The Dragon's Last Nest

The Stolen Egg

"I order you to return the last of my eggs. If you don't, there will be death upon your kingdom. A death so great that I will keep you alive to bear witness of what I will do to this wretched place!"

The black dragon whipped his massive tail and slammed it into the ground. Several of the guards fumbled back, trying their best to keep their balance. Two men, one lanky and one plump, pull themselves up and bravely march towards the king.

 The plump guard holds his hand near his sword. "And if we cannot find your eggs, King Gaylre?"

"Is that chance you are willing to take?" The dragon roars as he cast a blue and red blazing fire across the sky. 

The man covers his face and looks away. The blazing heat is too much to bear. The others step back further, not showing him any support except for the skinny man who stands next to him. "You okay, man?"

"Yea, I'm fine," he coughed from the smoke.

The dragon wickedly laughs as he flies away. "Pathetic little humans. Pathetic.." His voice echoed through the clouds.

"What are we going to do?" The lanky guard dressed in brown leather, and a vest asked.

"We could always go ask for help from Esmerelda?"

"Esmerelda? Oh, I don't know about her. She is uh... a bit of a handful."

"She has also been the only villager to find an egg this entire season." The plump guard fusses as they walk along the path back home. 

"Do you think she will even say yes?" The two guards stop next to the edge of a cliff. Several rocks crumble miles and miles into the depths of the fog.

"Ah, I miss this old bridge."

"Me too."

"What was the story behind it? My parents never told me." 

The plump guard laughed. "It was before your time, wasn't it, Leigh?"

"Yeah, and my parents act as if it's a curse to talk about all the time. So, what's the deal with this old bridge?"

"The pretty version or the dark one." The plump guard asks, looking down at the thick fog.

"Tell me, Joffrey. Tell me the story. Please."

"Fine." he huffed and began.

"Down in the depths of the forest, the old rickety bridge used to reach for miles across the vast lands. Villagers used to gather what they needed and to see their loved ones. The dragons and villagers lived in peace. It was common to see them ride in the air together or play dragon games for fun."

"Wow," Leigh said in awe, that's hard to imagine.

"Are you going to listen?" He snips.

"Sorry..." 

 He shakes his head and begins again. "One fall night, someone stole the dragon's egg from the nest, and everything changed. The dragons stopped trusting the villagers, and they blamed them for stealing the lost egg. The villagers became raging mad. Each human refused to admit they stole the egg. Each man and woman alike, stood by their innocence only pissed off the dragons more." 

"The next night came, and someone stole another egg and another. The nightmare continued as the dragons tore up the village. They shredded the homes, looking in every corner and space. The farms, the sheds, the homes, even the schools, nothing was left untouched. Still, there was not one egg in sight. The rage and chaos were spiraling out of control. Something had to be done."

"The dragons chose to cut the bridge in half. Their hopes were, whoever was stealing all their eggs could not escape across the lands anymore. Together, the dragons gathered. They knew it would take more than one to take the bridge down. In war form, they encircled the bridge and roared with rage. Flames engulfed the air as fiber by fiber the bridge burned with fury." 

"There were only a few brave enough to watch the history go down. They were the guards from the other side. Our side. We knew the dragon's pain. We knew the dragons suffered, and we lost so much, but it was too late. There was nothing we could do but fight to find the eggs for the dragons."

Leigh stared into the fog and shook his head. "Doesn't the king know what we are trying to do? I mean, he has bound to see we are fighting to return his eggs."

Joffrey slowly looked up into the eyes of Leigh. He could see the pain in his eyes. He felt it too.

"He would, but his heart,  it is blinded by rage right now."

"Why?" Leigh hesitated, "What happened?"

The king just found out that someone slipped into his lair and stole the last of his three eggs.

He gently laid his heavy hand on his shoulder. "Leigh, someone stole the prince. It's not about all the lost eggs anymore. They stole his son. That is why he once us dead."

"We have to find the eggs," Leigh says with determination.

"Then, we have to find Esmerelda."

*******

"Mmmm, right there."

"Yesss, That's the spot. Just a bit longer." 

The man rubs the palm of his hand up, and down the center of the woman's back. A sharp pinch stings through the woman's shoulder blade, forcing her to jump from the table.

"f**k! Do you even know what you are doing?"'

"I-I'm sorry, Miss Nelia. It was an accident." His eyes hang low as he tries his best not to stare at her while standing in front of him in all her glory.

"Oh, for Pete's sake. You are my massage therapist. You have seen enough t**s. I am sure you are pro by now." The young man's face flushes with embarrassment, so she does her best to remain a professional.

"Fine. I will lay back down." she huffs.

The woman pulls herself back onto the table and lies on her stomach. She spreads her legs and pouts. "Oh, bother. I forgot my blanket. Can you bring that when you come."

"Y-yes, Miss Nelia. Anything you s-say, Miss Nelia."

"Call me, Esmerelda."