There was only ever recorded a single account of the Cumberland dragon; all the way back in 1794. The story was printed in the Knoxville Gazette first, and then reprinted in papers stretching all the way up to the northeast. The account gave a location: Cove Creek.
It bordered North Carolina, making the cramped drive in the Crown Vic long and unpleasant. Nellie had not expected Nathalie to go with them on their dragon searching quest, but it was pointed out by Morgan as they whispered to each other in the backseat that taking ride shares over long distances as they had was unusual and generally frowned upon.
They found Cove Creek to be mountainous and just as rural as Cumberland City, if not more so. They tried searching for a spot to stop and gather some information, or to stretch their legs after the four hour drive, but there was nothing. There were hiking trails and an RV park nearby, but nothing where they could ask about dragon lore or even get something to eat.
“We should’ve brought Ash,” Nellie mused aloud, staring at the abundant woods.
“No,” Nathalie said flatly.
They succumbed to their hunger and pulled off at the RV park to get directions to food. After a five minute drive to what was considered civilization–a three-lane road with a Dollar General and a lot of open spaces–they found a small, wooden building scarcely larger than a shed surrounded by a dirt lot. Several cars were parked, and the picnic tables boasted clusters of people.
“This looks quick enough,” Nathalie said. “Shall we?”
Amias eyed the shack dubiously as they approached. His complexion turned ashy as his eyes scanned the menu on the side of the building.
“Cash only,” Nathalie murmured. She dug around in her bag. “I do have cash somewhere….”
“Taco… salad,” Amias half-whispered. “What…?”
“Corn dog,” Morgan mused, cocking his head.
Nathalie only had a twenty on her. She carefully factored in the tax, and ordered the food and three waters. She ordered a corn dog for Morgan, a BLT for Amias—Nellie suspecting she believed that would startle his spoiled palate the least—and grilled cheese with a side of cheesy tater tots for herself and Nellie to share.
Morgan gagged on the very first bite of his corndog. Amias grimaced painfully, but managed to eat the BLT. Nellie did not mind her food in the least, and managed to peacefully share it and one of the waters with Nathalie.
“Where do we venture from here,” Amias asked, carefully wiping his mouth with a paper napkin. “I saw nothing of the sort in the way of information. No library. Not even an info kiosk.”
“You would think there would be some type of tourist trap if the area had a dragon story,” Nathalie said.
“We can ask locals,” Nellie suggested. “That’s how I figured out Ash was a smoke wolf before our internet was installed.” She frowned as Morgan gagged again on his half-eaten corndog. “I should probably do the asking….”
“Will you gentlemen excuse us for a moment,” Nathalie asked. She led Nellie a few feet away. “I’m not fully comfortable with you walking up to strangers, but I should keep an eye on Mr. Baig and Morgan. Prevent them from assisting you, to be blunt.”
Nellie smiled appreciatively. She practically bounded over to the woman in the order window.
“What can I get you, sweetie,” the woman asked.
“Nothing; we just ate,” Nellie said. “I really liked all the cheese you had on the tots. I had a question about the area, and figured you might know.”
“I might… depending on the question. Go ahead.”
“Is there a dragon story,” Nellie asked. She laughed a little. “Sorry, it’s kind of weird. My little cousin over there said he read about a Cumberland dragon in Cove Creek, and he got all excited.” She leaned forward and whispered, “He’s too shy to ask.”
“A dragon story,” the woman mused. “That’s not what I expected.” She hummed. “Nope; can’t recall them mentioning it in school neither. But, if it’s called the Cumberland dragon, maybe it’s nearer Cumberland Gap?”
“Is that near here,” Nellie asked, trying to contain her excitement.
“About two hours, maybe two and a half if the weather ain’t good. Me and the family drive through once or twice a year to go visit the grandparents in Kentucky. There’s a few things to do if you’re the outdoorsy sort.” She shot a glance at Morgan before lowering her voice. “They got a cave. I bet you could tell him the dragon lived deep inside and really make his day.”
“That sounds excellent,” Nellie said, unable to sound mature through her wide smile. “Thanks! And thanks for the food! I’ll make sure to leave you a good review.”
