Follow My Lantern

    Nettle could feel something was different from the moment he got up. Huge dark gray storm clouds sat heavy in the sky like they were waiting for the worst possible moment to drop their heavy cargo. The winds swirled violently and carried foreign scents through Nettle’s large window. The perlino was holding himself as close to the stable’s interior in fear that the coming downpour would soak the fresh bedding in his box. His stomach rumbled, and he looked down the hall for Ben. Always on time, the well-built ginger had a red wagon trailing behind him full of the horses’ food. The multi- colored and shaped containers were carefully labeled and prepares for each animal. His baby blue eyes focused on the light pastel green one that held his breakfast.

    “Here you go,” Ben dumped the grain into a bucket attached to the stall’s wall.

    Nettle shoved his muzzle into the bucket and inhaled his food. It was only after eating it that he noticed a funny taste in his mouth.

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    A circular path had been created from the hours of pacing done by the seal bay stallion. His two neighbors had tried reasoning with his to no avail. Incursio could feel something was off. These days he wished he could smell to pinpoint the danger but ever since his accident three years ago his sense of smell had left him. The sky didn’t look right and Incusio could swear when he strained his ears there was a rumbling in the distance. His neighbor, Apollo had said in was thunder from the approaching storm, but Incusio wasn’t put at easy by the roan’s words. His heart beat rapidly like back when he fought dragons. The memories of earth shaking roars, steel clashing into diamond hard hide, and intense heat still sent chills spiking through his body. Even the food from his blood red container didn’t interest him. The pinto stallion felt paranoid that something had been done to his food.

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    “The weather’s crap,” Taylor pointed out the obvious in her designer rain boots. The blonde beauty was expecting a big storm to hit the stables, so she was very thankful Sage booked them all passage to see the big dragon hunt in Aleria. Her finger flicked over her smartphone as she checked the weather to make sure Aleria would have better weather than this dump.

    “It’ll be like yesterday I bet. All bark and no bite,” Jess said scrubbing the black leather straps of Nettle’s special tack. Her dark brown hair was tied back in a loose ponytail to keep it out of her face as she carefully inspected the bridle to make sure no part of it had been missed by the water-proofing gel.

    Tomorrow Jess and everyone else working at Fox Mill would be on an early flight to Aleria to participate in this year’s Dragon Hunt. They’d sat out last year’s and decided that it looked like too much fun to pass up.

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    Nettle was the first to break the surface of the water. Incursio balked unsure if he wanted to go through with a hunt. Unlike Nettle, the seasoned veteran knew the damage the huge beasts could cause. He had the scars to prove it. His ears swiveled in every direction listening to the deathly cries of the monsters. There were too many of them and it terrified the stallion. Flashback terrorized him mind as he tried to calm himself. Abbygale sat a top him both reassuring him and urging him forward. They had to get moving for face disqualification.

    Taking a deep breath, Incursio plunged into the water. As the water collided with him the lower half of his body morphed into a fish-like tail. Nettle with Jess right beside him swam to greet the pair. Abbygale and Jess were in full-body black wetsuits with yellow oxygen tanks strapped to their backs.

    “Where to?” Nettle asked Incursio. The perlino had a whale-like lower half.

    With nothing more than hand signs to communicate, Abbygale and Jess trusted their mounts to lead them toward the dragon like they’d practiced.

    The dragon took longer to find that the group had anticipated. They searched through the endless blue sea for hours before coming across the beast. Incursio being ever vigilant was the first to notice a slight glow in the distance. He neighed to Nettle signaling him to follow Incursio toward the light. As they got closer they saw the deathly pale skin and large fangs protruding for the beast’s mouth. Incursio shuddered thinking about what those teeth could do. Nettle being inexperienced and curious as he was inched ever closer to the monster like he could make friends with it. This was no Aksel, Nettle’s small dragon friend. This was a fully grown wild creature of unknown strength and speed.

    Incusio’s soaked fur prickled. Something wasn’t right, so the stallion looked over his shoulder. A large blur was coming closer, and Incursio was terrified as he realized what it was. He bumped Abbygale in the leg and turned her attention toward the huge sea dragon coming right at them.