by Deb Sartoris
Tusk always spent his own private time near the hatching area where the giant eggs stood. The cave here was large. Little light was allowed in except at the cave entrance. Tusk would bring his rations and his blanket with him and sleep on the warm sand near the eggs. He was welcomed always by a great bugle from the queen each time he entered. Her wings would rise up as far as her chains would allow and she would always bow her head to Tusk no matter how he smelled or looked.
Tusk favored one of the giant eggs. It was shaped different then the others. Not as large, and a bit more oval. The color of the egg’s shell was different – not white but slightly greenish blue. The great queen had rolled the egg close to Tusk one night while he slept and each night when he returned the egg was always next to him regardless of where he slept in the cave.
Algamight was born in the early morning hours many months later. Many eggs broke open that morning and many of her species were chained and dragged off. Algamight remembers their screaming. No one came to be with them. They were enslaved as soon as they were born. Each creature was inspected and the wings of each one was trimmed and sliced with a sword. Blood was all over the sands and egg shells.
Algamight was a dragon. She was born to be queen of her species. She held in her heart the love of all things. As the witch Kvony came to inspect her as she hobbled out of her egg she knew she must hide her great mark under her wing. If the witch saw it she knew she would lose her wings just as all the other did. So before Kvony could get a good look – Algamight pulled her feathers out all around her mark – hoping that the blood would stain the other feathers and hide the crescent blue moon that laid there.
Kvony grabbed Algamight by the head – turned her side to side and lifted her wings each one at a time. Examining her body, there was nothing to see but blood and torn feathers but, deep inside, Algamight had a heart filled with love well hidden away from the evil witch.
“Well this one is a mess – not marked like the others. I think she is the one I will take from this hatching. She is already dirty and bloody; a good start for her training with me.”
“Tusk, get the chains and bring this dragon to our lair.”
* * * * *
Chapter 11:
Tusk wrapped the chain around the neck of the beautiful emerald winged dragon. The witch had left the chamber a few minutes ago. Tusk allowed himself to touch the dragon. He tried as gently as possible to bring the chain around the head of the dragon. He knew he was hurting it but he had no choice. If he did not follow the orders of the witch he would be whipped for many hours.
Tusk touched the dragon’s chin, rubbed it. Algamight turned her eyes to Tusk – a small shiny tear slid down onto Tusk hands. As the tear touched his dirty hand it turned into a shiny bright green emerald.
Tusk saw the blood under her wing. His hand reached up to wipe the blood away and just then the dragon turned to look at him. It was as if she was telling Tusk to not touch her as it might cause further pain.
“It will be alright, I promise, my little one. Can you tell me your name yet?” Tusk’s thoughts focused briefly.
Algamight thought she could understand this old man. But how could that be? Only the chosen royal family can communicate with the royal dragons. This old man was a slave just as she was about to become.
Algamight became the dragon slave to the witch. She had no hope of release - save her own death. Her only saving grace was the old, dirty man shuffling her to the lair of the witch.
“Finally you two arrive. Where have you been? Just how long does it take to walk a few miles? Bring the dragon over to me near the light; I want to have a good look at her.”
Tusk guided the dragon under the witch’s cold stare.
“Well, now. She is a plump one, considering she was only just born. I think the first order of business is to thin her down; no food for a week. Lets she how she looks then!”
“As for you, Tusk, I think that you should be punished for keeping me waiting so long.” Just then a flash of light appeared over Tusk. His back felt like a razor hot poker was being drawn up his back. He screamed and fell to the floor. He tried to reach behind him to see what happened when another bright light flashed and again the pain of fire ran down his back.
The ground shook just then and many things fell off the shelves in the chamber.
“Well now that was fun – give you a slashing and the ground responds with a little shake. I wonder what it would do if I gave your little dragon there a few slashes to match yours?”
“Please mistress…do not strike her…it was my fault we were late. I…I could not keep up with her and I fell many times. She dragged me here as fast as she could run.” Tusk stammered.
“Well you were at least honest. But you will also have no rations for a week. Take her down to the lower caves and chain her to the wall with the other animals I have there. I’m sure she and that little red bird of yours will have lots to think about.”
* * * * *
Chapter 12:
Tusk did as he was instructed for fear of having the fire pain across his back again. Down the dark stairs and into the stale dungeon they walked. Many creatures were in cages along the wall. Each was in a cage or chains were bound to their feet or hands. Some cried when he entered but after they realized it was Tusk, everyone slid back into their corners. Chains rattled as each one tried to hide away as best they could.
The floor was covered in filth like it had not been cleaned in centuries, which in truth it had not. Somewhere along one wall you could hear water running – but it was so dark you could not see it. The air smelled of death and decay. Some of the creatures were crying. Some were coughing out their last breaths.