She skipped back to Nathalie and the others with this promising lead.
---
It took a lot of begging and pleading to convince the adults—mostly Nathalie—that they should take an extra trip to Cumberland Gap. She made it known throughout the drive that they could not stay long as they were already going to be stuck in rush hour traffic at least once getting back.
Cumberland Gap, Tennessee was less than a dozen streets nestled in the Cumberland Mountains between the state lines of Kentucky and Virginia. They passed through the town in no time, and parked in the parking lot for the Iron Furnace attraction just across the Virginia border.
“Let’s check this furnace and leave,” Nathalie said. “We can’t spend more than fifteen minutes here.”
“What about the cave,” Nellie asked. “A furnace could be a dragon house, but so could a cave. We can’t skip it.”
“There are places to spend the night if we have need,” Morgan said, glaring at the slow-loading screen of his phone. “My pick would be the bed and breakfast.”
“We are not staying the night,” Nathalie said firmly. “You’re going to the furnace and the cave, forty minutes at most, and we’re leaving.”
They climbed from the car and took in the smells and sights of the hills, spotty in places but returning to green.
“Ah, nature,” Amias said with a grimace. “Well, suppose we should trudge along then.”
Nellie and Morgan took the lead, both because they were more than ready to run around the woods and because Amias and Nathalie were less than enthused to do so. Nellie paused from time to time to allow the adults to close the gap, eavesdropping on their complaints that mostly circled around on how far they drove and how much walking they would be doing.
“–all for a naught,” Nathalie whispered.
“Perhaps so, dear lady, but the children seem happy enough,” Amias said.
“Now, but when they fail to find this dragon, who’s to say?”
“I see it,” Morgan called from ahead, excitement apparent.
Nellie rushed to catch up and soon spotted a stone structure on the top of a small hill. It resembled an old fireplace with an extra wide chimney that appeared short compared to the girth of the body. She was not sure what she had expected when she heard ‘Cumberland Furnace’ but apparently an actual ancient furnace was not it.
She went to the information plaque that helpfully had a trail map. The Cumberland Cave was near with the route being more of a loop away and back than direct. It was likely the terrain that determined it, but she was up for some climbing. She lined up her finger with the mile ledger and set it across the map beyond the Cumberland Cave, eyeing two other cave locations.
“Cumberland Cave isn’t far,” Nellie said. “And there’s a second cave about two miles from that. It shouldn’t be much trouble, especially if we cut through the woods.”
“We are not wandering from the path,” Nathalie said.
“If I may,” Amias interjected. “I have no love of all this wilderness, but we are much more likely to attract a dragon off the path.” He smiled wryly. “Or rather, I am much more likely to attract a dragon.” He set his eyes on Nellie. “I do propose we stay on the path this time, and for as much as we are able towards the second cave.”
“Let’s go,” Morgan said impatiently. “You’ll make us turn around the longer we stand here!”
He ran off, his hazel eyes wild with adventure.
Nellie chased after Morgan with a grin across her face. Amias had agreed to the second cave. She bet she could coax them onto the third. She estimated it was twelve miles, which was not an easy hike by any means, but they had come that far so a bit farther should not be such a big deal. Especially if she promised to never talk about the Cumberland dragon again, as the adults were hoping.
They found the Gap Cave full of people waiting for a guided tour. Nellie went to locate the trail map.
“I doubt this has a dragon,” Nellie said matter-of-factly. “Onto the Skylight Cave.”
It did not take long before Nellie found a deer path wide and welcoming, and in the direction of the Skylight Cave. A bit of nudging got Amias and Nathalie to venture off the path–Morgan sprinting off into the trees also helped.
It was not much longer after this venture off the trail that they started to slow; a combination of the mountainous terrain, lack of water, and general stickiness from all the strenuous exercise. None of them wanted to point out that they could not see any hint of the trail. Phones were brought out to check the time and the service—none.
Nellie’s ears started to pick up every twig snapping. She had not paid much attention to what cryptids lived in Appalachia after discovering what Ash was since Appalachia was not exactly in her backyard. That seemed like a mistake now.
Amias let out a long, mournful moan that caused Nellie, Morgan, and Nathalie to jump. Nellie’s blue eyes darted to him, her heart pounding.
