The Fortana Chronicles: The Spirit of Winter
By Dave Applegate

In all of her nineteen years, Amelia Bell had never known it to snow very much in the village of Fortana. Not that the winters weren’t cold…Fortana’s proximity to the western mountains meant that the region saw plenty of frigid air. But the young mage could remember staring up at the cloudy skies many times as a child and dreaming of a blizzard that never materialized. This winter, however, seemed to be another matter entirely. In the months since the evil Wyrm had been defeated, the weather patterns had become quite irregular. In the autumn months that had meant a lot of wind and rain, but now that temperatures had dropped across the land it seemed to mean…

“It’s snowing again!” Gabriel Smith announced as he entered the dining hall of the Fortana Mage’s guild. The massive warrior shook his long mane of brown hair, stray snowflakes flying in all directions. “And from the looks of it, this is going to be a pretty good one. Judging by the clouds in the sky I wouldn’t be surprised if it goes on all day.”

Amelia looked up from her breakfast of fruit and pastries and smiled. “Isn’t it a little cold for meditation in the courtyard?” she asked playfully. “I was actually shocked that I didn’t find you in your room this morning.”

Gabriel leaned his head down and planted a soft kiss on her lips before easing himself onto the long bench beside her. “Now Amelia, you know I never miss my morning quiet time,” he said. “Besides, the cold invigorates me. It makes me feel alive.”

Amelia giggled. “I feel just as alive curled up under a warm blanket with a nice fire going,” she said. “It was cold enough sleeping out in the Enchanted Forest. No reason to suffer if you don’t have to.”

Gabriel grabbed a slice of melon from her plate and popped it in her mouth. “Suit yourself,” he mumbled around the fruit. “I thought you were the one who always wished for snow. You told me you never saw much of it growing up.”

Amelia swatted at his hand gently. “You can go and get your own breakfast, mister,” she teased. “And you’re right, I did. But that was before it started snowing every other day. I don’t think I’ve seen so much as a blade of grass in weeks. Even I’m starting to get a little tired of it.”

Gabriel chuckled. “I never thought I’d hear you say that,” he said. “You never cease to surprise me, Amelia Bell. Have you seen any of the others yet?”

Amelia nodded. “Edith was down here a few minutes ago,” she said. “I’m surprised you didn’t run into her.”

Gabriel smiled at the mention of the healer. Edith Baker had quickly become one of his favorite mages in the Guild. The quiet girl had begun to open up to him after their time together fighting the shadows, and he had started thinking of her as the little sister he never had growing up. “I wish I had,” he said thoughtfully. “I’ve been meaning to talk to her about some ways to make her healing spells more effective in a combat setting. I’ll have to catch up with her later.”

“You sure have been spending a lot of time with her lately,” Amelia poked playfully. “If I didn’t know you better, I’d wonder if I should be jealous.”

“My eyes are for you, and you alone,” Gabriel responded. “I love you more than life itself.”

Amelia placed a hand on his arm. “And I love you, my darling,” she said. “I’m so glad you’re becoming close with them. Especially Edith. It’s amazing to see her come out of her shell.”

Gabriel was about to reply when the doors to the dining hall swung open and Elizabeth Cook entered. The young mage had a sullen look in her golden eyes as she took a seat across from Amelia. “Good morning, Gabe,” she said. “Amelia, can I talk to you for a moment?”

“Of course, Lizzie,” Amelia said. “Is everything ok?”

“It’s Archibald,” Elizabeth answered. “You know how he gets this time of the year.”

Amelia’s cheerful expression changed as sudden realization swept over her face. “Oh, I didn’t even think about that,” she said. “The poor thing.”

Gabriel interjected, confusion in his voice. “I must be missing something here. What’s wrong with Arch?”

Elizabeth looked at him. “I’m sorry, Gabe,” she said. “Sometimes I forget how new you are around here. Archibald was orphaned at a very early age, and he never really knew anything about his family. Master Gregory and the Guild took him in and have basically raised him his entire life. It hasn’t been easy for him. Especially now, with his birthday just around the corner.”

