Their End

FINDRA “Careful, careful,” I told myself. As slowly as I could, I lowered the flat, round stone onto the top of the pile. I stopped my breath, holding completely still until I was sure that the rocks wouldn’t tumble. I opened my fingers, letting go of the final stone, and pulled my hand away. “I did it! That’s the biggest one ever!” I let out a yelp. My wings flapped as I bounced from foot to foot. My excited sounds bounced off the stone walls of the cave. I stepped back to fully appreciate my beautiful stone tower. Each rock piece was smaller than the one below it, stacking all the way up to the top of my horns. “Playing with rocks again?” Elder Dragon’s voice came from behind me. He slinked into my hideaway with soft, slow steps. “Well, there’s not much else to do around here. No one will play with me,” I reminded him. He laughed softly as if I was the most amusing thing in his life. I probably was. The other dragons were boring. All they did was peer through their looking glasses at all the magical creatures our race was tasked with watching. No one ever wanted to have some fun. Some of the dragons had sat still so long their bodies had turned to stone, or at least they looked like they turned to stone. “Well I don’t know about playing games, but I bring news from your father,” Elder Dragon told me. “Father sent you?” Father was always so busy. He could never be bothered with me. “Yes. I was sent to give you a hunt.” “Now I know you’re playing games with me, Elder Dragon,” I laughed. “Father has never sent me anywhere.” “I most certainly do not play games, Findra.” He looked very serious. Although, he always looked very serious. “You play games with me all the time! You’re the only one who does,” I corrected him. “No. You play games in my vicinity. I have never been a willing participant in your games,” he argued. “We are getting off-topic. You have a crucial task to complete. Should I find your brother? Do I need to tell your father that you are declining your very first hunt?” “No!” I squeaked. There was no way I could gamble with the possibility that Elder Dragon was playing a joke on me. “Don’t tell him that! So, you’re, like, very serious? I get to leave?” Elder Dragon nodded. “Yes, Findra. You have been tasked with something very important. There’s been a disruption within the magical balance of the veiled realm. You are being given the chance to fix it.” “Thorny tails, this is amazing! I get my first hunt! I really get to go all by myself?” “Yes. You are only being given a short time to complete this hunt and restore the magical balance. I don’t need to remind you how important it is that the realms stay within balance.” “Yeah, yeah. Magic flipping the world upside down. Ripping holes in time. I remember everything you taught me,” I waved his warnings off. I’d heard it about 467 kajillion times. Elder Dragon sighed and shook his head. “I need you to be serious this time, Findra. Your father will be watching what you do very closely. I know you aren’t like the other dragons. This is your chance to show them what you can really do. They should all see what I see.” “Do you think I’ll finally get a cool name? Do you think I’ll get to do something so heroic I’ll get my name? Oh no, I don’t have anything to wear! What do you wear on your very first hunt? And what about supplies? What am I supposed to take? Is there food there? I hope there’s food there. But will I have time to eat? When do I even leave? There’s so much to do.” “Findra!” Elder Dragon snapped, stopping my spiraling questions. “You need to report to the royal nest. Your father will have everything prepared for you. You’ll wear your armor. But I need you to understand how serious this is. The realms rely on us, Findra.” “I won’t let you down, Elder Dragon. I will come back victorious, and the balance will be restored.”