Fairies, Gems, and Dragons

A group of three brave heroes descended into the depths of a ruthless, unforgiving dungeon. They sought a great treasure—one of only three on the face of the planet. A gem, said to grant great power to one with heroic potential. It alone was said to have the strength to move mountains. But gather all three, and it was said you could destroy even the Demon Lord.

As these three heroes climbed deeper toward their prize, trials challenged their strength, their hearts, and their minds. And when they found themselves face to face with the power to change the world, one of them had a change of heart.

In the chaos that ensued, one lost their life, one lost their arm, and one lost their pride.

The gem cracked and fractured, and with it all chances of defeating the Demon Lord.

In all but a moment, the world had lost its hope.

I recanted the tale in my mind as I knelt along the riverbank, scrubbing my clothes. Another day of toiling in the vegetable fields had left them stained with sweat and dirt.

I clenched my right leg. The pain was back. The flesh on the outside had healed. The enormous red scar was proof of that. But I knew the muscle fibers beneath were far beyond repair. From the daintiest herbs to the most powerful of magic, I had tried it all. Nothing would ever get it to function as it once did. My limp was proof of my scarred pride.

I winced. In the clear rippling waters was my reflection. Disheveled blonde hair, a scruffy, unkempt beard, and a set of dejected hazel eyes staring back at me.

How did I let myself end up like this?

It was a question I need not answer. It was fate for me to be where I was in this moment. And it was well deserved.

It only took a short time for the midsummer sun to dry my clothes on the rocky bank. In the mean time, I cleaned myself off.

The sun would be setting in an hour.

I got dressed, carrying my few belongings in a bag over my shoulder, and headed into town to collect my pay for the day’s work.

Clairefield, the village I currently called home, was small and tucked away. Most maps of Gagemont didn’t even list it. That made it perfect for me. Its population was low, and it was quiet. I couldn’t ask for much more.

The calm light of the setting sun cast pleasant shadows over the rows of small wooden houses. Flickering torches atop posts kept the darkness from completely overtaking the wide, cobblestone streets. I made my way toward the merchant’s post at the center of town.

“There you are, Martin!” a friendly voice called out to me. It was Vars, a short, pudgy old man with a bushy gray mustache and a badly receding hairline. He ran the merchant’s post on most nights. “I was wondering when you’d show up! I was just about to close up for the night.”

I scanned the streets. They seemed emptier than usual for this time of day.

“Where’s the town gone to?” I asked with a chuckle.

Vars’ response was less enthusiastic. “Earlier today there was an Igneous Dragon spotted in the town over. Nobody wants to take any chances.”

I tensed up. Igneous Dragons meant the Demon Lord’s army was scoping something out. A target for assassination, a strategic battle point for the taking, or even something as trivial as a simple piece of treasure could be in their crosshairs. No matter what it was, though, it never ended good for the surrounding area. They always made sure to get what they wanted, and then some. Their plunderers were ruthless.

“Thankfully there’s nothing for them here,” I said with a hint of uncertainty.

Vars furrowed his brow. “I’d best hope so…”

They couldn’t possibly be after me, right? I entertained the thought, but I knew it couldn’t be true. I was worthless now. And they knew that for certain. If the Demon Lord’s army was looking for something, it wasn’t me.

“More importantly—”

I handed Vars a signed certificate. It was the proof of my work in the fields. He squinted at the paper as he held it close to his face. Then he reached for a candle from the desk behind him. He held the flame just beneath the certificate. It was an authenticity inspection.

“Come on, Vars. You know its the real deal.”

“No worries, no worries.” Vars handed me a small bag of coins. “Straight from the old farmer’s account, set aside especially for you.”

“Thanks, Vars.”

The money would be enough to keep me fed for the next couple of days. But I still needed a little extra. From the bag on my shoulder I pulled a golden piece of armor. It wasn’t much, merely a finger from what had once been an entire gauntlet. Throughout my twelve years of travels, I had sold it off piece by piece to meet my varying needs.

To think this is all that’s left of a treasure afforded to me by the King himself.

“What can you give me for this?” I set the golden plate in front of Vars. His eyes widened, and he let out an excited laugh.

“Now where did you find this?! Looks like solid gold!” He picked it up to examine it.

