Reaching for Them

And eventually, he found them.

“No…” Gill gasped. He slipped off Pearl, anger raging within him as he took in the scene. He’d overheard Heral and her friends discussing this ‘ride’ a dozen times, but he didn’t think they would be so foolish to actually follow through with it.

Gill stalked towards his elder sister, “What are you doing?” he hissed.

Heral jumped at his sudden appearance and quickly passed Sartha her saddle, “Gilly? What are you doing here?”

“What are you doing?” he repeated.

She stammered, “Oh -…nothing. Not doing… anything…”

He twitched an eye at the daftness of her words, “Heral. Why is Harkness out here?!” he growled and pointed at the great red dragon before them. Harkness had started to become restless as saddles were pushed onto her back.

Switching her weight from foot to foot, “You should probably leave,” she said and glanced back at the others.

In all honesty, it felt like he was talking to noodle. She wouldn’t listen to him and he knew it, but this was dangerous. So, he pressed on, trying to appeal to some sort of her logic. If she had any.

“If something happens to the dragon that took the twelve years to purchase…Ma and Pa will be fuming.”

She hesitated and Gill quickly took the chance to exploit it, “You’ll have to live on the streets. Or hope one of them will take you in,” he said, and gestured to the group cackling up ahead.

She scratched her head, “But… I’m sure nothing will happen to her… Sterne said so,” although Gill heard the doubt in her words.

He growled in annoyance, “Heral, even if you manage to get her back in one piece, do you really think Ma won’t say anything about you stealing a DRAGON?”

He hadn’t noticed Sartha walk over but she now took the chance to interrupt, “No one’s gonna know nothing, if you keep your mouth shut, ratty boy. Come one Heral, or we’ll go without you,” and walked off.

“How can you just let her do that to you?” he said, frustrated. She shrugged and he let out an exasperated scream into his hands. He began to walk away when Heral called out in a nervous voice.

 “Wait…” she said and wrung her hands, anxiously glancing back at Sartha, “You don’t have to if you don’t want to… but could you follow us? On Pearl?”

Did he actually think common sense might’ve kicked in?

He rolled his eyes, not even bothering to stop walking or turn to her, “And why in all absurdities, would I do that?”

“Because… I might slightly be regretting my decision and am overwhelmed by fear…” she mumbled.

He was glad to have an excuse, “No sorry, I can’t. Pearl’s been rolling about lately; I think she’s growing her horn.”

Heral squealed happily and ran up to him “Here, I have a firehum, it’ll numb the giddiness.”

He squeezed the glassy, fist-sized dice in his hand, warmth spreading across his palm. Firehums grew on the shells of baby dragons. Once the dragon-ling popped out, it would grow until it could fit the firehum in the dragon’s mouth. Then, the dragon could blow its first fire. Now firehums were plucked from the eggshells and used in medicine. And dragons were left fireless.

Gill gave a funny call, that sounded like a bird choking, and Pearl trotted over. Expecting the young unicorn to start nuzzling and sniffing him, Gill opened his arms. Pearl walked towards him gayly, then noticed something behind him. She lifted onto her hind legs and broke into a merry gallop, straight past him. Utterly humiliated, Gill turned, knowing what she’d seen. He laughed as he saw her running rounds around the great red dragon. It was like watching a puppy running around a house. Harkness, in an attempt to keep an eye on her was moving in great circles, lifting her tail so as not to hit the rowdy pony. She bent her head and gave Pearl a small nudge of affection. It was amazing how well the two got on, a dragon and a unicorn. If there were any two beasts that were more contradictory, he couldn’t imagine them. Where dragons found peace in the sky, unicorns were glued to the soil. Where dragons were used in wars and construction, unicorns were used in more peaceful activities, in hospitals, for their horn powers, and short distance travelling.

Gill let out a loud whistle and Pearl come to a jolting stop. Cooper, Sterne and Sartha’s bellowing also seized. Despite her unruly behaviour, Gill smiled at how her hooves were still picking the ground in anticipation. He beckoned her over and, she pulled her ears back, annoyed, and walked over. He patted her and climbed atop.

There was a small scream and Gill watched Sterne drag Heral away.

“Let’s go.” Sterne growled.

Cooper and Sartha had already mounted the dragon. But she seemed a little too calm. There was little chance Harkness would let strangers leash her, let alone mount her. Her eyes had a droopy, almost dizzy look, and her forked pink tongue was slipping through her leather lips. Gill’s hands fisted and his jaw clenched.

“What did you give her?” he called.

“Gurds. What you gonna do about it?” Sterne said through a grin.

Sartha pushed Harkness’ towering horns forward.

“You’d better head out if you don’t wanna be blown to the sun,” she laughed.

Before Gill had even reached the brim of the surrounding forest, he felt a gust of dust billow towards them, make Pearl stumble. He could hear Cooper howling in joy, Sartha and Sterne laughing, and Heral screaming. A large cloud of dust filled the air replaced them. Harkness took off and Gill watched, anger bubbling within him, uselessly.

Evening began to pass, and the blue night seeped through the wispy, pink sky. And Gill was screaming with all his might.

