The Savage Sanctuary

There weren't always dragons in the Valley.

The first time I saw one in real life was a moment of terror. It’s sheer size and monstrosity was something to behold. I was at a safe distance, but a feeling of recklessness burned in the back of my mind, and soon I desired more. I wanted to be closer. I wanted to touch it. As fear gave way to curiosity, I found myself going up to it. Slowly, I made my way until I was close enough to feel its breath, the heat making the air around it shimmer, like standing in front of a furnace. It just stood there, not bothered by my presence. Why should it be? I was unarmed and tiny. I was not in the least bit threatening to this massive beast. As I studied it up close, I was impressed by how a creature so dark and ferocious could still appear so regal and majestic. Its wings suddenly snapped open, in preparation to fly. Without thinking, I screamed at it to “WAIT!” It paused and looked at me with its fiery red eyes. Despite how demonic it looked, its eyes held no malice. I imagined it saying, ‘what do you want with me, you tiny, insignificant creature?’ I couldn’t think of what to say next. The dragon was mere moments from taking off. It stretched its wings once more, crouched down, then launched itself up into the clear blue sky. I wasn’t prepared to let go. Quickly, without thinking, I hurled myself onto the end of its tail. I held on tight and closed my eyes. The cold wind from its massive wings was a cyclone around my body. The giant tore through the heavens like a black dagger splitting a stream of water. When I was finally able to open my eyes, I could no longer recognize my surroundings. We glided over mountains. Carved within the mountains was the entrance to a giant cave. I thought maybe this was where the dragon lived, but it continued flying past it. Then we came across the ruins of a castle. I wasn’t sure which castle it was in particular, but it looked just like one of the castles in my history books. Just when I thought I couldn’t hold on much longer, it started to descend. Was the castle its destination? When the dragon landed, it curled its tail and placed me gently on its back. I was able to grip one of the many horns lining its back. I found my new seating arrangement far more secure and comfortable than hanging on by the tail. I looked the dragon in the eye and nodded in gratitude. It nodded back in understanding and we resumed our flight. I could finally see where we were headed. We were heading towards… the city? I could make out the skyscrapers in the distance, the glass and steel glistening in the sun. Just then, the deafening roar of jet engines buzzed over our heads. Before we knew it, we were being stalked by a pair of F-18’s. They were so close, I could see into the cockpits. The pilots looked shocked to see me holding on for dear life onto the dragon’s back. Three more F-18’s rushed at us. They slowed down to our pace and glided around us. We were surrounded. The dragon looked at each jet in turn, but seemed unbothered by them. Desperate, the pilots started dispersing flairs into the air. One by one, the flairs burst into red flashes showering the sky ahead of us. Suddenly, a loud bang in front of us startled the dragon. It jerked backwards and I got ejected into the sky. I was in freefall. I couldn’t breathe. That’s when everything went black.

Voices. I could hear voices. People whispering. When I opened my eyes, I was surprised to not feel any pain. I was lying in bed in a hospital. A nurse came in to check on me.

Nurse: “Oh, good. You’re awake. Let me check your vitals.”

Me: “Where am I? How did I get here?”

Nurse: “You’re at St. Luke’s. Some hikers found you unconscious at a trail not far from here. I’m Natalie by the way, what’s your name? We couldn’t find any ID when they took you in.”

Me: “I… can’t remember. The last thing I remember was falling off the back of a dragon. We were being chased…”

The sudden odd expression on the nurse’s face made me pause. I immediately suspected that I may have said something wrong.

Nurse: “Oh. I see. Um… well, I think we’ll have to hold you here for a while for observation, and pending psychiatric evaluation to, you know, help with your memory loss and… in the meantime, I’ll have the police run your description against their database of missing persons reports. Hopefully, we can get in touch with your family soon. Get some rest. We’ll have someone bring you some food.”

Me: “Thanks… I think.”

My head was still spinning as the nurse left the room. St. Luke’s… it doesn’t sound familiar at all. I wondered what happened to the dragon. Or more importantly, I wondered how I was even alive. I didn’t feel like lying back down, so I got up and walked around the room. I opened the door to take a peek in the hallway and inadvertently locked eyes with a young man sitting down a few feet away. He immediately smiled and it was so warm and genuine that I did not feel the need to be defensive. I stepped out of the room and the first thing I noticed was the candy bar that he was holding.

