Saints Can’t Deny a Growing Legend

A massive roar shook and warmed the chilly mountain air. Maria almost fell off Kaelan’s back, but he held her firmly. 

The group remained frozen in place while the roar dragged on until the dragon’s breath gave way. But Maria could tell something had changed.

“I-Is it over?” Thomas asked, hidden behind his arms.

The dragon’s head hung low. It slowly blinked its gold-slitted eyes that now seemed less intense. Its heavy figure lowered, making the group take a step back .

Maria smiled. “It’s over.”

Thomas fell back when the dragon cracked open its jaw, revealing massive fangs. But instead of steel-melting flames, a voice vibrated through. The two men remained with mouths agape, though Maria just kept her smile.

Its jaw barely moved, but heavy words came out that felt ancient and grand. “Little Saint…” The voice resonated inside Maria’s chest. “This burden…” It glanced at its sharp-clawed paw, “...is finally gone.”

Maria grinned. “I’m glad I could help!”

“I must ask… why?” The dragon narrowed its piercing gaze, studying the young nun. “Did you not fear me?”

“I sure did!” Maria chuckled. “When you first roared, I thought my heart was going to jump right out of my chest!”

“Then… why?”

Kaelan shifted his weight with Maria resting on top of him. “You’re going to love this…” he muttered with a smirk.

The dragon’s gaze went from Kaelan’s words back to Maria.

“Because hurting things deserve help too,” she simply said

Within the lingering silence of the mountain peak, the dragon let out a small groan.

“How curious…” Its gaze pierced Maria as if it could see right through her. “I’ve decided.”

Maria tilted her head.

“I shall fly beside you, Little Saint.” Its voice projected even louder. “My fire and wings are yours.”

“Y-Your fire a-and—?” Thomas stammered from the ground, while Kaelan forced a nervous chuckle.

“Oh, no, no, thank you, but I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Maria waved her hands in ‌mild panic. “You’re far too big to come with us! And you’d scare the poor townspeople terribly.”

Thomas yelped.

“M-Maria…?” Even Kaelan seemed unsure.

Was denying a dragon truly such a sin? The dragon shifted its weight, and a low hum rumbled through its chest.

“Then… name your treasure so that I may bring it to your feet.”

Maria didn’t have to give it much thought. “The chapel.”

The dragon tilted its head. “The… chapel? Where is this treasure?”

Maria chuckled. “It’s not a thing you can carry, silly.”

The dragon’s eyes blinked.

Kaelan took a quiet step forward with Maria on his back. “It’s a place… worth protecting,” he said.

Maria nodded. “The people inside ‌are what I treasure most.”

The dragon held a focused gaze that shifted to Kaelan, then back to Maria. It was as if it could peer into something past flesh and bone.

It nodded. “I understand. But I cannot leave without an immediate show of appreciation.”

“It’s fine,” Maria said. “Now peace will slowly be restored in the region.”

Thomas’ ears perked up. “I-If I make a suggestion.” With support from his silver staff, he stood. “…Some dragon scales would be an exceptional reward. You naturally shed them, right?”

Kaelan raised an eyebrow. “Dragon scales?”

Maria narrowed her eyes on Thomas.

“We can always use more traveling funds,” he said. “And besides! We have to show the villagers some proof that the Calamity is no longer a threat.”

“Well, as long as it’s not a burden.” Maria turned to the dragon.

The dragon let out a low, amused huff and then shook itself like a wet dog. A dozen or so large scales glittered with a deep violet as they clattered onto the rocky ground.

Thomas fell to his knees, scooping them into his satchel. “Priceless… absolutely priceless…”

Maria let out a dry chuckle.

Kaelan sighed. “I’m not helping you carry all of that…”

The dragon spread its massive wings, generating a warm gust of wind that swirled ash around the peak. But before it launched into the open sky, it glanced at Kaelan.

“You walk beside a soul unlike any I have seen,” the ancient voice whispered. “Guard her well.”

Kaelan said nothing.

“Wait! We never got your name,” Maria said.

“My name…? I suppose, in human tongue… You may call me Elisheba.” With a mighty leap, the dragon took to the sky, its magnificent silhouette sailing over the peaks on the horizon.

“Bye-bye, Calamity Dragon Elisheba!” Maria waved. “Take care of yourself!”

