Whatever Happened to Your Brother

By E. Jones

Tauli often wondered why the women in the town always stared at her brother the way they did. She reasoned it likely meant he was handsome, but she didn't understand what could be so special about him. He had round ears and a short nose like the other men in Abbox, so he wasn't unusual. He was taller than most men, and his skin was a few shades darker, but Tauli didn't see how much that could make a difference.
Three teenage girls were watching her brother from the front of the store while he haggled with the general store owner. They were part of the usual crowd who followed her brother around the shops, and these three were always in this store. Tauli considered that they probably worked at the general store or lived in the home above the shop. Watching her brother's stalkers made Tauli wonder even more about his apparent captivating aura, so she decided now would be an opportune time to investigate.
If being charismatic was her brother's talent, then going unnoticed was hers. Not that she spurned it, however; in fact, it was her favorite aspect of herself. Often, Tauli would use her knack for sneaking to play pranks on the townsfolk, but right now, she resolved to use her powers for purely academic reasons. Slinking around the side aisles of bagged grain and jarred fruit preserves, Tauli positioned herself just behind the trio. Their skirts and shoes were clean, so they probably didn't spend much time in the dusty streets, which affirmed her suspicions. Tauli followed their gazes; sure enough, each pair of eyes were locked on her brother. She asked herself if they tried to be more subtle, even though she knew the answer was no.
"Excuse me," Tauli interrupted, causing the youngest-looking girl to jump. "Why are you staring at him?"
"Who –" the eldest girl began to ask before being cut off.
"My brother," Tauli said flatly. The older girl was likely about to ask, 'Who are you?' but Tauli needed to get some answers before her brother overheard.
"I – Uh," she stumbled while looking for her compatriots, only to glimpse the two ducking out the door into the street, giggling. The flummoxed girl's cheeks blushed as she said, "Well, he has such beautiful curly hair." Was that it, Tauli thought. It made sense; Abbaxian men had straight, coarse hair, while her brother made great efforts to make his dark hair as curly and smooth as possible. The girl continued in a hushed growl that Tauli almost wouldn't notice, "And then he's got that butt…."
"But what?" Tauli asked. The comment was quiet enough that she nearly ignored it, lost in her thoughts. When the girl's face became an even deeper shade of red at the realization she had spoken out loud, Tauli looked again at her brother, currently bent down, hefting an oversized chest onto the counter.
"Oh, gross."
"Tauli, come here a moment," her brother called out. The embarrassed girl was failing spectacularly at hiding her flushed face and seemed to Tauli incapable of answering her questions anymore. Her brother was waving her down and laughing with the store owner. Tauli left the girl to her faux inspections of hammers and loose nails and hurried toward the men.
"Hold this up," he told her, handing Tauli a glaring dress colored in reds and blues.
"Why?" Tauli asked, holding the garment away from her. She grimaced as it unfolded in the light. The dress was gaudy, decorated in five colors in rings of ruffles falling from the waist.
"Because I need to see if it fits you," he huffed and pressed it against her, eyeing the length and width.
"What? No, I already have two other dresses at the c—" she cut off, "at home!"
The shop owner bellowed a deep, joyous guffaw. "Isn't that precious? Morcan, I'd be a much richer man if my daughters were anything like your sister. They would beg for days to get a new dress. Nearly put me out of business, I'd say."
Satisfied, Morcan pulled the dress from Tauli's diminutive frame and draped it across the counter. "Go ahead and add it to the bill. It isn't perfect, but we can adjust it later. Tauli, stop pouting. You should know this is a Rosaran-style dress, very popular right now. You'll thank me if we're ever in Rosara."
"When would we ever be in Rosara? Isn't it, like, four hundred leagues away?" Tauli exasperatedly turned from the two men and caught the girl staring again from across the room.
"Close, three hundred and eighty-three," Morcan laughed with the owner. "Were you making friends? What were you talking about?"
"She said you have a nice butt."
"Did she now?" Morcan flicked a smile and a wink toward the girl. She yelped and rushed out the door in embarrassment. Tauli blurted out a laugh that echoed her brother's, and it took the two a moment to calm down enough to realize the owner was suppressing a scowl. Yes, Tauli thought, she definitely lives here.
"Was there anything else you needed, Morcan?" the owner asked, straining to remain professional.
"Yes, actually. It seems that someone," Morcan raised an eyebrow at Tauli, "has eaten the last of my citrus drops."
"What? I did not," she scoffed, but her brother ignored her protests.
"Go get some, and get twice as much as last time. I don't want to run out unexpectedly." Tauli left the two men who were settling on the amount due. More than anything, she was annoyed that her brother would try to embarrass her in front of the townsfolk like that again. "And pick up some of those powdered cakes for Sister?" Morcan yelled to her. "I expect she'll be returning home soon. I'm sure she'll appreciate it." Tauli smiled a tiny smile. Well, she thought, at least he cares a little.
