"Los Espantajos (The Bugbears)" by Natasha Minks

Once upon a time, a long time ago, in a far away land, was the kingdom of Korangar.

The kingdom was governed by a kind and wise king. King Ren loved his people and his family very much, and the land was happy for many years. But then, in the twentieth year of the king’s reign, he fell ill, and the whole kingdom was very sad.

But although the king was sick, the people rejoiced, because the queen, the wife of the king, gave birth to three beautiful baby girls.

As always in such cases, they needed a fairy godmother—but there was not one to be found. The best they were able to do was hire a sorcerer for the occasion.

Now, this sorcerer had a horrible reputation throughout the kingdom for dealings in dark magic with dragons, the great and terrible beasts that lived in the mountains in the farthest north corner of the kingdom. But, all the same, they had to have someone magical there for the christening of the three beautiful princesses. The queen and the king, who was more ill than ever, didn’t know what else to do. “The sorcerer,” they said, “must have an invitation.”

The day of the christening arrived at least, and all the kingdom came to see the three beautiful princesses—except the sorcerer, who couldn’t be found anywhere.

“What will we do?” they asked each other, the people and the royal family alike. “What kind of christening has no enchantments for its princesses?”

They were about to despair when suddenly there came a great knock at the castle door.

In the door stood The Mirage. The Mirage were a group of warriors, magicians, misfits, and all kinds of rare and strange people that fought monsters, solved the most obscure and treacherous secrets, and in other ways, as long as it served their purposes, served the kingdom.

The people had great respect and not a little fear for The Mirage, but everyone agreed that there was no one better to find the sorcerer, and save the future of the princesses and their christening.

The king, although still very sick, spoke with the leader of The Mirage, a woman named Aleyanan, for a long time.

“From the beginning of the world, my liege,” Aleyanan began, “we of The Mirage have been the guardians of the mountain peak Arazuele, far in the north, on the very edge of your borders. We watch because a great evil sleeps there, a beast so terrible not even a great sorcerer like yours was able to win against its magic.”

The king had heard such rumors before, but still this news caused him much sadness. Still, he had no other option; so the very next day, he, The Mirage, and a select group of castle guards left for Arazuele Peak, to find the sorcerer who would save the princesses’ christening and free the whole land from the danger of the great dragon.

The trip was long and difficult. The health of King Ren was worse each day, and the group of travelers was ever more disheartened. It seemed nothing would ever go according to plan.

But in the last stage of the journey, when it seemed nothing would ever be better and even the map seemed to be wrong about the location of Arazuele Peak, they saw the dragon.

He flew high above their heads, beautiful, majestic, and powerful, eyes of sapphire staring down at them with a dark look. The group was too full of fear to move, much less run for cover.

But the dragon did not attack.

And after a few moments, he left, flying towards a mountain peak far taller than the rest—and that, they knew, was Arazuele Peak, the home of the evil dragon, and where their sorcerer was a prisoner—if, that is, he was still alive.

The travelers followed from the ground the path the dragon took in flight, and although he was soon lost from sight, they walked until nightfall, and saw Arazuele Peak, tall and terrible, before them.

In the dark of the night, they ascended the mountain.

With the light of day, they reached the top, and entered the lair of the dragon—and over there, in the corner, was the sorcerer, safe and sound, in a deep sleep. But they had taken no more than three careful steps in his direction when—

“Who are you?” roared a great and terrible voice. “Where are you from? Why do you disturb my kingdom and my sleep?”

But before the king or anyone was able to answer, the sorcerer started awake and called desperately, “No, Yorabanos! Don’t hurt them!”

At this, the sick king found his voice. “Sorcerer!” he called, speaking for the whole group of the unusual situation they now found, so unlike what they had been led to expect. “What is the meaning of this?”

The dragon laughed. “Explain to your heart’s content,” he said to the sorcerer. “Call me when you are ready for me.” And with that, the dragon—Yorabanos—left the main room.

Now King Ren and Aleyanan were face to face con with sorcerer, with many questions, and a great deal of confusion. The sorcerer—who, this close up, did not look evil—took a seat on the floor and, when the others had done the same, began to speak:

“Long ago, I came across this dragon, of the name Yorabanos, as a member of The Mirage. I had no little interest in the ancient legends of dragons, but coming face to face with the beast of reputed evil, I saw instead a beautiful creature.. For my mercy, I was rewarded with the discovery that he is far from evil, as the legends have said. But I knew no one was yet ready to hear the truth, because of their great fear. Indeed, the worst happened—because of my association with Yorabanos, people began to say that I, a simple sorcerer, was evil! But to learn more of Yorabanos, the last of his kind here, I was willing to accept that defamation. But now, perhaps, the king, and through him the world, will know the truth.”

All was silence, for a moment, after the sorcerer’s story. But then the king spoke:

“It seems our “evil” was nothing but a bugbear, an object of needless fear, an insubstantial phantom. Thank you, kind sorcerer, many thanks, for your sacrifice, and your work—and for your corrections to the ancient legends. It seems we need new legends, that do justice to this noble creature. Please, call your friend.”

The sorcerer smiled, and called down the passageway: “Yorabanos!”

The dragon entered slowly, and lowered his magnificent head to look the king in the eye.

“Yorabanos,” said the king, “and good sorcerer, we mourn with you today for the centuries of sadness you have endured for these legends, and our fear. But now, with luck and new, good intentions, we invite you to come to the castle, to live near, and most of all, to attend the christening of my three beautiful daughters.”

With a smile timid and pleased, the dragon inclined his grand head in acceptance of the king’s offer. “You highness,” he said.

And so it was that Yorabanos the dragon and the good sorcerer rejoiced, along with the king, and Aleyanan, and all the guards and The Mirage, and all returned with safety and joy to Korangar. And all the people of the kingdom rejoiced, for enemies and become friends, and the christening of the three beautiful princesses was remembered as the most magnificent and happiest for many years to come.

Yorabanos and the good sorcerer soon had a chance to demonstrate their integrity and valor for all to see, when with their combined magic they caused the illness of the king to slowly fade, and, in time, leaving him as strong has he had been before.

In the end, it was the fear of the people which passed away, and the good sorcerer and Yorabanos were no longer the bugbears of Korangar. And, perhaps, the people and the royal family were a little wiser.

And, of course, as always in these cases, they all lived happily ever after.


The End.