The Dragon’s Lair
A lost elf stumbles across a dragon while searching for her unicorn.
A fire crackled under the young elf’s rotating hands as she muttered a feeble enchantment. Sparks sprung from her hand before dying once again. Signe’s heart dropped in her chest. Three times, she failed to create one of the most basic enchantments every young elf learned before they first held a sword. Taking out her frustrations, she stepped onto the pieces of firewood, feeling satisfied as they cracked underneath her feet.
Her freezing, pale hands ached from the endless snow falling upon her. There was limited visibility, leaving her vulnerable inside the crystal-white forest. Aware other creatures also lacked the same visibility comforted her.
Signe sighed. Half a mile away, her cozy hut with her brothers and sisters had a fire dancing in her family’s fireplace. Mugs filled with hot chocolate or coffee would comfort them. If only she could return to her family. Regretful memory toppled in the back of her mind. No, she couldn’t return until she found their unicorn, Celestia, unless the dragon already ate her.
She shuddered at the thought. Dragons were the foulest creatures that roamed the Earth: they hoarded all the treasures, killed younglings, and ate unicorns. Pathetic dragon hunters tried to slay the monsters, but the hunters never returned from their hopeless missions. Signe didn’t believe the hunters were much better than the dragons. The hunters just wanted the treasures themselves; they did not care about protecting the others from the dreadful dragons.
The chilly wind spiraled toward her like a rogue tornado, almost freezing her lungs. She couldn’t stay in the open much longer unless she wished to turn into an icicle. A shelter must be close by. Somewhere safe and warm for the night.
The young elf didn’t wander far when she heard a distant roar in the forest — the dragon’s roar.
“No!”
Signe stumbled into a tree dusted with snow. If the dragon found her, she doubted she could survive the attack. Somewhere safe, but where? Snow covered her tracks that led her back toward the village, and she could not see through the cyclone of snow.
Frost nibbled at the edge of her nose. Dragon or not, she couldn’t stay in the middle of the forest in the dreadful blizzard. She had to find shelter. Her legs struggled as she tried to step away from the clearing into the thick set of trees in an unknown area. Maybe her family wouldn’t notice the unicorn had fled until morning once the storm died. Then she could bring back her friend. Thoughts of the unicorn shivering in the blizzards crept into the back of her mind.
She took out her brother’s hunting dagger from her frayed leather sheath and rotated it in her freezing hand. When she realized Celestia’s escape, Signe stole the hunting dagger to protect herself from all outside threats. The dagger felt worthless against the rogue storm slamming against her on both sides. It wasn’t much better if she found herself face-to-face with the dragon. With the dagger in her grasp, she felt more comfortable with something opposed to nothing.
Her legs trudge through the glimmering snow, reaching close to her waist. The icy breeze stung her bare arms and cheeks, but she couldn’t turn back now for a coat. How could she go back? North and south looked the same in any direction she tried to face. All she knew was that she was lost.
The evergreen trees compacted together the further she went inside the forest, giving her some protection from the temperamental wind. But not much from the swirling snow falling from their branches.
Through the blinding snow, Signe witnessed a heartwarming sight, a luminous unicorn — whiter than the fresh snow — was asleep next to a hemlock tree. The usual bright horn was dull as Celestia struggled to breathe the chilling air.
“Celestia,” said Signe, rushing toward the unicorn.
She dusted off ice and snow from the unicorn’s body, but the snowballs clung to Celestia’s luscious fur. With little hope, Signe muttered enchantments to warm up the unicorn, but Celestia continued to slumber next to her. Signe’s emerald eyes felt heavy against the cold air. It was tempting to slump down next to the unicorn for a nap. But she knew falling asleep would send the Grim Reaper to visit them.
Taking a leaf mint from her satchel, she put it in her dried-out mouth — anything to keep herself from falling asleep next to Celestia. Again, she muttered an enchantment her father taught her that might wake the unicorn. Celestia opened her weak gold eyes.
“Come on,” said Signe. “We need to find shelter before the dragon finds us.”
