Ash wiped the sweat from his brow. His eyes were glassy. Farrah could see it when he turned to look at her. "He's going to be okay." She said, as she rubbed the back of his head and kiss his brow.
"It looks like he is." Euan said, seeming less excited than the rest. He stood watching Marric. "Water. He needs water." Ash said scanning the area.
Farrah gripped his shoulder, "You both do. I don't know how you pulled that one off, but-" she was interrupted by Marric as he coughed. Ash turned to Marric to see blood dripping from the side of his mouth. Euan shook his head. Ash ran to Marric.
"What is it? I sealed the wounds. What?" Ash asked Euan.
Euan rubbed his eyes allowing his hand to drop down his face to his chin, "But you couldn't heal the wounds inside, Ash. You bought him more time. If there is anything you want to say to him. Do it now. He won't live for much longer."
Ash knelt next to Marric. He placed his head in his lap. His palm supporting Marric's head. He ran his hand over the wounds he had just healed in Marric's chest. "I thought I fixed it. I thought I saved you." Marric tried to speak but could only cough.
Ash remembered how Euan had held him similarly when he healed him. He gripped the back of his head and pressed his palm onto his chest. Euan closed his eyes. But there had to be more than that, Ash thought to himself. If I needed to visualize fire to conjure it. If I had to feel its essence to understand it. Ash thought back to the feeling he felt when Euan had healed him. The warmth.
Euan had said he was giving him his energy. Ash closed his eyes and focused on his breathe. He could feel the energy coursing through his body. Each breathe moved it throughout his body.
"What are you doing?" Euan asked, as he turned to Farrah, "What is he doing?" he asked.
She looked to Ash then to Marric, then back to Euan, "It looks like what you did when you healed Ash earlier."
Euan's eyes widened, "He can't do that. That's far too advanced for him. I had to give him my own energy just so he could walk out of here. He'll die. He has nothing to give."
Euan ran to Ash. Farrah to Euan. Ash could feel the warmth at the points of contact between him and Marric. Euan could sense the energy moving from Ash to Marric. He reached for Ash's arm. Farrah stopped him.
"What are you doing? He'll die. You'll lose him," Euan said.
Farrah took a breathe, "Whether he lives or not is up to him to decide. If I tried to stop him. If I robbed him of his choice, I'd lose him anyway," Farrah said, her voice trembling.
Euan ripped his hand from hers. "If you die, I can't bring you back to life, you fool." Euan said, as he turned and walked away.
Ash felt Farrah's hand pressed gently on his back. The chest stopped vibrating. The light was pulled back inside the box. Euan moved closer to the chest. It had not sealed itself again. He gripped its lid and pulled. It still would not budge. He tried it once more. Marric coughed, but no blood fell from his mouth. Ash continued to allow his energy to pass into Marric.
Farrah reached for Marric and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Ash, I think it's working." She said. A burst of light forced the chest's lid open. The light beamed high into the sky, and then moved outward in every direction. Farrah turned to look to the chest. Marric's eyes widened. Ash broke his contact with Marric as the light reached them. The ground to rumbled under their feet.
Ash turned to look at the chest. It was open. But, there was something else in the chest. It was not the dragon's heart he had placed in there weeks ago. The heart had laid below the top of the chest and could not be seen unless you looked down into it. This however, was a large oval shape. Like an egg. An egg of red. A blood red with waves of black spiraling their way down the egg's shell.
Marric reached for Ash. Ash took his brother's hand and drew it across his shoulders. The brothers stumbled their way towards the chest. Farrah took Ash's right arm and pulled it over her back.
"Lean on me" Farrah whispered, "I've got you."
Ash nodded and replied "You do." as they continued to walk towards the chest.
"How is it an egg?" Marric asked, "I thought you put the dragon's heart in the box?"
Ash looked at the egg, then to Euan, and then back to Marric, "I did. I put the heart in the Hope Chest after the jar you gave me broke." Ash said.