“My boots will be ruined,” Amias lamented, lifting to show the scuffs, scratches, and muck on the suede boots. His lip curled in disgust. “That better be mud.”
A shrill shriek pierced the air. The four of them ducked just in time as a dark, feathery bolt shot towards Amias. He frantically grabbed a stick, waved it, and erected a glowing dome over himself. The hawk screeched and scratched at it on its second pass.
“Shoo,” Nathalie ordered, flapping her arms. “Shoo!”
“I bet there’s a nest around here,” Nellie said. “Aww, I wonder if the babies hatched!”
“Perenelle,” Nathalie panted, “help!”
Nellie slipped out of her jacket to wave it at the disgruntled hawk. Her efforts with Nathalie’s managed to make it retreat. The three of them stood completely still, listening hard for if it was coming back. (Morgan sat nearby watching with amusement.) After a moment, Amias dropped his dome and Nathalie and Nellie relaxed.
“My eternal thanks,” Amias breathed. He shuttered. “Nature.”
“Only the predatory types, Amias, you’re too broad,” Morgan said airily. He slid off his boulder. “Now then… do we head back now? I did manage to see a plate of pancakes with whipped cream on that bed and breakfast page before I gave up hope of it loading.”
“No pancakes,” Nathalie said firmly, turning in place. “Back to the car, back to the house, and then you two will go back to Europe. Oh, blast it all, which way did we come from?”
They decided on a direction with all the confidence of a blind man crossing the highway at rush hour. Unease began to settle as the shadows caused by the sparse canopy deepened with the lowering sun.
Nellie was no longer whispering tactics to break away to force Amias and Nathalie to continue finding the dragon. She doubted it existed. She clung to herself, giving a shiver at the dropping temperature.
“I refuse to sleep outside again,” Amias muttered under his breath. “I won’t. I won’t do it.”
A slight gurgling reached Nellie’s ears. “Water,” she murmured. She stopped. “That’s water!”
She led the charge to the creek, dropping in the mud and scooping handfuls of freezing water into her mouth. She slowed her drinking with her thirst quenched, narrowing her eyes to make out a track in the mud. She used her phone’s flashlight to illuminate the creekbed.
It was not a single track, but tracks. They looked like goose feet, but at least double the size and with a wider stride. The impression in the mud was much too heavy for a regular Canadian goose.
“I remember seeing many creeks crossing the trekking paths,” Nathalie said. “If we follow this, we may find one.”
“Anything to get back to civilization,” Amias grumbled. “Master Morgan, how are you fairing?”
Nellie crept along the tracks, ignoring Morgan whining his exhaustion and chilliness to Amias. The tracks led up the opposite back. She held her phone high, but the long grasses hid the footprints. She jumped the creek and scrambled up the bank.
“Nellie? What are you doing,” Nathalie called.
She strained to see beyond where her light shone. The back of her neck prickled.
The weedy trees whipped aside as a something launched up and towards them. All of them screamed. Nellie fell backwards into the stream, yanked out by Nathalie as she tried to bolt only to fall in the slick mud, trapping Morgan in her mad grab at him as well. She was jerked again, this time the other way back into the stream, as Amias shoved Nathalie towards the opposite side of the creek.
They stood (or slumped) divided by the creek and the creature; Amias on the side they had come from and Nathalie with the children on the side the creature had come from.
It was reptilian given that it was covered in scaly skin; Nellie seeing from her flashlight it was mostly black and brown, like the forest shadows, but with spotted dapples of light yellow similar to the sunbeams that managed to break the canopy. It did not have a long, thin snot like the dragons in her fairytales. It was snorter, more bulldog-esque, which somehow made the snarling worse.
The dragon stood on its two legs to around four feet. Its red eyes looked from Nathalie and the children, the rumble deepening in its chest, before swerving its white-tuffed head at Amias. It opened its wide mouth in a roar that sounded like an angry, dying bull. The red ooze dripping from its maw smoked as it hit the leaf litter.
“Find a trail back,” Amias urged, throwing up a shield as the dragon leapt at him. “I’ll meet you shortly! Go!”
