Dragon Village Ouroboros EBOOK

Chapter 1
Sweet and Bitter Honey

JUNE 24, ENIOVDEN

THEO NEVER IMAGINED he’d spend his thirteenth birthday far from home, fighting demons in Dragon Village. Half-asleep, he lay on the cold, rotten floor of the deserted mill, with Pavel, Diva, and her sisters close by. They hadn’t fought the fiends yet today, but without a doubt, the battles would continue. What did the demons care that it was his special day? Diva’s, too, for she shared his birthday.
Constant attacks had forced them from the Kukeri sanctuary. Zima and Jega, the ancient brother warriors who lived there, had made the place as secure as they could with their magic. But after two solid days of enemy bombardment, Theo, Pavel, and Diva were forced to escape through an underground passage. Diva’s sisters, Sava and Ula, retreated with the teens to show them the way through the maze. The Kukeri would join everyone as soon as they gathered supplies and maps of Dragon Village’s underground world.
That was last night, and Zima and Jega still hadn’t arrived.
Scratching sounded near the wall, and Theo opened his eyes. The sun peeked through cracks in the wooden slats near him, looking like laser beams in a sci-fi movie. The light scanned the room, as if searching for an enemy, but captured only swirling dust motes. Nothing had disturbed the flour they’d scattered beneath the gaping holes in the windows. They’d need to be boarded up before another night passed. Theo held his breath and searched the rest of the room with his eyes. All appeared safe. If an intruder was here, he hid in the dark corners.
The noise came again, this time closer to where Theo lay. Light thumping and a low growl followed.
Have the demons found us already?
He lay still, listening, tuning his dragon senses to his surroundings. His head pounded with the effort. He still had lots to learn about using his abilities, but his body felt different today, his pores tingling.
Something scampered over Theo’s shoulder. With lightning speed, a rat disappeared into a canvas bag filled with moldy flour. If this had been a year ago, Theo’s heart would have raced, and he would have screamed. But now, he was learning to expect the unexpected.
He tossed aside the rough sack he’d used as a blanket and pushed himself up to a sitting position. The floorboards creaked.
Next to him, Pavel stirred and stretched out his hand, which banged into a flour bag. A cloud of white powder flooded the floor, coating the glasses at his side. Yawning, he rubbed his eyes. “Time for breakfast, Mom?”
“I’m not your mother, and keep your voice down.”
Theo crept toward a crack in the dilapidated wall and peered outside. Sunlight sparkled on the morning dew. Everything was a lush array of summer greens. It reminded him of the park in Selo where he played soccer with his classmates. The branches of a weeping willow near the creek swung to the ground, revealing the twitching tips of rabbit ears. The animals hopped around, eating grass within the shade of the tree’s shelter. Birds sang and flew from branch to branch, while animals scurried among the undergrowth.
“What do you see? Demons? Zlo?” Pavel whispered. He grabbed the black bow and arrows Theo had let him use and scooted closer.
“Nothing, not even ravens.” Everything appeared as it should be to Theo’s enhanced dragon vision and hearing. He was worrying for nothing. Every noise made him jittery these days. But still, something felt a little off.
“That’s weird,” Pavel said. “They’ve been spying on you for the last week, ever since we got here. You don’t think they’ve given up, do you?”
Theo snorted. “Zlo and Lamia threatened to eradicate me and everyone I love. So no, I don’t think so.”
“Don’t worry. You escaped from them once. You can do it again.”
“I doubt they’ll be so careless to let that happen again.”
Theo’s newfound courage didn’t extend to Zlo. Having faced the evil lord once, Theo trembled at Zlo’s plan to take over Dragon Village and the human world with the demons he’d released from the underworld.
Theo scanned the area once more for signs of Zlo’s servants. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary. Holing up in the mill wasn’t an ideal situation, but it suited their needs for the moment. The building was rundown, but occupied a remote location on the island. They could avoid detection and be safe here. If only temporarily.
A harsh drumming, as if someone was beating on a metal plate, came from near a window.
Pavel crouched even lower. “What’s that?”
“Shh.”
More noises followed from the loft: a rattle, pottery breaking.
Theo swiveled away from the crack so he could see what was happening.
Ula was securing a plank over a window opening. A stream of light danced across her brown hair, making the auburn strands sparkle. With her robe swaying around her each time she pounded a wooden peg into the board, she resembled an Amazon warrior training for battle.
“Great idea,” Theo said. “I was just thinking we had to block the windows.”
