#ceres mohnesh

“Child of men, you come to our domain ready to be swallowed. Why do you offer yourself as food?”

“I do not come here as food, mighty dragon. I have come to ask for your aid. I need to know how to speak to the soul like your kin do,” she said, catching her breath. The dragons snarled back in unison.

“You dare come ask for help when your kind betray our trust and kill our kin?!”

“My tribe is not at war with yours. My kind hunted and traded in the forest of Dravania in peace for centuries. I am Ceres of the Moh Nesh! Men attacked my kin as well. Our village is all but destroyed and our children were taken from us!” Her knees almost gave in, she gripped her cane with all her might. Her eyes were unblinking at the sight of the dragons and her voice cracked as she continued. “Dragons can speak to the soul without the need of words. I need to know. I need to find the children. I need to find my daughter-“

The dragon at the center leapt towards her. Their roar was ferocious and their jaws snapped shut inches from Ceres’ face. The miqo’te stood firm in the face of the dragon’s challenge.

“Fool! do you not have much to lose?”

“It is not a dragon that I fear. I already lost what was most precious. I need to find my daughter. I need your help-” The three dragons head twitched skywards as they sensed something. They quickly scurried away from Ceres.

“Where is your bow, Moh Nesh?” A fourth dragon descended from the clouds. “You come to our domain asking for help. Where is your bow, child of the moon-skinned? If I am to teach, what do I get in kind?” Ceres looked up to the fourth dragon. Their smell was different. Older. Ancient.

“I am no hunter. I told stories and raised the children of our village-”

“The mother of your ancestors hunted like no other. Before the war before the... animosity, never had I felt as young as when I hunted by her side.” The old dragon said reminiscing. “Those were simpler times. Ah, but now I see her fearless eyes were passed to you. Let’s strike a deal. Care for our brood and I will show you the voice. Fail and your flesh will be their food. Even then, it will take you a few lifetimes to learn our ways.”

Ceres’ eyes swelled with the first glint of hope she’s had in a while. There was a chance to do something after all. Even if she could not walk far she was going to find her family.

 “Where was I? Ah yes. It was the miqo’te’s turn to hunt for food for her family. She saw a beast and tracked it to a river. She readied her bow swiftly. She waited for when the beast lowered her guard to drink water. But she was not the only one after the beast. Oh no, an unexpected hunter was also after the prize and it was not just any hunter… It was?”

 “A mighty dragon!”

 “Yes! Hundreds of years old, this dragon swooped down from the clouds to claim his prize. But the huntress did not flinch. She fired her arrow. It found its target and felled the beast just as the claws took him and flew away. The dragon noticed, however, that the beast was already dead and it swooped back down to look for the huntress. ‘Come out, child of man. You who hunt faster than my kind, come and claim your prize’. The mighty dragon walked away from the dead beast, keeping their eyes to the forest. First the dragon heard some rustling in the brush, and then the steps of the huntress as she came out, bow in hand. ‘We are taught to leave the dragons be and stay away from your hunt.’ She said as she cautiously approached. ‘I will not feed my brood a prey I did not kill, moon-skinned child.’ The woman nodded and stepped closer. She did not take her eyes from the dragon as she motioned to the forest. A few more miqo’te’s emerged carrying a pole and rope to tie and carry the beast. They rushed about to work as the dragon and the woman stared at each other. ‘Eyes like blood and skin gray like the greater moon. I will remember you, moon-skinned child. Do not think your arrow will always find prey faster than I’. With a scoff the dragon took flight again.”

 “What happened next?”

 “The woman took the dragon's words to heart, a challenge she would not turn down. Her sense of smell was a notch above the rest and she managed to find the places where he hunted. She purposely found game in those clearings to challenge him back. They didn't speak much, but a friendly rivalry was evident. Sometimes she won; sometimes the dragon had the upper hand. They never told each other their names but the dragon always called her by her ashen skin. On the dragon’s tongue they called her…”