Him: “I have another one, if you’re feeling hungry.”

He stuck out his extra candy bar in my direction.

Me: “Well, I am kinda hungry.”

Him: “I’m Paul. What’s your name?”

Me: “I can’t remember. I may have amnesia.”

Him: “Well, that’s not good. Can you remember anything?”

Me: “The last thing I remember was falling off a dragon.”

He laughed.

Him: “A dragon? It sounds like maybe you were in an amusement park.”

Me: “An amusement park? What makes you think that?”

Him: “Well, that’s the only place I could think of where you can ride a dragon.”

Me: “Well, how about the valley? There are lots of dragons there.”

Him: “What valley?”

Me: “The valley of the dragons. You haven’t heard of it? What is this place? Am I in a small town in the middle of nowhere? I mean, everybody has heard of the valley of the dragons. Sorry, no offence.”

Him: “None taken.”

Just then, he stopped someone passing by.

Him: “Hey, have you heard of the valley of the dragons?”

The person looked at him weird and walked away without replying.

Him: “Apparently, he hasn’t heard of it either. It must be a new amusement park.”

Me: “It’s not a park. It’s a real place.”

Him: “Well, ok then. The nearest valley from here is about three hours away. I could take you there if you’d like.”

My eyes narrowed.

Me: “What makes you think I’ll just follow a stranger who could be taking advantage of a girl with amnesia? What are you doing here, anyway?”

Him: “Suit yourself. Just thought I’d extend a courtesy. I’m here to check on my mom. Cancer.”

Me: “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean… it’s just I feel really lost without my memory, that’s all.”

Him: “Maybe going to the valley will jog your memory.”

Me: “It just might. Maybe it’s worth a shot. Let me change into my clothes.”

The hospital was so crowded and busy, that the staff didn’t even notice me leave with Paul. We got into his SUV and headed out into the open road. Even though I felt I could trust him, it still seemed like a big gamble. Anyone reading the situation would probably say that I was reckless to be so trusting to a stranger. But then again, I did ride and fall off a dragon, so I guess I was just being consistent. After about an hour of driving, Paul suggested we pull into a rest stop to grab some food. Just the mere mention of food made me realize how hungry I was, so I welcomed his idea of stopping to rest.

The restaurant was thick with the scent of greasy, but comforting, meals. Our server was a kind old lady who thought we made a cute couple, but as reluctant as I was not to disappoint her (and maybe, Paul), I had to set the record straight – Paul was just a friend who was helping me get to the valley.

The server: “My dear, why on earth would you want to go to the valley for? There’s practically nothing to see there.”

Paul: “Are you sure there aren’t any... dragons around?”

He said that while looking at me mockingly. I gave him a dirty look back. The server chuckled at what seemed to her to be an inside joke.

The server: “Oh, heavens, no. The only thing you will find are snakes. So, you best be careful walking around that area.”

Just as the server was going back to the kitchen, I caught a glimpse of her name tag and all of a sudden, a piece of my memory came rushing back. My name. We had the same name. Jolene. I immediately told Paul who was delighted to finally learn my name.

We ate heartily, then continued on our way. We still had a long way to go but chatting helped pass the time. The more we talked, the more I grew convinced that I wouldn’t find dragons in the valley. But what does that mean? Where am I? How did falling off a dragon bring me to this place? All were questions that I was hoping would get answered once we reached the valley.

A couple of hours passed and Paul slowed the car to a stop.

Paul: “Here we are. The valley of the dragons.”

He said that last part mockingly, with a grin. We hopped out and took a look around.

Paul: “Ring any bell yet? Do you remember anything?”

Me: “No, nothing looks familiar. Let’s walk around and explore.”

Our exploration took us to a railroad tunnel carved into the side of a mountain. It seemed to be abandoned. Paul hastily entered the cave before I could even say anything. He came back out holding a large rock.

Paul: “I found a dragon egg!”

I gave him an annoyed look.

Paul: “Ok, ok… I was just kidding. But we should really explore it. It looks very interesting.”

We went back to his car to grab some flashlights then we walked back to the tunnel. I wanted to leave, but Paul insisted on exploring. It really fascinated him. We walked deeper and deeper into the tunnel. Then, a gust of wind blew past us.

Me: “I think there’s a train coming.”

Paul: “Nonsense, this tunnel is abandoned.”