“Why am I the only one who’s told to be quiet?” Pavel muttered and went back to sit on his blanket.
Ula stopped pounding and looked in their direction. Although her hand held a hammer steady, her quivering lips, normally upturned in a playful grin, betrayed her anxiety. “It’s not much defense against demons, but it’ll keep prying eyes out while we plan how to find and rescue Zmey.”
“I hate that we’re here wasting time fighting when we should be looking for my father.” Theo kicked a flour bag. “He’s been stuck in some dungeon for a whole year. Some help I’ve been.”
“Don’t berate yourself,” Ula said. “You did the human world a favor by closing the portal Zlo tried to open.”
“Yah, Theo,” Pavel said. “That’s a huge accomplishment.”
Ula continued, “It’s better for us to battle demons here than for them to have swarmed into Selo and other villages. Would you rather fight them, or have them attack your family?”
“You’re right.” Theo sighed. “I just hate the fact that Zmey’s been suffering all this time. He’s probably wondering if anyone’s trying to find him.”
“I’m sure I can come up with a way to rescue Zmey.” Pavel rubbed his belly, got up, and peered into a clay bowl with scattered dried berries. “But it’s too early to think about inventions, especially on an empty stomach.”
Creaking came from above. Theo tensed. He’d forgotten about the noise in the loft. He hoped demons hadn’t crawled in through holes in the roof. He crept closer to check, but sighed in relief when Sava lugged down a barrel. It would make a good table for them to strategize on. Offering her assistance would be useless. The stairs were too rickety for him to climb. As a Samodiva, Sava could glide over them with no trouble.
Ula pounded more planks over the window, casting the front of the room into a gloomy darkness. “There, done. Now on to the next window.”
“Now it’s too dark to look at maps when the Kukeri get here.” Pavel’s stomach grumbled again. “And too dark to know what I’m eating.”
Theo sniffed. A sweet aroma drifted toward the mill. He peered out the dilapidated door. Diva must have ventured outside while he and Pavel had been peeking through the crack. Now, she ambled forward, carrying a basket topped with red berries.
She opened the door and strode inside, letting in a stream of light. “I see I’m just in time.”
“You are. I’m starving.” Pavel’s stomach rumbled from across the room.
“Not quite what I meant about being just in time.” Diva laughed and held the basket toward him. “You better eat something, or the demons will hear you.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice.” Pavel hurried over to take the basket, and he stuffed berries into his mouth. “Mmm, good.”
“I found candles in an abandoned hut, so we’ll be able to see in here,” Diva said. “Pavel, do you have any of your matches left?”
“Yes.” His mouth filled with berries, he momentarily set the basket onto the barrel and dragged his backpack closer to the open door. He pulled out a box of wooden matches from a pocket and scratched one against the side, the flame bursting forth. “Here.” He handed it to Diva before he picked up the berries again.
She lit a candle and set it onto the wooden barrel.
Theo wasn’t hungry. His stomach was unsettled. He needed something to do while he waited for the Kukeri to arrive. He looked around the room. Sacks of old flour and seeds rats hadn’t devoured lay propped up against the walls. He couldn’t think of anything to do with them. In case of attack, he imagined he could hurl one against an intruder, slowing his enemy somewhat.
Maybe Sava needed help now. He found her speaking in a hushed tone with Pavel, who had finished the berries. Pavel gestured around the room, but stopped when Theo approached. Sava shrugged, but nodded. Theo caught a few words: “A good idea.”
What was Pavel up to? Asking for more food? Or, now that he’d eaten, was he telling the Samodiva about an invention that would help rescue Theo’s father? As much as Theo loved his friend, Zmey’s safety was too important to take a chance on Pavel’s ideas working. Theo wished the ancient, wise Mraz would join the group, but the eldest of the Kukeri brothers had gone into hiding to keep Lamia’s Bible safe from Zlo. The dangerous book held the secrets of everyone in Dragon Village.
Theo turned away and paced the room. It seemed nobody needed him to do anything. A hero with no task.
“Theo,” Sava called to him.
“Yes?” He stopped his endless steps.
“Don’t worry. The Kukeri will be here soon enough.”
“I know, but—”
“Why don’t you and Diva survey the area? You should be able to sense anything unusual with your abilities and warn us of dangers.”
“And while you’re outside,” Pavel said, “could you get more berries and maybe some honey?”
Theo rolled his eyes. Pavel and his stomach. “What’s the matter? All your cookies gone? Or are you craving pancakes now?”
