Hey, everyone! Here's August's drabble as promised!
In Race to the Edge episode, "Defenders of the Wing Part 2", Mala told Hiccup about the time when she was young, an earthquake stopped Caldera Cay's volcano from producing any lava for the Eruptodon which endangered its life until the lava returned.
So I decided to release my own version of how that tragic event occurred.
Title: Mala and the Eruptodon
Takes Place: Pre-HTTYD
Summary: Ten-year-old Mala leads a very proud life. She is next in line as Queen of the Defenders of the Wing and her island and community are all guarded by their Great Protector, the Eruptodon. But when a terrible earthquake almost destroys their home and stops the volcano from producing lava to sustain the Eruptodon, its life as well as the lives of Mala's people are all at risk.
…
Ten-year-old Mala sat cross-legged at a clifftop overlooking the sea with a long tree branch sitting beside her. The tip of the rising sun shimmied across the saltwater's surface and seemed to make the top of her short blonde hair shine like gold. Mala took a deep breath as she smiled at this amazing sight. She couldn't be prouder of being born on the island of Caldera Cay where you go can see the sea and sky go on forever.
The sounds of high-pitched squawks drew her attention away from the sunrise and she looked up to see a small group of Terrible Terrors flying above her. The small dragons came in a variety of bright colors from red to purple to green.
How lucky these creatures are to have wings to take them wherever they want to go, Mala thought as she craned her neck to watch the Terrors change direction and felt a longing to lift her feet off the ground and follow them to wherever they were going.
She knew it was forbidden for the Defenders of the Wing to ride the winged creatures they had sworn to protect. She was determined to stay true to her community's traditions and restrictions. Still, sometimes she secretly wondered what it would be like to climb onto the back of a dragon – be it a Deadly Nadder or a Gronckle or even the ferocious Monstrous Nightmare and have it carry her into the great, blue sky.
"Mala?"
Her thoughts were once again drawn away. This time by the voice of her mother.
Mala looked over to see Bala, her mother and Queen of the Defenders of the Wing walking towards her. Like her daughter, Bala had short blonde hair but had violet-colored eyes while Mala had green eyes. Bala was dressed in black robes trimmed with gold. At her hip was a gold design of the Eruptodon, a Boulder Class dragon that lived off volcanic lava. This dragon was also the island's Great Protector.
"Good morning, Mother," Mala greeted.
"And good morning to you, my darling," Bala greeted back. "I thought I might find you here."
"I like it here," Mala said. "It's the perfect spot to practice my skills. In fact, I was practicing them just now."
"Oh, really?" her mother said, smiling knowingly. "You looked more like you were watching the sun come up."
Mala blushed. "Well, it's also a perfect spot to watch the sunrises and sunsets and to think of things."
"What kind of things?"
"Just…things."
"Well, now that you mentioned it, I too think of "just things" while I'm up here as well."
"Like what?"
"Like…"
As Bala thought about how to answer her daughter, she looked around and spotted something. She walked a little ways from her before picking up a stray tree branch and pointing it directly at Mala.
"Like how good you are with practicing your skills," she finally said.
Smiling deviously, Mala picked up the branch that was beside her and pointed it at her mother. "I get better every day, Mother."
"Then by all means, show me."
Bala thrust the branch towards Mala as though she were about to stab her. But Mala swung her own branch right at her mother's branch knocking it out of her grasp and onto the ground.
"How was that, Mother?" Mala asked with pride.
Bala also smiled with pride. "By the Ancients, Mala, you certainly have inherited your father's grace and flexibility as well as his eye color."
The mention of her father filled Mala with poignancy. Her father, the King of Caldera Cay had perished some years before while fighting invaders who came to Caldera Cay to capture any dragon that lived here.
"I miss him," Mala murmured softly.
"As do I," Bala said sympathetically, placing a gentle hand on her daughter's shoulder. "But even though he is in Valhalla now, a part of him is still with us…in here." She pointed to her own heart then pointed to Mala's heart. "And here."
Mala looked down at her chest before looking up at her mother and nodding.
"And he wouldn't want us to mourn his passing for all time, he'd want us to continue our mission to protect all dragons. And most importantly, he'd want you to follow your destiny and take my place as Queen of Caldera Cay when the time comes."