“He always gets a little depressed around his birthday because he’s never had a real family to celebrate with,” Amelia added. “I can’t imagine what that must be like.”

“Archibald, depressed?” Gabriel mused. “That does sound pretty serious. I’ve yet to see anything that can get him down, aside from missing a meal.”

Elizabeth glared at him. “This isn’t funny,” she said. “It’s worse than usual. I wasn’t even able to get him out of his room yesterday, and this morning he didn’t even want to talk to me.”

“Ok, I’m sorry,” Gabriel said. “I didn’t mean to make light of it. What can we do to help?”

Elizabeth sighed. “I don’t know,” she said truthfully. “Usually I try to get him a very special gift to help him feel better, but I’m not sure what will snap him out of it this time.”

Gabriel rubbed his beard thoughtfully. “How about information?” he asked.

Elizabeth cocked her head curiously. “I’m not sure I follow, Gabe,” she said. “What do you mean?”

“Well, you said he really doesn’t know much about his family,” Gabriel said. “What if we were able to find out some more about them? I’m assuming they weren’t from Fortana, or somebody here would know something. He must have come from somewhere. Do we know anything about his home village?”

Amelia pondered this for a moment. “Master Gregory once mentioned a small hamlet a few miles east of here,” she said. “But I don’t remember the name. Norwich? Norbridge? Nor something…”

Gabriel’s eyes lit up. “Norbury?” he asked.

Amelia nodded. “Norbury!” she exclaimed. “That’s it! Have you heard of it?”

“As a matter of fact, I have,” the warrior replied. “I’ve passed through once or twice. There’s not much there to speak of, but the few people who live there are kind-hearted and hard-working. They don’t really speak much to outsiders though. I got the impression that something pretty terrible happened there that no one wants to talk about.”

Elizabeth looked up into his eyes. “Do you think they might be able to tell us more about Archie’s family?” she asked.

“It’s worth a try,” Gabriel said. “And even if they don’t, we’ll be no worse off than we are right now. I think it’s worth the chance, for Arch’s sake. Amelia, how quickly can you get the others together?”

“Give me thirty minutes,” Amelia answered. “Once they find out why we’re going, I think they’ll be thrilled to help.”

“Alright, let’s meet together in the courtyard in half an hour,” Gabriel said. He put an arm around Elizabeth’s shoulders. “Don’t worry, Liz, we’ll have Archibald back to his normal happy self in no time at all.”

A short time later, Gabriel stood in the snowy courtyard of the Guild Hall, his plate armor shining brightly and his newly-sharpened broadsword hanging by his side. He had a small bag slung over his shoulder and his long brown ponytail was tied tightly. He glanced at the Hall doors impatiently, ready to get on his way. He sighed in relief as the doors opened and two figures emerged into the swirling snow. A young man dressed in green robes with bright red hair and freckles was accompanied by a young woman wearing identical robes and a hooded cloak that was drawn over her head and offered just a slight glimpse of her shocking blue hair. “Hey, Bart! Mena!” Gabriel called out cheerfully. “Beautiful day, isn’t it?”

Philomena Hawthorne shivered and pulled her cloak even tighter. “It’s freezing out here, Gabe,” she said. “And I can hardly see anything with all of this snow. Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider this?”

Bartholomew Birch reached out and rubbed her arm, trying to warm her up. “Come on, Mena,” he said. “Real adventurers never complain about the weather. Besides, we’re doing this for Arch. I think we can handle a little snow.”

Philomena blushed and turned her face away. “I know, Bart,” she said quietly. “You know I would do anything for Archibald. I care about him as much as you do.”

Gabriel looked at them with a knowing smile. “If we were going into battle against an army of goblins, I might worry about the conditions,” he said. “But we’re just going to Norbury to ask a few questions. I wouldn’t expect too much excitement.”

The doors swung open again, and Amelia and Elizabeth appeared along with a third young woman with long black hair and kind brown eyes. They approached the others with their satchels at their sides, Amelia carrying her long wooden staff in her right hand. “I think we’re all ready,” the young mage said, her green eyes sparkling. “I guess we should be on our way.”

