Moon Dragon - A Short Story
by
Donna Marshall
Moon moves her finger and a small serpent jumps out of Liam’s cup. He jumps backward, sloshing his drink everywhere. “What the hell! You have got to quit doing that!” He grabs a napkin off the table and wipes his soaked pants leg.
“I am sorry. Just having a little fun at your expense." She giggles as she sips her drink.
“Well I don’t think it's funny now, and I didn’t last night, either, when one jumped out of the toilet bowl trying to bite me!”
Moon sets her cup on the table. “I have no idea what this new power can do. What its limits are. I may need to test it.”
“Is there anything in Selene's book about these powers?” Liam asks.
“Nothing that I have found yet."
“Moon, is creating these serpents from any form of liquid the only new thing you can do?”
Surprised, she turns to face him, “I really have not tried anything else.”
“Your eyes have always been violet, but lately they have been deeper. More intense. The purple mist you create when using your powers seems to engulf you as if it is alive. How do you feel?" he asks, taking her hand in his.
Moon pats his hand lovingly. She has always felt comfort in his strong hands. "I am so sorry I worry you. I will continue to learn to control this new power, and if it fades away, so be it."
As the Moon climbed high, she walks through the castle gardens to the lake. The moon above is full and it's luminous light dances on the lake's surface. "I can sense magic in the moonlight. “ She pulls out her great grandmother's book of spells. “Now let's see what I can do." She takes one of her moonstones out of her bag. As she reads from the book, the purple haze swirls around her. Turning each page she reads, infusing the stone with the magic in her words. She places it to her lips kissing it. Holding the stone in her palm, she tossed it into the pond. “Let's see what this does.“ Moon reaches deep within herself pulling every fiber of magic she can muster. Feeling the power coursing through her to merge magic and stone, she smiles.
Raising her hand, she reads from the book once more. The surface of the water begins to swirl. Bubbles and steam rise to the surface. From the depths a shimmering water, the beast rises before her. The dragon begins to solidify. Amazed, her heart quickens skipping a beat. Moon's eyes grow big as saucers as she gazes upon what she created. Reaching out and gently placing her hand on It, finding it cool to the touch. The scales shimmer like diamonds in the moonlight. Slowly it coils around her. Moon is astonished by the size of the beast. Never, has she created a water dragon so large. So full of life. Not in her wildest dreams had she thought she could ever accomplish this level of magic. The mere thought of what she has done made her shivers with delight. Gently she strokes her creation, running her hands over its form along its scaly hide. "Interesting, a wondrous creature indeed. It possesses all the signs of life." As she strokes the beast, it gives off a deep rumble resembling a purr, causing her to giggle.
“One of yours?” Startled she turns, Liam stands behind her, arms folded.
“Yes, is he not wonderful?” she asks.
Moon is admiring the beast when she watches it twist its body. The dragon’s eyes dilate as it catches sight of Liam. A deafening roar emanates from deep inside the creature. Startled by the dragons sudden roar, she placed her hands over her ears to protect them. Large webbed fins flared from the beast's head, shaking violently as the loud hissing roar continued.
Suddenly and violently it lunges at Liam who dodges. She watched in horror as he dived under an iron bench just as the creature makes another lunge. Moon cringed as she watched him rolling just in time to see the beast's massive jaws grab and tangle in the iron bench above him. Moon continues to watch in shock unable to move as the scene or horror plays out in front of her.
She watches as Liam pulls his blade to defend himself. “What the hell? Moon do something. MOVE!” He yelled at her. “Call it off, damn it!" he yells at her as he jabs at the dragon with his blade through the twisted iron of the bench. Claws and teeth continue to tear through the bench as he desperately wiggles inches from them.
Hearing him call her name snaps her to reality and she begins to scream. "NO!" as she watches the rampaging dragon. “Serpent obey your master and COME!" Moon yells desperately to the beast.
As the beast turns its head towards her, fear gripped her. She feels the urge to run but she must stand her ground, must protect her mate. As the dragon creeps towards her she begins to shake.
"Don't move Moon! Don't run! It might attack you, keep calm. Take control. You’re its master" She hears Liam yell as he slides himself out from under the tangle of iron that used to be a bench.
Moon stands perfectly still as the beast pulls its bulky body across the ground and coils itself about her once more. She nervously pets the great beast's head and it seems to calm down.
She can see the puzzled look on Liam’s face as he catches his breath not far away, keeping his blade handy. “Why does this one have its own persona?”
“I am not sure, I summoned it using a large moonstone and the spell from grandmothers book. You know wondrous things can happen under the magic light of the full moon.”
"How long will he remain solid?” Liam asks.
“This power is new to me, I don’t know”
“If he doesn't return to being water, what will the Regent think of a Dragon in her lake?” Liam asks scratching his head.
Moon took a good look at what she created, taking note of the size and disposition of the creature. “I see what you mean, he will be rather hard to hide”
As Liam approaches Moon the beast turns suddenly hissing and snapping at him, stopping him in his tracks. “I don’t think he likes you.” Moon cautions.
“You think?”
Moon motions to the beast to return to the lake hoping it will go without any trouble. The beast cocks its head grumbling but reluctantly obeys. Both watch as the dragon slithers off into the water. As the creature sinks below the surface Moon and Liam begin to walk back to the Castle with Liam looking over his shoulder every chance he gets.
"Moon, what are you going to do with that thing? he's dangerous."
Moon stops turns and looks back toward the lake. "I don't know, I never thought that far ahead I just wanted to see what I could do, but now, I just don't know."
"Well it's your ass that will be in a crack if the Castle’s grounds keepers start turning up missing." he chuckles.
She bites her lip nervously. "I am going to be in serious trouble, aren't I?"
Liam folds his hands behind his head as he walks past her up the path to the Castle. "yup."
Art by www.artstation.com/artist/sorry
