R. L. Copple

        

         Seth turned his head my direction. "Hey Sisko, where are we going exactly?"

         I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know."

         He frowned. "After two years, you think I would know the answer. You're not one for making plans."

         "God's making the plans, my friend. I'm just following along." I pointed to the city in the valley as we crested a hill. "But I can say we're going to that city over there. Know its name?"

         Seth raised his hand to shield his eyes from the sun and grunted. "Yea, it's an old backwater town called Dragon's Inn. Used to be a busy town named Crossroads, but fables of a dragon scared everyone away except for a few stalwart villagers. The name gradually changed when the dragon supposedly settled in these hills."

         "I take it you don't believe this dragon exists?" I glanced to read his expression.

         "Dragons? Really, I thought you wouldn't be taken in by old fables and superstitions." He chuckled.

         "I've seen stranger things, like people turning into trees."

         "Oh yeah, your steam-house story. Interesting tale, but more superstition if you ask me."

         I shook my head and held up the ring on my finger. "Then how do you explain my ring, and the miracles God does through it?"

         He stared at it. He couldn't deny the miracles he had watched me do, including those I had done on him and his sister, Gabrielle.

         Gabrielle. Thoughts of her flooded my mind. How long before I could see her again? Would God ever finish with me so I could return to her?

         Seth stared down the road again. "I guess God can use whatever He wants, but tell me why God would send a dragon to a village?"

         I shrugged. "You'd have to ask Him I guess. But, God does use many things. You simply have to trust Him."

         "Trust Him, huh? I've lived by my wits in the wild far longer than you've been away from mommy and daddy. The only one I've been able to trust is myself."

         I chuckled. "All I can say is if you ever visit my village, do not use our steam house. You'll be very sorry."

         "Sure, I'll keep that in mind." He pointed to the village gate a half-mile away. "But also keep in mind, this village is very superstitious. I wouldn't talk about your ring openly. Trouble would follow."

         We entered the gate to see a few people milling around. They glanced up and scurried away as if not used to strangers. I saw older adults, but no children.

         Occasionally, a creaking of rusty hinges would break the silence. Then the villager would jump back inside, slamming the door, knocking pieces of rotting wood onto their porch. Broken shutters swung in the wind and banged upon walls. Not a few houses had leaned slightly to one side. Maintenance hadn't been a high priority, apparently.

         "There's the inn. I hope they have a good meal." Seth turned toward it.

         I nodded, but the outside didn't seem too promising. The roof waved like wind over a field of wheat, and holes dotted its surface. The dust swirled around us as we approached the door.

         Inside, I squinted to see. At first, I thought the room seemed dark because my eyes needed to adjust. Yet, a few seconds passed, and still I could only make out the outline of a counter. Little light penetrated here. A musty smell attacked my nostrils.

         We crept to the counter and found a bell to ring. "Anyone here?" I heard something hit the floor, and then a small light flickered on. Soon, a bald-headed man wearing plain, brown clothing exited a room and shuffled to the counter.

         "You be travelers, eh?" He squinted an eye at us.

         "Yes, Sir," I said. "We're hoping for a place to sleep and..." I scanned the room. "Maybe a meal?"

         His mouth opened, and he had to grab the counter to keep from falling down. He bobbed up and down as if laughing, but only a slight wheeze pierced the dank air. After he collected himself, he said, "I have a room you can bed down in, but your meal won't come from here."

         Seth frowned at me. "Forget why God sent a dragon here, why did He send us here?"

         The old man coughed, and the laughter fizzled to a loud whisper. "Oh, you know about the dragon, do you?" He pointed a long, thin finger at us. "If I were you, I would get right on out of town. The dragon don't take too kindly to strangers."

         Seth grunted. "I told you they were superstitious. I would rather sleep outside than in here anyway. Let's go."

         He grabbed my hand, but I pulled back. "Sir, when's the last time you saw this dragon?"

         "Well..." He scratched his head and stared at the counter. "Been a long time. A very long time. Can't say I recall seeing the dragon. But he's out there. Don't you make no bones about that."

