atop my castle walls!”

He raised his sword, about to slice the dragon's head clean off, when he heard the sound of singing on the wind. It was the familiar song of storms. Once again, lightning struck. This time, it was controlled by the middle brother. The bolt struck the sword, conducting through it and electrifying the human king as well. Yelling in pain, he staggered backward, releasing his boot from the youngest dragon’s head. Yet he refused to let go, gripping the hilt with all his strength.

“That is nothing!” he shouted and stomped the ground. The electricity left his body in an instant. However, all three of his prey had just enough time to soar back into the sky, out of his reach. “Very well. Fly all you like, you can never hide from me,” the king boasted, sheathing his sword. He reached over his head and grabbed a bow off his back. He had no arrows, so instead he plucked a hair from his head and blew on it. In an instant, the hair turned into an arrow, which he knocked to the bow as he aimed to the sky. “Oh, blessed arrow, may you always strike true!” The king muttered some sort of enchantment as he let the arrow fly.

Without aiming, the arrow met its mark—the middle brother. He tried to sing the song of storms once more to blow it off course, but the arrow seemed guided by a magical force and ignored all winds. It pierced straight into the dragon's throat. The middle brother fell from the sky and hit the ground hard. He was still breathing, but his powers were now rendered useless. He could no longer sing.

Both of the brothers still in the sky dove downward toward their brother. Seeing both dragons grounded, the dreaded human king slung the bow on his back once more and drew his sword as he approached the fallen dragon. He moved in for the kill, but the two remaining brothers positioned themselves in front of their injured brother.

“He is useless as a mute, and still you protect him?” the human scoffed. “You’d have been better off trying to attack me from behind, you fools. You dragons have no skill for combat, and that is why you will always fall against me.”

“We are brothers,” the youngest replied. “And that is reason enough to come to his aid.” His nostrils snorted with disapproval. “I wouldn't expect you to understand. You fight and live alone. You will also die alone.”

“How quaint.” The human lord smirked in amusement. “You would hurl insults at me, even on the brink of death? All three of you will die here. Now.”

He swung his blade in a sideways motion, attempting to slay all three dragons in one fatal swing. Instead, his blade met with a clang as it struck against the golden hide of the eldest brother, who leapt to shield both of his younger siblings. His skin halted the blade, though it left a scratch due to the human lord's strength.

“It’s impressive you survived, I'll hand you that.” The human lord seemed unfazed, but the youngest brother left the warrior no time to rest. He let out a massive breath of ice in an attempt to freeze the king. However, the king merely lifted his free hand and blocked the breath with his palm. All of the ice seemed to be absorbed within the ring on his hand.

“You really are a bothersome pest, dragon.” He turned to the youngest. “Begone.” His index finger bent down and met with his thumb, then he released his fingers, flicking the young blue dragon on the nose. In an instant, the dragon vanished into thin air. A moment later, there was a loud crash and the dragon appeared from the opposite direction, only to fall next to his brothers. The king had sent him soaring across the world with the mere flick of his hand!

Finally the king turned toward the golden dragon, the oldest and only one who remained standing. “Now then, do you see how hopeless your chance to beat me is? Your brothers have both fallen, and you shall soon join them.” The king shook his head, tired of toying around with these reptiles.

But the eldest remained stubborn. He positioned himself between his two brothers and spread his wings to protect both of them. “I will not move from this spot. My brothers will live, and that is what matters most to me, even more than vengeance against you.”

“Vengeance?” the king asked coolly. He had no idea who these dragons were, he’d assumed they’d come to his kingdom in a foolish attempt to find fame.

“You killed our father, human,” the eldest responded just as coldly. “You wear his bones even now.”

“Is that so?” The king smiled crookedly. “How amusing, but I cannot say I sympathize.” He drew his blade once more.

“My hide is solid gold, and I refuse to attack. Your blade cannot hurt me—we are at a draw. Leave us be.”

