Night Time Story: The Dragon’s Feather
High in the mountains where the clouds touched the earth, a dragon named Seraphel lived in solitude.
His scales shimmered like molten gold, and his wings stretched wider than the sky itself.
Legends spoke of a single feather from Seraphel’s wing—a feather that could grant any wish. But those who sought it never returned the same.
One day, a young boy named Alden climbed the treacherous cliffs, his heart set on a single wish: to bring back the harvest that his village had lost to a cruel winter.
His people were starving, and he saw no other way.
After days of climbing, he reached the dragon’s lair. Seraphel, resting atop a bed of ancient gold, opened one gleaming eye.
“You seek my feather,” the dragon rumbled.
Alden nodded. “I do. I wish for my village to have food again.”
Seraphel studied the boy for a long moment before plucking a single feather from his wing. The air crackled with magic as the feather landed in Alden’s hands.
“Make your wish,” the dragon said.
Alden closed his eyes and wished with all his heart. The feather glowed bright, then vanished into the wind.
When he returned home, the fields were bursting with golden wheat, the orchards heavy with fruit. His people rejoiced, lifting him onto their shoulders.
But that night, Alden awoke to a chilling silence. He stepped outside and gasped.
The stars had disappeared.
The next night, the moon did not rise. Each day, something vanished—the rivers ran dry, the trees withered, and the animals disappeared into nothing.
Alden returned to the mountain, his heart heavy. “What have I done?” he cried.
Seraphel’s voice echoed through the cliffs. “For every gift, something is taken. You wished for life, and the world answered by giving up its own.”
Alden fell to his knees. “Then take the wish back! I don’t want it anymore!”
Seraphel sighed. “Wishes cannot be undone, only replaced. You may wish for the world to return to as it was… but at a cost.”
Alden hesitated, then whispered, “Take my life instead.”
The dragon’s eyes softened. The stars returned. The rivers flowed again. And Alden, though never seen again, was remembered as the boy who had saved the world with a wish—and a sacrifice.
By Cedric Hawthorne