Gabriel glanced around the courtyard. “Where’s Beatrice?” he asked. “Didn’t she want to come with us?”

Amelia shook her head. “I couldn’t pry her away from her books,” she said. “She mumbled something about being busy and wished us good luck.”

“And I tried Archie’s door again, but he still won’t talk to me,” Elizabeth said. “It looks like this is it.”

Philomena looked at Gabriel with slight concern in her eyes. “Are you sure Master Gregory is ok with us going off like this?” she asked. “I would hate for us to get into trouble.”

Gabriel shot her a reassuring glance. “Gregory trusts my judgment when it comes to our activities,” he said. “I don’t need to ask his permission for every little thing. The snow might slow us down a little bit, but we should be back before night falls. He won’t even know we’re gone.”

“That doesn’t exactly make me feel better,” Philomena said nervously.

Elizabeth leaned her head close to the other mage. “Don’t worry, Mena,” she whispered. “I left a note telling Master Gregory exactly what we’re up to. Just in case.”

Philomena relaxed slightly. “Thank, Liz,” she whispered back. “That does help.”

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Gabriel asked, starting toward the courtyard gates. “Norbury…and glory…awaits!” The others followed closely behind, wrapping their cloaks tightly around them to block out the snow and cold. Edith Baker quickly caught up to the warrior and gave him a quick hug.

“Gabe, this is a very nice thing we’re doing for Archibald,” the healer said quietly. “Are you sure it’s entirely safe?”

Gabriel looked down at the girl. “I’ve been to Norbury,” he said. “There’s nothing there to be concerned about. I just hope the locals are willing to give us some information.”

“If it’s for one of their own, I think they will,” Edith said. “I believe in the good in all people. Why wouldn’t they help us?”

“You know what, Edith? You’re right,” Gabriel said. “We’re on the right track, I’m sure of it.”

It was the middle of the day, and still snowing fiercely, when they arrived at a small grouping of buildings clustered not far from a large gaping cave carved in the side of a hill. Norbury was a great deal smaller than Fortana, and seemed to lack basic things like an inn or taverns. Single-room dwellings formed a ring around a tiny town square that consisted of a few shops and a handful of small administrative buildings. Gabriel strode up to one of the houses and knocked at the door. He heard some shuffling inside, and the curtains in the main window parted to reveal a terrified face. “Go away!” a muffled voice said. “What are you doing here? Are you crazy?”

“Please,” Gabriel said. “We only want to talk to you for a moment. I have some questions about some people who used to live here.”

“I don’t have any answers for you, I promise,” the voice said. “But if you don’t get out of here right now, you’re going to get us all killed.”

“Killed?” Gabriel repeated. “What are you talking about…” He was cut off by a sudden loud roar that seemed to emanate from the cave.

The face in the window disappeared and the door opened. “Well, now you’ve done it,” the voice said. “Get inside, quickly! And get down.”

Gabriel and the mages scrambled into the small house and closed the door behind them, kneeling on the floor. “What was that?” he asked in a hoarse whisper. “What is going on here?”

A small hunched man with thinning brown hair sighed in exasperation. “That,” he said, “is Gyrvyn the Gold, our resident dragon. And he is very angry.”

“A gold dragon?” Gabriel asked. “I thought they were only myths and legends. What is he doing here? And why is he so upset?”

“He lives in the cave,” the man replied. “Has for centuries as far as anyone knows. He spends most of his time sleeping, but he awakens every twenty years or so and goes on a rampage. As long as we stay hidden and quiet he seems to mostly ignore us. But the last time he woke, we managed to offend him somehow and he tore most of this small town apart.”

Amelia gasped. “About twenty years ago?” she asked. “Could that be what happened to the Black family?”

“Christopher and Clarice Black?” the man asked. “Yes, they were killed by Gyrvyn in his attack. But how do you know them? You would have been very young children when that happened. Some of you probably weren’t even born yet.”

Bartholomew looked at the man. “We’re friends of their son, Archibald,” he said. “That’s why we’re here. We were hoping to learn some more about them.”