As she spoke, she heard the dragon’s roar coming much nearer than the last time. Celestia opened her eyes further and neighed at Signe. Her knobby legs stood up from the pact snow. Without warning, Celestia ran again through the thicket of trees. Signe groaned; she regretted not tying a rope on the wretched unicorn.
As quick as she could, she tugged along through the thickening snow. Fortunately, the unicorn’s fur was visible through the whiteout. The cowardly unicorn fled into a moss-covered cave hidden behind snowed covered bushes.
Cursing the unicorn, Signe followed inside the pitch-blacked cave. An enchanted orb glowed in her hand, lighting up a few feet in front of her. The unicorn weaved through pillars of stalagmite scattered throughout the cave. Not once did Celestia glance back at her master but continued running toward the dark abyss.
She took off her green wool scarf, wiping sweat from her neck. As she walked deeper inside the cavern, her cheeks turned bright red from the rising temperature. A burst of hot air rubbed against her as if a dragon was blasting her with flames. The cool winter breeze almost seemed like a better alternative than the sweltering cave. Almost.
Even with her light, she stumbled on the rough patches of stalagmite and landed on the hard floor. Pain shot across her ankle. The unknown dangers of the cave were far more dangerous than whatever dragons flew outside. She looked around the deep void for Celestia, but the unicorn had disappeared. Grumbling, she stood up and took a couple of steps forward. She yelped as she plunged into an endless chasm.
Her heart stumbled in her chest as she fell past the damp wall. Strands of her tangled, windblown hair flew into the air. The light in her hand blew out, leaving her in complete darkness. There was nothing to gasp to prevent her from becoming an unrecognizable shape on the ground. Before she could reach her inevitable death, she closed her eyes as she wracked her brain for a spell to rescue her.
A wet and sticky substance tangled across Signe’s fracture ankle before she could land on the rock formation. Again, she muttered a spell for a fire to see what had rescued her. Her heart thumped. Silver strands of webs entangled the cavern’s walls — her legs tangled in a loose strand a few feet above a mound of gold. The shriveled corpse of the arachnid who created the web was in the corner, with her monstrous legs curled up in the air. Signe shuddered; her dagger wouldn’t have penetrated the spider’s thick abdomen, and a stick would’ve been about as efficient.
Carefully, Signe slid down the silk threads into the pile of gold. As her eyes adjusted, she gasped at the treasure hidden miles from the surface: ruby-encrusted goblets, silver necklaces, glimmering swords, and other priceless trinkets spread miles across the cavern floor. Torches with golden handles revealed silk tapestries hanging on the wall. Signe stepped over a chest filled with golden and silver coins — enough to feed her family for the rest of her life. Temptation weighed against her heart. No one would know if she filled her pockets with this treasure, but she kept her stiff hands far away. Whoever left such a glorious treasure, and why did they leave it?
Warm air carried the smells of smoke and ash inside the chamber. The air burned against Signe’s flushed cheeks. The color drained from Signe’s face as she turned toward the topmost stack of treasure, and her heart went still — the dragon huffed clouds of smoke into the air.
Aureate scales glimmered on the magnificent creature. Rows of sharp ivory horns stretched across the creature’s back — all sharp enough to impale Signe’s fragile body. Scarlet eyes stared at the young elf.
“Oh goody, here comes a dragon slayer,” said the dragon. “Come to prove yourself, elf?”
Signe gripped her dagger, but she might as well as grab a piece of parchment to protect herself against the beast. Her tongue felt dry and leathery, but she managed to speak.
“I’m not a slayer,” said Signe. “I came here for shelter. There’s a blizzard and I have nowhere to stay.”
The dragon flew off the mound, stopping a few meters away from Signe. The webbed wings stayed in the air, exposing the iron chains that kept the dragon within the cave. The chains clashed on the piles of gold and silver.
“Nowhere to stay? Would you rather stay inside this prison where you will never see the light of day again? Why not enjoy your freedom? You could gallop in the fields of flowers instead of this wretched cave. You lie elf! I should incinerate you, but there isn’t much else to do down here.” She blew more scarlet flames in the air and caused the temperature to rise in the room.