Tauli waited for her brother outside, holding a large sack of citron-flavored hard candies and a paper box of white, powdered shortcakes. When Morcan exited the general store, he carried under his arms no less than three massive woven carpets, an entire wicker basket of bitter shattuck fruit, a leather document case, and that awful Rosaran dress.
"You're hoarding again," Tauli whispered as they left the town.
"Nonsense," he laughed. "The rugs at home are so worn. They won't make it into next month, so I merely took the opportunity available." Morcan had a habit of laughing off the accusation whenever it was brought up.
"The townsfolk were staring at us."
"They always stare," he reminded her.
True, she thought, though usually, only the women stared. When her brother acted like a pack mule, however, it brought attention from everyone. "You always get on to me for bringing too much attention. If some suspicious weirdo starts to follow us home, just remember it's your fault."
"I'll take full responsibility," he beamed. "Can I see the cakes?" Tauli opened the paper lid to reveal the confections, and Morcan clicked his tongue. "White, huh? You know she likes the pink ones."
"It's all they had." She ripped the box away and fastened the lid. Hopefully, Keeta would be home sooner than later, Tauli thought. So much time alone with her brother had begun to wear on her, and she wanted to see her older sister badly.
The siblings walked together into the desert north of Abbox. There was no road, and likely there never would be. The Tebberic Desert was rocky, flat, and mostly devoid of civilization. Abbox was an oasis of a settlement perched on the edge of a small lake, and the next closest town was, at the least, a long journey to the south. Luckily for the town, Abbox was a key outpost for those on their pilgrimage east to the grand cathedral in Aurum Vale. Due to this and the general lack of appropriate game animals to hunt, it was common for the Abbaxian natives to order their food and goods in advance from merchants. Such was the original reason for Tauli and Morcan's visit to town.
The mountains north of Abbox had been the ideal location for Tauli's family to relocate. Isolated, challenging to explore, and with a low permanent population in the nearby settlement, it meant that they could live a quiet existence outside the view of those who would see them as a danger. Only some people, like the general store owner or the family from the meager farm she had to pass to enter the town, knew that Tauli lived out in the wilds, and none knew the exact location of their home.
There was a moment before Tauli realized her brother had fallen behind on their trek through the dust. Morcan had stopped and stared at a brown blur forming on the western horizon.
"Another sandstorm?" Tauli asked, but her brother did not react, frozen in place among the desert shrubs. She returned to where he stood, "That's, what, the third this month. How long do you think until it gets here? Morcan?" There was only silence from her brother's emotionless face. The rugs under his arms began to slack, slowly drooping into the dirt. Tauli shifted her goods to place a gentle hand on her brother's arm and softly said, "Morcan, come on. We should get going." Slowly, Morcan fell out of the trance and nodded in agreement. The two picked up their treasures of the day and continued towards their home. He's getting worse, she thought, not for the first time. It would be another hour before they reached home.
Near the peak of the mountain, Tauli and Morcan had finally reached their destination. The mouth of the cave was wide and tall yet obscured by enough rocky outcroppings to remain hidden from view if one didn't know where to look. The inside of the cavern had been smoothed where their older siblings had melted away the edges, and stalagmites had nearly two years to form. As Tauli looked over the land towards the west, she could see the advancing sandstorm. She was never exceptionally skilled at judging the weather, but she would place it arriving around sundown. With luck, the cooling air would help it die down before it got too close.
It wasn't until Morcan was in sight of the cave that he began to act more like his usual self. Rejuvenated, he widened his stride to get ahead of Tauli. "Come on; I’m ready to put all of this down. Aren't you?"
Tauli giggled and started to run into the cave with her brother until a shadow crossed over her—the sound of massive, leathery wings beating against the dry, desert air. Tauli whipped her head up to witness the great dragon circling above her. "Keeta!" she yelled, dropping the sack of lemon candies on the stone path. "Morcan, Keeta's here."
"I told you she would be back," he yelled from within the mouth of the cave. "Stall her. I want to surprise her."
The dragon's long, slender body descended onto the mountain with a graceful flourish. The gleam of the sun on her metallic scales shimmered into Tauli's eyes. She ran to the dragon and hugged her around the neck.
"Just in time to see you arrive; excellent timing as always," Keeta's soft voice washed over Tauli. "I've missed you too, little sister." She lowered her neck to reciprocate the young girl's lingering embrace. Tauli squeezed tighter, and her eyes began to water. "Tauli, are you all right?"
"I'm fine…" she emphasized herself.