“Their child survived?” the man asked with surprise. “We weren’t able to find him. We were sure he had perished along with his parents.”

“Somehow he was found by Master Gregory Silverwing and taken in by the Fortana Mage’s Guild,” Elizabeth said. “He’s been studying there for years. He’s a full-fledged mage.”

“A mage?” the man asked. “Christopher always seemed to have a slight aptitude for magic. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that his son would as well.”

Edith’s face lit up. “This is exactly the kind of information we were looking for!” she said. “Is there anything left of them? Any belongings, or papers…anything like that?”

The man shook his head. “If there were, they would be in Gyrvyn’s treasure horde,” he said. “That blasted dragon took everything. We practically had to rebuild the entire town once he went back to sleep.”

“The dragon must keep his treasure deep inside the cave,” Gabriel said, turning to Philomena. “If I could get in there, do you think you could teleport me out the second I find something?”

Philomena nodded. “If I can see the surroundings beforehand,” she said. “If I go in with you I should be able to pull us both out with no problem.”

The small man grabbed Gabriel by the arm. “Have you taken leave of your senses, son?” he asked frantically. “You can’t go into the dragon’s cave! He will kill you, and then he will come out here and kill all of us. I will let you take shelter here in my home, but only if you promise to be quiet and sit still.”

Gabriel removed the man’s hand gently. “Look, my friend…”

“Duncan,” the man said quietly. “My name is Duncan.”

Gabriel smiled. “Look, Duncan, I understand that this dragon frightens you terribly…and with good reason. But we are not ordinary travelers. You are no doubt well aware of the situation in Fortana a few months back. We are the heroes who saved everyone from the plague of shadows. This dragon is nothing compared to the ancient evil force we have already defeated. I would be more than happy to rid your town of this nuisance once and for all, free of charge.”

“Do you think that you are the first hero to come through here and promise to put an end to Gyrvyn?” Duncan asked, his voice rising. “You will sit here and shut up, and there will not be another word on the subject!” The last words came out as a mighty shout, and Duncan quickly threw his hands over his mouth and dove onto the floor. Seconds later, another loud roar exploded from the cave, with a thick column of fire quickly following it.

Gabriel turned his head toward the window, and saw the massive gold snout of a dragon emerging from the mouth of the cave. The full beast soon emerged, spreading its wings wide and unleashing a reverberating bellow that shook the very foundation of the building. “So much for sneaking in,” he said, grabbing the hilt of his sword and turning to Bartholomew. “I need you to keep me protected so that I can lure it away from the town. We don’t want any innocent people getting hurt.”

Bartholomew nodded and looked at Amelia. “Can you and Elizabeth cover us?” he asked. “Mena, keep an eye on us and pull us out if it looks like we’re in over our heads.”

The girls nodded affirmatively and surrounded Edith. “We’ll watch out for Edith too,” Amelia said, placing a hand on the healer’s shoulder.

“Alright,” Gabriel said, drawing his sword. “Bart, you’re with me. Let’s go.” They slipped out of the house and quickly put themselves right between the dragon and Norbury. “Not another step, big guy!” Gabriel shouted, raising his sword. “If you need someone to pick on, how about me?”

The huge amber colored beast regarded the warrior curiously, almost amused by the small bump in its path. It reared its head back and launched a fierce spray of orange fire in Gabriel’s direction.

Bartholomew threw his hands up and a blue energy shield surrounded himself and Gabriel. The flames licked at the edge of the shield, but the men inside remained untouched.

The dragon bellowed in rage and unleashed an even more intense burst of flames, which also bounced harmlessly off of Bartholomew’s protective barrier.

“It’s going to take more than that to stop us, Gyrvyn,” Gabriel yelled. “What do you say we help you find a new cave, far away from any human settlements?”

The beast roared and flapped its massive wings, taking off high into the sky and disappearing into the swirling snow.

Bartholomew turned to Gabriel. “Is he giving up already?” he asked. “Sounds like he’s not so mighty after all.”

