The Girl and the Dragon Scale

There’s a saying in my village: “Any sickness will have a cure.” I think most people took it in a more figurative way. However, I was almost certain there was some truth to that saying. At least, I hoped there was. If only because there was once a time in my life that I really needed a miracle cure. My dad was sick and wasn’t looking to get better. I had no choice but to ask everyone in town until I ended up making a deal with the world’s most dubious merchant.

“Flora, I’m glad you came.” The sleezy, buck-toothed merchant grinned. “I heard your dad was sick. Fortunately, I have just the thing that can cure any illness.”

It was the first feeling of relief I had in days. Just recently, my father had been plagued by this strange illness. I dare not go into the details but know that it was horrible. Anyways, he had been bedridden for over a week by then. I visited the village’s local merchant, who was known for his famous snake oil concoctions that were able to solve any problem. He was totally trustworthy.

“What he needs can’t just be cured by mere medicine, however. What you need is something that is as magical as the illness that plagues him.” He reached into his dark cloak and pulled out a bright green drink held in a small vial. “This is extract made from a Dragon Scale. The tales say that this can cure anything that ails the body.”

I never heard of Dragon Scales curing anything before, but I figured it made enough sense. It didn’t sound like an easy thing to get though. I already knew it was well beyond my budget. “H-how much will that be?”

“Just a mere 5,000 Gold Pieces.” He said with a smirk.

And like that, all the anxiety and dread came walloping back into my gut. I couldn’t pay for that. Even if he had cut the costs in half, it’d still be too expensive.

“It seems I have no choice…” I mumbled to myself, half defeated. “I’ll have to get my own Dragonscale.” A mountain west of town, aptly named Wyvern Mountain, was said to have Dragons roaming around. If I could take just one scale from a dragon up there, then I wouldn’t have to spend any money! It was a brilliant idea! “Yeah, I’ll just have to get my own!”

“No… that’s a terrible idea.” He said, trying to mask his disappointment of the dead deal with fake sounding concern.

“You can’t stop me! I’ve already made up my mind!” I said as I walked off.

“Young Lady, you’ll get eaten alive! Please, I beg you, don’t go!”

“Nooopppee. Too late. I’ve already made up my mind!” I yelled.

“I’ll sell this to you half off. No, seventy-five percent off! Please, this stupid drink isn’t worth dying over!”

At that point, I was pretty much done listening to him. I already had my plan set up. I went home, packed everything I thought would be useful on the trip, and then headed to one of the most dangerous places in all the land. I mean, what was the worst that can happen?

Within hours, I was already climbing up Wyvern Mountain. I wasn’t exactly out of shape, but I was still exhausted early on. The climb was just far too steep. I was barely even a few miles up, and I was already thinking about calling it quits. Of course, I didn’t, but only because I heard a loud whimper echo down the mountain. It sounded like someone was in trouble. Against my better judgement, I followed the wimpy and defeated moan.

The louder the crying got, the more quietly and carefully I tiptoed through upward. Although it was called Wyvern Mountain, there were also a lot of other dangerous things living up there. The stories said that giants ten times the size of a normal person lived up there, and they were as dangerous as any dragon. Staying stealthy was important going up.

I eventually got to the source of that pitiful whimpering. It was from a man tied to a large stick. His black hair was the only distinct feature I could make of him, since the rest of him was either covered in ropes or rags. Realizing that he wasn’t put there by choice, I found a nearby bush and hid as I continued to scout the area. To the far west of this gagged man was a giant, tending to a stew over a fire. He was sipping the massive soup with a ladle the size of me. That giant was probably going to eat that guy for lunch. I wanted to help, but that thing could crush me with its foot.

It was time for emergency measures. One of the things I packed was a weird potion that my dad drank before going to bed every night. I was never sure what this weird liquid was made out of, but it was darker than black and is always boiling in its little vial. It’s a toxic drink that only the worst insomniacs ever touch. My dad got knocked out by this stuff just by inhaling the fumes. I took it just in case I couldn’t sleep while travelling, but it seemed like it would have other uses. It was a long shot, but I figured putting some of this gunk in the stew would be enough to stop that giant. 

After I came up with a plan, I waited for the giant to walk away from its dinner. Immediately, I tiptoed to the pot and opened up the vial and put a few drops of the black concoction into it. I swear, the stew turned a shade darker. Afterwards, I ran back into the bushes.

The giant came back, holding the bound man like a popsicle. Before he threw him into the stew, he reached for his massive ladle, and then took a sip of his tainted dinner. As soon as he did, he began to teeter back and forth, as if on the verge of unconsciousness. He soon lost his grip on his human supper, then fell down face first. His head slammed into the pot and it broke it into a million pieces. Afterwards, his head face-planted into the fireplace that was boiling his meal. At first, I thought the fire was going to wake him up. But it didn’t. He wasn’t even budging as the fire consumed his skull. He was totally dead. I just killed a giant.