“STOP! GET BACK! HEERAALLL!”

But the dragon and those on her paid no attention to him.

It had been smooth sailing until Pearl had started to trot funnily, hopping and skipping every so often and letting out pitiful whines when Gill had scolded her. He couldn’t understand why. He had pressed the firehum between her eyes, but she had shaken her mane in irritation. It was only when he noticed the thick bubbly fungus covering the ground in patches, did he understand why she was playing up. Gurd infested the earth. What was an addictive sedative to dragons, was obviously, a poison to unicorns and humans.

Guilt consuming him he stroked her, “Sorry Pearls, I don’t know why they’re not heading back,” He guided her onto the less dense pathways and squinted through the leaves above him until he spotted Harkness’ body in the darkness. She was moving in a straight line. But every so often she would make small curves and alter her course. On the dragon, it would seem they were flying in a straight line. But on the ground, it was obvious. He looked at the floor before him. The fungus was becoming more and more difficult to avoid. Gill’s lungs clenched. Another difference between unicorns and dragons. Unicorns could mistake a carrot for an orange, but dragons, dragons were sharp and calculating. Harkness was going to the Gurd harvesting grounds.

It was as if the trees were trapping and absorbing his voice. He felt so small and hopeless.

“HAAAREEELLLLL!” his body shook with strain.

Exhausted, he buried his head in her white mane. And at that exact moment, he heard a piercing scream - almost a buzz at such a distance – above him. He jolted straight up, cricks popping across his shoulders and neck. A black spot was streaking through the sky, Harkness was diving.

Up ahead, the trees were thinning out and moonlight hit the ground in large pools. Gill gagged as the foamy ground twitched and pulsated. Pearl let out snort and Gill patted her neck before slipping off.

There was a loud thud and then silence.

“Heral!” Gill called, stretching to reach the next patch of grass.

There was a moan and she replied, “Gill, is that you? Are you there?”

The great body of Harkness came into view and he strode forward. Heral, Cooper, Sterne and Sartha were pressed against the trees, Gurd climbing slimily up their legs. Heral look at him tears spilling across her face like the others and her lips pressed tightly shut.

She lifted her chin as the bubbles reached her waist, “Help Gill!”

“There’s Gurd everywhere! Get out! Go to Pearl!”

Each of them watched him dumbly for a second before pushing off the tree trunks and speeding across the Gurds. They ripped off overhanging leaves and pushed the fungus off. Sterne pulled up his shirt and Cooper wretched at the sight. A mountain-like rash covered his skin. In the forest, he could make out the scuffling and rumbling of Harkness eating.

“We need to get Harkness out,” Heral mumbled.

Sartha scoffed, “She’s feasting on Gurds. There’s nothing that’s gonna get her outta there.”

Gill stood up, “What? You’ve had your fun and you’re not going to take any responsibility for your stupidity? You’re not leaving while she’s in there.”

She scoffed again and stood up too, he hadn’t hit his growth spirt yet and she was easily a head taller, “We not gonna walk it home you idiot. Not that you could’ve done anything if we did.”

She paced for a minute, “Do we have anything that she might want, that we have?”

There was silence and both Heral and Gill came to the thought at the same time. Except while Gill stayed silent, Heral spoke, “Pearl!” she said, and clapped her hands happily. Gill groaned.

“Perfect,” Sartha said smoothly, “Cooper, Sterne, take her onto the Gurd.”

They look up, slightly astonished, but nodded and reached for the pony’s mane.

“Don’t you dare!” Gill yelled.

Sterne pushed him aside and he barely stopped himself from falling into a pile of fungi. Cooper took Pearl by the name and despite her struggles, quickly found herself on her knees, surrounded in Gurd.

She leapt back and Gill yelled, “YOU MANIACS!”

The fungus crawled up her neck and before Gill could even reach her, a bubble bust, and ink slipped between her lips. He reached blindly above him and smudged the fungus down her body.

She shook her head and snorted. Gill pulled her head to him and opened her mouth. The liquid had turned her tongue black. She neighed aloud and snorted, stamped her hooves and neighed even louder. The snuffling in the forest stopped and Gill turned to see Harkness crashing apart the closely the packed trees. Moonlight slipped onto Pearl’s body as she cried out. Finally, Harkness reached her, and Pearl dropped like a sack of stones to the ground.

“No… NO! YOU STUPID STUPID STUPID PEOPLE!” he raked his hands through his hair and covered his mouth. He wouldn’t lose her. There had to be something. There was something. Sarkle water.

He stood up, heaving her body away from the tree roots and whistled. Harkness payed no attention to his call and touched her nose to Pearl’s limp body.

A hand grasped his shoulder and he hit it.

Cooper twisted him round, “You ain’t takin’ the dragon anywhere. Get a new unicorn when we get back twinkle toes.”

Gill socked him in the jaw and whistled again, the dragon looked at him but didn’t move her head.

“You’re not going anywhere!” Cooper yelled, holding his bleeding nose.

Gill growled “And neither are you. Harkness isn’t going back if Pearl’s here. So shut up or get lost!”