Gabriel strained his ears and heard pounding wingbeats that seemed to be getting louder. “I don’t think so, Bart,” he said, looking up into the sky. “Brace for impact!”

Bartholomew doubled his focus on the shield, just as the dragon came crashing down out of the sky on top of them. It slammed into the barrier, causing it to waver slightly. Bartholomew began to shudder as Gyrvyn placed one large clawed foot down on the shield, pressing it down around the men. “I don’t know how much longer I can hold this!” Bartholomew gasped, his face turning a dark shade of red.

Gabriel tightened his grip on his sword and stared up into the dragon’s eyes, almost daring it to break through and taste his steel. Suddenly, a brilliant blast of yellow energy collided with the beast, causing it to turn back toward the town. Amelia stood, flanked by Elizabeth and Philomena with Edith cowering behind them.

“Leave them alone!” Amelia shouted, hitting the dragon with another bolt of magic. The creature began to move slowly in her direction.

“They’ve got it distracted,” Gabriel said to Bartholomew. “Drop the shield. I’m going in.” The blue barrier faded, and the warrior charged at the dragon with his sword held high over his head. He leaped toward the beast’s back and prepared to strike, but Gyrvyn reached back with a massive paw and knocked him aside.

Bartholomew rushed to Gabriel’s side and helped him to his feet. “Gabe, come on,” he insisted. “That dragon’s going to be on top of them any second now!”

Gyrvyn stalked the others, swinging its huge tail and knocking Philomena to the ground. Elizabeth tried to cast a summoning spell, but the dragon sent a column of fire in her direction, sending her scurrying for cover. Amelia and Edith quickly dove out of the way of another plume of flame.

Bartholomew looked into Gabriel’s eyes, but the warrior’s stare was glassy and vacant. “Hey, Gabe, are you ok?” he asked. “You hit your head pretty hard there.”

Gabriel grasped Bartholomew’s forearm and stumbled. “Bart, I don’t feel so good,” he said. He saw the world spinning around him and reached out toward Amelia before he pitched forward and blacked out.

Archibald Black sat alone on his bed back at the Fortana Mage’s Guild. His long legs were sprawled out in front of him, and he ran a hand through his shaggy blonde hair. He was flipping the pages of a worn spell book, trying to focus on the incantations printed on the parchment, but the words all seemed to be running together. He sighed audibly and slammed the book shut. No matter how many times he told his friends that he preferred to be alone for his birthday, they still always insisted on ‘cheering him up’. Especially Elizabeth. They had spent countless hours together, and she knew him better than just about anybody at the Guild, but for some reason she couldn’t take a hint. It wasn’t that he didn’t care for his friends…he loved them dearly. But none of them understood the deep pain he always felt at this time of the year…nobody possibly could. His birthday…he almost hated the very sound of the word…only served to remind him of just how alone in the world he really was. His friends had parents, siblings, memories…Archibald had none of those things. He was about to bury his face in his pillow when he heard another knock sound at his door. He groaned. “Elizabeth, I already told you twice today…just leave me alone!” The knocking continued, and he rose to his feet. “I don’t want to talk to you right now,” he yelled. “Go away!”

A loud voice came from the other side of the door. “I am not Miss Cook, Archibald,” it said. “And if you know what is best for you, you will open this door immediately.”

Archibald swung the door open and was met by a tall, elderly man with long gray hair and a silver beard. The sorcerer was dressed in long purple robes trimmed with gold, and he wore a look of consternation on his face. “Master Gregory,” the young mage said quickly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it was you.”

Gregory Silverwing entered the room, closing the door behind him. “It is funny that you should mention Miss Cook,” he said. “She is the reason I am here right now.”

Archibald sighed again. “Look, Master, I know she’s upset that I wouldn’t answer the door, but she knows I just wanted to be left alone. We’ve been over this several times.”

“I understand how difficult your birthday is for you, son,” Gregory said. “But if I were you I would not be so quick to push away a friend like her. Regardless, that is not why I have come. You know better than anyone that she would never come to me with such a complaint. Quite the opposite, in fact.” The sorcerer pulled a piece of paper from his robes. “It seems Miss Cook and your other friends have gone missing trying to do something nice for you.”

