('Crystal Ball' Painting By Waterhouse)
Dragons No More
By Ginger Strivelli
Published in issue 21 of The Ultimate Unknown Magazine
Belizama looked up from her altar to gaze out the window at the lake and the land stretching out behind it. The spell was done. After thirteen moons of the most powerful magical workings, she had succeeded. In truth, she did not yet know that she had succeeded. She wouldn’t know until the first dragon arrived at Castle Urquhart and bellowed up to the window where she now stood waiting. If any dragons remained in Britannia, for her to save. With every Prince, Knight, merchant, and farmer hunting them for fame, profit, fear, and ignorance they might all be dead.
If only it hadn’t taken so long, so many of the beasts would not have been slaughtered. But one could not summon such mystical creatures as if rounding up sheep. It took great power and Belizama had to work with the Earth, Sun and Moon to build up that much energy.
But it was done. Every Dragon left living was turning towards Castle Urquhart. Belizama looked relieved only briefly. A wave of premonition swept over her. In her mind’s eye she saw something she had not foreseen. All those Princes, Knights, merchants and farmers were baring down upon her castle, as well. There would be no dragon sanctuary upon her grounds after all.
Two days passed. It was longer than Belizama had expected to wait for the first arrival. Her beloved creatures must be scarcer than even she had feared. However, that first arrival was heart warming, and she had been so stresses by the premonition and by the long wait, her heart needed warming, in deed.
It was not a single dragon, but a bull, a cow, and a set of triplet hatchlings. All five proceeded, as if entranced, up to the foot of the castle and called in perfect unison up to Belizama’s window in the tower. They needn’t have. She’s seen them coming. She’d watched tearfully. First crying in awe of their magnificence, then in joy of their heeding her call, then in horror as she recalled the hunters that were uninvited, but also heeding her call.
The dragons glittered rose, purple, and green in the sunlight. Except for the smallest hatchling, who was strangely all white, with but touches of pale colors. Belizama wondered if he might be sick, or perhaps he was but a whim of Mother Nature. She couldn’t contemplate that mystery at length, for she had to think of how to save them from the hunters.
If only they could fly and breath fire, like everyone claimed, they’d stand a chance against their attackers. Alas, they could no more breathe fire than they could breathe the dark water of the lake.
That thought froze in the Sorceress’ mind.
“Breath water,” she said out loud.
The animals looked at her quizzically.
She hadn’t meant the words as an incantation. She didn’t expect them to dive in, like her words alone could turn them into merdragons. No, she’d need an even grander spell than the one she’d worked to summon them, to supersede Mother Nature and change one race into an another. She didn’t have thirteen moon cycles for the celestial bodies to build up the magic for her, she’d have to force it from within herself.
Belizama fasted, more dragons arrived, Belizama meditated, more dragons arrived, Belizama prayed, and more dragons arrived, Belizama built a small circle of stones on the shore of the lake, but only one last dragon arrived. Her circle was but an embryo compared to the sacred circles to the south. She was, after all, only a single person and could not build a proper circle, which would outlast the ages.
Hers needn’t last that long any way. It would be a temple for only one rite. Belizama labored finishing the circle for two more days, but no more dragons came.
As she finished placing the last stone, in the moonlight, she looked around, to count only twenty-eight beasties asleep about her. Exhausted, she only wanted to join the in their dreams.
“What utter wonder must fill the dreams of such magical creatures!” She said to the Moon.
Alas, she had no time for dreaming. She smelled another creature on the wind. A predator, one too terrible not to fear. Men were following the tracks of her charges, and were nearly upon the sanctuary already.
Belizama centered herself hastily and began to draw down the power of the moon. When she felt the lunar energy saturate her soul, she called out in her mind for the spirits of the lake.
The Nixies, Sprites, Nereids, Fairies, and all such water spirits joined Belizama’s thoughts. No one spoke. Words are not needed in the realm of the mind. Nevertheless the water spirits learned of Belizama’s plan. There was dissension about if such a thing was wise even if it proved possible, which they also disagreed about. Of course, this argument was instantaneous without the burden of words. Likewise, the begrudged decision happened in but a moment, They agreed to help the human.
Once together, their mental power swelled out of the tiny stone circle, spreading out to engulf the sleeping dragons.
There was lightning, in the clear night sky, flashing madder than the worst of natural storms. Belizama’s eyes stared heavenward but she did not see the phenomenon. As the last of the energy discharged, she fell face first into the grass. Mortals could not work magic with Nature’s spirits without risking injury, if not death, for their mortality.
Belizama laid unmoving, unbreatheing as the dragons awoke suddenly. They gasped for air, only to find gills in place of their lungs. Their new water creature instincts took over instantly and they all dove into the lake.
Several of the twenty-eight splashes hit Belizama’s still body, shocking a gasp from her bluing lips. Once she fought herself back from the cliffs of the land of the dead, she awoke to find herself alone in the demolished circle.
“Where are you, my darlings?”
A splash answered her. The white hatchling lifted its head from the water, looked at her but a moment, sunk below the water, and swam away.
Belizama had just pulled herself to her feet, when a Knight on horseback charged into the remnants of her circle.
“Fair Maiden, are you hurt? I am tracking a dragon. Has the monster attacked you?” He asked as he swung down from his mount to offer his arm to steady her on her feet.
“Sir, I can assure you, there are no dragons here at Loch Ness.”
