Fight Test

People in North Conway never worried too much about the dragons. They were always attacking somewhere else. Detroit. Flint. New Orleans.

Until the day one landed in the Hannaford parking lot and tried to eat Matilda.

Matilda was already not having a good day. She’d just been let go from the deli department because, apparently, she didn’t have a good attitude. Then her girlfriend, April, broke up with her over text, saying Matilda wasn’t the same person anymore—that she was always doomscrolling videos of dragons torching other cities.

Matilda didn’t understand it, and it drove her crazy. Her mom agreed with April. “Honey, you’re worrying yourself sick over places you’ve never even been.”

Maybe she’d want to go one day. Or maybe she just didn’t want to wait until they decided to raze the Dunkin’ to the ground.

And now here she was, eye to eye with one. The size of a house. Snow white scales glittering in the sun. Ink black horns crowning its head. Ink black wings and claws. Ice blue eyes fixed on her like a lion sizing up a particularly tasty gazelle.

Around her, people had started taking pictures and videos. The deli manager was crying and calling State Farm because the dragon had taken out her Prius with its tail. Matilda actually kind of felt good about that. But she just sat there on the pavement in front of the dragon, waiting for the inevitable.

Are you alright? a voice asked in her head.

Matilda looked around in confusion.

It’s just… most people don’t give up this easy. There’s usually a certain amount of screaming and running.

She realized it was the dragon talking to her—a deep male voice that kind of reminded her of Anthony Hopkins.

I believe it’s Sir Anthony Hopkins, the dragon added primly.

“GET OUT OF MY HEAD!” Matilda shouted at him.

Everyone in the parking lot started scurrying away. This was absolutely not their business.

Well, I’m not interested in eating you anymore. Depressed humans taste unpleasantly sour. Want to go for a ride, though? It might cheer you up.

He lowered his head so that she might climb up on his neck.

“It’s a deal,” Matilda said. She hesitated, then muttered, “I feel like I’m signing up for something way bigger than a joyride. But at this point, fuck it. Why not?”

She settled near his head and gripped the ridged scales around it for dear life.

“Careful up there, Khaleesi,” Someone in the crowd shouted.

A Game of Thrones joke, how original.

“I didn’t know dragons would be this sarcastic. Let’s go,” she said.

The dragon unfurled his wings, casting an ominous shadow over the parking lot. Then they took off.

~~~~~~~~~~

Wind tore through Matilda’s buzz cut, sharp and cold against her skin. Her cheeks rippled backward like a cartoon character about to break the sound barrier.

“Hhhey bbbbudddy,” Matilda managed. “Ccccan we tttttake a bbbbreak?”

I am feeling a little peckish. Ooh, a moose!

The dragon swooped down into a clearing at Diana’s Baths. Matilda slid off his tail and landed in the grass, staining her jeans.

She watched as the dragon tossed the moose into the air. It spun once with a startled yelp before dropping into his mouth, ending in an unholy crunch—like a human tossing M&M’s into their mouth.

“I think I’m going vegan.”

You’re already a flannel-wearing lesbian with a buzz cut, do you need to be any more of a stereotype?

“So instead of literally roasting me, you’re roasting me. What’s your name, dude?”

Bernard.

Matilda broke into hysterical laughter.

You know, I am still hungry…

“Oh come on. Dragons are named things like Sycorax or Coraxyes. Bernard. That’s a good one. How come we’ve never seen you flying around New Hampshire before?”

Well, to be honest, I prefer the Vermont countryside. It’s easy to pick off the occasional dairy cow, and it’s so lovely and green. Sometimes, I nap on Mount Washington, and I blend in with the snow. I don’t like to bother people that much. Leave that to the young ones.

“How old are you?” Matilda asked. She put a hand on his nose, and he let out a soft puff of smoke.

I don’t even remember anymore. But I left England back when Richard the Lionheart was king. He tried to drag me into the Crusades. No thanks. Dragons kill because we’re hungry. Humans kill for… reasons.

“I don’t think it matters why you kill,” Matilda shot back. “I’m sure all the razed cities feel so much better knowing the dragons aren’t going hungry.”

What are you talking about?

“You and all your dragon buddies burning down cities.”

Bernard tilted his head, confused. I don’t… I don’t have dragon buddies. I’ve been asleep most of the last few centuries. I didn’t even know any others were awake.

Matilda narrowed her eyes. “You are so full of it.” She yanked out her phone and held it up. A TikTok played, showing a flock of dragons, led by one with blazing orange scales, incinerating half of Philadelphia.

Bernard stared at the screen, stunned. Magorax the Defiler. He let out a sigh. He’s younger than me, always vicious… and unfortunately, very good at working a crowd. Other dragons flock to him. Personally, I find him exhausting.

“Everyone I know just ignores it, and now you do too. What hope do people have?” Matilda asked. Before Bernard could answer, her phone buzzed with a flood of texts.

MOM: Matilda Marie, you call me right now and let me know you’re okay. Your cousins and your aunt Claudine have been sending me reels of you flying off on a dragon from the grocery store parking lot.

Matilda smiled at Bernard. “This is going to be hilarious.”

~~~~~~~~~~

They landed with a thud that rattled every window in Mom’s development. Bernard accidentally knocked open a fire hydrant with his tail, and a geyser of water shot into the air. The neighborhood kids immediately started squealing and dancing in the fountain like it was just another summer afternoon.

Matilda’s mom came outside with a flour-covered apron over her clothes. She was stress baking again.

Matilda locked eyes with her from dragonback while she sent her a text message.

MATILDA: Told ya’

Mom turned beet red and put her hands on her hips. “Very funny. You’ve made your statement. Now you get down from there this instant or I’ll….”

“Do the thing,” Matilda said.

