“I, Gaiseric, son of Liutprant, of the lineage of Gaiseric of the Rotkel clan, give to my lord two female deer, one male deer, a calf of aurochs, and every first fruit of my lineage,” said the middle-aged man at the center of the platform. 

“I accept your offer, and give you an ash spear and a bronze buckle,” replied the Reiks, in the mechanical and distracted manner of someone who was only half-following what was happening. 

Despite the interest aroused by everyone for the gift brought by Gunnar, or perhaps because of it, the Reiks had not given him the privilege of presenting himself first. Nevertheless, everyone, even him, was eagerly awaiting his turn to unveil the beast kept under the cloth. Even his wife kept glancing towards the sled, and drumming her fingers on the stone table. 

The presentation was actually a mere formality; even before the ceremony began, the banquet dishes had started cooking, and probably some child had managed to sneak something away. The parts destined for the gods, which would be sacrificed by the Reiks once the presentation was over, were also already being selected. The aroma was already filling the air, and despite the tension, I couldn’t escape the pangs of hunger, and my mouth filled with saliva. 

“I, Waldobert, son of Sicumar, of the lineage of Theudobald of the Rotkel clan, give to my lord two female deer, a wild boar, and every first fruit of my lineage.”

 Everyone’s gaze was turned towards our clan leader, who was trembling with impatience for his moment of glory, awaited since he had the dragon in his hands. His eyes showed impatience, and his hands twisted behind his back. After him, it would be our clan’s turn, and Gunnar would ascend the platform. 

“I accept your offer and give you a yew bow and a bone-handled knife.” 

The man bowed respectfully and then descended from the platform. 

“Let the leader of the Wulfdalaz clan come forward,” he said at last. 

The crowd parted again, even more than it had for the Reiks. The sled began to move through the crowd, who looked with wonder and fear at the enormous thing. Many men, all from the clan, were placing and removing the now completely debarked logs that served as rollers. When it was just past the center of the crowd, the men left it there, and Gunnar ascended the platform. The clan leader was as puffed up as a rooster, and his face bore an almost insolent look. 

“I, Gunnar, son of Isambart, of the lineage of Odarih, chieftain of the Wulfdalaz clan, offer to my lord four female deer, one male deer, a wild boar, an aurochs…” the clan leader made a gesture behind him, and the men began to pull away the cloth. “… and a dragon.” 

The cloth fell completely to the side, finally revealing to everyone the creature hidden beneath. By now, everyone knew there was a dragon underneath, yet the unveiling of what was beneath triggered a strong reaction from everyone. The Reiks’ wife looked at the creature with awe, and even the Reiks could barely contain his astonishment at the prodigious sight. The murmuring, which had stopped with the beginning of the ceremony, resumed with renewed vigor.

 “How did you come into possession of such a marvel?” the Reiks’ wife blurted out, unable to contain herself any longer. 

“We were in the middle of our hunt, and saw smoke in the distance,” Gunnar began to recount with great satisfaction. “At first, we thought it might be another clan, but instead, we found a clearing reduced to ashes, full of charred and half-eaten bison carcasses.”

 Gunnar was gaining momentum, and it seemed that every person present was captivated by his words. 

“Suddenly, this terrible beast swooped down from the sky and killed many of my householders! But in the end, the dragon was defeated. I claimed the body, and now bring it to you as a gift,” he concluded with a bow.

 I twisted my mouth, having to admit that the clan leader had used his words well. He had been ambiguous and had not told any blatant lies that could be disproved, but he had clearly stated that he had claimed the body and now, as the legitimate owner, was giving it as a gift. Once again, I felt frustrated and guilty for having given in. I was on the ground, injured and weak, yet I should have fought harder to claim it. Now Gunnar could take the glory while my brother would remain in the shadows. 

Suddenly, one of the Wise Men stood up, causing complete silence to fall. The moment he rose, the atmosphere completely shifted, and even the fire illuminating the platform seemed to dim. It was the one who had brought the golden cup and had sat to the left of the Reiks. 

“It’s an interesting story, but you refrained to include some parts,” he said. His voice was hoarse and had a strange inflection. Gunnar seemed taken aback by the harsh statement, and I sensed the nervousness in his voice as he replied. 

“I didn’t want to take up too much time,” he tried to justify himself. 