Mala shook her head humbly. "I may be the next queen of our people, Mother, but in my eyes, the Eruptodon is the true ruler of this island. After all, he and his ancestors before him have dwelled on this island long before Man even existed."
Bala chuckled and smoothed out Mala's hair. "Well, I guess I can't argue with you on that one."
"Speaking of the Eruptodon, Mother, may we please check on him? I want to make sure that his food source has not run short and that nobody has come to disturb or capture him."
"I'm sure the Eruptodon is fine, darling. It is impossible for his food source to run short what with all the lava that the volcano produces for him. And I can assure you his den is heavily guarded at all times. But perhaps it is best to check on him. Come, we will see to him at once."
…
Before long, Mala and Bala were nearing the entrance to the Great Protector's den. Mala looked up at the tip of the volcano. A large cloud of black smoke emitted from the island's mountain top which she always saw as a good sign. It meant that the volcano was still actively working and that the Eruptodon was maintaining its duty in consuming the lava and keeping it from flowing out of the volcano and spreading throughout the island and village. Without its food source of lava, the Eruptodon would perish and Mala just couldn't imagine life without her Protector.
As they neared the den's entrance, Mala looked admiringly at the flower pots and small golden Eruptodon statues lining either side of the path. These flowers and statues served as gifts for the Great Protector. She did her best to resist the urge to pause and sniff the flowers' sweet scents or to stroke their soft, colorful petals.
Now she and her mother stood before the stone pillars that bordered the path from the den's entrance. Two guards dressed in black robes and masks covering most of their faces except their eyes stood in front of either pillar. They both bowed as the mother and daughter stood before them.
"My Queen," they both said respectfully.
"What brings you here to the Den of the Great Protector this morning?" the first guard asked.
"My daughter showed concern for him and wanted to see if he was doing well," Bala replied.
"He is doing very well, Your Majesty," the second guard said.
"Well, perhaps Mala and I should go in and see for ourselves?" Bala suggested.
"Very well, Your Majesty," the first guard said, gesturing to the entryway.
"Just so you know, you're not the only visitors who have come to see the Eruptodon," the second guard announced.
"Oh, we're not, are we?" Bala smiled knowingly.
"I am sure I know who they might be, Mother," Mala said.
"I am sure I do as well, daughter," Bala said. "Come along."
As the ventured further into the den, Mala could feel the air around her become warmer and warmer from the volcanic heat. Red steam arouse from a great crater in the den where the lava flowed. Standing at the edge of the crater was the Eruptodon itself. The enormous, boulder-like dragon had its head lowered before two other humans – the visitors who arrived before them.
The first human was a man with long hair red tied back in a braided ponytail and dressed in dark green armor. The second human was a boy around Mala's age. He too was dressed in dark green armor and had red hair that had been cut on either side of his head save for a single patch going from his forehead and hanging behind his back. The man was called Cael and the boy was his son, Throk. He was also Mala's good friend.
Bala chuckled to herself. "I should've known." Raising her voice a touch, she called out, "Cael! Throk!"
Cael, Throk and the Eruptodon all looked up at the sound of her voice.
"My Queen," Cael and Throk said in unison, bowing before them.
"And our future queen," Throk added, glancing up at Mala.
Mala smiled at her friend's manners.
"I see you two have beaten us to our checking of the Eruptodon," Bala said.
"Throk was showing a wee bit concern towards it, my Queen, and insisted that he and I should come here to make sure that nothing was wrong," Cael explained.
"Well, by coincidence, Mala was just as worried about our Protector as well," Bala said.
"And I am so glad that it seems to be doing so well," Mala said, walking closer to the boulder-like dragon.
"And I as well," Throk said, patting the dragon's snout.
Mala reached out to pet the Eruptodon but hesitated. The Eruptodon grunted kindly and leaned its great head against Mala's palm. Mala ran her hand against the dragon's pebble-like scales, so bumpy and yet smooth at the same time. She could feel a great deal of warm heat emit from the dragon's skin against her skin. After a moment, the Eruptodon pulled away from Mala's touch and turned to Throk to nuzzle him. Throk smiled as he rubbed the nuzzling dragon's skin. Mala looked at the boy and dragon admirably. The Eruptodon was good and gentle around all the people of Caldera Cay but his bond with Throk was especially strong. Mala knew that like her, Thork couldn't imagine life without their Protector.