Pavel nodded. “I’d love pancakes, but we can’t cook here. The smoke would give our location away. But I wouldn’t mind a bowl of fresh berries with honey drizzled on them. Maybe you could find some fruit trees, too.”
“I think that’s a splendid idea,” Sava said. “By the time you and Diva return, the Kukeri should have arrived.”
“Diva was just out there. She would have told us if there were any dangers.” Theo raked his fingers through his hair. He wanted to be busy, but not doing a mindless task. “I need to rescue my father. I don’t want to look for berries, honey, or fruit.”
“I do.” Diva picked up the empty basket and grabbed her bow and quiver of arrows. “It’s better than worrying. Besides, Samodivi love honey. Its sweetness is worth the risk of venturing outside. It shouldn’t take us long. I came across wild bees when I was out earlier.”
“Oh, all right.” Theo retrieved his sword. “Are you coming, too, Pavel, since you want sweets so badly?”
“Uh, no.” Pavel shuffled his feet and avoided looking at Theo. “I have stuff to do here. Maybe I’ll see if I can catch some fish.”
Theo raised his eyebrows and shook his head. Pavel rarely gave up a chance to be around Diva. Had his infatuation with their Samodiva friend worn off?
“Well, at least let me use your matches. We’ll need fire to smoke the bees if we find honey.”
Pavel handed the box to Theo, who put it into his pants pocket before stepping outside after Diva. He squinted, his eyes sensitive to the blinding light after the darkness inside the mill.
Small clouds, drifting like feathers, roofed the blue sky, and mild heat from the summer sun warmed Theo’s face. A gentle breeze brought with it an assortment of smells: some sweet and fruity, while others were fragrant, woodsy, and minty.
It all reminded him of his home in Selo. Today was a special day when his mother and other women in the village gathered herbs. Magical herbs, they called them, because the ones picked in the morning had special healing powers.
Will Mom venture outside today? He was sure his sister, Nia, would encourage their mother to participate in the day’s activities, instead of staying locked inside the house, worrying about Theo. Worrying wouldn’t bring him home any sooner. He was glad Nia was there to support their mother. At least this time, Mom knew where Theo was. When both he and Nia had disappeared last year, no one had a clue where they had gone. The sooner he accomplished this mission, the sooner he could return home.
Theo gripped his sword and crept around their immediate surroundings with Diva. A branch snapped in the forest. Theo slung his weapon around, but Diva made a sign with her hand to keep silent, and they put their backs together. Two rabbits hopped out into the clearing, looked at the intruders, and scurried back into the safety of the woods.
“All clear,” Diva said, and they continued to the end of the path.
Theo stopped. With the instinct of a wild animal, he scanned their surroundings with his enhanced vision and hearing to make sure the immediate area was clear of dangers.
He encountered small animals scurrying through the underbrush. They acted skittish, running back and forth with no destination. He caught their words now and again: “Hurry” and “Keep up,” plus mumbled or rushed words, too difficult to make out. His returning ability to understand animals made him smile. He hoped he’d once again be able to know what his magpie friend, Boo, was saying.
Theo strained against his mind, probing deeper into the woods. The birds there were more silent. A bad omen, but his senses noted nothing evil or out of the ordinary. Even so, his gut told him to be careful.
Diva looked at him as if waiting for him to decide how to scout out the area. When they’d first met, she’d encouraged him to reason out problems, things she already had the answer to. Her silence now shouted at him that she was doing the same. At least today, he felt surer of his ability to make good decisions, to trust his instincts. Right now, they told him something was definitely wrong, even though he couldn’t pinpoint the source.
“I’ll circle around the right side of the mill, and you can take the left. We can meet over by the large, rotten tree.” He pointed to one that he had used for archery practice when they’d been at the mill once before.
Diva nodded and darted uphill to complete her task.
Theo walked down the slope toward the water wheel. It creaked, shaking with the breeze, but refused to spin any longer. Green ivy wrapped around the paddles like a blanket. Nothing was amiss this close to the mill. He searched farther out, first with his mind. Picking up no bad vibes, he slunk through the forest. Every bird in the branches was a suspect, each animal scurrying along the ground, a potential threat. Zlo’s servants who kept tabs on Theo could shape-shift. He didn’t want to fall for that trick again. They’d already suffered enough when they’d rescued a puppy, which wasn’t really a puppy.
No animal glared at Theo with glowing red eyes during his search. The demon Zlo’s messengers hadn’t infiltrated the area near the mill. For the moment, they were safe.