“Dragons don’t simply appear at random,” The Wise Man asserted. “They are ancient and powerful, nigh divine beings, that set upon the earth for a reason.” 

“R-really?” Gunnar asked, in a choked voice. 

In a breath, the air itself changed, and I felt my heart race, the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I looked to Heike, who had joined me after the crowd had gathered the first time. She was already turned to me, clutching our newborn to her chest. I then looked to Wallia, but he was even more shocked than I was, and couldn’t take his eyes off the scene unfolding on the platform. The man turned to me – despite the veil, I was absolutely certain he was looking at me – and said, in no uncertain words, “Come here.”

For a moment, I was petrified. I had climbed that platform several times since becoming the head of my lineage, but never before had I been called by one of those powerful wizards. It was Heike, however, who woke me from my stupor, pushing me forward and allowing me to climb up.

“What is your name?” he asked, after I bowed before him.

“My name is Hildiric, son of Aelberth, of the lineage of Sigifrid of the Wulfdalaz clan,” I said, feeling oppressed by his presence. “Lord, it was my brother Aghiard who killed the dragon. He lured the beast and he-”

“That is of no matter,” he interrupted. “Your brother was brave, but it was neither for him nor for you that the dragon appeared.”

For a moment, I glanced at Gunnar, and in the look we exchanged, we found the same, shared, total confusion. Things were not going as the clan leader had thought, and I had not expected this response when the Wise Man had invited me to the platform. Both Gunnar and I knew the cycle of the seasons, the diseases of the plants, the slaughtering of animals, the politics of the clans, and our own hostility. But this was beyond our understanding.

“You have a son, correct?”

The mention of Alrik left me completely speechless, and I looked numbly as he turned again and invited Heike to climb up.

My wife had never climbed that platform before, unlike me, and had given birth the day before, yet she managed to climb up, despite the difficulty, bringing with her the baby who looked at the powerful wizard with curiosity. Berth tried to follow her, but Wallia took his cousin’s hand, and managed to keep him still.

“Born, while the dragon perished,” said the Wise Man softly.

He raised his arm, and from the wide sleeve emerged a wrinkled hand, with long, knobby fingers ending in black nails that made it look like the claw of a raptor. Heike shuddered, but in the end, she let the man take Alrik.

“This child is powerful, destined for great things,” he said. His words fell heavy upon the crowd, and left my mouth dry.

At one point, he whispered something, uttering words I couldn’t understand. But, even without comprehending them, my whole body trembled. There was something greedy, almost hungry, in his voice that chilled my blood.

The man lifted the baby to examine him better. The piece of cloth covering him fell to the ground, and our son was left completely naked. When his skin came into contact with the cold night air, he began to cry, but the man ignored him and continued to examine him.

“We will keep him with us,” he announced at last.

It was like being hit by the charge of an aurochs, with the horns passing through me. Heike screamed and leaned forward, but the man made a gesture, and my wife was pushed to the ground.

“What are you doing? You can’t take my-”

Before I could get closer I was pushed to the ground by an invisible force,  a strange magic of his. I landed on my injured arm, and the pain was so intense that I saw stars. Alrik was crying louder and louder, and that terrible sound filled my heart with terror.

“You should be grateful. We are doing you a great honor by taking your son with us. He will learn things you can’t even dream of, and will grow to be revered amongst all the tribes.”

The man passed by me, heading towards the cave from where they had come. I tried to get up, but the pain was terrible, and I felt the bandage dampen with fresh blood again. I turned to Heike, seeing that she had been knocked unconscious to the floor. Before coming, I had hoped they could explain the nightmares I had had in recent days, but what I was experiencing at that moment was worse than any nightmare I had ever had in my life.

“Don’t you dare take my grandson, son of Ciekčis Eatnamat!”

That phrase was like a knife that tore through the veil of horror that had fallen over my mind. Once again, an unnatural silence fell, broken only by the baby’s crying. The man turned, and despite the veiled face, I couldn’t help but notice his surprise at that phrase.

With difficulty, I managed to turn around, and I saw something incredible.

My mother was standing in front of the dragon, at the center of the passage created by the divided crowd. Despite having become more fragile in recent years, she walked towards us with granite determination and a firm step. Her blue eyes seemed to burn like embers, fueled by a strength I couldn’t explain, and they even diminished the aura of the Reiks and his wife.

The man holding my son stepped back as my mother climbed the platform. The two finally stood face to face.