He was wrong. A pair of bright lights sped toward us. There wasn’t any room to escape on either side of the tunnel, so there was no way to dodge the oncoming train. We just braced ourselves as flat as we can against the wall and hoped for the best. The train closed in. The roar of its engine got terrifyingly loud. This was it. We held hands, closed our eyes and… nothing. Then… whoosh! A rush of wind all around us, a flash of light, and we now found ourselves next to each other inside a subway train. What the heck happened? We had the same puzzled expression on our faces as we stared at each other in disbelief. We were alive, but now we were somewhere else.

Paul: “Did… did that just happen? Did we just die, or, are we now in a dream?”

I was about to say something when I realized where we were. This was the subway line leading back to my house. I was home! And my memory had come back! I was so overjoyed my eyes started tearing up.

Me: “Paul, my memory came back. This is the train to my house. Somehow, we got transported a long way from where we were?”

Paul: “That’s great and all, but how do I get back home?”

Me: “We can deal with that later. For now, aren’t you glad? By some miracle, we’re alive, and I have my memory back, and I’m home!”

Paul: “I guess.”

We got off at the next stop, walked out of the subway and made the trip back to my house. When I opened the door, we found my parents having a meal at the dining room table. They both looked up.

Dad: “Jolene, I wasn’t expecting you home so early. Don’t you have school?”

Me: “Uh, we got let off early. Dad, mom, this is my friend, Paul.”

Mom: “Hi Paul, pleasure to meet you. Did you guys want to join us for lunch? We have to run soon, but there’s still plenty of food left. Feel free to whip up anything else that you might want.”

Paul: “Thank you, ma’am. Nice to meet you too.”

Paul looked at me and I looked back at him and shrugged. Plenty of food on the table, so we might as well eat. In the living room, I turned on the TV and the news was on. I gasped at the story being reported on.

Me: “Paul, get over here!”

I pointed at the TV.

Me: “That was the dragon that I was riding before I fell out of the sky and ended up in that hospital in your town.”

Paul’s jaw dropped as he stared at the TV in disbelief. The report was about a dragon that was chased out of the city by some fighter jets. But there was no mention of a girl falling off of the dragon.

Paul: “A… a... dragon? This can’t be. Dragons aren’t real. Where am I? What is this place? Are you playing a joke on me right now?”

Me: “What do you mean? Everyone’s heard of dragons. Is your town somehow cut off from the rest of the world?”

Paul: “No, I live in a small town, but we’re not that backwards. Dragons aren’t real. They’re just stuff from stories. What the hell is going on? Did we die? Is this just a dream?”

Me: “Ok, calm down. I’m sure there’s a perfectly good explanation.”

We talked for a long time and by the time we came to our conclusions, the sun had set, and it was already dark outside.

Paul was from a different earth. An earth where dragons never existed. There were other smaller differences between our worlds, but that was the biggest thing, as far as we knew. But how do we get him back home? We had to go back to where it all started – the dragon that I was riding before I fell and ended up in his world. It was late now, so we decided to wait until daylight. I pulled the sofa bed out for Paul, but we ended up chatting through most of the night. Here I was, living in a world where dragons actually exist, and still these creatures continued to astonish me. I could only imagine what Paul must be going through at that moment. His level of amazement must have been off the scale. He went through the full range of emotions but once he’s calmed down, he was still shaking his head at how unbelievable this all was.

Paul: “Dragons. They’re real. So, you’re telling me they’re almost extinct.”

Me: “That’s right. They were being hunted for everything from their skin, to their flesh, which is considered a delicacy in some places; even their eyeballs were said to have medicinal properties, not to mention, most of their internal organs. Dragon skin is one of the toughest materials there is – it has been used for things like bulletproof vests, and they are a natural fire retardant.”

Paul: “Wow… just… wow. I suppose it makes sense. That’s how we treat most animals too, back home. Except, none of our animals are dragons.”

Me: “I know it sounds crazy, but it’s all true. What’s crazy to me is that dragons are all over your stories back in your world, but they have never been real there. Like, where did those stories come from? They must have been based on something. How does your culture get so obsessed with something that isn’t even real?”

Paul: “Oh, you won’t believe the things we become obsessed with that aren’t real. Do elves exist in your world too?”

Me: “Nope. No elves.”

Paul: “How about unicorns?”

Me: “No unicorns either. Bicorns, though… just kidding!”