It was pretty neat.

“Hey, excuse me, could you set me free now?” The bound man was somehow unscathed from the giant falling over. The dead giant’s massive hand was merely an inch away from the traveler’s tiny head. Immediately, I undid the binds around the man. The rope didn’t seem to be exceptionally tight. If this guy wiggled a bit, then he may have been able to get out. Then again, he was wearing padded leather armor, and even had a sword on him. I figured that extra bulk made it too difficult for him to squeeze out.

“Hah.” He laughed as I undid the binds. “Thanks for the help, young lady. Of course, I really didn’t need it.”

“It’s, uh, Flora. And it totally looked like you did.”

He quickly stood tall while puffing up his chest. “Is that so? Well, let me ask you, Flora, what if I told you being captured was a part of my master plan? After all, I’m none other than Simon the Dragonslayer. A mere giant is no match for me.”

I had no idea who Simon the DragonSlayer was. I assumed he was some kind of fabled hero I never heard of, but everyone else in the world did. Saying I didn’t know him would make me look like an uncultured moron. So, because I wanted to look trendy, I made the wholly rational decision of acting like I knew who he was. “Oh. You’re that Simon. Yeah, I’ve heard of you. Totally. I should have known the legendary, uh, Slayer… person… would have a way out. I guess I just didn’t recognize you. What was your plan anyways?”

“Y-y’know, I was gonna, uh, well, t-that’s my little secret. It seems that you had your own solution. One that came in the form of a magical and deadly brew contained in an unassuming vial.”

“Actually, it’s just the stuff my dad uses before going to bed.” I explain.

“That is even more horrifying.” He eyed the half empty vial in my hands. “May I see it myself?”

I handed it to him. “Yeah, sure. Just keep it away from the eyes, the skin, your hair, and-”

He opened up the cap and took a deep whiff. He passed out without a word.

“And your Nostrils.”

He was going to be knocked out for hours. I couldn’t just leave him behind. Who knew what else was around there? I was also in a rush to get this dragon scale though. I only had one option.

I picked him up by the wrist, then started to drag his unconscious body across the cold hard dirt. Dragging an unconscious person should have been hard, but he was a surprisingly lightweight man. Sometimes I almost forget I was dragging him as I climbed up the rocky mountain path. Every time I did so, I ended up dragging his face across large and sharp rocks. A loud plop or crunch sound was heard every time his head banged against a big stone. I probably gave him more than a few scars.

It was all worth it however, because I finally found what I was looking halfway up the climb: A dragon that was in clear sight. It was about the size of a large grizzly bear. Its scales were a bright brown, the wings a lighert shade of gray, and the head looked a bit too large for its body. It seemed to be sleeping in a nest of bones and twigs. I was sure that were some old scales in that nest.

“Eugh… I feel like someone just punched in the face for hours on end. Also… why does my front tooth feel loose?” I turned behind and realized Simon the DragonSlayer was wide awake. Talk about the convenient timing.

“Oh. You’re up. Hey, quick question: Are dragons light, or heavy sleepers?”

His eyes widened as he looked ahead. His gaze fixed itself onto the magical beast. “H-how did we even get here?! Weren’t we just near the base of the mountain?”

I couldn’t just say I dragged his head up a mountain. Then he’ll blame me for every bump and loose tooth on his stupid face. I needed to make a convincing fib. “I dunno, magic or something?” I said, my voice shaking from telling such a blatant lie.

He nodded. “Yes. That sounds believable. Anyways, I believe Dragons are extremely heavy sleepers. Some say they sleep for weeks on end, unable to be interrupted. Why do you ask?”

I didn’t answer him. I was already off to steal myself a dragon scale. He said they were very heavy sleepers, so I didn’t even bother to practice stealth. Instead, I just ran to its nest and looked around. I found exactly what I was looking for: A loose dragon scale wedged between its belly and the nest. Simon said they were heavy sleepers, so I just plucked it without thinking.

As I did, I heard a loud growl as I saw the Dragon’s head turn towards me. Its beady red eyes looked at me like I was nothing more than a snack.

“Help!” I yelled in fear.

“Don’t worry! I can handle this. Every Dragon Hunter knows that the neck is a Dragon’s weak spot.” Simon rushed over and swung his sword at the Dragon’s neck.