"May you stay with us for all time, old friend," she heard Throk mutter.
"Come, children, we must leave the Eruptodon to continue his duty of protecting us and our island," Bala instructed gently.
Mala nodded and started to walk away with her mother but Throk remained where he was, obviously hesitant in leaving his friend.
"Come, son," Cael ordered gently, placing a hand on his son's shoulder and leading him away.
Throk reluctantly followed his father out the den.
…
Later, Mala followed as her mother led her towards' the island's healing center where both humans and dragons are treated for injury or sickness. Mala and Bala both held in one hand a green and orange pear-like fruit called Sagefruit which they use to feed and calm even the most aggressive of dragons.
Outside the long wooden infirmary used for sick and injured humans lay a purple male Deadly Nadder, its left wing bandaged and splinted. The reason for it was because it had been wounded by Dragon Hunters. Some of the Defenders had managed to rescue him and bring him back to Caldera Cay to be treated. During his time of recovery on the island, the Nadder had gained trust in the people around him. But Bala still insisted on feeding him Sagefruit whenever she or any other human would come close to him.
As the mother and daughter approached closer, the Nadder opened his bright yellow eyes and lifted his head towards them.
Turning to Mala, Bala pressed a finger to her lips. "Shh."
Mala nodded and followed her mother.
The Nadder cocked his head curiously at the two humans, remaining still where he was. Smiling softly, Bala held out the Sagefruit in her hand. Mala followed her lead and also held out her own fruit. The Nadder plucked Bala's fruit between his teeth and gobbled it up and did the same with Mala's fruit. After a moment, he laid his head, growling contentedly. Her smile getting wider, Mala patted the dragon's snout.
"Now, we'll have no problem removing his bandages," Bala said, removing a small dagger from her belt.
She used the dagger to cut a fold of the bandage and proceeded to unravel it. Mala pulled the long wooden split from under the bandages. Once the bandages and split had been removed, the Nadder got to his feet and stretched out his fully-healed wing.
Bala gestured to the wide sky above them. "You are free to go now, dragon. There's no need for you to stay here any longer."
Squawking happily, the Nadder spread out his right wing and with a few flaps, lifted himself off the ground and soared higher and higher into the air.
Mala once again felt a bit of poignancy as she watched the Nadder fly over the ocean. It was saddening watching healed dragons leave but one of the lessons she had learned in time was that sadness is a matter of perspective. Releasing healed dragons wasn't a time to be sad but a time to rejoice for they would be returning to their place in the wild where they truly belonged. And she would be rejoicing now if a worry hadn't crept up on her.
"I only hope he doesn't run into more Dragon Hunters who would do more harm to him than a wounded wing," Mala said aloud.
"I only hope so too," Bala admitted, wrapping her arm around her daugher's shoulder.
"How can other people be so cruel to dragons, Mother?" Mala asked, looking up at her mother.
"Some people just don't understand or even see the beauty and nature of these creatrues, Mala," Bala replied sadly.
"Well, they should!" Mala said angrily. "If I had my way, I would curse everyone who harms any dragon they come across."
"Try not to judge all outsiders as killers, Mala," Bala said softly. "I'm sure that somewhere out there, there are other people who treat them with kindness and want to protect them like us."
Mala doubted that but if her mother believed it then she would do her best to believe it too.
"And remember, some creatures have better judgment than people do and that includes dragons," Bala continued. "If a dragon judges an outsider as innocent then you must trust the dragons' judgment as we all do."
After considering her mother's words for a minute, Mala said, "I'll try, Mother."
"Good," Bala said, giving Mala's shoulder a pat. "Come, we have much more to do today."
…
On the far side of the village, Mala and Bala stood under the shade of a Sagefruit tree. Beside them were two baskets. One was filled with the blueberries they had picked from the bushes but the second was empty soon to be filled with Sagefruit.