“I found it on the riverbank while I was cleaning myself off.” A simple lie.

“It looks to have the King’s Seal on it!” Vars had turned it over and was studying it closely beneath a magnifying glass. “This is something afforded to a hero. You said you found it in the river?”

“On the bank.”

“I see.” Vars shook his head. “To think someone would treat something so sacred with such disrespect.”

I rubbed the back of my head timidly.

It’s almost like I’m being scolded...

“I’m not talking about you, of course. I meant that sorry excuse for a hero.”

I dropped my gaze to the ground.

I’m sorry, Vars. Even with all the world’s hopes pinned on me, I just couldn’t do it.

“This is worth far more than what I’ve got for coins back here,” Vars explained as he shuffled through the cluttered drawers and cabinets that lined the back wall of the hut. He returned to the front desk with a metallic red coin in his hand. “I can offer you this.”

The coin was slightly larger than a standard bronze one, with a small hole through the center. It bore an unfamiliar symbol, not unlike the King’s Seal, though somewhat different. I cocked my head. I didn’t know what I was looking at. “What is it, Vars? Looks like a counterfeit.”

Vars lowered his voice and motioned for me to lean in. “This is a coin from two centuries back.”

My eyes widened. Two hundred years ago, Gagemont was ruled by King Ornsly. After a violent uprising and his supposed death at the hands of rebels, the kingdom was radically restructured into how we know it today. Coins from that period were incredibly hard to come by. They were also incredibly valuable. It was even rumored that in many cities they were still accepted as legal tender.

“It’s really a coin from the Ornsly Era? I’ve never laid eyes on one before now.”

Vars grinned as he set it in my front pocket. “Some say that the Demon Lord even cast these coins himself.”

One more thing about King Ornsly worth mentioning—he would become the being known in modern times as the Demon Lord.

---     ---     ---

I cast aside my cloak and loosened the makeshift brace from my right leg. I collapsed into a pile of straw and gazed at the shoddy craftsmanship of the ceiling above me. The sun had long since set, and I could see the stars through the gaps in the sagging boards. Just over my shoulder, a horse was breathing heavily down my back. His name was Monty, and although I had never ridden him, spending two months in this stable had gotten the two of us pretty well acquainted. I reached a hand up and stroked his nose. In my other hand was the Ornsly Era coin. I didn’t have anywhere safe to store it for the time being.

Thankfully, that wouldn’t be a problem for very long. Just like with the rest of the money I had scraped together selling my old equipment, this would be put toward relief funds for people affected by the Demon Lord’s army. A collection center was at the town just upstream. I would head out first thing in the morning.

Hopefully the rumors are true. I’d be best out of luck if they don’t accept this.

As I lay sprawled in the pile of hay, I held the coin above my head. Its eerie red sheen was like a coating of fresh blood. Examining the outdated seal closely, I could see symbols for Sedimentary, Metamorphic, and Igneous Dragons. I’d faced many in my younger days.

I was reminded of the supposed sighting of the most fierce of the three earlier today. Igneous Dragons were not to be taken lightly. Their brute strength, thick hides, and seemingly endless supply of esophageal magma made them difficult to defeat for even the most harshly trained of the King’s soldiers. It worried me. As unlikely as it was that I was the target, maybe it was time for me to switch towns again. I didn’t want to put anybody in Clairefield in danger.

“I might have to say goodbye, Monty,” I said with reluctance to the gentle giant behind me. But the lack of labored breathing told me that he was no longer there. He had likely gone to drink from the river.

I listened closely. The distant trotting of hooves on the rocky riverbank came to an eventual stop as the old horse lowered his frail neck toward the gentle flowing water. Just the walk over was enough to tire the poor animal out. A gentle breeze shook what few bushes were scattered in the meadow. The gnarly, unkempt tree next to the stable creaked.

Then a sudden and sharp gust of wind shot past my face. The coin in my hand was gone! It had seemingly vanished before my eyes. Reflexively, I attempted to climb to my feet, but my leg wouldn’t let me.

“This is quite the treasure you’ve got here!” A small, nasally voice cried out with amusement from somewhere above me.

