Ned Firebreak

Prologue

Dragonly Disclaimer

A suitable fantasy epic about dragon slaying should begin with the hero in peril, dodging jets of flames from a moderately oversized reptile that is merely an action appetizer. It should plop the reader into the heart of the predicament and not let go of them until the ride is over. It should feature a fast-talking knight bent on rescuing a fair maiden who more than likely has a bit of a chip on her slender shoulders about being so roughly liberated from said dragon’s scaly clutches.

That’s the way a decent knight’s tale should begin.

For Ned Firebreak, that grand opening is not to be. The start of his tale begins with him atop a mattress.

In a coma of all things.

Chapter 1

LADIES IN WAITING

Ned’s visitors were a mixed lot. But each treated him the same. To all, he was unresponsive, a bump on a log. He could see them, so his eyes had to be open. He could hear as well. Quite clearly at times. He couldn’t move at all except to blink. Not even to summon forth a raspy croak to signal that he was alert and registering everything they were saying.

He had stirred from his long sleep in snatches, his periods of awareness measured in seconds and minutes at first.

Today, however, he had managed to stay aware for the entire day. Luckily, the way his head was perched, he had a view of a large window and could determine the time of day from the angle of the sun. It was currently dropping behind the distant mountains. He had made it almost the whole day.

The gruff older woman with the round face and thick glasses had returned with another of the princesses in tow. He couldn’t remember her name, but he knew she was the nicest of the bunch. Apparently, there were four princesses that came to his bedside. He had no recollection of any of them, but from their encouraging whispers and feverish rants (it all depended on their mood as to which conversational camp they fell into, and all four had portrayed both extremes in some fashion) they knew him well.

Do you think today will be the day? She sat at the edge of his bed and leaned over him. The princess’s long blond tresses grazed his cheek, but he didn’t feel anything. Her eyes sparkled as she stroked his forehead.

Good a day as any other, Lil. The older woman pounced on the bed covering, stripping it in one tug. She dropped the sheet to the floor and produced a clean one. She dropped it down over him and tucked the corners in with stiff efficiency. The woman walked over to the side of the bed with the window and slid it closed. She had her back to Ned and the princess as she wiped the ledge of any and all dust bunnies. Clapping her hands together to disperse the dust, she said, Going to be a cold one tonight. Imagine he’ll want a blanket draped over him to fight off the chills.

He knew the duty-minded woman was his Aunt Nance. She rarely addressed him. Her visits were focused on managing her patient, taking care of what he physically couldn’t do. He found out about her unwavering work ethic early on when she changed his soiled undergarments. From her distasteful reaction, he was glad his sense of smell had not returned. Just the same, she tended to him with the utmost regard for his well-being. While the others broadcast their support through words, she conveyed hers through mundane actions. He liked that and was glad to know they were related.

Aunt Nance sighed and exited, leaving him alone with the princess.

The princess drew closer to him and spoke in a whisper. He imagined her breath smelled of flowers and fresh grass. I can’t wait any longer. I wanted to stay until you awakened so I could thank you for coming to my rescue, but I can’t. I have to leave. My sisters need me. She pressed in closer. I don’t know how I know, but I think you can hear us now. I need you to be able to hear me. I couldn’t live with myself if I left without telling you of my gratitude.

Her large translucent wings spread wide. Their purple patterned veins looked even more vibrant than the first time she displayed them. She slipped off the bed and spun around for him to see her wings in their entirety.

They’re completely healed. I can fly again. She fluttered them as she stood on her tiptoes.

She levitated into the air and floated over top of him, her length running parallel to his. Her wings moved lazily up and down, but he knew her ability to fly was more dependent on magic than the need to flap vigorously. Thank you. You are a man of honor, Ned Firebreak. Your father would be proud. She hovered and planted a kiss on the bridge of his nose.

Aunt Nance returned with a thick blanket in tow. Now I told all of you, no enchanted kisses are going to make one whit of difference to Neddy. He’s not going to spring up out of bed because you little girls give him a peck on the cheek.

She swatted the princess away and flounced the blanket into place in one fell swoop.

Lil landed and scooted herself back onto the bed. She tucked the blanket up under his chin, looking at Aunt Nance for approval.

She sighed. Finish up. He’s got time for one more visitor after you and then he’s due for some peace and quiet.