Archibald grabbed the paper. “Missing?” he asked, his eyes scanning the page. “They went to Norbury? I’m not sure I understand.”

“Norbury is where you were born, Mister Black,” Gregory said slowly. “It is where your parents died and where I found you all those years ago.”

Archibald looked up in shock. “What?” he asked in disbelief. “You never told me that. Why didn’t you ever tell me that?”

“For the same reason I would have forbidden your friends from going there if I had known about it ahead of time,” Gregory replied. “It is incredibly dangerous. I never told you in order to protect you.”

“You knew,” Archibald said, fire in his eyes. “You knew where my family was from all this time…only miles from Fortana incidentally… and you didn’t tell me because you were protecting me?”

“Yes,” Gregory answered. “Norbury is home to an ancient and very powerful dragon. The same dragon that killed your parents and nearly wiped the village off the map some twenty years ago. You are different from my other students, Archibald. Most of them have only been with me for a few years. I have raised you from the time you were a very small child. You are like a son to me. I could not let you put yourself in that kind of danger.”

“So you were just going to keep this hidden from me for what…another twenty years? The rest of my life?” Archibald crumpled up the paper and threw it at the sorcerer’s feet. “Some father.”

Gregory’s face remained stoic. “Be angry with me if you must, I was only doing what any parent would have done in the same situation. That does not change the fact that your friends are in serious peril. If they were to invoke the wrath of this dragon, there is no telling what it would be capable of doing to them.”

Archibald grabbed his satchel and began gathering some rudimentary supplies. “I’m going to Norbury to bring them back,” he said. “And don’t even think about stopping me. We’re going to have a lot to talk about when I return.”

“I have no intention of stopping you, Archibald,” Gregory said. “Your friends need you. I did take the initiative of finding you a travel partner, however.” He reached back and opened the door to the room, revealing a young woman with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes.

“Why, hello, Archibald,” Beatrice Miller said sweetly. “It looks like we’re taking a little trip together.”

Gabriel opened his eyes slowly, and rubbed his head. He had a splitting headache, and he couldn’t see anything but pure darkness. “Amelia?” he gasped. “Bart? Where am I?”

A soft hand brushed his cheek. “Shh, I’m here, Gabe,” Amelia’s voice whispered. “We’re in Gyrvyn’s cave. We were brought here after you were knocked out. All of us but Elizabeth. She must have gotten away. We haven’t been harmed…yet.”

“Where is he?” Gabriel asked. “Where is Gyrvyn now?” His eyes began to adjust to the extreme blackness and he could make out the blurry shapes of Bartholomew, Philomena and Edith.

“Well, it turns out he is actually a she,” Philomena said quietly. “Look.” She pointed to a large nest with a giant golden egg nestled in the center of it.

“A mother,” Gabriel said, the realization sinking in. “That’s why she’s being so protective. She doesn’t want anything hurting that egg.” He winced and grabbed his head.

Edith came to his side and placed a hand on his temple, speaking a soft incantation. “It’s ok, Gabriel,” she said. “I’ve got you.”

Gabriel reached up and squeezed her hand, the pain in his head subsiding. “Thanks, kid,” he said. “You’re a real lifesaver.” He looked around. “So what do we do now?”

“She didn’t cause any more damage to the village,” Bartholomew said. “She seems to see us as the real threat. I’m not sure why she didn’t just eat us on the spot.”

“I think I can answer that,” Amelia said, gesturing to the egg. “It’s been moving quite a bit the last few minutes. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was getting ready to hatch soon.”

“Great,” Gabriel said, propping himself up on one elbow. “So she’s keeping us here to be her baby's first meal. Not exactly how I saw myself going out, to be honest. Is there any good news?”

Philomena held up a small book. “She’s been gone for a little while, so I did some exploring and found this,” she said. “The diary of Clarice Black.”

Gabriel’s eyes went wide. “Archibald’s mother?” he asked. “That’s amazing!”

Amelia nodded. “If we can get out of here and give this to him, it could make all the difference in the world,” she said. “He can finally learn about his family and what kind of people they were.”

