This year for the first time we are sharing several of our short story submissions publicly! Please enjoy the following story by high school student Alexis Powell:
Why Must the Elemental Dragons Fight?
Alexis Powell
Luluciana rode a sturdy, gray, mountain pony, her black hair flying out behind her. Her mission was to stop the dragon war. The Shilarian Mountains, named after the discoverer, Pietish Shilarian, loomed up like jagged teeth. The forbidding and daunting mountains made it risky for anyone climbing them, let alone anyone who wanted to reach dragons. It was a recipe for disaster, but she was willing to try. She urged the pony up the winding dirt trail, going carefully. A few birds chirped in the scraggly pine trees; the scorching sun beat down relentlessly on her back.
She remembered that morning in the dining hall…
Entering the massive dining hall, her parents sat waiting. Her mother, the chieftess, was the picture of rigid perfection with her hair, posture, and dress; her father, the chief, was equally perfect and elegant.
“Greetings, Lady Luluciana. It’s a pleasure to have you,” he said, his tone airy as if addressing a visiting nobility instead of his daughter.
“The pleasure is mine,” she replied with an equally airy and detached tone. Executing a gracefully curtsy, she tripped on a stubborn ribbon that refused to stay tied. Luluciana steadied herself, grabbing a chair back. With false dignity, she sat, trying to ignore the servants silently laughing.
She came back to the present, the morning’s events faded to be replaced by the pony’s movements. Her hair and face were hot from the sun. She stopped under a large pine tree, enjoying the meager shade it could offer. After some rest, Luluciana led the pony to a nearby brook, and let it drink before mounting and continuing her quest.
She thought of her end goal, the dragons. No one really knew where they lived. Most legends said they lived on the mountaintops, but others said they lived in cloud palaces. Luluciana wasn’t sure which to believe, but the mountaintops were her best chance.
It seemed to be cooler. Were those snowflakes drifting along? Putting out her hand, she felt cold bits fall on it. It was snowing. She looked down at the city and found snow falling there, too. This unexpected change of weather was a hindrance to her plans.
A sudden wind swirled and kicked up snow. The going was slow, but steady. Luluciana shivered in the blizzard-like conditions. Scanning the forest for shelter, she found a spacious cave tucked in the trees. Dismounting, she headed toward it. By now, the white drifts came up to her thigh. A snow-laden branch dumped on her. She quickly shook it off, trying to stay warm.
She remembered her escape from her etiquette earlier that morning… “If you must take leave of your guests, do so in a proper way. Stand up elegantly, make a polite excuse, and slip out. Do you have anything to say?”
“Yes,” she said, standing. “I’m very sorry to leave your presence, but I must go.” And she slipped out before Mrs. Peabody realized fully what had happened. Well, well, I’ve used her own teachings to make my escape. But I’m not quite out yet… Wiping the smug smile of satisfaction off her face, she hurried to her private chambers.
Coming back to the present, Luluciana came up to the cave entrance, and cautiously peered in. All clear. It was dry and sheltered from the wind inside. She walked silently except for the clip-clop of the pony’s hooves. Setting the saddle and saddlebags down in a corner, she set up her camp. With her supplies, she made a small fire and cooked some food. When she was warm and content, she curled up by the dying embers with the pony and fell asleep.
When she woke, the snow had stopped and left a glistening blanket on the woods. A red-bird warbled merrily on a white-frosted pine bough. Luluciana stretched and stood up. She saddled the pony and adjusted the saddlebags. Once in a section of clearing, she mounted, always heading upward to the peaks. A large shadow swept over her. She looked up to find a dragon with shimmery green wings swooping up toward the peaks. A real dragon! And with its coloring, it must be a GreenClaw! Maybe there is hope for normal weather again! Filled with new hope, she followed the dragon with her eyes. It swooped upwards, then hovered over the mountain before landing out of sight. She urged the pony on.
She remembered when she had slipped out of her house earlier… “Lady Luluciana, good day to you. Where are you off to now?” The guard’s voice was pleasant with a hint of surprise.
“Just out for morning exercise, sir. I have the day off,” and she executed a near-perfect curtsy.
His eyebrows raised slightly. “Are you sure? The weather is scorching hot. If your fair complexion is ruined by the sun, I will lose my position.”
Oh right. The dragon war and the weather. How will I convince him, and let him keep his job?