From the door a shrill voice said, Yes, we all know he’s not getting enough rest and relaxation laid up in bed all night and day. Ned knew that grating voice meant his least favorite visitor had arrived. Another princess, her dress an icy blue and her skin just as pale, drew up beside Aunt Nance. Her lips were as blue as the sapphire gems that rimmed her crown. He wondered how long she had been standing in the doorway. Had she been present for Lil’s little floating stunt? His gut told him she had. He knew that would upset the new arrival.

Princess Stacia was a true ice princess. She came from the Ice Kingdom of Skallarg and had some sort of cold powers. What he could gather from the frigid girl’s visits was that she was very possessive of his affections. He couldn’t remember why. His mind had blank spots. He knew from their chats that he had rescued all the princesses at some point, but was unclear of the details other than he had faced off with a dragon on each occasion.

The ice princess jockeyed for a closer spot on the bed than her fairy counterpart. Ned was sure that if he had any sensation, he would’ve felt the coldness she gave off.

Aunt Nance waved a finger at Stacia. Careful, dear. You know your touch can still damage Ned even if it doesn’t spark a reaction.

Lil roughly hopped off the bed. She probably thinks if she can give him a bad enough case of the chills, he’ll shiver himself awake. The fairy’s emerald eyes glowered at Stacia.

"Well, it’s more likely I’ll stir him. After all, we are destined to be together."

Aunt Nance snorted. Lil held a snicker in check.

Ned knew Stacia was obsessed with him, carrying on like she was the love of his life when he didn’t even have the foggiest idea of how they had met or how he even knew her name.

Stacia drew up close, her breath chilling on his cheek as she spoke. It’s my voice, dearest, that will bring you out of the darkness. It’s always my sweet, sweet lilt that draws you to me.

Stacia looked at him expectantly. He knew she gave great consideration to her words. They had a magical quality that was quite pleasant, but not enough to draw him out of whatever held him in such a deep sleep.

Lil said, Stop with your magic. It doesn’t affect him like this. He won’t hang on every one of your slippery commands. Your words only befuddle him when he’s awake. Your glamour holds no weight with him lost to the waking world.

Stacia shrugged. Never hurts to try, sweetie. She glanced at Ned and then back at the fairy. Didn’t I overhear you telling my beloved you were leaving?

Lil shot a nervous look at Aunt Nance. Ned knew the princesses were supposed to stay on the property. Why that was, he couldn’t recall. Why did his memory have so many holes?

Now, girls, enough back and forth for one day. All this negativity is not going to rouse my nephew from his state. She grabbed Lil’s arm and pushed Stacia out of the room with a pillow. To the dorms for the night. Tomorrow’s another day.

Both princesses sneered at each other, but departed with little protest.

Aunt Nance listened for their footfalls to fade down the hall. Satisfied both had left, she turned to Ned and flashed a smile.

She leaned in, her eyes brimming with hope. You know Lil shouldn’t leave. She’d just be returning to the dangerous fiend you saved her from. She’ll try to do it, though. I know she will. She’s a determined little spitfire when she puts her mind to something. We can’t let that happen. Here on the reservation, she’s safe from him and from herself. She wiped a tear from her cheek. I know you’ll never admit it, but she matters to you. Before the incident, the two of you were inseparable. You remember that, don’t you? You have to wake up and stop her, Neddy. She needs you.

Ned wanted to scream at her that he wanted so badly to sit up and take charge and dispatch whatever evil threatened Lil, but he couldn’t. He was frozen in place.

Outside, the wind picked up as dark clouds rolled in. A storm was forming. A streak of lightning slashed viciously through the air.

His aunt didn’t flinch at the harsh crack of thunder that followed, but Ned did.

Chapter 2

WAKE UP CALL

His comatose state wasn’t all bad. He had numerous dreams thrust on him, many quite pleasant and involving frolicking with one princess or another. Ned turned out to be quite good at frolicking, at least in his dreams. Usually, there were meadows, or cool mountain springs where he pranced about with each of the respective princesses. There was always chasing and laughter with the girls flashing warm glances at him as he tried to catch them. The few times where he had caught them, they had tumbled over each other. Ned was usually outfitted in his full armor. When he was not, his clothing was that of a simple villager. The princesses didn’t seem to mind either get-up. When in his armor, his garb was just as light as coarsely woven wool. That was a good thing as he would hate to cause them harm as they playfully tumbled over each other.