“Shall I use my full strength this time?” the king taunted. “I admit, I underestimated the three of you. But I am strong enough to easily cut through gold as if it were flesh.” He swung his blade, and it nicked the eldest brother, drawing blood. It would have slayed him had not the youngest brother shoved him aside at the last second, sparing him.

“You again?” Annoyed, the king turned and struck at the blue dragon. His sword slid through the dragon in a clean slice, but no blood was drawn. Instead, the dragon crumbled into a pile of shattered ice shards.

After a moment, the ice reformed itself into the blue dragon, who was now the one grinning as he bared his teeth. “I am an immortal. I have already died once and drank from the well of eternity.” The youngest stepped forward without any fear. “Kill me as many times as you like, I will only return again. On the contrary, human, it is you who will never escape us.”

“I am the dragon slayer. I fear no dragon, even an immortal one!” The king struck the ground with his sword, causing the very earth itself to split. The ground quaked, and the youngest brother was caught by the cracking earth, falling through to the pits below. “Let us see you escape from the underworld again, immortal!” the king spat. He drew a comb from his pocket and tossed it at the cracked ground. From the teeth of the comb sprouted an entire forest, sealing the land above from the pit below.

Laughing, he turned his focus back to the other two dragons. But before he could take a single step forward, the ground began to rumble and the large blue dragon burst through the ground below. The force knocked the king off his feet and onto his back. “Impossible!” he shouted.

He tried to stand back up but found his ankles pinned by two large golden claws. “Going somewhere?” the eldest asked.

With a growl of frustration, the king tried to reach for his sword but found his sword arm was also pinned—this one by the middle brother. He said nothing due to the wound in his throat and only glared at the once-dreaded human. He placed his other claw on the king's other arm, just in case.

“Leave him to me, brothers,” the blue dragon called from above as he descended. Each of his brothers let go of the human just as the youngest swooped down, pinning the king's entire body with a single blue claw.

“Fool, you've left me an opening!” the human cried as his sword arm was now free. He grasped his sword and slashed at the dragon looming over him. Yet no drop of blood fell, only icy mist. Within seconds, the cut flesh of the dragon healed itself as the ice reformed his skin.

“I am an immortal. No human's puny weapons will faze me,” the youngest declared. “You have seized all of dragonkind's lands and freedom with your rule. Your reign ends today, and so our father's soul will rest in peace. You are not worthy to wear his bones and skull. Prepare to die, human!” Without further words, the dragon smashed his claw against the king's chest, shattering his own father's bones to break the armor. His claws did not stop there, digging into the human's flesh, grasping his heart. With just one squeeze, the heart stopped and the human lord died with a mere whimper. In the end, the strongest warrior was just as fragile as any mortal.

* * *

With the king slain, the dragon released his grip and stripped him of his father's bones. Released from the human's magic, the bones crumbled into ashes. Their father's spirit was finally able to leave the realm of the living so that it may rest in peace.

Remembering his belief that not all humans are evil, the youngest dragon decided it was not his place to pass judgement over every human. He released the kingdom from its frozen state. With their king dead, the humans were no longer hostile and instead thanked the dragons for sparing their lives. A few medicine men who lived in the town nursed the middle brother back to health so that he might sing again.

Some of the men were slaves to their greed, much like the late king. They wished to slay the golden dragon, thinking his golden bones would be worth a fortune. But the humans quickly sorted out the matter themselves, exiling the men before they could do the dragons any harm. After three days and three nights of the humans and dragons celebrating their newfound truce through feasts, games, and tales, the three brothers finally left for their homeland atop the mountain at the middle of the earth.

From the mountaintops, the three dragons let out a loud roar, signaling the end of the age of the once-dreaded human king. In answer, the same roar was echoed around the earth as dragons came out of hiding. This marked the beginning of a new age, where dragonkind and humankind could roam the earth together. The youngest brother was offered the title king of the new kingdom of dragons, but this he refused. Instead, the three brothers set off together in search of other lands in need.

Copyright © 2023 Joel Dawn
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