Chronicles of Galadria II_Encounters

by David Gay-Perret

  “Ayrokkan, can you tell me where we are right now?”

  “We are approaching a village called Elmash. I won’t fly over it, but you might be able to see it from a distance.”

  “Elmash, already! What good news,” thought the adolescent. And it was true, because a few minutes later, he found he could distinguish the contours of a wall surrounding some tall towers. The village appeared quite important, which made sense, since the Way of Hope couldn’t be far, and with it, all of its commerce. Glaide noticed now one of the cons of that access road. It was already congested with travelers of all sorts. He and his mount were so near civilization, but he knew, too, that this would be short-lived; in just a few hours, he would again find himself plunged into regions of immense solitude, punctuated only here and there with a few rare habitations.

  The dragon was drawing away from Elmash, moving towards the southwest, when, suddenly, the scaly head fixed its gaze on something near the ground. Glaide noticed the movement, and looked below him, though he soon felt light-headed, and lifted his gaze again quickly. Nonetheless, he’d had enough time to catch a glimpse of what had caught the attention of the creature: though they were already far from the main road, he could see some type of crowd, gathered in the middle of the plain. Glaide, with his human eyes, couldn’t distinguish what it was, exactly.

  “What is happening down there?” he asked. “Why are there so many people in the middle of nowhere? What are they doing down there?”

  “They are fighting.”

  “What?” choked out the young man. “They’re fighting? Who are they?”

  “Humans fighting against orks. Flatland trolls are arriving from the south, as well,” announced Ayrokkan calmly.

  Glaide rapidly considered the situation: a battle was occurring just below, and the enemies had reinforcements on the way. “How many humans? Are there enough of them to defend themselves?”

  “There are a dozen humans – trained soldiers – fighting against fifteen orks. They should endure. Though certainly, if the five trolls lend a strong hand, the balance will be altered.”

  “What do you mean, ‘the balance will be altered’? What are you saying?” asked the young man, starting to become angry.

  “That means, they will have no chance.” An instant of silence – one in which Glaide paused, with his mouth gaping open – followed the declaration. What was the dragon waiting for? Why didn’t he lend a hand?

  “Aren’t you going to do something? Are you going to let them die? I refuse to do that! If you don’t want to be seen, then you can let me down behind one of the hills that dot this whole land, and let me climb down.”

  “No.”

  “What do you mean, ‘no’? Let me down immediately! I refuse to allow this butchery to happen. Have you no heart?”

  “It has nothing to do with me.”

  “What does that matter? I didn’t know that dragons were so egotistical!”

  The monster suddenly released a cry of rage. Glaide suddenly shrunk into himself, realizing that he had gone too far.

  “If I am as egotistical as you say, then we need not have this discussion. I have already explained to you that we dragon do not involve ourselves with the affairs of humans. You are the only one who can change that, and then only by proving your own strength. If I intervene now, it will end our neutrality, and will give my enemies the right to align themselves with Baras. Let me repeat, not all dragons share my opinions, but we live in peace. Saving these humans will bring that peace into jeopardy, something that I will not do unless we decide to ally ourselves with you. Now, instead of saying such foolish things, without taking the time to reflect on your words, look in the direction of Elmash. What do you see?”

  “Ummm... there is a dark shape that is advancing. It seems to be coming from the city.”

  “Exactly. It is a group of horsemen out on patrol. If chance is on their side, they will come across these unfortunates, in which case their survival will be assured. These militiamen are heavily armed. It is evident that they know the surroundings of this city are not safe.”

  Glaide closed his mouth. He no longer had anything to say. Everything that the dragon had just said had been undeniably fair, and he knew that he could have done little anyway. The feeling of weakness that he carried was simply unbearable. But he was beginning to become used to it. Every life in danger that he saw reminded him of who he was, of where he came from, and of what he sought. He let his mount continue to distance them from the battle that raged on below. The survival of these men now depended on Destiny.

  Glaide lost himself in his thoughts. It was true that recent events had let him forget the goal of his quest, but it had now returned to the forefront of his mind. He had to find the master of Iretane, and for that, he needed to find Tyv and Paeh, and ask them for more information.

  It was then that the young man realized his plan contained a major flaw – one that made him even more morose: it would take several weeks for his friends to arrive. He had left them at Yzur, and they would not yet have reached Adrish. Yet here he was. He could certainly wait for them, but for how long? Who could say what all they would stop to do during the journey? Glaide could not wait forever in the village.

  “Always problems, problems, and more problems,” grumbled the young man to himself darkly. “It’s impossible; I’ll never come out on the other end. And meanwhile, the dragons wait. Well, then they’ll have to just keep waiting.” Rather than continuing to aggravate himself with this line of thinking, the young man decided to set all of that aside, and instead concentrate on the countryside surrounding him. Ayrokkan seemed to understand that his passenger desired silence, as he said nothing.

