DRAGONS AND DUST

Copyright (c) 2020 by Randall R. Peterson ALL RIGHTS RESERVED This is a work of fiction. All persons, locations and actions are from the author's imagination or have been used in a fictitious manner.

By R. Peterson

Bezo and Drezo were the twin sons of King Roland of Nodnol and his beautiful enchantress wife Elisabeth. They grew up to be the most powerful wizards in all of Nod and the people loved them. At least at first they did. Bezo led the Noddish soldiers on great crusades throughout the world and his vast fleet of ships brought back fantastic riches and magical relics from the far corners of the globe. Drezo had an unequaled passion for spiritual things and spread an abundance of faith, hope and charity into the hearts of every noble, knight, peasant and conquered realm throughout the lands. And they loved each other as only brothers can.

One harsh winter day, when only death traveled the icy roads and a moaning wind, that people no longer listened to, sounded dire warnings, Elisabeth succumbed to a coughing illness. Three days later, the grieving and inconsolable King Roland died … of a broken heart.

Roland was a wizard himself, and he left each of his twin boys … seven powerful spells.

After an elaborate funeral in which every Noddish person wept and every church bell rang its lingering sorrow, each of the brothers decided that he alone should lead the kingdom to become the strongest and most powerful nation on Earth. Nodnol, including every father, mother, son and daughter along with every castle, crow, wheel, and wagon … were soon divided.

And war began …

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Bezo used his first spell to fill the sky above Nod with fire breathing dragons that attacked his brother’s city. It looked like the end for Drezo. There weren’t enough archers in his entire kingdom to fight that many flying lizards. In desperation, Drezo used his first spell to cause his entire realm to sink into the depths of the ocean and drown all the dragons.

Bezo used his second spell to burst the bubbles that surrounded each building in the new underwater city. His people were drowning so Drezo used another spell to cause every person and animal in his kingdom to grow gills. They lived beneath the waves and grew crops of sea-weed. And they began to prosper.

A jealous Bezo made Drezo’s city once more rise above the ocean’s surface. People were flopping about everywhere like fish. Drezo removed the gills from his people and animals so that they could once more breathe air.

Each brother was tired and for a time there was peace in the land. But peace never lasts when a woman is involved, and the most beautiful maiden in Nodnol finally decided to marry … Bezo.

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One day Drezo watched his brother’s lovely wife bathing in a stream. He cast his most powerful spell and caused Bezo’s wife to lust after him … instead of his brother. All alone in a tower, the jilted Bezo used his fourth spell to turn his absent wife … into a hungry tiger.

An angry and half-eaten Drezo turned all the people in Bezo’s kingdom into mangy cats. Bezo turned all his brother’s subjects into flea-ridden rats.

Drezo created a wide moat to surround his city of rats with his fifth spell. He knew cats hated to swim. Bezo caused an earthquake to deeply rend the ground and drain out all the water in the moat.

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Bezo created a stone rampart to surround his city. Drezo caused the walls to crumble and fall into the chasm. Bezo was standing atop the rampart when it collapsed. Drezo saw his brother losing all of his blood trapped beneath the huge stones. A cat archer shot Drezo through the heart as he climbed down into the ravine. The ghost of the brother’s mother Elisabeth appeared to both her son’s and demanded that they once again love each other.

Bezo saw his mortally wounded brother standing over him and used his last spell to replace his brother’s ruined heart … with his own. At the same time Drezo used his last spell to replenish his brother’s lost blood … with his own.

And they died together … brothers once again.

THE END ?