Tusk reached a wall where the chain was empty and sat down on the floor. He did not place the dragon in the chain as he was instructed. He knew the witch would not bother them for days since he was ordered to be without rations for a week just like his dragon.
Tusk put his hands on his head and shivered with pain. Algamight saw that Tusk was in much pain and brought her great dragon head to touch his hand. Tusk jumped as if he was being touched by the witch. A few seconds passed before Tusk remembered that they were in the dungeon. Algamight took her wings and spread them around Tusk and he felt warm and safe.
Algamight lifted her head and used her teeth to pull the bloody shirt off Tusk. He flinched as the blood soaked shirt pulled away from his torn seared skin. Algamight inspected his back and pulled her head back down to Tusk, level on the floor.
Tusk had tears running down his face. The pain he was enduring now was greater then any other punishment that the witch had given him so far. Even when the witch had used his fathers sword to slice his leg, he had not felt this much pain.
Tusk was lost in his own thoughts when he heard a soft whisper of something. He looked up only to find the same darkness as before. He knew this place; no other animal or species in here had the gift of speech. He thought that he must be hallucinating with the pain.
But again the dragon touched his hands with her head. As he looked into her eyes – suddenly he was sure he could hear her speaking to him.
“Tusk, as you saved me from the hatching ground, please allow me to heal your back. It will be painful at first because I must touch you. But I promise the pain will quickly fade and you will heal much faster.”
Tusk stared back at the dragon. “How can I hear you? I do not understand. I must be going crazy. All these years with the witch, going without food or water for days on end, must have damaged my mind.”
Again Tusk lowered his head into his hands. Algamight used her foot this time and pulled his hands away. “I also do not understand how a slave can hear me, but it is true none the less. Only the great royal family should be able to hear us dragons and yet you are a slave just like me.”
Tusk realized then what the dragon said. “I am of the royal family. My father was king to this land long before the witch and her army arrived in our kingdom. I was born to the great
king a very long time ago – that makes me a royal – that is why we can hear and understand each other.”
Suddenly the dragon started making a vibrating, purring sound. At first it was slow and very quiet but it gradually grew louder and louder. Far off, Tusk heard the same sound coming from everywhere. For a brief moment, the ground stopped rumbling under his feet. When the dragon sounds stopped, the ground began to rumble just like before.
* * * * *
Chapter 13:
“What was that? What did you do? The witch will hear your song and I’m sure she noticed the ground stopped shaking. You must not do that! We both will be punished if she figures out that you and the other dragons did that.”
“Tusk – please – it is OK. The time that passed during our song was longer to you then to the outside world. We dragons have the ability to slow down time or speed it up based on our needs. We are all born with abilities – each one a little different. We all have our history in our memories and each of us can use our abilities to communicate with others of our kind.
“But why the song?” Tusk rasped.
“It is for you Tusk; you made me sing. It has long been in our memory after each hatching that no royal family members survived when the witch and her army came. We dragons thought you were all lost. We had assumed that we would never have our voices heard again. It is beyond our deepest wish to find you alive. You can not imagine what your life means to our kind.”
Tusk looked away. “I’m not sure what I can do for you. I’m old, beaten, and have no strength to help you or anyone.”
“But you are wrong. The witch has made you believe this so that you would not rise to defeat her. I can hear in my thoughts that somewhere there is another who is similar to me. He is but a tiny child only just born but within his blood there is a bit of our ancestors. He will come to us when his time is right.”
“In the mean time, we must stay hidden and keep our heads low all the while gaining our strength. I can talk to the other dragons now that we have you as our link. Do you know if there are any other of the royal family left alive?”
“I do not know. I had at one time thought there were some left, but that was many years ago. My memory is not what it was and without adequate food or water my strength and my battle abilities are all just memories from ages past.”
“My dragon sisters and brothers will search now that we can talk again. I’m so happy I could just sing out to the world.”
“Whoa! Best you keep that humming sound of yours under wraps for now.”
“Tusk – I must heal you now. As I said, it will hurt – both of us – I must use my blood and lick your wounds in order to heal them. I must ask you – do you have something sharp hidden in this dark place?”
Tusk thought and he remembered that he had a knife that he used to cut up bits of food when he was allowed to feed the animals here. Tusk hurried away.
Algamight took the time to reflect on how things had changed since she broke free from her shell. Far off she heard the man in her dreams cry. He was still a small infant and still cradled in his mothers arms. Time would have to go forward before she would meet this man – but time has no limits when you can control all that is important around you. Hope now filled her heart.
Tusk returned with the knife. “Ok Tusk, are you ready? Take the knife and slice my leg.” Tusked gave a jerk. “What? I can not do that – why would I cause you injury? This is crazy.”