Simon’s mighty swing certainly cut something in half, but not the thing we wanted. The sword snapped in two as it banged against the Dragon’s hard scales. The Dragon looked at the broken piece of steel curiously. In that time, both Simon and I bolted so quickly you could hardly imagine we were ever even there.

“That didn’t work at all!” I screamed as we ran down the mountain.

“How was I supposed to know a Dragon’s neck would be that tough!?” Simon screamed back.

“You’re called the DragonSlayer!”

“Little Dragons! Like Salamanders! And Lizards!”

“Those aren’t dragons! They’re tiny reptiles! Why would you compare a monstrous mythical beast to a lizard!” I yelled.

“How can it be mythical if it’s right in front of us!? You shouldn’t take liberties with language like that!”

“I took liberties? You called yourself the DragonSlayer! You’re just a big, fat, fraud!”

My yelling was eclipsed by the sound of a loud, monstrous roar. I looked up to see the Dragon giving us chase as it soared after us. Too stunned to process what was going on, I tripped over and fell on the ground. In that moment, the dragon scale I worked so hard to get began rolling down the mountain.

Without missing a beat, I crawled after it in a desperate attempt to grab the scale. I managed to get my hands on it before realizing the Dragon had gotten so much closer during my frantic panic.

“Are you crazy?” Simon turned back, his face bright red. “Why do you care so much about a stupid dragon scale anyways!?”

“Because I need it to cure my dad’s vague illness!”

He shook his head in shock. It’s as if he had no idea what I was talking about. “What are you talking about? Dragons Scales don’t have any healing properties!”

Please tell me I just misheard him. Pleeeaaassseeee. I thought to myself. “B-but, the merchant in my hometown told me-”

“Time out. You decided to climb up Wyvern Mountain to steal the dragon scale just because of some schlock a charlatan told you? Are you stupid, or just insane?!”

“Is there a third answer?” I asked.

“There isn’t.” He grabbed my sleeve, pulled me up, and sprinted off, dragging me with him as he did.

“You’re. Going. Too. Fast.” I cried as I felt my feet being dragged across the ground.

“Then run faster, you moron!” He yelled back as he kept running.

I was half tempted to ask he was being such a jerk, but then I saw the giant fire breathing monster flying down the mountain and giving us chase. Maybe he was a little stressed in that moment. Fortunately, it didn’t seem to be getting any ground on us.

Well, it wasn’t until the stupid salamander took a huge huff and let out a wave of fire from its mouth. It didn’t scorch us, but our way out was now covered in a wall of flames.

Afterwards, it landed onto the ground and gazed at us. It started to take another deep huff, and I knew what was coming.

Knowing I only had one way out of this, I reached into my bag and grabbed my father’s sleeping medication once more. With strong aim, and even stronger luck, I managed to get the vial right in its big, stupid, mouth. Before it can let out its final blow, its head dropped to the ground.

I had rendered a mythical beast unconscious with dubious sleep medication.

It was pretty cool.

“Hah. Talk about easy.” Simon said, his legs shaking back and forth as he boasted.

“Are you serious? You look like you’re about to faint from fear.”

“This?” He laughed. “It’s all a part of my tactical brilliance. I look like a coward, so the enemy drops his guard!” He kept laughing between his words until the dragon let out a loud growl in its sleep. Immediately, he let out a girlish cry and backed away. “But maybe we should just get down before it wakes up.”

I didn’t argue. Without a single word between us, the two of us headed back down. As we did, I couldn’t help but look at the useless dragon scale I earned. It was all for nothing.

Simon, realizing I looked a little down, patted me on the shoulder. “Hey, don’t let this little setback get to you. Sure, it was all for nothing, but this adventure was a one of kind experience.”

“Actually, no. I just wanted to help my dad.”

“Yeah, but think about all the valuable lessons you learned tod-”

“I really can’t think of any. And, even if I did, I could have learned them without being chased by a giant flying salamander. This whole adventure was entirely pointless.”

He took his hand off my shoulder and crossed his arms. “Fine. Be a buzzkill. See if I care.”

That’s essentially where the trip ended. Simon and I parted ways as soon as we made it to the bottom of the mountain. I returned home without anything of real worth. I was hoping I could at least sell this scale for something, but it turned out this garbage was inherently worthless. A dragon scale couldn’t be used for medicine, or as a weapon. Even the dull colors of the scale made it a horrible fashion statement. It was completely and wholly useless.

The silver lining was that my dad just had a bad cold. He was fine by the time I got home. Of course, he was still more than entertained by my escapades. He took enough pride in what I did to put my trophy on the wall to show off to his friends. Now, every time someone comes over and sees that scale mounted on the wall, they always ask where it came from. Every time, the same story of the naïve girl who thought a dragon scale could act as a miracle cure echoed through the home.