Quickly, I fastened my leg brace and stood to face the thief. But there was nobody to be found. The sound of rapidly beating wings berated my ears. It told me all I needed to know.

A fairy…

It was a dreadful thought, for myself at least.

Fairies weren’t uncommon creatures in Gagemont. They were tiny, most not more than eight inches tall. They also had a potency for magic much greater than most humans. This, combined with their general distrust of mankind, could make them quite the handful at times. They typically lived in small settlements, nestled in diverse fauna and always nearby a human village or city. Some say they're responsible for keeping an area’s life energy flowing. But in recent years, sentiments have grown distasteful toward these creatures, viewing them more as pests and nuisances. My own disdain for them never went quite that far, though my personal history has always kept me from fully trusting them. This particular encounter wasn’t exactly pushing my attitude in a better direction.

“If you leave here with that, I swear I’ll—”

I was cut off. A mystical sound rang out, elegant like that of a harp, but with the unpleasant subtlety of breaking glass. Then a cloud of sparkling pink dust appeared just above me. When it dissipated, I could see the culprit. About seven inches tall, with delicate pink translucent wings and a short dress fashioned out of water lily petals that hugged her dainty figure. Her pink hair was in a bob. The yellow center of a water lily sat on her head—a fashionable adornment. Just above it, a single, curved strand of hair stood defiantly. It matched her chaotic teal eyes. They met my own.

“Or you swear you’ll what?” She knew my threats were empty. Her eyes narrowed as if to mock me.

I reached out to grab her. I should have known better. She whipped behind me in the blink of an eye.

“It takes a little more than willpower to catch a fairy, you know,” she said with a giggle, waving the coin back and forth. It was about the size of her head. Those thin arms of hers barely seemed capable of holding it up for as long as they had been.

“I could care less about you. Just give me the damn coin back, would you?”

“Hey! Rudou isn’t one to be taken lightly! I’ll have you know I’m a force to be reckoned with.”

“Tell me then, what does such a force to be reckoned with as yourself need with legal human tender?”

I swung at the fairy, apparently named Rudou, once more. She narrowly avoided me.

“A poor run down cripple has no business knowing!” Rudou pulled down an eyelid and stuck out her tongue at me. It was as pink as her hair.

A poor run down cripple? The words stung, but they weren’t untrue. Still, her stuck-up tone had struck a nerve. This little brat is gonna get it now!

I flattened my hand and raised it in front of my right eye. “I told you to return what’s mine.”

A look of nervous uncertainty swept across Rudou’s tiny face. “You wouldn’t…”

That’s right. You know exactly what I’m doing, don’t you? As expected of a fairy.

I was in the midst of casting a spell. In my days spent as a hero, this particular sect of magic had been my specialty. But in the years since, I hadn’t a need for it. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d used it. I was surprised that any magic still flowed through my veins at all. Like building and retaining muscle, without consistent and regular training, it was something that could easily disappear.

I brought my hand into a fist. The center began to heat up. Slowly, I opened it, revealing the tiny crimson ember that had been building within. A fireball. Or the birth of one, at least. On my instruction, I could send it in an any direction I pleased. And on impact with a target, it could expand twenty-fold. Obviously, I wasn’t intending to do that. I didn’t want to lose my lodging. Or risk harm to Monty or any of the villagers. The fireball was merely a bluff. But Rudou didn’t need to know that.

“I most definitely would. Especially against an annoying pest like yourself.” I bolstered my threatening tone as much as I could. It wasn’t exactly my style. Hopefully she bought it.

Rudou’s eyes quivered. She was scared.

Good. It’s working.

The simmering of the fireball grew more powerful with each passing moment. Then, in the blink of an eye, it completely fizzled out. A puny stream of smoke wiggled toward the ceiling.

Rudou doubled over in laughter. I couldn’t see the look on my face, but I could imagine it had to be pretty pathetic. Rudou wiped a tear. “Oh, how you’ve fallen, Zeff!”

A jolt of adrenaline shot through my body. It had been twelve years since I had gone by that name. Nobody would know to call me by it. That identity and its many failures were dead and buried. I had made sure of it. My face, my stature, my ragged means of dress—all of it was that of Martin. To Zeff, and all that had once known him, it would be unrecognizable. And yet, somehow, this mischievous creature knew that name.