"You ready?" Bala asked, turning to her daughter.
"Yes, Mother," Mala replied.
Without hesitation, Mala wrapped her arms around the tree and climbed right up to the nearest branch. Looking down, she saw her mother holding up the basket. Nodding, Mala reached out and grabbed the nearest Sagefruit before dropping it into the basket below her. And she continued to climb and reach for the fruits and dropping them into the basket until it was full. Then she climbed down the wide limb before landing on her feet.
"You certainly are getting better and better," Bala said, caressing Mala's cheek. with her free hand "Now I know for sure that you'll be a good queen someday."
"Thank you, Mother," Mala said proudly.
"Come, let's bring these fruits back to the village," Bala said.
"Yes, Mother," Mala said, picking up the basket of blueberries.
As she started to follow her mother, she could hear a faint but audible rumbling sound. She let out a giggle.
"And what's so funny, my sweet?" Bala asked with a smile.
"We'd better bring these fruits back to the village quickly, Mother," Mala said, also smiling. "Everyone must be so hungry that I can hear their stomachs growling."
"Oh, really?" Bala asked, her smile getting wider.
"Yes," Mala giggled.
Just then Bala stopped walking as well as smiling. "Now that you mention it, I can hear something too," she said.
"What is it, Mother?" Mala asked, wondering why her mother had suddenly stopped smiling.
"Shh," Bala said, holding up a finger and looking around with a grave expression.
Mala remained quiet as she was told but she did not like the look on her mother's face. And she did not like that the rumbling sound she was hearing was growing louder and louder. As the sound grew louder, the ground seemed to tremble beneath her feet. She could feel panic slightly rising from within her. Bala's eyes grew wide with terror.
"Mala, put down the baskets and just leave them there," she said, putting the basket of Sagefruit down. "We've got to get back to the village. Now!"
Hearing the urgency in her mother's voice, Mala placed the basket of berries down and began running beside her mother. As they ran through the forest, the rumbling grew louder and louder. It was as if some enormous, hungry beast was chasing and gaining on them. In the distance, she could hear the panicked cries and screams of her people. No doubt they heard and felt the rumbling as well.
Suddenly, without warning…
CRACK!
Mala felt as though something below her was trying to split her legs apart. Looking down, she felt her heart practically stop as she looked down at a good-sized crack between her feet.
As the rumbling continued, the crack below her grew wider and deeper.
Thinking fast, she lifted her foot and placed it down on the right side of the crack. Now Mala stood on the right side while her mother remained on the left side. As the fissure grew wider, the rumbling ground pulled her farther and farther away from her mother.
"MOTHER!" Mala cried, holding out a hand.
"MALA!" Bala called, also holding out a hand.
"MOTHER!" Mala screamed again as the shaking ground caused her to lose balance and she had to wave her arms to keep her feet planted.
Turning around quickly, she hopped away and ran for the woods.
"MALA!" she heard her mother cry out.
Mala knew she had to find some clearing or any place that was safe and then she would return to the village. She knew she'd be able to find her mother there. After all, as Queen, it was not only Bala's duty to protect dragons but to protect their people as well.
But where was she going to find a safe spot? Everywhere she went, the ground shook and the rumbling roared.
Another fissure formed in front of her and grew straight forward towards a tree. The shaking, growing fissure grew wide enough for the tree and its roots to be pulled out and fall towards Mala.
Mala let out a scream as she backed off to avoid the tree…
…and she felt as if a hand gripped her arm and pulled her far away from the tree just as it hit the ground.
Mala turned to look at the face of her savoir which belonged to a boy with partially shaved red hair and dressed in green armor.
"Throk!" Mala cried happily.
"This way, Mala!" Throk ordered. "We've got to get to the beach!"
Mala allowed Thork to pull her along as they ran deeper and deeper through the woods.
"Look out!" Mala shouted, pointing to another growing crack in front of them.
"Jump!" Throk shouted.
And the two children indeed jumped over the crack.
They ran threw more and more trees until they reached the beach.
By the time they got to the beach, the ground shook less and less and the rumbling grew fainter and fainter. Mala and Throk put their hands on their knees as they panted heavily, trying to catch their breath.
