Chapter Sixteen
Daisy
“I thought I might find you here,” began Merodach. “Still keeping with the likes of Cartesians, huh? Nasty habit.”
Ignoring the insult to his friend, Andy said, “You never said there were different kinds of dragons here.”
“You never asked.”
“Would you have told us if we had asked?”
“I would have told you,” the dragon master replied, staring at Andy. Alden rolled his eyes.
“So, which caves do red dragons live in then?”
“You expect me to just tell you? What’s in it for me?”
Andy thought for a second. “Well, since I killed this dragon, it’s mine. I’ll share some dragon steaks with you if you tell me.”
Merodach scratched his generous girth. “Fine. But I expect them cooked medium rare. Not rare. Not medium. Medium rare. Understand?”
Andy nodded. “If we’re going to do that, I need your help getting my sword out of the dragon’s belly.”
“Wait a minute. First you want information and now you want me to help you get your sword?”
“It’s the only blade I have to cut up the dragon.”
“Oh fine!” Merodach roared.
The burly man singlehandedly rolled the dragon on its side, exposing the hilt of Methuselah. He took a closer look and his demeanor immediately changed. “Where did you get this sword?”
“It was given to me,” replied Andy, yanking the blade free.
“By who?”
“I can’t really say.”
“You can’t say or you won’t say?”
“I can’t. I’m not really sure.”
Merodach paused, strangely satisfied. “Fine. Now get me my dragon steaks, medium rare. And while you’re at it, cook me an egg.”
“Huh?”
“That’s a mama dragon you killed. I can tell from her coloring. She’s flushed. See that reddish color behind her horns. Only happens to female yellow dragons just after they’ve laid their eggs. You should find some eggs in a nest back further.”
The boys shared a glance.
Merodach stretched out inside the cave, gave a couple grunts and a fart, and began snoring. The pair snickered.
“I can cut up the dragon,” offered Alden. “I’ve seen my Mom cut up carcasses for dinner. It can’t be much different, just bigger.”
Before handing Methuselah to Alden, Andy walked over to where Merodach lay sleeping, held the sword up, and pretended to cut off Merodach’s head for all the trouble he was causing. Alden smiled.
Andy handed the blade to Alden, grabbed the rope Alden had brought, and set about gathering wood, not a simple task in the desolate place. How much wood do I even need to cook dragon steaks? A chorus of roars too nearby sent him skittering over the rocks. He dove into the mouth of another cave to avoid a flock of patrolling vulture-men, then finally located a small copse of pine trees standing tall despite a crush of boulders that threatened on all sides. Scrambling down the hulking rocks, Andy found an abundance of dry, fallen limbs. Clearly no one came this way often.
Andy gathered a generous pile then took Alden’s rope that he had slung over one shoulder and wrapped it around the bundle, leaving a tail to haul it up with. He secured it about his waist and picked his way back up the stone face. Sweat streamed from his brow and soaked his clothes by the time he had completed five trips. He knew the supply would last the night no matter how many steaks the dragon master ordered.
Andy finished collecting wood just as Alden cut the last of the dragon. Red flowed everywhere in front of the cave, but he beamed at the pile of steaks that stood chest height. Alden’s face, hands, tunic, and sandals were covered.
“Won’t the carcass attract visitors?” Andy asked.
Alden looked around. “Help me drag it over there.” He pointed to a sheer cliff ten yards away.
With most of the meat removed, the skeleton proved bulky but moveable. Andy pulled on a horn while Alden pushed on the hip bones.
“We should make Merodach move it,” Alden chided, trying to catch his breath.
“We’re almost there.”
Ten minutes later the beast’s frame teetered on the precipice and Andy joined Alden for the grand shove off.
“Ready?” Andy placed his hands firmly on a shoulder blade.
“Ready.”
It took only seconds for the skeleton to meet the ravine below. A bellow from another cave nearby paid homage to the life that had been taken.
Alden excused himself to change when they got back to the cave, and Andy started a fire. Once his friend returned, Andy headed farther into the cave to find the dragon’s nest. He slipped and slid several times on the shiny trail of liquid that the giant rat had left. It must have been an egg. The goo smelled rotten and made his stomach twist. I’m not sure I want to eat a dragon egg, even if it is cooked.
Just as Merodach had promised, Andy found a nest with three eggs. Each was the size of a medicine ball. He stooped to pick one up but couldn’t. What are these things made of? It weighs a ton!