Keeta whispered, "Is it Morcan? Has he…" She trailed off, looking up into the entrance to their home.
"Well," Tauli paused. She did not want to have this conversation just yet. Just some time to spend with her sister for a while. "Can we talk about it later?"
"If that is what you want," Keeta gave a knowing expression. That was Tauli's favorite thing about her sister; she always knew how to make her feel better.
"Come on. Let's go inside already. I am so ready to take this off." Tauli retrieved the sack of candy and led her sister into the cave. The craggy maw seemed much more inviting now that they were all together again. "Oh, and we got you some cakes from the town." Tauli thought she almost heard her sister squeal.
When the two's eyes adjusted to the dim cave light, they saw what their brother had laid out in surprise. Nearly every inch of the cave floor had been covered by a patchwork of rugs and carpets, give or take a few worn holes. However, the newer and higher-quality rugs were still piled on the edge of the cave that their brother had claimed as his own.
"Is this what you meant?" Keeta whispered.
"Part of it, yes." Tauli sighed in embarrassment.
"Do you like it?" Morcan asked from across the cavern. He had already shed most of his clothing and was stretching his back, from which dark wings began to sprout. His body grew and morphed while deep blue, almost black, scales grew back into place on top of his skin. "How do you spend so long in your disguise, Keeta? It feels like it gets harder and harder to stay in form with each passing day. I'm not even half as old as you, so I imagine it must be much more difficult for you."
"I am well, Morcan. It is good to see you as well," she said flatly, ignoring the insult. "It helps to stay active. Perhaps you could run some training exercises instead of lounging in the dark," she almost hissed as he wiggled his foot out of the tightening pants.
"I think I'll just endure it then," the fully formed navy blue dragon grumbled while he sprawled flat across the floor, wings outstretched.
"Humph. Well, Tauli, your transformative ability is improving greatly. I am impressed. Your features have gotten more detailed since I last saw you as a human."
"I've been watching the girls in town," Tauli smiled.
"Not too closely, I hope. Humans are judgmental beings. It wouldn't do well to be labeled as strange."
"It's hard not to be the strange ones when you're walking through town with Morcan," both girls laughed at their brother's expense, though he merely shrugged it off.
"It will still be a few hours before that storm arrives. Why don't you and I catch each other up at the pond? Just us sisters. Would you be all right if we left for a while, 'Little' brother?"
"Oh, don't you two mind me. I will be just fine. Just remember…" He waved a single claw through the air and added in a singsong tone, "When you get back, it's my turn." To punctuate, he dropped a shattuck fruit into his mouth and crushed it, spilling its bitter red flesh and letting the sour juice trickle down his chin.
She tried to keep it hidden, but her sister had noticed Tauli's hesitation to abandon her brother, even for a short time. Keeta glanced between Tauli and Morcan, hiding any visible signs of concern. "It will be okay. Take a break with me." Tauli sighed with acceptance and began shifting into her natural form, disrobing her traveling disguise. "Ah, let us, um… bring the cakes as well," Keeta smiled.
The sisters flew together to the small pond they had all dug together when they first moved to the mountains north of Abbox. The dragon-made pond was situated at the base of a natural cauldron-shaped formation between the mountain peaks, and it was kept full of rainwater that rolled down from them. Thanks to her sister's not-so-small talent with magic, Keeta had been able to weave a spell that kept the water clean even through the frequent sandstorms.
Tauli swam into the center of the water while her sister dipped into the pool’s edge, clutching the unopened box of her favorite snacks. "Tell me, what has happened to our brother while I was away?" Keeta asked. Taking in a deep breath, Tauli dove into the crystal waters. Was she truly this anxious to tell her sister, she asked herself? When she finally resurfaced, Keeta looked forlorn. "Please, Tauli, you have to tell me. No matter what may have happened, it was not your fault. Okay?"
She took a deep breath once more before speaking, "He's gotten worse, Keeta." Her sister nodded silently. "But I figure you probably could have guessed that." Tauli looked up at her sister and gazed upon her metallic turquoise scales that glistened in the water. They had always complemented each other's hue, and Keeta had often told her that she would swap scales with Tauli's sky blue if she could. Tauli wondered if she still thought that.
"His memory has gotten to the point where he can't remember what he's done or said. And with his habit of haggling, he buys so much of the same," she slapped her tail into the water in frustration. "So many rugs."
"Come here," Keeta asked. "That's not all it is, is it?"
Tauli resigned and swam into her sister's arms. "No, sometimes it's like he's a different person. Or it's like… he's not really there." Keeta caressed Tauli with her wing as she spoke. She's still so much bigger than me. How many more years will it be before I can be the same as her?
