Free Plight of the Dragon by Debra Kristi

the carnival world came to a stop, and Kyra found herself standing in front of her restored trailer home. “Thank you, Mystic’s,” she whispered. Replacing her destroyed den was the second best welcome home gift Kyra could imagine. The magic of the carnival never ceased to amaze her. She wanted to hug the dingy little trailer. Kiss the cold, hard metal siding.  
    “This is where you live?”
    Kyra jumped, turned around to see her parents. Her heart dropped into her gut, and her pilot light blew out. Cold, so excruciatingly cold.  
    “Our presence disappoints. So sorry, little dragon.” Bolsvck stepped onto her front patio, if you could call it a patio. It was an imaginary line in the grass where she had set up two chairs and a rusty table. Sometimes she and Sebastian would hang out there to watch the midnight fireworks show.  
    “It’s just…” Kyra hugged herself. “I can’t…” Rubbed her arms, up and down, and up again. “Can’t do this…” The grass came up to meet her far too fast. It too was cold and damp. Her parents rushed to her, had their hands all over her, their voices flickering in and out.  
    Queen Shui placed her hand on Kyra’s forehead. “She’s so cold.”
    “She’s a Fire Dragon without her fire.” Bolsvck turned Kyra to face him. “She’s slowly freezing to death.”  
    Kyra eyes drifted close, and she whispered, “Sebastian.”

9

    MIRACLE

    Sebastian

    What are you doing here?” Sebastian shoved past his father. “Shouldn’t you be out reaping or something?”
    “Is that any way to speak to your father?” Mortifier fell in step beside Sebastian, straightened his lapels.  
    Sebastian rolled his shoulders, wiggled his upper body, and managed to collapse the wings into nothingness. He was once again just himself—sorta. “It is, when the father is you.”  
    The crowd was thick, people swinging party favors of every possible design, cheering with delight, and throwing confetti into the sky. A few people pointed and gawked at him, but the majority moved about their business as if Sebastian’s transformation was an everyday occurrence at the carnival. Maybe it was. Maybe he didn’t look like a real dragon, not in his current state anyway. Or maybe, like so many things at the carnival, he was accepted as another act, another form of entertaining magic. A stray firework exploded overhead, pulling any remaining attention away from Sebastian. The fireworks were over, but the party was still going strong. Sebastian pushed through the fray, hopeful his father would get lost and be unable to follow.  
    “Will you stop for a minute and talk to me?” Mortifier grabbed his arm. Sebastian paused, glanced down at his father’s hold, then took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Thought I taught you to dress better.” Mortifier lifted his finger, indicating Sebastian’s thrashed shirt.  
    “I have somewhere to be. It’s really not a good time, Dad .” Sebastian stressed the word, making clear how little the man meant in his life. They were not friends. They weren’t even happy co-workers. There was almost zero respect between them, and in Sebastian’s book, that was grounds for zero relationship.  
    Although already standing straight and tall, Mortifier stood taller after his son’s comment. As if his entire body stretched toward the moon, so that he could peer down on his son even further. “Very well, I shall walk with you,” he said with a tip of his head. “And you can tell me what has happened here. What is going on with you?” He fanned his hand in a flamboyant gesture toward Sebastian.  
    Sebastian yanked his arm free. He was getting tired of people jerking and tugging him around. “It’s nothing you need to worry about.” He brushed at his arm where his father had held him. “Could you just go away please?” Sebastian said, throwing his hand up in a stop-don’t-follow-me signal, and started walking again.
    Mortifier stayed in step. “I