Leaning against the irregular sphere, he braced his feet and pushed—the first egg consented to leave the nest. He carefully rolled it to the entrance of the cave, slipping and sliding on its fallen nest mate. He placed it at the edge of the now-roaring fire to cook. Alden laid the first steaks on thin flat rocks in the middle of the fire while Andy returned for the other two eggs.
At the first mouthwatering scents of cooking steaks and eggs, Merodach stirred, rubbed his eyes, and sat up. “Got my steak ready?”
“Sure,” replied Alden.
Merodach frowned.
“You’re gonna have to take it from a Cartesian if you want to eat,” he added, smiling.
Merodach quickly devoured the steak and demanded seconds and thirds, then fourths.
“How much can this guy eat?” Alden whispered to Andy amidst the sounds of loud chewing. “The guy has no table manners!”
After the fifth steak, Merodach belched loudly and then farted what sounded like a long trumpet blast with a high-pitched squeal at the end.
The boys looked at each other and unsuccessfully tried to hide their snickers.
“Gotta make room for more!” Merodach boomed. He ate two more steaks before asking for one of the eggs, which he inhaled.
Wow! I’ve never seen anyone eat so much! Andy marveled.
After Merodach finally finished, Andy and Alden sat down to eat. The first bite of dragon tasted like—no, not like chicken—like a beef steak, but with a strange aftertaste that was beyond gamey. It almost tasted rotten.
The steak is tender and moist, but it’s certainly not a taste I prefer, Andy decided.
“I think it’s the fire they breathe out that makes the steaks taste the way they do,” offered Alden, seeing Andy’s reaction.
Andy nodded. Between bites, he asked, “So which caves do the red dragons live in?”
Merodach did not acknowledge Andy’s question. After a long, uncomfortable silence, Andy opened his mouth to ask again, but Merodach cut him off, growling, “I heard ya the first time!”
Silence continued.
Either he’s debating whether to answer or he’s just trying to be as annoying as possible. Either way, he’s succeeding at being annoying!
After several more minutes, Merodach finally replied, “Red dragons live in three caves by the Rising Sun.”
“Rising Sun?”
“It’s an outcropping that looks like the sun rising. You’ll know it by the reddish rock. Only one like it in these parts. ’Bout a half mile from here, due east. You’re too late though.”
“Too late? What do you mean?”
“I heard a ruckus up there yesterday, so I went to investigate. When I got there I saw King Abaddon and his goons swarming around the caves. I investigated this morning when no one was around. The caves are empty. Musta gotten wind that you were lookin’ fer red dragons. Killed ’em all and cleaned up their carcasses. N
othin’ left.”
“Why didn’t you tell us that before!” Andy fumed.
“You didn’t ask,” Merodach replied, smiling and picking dragon meat from between his teeth with a dirty fingernail. “I didn’t have to tell ya, ya know.”
“I don’t believe you!” protested Andy.
“Not askin’ ya to. Just tellin’ ya the way things is.”
“Tomorrow morning Alden and I will go see for ourselves.”
“Suit yourself.”
The next morning Andy and Alden rose with the sun, packed up their gear, including a couple uncooked steaks from the night before, and set out for the Rising Sun, leaving Merodach snoring next to the rest of the steaks. They peered over the ledge where they’d dropped the dragon carcass.
“Stripped clean,” Andy assessed, eyeing the bones that now jutted up at odd angles.
Alden nodded. “Glad we moved it.”
The pair gazed upward. There were no vultures circling above at this hour of the morning, and within half an hour they located the reddish rock that their annoying companion had described.
The roars of waking dragons sounded close by as they walked. Ahead, the boys found the openings to three caves that were double the size of the yellow dragon’s lair. They approached cautiously, Andy holding Methuselah out in front of him. As they entered the first cave, all was quiet. They saw what looked like blood stains on the ground. Claw marks and charred areas littered the walls. There had been quite a struggle. Aside from that, the place had been scrubbed clean. Andy’s heart sank.
Sensing Andy’s thoughts, Alden said, “Come on, let’s check out the other caves.”
The second cave proved as disappointing as the first—blood-stained ground, claw marks, and burns covering the walls.
