The Fire Serpent of Upton-Upon-Severn

by Anna Hoyler

Authors Note: Any resemblance in this story to any event, real or fictional, is coincidence. This story is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. Your computer is harmful if swallowed. Thank you and have a good day.

Aimee and Greer had been friends ever since Aimee had moved to the small town of Upton-upon-Severn, Worchester, England. Aimee and her family had moved from America when she was seven. That first awkward day at school Greer had smiled at her and kept her company all day; ever since then the two had become nearly inseparable. Now they were teenagers, teetering on the edge of womanhood together. A balmy August day found Greer sitting on top of their rock while Aimee read a book of folklore below her.

“I was born in the wrong century.” Aimee announced.

Greer laughed.

“No really. I should have been born in the mild ages, with knights, and damsels in distress, and all the lovely clothing.”

“And the black plague, highway men, marauding attackers, no sanitation...” Greer added, still laughing. “No, this century’s the place for us. Actually,” she rolled over and began to poke at Aimee’s honey-colored hair, “I wish I was in the future.”

“Why?” Aimee asked, twisting her neck to look into her friend’s gray eyes.

“Just look at all the advancements mankind has made already! Imagine where we’ll be in the next two-thousand years!” Greer’s eyes sparkled as she spoke.

“Dead, most likely.” Aimee replied. Greer nodded and turned back to the sun.

Aimee flipped a few more pages. “Hey! There’s one in here from Upton!”

“Really?” Greer rolled over again. “What is it about?”

“The Fire Beast of Upton-Upon-Severn.” She cleared her throat before reading.

“As told to the author by an old woman who asked not to be named.

Many years ago, before your great-great-great grandfather was born, a troop of Vikings were marauding the Coasts of England. They came up the river and attacked a monastery outside of the town. The poor monks knew nothing of fighting, yet were the trusted of Guardians of the Sword of King Arthur. So they did what all good monks do: they prayed. When the Vikings broke into the monastery and struck down the monks they destroyed the door to the room in which the scepter lay. But there was something there… something not right. A smoldering crack lay between them and it, but they thought nothing of it. As the first one stepped across it, he burst into flames and collapsed into a pile of ash in moments. All his companions stepped back in alarm as the smoldering crack became a serpent of raw flame. It attacked them, and drove them from the monastery, biting at their heels and burning their clothing from their bodies. The Vikings fled home and never dared to attack England again. The monastery fell into ruins, and eventually was buried in an earthquake. But to this day, anyone who tries to steal the scepter, or in any other way disturb the ruins of the monastery, theirs is the frightening honor of meeting the Fire Serpent.”

Aimee lowered the book. “Cool. So there’s buried treasure here?”

Greer shrugged. “It’s an old legend, Aim, like Arthur himself.”

“Still, it’s a cool thought. What’dya say we try and find it?” Aimee grinned impishly up at her friend.

Greer gave one of her frequent laughs. “Are you sure you want to meet…” She forced her face into a serious expression, or tried to, anyway; “The Fire Serpent?”

Aimee laughed too, “Like you said, it’s just a legend.”

Aimee worked on her and finally talked Greer into going on a hike to where the monastery was supposed to be. It was a long hike, but they enjoyed looking at the scenery. But as they approached the site it should be they began to hear voices. Aimee was frightened, but Greer pushed ahead. The two girls found themselves on the edge of a digging site. Ten or so men were digging away, and from what they were saying it sounded like they were searching for the treasure.

“Come on!” Aimee whispered frantically, but Greer ignored her. Aimee went to crawl back, but was grabbed by a man. He smiled nastily and placed a gun against her head. Greer came out slowly and both girls were marched into the camp. All the men gathered around. Counting the one who had captured them, there were eleven in all. Both girls were tied tightly to a tree as one of the men made a call on his cell phone, and soon two more arrived.

“Well, what do we have here?” asked one of the new ones, who wore a suit and tie.

“Thirteen is the number of the Devil.” Greer remarked. Aimee bit her lip, trying not to cry with fear, and the same time wondering where on earth Greer had come up with that.

The man smiled in a very unpleasant way. “Maybe that’s exactly the point.” He leaned down towards Greer and blew some cigar smoke in her face.

“This is foolish you know. Even if you find ruins, there probably won’t be any treasure.” Greer sounded brave, but Aimee detected a quaver in her voice.

“Hey, boss! Look at this!” Someone shouted. Everyone hurried over. Aimee craned her neck but couldn’t see a thing. Finally the man came back and they were both cut loose and pulled to their feet.

“Come on. We found the ruins.” The boss said.

A ladder had been lowered into the earth, and when the girls had descended it they found themselves in the chapel of a great church. The men came down and shown flashlights about the room.

“Since you’re so concerned, you girls go first.” The Boss ordered.

They searched the monastery for hours. When every inch had been scoured twice the men sat in a group and ate. Surprisingly, they shared a few sandwiches and drinks with the two girls. Aimee slid her cold, sweaty hands into Greer’s warm ones. Greer squeezed and smiled reassuringly at Aimee, who decided she must be up to something. After they’d eaten the men sat around and began to discuss the treasure they were trying to find. Somehow the fire serpent came up. One man claimed it was a young man who’d sold his soul to the Devil for love, another said it was a young woman who’s parents had sold her for money, another claimed it was a demon, the last opinion was that it was an angel, assigned this task to make up for some crime it had made. Aimee leaned fearfully on Greer as the talk came around to what to do with the girls. As the site was in a national forest they couldn’t risk the authorities being told, so killing the girls was a popular option. Suddenly one of them leapt to his feet.

