Ceithir

There was once a myth told by many that a great dragon lived beneath the earth and that it would someday rise to claim its throne. Most believed it to be a fairy tale, nothing but a bedtime story. But the world hid many things from humankind, things that were sacred and not to be touched by the plague of humanity. Even so, the legend could not withhold the curiosity of three high schoolers with a knack for getting themselves into trouble.

Callie, Beckett, and Ruth were inseparable since birth, and despite each of them living far away, they met up every day after school which led them to their current predicament.

They had been walking home together through a secluded path after a very exhausting day at Dally-Moore high when they were stopped dead in their tracks by the unmistakable sound of an injured animal. Callie had the moral compass of a saint but was lacking in intelligence, so her first instinct was not to check if their surroundings were secure but to ditch the path and sprint towards the noise. Beckett and Ruth trailed behind her in a desperate attempt to stop her from entering the hunters' forest, but could not get there in time. They weaved in between the trees and leapt over rocks while trying to keep their bodies upright, and almost failed to notice that Callie had stopped her pursuit.

They heaved ragged breaths into their lungs, trying to replace all the air they had used during the chase, but lost it all once again when they looked over Callie's shoulder. There, on the ground lay a ball of mud-caked scales, curled tightly into a ball. Callie's shocked expression morphed into one of endearment and admiration and she couldn't resist the urge to kneel on the grass to get a closer look. Her polka-dot leggings soaked up the moisture from the soil upon contact which would forever stain the bright green fabric, nevertheless, she proceeded in her action.

Gentle hands cradled the small reptile as it wailed from its guarded position. Callie brought it to her chest and cooed quietly to soothe the poor creature, carefully she rocked it side to side much like a mother would her child. Beckett hesitantly took a seat on the damp floor beside his friend and gazed in wonder at the mini legend they had discovered on their journey home. He glanced at Ruth who was standing a few paces back, fiddling with the hem of her leopard print shirt. She inhaled until her ribs hurt. She took three shaky steps forward until she was standing beside the mythical beast. She crouched beside them and draped her arm across Callie's shoulders. Fascination replaced her fear while it wriggled around helplessly.

Eventually, the soothing warmth that radiated from the three coaxed a tiny head from beneath its body. Two beady white eyes flickered between each of the three that sat before it. The three humans chuckled at its confused expression and started discussing what name they should use to address such a creature.

Ruth stated they should use a name worthy of a god, while Beckett argued that using a mediocre name would be much more humorous. Moments of arguing between the two drove Callie to compromise and give the mythical beast the name of a titan. After some discussion, they all concluded that they should name the baby dragon after someone who held the world on their shoulders.

Atlas.

He chirped at the sound of his new name and began wagging his little tail, which caused the three to swoon at his display of joy. However, they all knew that he could not stay. It wouldn't matter how much they loved him, three teenagers would never be able to protect him from the greed of man. So it was unanimous, they would find his home and deliver the baby safely back to his mother.

Callie stood with Atlas in her arms, she shifted a bit so he rested only in her left, while the other took ahold of her sleeve and rubbed it gently along his scales, ridding him of the dirt that concealed such beautiful relics. Beckett and Ruth had started to uncover the tracks the dragon had left, hoping to find somewhere safe they could leave him.

While her friends tracked the dragons home, she softly hummed a melody to entertain their new friend while absentmindedly following the others. A short time had passed when they reached an opening to an ominous mine. They were about to turn back and search elsewhere but halted their actions when the little dragon suddenly jumped from his place in Callie’s arms, unfolded brilliant silver wings, and glided to the floor. His steel talons easily buried themselves into the mud he landed on while the humans stood in shock. He looked back to them just before bounding off into the dark.

Two of the three immediately went to follow him but Ruth was the brains of the little group and as such tried to convince the both of them to turn back. Neither of them paid her any mind as they rushed off aimlessly into the unstable shaft. Ruth growled in vexation and tried to prevent herself from following them, but was unsuccessful and sprinted after her buffoonish friends.

The trio were as blind as moles in the sunshine the moment they turned a corner. Fear gripped their hearts as ragged breaths filled the silence. Each of them extended their arms and tried to grasp for anything that would save them from the inky ocean they were drowning in. Sensing their distress, Atlas shook his little body vigorously until an almost blinding white light shone from under each of his scales.

Their time to admire such a useful trait was limited, as they shifted their eyes to gaze upon the wall that now blocked the path. Beckett sighed in exasperation, and openly stated how they should have made a turn elsewhere. He confidently waltzed up to the wall to look for some sort of exit, but when he grazed the stone with his fingers he was struck with fright. Slowly, he backed away until he was next to his friends. He gripped their arms and started to tug in the opposite direction, but the two wouldn't budge. Before they could question why he was so terrified, the wall that had once blocked their path had suddenly grown two colossal eyes that were locked onto them.

They were as still as possums when a gigantic head raised from the ground and invaded their space. It inhaled deeply from its nose causing all their clothing to be pulled towards it. It slinked into the light and revealed itself to be an overgrown version of Atlas. Callie glanced at the little dragon and registered him soaring through the air towards them. She was suddenly conflicted between being proud of the little guy for coming to them and being horrified about their approaching demise. The larger dragon opened its mouth to reveal an unsettling amount of diamond blades snarling at them.

Just before it could lunge at the trio, Atlas swooped in and glided over their heads to block the other dragon's path to them. Callie considered listening to Ruth when she tugged on her sleeve but shook her off in order to watch what the little dragon was going to do. He dropped himself to the floor and began making incoherent noises at the larger one. They were becoming numb to the surprises the species could spring on them, but their ability to communicate shook them each to their core.

After a minute of standing star-struck in the middle of a frail mine, Callie came to a realization.

"She's his mother".

Both dragons stared intently at the humans which caused them to nervously shuffle around, but instead of receiving an attack, the mother simply huffed and turned around clearly done with their little interaction. A wave of glee struck Callie at the realization that they were accepted by a mother dragon for saving the life of her child. But unfortunately, instead of being able to relish that fact for a moment longer, she was dragged out of the mine by her friends.

None of them moved from their spot outside the entrance for half an hour, just soaking up all the information they had just been given. Once the sun began to set, they remembered they had a curfew that ended hours ago. They cringed once they noticed all the calls and texts they had missed from their mothers while returning a baby dragon to his.

They decided to visit little Atlas every day they could and bring some offerings to his mother while they were at it. This became their routine, they finished high school and started college then went onto university together. They got to grow up together, and one day when the world is safe, they will introduce their not-so-little friend to a big open world.

There was once a myth told by many that a great dragon lived beneath the earth and that it would someday rise to claim its throne, but it had no need, for the great dragon was shown compassion and was content to stay with its family of misfits.