TBC Publishing Pride Month Flash Fiction Challenge, #25 of 30

TBC Publishing Pride Month Flash Fiction Challenge, 25 of 30

Title: The Right to Celebrate

Author: R. Scott Tyler

Genre: Fantasy

Word count (500 max): 474

It had been two years since the mighty dragon, Skydarkener, He of the Poison Tongue, was defeated. Grandparents in the kingdom said that in the early days, the dragons associated with Skydarkener had been practical and reasonable rulers. But over the last 50 years, the dragons changed. Now, every action or word that didn’t sound like Skydarkener’s was met with swift and unyielding destruction. His council of elders, made up of citizens of the kingdom, changed rapidly and sometimes violently if they disagreed with him, and sometimes even if they didn’t agree soon enough for his liking.

When more than three-quarters of the kingdom opposed his rule, they turned against him, with help from allies near and far. Sorcerers, soldiers, grocers, bell ringers, and every other member of the kingdom were fed up with Skydarkener’s treachery. He was finally defeated, but it would take years to repair the damage he had caused.

Now, every month of Slitherheat, the sixth month in their calendar year, they celebrated their freedom from his tyranny, bringing together everyone in the kingdom’s population with food, drink, and music.

This year, Drax and Blaise both turned sixteen. They both brought their family of origin to the Slitherheat celebration and came out to their family by sharing a long kiss timed with the grand finale of the sky popping Brightworks. Their kind had been oppressed in the kingdom for a long time, and Skydarkener’s rules had doubled down on the oppression during his reign.

Drax’s parents were still worried about the dangers their son might face because of this ‘choice’, but they loved Drax and his younger sister with all their heart and committed to learning and growing along with both.

Blaise’s parents, on the other hand, were founding members of a group dedicated to bringing truth and understanding to all people, including Drax and Blaise. As far as they were concerned, everyone in the kingdom had a right to live the life they chose, as a male, as a female, as something between, or as both. And they had the right, even the duty, to love and be loved as they so choose. They went so far as to say that people who were comfortable in their own skins, happy, and safe were better citizens, more committed, and more creative.

The group they formed had created their own flag, one with the colors of the rainbow and all shapes, that would indicate acceptance and safety wherever it was seen. Drax’s parents had joined the group and had added the flag to the decorations on their front door.

There was still work to be done, but Drax and Blaise knew that there were many people who supported them, and that, even if the fight lasted their entire lives, they would make it better for their brotherhood and sisterhood in the future.

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Nine of Cups. Most strongly associated with pride.