Over a week ago, two of the Elemental dragon tribes started a war, the IceClaws and the FireWings. This created a problem, because the Elemental dragons control the weather. With the two tribes taking turns in power, they gave the city unpredictable weather, alternating between hot and cold.
“I can stay in the shade by the pools. I’m just desperate for fresh air because I’ve been locked inside for a week.” Yeah, that definitely sounded suspicious. Well, I just hope he didn’t notice, she thought.
“Alright,” and he opened the grand door to let her pass, but not without a look of slight suspicion. She trotted down the path, aware she had wasted precious time, but knew she was still seen as the chief’s daughter out for some exercise.
Flashing back to the present, she noticed the snow seemed to be melting and turning to slush on the path. As she got higher up the mountain, she began seeing more boulders and steep edges. A clump of snow slid off a cliff. The weather got warmer. The peak was in view. Stopping for a quick lunch, she considered what she was going to do when she encountered the dragons. How exactly was one small human going to help giant dragons make peace? She wasn’t exactly a hero nor was she a dragon whisperer.
All I have to do is convince the right dragon to change, and the rest will be taken care of, she realized. But which dragon? I’ll just see which is most accessible and willing. She continued up the mountain. The trees lessened in density as the elevation increased. The snow was nearly all gone by this time. The sun shone brightly and a gentle breeze ruffled Luluciana’s long black hair.
As she rounded a corner, a clear view of the valleys presented itself before her. Lush green, they filled the spaces between the jagged Shilarian Mountains. A flash of orange, then another of white. Flames shot out across the valley, but turned to ice and snow. A pale blue dragon fell, but caught itself and swooped back up. A rust-red dragon dove down, shooting flames at some white dragons. The dragons swooped away in different directions, shooting blasts of ice. A few FireWings struck by the ice blasts, fell toward the valley below. A pack of fire dragons, flying in formation, shot out toward an IceClaw. Fire singed the white scales, and it flew off in a spiraling flight. IceClaws, gripping icy-blue swords in their claws, met with FireWings, gripping fiery swords, in the valley. Clang! Sizzle! The elemental swords met as the wielders did.
As the battle raged in the valley, Luluciana searched for the right dragon. She saw pale and fiery scales, but not green. She ducked as a FireWing whooshed inches above her head, followed closely by a fierce looking IceClaw. There! She had found her target; a solitary GreenClaw who looked very annoyed with this whole battle business. It seemed to be willing to help end the war.
Luluciana stealthily crept toward it, still a bit unsure. Good thing she knew dragon-speak. She had found a random book of dragon-speak lost in the dusty shelves of her house’s library and studied it merely out of curiosity. Now that she actually needed that knowledge, she was excited and terrified.
Once she was near the dragon, she put her dragon-speak knowledge in action. “Grrowrrl,” she uttered, meaning something like hello. The GreenClaw turned around, surprised. It seemed to be searching for something, maybe another dragon.
“I’m the one who spoke to you,” she said in dragon-speak. The green dragon turned it’s massive head down to where Luluciana stood. Its terrifying reptilian eyes stared skeptically at her.
“I know dragon-speak,” she spoke again to the huge dragon.
“My name is Springwatch. What does a small human creature want with me?”
“I need- Actually, what do you feel about the fire and ice war?” She had quickly changed the subject just to make sure she had the right dragon.
“Uh…, It's a completely unnecessary waste of time. I don’t appreciate it.”
“Great. Then I need you to help me.”
Luluciana set everything up, a system of complicated contraptions. Springtouch swooped through the valley, going first here, then there in no recognizable pattern. Within an hour, the fighting Firewings and IceClaws had calmed down, licking their wounds. The weather had calmed down, too. The formerly scorching weather was now a mild warm with a cool breeze. Luluciana stood proudly on the edge of the formerly green valley, now mottled with scorch marks and frostbite. The springtide breeze ruffled her free-flying black hair. Springtouch landed next to her in a rush of wind. Their green eyes met, both glowing at their accomplishment.
“Would you like a ride back?”
“Really? You would do that?” Her heart soared at the thought of riding a dragon.
Springtouch crouched low, and Luluciana climbed up. Settling herself between his back spines, he lept into the air. He swooped low to grab the pony gently in his talons, then they were truly flying in the mountain air. It was thrilling. Luluciana knew she would be in big trouble when she got back, but that was a distant worry now. Right now, she was riding a dragon and she had saved her land’s weather. Springtouch soared into the clear spring air, giving Luluciana her biggest dream.
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