“I have healed in the past without your help.” Algamight sighed. “You are a stubborn man, Tusk. I will heal very quickly and you must have the blood from me in order to remove the curse the witch used to cut your back. Take your hands and wrap them around my legs. You must turn away as soon as you cut my leg. Now do it!”
The great Dragon took her feet and turned Tusk toward her leg. Tusk took the knife firm in his hand and cut deep into the dragon’s leg. He threw the knife across the floor and turned his head just as the dragon’s head whipped down. Her tongue lapped at the blood flowing from her leg and then reached over his head to his back. She used her scaly tongue to grind the blood into his wounds. Tusk screamed with all the air that was left in his lungs and collapsed. He thought he heard dragon song again as he passed out on the floor.
* * * * *
Chapter 14:
Ely and Wisteria were resting. The ship was quiet when suddenly their son Steven screamed in his sleep. He sat straight up in his bed and began talking. “I will hurry…I know there is not much time…I understand. I will bring the others; do not worry. Yes the hunter is also awake.”
“Wake up Steven. Can you hear us? You are dreaming.” Wisteria laid her hands on her son’s shoulders. “Calm yourself, son. Everything is Ok. It is only a dream.”
“What? Where am I? Mom, Dad, what is happening to me? I heard the creature again. She is desperate now. Not much time left. She is in danger. She requires our help right away. I must bring the hunter, Mesquil, with us. He has a part to play in all this. There is someone or something waiting for him on the planet. Only he can save the others. We must go!”
“Steven, we have just arrived on the planet. You have only been awake a short while. You have not taken food or rest properly yet. Please try and calm down.”
“Mom, Dad – please! We must go find Aunt Sofia; I think she also heard something just now. It seems that the creatures on the planet can talk with us through our thoughts. There is some connection there that I do not understand. Aunt Sofia will know what to do.”
* * * * *
Chapter 15:
Sofia and Roberto returned to their chamber. Finally, all of the ships emergencies had been cleared and the ship appeared to be in order.
“Alone at last we are my husband.” Sofia had her hand in Roberto’s. They had walked all the way to their chamber from the conference room.
“Yes wife we are alone.” “
“I think we should shower then rest like the rest of the crew is doing.”
“If that is your wish, my wife.”
Sofia smiled and released Roberto’s hand. She started to walk to the shower. As she did, it seemed that the clothes she was wearing were slowly disappearing. Each piece faded away or fell to the floor, a path of clothes all the way to the shower. It was as if Sofia had dissolved while walking to the shower.
“Mmmm…Husband, the water in the shower is perfect; perhaps you should join me?”
“Woman, you are wicked. We have been sleeping for 50 years. We were frozen. Your belly is already swollen with my child what more can you ask of me today?”
“I can ask that you join me in the shower!”
Roberto could do nothing but obey his wife. After all he had 50 years of frozen time and he needed a warm shower.
“Husband where are you?”
Roberto had tried best that he could to control his thoughts as he had been removing his clothes. He could hear his wife in the water, splashing. His teeth had pulled free from his gums and all that made him a husband had become alive once again.
Roberto opened the shower door. The fog from the heat of the shower had filled the room. He could just make out Sofia’s body. He reached in and found her. “Husband, I think that we should stay in the warm water for a lifetime; what say you?”
Roberto found the swollen belly of his wife and laid his hand upon it. “I think we should allow our child to rest – that is what I think.”
“You may say that my husband but the rest of you is saying something different – I can feel you against my body. You are not thinking we should be resting at all.”
“What do you expect from me woman. You are standing naked in the shower and 50 years have passed – what would any normal male be thinking just now?”
Roberto kissed his wife. Their arms wrapped around each other. “I can not resist you today, wife, why is that?”
“Perhaps it is the warm water husband?”
“I think we need more space than this shower. Shower off!” Roberto picked up his dri
pping wet wife and carried her to their bed.
“We will ruin the bed and there are not many of them on the ship.”
“I’m sure it will dry out – we will just turn on the HOT shower again and dry the room out!”
Roberto was using his free hand to trace tiny lines down Sofia arms. He traced a path across her belly and then across the top of her breasts. “Are you still worried about ruining the bed wife?”
“More – please! Not worried now!” Sofia panted. Roberto lowered his head to Sofia’s mouth. Lightly at first, he traced his mouth across her pink lips. Careful not to nip her as his teeth had stretched to their full length just like the rest of him had. As he kissed her he could feel her legs pull free under him allowing his body to drop in the place that they both wanted.
“I’m not sure if this is such a good idea, wife?”
“I trust you – we – will be careful”
“What about the child tucked inside you?”
“Do not worry husband nothing will happen to our SON.”
“What did you say my wife? Sofia was now running her hands down her husband’s arms. I said our SON will be just fine with our love making I assure you.” After that Roberto lost himself in the pleasure of his wife.