Thomas stood up, clutching his bulging satchel like a newborn baby.

Maria adjusted her veil. “I’m glad everything worked out,” she said with a wide grin. “Onward to the village to spread the good news!”

“Am I just your pack mule now?” Kaelan glared from below while she cheerfully shifted her weight on top, almost making him topple.

“Only for a little while.”

Kaelan smirked. “Well, looks like you have plenty of energy now, so I’m sure you can walk all the way down.”

“J-Just kidding. I’ll behave…”

Kaelan chuckled.

The three headed down from the cold, thin air of the peak, carrying an impossible tale that somehow had become a reality.

***

Upon returning, the same stagnant village awaited. Empty streets, shuttered shops, and a subtle sense of dread that hung in the air. Maria had recovered enough to walk once again. As the three rounded the corner into the main square, an unexpected crowd awaited. Wide-eyed faces looked through the clear mountain sky, and chatter echoed throughout.

“Did you see it!?”

“I think it was the dragon flying overhead!”

Pushing past rumored words toward the adventurer guild outpost, a familiar group awaited. Some of the lingering adventurers, militiamen, and guards that Maria had mended. In front, the elders stood, their faces almost turned pale upon seeing Maria and the group.

“S-Sister Maria, you’re okay!?” Elder Shula ran up with Elder Forge in tow.

“Earlier, when we witnessed the Calamity Dragon flying overhead, we feared for the worst…” Elder Forge said. “But since you’ve all made it back, does that mean—!?”

Thomas dropped his stuffed satchel with a clink. Dragon scales slid out, glistening a deep violet under the high mountain sun.

A growing crowd gathered, looking on in awe.

One man, a merchant who had been stuck in the village for weeks, pushed his way to the front of the crowd, his eyes practically bulging out of his head. "By the gods... it's real dragon scale.”

Chatter increased within the crowd, eventually spreading throughout the whole main square.

“All I did was help the dragon, then it flew away—” The bustle of the crowd drowned Maria’s words.

People of all ages and sizes echoed their joy.

“Sister Maria defeated the Calamity!”

“A Saint… a true Saint!”

Maria waved her arms in ‌growing panic. “W-What? No… Wait!”

Cheers drowned any effort. Kaelan couldn’t hide his laughter behind his turned face. It left Maria pouting.

“Sister Maria, the Dragon Slayer!”

The crowd erupted. She had wanted to see a breath of life come back to the village, but not with such a misunderstanding.

Elder Forge and Elder Shula bowed and thanked her, much to Maria’s desperate but futile attempts to convince them that there was no need.

Thomas didn’t let such a chance slip. He spread out some of the dragon scales like fine merchandise.

“Come one, come all!” he said. “Precious dragonscale. Starting bids at fifty gold!”

Rowdiness grew as more and more faces flooded the area.

“Straight from the Calamity Dragon,” Thomas continued, “that Mythic Saint Maria purified and defeated herself!”

Maria glared at him. “You’re not helping!”

Kaelan burst out laughing, no longer even trying to hide it. “It’s no use, Maria. You’re a dragon slayer now. You’ll just have to live with it.”

Maria remained pouting. It was a losing battle, but between smiles and laughter, it was one she didn’t mind losing.

***

At sunset, the group departed the village past a large gathering of thankful faces and endless goodbyes. A kind traveler offered the back of their wagon. At least until their paths would need to diverge at a frontier fortress town about a week’s ride away.

Thomas sighed. Looking down at a stuffed pack of priceless dragonscale. “Not a single one sold…”

“Not much can be done when a single one is worth more than half the village,” Kaelan said.

The wagon rolled at a steady, thumping rhythm down King’s Road through the rest of the mountain pass. As the bumpy road shifted to smoother ground, Kaelan’s head snapped back to their path behind, lined with tall trees.

“Kaelan? Is something wrong?” Maria’s heart raced ever so subtly. She dreaded the thought of another night stalker on their trail.

Kaelan let out a slow sigh, leaning his head back against the wooden carriage frame as he closed his eyes. “No, it’s nothing serious. Just some minor annoyance, it seems.”

Maria tilted her head, looking down the dusty path behind, bathed in a golden twilight. A clumsy figure was barely visible out in the distance, but it soon disappeared behind the towering trees that slowly gave way to the long road ahead.