"It's mostly little things that set him off. Like when someone mentions back where we used to live, or like today, he just froze when he saw that sandstorm on the horizon. Barely spoke a word the whole walk back from Abbox until we got home, then it was like it never happened."
Keeta had opened the box of powdered shortcakes and paused, "Oh, did they—"
"It's all they had," Tauli laughed. "He said you would be disappointed."
"I'm not disappointed. I'm delighted you thought to get them for me. Here, have one."
"That was actually Morcan's idea. That's the most frustrating thing about all of this; sometimes it's like he's completely normal, like the way things used to be." Tauli took the cake and bit it whole.
"You should not have had to go through that alone. I'm sorry for not being there for you. I know it was hard, but I'm here now. We can handle this together, as a family." Keeta held her tightly.
"Why did this have to happen to Morcan? Did we do something wrong?"
"No! No…" Keeta tried to comfort her sister. "This is just something that happens to men sometimes. There isn't anything we did or didn't do. What has happened was bound to happen, and all we can do now is help him as best we can."
"Do all men get sick like this?"
"Not all men, no. To be honest, it was more likely to happen than not. It's just one of the many things that define us as dragons. It's part of what makes men and women different."
"Like our scales?"
"Yes, something like that. As women, our scales are shinier and rounder, whereas men's are sharper and flat in color," Keeta said.
"Or like some women like butts?"
Keeta choked on her shortcake and coughed a plume of powdered sugar into the air. Tauli watched as the sugar vanished as it settled onto the enchanted water. "I'm sorry. Where did that come from?" Keeta tried to suppress her cough and laughter at the same time.
"A girl in town today, the shopkeeper's daughter, I think, told me Morcan had a nice butt. Is that why they always stare at him?" Tauli asked.
"Well, that might be part of it.
"Am I going to like butts?"
"I hope not for a long time." Keeta laughed.
"Is it a bad thing? To like them, that is."
"My dear, sweet sister. All of my worst days were caused because of a nice butt." The two sisters laughed together, splashing water and eating the rest of the cakes. "I must be honest; this could have been much worse. Memory loss is the disease’s most common symptom, and you cannot truthfully tell me that you never wish Morcan would be quieter. The hoarding could be a problem, though. At least the home is decorated now."
Tauli's heart dropped. "Well, actually… there is something else." She knew this would upset her sister, but she needed to let her know now. "Sometimes, Morcan will get, well, angry. Not at anyone or anything in particular, and not for any real reason as far as I can tell."
"He hasn't hurt you, has he?"
"No. Well, not on purpose," she said quietly, wishing it wasn't true.
"Tauli." Keeta's eyes were the largest Tauli had ever seen them. Was it shock or concern, she wondered?
"It happened a few weeks ago. Morcan was haggling with a traveling merchant following the pilgrimage. The merchant said something, I didn't hear what, and Morcan was suddenly trying to destroy the man's caravan wagon. The wagon didn't last long, and he started to turn on the merchant. I jumped between them to stop Morcan, and he couldn't stop in time. Keeta, he looked so afraid when he realized what had happened."
"You're okay now, aren't you?"
"Some bruises for a little while, but they're gone now. I can’t say the same for the merchant. In any case, we did get some good deals for the rest of that week. The people in town seemed to forget about it soon enough, or at least pretend to have forgotten."
Keeta breathed a heavy sigh. "Is there anything else?"
"Just that he paces and grumbles at night when he thinks I'm asleep. He claws at his rugs so much that he wears holes in them. I started to use the scraps as bedding, and that's when he started to cover the floors." Tauli saw the pale look that came over her sister's face. "Well, what about you? Surely you must have had some great adventure in all this time." That caused Keeta to brighten again.
"I just had my greatest adventure yet, and I brought back enough coin to buy enough food to last until the end of winter," Keeta said excitedly. "Were you two able to put in the order for next month's food shipments?"
"Morcan did, just today."
"Then we might even last through spring before I need to leave again. Let's hope on Morcan's bargaining skills."
Tauli beamed. Spring? That was almost half a year from now. She couldn't recall the last time she had spent so long with her whole family. Things were going to get better, she thought. "Well, tell me what happened!"
Keeta and Tauli swam together in the pond, reenacting the many adventures Keeta had performed to provide for the family. As the oldest of the three, Keeta had taken it upon herself to moonlight as a human mage to earn money periodically. Sometimes for jobs, we sold enchantments to random human nobles, and other times involved bounty hunting. This time, as Keeta explained, she had spent the past two months serving as a mercenary in a dangerous operation. Her clients had ordered a takedown of every cult member devoted to an ancient evil goddess, and Keeta had accomplished it all and netted a hefty sum of gold coins. Tauli wondered how much of the tale was embellished by her sister but ultimately allowed herself to accept it all as fact.