“We were just waiting for you to wake up,” Edith said. “There’s no way we were going to be able to lug you out of here.”

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Gabriel asked, rising to his feet. “Let’s go before mommy comes back!” At that moment, loud wingbeats filled the cave, and the giant gold dragon swooped in. It looked at its egg, then to the small group of standing humans, and roared loudly. “I’ve got to stop saying things like that,” the warrior said glumly.

Archibald and Beatrice approached Norbury cautiously. The town seemed to be quiet and peaceful at the moment. All of a sudden a dragon whooshed by them and flew right into the mouth of the nearby cave. They threw themselves down on the ground and pulled their cloaks tightly over their heads

“I don’t think it saw us,” Archibald whispered, raising his head to look around.

“Judging by the fact that we’re still here, I’d say that was an astute observation,” Beatrice said. “It definitely answers the question of whether or not it’s awake.”

Archibald got to his feet and scanned the town. “Do you see any sign of the others?” he asked.

Beatrice stared at one of the houses intently, moving toward it slowly. “Over here,” she said, opening the door quietly. She moved through the building with precision, stopping by a small table where a small patch of green fabric was sticking out. “You can stop hiding, little Lizzie,” she said. “It’s just us.”

Elizabeth stuck her head out. “Bea?” she asked. “Archie?”

Archibald reached out and took the girl in his arms. “We’re here, Liz,” he said quietly. “Where is everybody?”

“The dragon took them into its cave,” Elizabeth said, leaning against him. “I thought it would come after me, so I hid in here. Did you see it?”

Beatrice nodded. “It just flew into the cave,” she said. “Although I’ll admit, this is strange behavior for a dragon. They rarely take prisoners alive, and they almost never leave witnesses. There’s only one thing they would try to protect in such a way.”

“Their treasure!” Archibald exclaimed. “Dragons never let anyone near their loot.”

Beatrice sighed. “No, Archibald, that’s just an old wive’s tale,” she said. “Although dragons do horde treasure, they have been known to abandon it when faced with a threat to something even more precious…”

“Their offspring!” Elizabeth said. “Do you think Gyrvyn is protecting an egg, or even a baby?”

“It’s entirely possible,” Beatrice said. “Dragons live for millennia, and their eggs can take centuries to hatch. I think there’s a pretty good chance that all of the attacks in the past were just to make sure nothing happens to that egg.”

“That’s great, but how does it help us get the others out of that cave?” Archibald asked. “An overprotective mother dragon is even more dangerous than your average run of the mill dragon.”

“Think back to your studies on dragons,” Beatrice said. “There is only one creature that a dragon naturally fears.”

“Oh, I know this one,” Archibald exclaimed. “It’s a phoenix, right?”

Beatrice smacked him. “No offense, Archie, but your knowledge of dragons could probably fit inside a thimble,” she said.

Elizabeth stood between them. “Beatrice, stop,” she said. “There’s no reason to talk to him like that. He came here because he was worried about the rest of us.” She turned to Archibald. “Don’t listen to her, Arch. She’s just trying to get under your skin.”

Beatrice smirked. “Whatever you say, Liz,” she said. “Like I was saying, there’s only one creature a dragon fears…a wyvern. A full-grown wyvern is no match for an adult dragon, but they do like to steal and eat dragon eggs.”

Archibald scratched his head. “So if we make the dragon think a wyvern is trying to get to its egg, we might actually get it to leave the cave,” he declared.

“That’s…actually correct,” Beatrice said, taken aback. “Very good, Archibald. I can mimic the call of a wyvern with my magic. If you can produce a bright flash of light at the same time, we might be able to fool it.”

“Easy as pie,” Archibald said. “Speaking of which, I could really go for a good pie right about now.”

Elizabeth chuckled. “First we save our friends,” she said. “Then I promise you can have all the pie you want.”

“Deal,” Archibald said, sparkles dancing on his fingertips. “Let’s go get rid of that dragon.”

