“What are we waiting for?” Zollin whispered.
Brianna knew she needed to fire her weapon. She knew instinctively that they could slay the beast now and be done with their task, but she couldn’t do it. She not only felt sorry for the creature, she wanted to help it.
“I can’t,” she said.
“What are you talking about? Shoot it!”
“I can’t, Zollin. I have to try and help it.”
“Are you insane?”
“No, I’m not crazy. I know it sounds crazy, but it’s in pain, can’t you see that?”
“I’m glad. I hope it suffers and dies a slow death. It’s a dragon, Brianna. You’ve seen it kill indiscriminately. Don’t you remember that it almost killed us both, more than once?”
“Yes, of course I remember that, but I think I can help it.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know,” she said as she laid down her bow. “But I have to try.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I’m going down there.”
“No, that is absolutely not going to happen.”
They heard bones popping and looked down. The dragon had reached the elk. It had been killed instantly when the dragon bit the animal’s neck, breaking bones, before wrenching the head off.
“See that?” Zollin said. “That’s what it does. It kills things. If you go down there, even if it doesn’t incinerate you with its breath, it will still eat you.”
“I don’t think it will.”
“And how do you know?”
“I don’t know, exactly. I just know I have to try.”
Zollin was getting angry. He couldn’t understand what Brianna was going on about, but he knew her well enough to know that she wouldn’t give up. She was determined to go down and face the dragon, and there was nothing he could do to stop her.
“At least let me go down first and be ready to help.”
“Okay,” she agreed. “But don’t do anything stupid. I really think I can help the dragon.”
Zollin nodded, biting back all his objections. Every sense of self-preservation he had for himself, and all his protective instincts to keep Brianna safe, were screaming danger. He knew they should just stick to the plan, but he also knew this was important to Brianna. She was still discovering her power, and the dwarves had talked about the legends of Fire Spirits and their connection with dragons. It wasn’t hard evidence, but those stories combined with Brianna’s obvious empathy for the beast was enough for Zollin to want to find out more. Of course, he knew if something happened to her he would never forgive himself.
He floated slowly down the mountain. The sun was setting and already low behind the mountains. He stayed in the shadows as much as possible, his fears for Brianna churning his magic into a furnace inside him. He could feel the magic testing the barriers he had put in place. If they crumbled, the magic would burst forth and drain his physical strength. He knew he couldn’t let that happen. The dragon was dangerous, and any unexpected weakness could mean the difference between life and death.
Brianna didn’t wait for Zollin. She jumped off the mountain ledge. It was an impulsive thing to do, but even as her stomach seemed to leap into her throat she she knew she wasn’t in danger. It was like swimming. She gracefully aimed her body, twisting and turning through the air, slowing her descent. She could feel the fire inside her, eager to be set free. She had a moment of giddy euphoria and then she landed on her feet, as light as a dancer.
* * *
The dragon recognized the trap the moment it smelled blood. It had no doubt that the wizard was laying a trap, but it was anxious to have the battle over, to kill its tormentor or be killed. Either way, it would soon have peace. The smell of the elk blood was intoxicating. It hurried forward, no longer caring that its tail dragged along the ground like a serpent. Its tongue was hanging from its mouth, and no thought registered in the beast’s mind other than feeding.
The first bite was glorious and reminded the dragon of its power. It felt the thick bones in the elk’s neck snap between its powerful jaws. It sucked the hot blood into its mouth and swallowed a glorious mouthful before ripping the elk’s head off with a powerful wrench. The head had no antlers to deal with, so the dragon crushed the animal’s skull in its mouth and swallowed the head in one greedy gulp. Then it moved on, ripping hunks of meat and hide off the carcass and gobbling them down.
It was almost through with the elk when the human girl dropped to the ground not far away. She seemed fearless, standing still and watching the dragon eat. It took a deep breath and spewed flame toward her. There was a shout from nearby, but there was no hope for the girl. She would be burned beyond recognition, or so the dragon thought. The girl’s clothes caught flame and burned around her, but she was unscathed by the blast. Her head was thrown back as if she were relishing the blast. The dragon roared in fury, shifting its body and spitting fire again. This time the girl moved into the blast. She jumped into the fire and swam in it, twirling and spinning like fish in a fast moving stream.
The dragon moved back instinctively.
“Don’t,” the girl said. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
The dragon swung its tail, but the girl jumped into the air, flipping over the tail in a graceful somersault and landing on her feet.
“I want to help you,” she said.
The dragon was confused. Never before had any human been so bold. Even the wizards of old had shown caution when controlling the beast. It shook its head angrily and roared. Still the girl came forward. Her clothes were blackened rags with gaping holes, but the skin underneath was smooth and unblemished. She reached out her hands, and the dragon saw flames erupt from her palms to flash and wave across her skin. Then the fire moved toward the dragon. It wasn’t a blast of flaming power but a slow wave. The fire rolled over the dragon’s scaly hide and with it came a feeling of supernatural warmth. It reminded the dragon of the way it felt to lie on the gold in its lair. It felt the pain in its breast and hip begin to ease. The beast’s feet, which were raw and bleeding, began to grow stronger.
The dragon lowered its head and stared into the girl’s eyes.
“You don’t need to be afraid,” she said. “I’m a friend.”
The dragon made a noise, not a roar but more of a purr. Its tongue flashed out and tasted the air, which was hot and delicious. The elk carcass, what had been left of it, was now burning fiercely. The fat was crackling and the aroma was intoxicating. The girl drew close to the beast’s head and then laid a fiery hand on its jaw. It was the first touch the beast had felt in centuries. It was bittersweet, but there was also a jolt as skin touched scaly flesh. The dragon felt strength welling up inside it. It swung its tail back around, but this time, instead of swatting the girl away, it coiled around her and drew her close.
Just then the wizard came charging forth.
“No!” Zollin screamed. “Let her go!”
Sizzling blue energy shot out of the wizard’s hands and the dragon leapt backwards instinctively, its wings flapping. The wizard struggled to stand against the downdraft of air that lashed around him. Dust, dirt, and stones were hurled into the air and the wizard closed his eyes against the stinging debris.
Then the dragon realized it could fly again. The wounds were gone, healed by the girl’s touch. The beast rose higher and higher into the air. Then it dove, but the wizard was sending white-hot bolts of lightning flashing toward the beast, and it veered away, flying higher and higher, holding the precious girl close to its body.
* * *
Zollin screamed again as lightning shot from his body and filled the air with the stench of ozone. The bright, popping energy lit up the valley, which was falling quickly into the gloom of night, but it served only to allow Zollin to see the dragon flying away. He jumped into the air, levitating himself after the beast, but the dragon was flying too fast and Zollin’s energy was quickly draining. His emotional outburst must have consumed his strength, and he was forced to float back down to the ground where he lay sobbing in the dirt.