She tossed the red coin in my direction. I just barely managed to catch it.

“How do you know that name?! Just what are you after?!” My words were defensive, despite my clear demonstration of a particular inability to defend myself by any worthy means. Rudou’s sudden change in demeanor, however, gave me the feeling that she wasn’t about to put up a fight, either.

“I’ve been sent on a very important mission, O Great Hero,” she began smugly. “It’s been twelve years since you let down the great Kingdom of Gagemont. I can see you’ve used that time quite efficiently.” The fairy gestured to the dilapidated roof above our heads, along with the pile of straw I was using as a bed. “Your magic skills have fallen off, you’re barely able to move, and your personal grooming habits seem to have taken a dip, too.” From the hand I had cast the fireball with, to my braced leg, and lastly, to my unkempt facial hair—she had zipped around to each one with a vague insult to offer.

I threw on my cloak, tightened my brace, and began to gather my few belongings. “I’m not in the mood to hear this,” I grumbled. It had become clear that this fairy was only here to mess with me. Besides that, with my identity known, it was time for me to leave town. It was abrupt, but, then again, it usually was.

Rudou ignored my remark. “Oh, yes, Zeff, you’re right where you’re supposed to be.”

“I know that all too well.”

“I don’t believe you do.”

Rudou snapped her fingers. From another cloud of sparkling pink smoke, a small wooden box appeared in her hands. It was almost as big as she was. From the way she struggled to hold onto it, it definitely outweighed her. Her tiny hands gripped the brass handle with all of their might, though the box still managed to weigh her down. Her face was strained, and her wings were beating vigorously.

As pesky as this little creature was, I didn’t want to see her hurt herself. I plucked the box from her hands. “What exactly are you playing at, fairy?”

“Your calling did not end on that day. There is still hope to defeat the Demon Lord.” The mocking tone was gone. Her words sounded genuine.

I examined the box. It was simple in its construction. A tiny latch kept its double doors sealed tight. The stained wood exterior lacked any detail. No carvings or embroidering, yet still a delicate craftsmanship that told me it housed something important. I unlatched the doors and folded them open. A soft black velvet lined the interior. Resting snug in the center was an eight-sided azure gemstone. The starlight pierced its sharp edges and danced within its perfect, crystalline structure. It dazzled like nothing I had seen before. But that size, shape, and structure—I had seen it before. This was one of the three Knight Gems. A beautiful sight to behold on its own, but useless without the other two.

I shut the case. “There’s no point to this.”

Rudou flew to my side. “Don’t you know what that is?!”

“Of course I do. I also know that without all three together, it’s no different than any other gemstone.”

“And what makes you say that?”

“When the King gave us our assignment, we were told all there was to know. Three Knight Gems to defeat the Demon Lord. Three powers that feed into one another. An unstoppable resonating force, each dependent on the activation of the other. The final hope for the Kingdom of Gagemont…” My words trailed off, and I fell back into the pile of straw behind me.

“Three can defeat the Demon Lord, but one can be pretty powerful on its own, too. Surely logic would dictate that.”

“Listen. I’m finished with being a hero. Like you said, my magic skills have fallen off and I can barely move. All I want to do is repay what little hope I can to the people I’ve stolen it from. I can’t slay dragons, or wage battle head on against the Demon Lord’s army; I can barely even help with cleanup efforts after an attack on account of this leg. So if the best I can do is offer what I can to the relief fund, I can at least sleep soundly at night. If I even deserve that much. So please, leave me alone.”

Rudou took a seat in a small opening in the wall. She crossed her legs and rested her chin in her palm. Disinterest filled her expression. “O~h… So you’re so much better than everyone that you won’t act, even when called upon…? I was only kidding at first, but maybe you really are pathetic.”

“If you’re trying to get a rise out of me, it’s not gonna work.”

“I’m not.” Rudou took flight and grabbed the box from me. She snapped it back into thin air. “Looks like the sun is coming up already. If you have a change of heart, just call out my name. I still haven’t told you what my mission is yet. Sleep soundly, Martin.”

Rudou disappeared.

It’s just like they say. Fairies really are a nuisance.