Nellie could not move, or would not. Nathalie dragged her off by her arm before she figured out which. There was no knowing if they were running straight into the dragon’s lair. There was no telling what would happen by leaving Amias behind. She halted, hunching over and holding her knees. She wheezed and held the stitch in her side.
“We… can’t leave…,” Nellie tried to get out.
“He said… to,” Nathalie panted, clutching her chest.
There was a long pause filled with their ragged breathing.
“Do you think it’s your mother,” Morgan asked, still leaning against a tree. He was not as winded, but still gulped the air.
The thought had not crossed her mind. The moment the dragon appeared, her only thought was to get away from it. She had completely forgotten why they were looking for it. Although, her thought was more to find signs of Ira than to find her mother.
They shuddered as the dragon’s bullish roar sounded. There was a flash, a glow, from that direction.
“We need to find a ranger,” Nathalie said gravely. “Quickly!”
Nellie’s insides squirmed as they moved further away from Amias and the dragon. Her head swiveled repeatedly back for signs of either of them, her fingers biting through her jacket as she held herself. She flinched as another roar cut the sky.
“We can’t leave him back there,” Nellie blurted, spinning around.
She shut out Nathalie’s frantic screams as she ran back towards the creek. Her heart was threatening to burst from her chest from more than just the excursion.
Amias was panting, wet, muddy; his neat hair a mess. He took his eyes from the dragon when Nellie broke into the creekbed, a look of dumbfoundment on his face.
“Nellie–?”
The dragon bodied him, knocking him down with a hard ram of its head.
“Amias!” Nellie dropped, grabbing rocks and hurling them at the dragon. “Ira! Ira, help! Where are you?”
Her cold fingers failed to dig up any more rocks in her spot. She tried to stand to move spots, her knees giving out as she stared into the large, red eyes before her. She trembled, zeroing in on the blood red ooze dribbling from its snarling jaws. Her mouth dropped open to scream, but no sound came out.
The dragon smashed into an invisible wall, light spreading across the air where it hit. Its hot, rotten breath was not blocked by the shield.
“Nellie,” Amias croaked. His expression was strained as he held both hands up towards the dragon. “Move!”
She scrambled out of the creek just as the dragon broke through Amias’s shield. She managed a gasping scream as it smashed into the creek where she had been sitting. She hurried around and over to Amias, pulling at his arm.
“Come on,” she urged.
“G-go,” he breathed. “I’m too… exhausted.”
She sobbed, pulling at him but barely budging him. She threw her whole weight against him, slipped, and found herself lying in the mud. She was yanked and thrown, finding herself behind Amias.
His breathing was rough as he held up his shield. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his body shuttered each time the dragon rammed into the barrier.
“I-Ira,” Nellie called.
The dragon hunkered down and jumped double its height, clean over Amias and his shield. It landed behind them, snarling.
There came a pop, pop, pop, and a long hiss. Putrid, dark smoke filled the creekbed. Nellie was forced to shut her eyes, tears streaming to lessen their burning. Amias joined her in deep, hacking coughs. The choking, rumbling coughs of the dragon echoed over their own coughs. The sound of its tail snaking through the brush, of it crashing through branches, died away as it took off.
“N-Nellie,” Amias choked.
“H-here,” Nellie got out, the peppery smoke burning her throat. She waved her arms about, gripping Amias’s leg when she found it.
The gentle, constant breeze soon dissipated the smoke enough that Nellie felt it easier to open her eyes, although they still hurt and her vision was mildly blurry from the tears.
The slender figure of a young woman stood against the twilight sky.
“Ira, Ira, Ira,” her voice came mockingly.
Nellie squinted as a light was turned on directly in her face. She fought to stare through it to no avail.
“Ira isn't here, and I’m no prince charming.”
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Started this on my phone when I was up north. It was slow going, but got here in the end. With a dragon! Amias being magic means animals (mostly predatory types) don't like him. I thought to have a bobcat or bear show up first, but liked the idea of him being dive bombed by a sharp-shinned hawk. It was supposed to give an opening for Amias to complain about his energy=magic being depleted because of all the activity, lack of food, lack of water, ect. but it was too clunky.