  An hour later, the creature landed. The adolescent wondered why, since they had not yet arrived, and they could wait until evening to rest. However, the dragon replied simply that he was gathering his forces. Glaide didn’t push for an answer, and instead got down from his mount so he could stretch his legs. Even on foot, the beast advanced rapidly, though he slowed to match the human’s speed.

  They walked on, side by side, and in perfect silence, each of them absorbed in his own thoughts. The thoughts of the young man centered, against his wishes, on his sword. Though he didn’t know how to use it correctly, he could feel it beside him. From the very beginning, it had been something more than just a piece of steel, but rather a friend. He had the impression that his sword would let him accomplish great things, and he could trust it. It would neither break, nor rust, nor become dull. It was as though it simply waited patiently for the opportunity to do its job – that is, to protect the life of the one that carried it.

  He also noticed that the ability to make his blade appear and disappear, which was the first ability that he and Jeremy had mastered, felt different: not so long ago, he had had to work hard at visualizing the object in order for it to materialize. Now, though, it seemed much easier, more natural. His sword had become like an extension of his own body. He could make it disappear and reappear as easily as he could move his own arms and legs. He no longer had to concentrate; instead, it was instinctive, as though written into his very flesh. The young man wondered to himself whether it was the same for Jeremy.

  Then, he thought about the samurais of feudal Japan, who practically worshipped their weapons, as their sabers protected their lives, even as they took the lives of others. These men had considered their weapons as their very own souls. They lived and died by the blade. However, over time, they had acquired a unique philosophy and way of seeing the world. Even if the young man had not yet reached that stage, he at least understood that his weapon had become a part of him.

  After at least a half an hour of silence, the young man began to speak. He wanted to break up the monotony of the journey – or at least, of whatever monotony one can speak of while in the midst of a journey in the company of a dragon. Rapidly, the conversation took a turn that surprised the boy: his companion asked him to describe his own world. The creature wanted t
o learn more about a universe that he knew nothing about! At first, the boy spoke reticently, because he wanted to forget that part of his existence. However, he soon found himself caught up in the subject, and describing even the smallest details of life on Earth. He began with generalities, such as the number of continents, and the number of inhabitants. Then he began to speak on more specific points, such as the religions of the world.

  The dragon seemed especially interested in what was normal on Earth, or even trivial. He asked many questions about the roads, how people travelled about, what plastic was, exactly, and about many other things. At the same time, the conversation brought to mind his own ancient memories – memories from hundreds of years ago. The beast recounted legends and adventures from long-forgotten warriors. And so they passed the time. Whenever one of the travelers grew tired of speaking, the other took over. The conversation was extremely interesting and enlightening.

  When they finally stopped for their evening meal, the dragon concluded the conversation, saying, “Well, Glaide, I am now the most knowledgeable creature of Galadria, as far as other worlds are concerned, and you are the human who best understands the dragons and their history!” He finished his phrase with a strange cry, which seemed – more or less – to be laughter.

  During the meal, the young man asked a question.

  “Ayrokkan, you said earlier that you were landing so you could gather your forces. Why?”

  “Finish the meal, and you will see.”

  Glaide quickly gobbled down the last bites of his meal, eating at record speed, then exclaimed, “There, I’ve finished!”

  “Well, I haven’t,” replied the dragon simply. He buried his teeth in his prey. The boy grumbled to himself, then turned to face the fire, turning his back to his companion. He had to wait for almost half an hour. The sun was setting, and he could barely see anything when he finally heard sounds behind him that indicated that the creature had finished eating his game. He was stretching out his wings and seemed in good shape after the rest.

  “Was your meal good?” asked Glaide, a note of sarcasm in his voice.

  “Excellent,” responded Ayrokkan. “But what are you waiting for? Put out the fire! Adrish awaits!”

  “What? Put out the fire? Why would I do that?”

  “Because we’re leaving, my friend.”

  For a moment, the young man thought his companion was teasing. That was evidently not the case, however, and he soon felt a wave of excitement flow over him. A night flight on the back of a dragon in the midst of the surrounding heavens would be fantastic. He quickly gathered his things, moving clumsily; his arms and legs trembled from excitement. After about ten minutes, during which the dragon slyly watched the boy work at putting out the flames, and the boy burned off a few arm hairs, they were finally ready. The young man took his place and attached his sack to one of the dragon’s spikes. He wanted to have his hands free, so he could take full advantage of the spectacle. With a bound, the creature propelled itself into the air. Immediately, the cool night air began to whip at the face of his passenger. The animal moved higher and higher, slowly at first, then increasing his speed. Soon, he was flying almost perfectly straight up towards the heavens. Glaide was pressed against the spike behind him, and the formidable acceleration of his mount stupefied him.

  Suddenly, the creature changed directions, so he was flying horizontally, then he accelerated even more. The young man would never have thought it possible to travel at such speed. His hair was flying in all directions, the wind was whistling in his ears, and his long cape whipped at his back. The neck of the dragon was stretch out straight in front of him. His eyes didn’t blink, and he was evidently concentrating. The stars around them were nothing but tiny, luminous, and immobile points, silent witnesses to the joy the boy was experiencing.