Mala looked up at the sea water for any signs of tsunamis. She heard of stories of great waves forming by an earthquake and traveling until it hit land. Fortunately, the water remained surprisingly calm.
Soon the rumbling and shaking was over.
"Thank you, Throk, you saved my life," Mala said gratefully.
"With pleasure, my future queen," Throk smiled.
"I would've been done for had you not been in the woods," Mala continued.
"I was collecting water from the pond when I heard the rumbling," Throk explained. "I started back to the village when I heard you screaming and went out to find you."
"And Mother and I were collecting fruits when the earthquake started," Mala said. "We were also heading towards the village until we got separated. Come on, Mother must be there by now."
As she and Throk ran towards the direction of the village, Mala looked around at the damages caused by the earthquake. There were many fissures in the ground, some big and some small. Some trees were still standing but others had been pulled deep from their roots and were now lying on the ground.
By the time they got to the village, it was even worse. There was crack in the middle of the town square. It was long enough but not very deep. A few houses had been seriously damaged while some were still standing. Some people were kneeling beside the ones who were lying on the ground and Mala could hear the cries of other children. To her surprise, she could not find her mother anywhere.
If she wasn't here, then…where was she?
Pushing awful thoughts aside, Mala ran to one towards one of the woman who was kneeling beside a fallen man. Despite their faces partially covered by their hoods and masks, Mala still recognized them.
"Phineas, are you all right?" she asked the fallen man.
Phineas groaned but smiled. "Ah, I think I broke my leg, Mala, but I should be fine."
"You will once we get help, Phineas," said the woman beside him. She turned to Mala. "Where is your mother, Mala?"
"I don't know, I thought she'd be here," Mala said, feeling tears sting her eyes.
Throk put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "We'll find your mother, Mala. Don't you worry."
"I hope so," Mala admitted.
"MALA!" called a familiar voice from the forest.
"THROK!" called another familiar voice also from the forest.
Mala smiled so widely, she thought it might remain on her face permanently. "It's Mother!"
"And Father," Throk said.
Turning to Phineas and his wife, Mala said, "We'll be right back." She began to run towards the forest. "I'm coming, Mother!"
Throk ran right beside her.
"FATHER!" Throk called.
"MOTHER!" Mala called.
"Mala?" came Bala's voice.
Through the partially damged forest, Mala could see Bala and Cael, Throk's father straight ahead.
"MOTHER!" Mala cried out with joy and relief.
"MALA!" Bala yelled, also relieved and overjoyed.
"Throk!" Cael cried.
Mala didn't stop running until she found herself in the confines of her mother's safe arms and pressed against her soft, warm chest. Tears of joy streamed down her face. From the corner of her eye, she saw Throk and his father embracing as well.
"Oh, I thought I lost you, my sweet," Bala whispered.
"And I thought I lost you," Mala said. "Throk and I went back to village hoping to find you there helping our people."
"Oh, darling, I can help our people any day, but out of all the people who dwell on this island, you are the most precious," Bala insisted.
"Thank you, Mother," Mala said.
"But I suppose we should go back to help the people," Bala said, pulling away.
"Phineas broke his leg very badly," Mala said.
"Then we should tend to him as soon as possible," Bala said, nodding.
"Wait, Your Majesty!" Cael said urgently.
"What is it, Cael?" Bala asked worriedly.
"Look at the volcano!" Cael said, pointing.
Mala looked up towards the volcano. At first she didn't think there was anything wrong with it. After all, it was still standing firmly like it always was. And there didn't seem to be any cracks around it.
It was then that she noticed that no smoke was emerging from the top of it.
"Mother, it's not smoking!" she cried, turning to her mother. "Why isn't it smoking?"
Bala didn't answer. She simply stared at the volcano with a look of sheer terror on her face.
"Mother, why isn't the volcano smoking?!" Mala asked again, panic forming in her heart once more.
"That's were about to find out," Bala finally said, her voice cracking. "Mala, you come with me. Cael, you and Throk go back to the village and help out as many injured people as you can."
"Yes, Your Majesty," Cael nodded.
"I want to come with you," Throk pleaded.