“Of course!” He shouted, “What fools we’ve been! Where else would the monks hide their treasure but in the sanctuary!”

Greer’s grip on Aimee’s hand tightened, and Aimee felt like her hand was slowly burning. Carefully she eased it out of Greer’s hand and pressed it to the cool stone. The men set to work like men possessed, breaking walls, overturning what little furniture there was, until finally their efforts turned to the alter itself. With a crack it was broken in half and revealed a staircase down. Both girls were dragged over and forced down first. Aimee whimpered in fear as she had to duck because the ceiling was low. Greer squeezed her hand reassuringly. Aimee felt sure Greer’s hand was on fire, it was putting out so much heat. The staircase led them down, and down, and down until Aimee was sure they were in the bowels of the earth itself. The air grew warmer, and Aimee couldn’t help but think of the legends of the Fire Serpent once again. A warm orange glow formed ahead of them, and Greer took Aimee’s hand once more, leading her down the last few steps. They entered a huge cavern. Flames danced on a ledge about the edges of the room. In the center was a stone sarcophagus upon a two-step dais, on top of the sarcophagus was a sword.

“There it is.” The boss whispered in wonder. “The sword of King Arthur himself.”

At that moment the fires of the room rose to the ceiling and a voice boomed from everywhere and nowhere. “Step forward mortal. Touch the treasure and meet your destiny!”

Aimee screamed and the men stepped back. The boss drew his gun and shoved Greer forward. “You, since you’re so brave, you get the treasure.”

Greer’s steps were slow as she approached and mounted the dais. Aimee could see her hand shaking as she laid it on the sword, then yanked both her hand and the sword away. But nothing happened. She turned back to the company and stepped onto the second step.

“Bring it here.” The boss ordered.

“Come and take your prize.” Greer challenged. Aimee looked fearfully at the boss. With a growl he stepped forward and went to take the sword from Greer, but the moment he touched it he fell back, his face suddenly pale. Greer leapt forward and dove through his chest, entering a teenager girl but leaving his back a flaming snake. The snake left the leader to collapse to his knees and turned on the men. They ran in terror, but it pursued them, leaving a screaming and crying Aimee alone in the chamber. She didn’t dare approach the treasure, or look at the dead man, or attempt to climb the stairs. She collapsed to the ground and cried. After many minutes had passed she heard a familiar voice. “Aimee?”

Aimee lifted her head and found Greer’s familiar face bending over her, but yet it was different. In her friend’s eyes danced flames, as though there were a great furnace in her head and it showed out her eyes.

Aimee screamed again and turned away, whimpering.

“Aimee, please don’t be afraid.” A warm hand touched her back. “Please, Aimee, look at me.” Greer sounded close to tears.

Aimee slowly lifted her head and looked at her friend; Greer knelt next to her, the tears falling from her eyes a strange contrast with the fires that danced in them.

“What are you?” Aimee asked; fear, shock, and grief filling her voice.

“I am the Fire Serpent, sent to guard the sword of King Arthur.” Greer replied, sadness evident in her tone.

“Then why are you attending school, and why did you—did you…” Aimee was crying too hard to finish.

“Befriend you?” At Aimee’s nod Greer smiled through her tears. “Even guardians get lonely. I was sold to the Devil at birth, I’m not sure why. But I was given something no other demon has ever received: a chance to be redeemed. God set me to guard this place as my task. But hanging out in the same place can be pretty lonely.” Greer traced her hand over the abstract carvings on the floor.

“I can imagine.” Aimee filled in the silence.

Greer smiled at her and wiped her eyes. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For being my friend.”

Aimee smiled a moment, then frowned. “Does this mean we’re not friends anymore?”

Greer shook her head. “We’ll always be friends. But with the monastery uncovered I must take the treasure somewhere safe.” She put an arm around Aimee. “I may never see you again.”

Aimee hugged her friend tightly, letting tears fall once again. “I’ll never forget you.”

Greer returned the squeezed. “And I’ll never forget you.” The Guardian rose and pulled Aimee up with her, then guided her up to the sarcophagus and opened it. Aimee gasped at the gold and jewels that met her eyes. Greer dug through it and pulled out two things. The first was a beautiful gold necklace that held a single ruby. The second was a beaten gold crown, shaped as the laurel wreaths of old.

“Here.” Greer handed them both to Aimee. “Sell the crown to a museum, but keep the necklace as a gift.” Aimee took them both and held them to her chest.

“Come.” Greer murmured, and a flame blossomed on the palm of her hand. She guided her friend from the ruins and saw her home. When she set foot on the porch Aimee looked back and watch Greer’s body be consumed by flame, and the Fire Serpent returned to the ruins.

At school the next day, it was as though Greer had never existed. When Aimee mentioned her to their friends, they accused her of making up tales. But Aimee never forgot.

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