This is not very mature, you know, but sure. Bernard said in her head.

Bernard reared his head back and breathed a pillar of fire into the air. People started scurrying away from the scene.

Mom shook her head and walked back inside her house. “I wash my hands of you.” She grumbled.

Okay, maybe that was a little fun.

They took off again.

~~~~~~~~~

Bernard flapped his wings more gently this time. Matilda didn’t have to hold on for dear life to stay on his back like before. Bernard had scooped up a McDonald’s bag with his tail as the cashier handed it out the drive-through window, and Matilda was eating a McChicken.

I don’t understand how humans call that chicken. Tastes more like damp cardboard.

Matilda laughed, and noticed how beautiful the sunset was from up in the sky.

You’ve got any other places you want to go?

“I’m tempted to say April’s, but you know what? Maybe it’s for the best. We wanted different things out of life.”

That’s very wise of you to say.

They landed outside Matilda’s apartment. She threw away the McDonald’s bag in her outside trash can.

Bernard was sitting on all fours, and he looked smaller, kind of like a puppy and not a creature who’d seen centuries of human history. Matilda sat on the curb beside him and he gently curled his tail around her hand.

I think I’m going to take Magorax on.

“What?! That’s crazy. You’re only one dragon, and he’s got a whole pack of them.” Matilda said.

Bernard looked away. I’ve been hiding long enough. It’s time I did something useful with all these centuries.

Matilda swallowed. “So… you’re just going to fight him alone?”

Not if I can help it.

Matilda stared at him, unsure whether she wanted to hug him or throttle him. “Where do I fit in then?”

Before Bernard could answer, the rush of wings drowned out his words. A purple dragon touched down with a swirl of glittering scales, sending ripples through the puddles on the street.

Its rider slid down its tail in one smooth motion and landed lightly on the pavement. They were Black and they had close-cropped hair edged in purple, catching hints of color where the dragon’s scales reflected light. Their eyes were sharp and watchful, lined with a subtle sweep of neon green.

Their clothing was practical but stylish—a fitted dark jacket, sturdy boots, and a faint glint of armor beneath the fabric. They carried themselves with quiet confidence, the kind of presence that made people instinctively stand back.

They studied Bernard for a moment, then looked at Matilda and gave a faint, wry smile.

“So, are we going to talk about Magorax, or just keep pretending this is normal?”

“Who are you?” Matilda asked, confused.

“Where are my manners?” They took Matilda’s hand and kissed it, “Vanda Guard, darling. And I’m charmed to meet you, Khaleesi of the Hannaford. You have been blowing up all day.”

They took out their phone and scrolled for a moment, then held the screen out to Matilda.

“Look at this one,” Vanda said. “You’ve been trending all day under #DragonChick and #KhaleesiOfTheHannaford.”

Vanda kept scrolling. “Here’s one where you’re riding the white dragon, and someone put the Game of Thrones theme over it. Fifteen thousand likes. Comments are… well, a mixed bag.”

Matilda blinked. “Oh my God.”

Vanda nodded sympathetically. “Yeah, welcome to virality. Half the internet wants you as a dragon-rider influencer. The other half thinks you’re a government psyop.”

Vanda let Matilda sit with the videos for a moment, watching her expression shift from mortification to disbelief to a sort of resigned humor.

Then Vanda tucked their phone into a jacket pocket and leaned in a little closer.

“Listen… we need you.”

Matilda blinked. “Me? Why? I’m just the weirdo who rides dragons in grocery store parking lots.”

“Exactly,” Vanda said. “People saw you. People are talking about you. That’s more than we’ve been able to get for years.”

Matilda frowned. “Who’s ‘we’?”

Vanda glanced at Bernard, then back at Matilda. “I’m part of a group. Dragon riders. We’ve been organizing out of D.C. for a while now. Trying to keep Magorax and his followers in check. But…”

They sighed. “We’ve barely gotten any traction. The media ignores us. People act like we’re conspiracy theorists or cosplay nerds. And let’s be real—it’s because we’re not white.”

Matilda felt her stomach twist. “That’s… Jesus. That’s messed up.”

“Yeah. It is.” Vanda tilted their head. “But you? The white girl with the buzz cut, riding a big white dragon in a grocery store parking lot? That people pay attention to. You could help us get others to listen. Get more riders. Some folks are even starting to think Magorax is… good. Like he’s some kind of hero.”

“What?” Matilda’s voice rose. “He’s burning down cities!”

Vanda’s face hardened. “Exactly. But there’s always someone who thinks burning things down is a sign of strength.”

Matilda stared at them for a long moment. “I’m not any kind of hero.”

“We’re not asking you to save us, Matilda,” Vanda said. “We’ve been fighting this fight for years. But people keep looking right past us. You showed up on TikTok, and suddenly everyone’s paying attention. We need that. We need eyes on what’s happening. We need allies.”

They paused, eyeing Matilda’s shirt. “Also… I mean, the internet loves a flannel-wearing lesbian on a dragon. It’s practically its own aesthetic.”

Matilda blinked. “Are you mocking my wardrobe?”

Vanda grinned. “A little. But only because the plaid is doing half the PR work for you.”

Matilda looked from Vanda over to Bernard, and they smiled at each other.

Your mother is absolutely going to hate this.

~~~~~~~~~

A few days later at the Cafe April worked at, she was sweeping up the dining area. She was feeling badly about how she ended things with Matilda and thought that she should call her to talk.

She wasn’t paying attention to a news report that came across the Cafe TV screen.

She didn’t see Matilda following Vanda's dragon riders into battle, she and Bernard flanking Vanda and the rest of them, smoke billowing out of Bernard's nostrils, Matilda wearing the fashionable armor that Vanda designed.

April didn’t see a lot of things.