He walked up to Pearl’s body and kneeled beside the dragon, meeting her eyes, “We need to get Sarkle water. Sarkle water, for Pearl,” he touched the unicorn’s body.

The dragon closed her big eyes before lifting her head. He flipped onto her back and the others ran out of the way. Her enormous wings raised and with one thunderous fall, they rose into the air.

The view beneath him was captivating, enthralling. But Gill noticed none of it. He patted Harkness’ neck and lead her by the horns down. The sound of water crashing into water filled his ears and she landed by the Sarkle fountain. He slid off the dragon and immediately realized there was a crucial problem. How stupid. What a stupid problem. He collected the water in his hands and let out a loud moan. The water needed to cover her body. And even if he could carry the water all the way back, this was not nearly enough. His body had begun to shake in frustration and pure sorrow. Harkness’ head came to meet him by his side. She dipped her head into the water and hesitantly scooped up a mouthful into her jaws.

“Yes!” Gill screamed.

Quickly, he swung back onto her back and held onto her horns. Harkness lifted into air and it was only then, that Gill felt something crumbling between his fingers. He pulled his hands back and gasped at how black they were. What was this? He looked at the horns before him and his jaw dropped. Of course. What was medicine for unicorns… was poison to dragons. He turned back to where he’d climbed onto the dragon and saw his handprints marked on her scales. Harkness swayed beneath him.

Gill rested his head on between her horns, “Oh Harkness… If this is what’s happening on your armor…”

She dipped her head and the ground came to meet them. Her body jerked to a stop and they lowered again, but slower. Gill could hear Heral calling him before he could see her. Even after they had landed with a ground-trembling thud, he paid no attention to her. Harkness wobbled towards Pearl and unhinged her jaw. Water gushed like she had consumed the fountain itself. All the Gurd it touched fizzled and formed grey puddles.

Gill knelt by Pearl and opened her mouth, “Come on girl, come on…” he urged.

Gradually, the grey skin began to glow. The patches faded and with the last drop of water, her body flushed milky white. Gill placed a hand on her stomach and one under her head. After a lip-biting seconds, her eye lids fluttered open.

And the first thing she did, was roll.

Gill jumped back laughing as she pushed herself onto him and then twist back. She staggered to her hooves and headbutted a tree trunk. Although Gill couldn’t see her, he knew what was happening. A good minute of shaking her mane and stamping her feet passed and Gill finally pushed her to the ground. He rummaged through his pockets and pulled out the firehum. Before he could place it to her, he saw a berry-sized dot form on her forehead, glowing colorfully. He smiled. The horn pushed through and glittered pink and blue madly.

“Pearlss! You got your horn! Now you can finally get some work at the doctor’s!” he laughed, patting her neck.

He helped her stand, her body dripping and her shoulders heaving. He pulled her into an embrace which she pushed through and walked pass. Heral laughed and Gill realized he’d completely forgotten about them. And-

“Harkness!” He gasped. How selfish was he to have just forgotten about her?

The beast’s head lay on the ground, tilted slightly, her tongue slipping between her lips. Pearl nuzzled her and Gill ran up, Heral and the others following close behind.

“What happened to her?” Sartha cried.

“Sarkle water… She had it in her mouth…” Gill murmured, stroking her. Her body was ice cold.

“Oh man! You’re so stupid! Sarkle water freezes dragons!” Cooper yelled

“Yeah, thanks for that.” Gill said before he was knocked to the side.

“We should’ve just gone back. I told you we should’ve just gone back, you rat,” Cooper growled.

Gill stood up and started “I already told you. She wouldn’t have gone- “

“Look!” Sartha said, breaking him off.

They turned to see Pearl, head to head with Harkness. The point of her horn meeting the space between the dragon’s eyes. The dragon red body glowed blue momentarily before Pearl stepped back. They waited. Nothing happened.

Gill moved forward. Unicorns heal, they heal thoroughly. But the Sarkle water had entered Harkness’ body. Although her horns had lost their chinks and the handprints on her scales had disappeared, she was still cold to the touch.

“She needs something to warm her up… Maybe more Gurd?” Heral said, scratching her head in thought.

Sartha glanced at Gill, then smiled when she saw the object in his hand, “Nah, the firehum.”

Gill lifted an eyebrow then laughed, “Right!”

Sun rise had set fire to the sky and a cool wind wisped Pearl’s mane into flurry of white. She stepped aside and Gill walked forward. He parted the thick lips and Sterne helped to push apart her jaws. Almost too casually, he tossed the firehum as far back as possible.

They let her mouth drop close and waited again. Gill raked his fingers through Pearl’s mane as she pawed the ground nervously. He reached for the dragon and smiled as he felt it warm to the touch. She let out a rumbling groan and began to lift her head. Slowly, her large eyes opened and revealed the fiery underneath. Pearl gave a small gallop and neighed.

“Wipeey!” Heral cried, clapping her hands.

But Gill had remembered something. He gulped as he watched Harkness raise from the ground. The passing thought of her body being a little too warm now consumed him. Her fiery eyes and her red, red skin.

Gill sighed, “Who knows what you do when your dragon can breathe fire?”

The others turned to him and gasped.