The dragon’s tail swished, knocking down a golden phoenix statue that slid down the pile of endless treasure. Once it slid to a halt, Signe noticed the empty dented helmets and scorched armor mixed with the treasure. She expected if she had more time to search the floors, she would find the hunters’ skeletons. How long until she joined their masters?
“I mean you no harm,” said Signe, her voice squeaking. “Please spare me and I will be on my way. I want none of your treasure or fortune.”
Smoke spiraled out of the dragon’s wide nostrils. “I care nothing about this fortune, elf. The Elf King imprisoned me to protect his treasure. Take what you desire and leave.”
Glinting gold coins begged Signe to take handfuls and pour the treasure into her pockets. But she clamped her hands together and ignored the dragon’s words. Dragons enjoyed tricking other creatures for their entertainment, especially when they saw the fool as a morsel to satisfy them for days.
“I am not here for your treasure, slaying dragons, or anything besides safety. Please, spare a foolish elf.”
Iron clanged against the goblets, breaking off a handle, as the dragon slid nearer to the elf. Signe closed her eyes because she didn’t want to witness her inevitable death. But the fire never came near her.
“I offer you riches beyond your little mind can comprehend, and you deny it.”
The dragon thumped her great tail at the wall, shaking the cavern walls. Gold slid under Signe’s feet, dragging her along with it. She grabbed onto a flimsy rope that snapped with a slight tug. She tumbled down the mound toward the helmets. Praying, she hoped not to find the rotting corpses of long-forgotten soldiers. But the bronze helmets were centuries older than either the elf or the dragon. Another ancient treasure mixed with the rest.
Diamond necklaces and ruby rings stumbled along with her. Before she could make it to the bottom, she slammed into a wall of white fur; she blinked stars out of her eyes. Celestia had saved her.
The graceful unicorn rubbed her muzzle against Signe’s damp face. Signe gratefully stroked Celestia’s head, not caring that the unicorn was why she stumbled upon the cave. Fire soared in the air. Unbearable hot air drifted towards the elf and her steed.
Signe mounted Celestia, intending to flee into the cold night air… but she heard the iron chains clank on the metal coins. Sweat shook off Signe’s hands as she clenched the unicorn’s mane. Celestia whined, her head turned towards the dragon as if she wanted to aid the dragon. Had Celestia brought her to rescue the frightening monster that all creatures feared? Pitiful and lonely roars filtered through the hot air. Hesitating, Signe looked at the dragon and felt a tear slide down her cheek. The dragon tried to free herself from her chains, but she didn’t look at Signe. Instead, the dragon stared at the hole Signe fell in earlier with a longing gaze. Sorrow overflowed Signe’s heart as if a dam burst inside. What kind of monster left the dragon alone? She touched the dagger’s cool handle.
With a slight squeeze, Signe aided Celestia toward the miserable dragon. Smoke covered the room worse than the whiteout Signe experienced outside, making it almost impossible to come nearer to the dragon.
Halfway toward the dragon, another spiral of smoke came near them. Celestia whined. Signe’s shaking hand stroked Celestia’s mane to comfort her. The unicorn jumped across a pit between two mounds of gold. They were now behind the dragon’s horned tail. The tails swished near them, almost impaling them with its great horns. The dragon turned her head and snorted more clouds of smoke in the air.
“What foolishness is this, elf? Why not escape with your noble steed when you had the chance? Did you really believe you could kill me, the most powerful creature? I supposed your charred body would make a nice decoration.”
Signe ignored the dragon’s taunts, her mind made up; she jumped on the dragon glimmering back while holding her dagger. Feet away from the iron chains, she recognized the sigils branded into the chains. Fire poured out of the dragon’s mouth, heading straight toward Signe. She lowered herself in time, the fire grazing her hair — leaving the ends of her hair burnt. Next, the dragon’s tail tried to pummel her, but she managed to roll over before a spike could impale her.
No matter how much she questioned her sanity, she climbed up until she reached the iron chains weaved around the dragon. Muttering an enchantment at her dagger, she slashed it at the chains and sliced through them as easily as a piece of yarn. The chains fell off the dragon and clanked as it rolled down the treasure — at last freeing the dragon from her prison.