The four of them gathered around the chest, each a mixture of excitement and confusion. Ash turned to look around the camp. He knew there were still soldiers out there. He had seen them run off into the woods with the wounded. Marric had taken an arrow to save him from one such soldier hiding in the shadows.
Ash looked back at the blood red egg. It moved. Farrah jumped. Marric inched closer, and as he did it cracked. "It cracked" Marric said.
"It's hatching" Farrah said pointing at the egg.
Ash looked to Euan, "How did this happen Euan? How did I place a heart in the chest and get an egg in return?" Ash asked.
Euan looked at the egg then to Ash, "You're finally asking the right questions." Euan replied with an extra wide smile.
"Good. Now, I'm waiting for an answer Euan."
"It's a kind of magic." Euan replied.
"Not good enough" Ash said, as he stared intently at Euan
"Good. It shouldn't be." Euan said, as he peered over at the hatching egg.
It rocked gently in the chest as a slimy scaly nose forced its way through the shell. It chirped. Its nose knocking against the shell. Its tongue slipping out to taste the air.
"If I'm being honest with you Ash, I didn't know this would happen. I had hoped it would, but it was you who made it happen. The magic of my mother made this box, so that hope would be the magic that sealed it contents and kept it safe. Your hope in seeing Farrah again. Your hope in the goodness of your childhood friend, and your hope in that the act of killing a pregnant dragon would save your people, all came together in just the right way, at just the right moment to allow for the possibility of this transformation. But even that did not guarantee this outcome." Euan said as he motioned to the hatching egg.
The baby dragon snapped it jaws at the air. Testing them. It pressed itself forward, arching its back upward. The shell cracked where it's back had pressed against it. Two tiny wings emerged, wet and slimy. It waved its wings up and down to free them of the shell and the amniotic fluid. It was getting darker and it was hard to see the color of the baby dragon, but it appeared to be a mixture of dark crimson and ruby red, with black markings and wings.
"If this was an unlikely outcome Euan, then how did it happen?" Ash asked.
"Love. The love you have for Farrah, and Marric. And, it would seem their reciprocation of that love was strong enough to make the transformation and ultimately open the chest." Euan said.
"What will happen to the baby dragon?" Ash asked.
The hatchling chirped and snapped, while waving its wings in the air. Farrah reached for it. It flicked its tongue into the air and moved its head under her hand. Ash smiled at her. She reached inside the chest to pick up the baby dragon.
"I think he likes you." Euan said to Farrah.
"Can humans raise a dragon?" Ash asked, as he moved towards Farrah and picked up the hatchling from her hand.
"It's actually kind of cute. Nothing like its ferocious mother. But, it looks so much like her." Ash said as he stroked its head.
The hatching nipped at his finger then ran up his arm to sit at his shoulder. His tongue flicking into Ash's ear. He flinched and giggled. Farrah smiled at him, as did Euan, and Marric.
"Remember when your, our father wouldn't let you have a pet wolf. Well now you've got a pet dragon. King Alric is going to love this." Marric said, with a chuckle.
"Doesn't he. It belong in the wild, Euan? What is it? A he or a she?" Ash asked.
"Dragons can be raised by humans. They can also be trained. There have been a few instances throughout history when human and dragon have lived together and served one another. It will not be like a dog or a horse, Ash, Farrah...Marric. It is more like a person. It will be unique. It will have its own will, and personality. He can be a great partner to you and your kingdom Ash or be its undoing. Dragons are not to be trifled with. But, I think you'll be fine. He seems to like you too." Euan said, "and, it's a she. All dragons are born female and remain so for six months before adopting their gender." Euan smiled slyly.
Marric reached his hand out to Ash, "can I?" he asked motioning toward the baby dragon.
"Depends. You can't have its heart, Marric." Ash replied, "This business with my father ends now. Tonight." Ash's eyes were tight and focused on Marric.
"Justice must be done for what he did to my mother, Ash. For what he did to me...I..." Marric said.