Seeing that Knight Gem had really stirred me. On that day twelve years ago, we practically had one in our hands—exactly as I had just now. But Sorius betrayed us. And my own foolish mistake had gotten Lagah killed. Back then, it was a fairy that had compromised Lagah and put her in that situation. How could I possibly associate with one after that?

Even so, Rudou had a certain charm that I couldn’t deny. And for as annoying as she was, she did seem to be on a mission. What that was, I likely would never know. I didn’t see myself calling her name anytime soon.

As for how she got her hands on such a treasure, I could only speculate. It wouldn’t keep me up at night, anyways.

I heard a whinny from the river out back. Then a heavy stomp of a hoof.

Another whinny, this one more distressed.

It was irregular behavior for Monty. I muscled myself to my feet and headed out back to check on him. He stood on the rocky river bank, the faint glow of the sunrise painting the flowing water in a dim hue. Monty stomped his hoof and backed away from the water. He lifted his head back in fear. I brought a hand to his mane and stroked it. “You’re okay, Monty. Nothing to worry about.”

I scanned the area.

What could have gotten him so wild? A predator, perhaps?

Nothing was catching my eye.

Then I noticed it. The river was running red. I dipped a hand in. It reeked of blood. Looking upstream, I realized that the sunrise was not a sunrise at all. The neighboring city was burning.

“No…” It was all I could vocalize. The Demon Lord’s army was ruthless and unforgiving. But they were also cowards. They had struck in the dead of night. Women, children, families—undoubtedly all slaughtered in their beds as they slept. To those monsters their lives had no value. One need not even stand in their way to become a target. Collateral damage was something they enjoyed.

I clenched my fists. An insurmountable rage was building within me. I could feel the old red coin in my robe. How could any amount of relief funds fix something so horrid? I was reminded of just how useless I was. But useless or not, I needed to act. Clairefield would be next!

I need to warn them!

The quickest way would be by horse. He was old, but Monty was my only option. I hoisted myself onto his back. It would be a difficult ride without a saddle, and even more so with his lack of cooperation. The big guy was too afraid to follow instructions properly.

“Go on, Monty! Let’s go!” I gave him a light tap of encouragement with the side of my boot. He gave an exasperated snort and began a light gallop. “Atta’boy!” Monty barely managed to leap over the short wooden fence. I did my best to guide him toward the nearby street. My knee was beginning to tense up. As slow as Monty was, I knew riding him would be faster than trying to run. “Come on, Monty; this is urgent!” I nudged his side a little more. He seemed to get the message. Before I knew it, we were barreling toward Clairefield!

The crisp night air whipped at my face. Monty’s heavy steps kicked up clouds of dust behind us. I opened my mouth to yell a warning. Any noise I could have made, however, was drowned out by an intense smoldering sound rocketing toward us from behind.

A ball of molten rock fell from the sky, passing overhead and landing just ahead of us. It bored a hole into the earth. The ground nearby immediately caught fire. Monty cried out in terror, heeling back and knocking me from my mount. I felt the ligaments in my knee tear as I crashed into the ground. I screamed from the pain. My vision went hazy. I could feel the heat from the simmering landscape just in front of me as I collapsed face first into the dirt. Monty trekked off into the darkness, away from town. Above me, I caught ear of the Igneous Dragon’s guttural cries. A sudden burst of wind threw my cloak into the air. The fire was extinguished, and the molten rock instantly cooled. The beast had flown overhead.

It’s heading into Clairefield!

My mind grew dark. With each blink, the view before me fell further and further into disarray. Before I knew it, the village was in flames.

The fowl creature plowed through the town center, toppling buildings and scorching the very ground beneath its feet. Nobody dared get in its way. In a stance of dominance, it spread its wings and bellowed toward the sky.

Pillaging the streets were the Demon Lord’s soldiers. Armed with swords, shields, and spears, they forced their way into whatever structures hadn’t already been reduced to smoldering ash.

I clenched my fist. My leg still seared with unimaginable pain. I couldn’t stand. But I couldn’t just watch either.

Is my only option to avert my eyes? It was a dreadful thought—one that I just couldn’t entertain. Somehow, with what little strength I had left in me, I pulled myself to my feet. I knew if I pushed myself any further, I would never be able to use my right leg again. What little I was still able to do in this world would be reduced to almost nothing.