Hours passed, and the two spent so long in the water, trading stories, that they had not noticed the setting sun nor the approaching storm. Keeta was the first to hear the howling winds begin to rip through the mountain passes. "We've been gone for far too long. Quickly, let's get back to Morcan before the storm grows too intense."
Tauli stopped her sister. "No, listen." Both waited for the sound again. Under the howl of the storm was another harsh scream. "It's Morcan," she cried. "That's not coming from the cave. Is he over the mountain? Why would he go out there? Why now?" Keeta led the two in flight through the storm winds, but Tauli struggled to maintain her balance in the gale, even with Keeta's instructions. 'Keep your wings up, kick with your tail,' she reminded herself, though it wasn't enough to keep her aloft.
The sand pelted Tauli, and the wind blew her back into the mountainside. Keeta followed her sister's fall in an unsuccessful attempt to guide her to a safe landing. The young dragon slid across the dirt and grit as the gusts of wind caught her wings like a sail. Tauli tried again to lift off from the ground, but she couldn't overcome the weather that had completely encompassed the mountaintops.
"I'm sorry, sister. I can't make it."
"It's okay; it’s okay. We can go together on foot." Keeta lifted her massive wing to block the gales and provide relief for her little sister. Tauli nearly cursed herself. How could she be so weak, especially now of all times? Self-defeated, she resigned to walk with her sister.
Slowed by the sand and debris that blocked their path, both girls clambered over the rocky crags of their mountain home. The haunting yowls grew ever closer until they crested over the edge of a cliff. On the landing below them, they witnessed their brother biting and thrusting against the storm, locked in battle against a non-existent foe.
"Something is hurting him!" Tauli screamed. She readied her body to slide down the cliffside but was stopped by her sister's immovable arm. "What are you doing?"
"There is nothing else down there. Don't go; you’ll only get hurt."
Tauli gaped as her brother crashed himself into the cliffside and raged at the storm. "I don't understand."
"It's the disease, Tauli. His mind isn't here right now."
"Isn't there anything I can do? Something? Anything?" Tauli wailed.
"I'm sorry, little one. We cannot help him now," Keeta said, though even she could not conceal the pain in her voice. Together they watched in tears as their brother thrashed upon the cliff below.
Tauli sunned her outstretched wings under the autumn desert sun at the peak of her family's mountain. Warm days such as this were becoming less and less frequent, and she intended to make the most of the opportunity. Sleeping just a few feet away was her brother, Morcan. It had been three months since the sandstorm marked Keeta's return home and the start of her brother's mental decline.
It hadn't taken long for her to realize that their brother could not handle being alone for too long, and as a result, the sisters would take turns keeping an eye on him. At the moment, Keeta needed to perform an errand outside Abbox, so Tauli had decided to bring her brother outside to enjoy the fair weather. Both she and her brother had recently begun to molt their scales, and Tauli hoped that the fresh air would entice Morcan to preen himself, but instead, he slept as he often did.
"If you don't start getting those old scales off now, you'll just be itchy later," she chastised her brother, who was either deeply asleep or simply ignoring her. Scratching off her sky-blue scales, she resigned to the idea that she would have to help him with the process later. Hopefully, Keeta would be back before then, she hoped to herself. She placed her scales in a tidy pile near herself. Her sister had tried to convince her that shed scales were perfectly normal and, in fact, a valuable alternative for trading with humans, but Tauli could not shake the opinion that picking her brother's loose scales was, in some way, "really gross."
As Tauli placed the last shedding onto her pile, air blew the scales across the ground and into the cracks below. Tauli clicked her tongue before turning to her sister, who had landed on the peak in a rush.
"Done with your errand? Would you help me with Morcan's scales?" Tauli saw her brother sit up to see their sister arrive. So, he was ignoring me, she thought.
"I have bad news, siblings," Keeta's voice was low, which always caused Tauli to get nervous. "I spoke with another dragon in Abbox today."
"Well, that can't be good," Morcan chimed before lying back down.
"We're not going to have to leave the mountain, are we?" Tauli asked. Her family had all moved out to this desert to avoid other dragons. If others knew they were here, would they need to hide somewhere else?
"No... not quite. We recognized each other from long ago, old friends from well before you were born, Tauli. We spoke for a while, and she told me that some families have called for a Dragonmoot."
Morcan grunted at the name, but Tauli didn't recognize what it meant. "What does this have to do with us?"
"I suppose you wouldn't know about that. Tauli, a Dragonmoot is a gathering of representatives from different families to discuss issues concerning all dragons."
"Does that mean that something has happened?"
"It does. As it turns out, a male dragon had disguised himself as a human and had been serving as the King of Rosara for more than the past twenty years. He was killed last month when he revealed himself and attacked a group of humans. Now his half-human daughter has ascended to the Rosaran throne."