"It will be, Marric. Brother. I'll see to it. We'll speak with father. He'll acknowledge you as his son, but you're going to need to accept the punishment for colluding with Hylaen soldiers. You won't be put to death, but neither will he. And, then we will all begin to move forward, together." Ash said, as he looked to each of them.
Marric was silent. He knew he had no choice but to accept his brother's offer. He was lucky to still be alive, let alone to have the promise that he would remain so in light of his treasonous actions. Marric nodded his head in agreement.
"He won't like this. I doubt he'll even agree to it, but I put my trust in you, brother." Marric said.
"He will. This will be my kingdom someday. That's something he has never let me forget. It's time I started acting like it. He can either acknowledge his mistake publicly on his own terms, or he'll be exposed, then I'll leave with Farrah and the dragon and never come back." Ash said.
"But how is running away acting like a king Ash?" Farrah asked.
"I won't have to. My father may be intolerable and domineering at times, but he loves me. And, after my mother's death I'm all he has left. He won't want to lose me. And, our being together offers him new opportunities politically, or at least he'll believe it does. Then, there's the dragon. If I stayed we've have a dragon as an ally and not raiding the country side. There's far too much for him to lose by not agreeing to my terms."Ash said, as he handed Marric the hatchling, "Here, you can hold her.
Marric carefully accepted the baby dragon into his hands. He had to move his hands quickly to keep up with the hatching as she ran across his hands in circles.
"What will you call her?" Marric asked.
"Why not call him Yew, after my mother?" Euan said.
"That's not bad..." Farrah replied.
"Marric, you mother's name was Josephine. That doesn't seem quite fitting for a dragon, but what about Sephine if she stays female and Seph if it becomes a male?" Ash asked.
"I like it" Farrah replied.
"Me too" Euan said with a smile.
"I. That's. Thank you Ash. But, you don't have to." Marric said, as his eyes glistened in their wetness.
"I know. But, I think its a fitting way for us all to move forward together." Ash said with a big smile.
Farrah scowled at Marric. "I hope your time in the dungeon is long and miserable and that they piss in your food for all that you've done. But, once you've been properly punished, I promise to tolerate you." Farrah said.
Ash, Farrah, and Marric felt a gentle breeze blowing from the east. It made the hairs on the back of their necks stand up. Ash looked to Euan, but he was no longer there. The four of them started back towards the castle. They were each badly beaten, and in some ways broken, but together they held each other together as the walked through the forest away from the battle ground. Sephine nestled herself on Ash's shoulder as they walked. As the moon was almost at its zenith they came across an abandoned farmhouse. There were scorch marks along the fields and a broken yolk attached to a plow. The owners must have fled after they were attacked by Sephine's mother in the spring.
"Let's rest here for the night." Ash said
"Oh, thank the gods." Farrah replied
Marric nodded in agreement. They were each exhausted and eager to sleep. They bolted the door and braced the shutters for the windows before finally allowing themselves to fall asleep. Ash knew that tomorrow was to be a new day. A new beginning for his family. A family that had grown where it had almost been lost. He silently thanked Euan for all of his help. He wondered to what extent he and his ancestors had really been involved in his family's history, but that was an answer to be sought at another time.
He looked over to Marric lying on a rug on the floor. He was fast asleep. It reminded Ash of those nights so long ago, on the rare occasions when they didn't get caught or sneak back to their beds, but instead fell asleep on the floor after many a scary story told by Marric. Brother, he thought and smiled. Ash felt Farrah roll over to her side. She was fast asleep. He caressed her hair, and kissed her head, "Good night." He said softly.
And then, just as he was about to close his eyes, Sephine bolted across the floor and pounced on a mouse. She pinned it with her claws as she ripped into it with her teeth. She made short work of the tiny mouse. Ash shook his head. Just born a few hours ago and she's already eating mice. He thought to himself. "Good night Sephine." Ash said. The baby dragon chirped and then Ash unable to keep his eyes open any longer, closed them tightly.
The End