His current dream involved Lil. She flew above a meadow of golden grass. The vegetation swayed in the breeze, coming only up to his knees. He darted toward the princess, determined to snatch her from the air.

Lil laughed and zoomed left. She spoke to him, but her words were garbled as if they were spoken underwater. That was the way with all his dreams. Nothing anyone said to him came out clear enough to decipher. That didn’t bother Ned. He could read their intent. Lil was pleased to be there and so was he. He plowed through the meadow and hurled himself where he thought she would fly next.

His arms closed in around her long legs. He pulled her to the ground. He didn’t worry about hurting her. No matter how sudden or dramatic his actions, none of the princesses had ever been harmed in his dreams. It was as if gravity and the physics of pain were absent from the dream world. She landed, producing a lazy puff of dust from her slow-motion impact.

She rolled away. He scrambled on all fours after her. He knew she could fly off at any time, that he had not permanently grounded her. But she didn’t. She rose to her feet and made to dash away. He sprang up and clamped a thick gauntlet around her tiny ankle. She fell backward and landed on his side. She rolled over him as he flipped up and loomed over her small form. He noted how her wings splayed open underneath her. Good, he hadn’t damaged them and, more importantly, he hadn’t hurt her. Modern fairies were slightly smaller than humans, but not pint-size. Fairies of lore that could fit on a hand were long gone thanks to a massive enlarging spell foisted on fairy folk nearly a hundred years ago.

She giggled and jabbed her tiny fists at his breastplate, thumping at the cold metal with false protest.

This was the part that made him the most excited and the most uncomfortable. She tilted her head back. They always did. Each princess reacted the same. She closed her eyes and pursed her lips. And, as always, those lips appeared redder and fuller in this brief instance.

What would it be like to drop down and have their lips meet?

She stopped only inches from his face. He was frozen in place, suddenly aware of how heavy the armor was that enrobed him. He wanted so badly to complete the romantic gesture, to seal the act with a kiss, but he couldn’t. He was not there to romance any of the princesses. While his memory was incomplete, he knew it was not his place to become entangled with any of them. Their rescue and his presence around them when they came to live on the reservation had to be about honor and duty.

He felt her exhale, her warm breath washing gently over his face. He was glad he didn’t have his helmet on.

His gaze pored over her features. She was so beautiful. From her tiny nose, which flared slightly in anticipation of his next move, to her dainty chin that came to an adorable point.

It was so difficult. Normal fourteen-year-old boys shouldn’t be surrounded by princesses. Why was the burden of valor and integrity draped so heavily over his young shoulders? Why couldn’t he entertain a romantic notion? All he wanted was his first kiss. But, even in his dreams, he was denied this.

A shriek shook him from his trance.

This was new. Most of the time, his dreams dissolved at the point where the much anticipated kiss went unfulfilled. What was happening now?

Lil’s face twisted into a grimace. She scrambled away, her gaze situated on something behind him.

He spun around and stood, flinging both arms upward to fend off whatever was about to attack. How he knew he was in need of defense was a mystery. Call it instinct.

Filling the sky was a huge black dragon. It towered over the meadow, its shadow cast long and harsh over the now still grasses. Where had the breeze gone?

Ned stared at the creature. It brashly exposed its tender underbelly to him, clearly dismissing him as any sort of threat. Its thick legs stomped twice, breaking apart the ground as its long talons dug deep into the earth. Its long neck whipped downward, delivering its immense head to within a foot of Ned’s.

A frill of twisted bone spurs radiated from the back of its skull, making it look like the dragon wore a menacing hood. He felt the heat pouring from its nostrils. Its red eyes glared at him. Ned was spared a peek at the rows of teeth that surely occupied the creature’s mouth, thanks to the blackened lips closed tight. Two pointy spikes jutted out from its chin.

Ned waved for Lil to retreat. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her take flight and zip toward the distant tree line. Would the dragon roast her with a geyser of fire?

He glared at the menace, willing it not to light up the princess.

The dragon smiled, as if almost sensing his mental demands.

It crossed its slender arms and leaned back.

What did it want?

You are happy being locked away? The dragon’s thoughts slipped into his mind, crystal clear.

Ned frowned.