  The creature descended towards the ground gradually, but without reducing speed. The creature flew low over the moonlit grass of the field. It was surreal. The two companions frightened a group of wild horses, which took off at a gallop. Glaide felt an irresistible desire building inside of him to cry out; he wanted to shout from joy, from excitement, from the feeling of power, but also from his pain and his discouragement. With a rapid gesture, he drew his sword and raised it towards the heavens above him. The moon reflected against it and he yelled; an almost inhuman sound rising from deep within his throat, soon followed by the powerful roar of the dragon.

  In that moment, everything else faded away, paling in comparison to those two intertwined voices, which resonated through their surroundings. If someone would have come across the scene, they would have thought themselves the victims of a hallucination, because it looked like something from another age – from an age where mankind was in perfect harmony with life itself.

  Then, everything calmed. The dragon ascended towards the stars, to avoid being seen, and Glaide sheathed his sword calmly, then silence installed itself, only interrupted by the regular sound of the immense wings beating the air. The rider and his mount travelled for many miles in this way, watched closely only by the sky and the earth.

  Chapter 10

  GLAIDE woke the next day with his head still filled with the images and emotions of his adventure from the previous night. His companion admitted to having done that to build up his morale, and he himself had to admit that the idea had been an excellent one. He didn’t remember exactly when they had landed to sleep for a time, but in any case, they were once again resting at the edge of a forest. He noticed that Ayrokkan was more or less hidden in the midst of the trees, even if red wasn’t the best color for camouflage. With a twinge of sadness, Glaide realized that the voyage was reaching its end. It was now the dawn of the third day, and at the end of the day, the dragon would leave him, and he would have to continue the rest of the way alone. As if the dragon could read his thoughts, Ayrokkan made a declaration.

  “I have one thing left to show you, young human. In a few hours, if we were to continue to the west, we would reach the edge of the Known Lands. I want you to see that for yourself. At the height at which we are flying, even without travelling much in that direction, you will be able to see what is there. Your map does not show this, and it will be up to you to add it.”

  The adolescent nodded, conscious of how important the declaration was.

  “So then, let us go. The sooner we leave, the sooner you will find your friends.”

  “There is no guarantee of that,” thought the young man bitterly. He did not let his emotions show on his face, though, and, deciding to make the most of the few remaining hours that he would spend in the company of Ayrokkan, he climbed up on the creatures back with a big smile on his face.

  As the creature had said, a little after noon, he could see mountains before him. From their point of view, the mountains appeared far from impassable, but Glaide could at least establish a scale to attempt to measure them based on a few voyagers below that were coming from Adrish. He realized in that way that this range of peaks – though neither as high as those of Fyth, nor as long as that of Oclin-Fer – would actually be quite difficult to cross.

  As the dragon drew nearer, the boy could see how the area west of the known lands was arrayed. First, he could see a forest, several miles long, and continuing as far as the adolescent could see between the Known Lands and the mountains. Apparently, it bordered the whole left side of the kingdom of Rozak. Though it was not wide, the vegetation appeared to be terribly dense and unwelcoming. Despite the best efforts of the sun, the tops of the trees remained gloomy and dark, as though the rays from that celestial body could not penetrate within.

  This same phenomenon seemed to affect the land that followed even more: beyond the forest, and before the mountains, Glaide could now make out obscured plains. They appeared to be composed of black sand and dead trees. Dark shadows moved below, but from their height, the young man could not identify them. As soon as he fixed his eyes on one, it would seem to evaporate.

  “This place,” the dragon b
egan with his deep voice, “is simply called the Desolate Plains. The plains are filled with the ghosts of another age – of an age that even we dragons did not see. Never approach that place. The gods themselves have no control over that part of the world. Who can say by what it is governed? It is a place of nightmares, where orks, goblins, trolls, and even chimeras themselves change from hunters to prey. Why do those plains exist? Who created them? Was there a time when they were as rich and prosperous as the rest of the world? And if there was, how did they become like this? I cannot say. However, even I will not fly over them, so you will have to look beyond them from here.”

  Glaide leaned forward on his mount. After the Desolate Plains, and then the mountains, he could see a vague shimmering.

  “No,” he murmured. “It can’t be. It almost looks like...”

  “Like water,” his companion said, completing the phrase. “That is the Forgotten Ocean, Glaide. The western limit of the Known Lands. It was so named because so few are they that know of its existence. For the others, there is only an impenetrable forest, followed by dangerous plains, all closed in by an impassable mountain range. The creature advanced a little farther, then hovered in place above the forest. From here, the young man could see the immobile expanse of water perfectly. It had a violet tint to it. The sun glinted from its surface. The place gave off a sense of peace and incredible calm. Glaide wished he could approach it, and touch the water’s surface.

  “Does anyone know what is found on the other side of the ocean?”

  “No. In all the memory of the dragons, no one has ever crossed it. The only creatures to have even gazed upon it are those like me, and the rare passengers that we have brought here, like you, today.”