"Half-human? I didn't know that was possible," Tauli said, followed by her brother's snickers.
"Some groups are concerned that the revelation of this Dragon King will cause suspicion for other dragons in hiding."
"Dragons like us," Morcan added flatly.
"Yes, and that brings me to the bad news," Keeta said. What more could there be, Tauli thought? "I've been invited to attend the Dragonmoot, and I have accepted.
Tauli's pulse rate soared. "You're leaving!" she cried.
"I know; I’m sorry. It is short notice, and I know it will be rough for you by yourselves, but I will only be gone for a week, two at most. I truly believe this could help us. I could talk with the old clans; we might be able to go back home. Maybe someone there could have medicine for Morcan."
"I'm not sick," Morcan yelled and slammed his tail on the ground. His mouth glowed with the threat of flames. "I don't need medicine." The sisters fell silent, and both stared at the floor. "I'm not sick," he said again quietly as if trying to convince himself. He lingered for a moment, and Tauli wondered what he could be thinking.
"Morcan, I—" Keeta tried to apologize, but he turned away and left them on the peak.
Tauli snapped her attention back to her sister and was incredulous; she didn't know what to say first. "Where is this? Where are you going?"
"It isn't so far. Much closer than some of the places I've left to before. There is an island in the sea to the south. My old friend agreed to wait for me to travel together, but she can only wait so long." Keeta grimaced.
"What are you trying to say?"
"We leave tonight after dark."
Tauli's heart had been racing before, but now it stopped completely. She tried to argue with her sister, dissuade her from going. It didn't seem real, but Keeta was set on leaving tonight. The sisters traveled down the mountain to their homely cavern, where they found their brother curled on top of his throne of rugs. While she watched her big sister gather her traveling gear, Tauli didn't say a word.
Carrying her supplies, Keeta strode over to Tauli by the cave entrance and bent down to meet her. "I'm sorry, Tauli. I'll be back in two weeks, I promise," Keeta kissed her sister goodbye. "I'm sorry, Morcan," she called out, "I didn't mean to hurt you." But there was no answer. Keeta sighed and looked back into Tauli's eyes. "I love you, both of you."
"I love you, too," Tauli whispered. Her sister left the cave and flew away into the orange sunset horizon. She watched Keeta shrink into the distance until she couldn't see her anymore. The cavern of their home stood silent for what seemed an eternity. Eventually, Tauli brought herself to approach her brother. He faced the wall with his body curled tight and hid his face.
"Are you okay, Morcan?" She lay next to her brother and could feel him shuddering. He was crying.
"I didn't mean to yell before," he spoke softly. "I should have said goodbye."
"It'll be okay. She knows that, too." Tauli began to scratch at her brother's loose scales. "And she said she will be back soon, just two weeks. Keeta always keeps her promises."
Winter came and went, but Tauli and Morcan never saw their sister's return. In the cold winter months, Morcan grew distant and quiet. His temper had grown volatile, and Tauli felt he was trying to stay away from her to prevent himself from hurting her again. She began to go into town alone, leaving her brother on the mountain only during the day and never during a storm. Their food had started to run low, just like the money reserves their sister had left for them.
Tauli entered the general store in her meager traveling clothes. The shelves were the same as always—small tools, bolts of cloth, jarred preserves. She stopped at the glass jars of candy and sweets. It had been so long since she had shared the lemon citrus drops with her brother, and she considered surprising him. She scooped a small bag of hard candies and brought it to the counter.
The old shop owner came up to meet her, jolly as usual. "Tauli, it's been some time. Are you here to schedule your food for your family? Will it be the usual?"
She nodded and placed the lemon treats on the counter. "And I'd like to purchase these as well."
The owner peeked over his shoulder at a dusty pile of rugs rolled into the corner. "You, uh... you wouldn't happen to be interested in taking any of these rugs, would you? I upped the orders for them but haven't seen your brother in a while."
"I'm sorry, we don't need any right now." She faked a smile and handed him her family's money case for payment. The truth was she couldn't afford them or most other luxuries her brother enjoyed. The thought made Tauli consider putting the candies back.
The man gave her no protest and began counting the coins per their standard agreement. "Oh," he said as he finished counting. "I'm sorry, Tauli, there isn't enough here."
Tauli froze. Her face paled as she glanced at the sack of candy. "I'm afraid that putting it back wouldn't be enough." She wasn't moving and knew it was making the shopkeeper concerned, but she didn't know what to do. Tauli expected this might happen eventually, but she had not anticipated it today. "Is everything okay, sweetie? You look upset. Don't worry; I’ll make sure you get your orders in on time. Just come back with what you have missing here, all right?"