         The door to the inn slammed open, flooding the room with light. A young woman backlit the doorway. "Doctor, hurry." She paused as if noticing us for the first time but continued. "It's the baby. She's coughing up blood."

         "I'll be right there," the old man said, and he shuffled back to his room.

         I blurted out, "You're the doctor too?"

         "You betcha, boy. There's not a lot of people here, you know. We do what we're able."

         It dawned on me why I had seen no children. Few lived long enough. Sadness filled my heart for these people, trapped in time and superstitions, condemning them to a life of rot and decay. I knew I should go with him.

         Seth pulled on me again. "Come on, let's get out of here."

         I held up my hand. "Not yet. We need to go see this baby."

         The old man had shuffled from behind the counter and headed to the door. "No need, boy. It's the sickness. They all die from it."

         "What sickness?" He sounded so ho-hum about it.

         He stopped and turned. His eyes blinked as if they had cried for years, and the tear-well had run dry. "Dragon sickness."

         "Dragon sickness?" Seth's eyes widened. "I told you they were superstitious."

         "We're still coming with you, Sir." I opened the door for him.

         "Guess I can't stop you. It's your life you'll be risking. Have it your way." He hobbled out the door.

 

 

         We arrived at the house and entered. While still darker than I would have liked, at least rays of sunlight shot through the windows and blanketed the floor in patterns. The doctor leaned over the crib and examined the baby.

         The woman, red hair and around thirty-years-old, stared at the baby but took glances at the doctor. "Can she survive?"

         He shook his head. "Afraid not, Cherie. Too far gone, this one. There's nothing I can do for her." He put a hand on Cherie's shoulder.

         She hung her head and closed her eyes. Her shoulders slumped. A vision of Gabrielle crying over our own baby pierced me, and I stopped breathing for a second.

         I knew then why God had brought me here: to banish this dreadful disease from these people. And it would start with this baby. "I can help."

         Seth grabbed my arm. The others turned their heads, disbelief written in their eyes. Yet, they parted since they had done all they could. Why not let the fool have a shot?

         I pushed Seth's hand from my arm. "It's all right, I'm meant to do this." I moved to the cradle. The low light revealed a pale figure. Bones thrust themselves against sagging skin, and a trail of dried blood ran from a corner of the girl's mouth. I placed my hand upon the child. "Father, banish the sickness from this baby and town."

         For a moment, the baby remained still, and seconds ticked by. Then, a breath sucked in, and a cry rang from the lungs. Color returned to the body, and her eyes opened.

         I lifted the infant from the crib and handed it to Cherie. "I believe the child is hungry." Warmth filled my being at her reaction.

         Her eyes beamed as she received the child. She hugged the baby to her chest and cried tears of joy, the first in many years, no doubt.

         I turned to see the reaction of the other villagers who had watched. An audience had gathered outside the door. They murmured as the news of what had happened spread. But their reaction surprised me.

         "Sorcery, that's what this is. Black magic." The doctor pointed his crooked finger at me. "You'll bring down the wrath of the dragon upon us, boy." Fear etched lines upon his sagging face. Those in the room backed away.

         "No, God did this, not me." Couldn't they understand? Why would they not trust in what God had done?

         "God has refused to answer our prayers for years, boy. Why would your prayer be any different? It's magic I tell you." He motioned for some men to bind me. "We must sacrifice you before the dragon takes our whole village."

         Affirmations arose among the people, and they pressed in to grab me. Seth pressed toward me, shoving people to the ground.

         I held up my hand. "No Seth, these people should not be hurt."

         He paused for a moment. Doubt filled his eyes. "But—" A cracking pot fell over his head, and he slumped to the floor. A small swarm of villagers pushed me from the house while others pulled Seth's body into the street.

         People jeered and spit upon me. Some hit me, and welts formed on my body. Could I have heard God wrong? Should I have listened to Seth? Questions flowed through my mind as the crowd shoved me to a series of wooden beams sprouting from the ground, topped with crossbeams. The aged rope and weathered wood indicated they hadn't done this in many years.

         They placed us under two of the beams and tied our wrists with ropes anchored to the top. They fastened my feet firmly against the beams where they entered the ground.