"Very well, Throk, but we must hurry," Bala said. "Follow me, children."
…
Mala, Throk and Bala just couldn't get to the entrance to the Great Protector's den fast enough. And when they did, they were greeted to some horrible sights. There were cracks all over the ground and the trio had to go around or jump over them. All the flower pots had been knocked down and earth and flowers had been strewn all over the ground along with the small golden Eruptodon statues. Worst of all, the trio could hear the roars of the Eruptodon and those roars did not sound good.
As they neared closer to the den, they saw that the stone pillars bordering the entrance were still standing firmly on the ground but the two guards were lying on their sides. The first guard was lying still and seemed unconscious. The second guard was conscious but was rubbing his left arm.
Bala stopped before him and his comrade eager to help. Mala and Thork also paused to watch the Queen help the guards. As much as they believed the Eruptodon to be in trouble, they knew that people also mattered and must be helped as well.
"Your Majesty, thank Thor you have come," the second guard said with relief.
"Are you feeling all right, Idan?" Bala asked worriedly.
"I dislocated my elbow trying to avoid the growing fissures," Idan explained. He looked over at the unconscious guard. "Gunnar hit his head on the ground as he dodged the cracks and he hasn't awakened yet."
"We will get you help as soon as possible," Bala assured him.
Another loud, frantic roar emerged from the depths of the den.
"The Great Protector seems to need just as much help as we do," Idan said. "You should go to him."
"Are you sure you'll be all right?" Bala asked.
"I'll be fine," Idan said. "Just go help our Eruptodon."
Bala, Mala and Throk reluctantly left their guards and crossed the threshold of the volcanic den. There they were greeted to a sight more terrible than the destruction of their island and village.
The entire volcano was completely empty of lava and from their spot on the cliff where they stood, they could see straight to the bottom of the once-fiery mountain. The Eruptodon stood before a large fissure on the ground and pawing through it frantically.
"Mother, what happened to the lava?!" Mala asked in horror.
"My guess is that this large fissure caused by the earthquake down there must have drained all the lava deep underground," Bala said. "No doubt this earthquake has put a stop to proper flow of lava."
"But if the lava has stopped flowing, there will be nothing for the Eruptodon to eat," Thork said, looking just as horrified as Mala and her mother did.
Mala had never seen her friend look that way before. And who could blame him? The Eruptodon was pacing frantically beside the large crack in his den and pawing through it. But no matter how hard he looked or dug, he just couldn't find any lava to sustain him.
Throk dropped down to his knees and cried out, "Great Protector!"
The Eruptodon paused from his pacing and digging and looked up at the boy.
"O Great Protector," Throk continued. "It's because of this most recent earthquake that your food source has been completely drained. But there may be still some hope for you. If you can, please find yourself another volcano be it dormant or active and consume its lava or crust until the time comes when the lava in your den has returned."
The Eruptodon stared up at the boy for a few moments before it returned to chewing its way through the crack.
"Please, old friend!" Throk cried desperately. "Please find yourself another volcano before it's too late for you!"
Bala put a hand on Thork's shoulder. "It's no use, Throk. No matter what you say, the Eruptodon will not heed your warning. His feeding frenzy has gotten the better of him."
"But if he doesn't fly to another food source, how will he survive?" Mala asked, her worries growing stronger by the minute. "What can we do to help?"
"There is nothing we can do," Bala said sadly. "The only thing we can do is pray that the lava will flow in this volcano once more?"
"But even if the lava does return, what if it returns to late and the Eruptodon is already…" Mala asked, afraid to say more.
Bala drew her daughter close.
"Mala, try not to think of those things," Bala said. "We can't give up hope. It may be the very thing that might save the Eruptodon's life."
"Your mother is right, Mala," Throk said, though he didn't look so convinced himself. "We must hope and pray every minute that the volcano will be rich with lava again and that the Eruptodon will live."
Mala nodded, resting her head against her mother's chest. Then she closed her eyes and prayed hard.
Father, if you can hear me, she thought, please let the lava return to the volcano. Please let the Great Protector live.
…
Two Days Later
Two days had passed since the terrible earthquake. The cracks caused by the quake had all been filled in with mud and sand, the houses that had been destroyed were still being rebuilt and the ones who were badly injured from the quake were being well-treated.