I was done being a hero, but with such atrocities occurring right before my very eyes, I didn’t have much of a choice in the matter. I may not have had the strength, nor the ability, nor the worthiness, but I still owed all of these people a debt I could never repay. And because of that, in this moment, I needed to be willing to throw my life away to save theirs, as futile as my efforts might be.

With all of this in mind, I advanced.

First, a limp. Then a slow walk. But eventually, a jog! And in no time at all, I was sprinting with all my might! My leg burned worse than ever before. The entire right side of my body screamed out in pain. The sensation shot all the way down into my foot and up past my shoulder. My teeth were clenched so tight, I wouldn’t be surprised if I had cracked a few of them. But it didn’t matter. I was almost into town.

The screams were the first thing to hit my ears. The scene was complete chaos. People were running in every direction. Raw fear dictated everybody’s movements. I looked around frantically.

What is it I can even do here?! Fear was beginning to wipe away my resolve. Rudou was right. I was pathetic.

“Help! Somebody get me out of here! Please!” A familiar voice pleaded from somewhere nearby.

Vars!

I bolted toward the rubble pile it had come from. Splintered trusses, enormous stones, and fractured metal beams lay strewn out across a collection of armors, weapons, and trinkets. Vars’ trading post was unrecognizable.

“Martin! I’m buried! I need you to get me out!”

Through a small gap between two boulders, I could see his pudgy face. “Don’t worry, Vars!”

How am I supposed to do this? It seemed an impossible task. The boulders keeping Vars trapped were being held in place by a metal beam. To get to him, I needed to move it.

“Are you hurt?!” I asked.

“My arm! It’s pinned! And there’s a lot of blood! I think it might be—” Vars fell into a violent coughing fit before he could finish. The entire town was becoming blanketed in a low hanging black smog. It was a by-product of the Igneous Dragon’s back-to-back molten expulsions. The creature itself was only a few blocks away, encroaching fast. I needed to hurry.

“Just focus on breathing, Vars! I’m going to get you out!” I assured him. From the remnants of his shop I grabbed a long steel rod. I hoped it would provide enough leverage to lift the beam. I wedged it underneath and exerted with every fiber of my being.

The beam moved. But only by an inch. I pushed harder. Nothing.

Harder yet. Still nothing.

It wouldn’t budge anymore. I could feel my arms trembling. My good leg was ready to give out. The right one had completely lost feeling some time ago. I don’t know if it was out of desperation or just sheer pain, but I let out a yell. The beam moved no further.

“Martin, please!” Vars forced the words out between coughs.

“Run, mommy!” The words of a child from somewhere nearby.

“Somebody help me!” A girl wailed in the distance.

“Why are you doing this?!”

“Stop! No more!”

Screams. Cries. Pleads of desperation. My heart, my mind, and now my body were all at their limits.

I needed to do something. I needed to save them. I needed power.

I closed my eyes. And I called out.

“Rudou~!”

In an instant, the azure Knight Gem appeared before me, hovering just within arms reach and spinning rapidly. It beckoned for me to reach out. So I did. I gripped it tightly in the palm of my hand. It was warm. Warm beyond reason. Its gentle glow pulsated throughout my entire body. My pain was gone. My mind was clear. Dazzling blue light engulfed me. And as that light slowly dissipated, I found myself clad in a sparkling, azure armor.

I pushed once more on the metal beam. Through the slits in my helmet, I could see it moving with ease. I slid the boulder out of the way and reached for Vars. His arm was broken, but he could stand. Blood streaked down his face.

“Martin? What’s happening, young fella?!”

I didn’t quite know how to answer him. So I didn’t.

I walked him to a tight alleyway, away from the chaos. If he kept on the path, it would take him out of Clairefield. I started back toward the blazing town.

“That is you under there, isn’t it, Martin?” Vars asked with concern.

This time, I wanted to answer him.

I stopped for a moment, and then gave my response. “I don’t think it is anymore.”

I didn’t turn to face him. For twelve years I had run. And now fate, or perhaps just that fairy, seemed to be reminding me of my purpose. Who Vars knew as Martin was somebody he would never cross paths with again.