They moved on to the third cave. While it looked the same as the first two, Andy sensed something different about this one. Perhaps it was his refusal to accept defeat when they were so close to their goal, but he found himself filled with hope and optimism. They crept into the cave with Methuselah giving light. Everything was silent except for the sound of flies buzzing about. The cave was deeper than that of the yellow dragon. The orange rocks at the entrance now gave way to medium gray stone the texture of dragon scales. The boys heard the drip of water and saw it running down the walls in spots. After investigating for several minutes, they sat down on a boulder that jutted up from the floor.
“I don’t get it,” Andy puzzled. “When we walked in, it felt to me as if something was different about this cave. But we didn’t find any dragon scales.”
“I’d like to know how King Abaddon figured out we were after a red dragon.”
“That doesn’t matter. What matters is that we have nothing to bring back. How is the curse ever going to be broken without a red dragon scale?”
They sat in silence as Andy tried to figure out what to do next. We can’t go back empty-handed. The King is counting on us.
A few minutes later, Andy wiped sweat from his brow. He bent down to remove his pack and a blast of flame shot over him, barely missing his back. He dropped to the floor as another blast found its target. This one hit his legs, bringing instant, searing pain. Andy grabbed his thighs while ducking for cover. Seconds later, flames shot out at Alden as he ran for cover, but he wasn’t fast enough and a wall of fire found him. He let out a piercing scream and then fell to the floor, unmoving.
That thing’s gonna burn him to a crisp!
Through the light of the flames, Andy made out the figure of an enormous gray dragon. Its head was the size of a large bear and its body as big as a small house. Two foot-long horns sprouted from the top of its head, which was crowned by a bony ridge, much like Andy had seen on Triceratops dinosaurs in picture books when he was little. The monster stared at him.
Andy managed to haul himself behind a large boulder. Flames lapped the floor on either side of the rock and found their way to his left hand. More pain. Andy smelled his flesh burning again. He could not run. He could not walk. He could barely think for the pain. And the monster approached Alden one terrifying step after another.
The sound of a woman clapping and cheering—“Go dragon, go! Go dragon, go!”—added to the chaos. Andy shook his head. Is someone cheering for the dragon to kill us? Couldn’t be. I must be hallucinating!
With no time to think, Andy struggled up. The blistering pain was more intense than anything he had ever endured, and stars began swirling before his eyes. I’ve got to save Alden! He managed to peek out from behind the boulder and saw Methuselah on the ground a few feet away. Another blast of fire shot toward his boulder and Andy ducked behind the rock just in time.
The monster was nearly upon Alden’s motionless form. Clenching his teeth and stifling a cry of excruciating pain, Andy forced himself to stand. He moved around the boulder and fell to the floor, grabbing Methuselah. Instantly the blade extended. The creature saw him and shot more flames in his direction.
He expected to feel more intense burning, but Methuselah deflected the flames to either side.
Whoa! Andy held the blade steady. Thank you, whoever sent you!
The creature hurled more fire, but Methuselah prevailed. This stalemate continued for several minutes until the dragon finally gave up, rubbing its neck as if it had a sore throat from all the fire it had breathed.
The beast turned and slumped away, going farther into the cave. Andy’s legs and hand seared with pain. Still holding Methuselah, he moved over to Alden to see how badly he had been burned. Alden moaned but did not move. Angry burns and singed clothing covered his body.
What am I going to do? I can’t go for help, and I can’t lift him. Andy felt his chest tighten and his breath came in rasps. He met the floor as his legs gave way.
He wasn’t sure if he’d passed out, but a sound from the back of the cave brought him to his senses. No way! It sounds like the dragon’s...but no, that’s not possible...
Andy scooted back as quietly as he could toward the creature. Its frame heaved. It was crying so hard that its tears fell to the floor and were starting to form a stream. He inched closer, trying to formulate a plan.
His left hand slipped through the tear stream. Instantly, the burning pain stopped. Wait! What just happened? Methuselah’s dim light revealed the skin was no longer bloodied or charred from the burn. It looked good as new. Not even a discoloration remained to suggest anything had happened. Andy flexed his hand.
Not one to argue with success, he stuck one leg and then the other into the stream. The pain again ceased. He examined his skin. Where his legs had been severely burned, they now looked—new! How awesome is this!
Alden moaned again.
Andy stood. After discarding his shredded leggings, he walked over to his friend. With grunting and groaning, he managed to pick Alden up while the dragon continued sobbing. He struggled as he carried Alden back to the stream of tears and laid him in it. Seconds later, Alden regained consciousness.
