Mistica Chronicles


Welcome to Issue 47

puredream Winning Entry

Volcan, a name easily identified by many as a scorching, ill-tempered dragon. He was, perhaps, the first in Mistica before even Pandora herself. However, despite his fiery temperament that he is famous for today, it was not always as such. Even in the passion of his youth, the now scorched dragon was not always as we knew him.

When he was young, he was known to be as cool as ice and as smooth as the untouched surface of the tide pools that can sometimes be found in Mistica’s beaches. Every year, during Mistmas he would light the good Misticans’ fires and warm the towns enough to be a happy chill. He would not harm a single snowflake that alighted little boys and girls on Mistmas morning and allowed them to sled. Despite his name, Volcan was a soft and delicate creature, who loved to talk with the younglings and took pleasure it being a friend to all. His only weakness was that he was vain and loved pretty women.

However, in his boyhood he fell madly in love with a young, beautiful enchantress under Pandora’s apprenticeship – a shriveled old hag now known as Zulime. And she, in turn, relished the attention bestowed to her. Even Pandora was content with the affection the young lovers seemed to share between them. She would often remark, “It was I who introduced them you know. I knew they would be a perfect match.” The only one displease was young Prince Blithe for his younger sister, Zappy, too loved the young Volcan.

Zappy and Volcan had cared on as any couple their age would have. They called each other every sickening name under the sun, said “I love you” after the first week, and told each other it would last forever. Despite the promise the couple showed, they broke up shortly after leaving as “just friends”. Both were heartbroken, but then Zulime came into his life leaving no traces of the once marred heart – on Volcan at least.

Blithe would not stand for the injustice done upon his sister and sought out the nymph known as Feron in the deepest woods of Mistica. After much labor, he stumbled upon her and begged her for a potion to make Volcan pay for his grievances. Feron was wise and saw Volcan’s vise. Crafting the first toadstool, she instructed Blithe to give it to the young bride on the night before her wedding.

Months passed and the wedding drew closer; all the while, Blithe sat on the toadstool. Finally the night before inched forward, Blithe cloaked himself and brought the unfortunate bride her gift. All went well and she took the poison right there, unsuspecting of ill-intent from her friend.

Finally, Volcan’s wedding day dawned and the young fire-keeper awaited eagerly for his soon-to-be wife to approach the alter. Jittery he removed the veil to see her young, soft face only to find a wrinkly hag in her place. Holding true to his name, he instantly erupted with rage at the sight of such a hideous creature. “You dare to play a trick on me, Pandora?!” He ignited the first set of chairs as Misticans jumped back to remove themselves from his wrath.

“What ever to do you mean?” Pandora growled greatly hurt, though unaware of the true flame for his discontent, “I have introduced you to my finest and most lovely pupil and this is how you treat me?”

Volcan snarled at that, roughly turning Zulime around to show a very different creature from the one the old Misticans knew, but familiar to the ones that now walk the earth. “You turned an old hag into a beauty to play a prank on me! That’s what I mean!” He snapped.

Pandora snorted as her patience dwindled, “It was not I who turned that beauty into a hag.”

“Well then who did?!” Volcan roared in her face causing the whole procession to cower beneath their chairs. However, he did not wait for an answer as he suddenly flew towards his volcano home, thoroughly enraged.

Pandora, herself, remained silent at his tantrum watching him go. Turning to Zulime, she sighed and nodded before leaving silently. It was all the Misticans needed to know he would be punished for his insolence.

Since then, Volcan has not left his volcano; though whether it has been out of outrage or fear of being rebuked no one is sure. His only contact with the outside world is the odd traveler, who is brave enough to bring him supplies for a hefty price. Zulime, herself, hid away in the marshes in attempt to remove the curse on her in the form of poppets. And Prince Blithe became the famously jolly king; no one, but Feron knowing to this day that he had any part in the enchantment.