Unfortunately, and unknown to the man, all of Tauli's money was in that case. There was no coming back with more later. "You don't look well, Tauli." The shopkeeper interrupted her thoughts. "You know I haven't seen your brother or sister in a long time. Is everything all right back home?"
"It's uh... We're fine," she choked on her words. Tauli could feel herself beginning to lose control, and she knew if she looked the man in the eyes again, she might start to cry. "Would it be all right if I came back later today?"
"Of course, Tauli. Go ahead and take the candies with you, okay? They're on me today."
Tauli took back her nearly empty money case and thanked the shopkeeper, tucking the citrus drops away. They said goodbye, and Tauli forced herself to leave the store at a normal pace, but once she made it out the door, she couldn't make it past the front windows before she began to run.
She ran through the dirt roads and out into the desert. She had no clue what she could do. "We can't hunt in the desert. There's not enough game, and we might be seen," she thought. "Who am I kidding, 'we'." She knew it would just be her. Morcan hadn't been able to leave the mountain in months. "I can't steal enough to provide for both of us." She caught herself transforming back into her natural shape without thinking. "It would be okay," she thought, "I'm far enough away from town. No one will see."
She flew back to the cave and found Morcan frantically biting at the scales on his leg. "Right where I left you," she said to herself. "Morcan, we have a problem." She waited for his response, but none came. "Morcan, I'm serious. We don't have enough money to buy food. What should we do?" She was desperate enough to ask her brother for advice.
He stopped biting but did not look at his sister. "That is nonsense. We have plenty of money. Keeta brought so much home last time." Morcan continued the fervent nipping at his leg. Her brother started losing his scales last month, leaving holes in his dark blue armor.
It's no use, she thought. He doesn't even realize how long it's been. Tauli looked down at the floor beneath her brother and saw the loose scales he had already bitten off. Suddenly, she had a revelation and remembered the old advice from her sister. Humans think dragon scales are valuable; perhaps she could barter with the shopkeeper. Running around the cavern, Tauli collected all the old loose scales she could find. She pulled together a collection of scales from herself and Morcan from cracks and under rugs, even a few from her lost sister.
"Brother, I have to go back to town. I'll be back before dark, I promise." Tauli flew away before she heard any reaction from her brother. She reasoned that he usually didn't pay her any mind these days, so it would be fine if she weren’t there. It wasn't until she was halfway back to Abbox that she realized she had left her human clothes at the cave. She thanked herself for the forethought she exhibited weeks ago by hiding a set of clothes beneath a boulder out in the Tebberic desert. Tauli located her disguise cache and brushed away the dust and scorpions before donning her attire and human façade. She steeled herself to run the rest of the way to Abbox.
The townspeople would usually not pay any mind to Tauli as she walked through the streets on an average day, but as she ran through the streets back to the general store, she turned every head. She slowed down after narrowly avoiding knocking a second man over. She waited on the street outside the shop to regain control of her breathing before entering the store again.
"Oh, Tauli, you're back already?" The owner was still at the counter from when she left.
"Yes, I was wondering if maybe you would consider a trade for my family's shipment instead of the usual payment?" At this moment, Tauli realized she never learned the owner's name. "Let's hope that doesn't affect any potential deal," she thought.
"If you're half the bargainer your brother is, I'm sure I'll lose out on this somehow. What did you have in mind?" He was staring at Tauli's hair. She cursed herself; it must be blown wild from the running.
She placed the sack she recycled from a purchase of pears onto the countertop and revealed the contents inside. The man's face was a mixture of amazement and disbelief, giving Tauli a glimmer of hope that this would turn out all right.
"What—Where did you get all this?" he asked.
"My brother and I collect them in the mountains," she lied. "They are dragon scales. Real ones, too. I swear."
The shopkeeper scratched at his chin through his thick beard. "Tauli, I've known you long enough to know you wouldn't be dishonest with me. I understand that you have your secrets, and I respect that. If you don't want to tell me, that's fair." How does he know, she screamed in her mind. "I think I know a handful of smiths who would die to get their grimy hands on a haul like this. How much did you want for all of this?"
"I need food," she blurted. There were better ways to phrase that, but she was desperate.
The man's eyebrows contorted in the way that humans did, showing genuine concern. "Sweetie, if you keep bringing me these scales, I'll cook your food myself."
"So, we have a deal?"
"You are just like your brother. A deal it is." They shook hands and smiled. "If you'd like, I'll let you take some of the rugs with you." Tauli grimaced. "Please, they're taking up so much space."
Tauli laughed for the first time she could remember. She signed the paperwork for her transaction and bid the shopkeeper farewell until she heard the shrieks from the street. Men and women ran in terror past the shop windows. "What—" she tried to comprehend what was happening until she heard him, her brother's roar from above the town.