         The crowd moved away and left us there, spread-eagle, awaiting...I didn't know what. They kept crying out "sorcery" and "wizard" in accusation, as if arguing with a judge in their heads about their innocence. Yet, they did not attempt to kill us. They waited.

         In the midst of the jeering, Seth awoke. "Oh, my head." He pulled on the ropes. "What's going on?"

         "I think we are being sacrificed, as best I can tell."

         "Sacrificed!" He yanked harder against the ropes; his bulging muscles tightened with the effort. Yet, the cords did not give to his strength. He ended his struggle with a cry of resignation and slumped on the ropes. "I don't want to be a sacrifice!"

         "Calm down. I'm sure God has a plan. He got us into this, He'll get us out." I hoped. Somewhere within me, I felt this would not end in death.

         "What is this plan of His? Why is He doing this?" Seth's voice echoed against the buildings in the street, and the crowd quieted for a moment in response.

         I turned my head and locked onto Seth's eyes. Fear born of helplessness raged in them. "I don't know, but He does. However this turns out, His will be done."

         He looked at me as if I had lost my mind, but at the same time, I could sense in his soul a desire for such confidence. He stared at me for a long minute until the sound of footsteps interrupted our wordless conversation.

         Not human footsteps, but those of a large animal. We both searched in the direction the sound originated, yet nothing could be seen. I heard hard breathing while the ground shook louder and louder with each pounding step as it approached. Still, the beast remained cloaked to my eyes.

         Despite all my talk, the sound and feeling of death approaching tensed my body to flee. Yet, I'm not sure I could have if I had wanted to. My legs shook and could barely hold me up.

         I felt a caustic breath flowing over me. The creature must be right in front of me, yet it remained invisible. The man told the truth when he said he had never seen it.

         The noise of the crowd had disappeared, and they waited for the final blow. The creature turned to Seth who cried prayers of mercy. Then the breath returned before me, and the creature materialized before my eyes. I wished it had remained invisible. Cries and screams erupted from the crowd, and many ran to safety. My insides turned to water.

         A brownish-red head, much like a huge lizard, hung inches from my face. A long neck held up the head. Its flattened body supported wings of skin spanning several feet. It gently flapped them in the wind as if cooling itself. It lifted its head and roared. My body vibrated.

         During the roar, I heard shouts of "no" and "get away" from the crowd cowering behind fences and walls. I felt the ropes give way. Seth had already been cut down, and he rushed off toward the crowd. I turned to see Cherie, shaking, holding a sword. She thrust it into my hand. "God be with you." Then she darted away. Genuine love makes heroes from the most unexpected of people.

         I turned back as the dragon lowered its head. I had to keep the dragon's attention on me and not on those escaping.

         "Sisko, run!" I heard Seth's voice yell from the crowd.

         Right. I would be roasted before I could move five steps.

The dragon stared me in the eyes. It lifted its head once again, but this time it inhaled deeply. Everything in me said, "Flee now, this is your only chance." But another calm and sure voice said, "Stay, your work is not done."

         So, I stayed. Maybe my death would teach the villagers a lesson. Maybe they would feel sorry and never sacrifice anyone else. The head came down, the mouth opened wide, and I saw the flames forming in its throat and erupting from its open jaws.

         I closed my eyes and threw my arm over my head. I heard a loud roar and the sound of crackling wood all around me. Yet I felt no heat, only a cool breeze. Dew formed on my forehead. I put my hand down and opened my eyes. A blanket of flames flowed around me as if it caressed my body and enlivened my soul. After a few seconds, the flames ended.

         The dragon reared its head back in confusion. The wooden beams around me crackled with flames. The tip of my sword glowed red from the heat. Yet, my clothing remained untouched, and my hair shined as if I had just washed it.

         The dragon reared its head back again and blasted another round of fire at me. Again, I felt a cool and dewy breeze while everything else around me burned.

         The dragon brought its head back toward me and sniffed. I reached out and caressed its snout. Oddly enough, I heard something akin to a purr. I smiled, and I could have sworn it smiled back.