The dragon went silent. Neither smoke nor fire drifted from her nostrils. She wiggled her nostrils and sniffed Signe.
“Why did you free me, youngling? Do you not worry about the destruction I might cause?”
Signe wiped her sweaty hands on her pants. “Celestia heard your roars, didn’t she? That’s why she ran away tonight to find you?”
Her heart thumped in her chest. Had she misunderstood the dragon and released a monster in the forest that could destroy villages without breaking a sweat? The dragon’s shoulder relaxed, and she smiled at the elf.
“The ancient kings spread legends about our kind. They call us hoarders with the desire to destroy others for their treasures. Foolish stories. King Harald was gifted my egg months before I hatched. I never stepped a single claw outside of this cave. No one has entered this cave except for Harald… until now. I supposed I didn’t have the heart to kill a foolish elf.” Her wings flapped at her side. “Tell me, child, what is it like out there?”
Her head tilted toward the hole Signe fell into. The smile faded from the dragon’s face.
“There aren’t words that could justify the outside world. In the spring, our world explodes into colors as the flowers grow and the birds return to enjoy life after the harsh winter. The summers bring warmth, sometimes unbearable, but one jump into a cool creek settles it. It’s the time we explore the world. The autumn, the colors dull as the leaves of the trees begin to fall. It’s the perfect time to hike and enjoy the cool breezes. The winter brings snows and ice — I hate the cold — but I love how the fresh snow glimmers in the sunlight as if a fairy spread her dust across the Earth.”
The dragon sighed. “All these years, I wondered if I would ever enjoy the outside world. But you came here seeking shelter; why is that?”
“I… I’m lost. I accidentally stumbled upon this place. I meant no harm. All I wanted was somewhere warm for the night until I could find my family.”
The dragon nodded. “I believe you. But make no mistake of ever returning here. Harald will harm whoever takes his treasure, and I doubt he will welcome whoever freed me. Take this young child.”
The dragon yanked an unlit torch from the ceiling and breathed massive emerald flames into it before handing it to Signe.
“Here child, whoever holds this fire will stay warm as long as they desire. It is time for us to leave.”
Warmth embraced Signe’s cheeks, but her body didn’t feel overheated. The dragon curled her tail around Signe and Celestia before taking off away from her prison. Her wings flapped, knocking the iron chains further down the hill until they disappeared out of sight. Signe gripped one hand on the tail.
Her stomach tumbled while they flew in the air. Images of the cave spun through her mind as vertigo took a hold of her. Her ears popped after a few seconds in the air. Once she saw the bright stars in the midnight sky, she loosened her grip on the dragon’s tail.
Small flurries melted before they could touch Signe’s cheek. The torch kept her from feeling the cool breeze or her lungs from freezing. She was dropped into a melting pile of snow along with Celestia.
“Thank you again, youngling,” said the dragon. “I don’t believe I can ever repay you. I do, however, have something small I hope you’ll accept.”
Signe’s cheeks flushed. “You… you don’t have to.”
The dragon smiled, showing off her sharp teeth. “It is nothing much. But if you ever need me. I believe this might help.” One of the dragon’s teeth fell from her mouth. “Plant this if you ever need me. I will find you.”
Signe took the ivory tooth it was longer than her index finger. She pocketed it while stammering at the dragon. Many legends foretold the mesmerizing power in a dragon’s tooth. Many knights would’ve slayed a dragon for one.
“This is too generous.”
“It’s merely a baby tooth.” The dragon gazed into the partly clouded night sky. “I better go now. Safe travels youngling. We will meet again someday.”
With a final bow, the dragon flew toward the crescent moon with snow clinging to her tail. She made small loops in the air as she joined a flaming phoenix who embraced her. The elf and her steed watched until the dragon and phoenix blended in with the cloud — the smoke merging with the clouds. The tales of the dreadful dragon no longer wandered into Signe’s mind. Instead, she witnessed a graceful creature welcoming her freedom.