Paul: “Very funny. So, the big question now is… how do I see a dragon?”

Me: “The same way I did… by going to their home – the valley of the dragons.”

I explained to Paul that once the people of my world realized how desperate the plight of dragons had become, everyone pooled their efforts and resources together to preserve what’s left of these magnificent creatures. It has been said that humans have the tendency to destroy beautiful things, but we have the capacity to save them too. In an unprecedented united effort by world governments, a sanctuary was set up to protect the dragons and to act as a safe haven for them and their kind.

Paul: “And that sanctuary is the valley of the dragons?”

Me: “You got it. There weren’t always dragons in the valley. Now it’s a home for them to live as they please, and hopefully, in time, thrive.”

Paul: “So how do we get there?”

Me: “We’ll take the train.”

What I failed to mention to Paul, and what I didn’t find out until later myself, was that dragons weren’t just being hunted to be food, medicine or building materials, they were being hunted for their rumoured magical properties too.

While we were making our way to the valley of the dragons, somewhere in a laboratory carved out deep in the heart of a mountain, there was a mad scientist working in the shadows on a way to harness the supposed magical properties of dragons. He strongly believed that dragons have the ability to transport objects through space and time. Imagine what you could do with that power. I was sure he had already imagined it. He had the support of a very powerful secret society, ran by individuals with wealth and power, and now they wanted the means to accumulate more wealth and power. Not all dragons had the ability to manipulate space and time, however. In fact, it was rare to find a dragon with such an ability, and it often took time for it to manifest itself.

We arrived at the sanctuary just before midday. It was a clear day and sunlight bathed the forest in warmth and colour. At the gate, I showed the guards my ID. I was immediately let in, and I asked them to let Paul, my special guest, in too.

Me: “Did I mention that my parents work at the sanctuary and are part of the team doing research on dragons?”

Paul: “No, you never mentioned that.”

Me: “Well, now I have. I’m usually not allowed on sanctuary grounds but today is a special case. Besides, I’ve already snuck in once before. ‘Too dangerous,’ they always say, but despite what your story books tell you, dragons aren’t actually dangerous. The way I see it, humans as a group pose more of a threat to them than they do to us, even though we are like ants to them without our weapons and other tools of destruction. It’s only when we work in groups and use our technology that we find ways to destroy them.”

Paul: “That makes sense.”

It didn’t take long for us to find our dragon. It was sitting next to a breathtaking waterfall. The view was like something from a cover to a fantasy book. All that was missing were knights and castles. Paul freaked out. Like, really freaked out. It took him half an hour to calm back down and even then, he couldn’t stop raving about the dragon.

Me: “Before we, um, ride this dragon, you should know that once you go back to your world, we might never see each other again.”

Paul: “Works for me… just kidding!”

Paul laughed. Then cleared his throat to switch to a more serious tone.

Paul: “As much as I appreciate what you’ve done for me, and having witnessed the wonders of this incredible world, I have to get back to my sick mom. I will miss you and this place, though. Thank you so much for all you’ve done, and the things I was able to see.”

Me: “It is me who should be thanking you. Thanks for helping me get back to my world.”

Paul: “I didn’t do anything, really.”

I gave Paul a hug. An awkward silence followed.

Me: “Let’s get to it, shall we?”

I said that with a silly grin.

It took Paul some time to accept that the dragon wasn’t going to eat him. When he finally got over his fear, we scrambled on top of the dragon and waited for it to fly off. We still have no idea how we were going to get Paul home. I suggested we start by flying as close as we can to the ‘dragon no-fly zone’ where I encountered the jets and go from there. Paul agreed it would be a good place to start.

The dragon again took us in the direction of the city. As we got closer, something seemed different. Instead of the jets, we encountered a group of black, unmarked helicopters. A pair of them were carrying a large net, big enough for a dragon, and one of them was carrying a large laser, powerful enough to cut through dragon skin.

Me: “This can’t be. It’s illegal to hunt dragons!”

Paul: “I don’t think these guys got the memo!”

The dragon tried to change direction, but it was too late. We got caught in the net. It struggled in mid air and we plummeted out of the sky because it wasn’t able to properly flap its wings. As we spiralled into a fall, we experienced yet another flash of blinding light.

We were back at the waterfall. We were hovering right above… a knight on horseback, who cursed the large shadow we casted over them.

Me: “Not again.”