Those Who Came Before

From a distance overlooking a ledge, we saw the main road to Mount Pale Crown. Towering before them was a massive mountain, and at the top, were white castle walls that shone in the sun. The clouds appeared to stay away from the fortress.

I wore a wool jacket, while Victor’s green coat was worn above a thin thermal sweater, woven by artificers.

With a gloved finger, Victor pointed. “Look Enderan, the home of the Dragon Tyrant!”

The cold wind stung my face, and I pulled up my scarf. “It’s beautiful, but Victor, I still don’t get how we’re supposed to get up there!”

I’ve known long before meeting Victor where the castle resided. The stories had said that the lancers had climbed the mountain, but looking at it in person, I did not believe the stories, otherwise my parents’ weren’t actually human.

“The same way your parents did!” Victor was using his fingers and one arm to demonstrate. “They rode their horses along the side of the mountain and over the castle walls!”

“You’re bullshitting.”

“I’m bullshitting obviously. Except we really are going to follow in your parents’ footsteps. At the base of the mountain, there is a wagon that will take us up.”

“So there is a horse capable of taking us up?”

He raised an eyebrow at me. “I’ll give you a hint, it rhymes with wagon.”

“Dra—” I paled. “And a dragon will just happen to help us?”

“Do you see why I try to save my reveals till later on in the trip?”

“So I don’t panic and chicken out?”

“No, so your sanity doesn’t get the best of you.”

I frowned at Victor. “At least it would have given me time to mentally prepare.”

“Perhaps now that you’re used to working with me, I’ll withhold less, but it was a miracle that your aunt allowed me to take you in the first place.”

“You know, now that you mention it, I think I heard yelling one night in the manor.”

“That might have been the discussion.” Victor sighed.

“It actually might have been a miracle you convinced her. Does she know about the dragon wagon?”

“Well, yeah. She knows about the real details around the slaying of the Dragon Tyrant. Also maybe wagon isn’t the right word for it. Maybe basket?”

Victor pondered an alternative and settled for carriage. I thought Dragon Wagon sounded better, but he thought it was too silly.

-

Me and Victor were now on the main road to the base of the mountain, and dragons looked down on us from rocky outcroppings. Victor had noticed that their gazes were almost always on us.

“Is the curse really keeping them away?” I gulped. “Or are they waiting to pounce on us?”

“Did you know that a dragon corpse houses extremely valuable materials? A rack of dragon scales can make you enough to buy several manor estates, and a set of dragon horns can make you a noble no matter your background.”

Victor was trying not to let the fear seep into his voice. “And an intact dragon heart may just be the most invaluable alchemy or ritual ingredient that can turn you nothing short of a demi-god. So knowing this, you’d think that the world’s strongest hunters would strike these creatures down. However, even dragon-ranked slayers never come to this part of the world because these dragons are extremely territorial. And the flames of royal dragons can melt even the toughest of materials.”

“So what are you saying?” My gaze was still fixed on the dragons.

“If they didn’t like us being here, we’d be burn marks on the ground about four days ago.” When they had first entered the mountain range.

“But how can they sense my curse?”

“Wanna know something Enderan. I don’t really know.”

I gave him a wide-eyed, disbelieving look. Out of any time he had to drop a reveal, this was by far the worst and most horrifying instance of him doing so.

“So you came here not knowing if this would work?!”

He gave him a sad grin. “Don’t hate me.” I could only grit my teeth in silence. 

“As foolish as it might be, I was betting on another factor that might keep us safe." Victor chuckled, the worry leaving him. "But you know Enderan, I’m surprised I haven't heard you make the proper guess yet.”

“And what is that?!” He snarled.

Victor looked up at the dragons and he smiled at them. “Another reason they might leave us alone, is because they might know you.”

I looked at him then, I looked us. These were royal dragons. Large and intimidating, yet regal and majestic.

Then my breath caught. 

The hues of the myriad of scales that grew on the faces of my childhood friends. The shapes of familiar horns and wings I had seen carry them away.

Tears flooded my vision as I began waving out towards them.

“Everyone! It’s me, Enderan!” Tears were spilling from my eyes. “Carla! Gwyne! Grey! Asher! Jason!” The dragons began to growl and flap their wings.

Each name brought memories rushing to the forefront of his mind. The laughter, the fighting. The talks of made up scenarios. Chaotic messes at meal time.

“Morgan! Jaine! Darren! Raymond.” Roars answered the names yelled. “Ester! Mathom! Castor!”

He then saw a dragon fly down, with dark blue scales that shone like sapphire in the scarce sun. Enderan bellowed the name. “Revian!”

The dragon gave him a roar.

“It’s me!” My sobs were mixed with laughter. “It’s me!”

-

The mountains came alive with roaring.

Victor covered his ears till the roaring settled down, then watched on with a smile on his face and wiped away a tear. Then, recalling his goal here, he began to feel the guilt and shame. So, he steeled his heart.

In his head, he began a mantra. Over and over again.

They are just characters in a story.

He watched as Enderan’s eyes shone in the midst of this reunion.

They are just characters.

Revian approached them and Enderan got off his horse, calming it before walking to the dragon. Revian bent his head down to Enderan.

This is just a story.

Enderan’s hand trembled as he placed it on Revian’s head. The dragon growled low at Enderan.

This is my story.

After petting Revian, the dragon turned to Victor. He stared back into his burning eyes, and Victor smiled at him. “Been a while, Revian.”