“Wh-wh-what…?”
“It’s okay, I’m here. You were badly burned by a dragon, but you’re going to be fine.”
Alden sat up, yawned, and stretched, seemingly as good as new. “I thought I was dreaming. All I remember is seeing a huge monster and then flames. And then my body was on fire! The pain was incredible!”
“The dragon over there burned you badly.” Andy motioned to where the beast crouched.
Alden gave a start and moved to flee, but Andy put a hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay, Methuselah protected us.”
Hearing them talking, the dragon composed itself and turned back to face them.
“Uh-oh,” Andy whispered. Expecting more flames, Andy’s arm shot up, shielding them with the blade.
“You won. I won’t attack you any more. I can’t even do that right.”
Andy shook his head. “Did you hear something?”
“Yeah—but wait, no,” replied Alden.
“Who said that?”
“I did.”
“Who?”
“Me.” The dragon lifted its head and looked at them. “I speak to you in your thoughts.”
The pair exchanged glances as their jaws fell.
“I’m sorry I hurt you. When I saw you, I thought you were more bad men trying to kill me.”
“Why would you think that?” asked Alden.
“Two days ago, angry men came and—” The dragon paused, nearly breaking down again. “—killed my family. It was awful. I hid back in the cave. When the slaughter was over, they searched but didn’t find me. They carried my family away and cleaned up the mess. Why would they do such a thing? What did we ever do to them?”
“I’m so sorry. By the way, I’m Alden and this is Andy.”
“I’m Sabella, but my parents…” The dragon paused and sniffled loudly. “My parents called me Daisy, because daisies were my mom’s favorite flower.” A tear trickled down her cheek.
“I don’t think you did anything to anyone. I think King Abaddon knew we were looking for the scale of a red dragon and tried to prevent us from getting one. He doesn’t realize he missed you.”
“Why do you need a red dragon scale?”
Andy looked at Alden, debating whether they should tell her about their mission.
“It’s fine, Andy. She’s not on their side.”
“Okay…”
Alden explained everything to Daisy. When he finished, Daisy said, “I want to help you. They killed my family, and they’ll try to kill me as soon as they know I’m alive.”
“Where can we find a red scale?” asked Andy.
Daisy shook her head. “I doubt there are any left here. The men scoured the caves clean.”
“We have to find one. Let’s at least look to make sure,” suggested Andy.
The trio split up and diligently searched all three caves for the next hour before reconvening.
“Nothing,” Alden reported.
“Nothing,” Daisy agreed.
“Nothing.” Andy shook his head. “I can’t believe we’re this close but can’t find one. We’ve come so far and gone through so much! There has to be one here!”
Alden stared at the floor and Daisy remained silent.
“We can’t go back without one!” Andy paused and took a deep breath. “I won’t!”
“Andy, there’s nothing here. We can’t just make a scale out of thin air.”
“Let’s look again.”
“But Andy—”
“Let’s look again!”
After another thorough search of all three caves, the three met up once more.
“Nothing,” said Alden.
“Nothing,” echoed Daisy.
“Nothing,” sighed Andy, kicking the dirt. “This totally stinks! I feel like such a failure. I promised the King I’d do my best and bring back a red dragon scale so the curse can finally be broken.” He paused, thinking for several minutes. “What am I going to tell him?”
Alden shook his head slowly, shoulders slumped.
Several minutes later, Alden turned his thoughts to Daisy and asked, “Daisy, what are you going to do? You’re all alone.”
“I don’t know.”
“Are there other red dragon colonies?”
“I remember my mom and dad saying something about that a long time ago, but I don’t know where they are.”
“That’s it!” exclaimed Andy. “We’ll find another red dragon colony and get a scale that way!” But even as he said it, his stomach tensed. I hope Abaddon didn’t wipe out all the red dragons.
“Well, until we know where there’s another colony, Daisy can’t stay here by herself. Should we see if Merodach might know?” Alden questioned.
“You trust Merodach?”
“Then we’ll go back to the castle and ask Mermin. The King said he’s studied dragons for a long time. Surely he’ll know,” Alden countered.
“Can you fly?” asked Andy.
“Yes.”
“Would you mind giving us a lift?”
“Not at all. Grab your things.”