Now that he was outside doing something useful and danger wasn’t imminent, Theo relaxed and rubbed his stiff neck. The pounding headache he’d woken to had lessened to a dull throb, but the tingling in his pores remained. Since Diva was thirteen today, too, perhaps she was feeling the same strange sensations.
He trudged back up the hill toward their designated meeting place. Diva wasn’t waiting at the location, but he felt her presence nearby. He searched the trees and found her picking fruit.
“Diva?” he called.
“Be there in a minute.” She crawled down a tree, the folds of her garment overflowing with fruit. “Well, that should be enough even for Pavel.” Diva deposited the bounty into the basket and wiped off twigs and leaves from her clothing. “Ready to look for honey now?”
“Sure.” Theo strode beside her as she made her way toward a cliff. “Diva, did you feel any different this morning? Tingly?”
“Some, but nothing I didn’t expect.” She continued walking without breaking her stride. “My sisters explained my body would be changing inside once I turned thirteen and gained my full powers.”
“Oh, good, I guess. I wasn’t sure exactly what was happening,” Theo said. “It’s not like how I felt when Lamia’s spirit possessed me. That was excruciating.” He thought back to how he’d been in so much pain he couldn’t move at times. Although he didn’t understand this new sensation, it energized him. “Do you feel like someone else is inside you?”
She shook her head. “No, just me. Do you feel that way?”
“Yes. It’s like there’s a soldier there, someone I can’t control.” Theo paused. “He’s asleep, but I know I can harness his strength. I don’t know how to wake him. Or if I want to. He feels dangerous.”
“Hmm.” Diva stopped and walked around Theo. “That must be part of your dragon powers. My sisters and I can aid you with some things, but you’ll need Zmey to help you understand that better.”
“I guess until then I’ll have to wing it.” Theo smiled at his unintended pun.
Diva laughed. “You’ll figure it out.”
Theo’s mind wandered, but he kept a cautious eye on his surroundings as they ventured deeper into the forest. Gaining supernatural powers wasn’t what he had thought becoming a teen would entail. He’d always imagined this stage of his life would mean taking one step closer to adulthood and independence. Not that he wanted to be free of his family or home. Until he’d discovered the mystical land of Dragon Village, the people and way of life in the village of Selo were all he’d known.
What he had wanted was adventure, the ability to soar through the sky. Of course, back then, he didn’t know he was the offspring of a dragon father and Samodiva mother. Pavel called him Dracoville, and Diva had added “The Red Dragon” to the name. A new species. Not only that, but he was the “Unborn Hero,” a child destined to save Dragon Village, a place he’d thought existed only in the stories his adoptive, human mother told him.
Something louder than a twig snapped deep in the forest. Had the demons, or worse, Lamia, now arrived? He listened more intently as he continued walking. Whatever the creature was, it wasn’t a demon. It lumbered farther away.
Theo had saved Dragon Village once already, with the help of his friends, but now he worried. Zlo was too strong. How will we stop the demons? And how many more times will I have to fight them before my second home is safe? I have powers now that I never did before. Sprouting wings, shifting into a dragon, and breathing fire are awesome, but I need to be able to understand how to control these dragon powers. Only my father can help me understand how to do that.
The problem was that his father wasn’t here to help. Theo would have to learn on his own.
“Theo.” Diva’s voice brought him back to their surroundings. “The honey is just ahead.”
Bees buzzed high up in a rotten tree that had grown within a cleft in the side of a rock wall.
Theo craned his neck to look for the hollow. “The honey must be up there, but how are we going to get it? It’s out of reach.”
Diva looked up and down the tree. “I can climb that easily enough. But first, we’ll have to calm the bees, so they don’t sting us.”
“Right, with smoke.”
Theo recalled his school class visiting a beekeeper. The woman had stuffed pine needles inside a device she said was a smoker. Next, she puffed the smoke into the hive opening, saying it was like knocking on the door, letting the bees know she was coming in. That statement brought giggles from some of his classmates, but Theo watched the woman closely, desiring to learn the process. The smoke, she said, disrupted the bees’ sense of smell, so they wouldn’t become alarmed and communicate danger to the rest of the colony. A few puffs were all it took.
“Exactly,” Diva said. “Will you collect a pile of pine needles?”
“Sure.” Theo scooped up the items while Diva scoured the area, returning a moment later with a long, straight branch, and several ivy vines she’d twisted together.
“This should reach the hive.” She coated the end of the branch with pine pitch, then rolled it in the needles. “Now can you light it?”
Theo blew on the torch.