It’s called a conversation. It’s only proper you respond with an answer to my inquiry. It would appear you’ve been out of sorts for too long if you’ve lost all sense of civility, young man.

Ned spoke, but his words came out thick and slurred.

Not with those flimsy lips. Use your head. A puff of smoke issued from the dragon’s nose.

Don’t hurt her, Ned projected.

There now. A simple enough feat, isn’t it? Much easier to get to the point when one really applies their mind to the task.

What do you want?

The dragon’s brow furrowed. Now, now, being direct works in some arenas, but is frowned upon in the dream world. We must let our chat wander in and out, flow and mingle.

Ned’s head hurt. He glanced over to see Lil had safely arranged herself in the upper branches of a tree. She looked at him expectantly. Why pay me a visit? I don’t know who you are. Did I slay one of your family? Did my father?

The dragon issued a throaty laugh. Oh, nothing of the sort. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Ned didn’t like how vague the dragon was being. Why can’t you just tell me what you want? Who says dreams have to be so roundabout and frustrating?

I don’t know if anyone actually issued a decree or wrote down the proper way a dream should behave. Seems a bit limiting to try and corral a vision.

Ned crossed his arms. He wouldn’t think another thought until the dragon spilled his intentions.

Don’t get mired in your pride. Very unbecoming of a Firebreak.

Ned squinted at the dragon. You knew my father?

Our paths have crossed and uncrossed on occasion.

In the real world or in his dreams?

Both.

Now he was getting somewhere. The dragon was actually revealing proper answers. So you’re here because of my father?

In a manner of speaking, yes. The dragon drew in a breath. I really can’t say too much. Dragons don’t like to ruin life-changing surprises, not matter how tempting.

I’m really in the dark right now about a lot of things.

Yes, having a spell thrust onto oneself can cause that. Don’t worry, you will have your memories back in time.

How did the dragon know he was struggling with remembering? Did it know the cause of his partial amnesia?

You will need others. What you undertake cannot be accomplished alone.

Cryptic, again. Ned tried to make sure his sarcasm was clear. He hated how the dragon insisted on being mysterious.

We have business. You must seek me out. The dragon jerked its neck, removing an obvious kink. I am the last one to set eyes on your father.

Ned felt his legs start to buckle, but held himself up, not wanting to show any weakness to the creature. What do you mean?

The dragon turned and looked at the princess. You must go a-questing. Answers will be found in the most glorious of places and a few more commonplace.

But how? I’m stuck in a bed and can’t move except for my eyelids.

The dragon smiled. Oh, I can take care of that. You just lacked the proper motivation, the correct desire. You are a hero. And what stirs the heart of a hero more, but that of a maiden in peril. The dragon craned its neck toward Lil. Thunder rumbled deep in the beast’s belly.

Ned knew what was about to happen, but couldn’t do anything. His muscles were locked in place by some unseen force.

A blast of flame shot forth from the dragon’s open mouth. It flashed across the meadow and slammed into the tree holding the princess. The branches ignited instantly.

He heard Lil’s scream, loud and clear.

With that, Ned Firebreak bolted out of the dream and into the waking world, his mind and body no longer frozen.

The dragon’s last thoughts echoed in his head as Ned’s weakened legs gave out and he sank to the floor. Come and find me. Seek out your past and your future, young Firebreak.

Chapter 3

LIL MOTIVATION

It took him only seconds to realize Lil’s scream no longer lay in his dreams. Her cries were real.

Ned lay on the floor next to his bed. His legs moved. His arms twitched. He was truly awake.

He used the bed rail to help him to his feet. His limbs were stiff and weak. He hobbled to the window.

Outside, it appeared to be late morning.

His head throbbed and his eyes watered. He blinked numerous times. A wave of vertigo washed over him. He steadied himself against the window sill.

A dragon in his dream had brought him out of his coma. No, scratch that. It hadn’t been the dragon. His mind was fuzzy, awhirl in all sorts of thoughts. What had triggered him to wake up, to regain control of his body? The dream was fading, retreating down a forgotten corridor of his mind.

Lil screamed again. That was it. A princess in trouble had done the deed.

He shoved open the window and leaned out. Had the scream come from the left?

He had his first full view of the reservation. While his memory told him he lived on a princess reservation, he couldn’t recall ever being here.