         An impression entered my mind, an impression that I should ride this dragon. I leapt upon its back, and we launched into the air.

         Like a soaring bird, the wind whipped though my hair as we raced into the clouds. Perched on the back of such a beast, clinging to its neck, I experienced something few men have: a new perspective on life, both freeing and threatening.

         During the ride, the dragon's thoughts and feelings erupted into my mind. I felt its sadness and its rage, but mostly its bewilderment at the villagers. It had been brought to them as a curse, but they had failed to learn from it.

         The ride seemed long and yet ended before I wanted it to. The dragon landed back onto the village street. I dismounted and petted its back. Then it shot into the sky with a deafening roar. It disappeared over the hills, returning to some forgotten land. It had finished its task.

         Seth rushed toward me and nearly knocked me over with his hug. "Sisko, I thought the dragon had fried you for its supper, but like you said, God did have a plan." His eyes blazed from within, as if some spark had ignited a fire.

         I had to laugh. "Yes, beyond my wildest thoughts."

         I turned to face the crowd as they exited their hiding places. The doctor approached and squinted one eye at me. "Who are you?"

         A pointless question. I pointed at the church spiral in the center of the village. "Where's your priest?"

         He bowed his head. "He did a miracle, and then the dragon came. We believed he caused it and forced him to leave."

         I shook my head. "The dragon said he came because of your reaction to the miracle, and you failed to repent."

         Cries erupted from the crowd. "How could we have been so blind?" "We're wrong, we have sinned." "God have mercy on us!"

         "You're no different than many whose faith is misplaced." I focused on the doctor. His long face expressed his struggle. "Isn't that right, Doctor?"

         He glanced at me, and I saw pride break in his eyes as tears formed. He fell to the ground, joining in the sorrow for past sins.

         Yet, it didn't take long for the crowd's sorrow to swell into joyfulness. The crowd clamored to thank me. Next thing I knew, I had been lifted onto their shoulders and carried away.

         They celebrated that evening. The Church shined with light, and though no priest officiated, the people rejoiced and worshiped as best they could. Cherie, with her baby, stood at the front, a smile on both their faces. The angels surely rejoiced with us. A smoldering ember had finally ignited into a full fire of life, and a living village emerged from the ruins.

 

 

         Seth and I hiked up the mountain trail. We breathed hard in the thin air. After reaching the top, we rested on the peak. The valley of Dragon's Inn lay on one side, in a sea of green. On the other, a barren land of rock and shrub spread for many miles. We each took a swig of our water.

         "So, where are we headed now?" Seth grinned.

         I wished I could say back to his house and Gabrielle. I scanned the barren wilderness and swung my finger toward a group of distant hills, barely visible across the plains. "Out there, somewhere."

         Seth grinned. I had the distinct feeling he would follow me to the end of the world. And he very well might be required to, but in a way he didn't expect.

         "Let's get moving then. We don't want to be up here when nightfall hits." I grabbed my pack and hoisted it on my shoulders.

         Where would God take us now? I couldn't wait to find out.

 

 

Copyright 2007, R. L. Copple

R. L. Copple is a father to three children and a husband since 1982 to his wife, Lenita. He earned a B.A. in religion from Southern Nazarene University in 1984, has served as a pastor, and written on many religious topics on a small scale, including his own web site for Christian Orthodox questions and issues. Having a lifelong interest in fiction, it was 2005 that he focused on writing stories to capture the imagination. He has two novels in the editing process and has also published several short stories and poems. You can find a complete list of published works and his blog at:

< www.rlcopple.com >.

 

  

 

Cover: "Fairy & the Baby Dragon"

Friends in the fey lands, the butterfly fairy and the baby dragon enjoy a quite moment.

A colored pencil illustration on Strathmore Artagain paper depicting a serene butterfly fairy and her baby dragon friend.

Copyright 2007, Michelle J.A. McIntyre

Specializing in colored pencil works on fiber-enhanced paper, more of the work of Michelle J.A. McIntyre can be found on her Webpage, < www.fantasyrealmcreations.com >.  She creates a variety of fantasy art subject matter including dragons, unicorns, gryphons, fairies, and centaurs.

 

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