She ran outside to witness the dragon circling above the street. "Tauli! You forgot your clothes. You'll be seen," he screamed down at her. She saw something from his teeth, but Tauli could not make out what it was.
"No, no! This can't be happening." She ran past the fleeing villagers and into the desert. Morcan tried multiple times to land in the streets below but could only manage to collapse the walls of nearby buildings.
"Tauli, where are you?" She finally realized what it was in his teeth. It was the awful Rosaran dress he had bought her and she had never worn.
"I have to get him out of here," she frantically looked around the nearby streets for any remaining people and found herself alone. In the only way she could think of to get her brother's attention, she suddenly grew into her natural dragon form. Her dirty clothing burst from the change in size and fell to the ground beneath her as she took off into the sky.
"I'm here, brother!" she yelled, finally getting his attention. "Come here."
He looked at her and began to fly towards her. "Tauli, you need to be more careful. You forgot your clothes at the cave. Here, I brought you these." He grabbed the rainbow dress, pulling it from his teeth. It was ruined, but Morcan did not, or could not, comprehend that.
"Thank you, sweet brother. Let's go home before someone sees us." She took off towards the mountain, hoping that he would follow. Thankfully, he did, but Tauli knew that this would be the beginning of the end for her happiness.
In the year that followed her and her brother's appearance in the sky above Abbox, Tauli counted four mages, ten mercenaries, and sixteen Whitecloak knights whom each attempted to slay her brother. Morcan killed most, but the few she could turn away from the mountain in the past were now gathering at the base of the mountain.
Tauli rolled another barrel of wine for her brother. She had him drinking all day. "There's a human festival in town today, and I thought we could celebrate too. Just for fun, you know?" Even if Morcan hadn't been drunk with a face stuffed with all his favorite foods, he wouldn't have been able to talk back to her. He had lost his voice in the past winter after he tried to swallow a mercenary's helmet and tore his vocal cords. "I've got a surprise waiting for us in town. I'm going to go pick it up, okay? Don't worry. I’ve got my disguise and everything." She hugged her brother so tight that he almost had to put down his wine. "I love you, Morcan. I love you so much." She kissed his cheek. "I'll be back as fast as I can." Morcan smiled and wheezed. He tried to give her a claw full of smashed fruits, but she refused. "I'll save it for when I'm back."
Tauli left the cave and hid halfway down the mountain. She didn't cry; she wasn't sure if she could. She only waited in silence for the congregations of knights to ascend. When they came into sight, she answered her question. She could cry, and now she couldn't stop. Each warrior wore a suit of scale mail crafted from those familiar sky blue and navy scales she had meticulously gathered and sold to the shopkeeper. He did know some skilled armorers, she lamented.
The knights in armor never noticed she was hidden on their path as they marched past her, each waving their banners of glory and chivalry. Tauli was paralyzed. Even if she changed her mind, she couldn’t stop it now; she was still too small to fight.
Within the hour, she heard the faint sounds of swords and axes clashing on stone and scale. When the troop descended again, she had not stirred from her hiding place. She counted the remaining victors and saw that only a few men returned. "Well done, brother."
Night came, and then day again, yet still Tauli did not move from her place on the mountain. She couldn't go back to the cave now and wasn't sure if she could go to the town. She waited in place for what seemed like an eternity until she heard the familiar beating of wings coming from up the mountain. She couldn't believe her ears. "Morcan? How?" She began to run back up the mountain but was stopped by the figure that landed before her. She looked different: one-eyed, missing a leg, and a torn wing, but Tauli recognized the shimmering turquoise scales of her sister, Keeta.
"No," Tauli whispered. "No. NO." She repeated louder each time, shaking her head. Tauli wanted to lash out at her sister, scream at her, and hit her but was overcome with tears. "I waited so long for you. We couldn't wait anymore. I couldn't stop him."
"Tauli, I am so sorry. I can't—" Keeta caressed her little sister. "I couldn't make it back in time. I'm so..." She stopped herself, unable to continue past her crying.
The two sisters sat on the mountain together for hours without saying a word. Keeta broke the silence first. "I'm back now. I want you to know I will never leave you again, ever. I thought of both of you every day. I understand if you can't forgive me. I wanted to come home so badly, but I couldn't."
Tauli had buried her head into her sister's embrace, though she could still see the stump of her sister's leg. "I made him drunk. Before they came, I gave him wine and all of his favorite foods."
"A greater mercy than I could have ever given. Let me take you away from here; you shouldn't have to be here. We can go anywhere you want. We'll go together, okay?"
"Rosara," Tauli said softly. "I want to buy a dress."