Dreams of Dragons

Chapter One - Mavis Vermillion

Chapter One – Mavis Vermillion

"But it is one thing to read about dragons and another to meet them."

― Ursula K. Le Guin, A Wizard of Earthsea

*****

Acnologia hated a lot of things.

He hated people. The ocean. The cold. People. Butterflies – he was a grown dragon, dammit. Math. People. And most of all, Mavis Vermillion.

Okay, so maybe he became a little fond of her (a lot of fond of her), but he still hated her.

Though maybe the ocean came in second place, rather than humans – after all, it was the reason he met Mavis in the first place.

See, as much as he hated the ocean, he still usually had to fly over it. After all, it did span a large part of the world.

He should know. He's a three-hundred-year-old dragon. He gets bored.

But on that fateful day, he decided he needed a bath, and the only place he could land was an island.

Of course, he could just bathe in the ocean, but he still remembered the last two times he had done that.

The frisky whale was bad enough, but the damn killer whale that thought he was its father drew the line.

He wasn't about to risk a third time.

So, he landed on an island that could maybe fit him about ten times over, and turned back into his human form, because he doubted that there was a river or lake big enough for his dragon form to bathe in.

Besides, he ended up cleaner when he washed as a human.

He had thought the island was deserted.

It wasn't.

"Hello, sir! Did you see the dragon that landed around here?"

"What the fuck?"

Acnologia did not like being startled, especially while bathing. He reflexively threw a bundle of Chaos Magic at her, and the tiny girl jumped to the side easily.

"Sorry for startling you, Mister!"

He peered at the small girl, glad that the water he was in was deep enough. "Who the hell are you? And what are you doing on this island?

"My name is Mavis Vermillion! And I live here!"

"You...live here?" Acnologia asked incredulously. "Alone?"

"Nope! My friend Zera is here, too!"

She pointed at an empty space beside her, and concentrating on his magic, he was able to see her illusion – a personal illusion, and a very strong one, too.

He should know. Chaos Magic is built around illusions.

She would do well, learning Chaos Magic.

He shook off the thought immediately.

He would not teach anyone Dragon Slaying Magic, not after what happened last time.

"Are there any adults on this island?" he asked the girl – Marin? Mable?

"No," the girl said sadly.

"How long have you been alone here?" he asked.

"...the past two years," the girl answered. "Two years ago, the magic guild Blue Skull invaded and attacked Red Lizard. We were the only survivors."