Diva laughed. “Unless you want to shift into a dragon first, that’s not going to work.”
“I know.” Theo grinned. “Just checking.” He removed the matches from his pocket, struck one against the side of the box, and lit the torch.
White smoke billowed out.
Diva tied one end of the ivy rope around her waist and tossed the other over a tree branch. Pulling on the loose end, she scrambled up the cliff, keeping her feet pressed against the rocks. When she reached the hollow where the bees gathered, she called out, “Hold the torch up here and move it a little, so the smoke envelops the trunk.”
Theo directed the smoke into the hollow opening. A bee buzzed around his ear, and Theo shooed it away with his free hand.
“Try to keep the smoke coming into the opening.” Diva glanced down. “Just a little more.”
“Sorry. A bee’s annoying me.” As Diva reached inside the tree, two more insects buzzed around Theo. “Hey, Diva, you better hurry. We have angry customers down here.”
“Customers?”
“More bees.” A loud buzzing came from behind him, and Theo turned to look. A fast-moving black cloud neared like an angry storm. “A swarm’s coming. And they don’t sound happy. Leave the honey and hurry.”
“Your ‘customers’ must have sent a message to the others, saying the hive was on fire.” Diva shimmied down the vine rope. In her hand, she held two pieces of honey comb. She tossed them into the basket along with the fruit. “Let’s go. Follow me.”
Theo took one last look at the growing black mass. He wanted to shift. Even if I turned into a dragon now, though, it wouldn’t save me. And it certainly wouldn’t help Diva. He sprinted after his friend, who was racing through the bushes.
The outline of the mill appeared ahead, but it was too far to reach before the bees surrounded them.
“Jump into the water,” Diva shouted as she dropped the basket onto the bank and dove into a small pool, covered with green leaves.
Theo took a deep breath and leaped in, steps behind her. The torch fizzled as it touched the surface. Debris swirling in the disturbed water stung Theo’s eyes. He crouched as low as he could in the shallow pool. Sharp pebbles dug into the bottom of his sneakers.
The muted buzzing of the enraged bees spun like a windstorm overhead for what seemed an eternity. Theo released his breath a little at a time. He pushed aside leaves that blocked out the sun. The swarm had thinned.
A little longer. I can hold my breath just a little longer.
Exhaling the last of his breath, Theo emerged from the water and panted on the grassy bank. Diva surfaced and sat next to him.
“Ow.” Theo scratched his cheek and arms, where bees had left ugly, red welts.
Diva mixed dirt with water. “Here, let’s put this on your stings.” She dipped her fingers into the moist mixture and patted it onto his face first, then she applied globs over the redness on his arms.
“Thanks. That feels good.”
“The best treatment is often the simplest,” she said. “I’ve tended to many wounded animals with herbs, but clean water and dirt help every time when nothing else is available.”
“Those bees were as threatening as Zlo’s spies,” Theo said. “I’ve never seen insects so angry. Even the smoke didn’t calm them.”
“It’s possible they weren’t regular bees.”
Theo clenched his hands into fists, his fingernails biting into his palms. “You think they may have been demons? Our location has been compromised?”
Diva nodded. “I think so.”
“But why didn’t I sense the evil, the way I have before?” When one of Zlo’s servants had masqueraded as a puppy, Theo had been on constant alert, always feeling as if someone was watching him. This time, however, when he and Diva patrolled the area, he hadn’t detected immediate danger.
“Maybe insects can hide it better. Or maybe the demons are approaching, and that affected the bees’ behavior,” Diva said. “Either way, we have to warn everyone.”
Theo shivered and flapped his shirt to dry it as he bounced from foot to foot. Not only had the coldness of the water seeped into his pores, but he was angered by the threat of advancing demons. “Let’s hurry before anything else attacks us.”
Ignoring her wet clothes, Diva twisted her curly hair, wringing out the water. She stood, picked up the basket, and hurried toward the dark silhouette of the dilapidated mill.
Everything was quiet as they approached, too quiet. The place appeared deserted. Theo strained to hear voices inside using his dragon abilities, but only the mill wheel creaked as it attempted to move.
He stopped and signed with his hand for Diva to slow down. She set the basket on the ground and nodded her agreement. Holding her now-nocked bow steady, she crouched as she continued with quiet steps toward the entrance. Theo held his sword ready for defense. Pebbles along the path clattered as they advanced. When they reached the mill, Theo peered into the darkened room through a gap in the door.
Silence.
Holding his breath, he pushed the creaking door open a crack.