But things were not looking so good for the Great Protector. The lava had still not returned and the volcano remained empty. Every Defender of the Wing had praying been praying endlessly and deeply for the lava to return but it didn't seem to be doing any good.
Mala dragged her feet towards the entrance to the Great Protector's den with her head bowed in worry and sadness. She had just received permission from her mother to go see the Eruptodon even though there was not much she could do for it. But if she was to see their beloved Great Protector one last time, she might as well see it now.
She arrived before the entrance to the den where two new guards stood, filling in Idan and Gunnar while they recovered from their injuries.
"I have come to see the Great Protector," Mala announced. "My mother has granted me permission to speak to him."
With sympathy and understanding in their eyes, the guards gestured for her to go forward. Mala passed right by them and slowly made her way into the den. It felt odd walking into the den and not feeling the intense heat of lava or smelling dark, volcanic smoke.
Mala stood at the cliff of the den and looked down. The Eruptodon was lying beside the deep crack that had drained his precious lava and looking sick, sad and frail. It emitted a soft groan, enough to let Mala know how worse he was getting.
Mala reached into her robes and pulled out a Sagefruit. Hoping against hope, she tossed the green and orange fruit down towards the bottom. It hit the bottom just a few feet away from the Eruptodon.
The boulder-like dragon looked over at the smashed, bruised fruit then looked away. Mala sighed sadly. She knew very well that the dragon was going to reject her offer. An Eruptodon ate nothing but lava but what else did she have to offer him?
Her thoughts were drawn away by the sounds of someone crying. She looked up and saw Throk sitting with his knees against his chest in a rocky corner of the den. To her surprise, his face was stained with tears and Throk was one of those people who hardly ever cried.
"Throk?" Mala said as she slowly approached her friend.
Throk looked up at her and his tearful expression changed to that of surprise.
"Mala, I didn't hear you coming," he said, hastily wiping his tears.
"Are you all right?" Mala asked, sitting beside him.
"I'm fine, it's just the dry air," Throk said.
"You don't have to be afraid of crying, Throk," Mala said. "I've been crying these past two days as well."
Throk nodded as he resumed shedding tears. He stood up and walked towards the edge to look down at the sick, sad Eruptodon. Mala followed.
"Honestly, Mala, I can't imagine life without that dragon," Throk admitted. "I've never told anyone this not even Father, but that dragon is the best friend I ever had. I'll never forget the first time I met him. I was only four years old and Father brought me in here to this very den to learn about my heritage and the Eruptodon came up to this very spot where we are standing now. The moment I saw him, I was stunned and I didn't even know why. I mean I had seen dragons before. I had seen them at the healing center and seen plenty of herds migrating over our island but I had never seen anything like this dragon before. Father encouraged me to walk up and pet him and I did as he said. I approached the Eruptodon ever so slowly and he just followed my every move with those fiery eyes. I petted the side of his head and he leaned against my palm relaxingly. And right then and there, I knew that this dragon would never do anything to harm me or any of our people. And we've been coming up to visit him whenever I had the chance ever since. And now it looks like this visit I make to him might be the last one."
Tears began to fill Mala's eyes as well.
"Oh, Throk," she said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Please don't think like that. Don't forget what you told me two days ago: We must hope and pray every minute that the lava will come back and the Eruptodon will be well again."
"I do," Throk said. "But not all prayers can be answered."
"You're right, not all prayers are answered," Mala said. "But that doesn't mean we can't keep trying. So keep trying, Throk. Just keep trying."
Though his face was still tearful, Throk managed to smile strongly. "I will." Then he looked up into the sky. "O Great Gods and Goddesses of Asgard, hear our cries and bring the lava back to our volcano so that our Great Protector can sustain himself once more."
"Yes, great gods, please do," Mala added.
She looked down at the Eruptodon and even in his sickly condition she could've sworn she could see a hint of hope in his gaze.
…
Early the next morning, Mala stepped out of her house and observed her surroundings. She could see trails of mud and sand that were filling in the cracks of the earthquake and the houses that had been destroyed by it still in construction. She inhaled deeply and several scents met her nostrils: the salty seawater, the smoke from the volcano, the…
Smoke from the volcano?!