A cobblestone road sloped downward toward a large castle. Several small wooden buildings were arrayed around the front of the structure. A stacked stone fence secured the perimeter, racing up and over the hilly landscape. On the right, the fencing swept wide to include a large wooded area within its boundaries. Ned spied several windmills atop the largest hill and a well directly below his window. The building he was in was two stories and constructed of irregularly-sized bricks.

Lil screamed again.

Ned slipped back into his room and looked for something to wear. He had on a simple shirt stained with brown sauce. Probably from one of Nance’s kindly spoon feedings. His trousers were loose, their waist cinched by a coarse rope belt.

His feet were bare. Not exactly battle ready.

A quick inspection of the room turned up no footwear. He raced out and down the hall. He took the steps two at a time and leapt the last few to land on his hands and knees in a room that looked like a large meeting hall, ignoring how wobbly he felt. Aunt Nance rushed toward him, an impressive grey sword in her hand.

She greeted him with shock. Ned, you’re awake! How?

Not sure. I think Lil’s screaming did it. Where is she?

She smiled. He knew she was overcome with joy at his return, but she held her glee in check. His aunt would celebrate his awakening later. Right now, she knew there was business to attend to. Proving his point, she thrust the sword at him and said, Here, take Mink. I was going to go out and deal with it, but I’m sure she’d much rather have you rush to her side.

Ned grabbed the sword. At the same time, his legs gave out. He dropped to his knees, sweeping the sword downward and to his left to avoid landing on it and impaling himself.

You can do this, nephew. Mink can help you. She gripped his upper arms and helped him up.

He shook away the cobwebs and wiped his brow. Sweat splashed onto the blade, sizzling on contact.

This caught him by surprise. He loosened his grip on the weapon’s hilt, fearful the entire sword might grant him a stinging burn. The hilt remained cold. Satisfied he would not receive injury, his fingers tightened around it.

The blade slipped closer to his face. He felt the heat radiating from it alone. Is this mine?

Nance frowned at him, her brow knitted in confusion. What are you talking about? Mink is my sword, a gift from your father.

The weapon chose that moment to enter the conversation. Yeah, and let’s be clear, this is the only time you get to put your sweaty palms all over me. The sword’s voice was that of a young girl’s. A very sarcastic little thing. Now let’s get this over with. And you better make doubly sure you clean me proper after. I don’t care if you’ve been laid up in bed for nearly a year, I still expect a decent shine and polish after all the bloodletting.

Bit vicious, she is, Ned muttered to his aunt.

It’s always the sweet innocent ones you have to worry about. She opened the large wooden door at the end of the grand meeting hall and waved for him to exit with her. Now out with you. I suspect Lil’s gotten herself in another one of her ‘situations.’ That blasted girl is almost more trouble than she’s worth.

Ned charged out the door. Outside, he nearly ran into a tiny robed man who had been floating in the air. Ned ducked to avoid the man, but forgot to tuck Mink down as well. Her blade sliced through the man’s clothing, blackening the fine weave of the gentleman’s robes but not catching the whole garment ablaze.

The airborne man somersaulted through the air as he tamped at his scorched clothing with his tiny gloved hands. His long white beard parted in the middle with each section braided at their respective tips.

Frinkle Flabbit! What in Gideon’s name are you doing? Wave that blasted hot poker around somewhere else, Nance. He dropped to the ground, inspecting his robes and his spindly legs underneath. Good thing you didn’t take a slice out of my stretchy parts. His attention was cast downward to his legs. Each was dressed in loudly-colored stockings. Large sandals engulfed his oversized feet. He stamped at the ground with his footwear, still not looking up at Nance or Ned.

Ned knew the man, though his name escaped him. He had been an infrequent visitor. What few visits Ned could recall, the man had been a bit self-absorbed. He was a wizard of some sort, hired by Nance for some forgotten reason. Ned knew the wizard was a recent addition to their little crew, that he had not been around at the onset of his coma.

Nance said, It was Ned, Fairbanks. Sorry about that. He’s still a bit groggy from waking up. Maybe arming him and scooting him off to mount a genuine rescue wasn’t one of my wisest decisions.

The wizard abruptly ended his own self-examination and gave Ned the once-over. He pulled his small glasses back from the tip of his nose and pressed them tight against the frosty bushy eyebrows that overwhelmed his lower forehead. Ah, the last Firebreak enters the waking world. About time.