They crept out of the house and slowly approached the wide mouth of the cave. Beatrice stood to one side, and Elizabeth stood to the other as Archibald raised his hands and stood directly in front of it.

“Ok, on three,” Beatrice whispered. “One, two, three…”

A brilliant explosion of light illuminated the inside of the cave as the blood-curdling screech of a wyvern echoed off the walls.

Inside the cave, Gyrvyn roared and turned to her egg. Scooping it up in her mouth, she beat her wings furiously and flew out of the cave, smashing into the ceiling as she went.

“What was that?” Edith cried, blinking her eyes and holding her hands over her ears.

“I don’t know,” Gabriel said. “But whatever it is, she doesn’t like it. She’s leaving!”

Bartholomew looked up as several large rocks fell to the floor with a thud. “That’s not all that’s happening!” he shouted. “This whole place is about to come down right on top of us!”

“We need to get out of here, right now!” Amelia yelled, moving toward the cave’s opening as more boulder-sized stones slammed into the floor around them.

They all took off running, Philomena clutching the diary tightly in her hands as she went. A giant rock hit the ground beside her, knocking her off her feet and sending the book flying.

Gabriel looked back over his shoulder and saw her go down. “Mena!” he shouted, turning back for her. He reached out a hand and hauled her to her feet just as another rock fell inches from them.

“Gabe, the diary!” Philomena said, looking around frantically.

“Mena, there’s no time,” Gabriel said. “We have to go before we get crushed.” He scooped the girl into his arms and sprinted for the mouth of the cave, jumping clear just as the entire thing collapsed with a huge crash. He rolled over, still holding Philomena in his arms. “Are you ok?”

She nodded, resting her head on his chest. “I’m fine,” she said. “Thank you. But…I lost Clarice’s diary.”

Amelia and Bartholomew ran over to them. “Gabe, Mena, are you all right?” Amelia asked, looking them over.

Gabriel stood, helping Philomena to her feet. “Never better,” he said with a laugh. “But let’s not do that again any time soon. Does anybody know what happened?”

Elizabeth gestured behind her. “Archibald and Beatrice happened,” she said. “They managed to scare the dragon off with a little bit of smoke and mirrors.”

Gabriel reached out a hand and grasped Archibald’s wrist. “Man, am I glad you showed up.” He looked back at the rubble that remained of the cave. “Pretty sure she won’t be coming back here any time soon.”

“Thank you, Gabe,” Archibald said. “Elizabeth told me what you guys were trying to do here. This is one birthday I don’t think I’m ever going to forget.”

Philomena slipped a hand in his. “Archie, I’m sorry,” she said with a sniffle. “I had something that belonged to your mother, but I lost it in the cave-in. It could have answered a lot of your questions. I hope you’re not upset with me.”

Archibald threw his arms around her. “Upset with you?” he asked. “You came all the way out here and fought a dragon for me. I used to be upset that I didn’t have a family, but you guys have shown me different. You are my family, and I love you all more than you could ever imagine. Thank you all. You’re the best gift I could ever ask for.”

The others gathered around him, hugging him and patting him on the back while his grin reached to his ears.

Only Beatrice stayed off to the side, looking on with a scowl as her eyes flashed red. Enjoy your happy little family while you can, she thought, her frown changing to a grin. Pretty soon it will all be gone.

Back at the Mage’s Guild Archibald, Bartholomew, Philomena, Amelia, Edith and Elizabeth sat in the dining hall laughing and talking together loudly.

“Why didn’t you guys tell me birthdays were so much fun?” Archibald asked, a wide smile on his face. “I would have been celebrating them a long time ago.”

“I’m just glad we can celebrate,” Bartholomew said. “We’ve got a lot of these to make up for.”

“Don’t worry,” Archibald said. “Right now I feel like having at least another hundred of these.”

The doors to the dining hall burst open, and Gabriel entered with his hands behind his back. “I hope I didn’t miss the party,” he said, crossing over to their table. “A little bird told me that you might like this.” He produced a large apple pie and placed it on the table.

“Thanks, Gabe!” Archibald exclaimed. “It’s just what I wanted. This is the best birthday ever!”

The End

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