Then that means…
Mala looked over at the direction of the volcano and was greeted to a truly wonderful sight, a sight she thought she'd never see again…
Great clouds of black smoke were puffing out of the volcano's top!
"Mother!" she cried. "Mother, come out and see! The volcano's working again! The lava is back!"
Bala hurried out the doorway.
"What? What is it, darling?" she asked, still waking up.
"Look!" Mala exclaimed, pointing to the volcano. "Smoke is coming out of the volcano! That means that the lava's back at last!"
Bala looked towards the volcano and soon her violet eyes lit up and she smiled. "By the Ancients, you're right! But let us go up there and see for sure if the lava is back."
"We must wake up Throk and Cael," Mala insisted. "They'll want to see it for themselves. Come on!"
"All right, darling, all right, come along," Bala couldn't help laughing.
Mala kept in front of her mother as they hurried to the house where Throk and Cael lived.
"Cael! Throk!" Mala shouted, knocking hardly and loudly on the door. "Wake up! Wake up! The lava is back! The volcano is working again!"
In seconds, the door flung open to reveal Throk and Cael standing by the threshold.
"Really, Mala?" Throk asked, his eyes lit up. "Has the lava really returned?"
"Maybe," Bala replied. "We saw smoke emerging from the volcano so that must be a good sign."
"Then by the ancients, we must go the Great Protector's Den and see for ourselves," Cael insisted.
"Yes, come on, Throk, let's run!" Mala said, grabbing hold of her friend's hand and hurrying out of the village.
"Wait for us, children," Bala called out.
But Mala and Throk were too excited to wait for their parents. They ran all the way up the mountain trail with their parents attempting to keep up the pace. Because of their excited speed, they seemed to reach the entrance to the den much faster than they thought. Seeing the new guards, they stopped quickly to greet them.
"We're here to see the Great Protector," Mala and Throk said in unison and respectfully.
The guards gestured for them to enter.
"Thank you," the two children said in unison.
As they entered the den, they could feel warm air and red steam against their skin and they could smell the intense but welcoming scent of the volcano's smoke. But what they saw at the edge was the best sight of all: a great deal of lava was filling up the volcano and the Eruptodon was happily swimming through it and lapping up as much of it as it could.
"Yes!" Throk cried.
"Oh, Great Protector, thank the Ancients, you're all right!" Mala cried, looking up into the morning sky.
At that moment, Bala and Cael had caught up to them.
"By the Ancients!" they both said.
"The lava has returned," Bala said, her eyes brimmed with tears of joy.
"Our prayers have been answered," Cael added, his voice breaking.
Mala hugged her mother tightly. "Oh, Mother, I was almost ready to give up hope but I knew that Father would never have wanted me to that so I've prayed to him and the gods many, many times."
"So did I," Throk said, looking up at his father and then turned to Mala. "I guess some prayers are answered after all."
"Yes, and your prayers were some of those few," Cael said, wrapping an arm around Throk proudly.
"Today we will celebrate both the Eruptodon's survival and our own," Bala announced. "Come, Mala, we must help our people with the preparations."
"Before I do, may Throk and I stay with the Eruptodon for two more minutes?" Mala asked.
Bala and Cael looked at each other with approving smiles.
"Very well," Bala said.
With that, the parents turned to leave.
"We'll catch up with you, Father," Throk said, waving.
Turning away from her departing mother and Throk's father, Mala looked down at the great pool of lava. The Eruptodon paused from its lapping and looked up at its two young visitors.
"Hello, old friend," Throk greeted.
The Eruptodon roared out a greeting before resuming its business of eating its new supply of lava.
Mala looked up at the great blue sky outside the den and watched a small flock of brightly-colored Terrible Terrors fly over the great volcano. They seemed to be the same ones she had watched a few days before.
"Thank you, Father, for saving our Great Protector," she said, half to herself, half to the sky. "And may you and the ancients save other dragons in distress for centuries to come."
….
I hope you all enjoyed this drabble and double hope for all of you to enjoy September's drabble!