The Great Losing: The Mad Dragon King (The World of Shestafa )

by Karine Green

  "They are disappointed, but understand why the Elementals would take that measure. They request a timeframe for the pup's arrival," he said, bowing low to Yogan, claws up.

  "Tell them we are still discussing it. It shouldn't be too long of a delay. The transition from the Sand Dragon land will be the only slow down. We'll have to secure the route to avoid those crazed cannibals."

  "Yes, Chief," the smaller dragon said, taking off down the side of the small cliff like he was on flat land.

  Mack didn't mention that Yogan left off an important fact- flying. The Elementals wouldn't need a secured route. They could simply fly in and out...couldn't they? He would have to get more information later. All he could do was hope this little spy and his master would buy the story.

  Suki stepped around Mack. "Did you know the dragon your assistant is talking to is a spy?"

  Yogan sighed. "I have not been able to prove that, but he does go missing for long periods."

  One of the new dragons came forward. "He doesn't, or rather didn't know we are the little one's real aunts until now. I am Terra, this is LeVa."

  Mack nodded to Méi, "Do you think we can introduce Wren now that the spy is gone?"

  Méi nodded and pulled a fat, sleepy Wren out. He immediately woke up and played, running and jumping in circles, wrestling with her front paw.

  "Oh, my. Look how blue he is," LeVa said, lying down by Wren, Terra lying on the other side.

  Once up against the purebreds, it was easy to see the blue hue on Wren's back. He wasn't black, he was a deep midnight blue. He immediately rolled onto his back like he was scratching it on the hard lava rock. His aunts were enamored with him.

  Terra whispered. "Look at him itching his horn and wing buds. He is so adorable. Rini would have loved him so much."

  LeVa snorted. "He's getting fat. Someone is lucky his pouch mother is a Fire Dragon. Poor Wren, without his birth mother, stupid humans. I hate them, and the distinction between Secular and Spiritual does not matter. They are all the same; an evening snack to have after I have done a decent trampling workout."

  LeVa held up Wren. "Wren, was our father's name. The little ridges on his back are Water Dragon, but his snout looks like our father's. Wings, he'll be the first Stone Dragon to fly." She cradled him at her neck as he sniffed her. Apparently, he recognized the scent of his mother on her because he tried to crawl into her pouch. "Sorry, Wren, I don't have an egg. You'll have to wait with Méi."

  He jumped down, and ran over to hide under Méi's hind leg, licking her ankle, and then offering a cute little yelp as she picked him up and held him out to Yogan. "Would you like to see," she asked.

  Tears welled in Yogan's eyes. "Thank you," he said, licking Wren's forehead as a sign of acceptance and affection. "My wife, Fushi had been one of the first ones killed when the Seculars invaded North Dragons Ridge, driving us out here to Pumice Plains. They had smashed her two eggs. I cannot bear to think about what I lost. They would be about Terra and LeVa's age. Now that I know the Mad Dragon King isn’t the liberator we thought he was - I’m going to make him pay. Will you help me unseat him?" He smiled. "This beautiful little boy will help bring stability to the entire region, once the Mad King is out of the way."

  Mack nodded, as did Méi and Dunia.

  Mack also licked Wren's forehead. Wren wagged his tail so wildly it shook his entire rear end. "You should return to the village. Make sure the spy is there, announce that we were very pleased with you and your village, and will bring the pup next month to you. Have the spy set up a secure network for us to deliver Wren. This will give us time to investigate South Dragons Ridge, and see if they will cooperate; as a bonus, it will keep the spy busy and out of your way. Just remember to demand regular updates from him about his assignment. Last, do you know where the Water Dragon is because we can't wait for Wren to grow up to complete the four powers."

  Yogan shook his head. "I don't know where he is. My niece, Sarnia did not speak highly of him. I will remember to get regular updates from him, and issue new orders. He won't suspect a thing." Yogan bowed to Mack, then hurried down the side of the rocky hill. "

  "Is there anyone else in the Valley?" Mack asked Suki.

  "No, they obeyed him, and, he is yellow," Suki said, putting the scope back on her belt.

  "You can trust him, and us. To go against you would go directly against our own interest," LeVa said.

  "Remains to be seen; an unwilling spy is still a spy. The scope measures the overall feelings of the person, not their actions," Dunia said, moving to sit next to Méi. "Just because he is yellow now, doesn't mean he can't be convinced to turn back. He is - their Chief, and if he is good, then when it comes time to choose Wren or his village's pups. He will choose the Village's pups. He wouldn't be a worthy Chief otherwise. Unfortunately, that is the opposite of what we need for Wren and a lasting peace."

  "Point taken," Terra said, "The truth is, we can't lose our pups. We can't lose the infant hybrid, and we can't remain under the rule of the wizards, especially if the King is mad. Normally I would say you can't have everything, but this time, we have to have everything, because we simply cannot do without it… Yogan will not betray us."

  "I don't doubt anyone's intentions. No one likes to live under tyranny. As long as they have hope that their pups can be freed, they will remain loyal to us, but that means we need to keep their needs in focus with ours," Mack said, pointing toward the Village of Pumice Plains. "South Dragons Ridge, on the other paw, is a whole other matter."

  LeVa sat up straight. "Then we don't have to tell you that a false hope is the cruelest thing that can be inflicted upon a people. Please do not tease us. We have been defeated enough. We cannot afford to lose what little hope remains. It's all we have."

  Méi smiled. "We don't offer false hope. However, we need to gather an army. We also need to come up with a plan to vanquish the Mad King. We are all dragons, fighting for the survival of our species. We can no longer be separate Dragon tribes. If nothing else, there are not enough of us to continue to do so. Shestafa must be reunited if we are to prosper."

  "Do you know anyone who lives in South Dragons Ridge? Someone who would know the layout of both villages?" Mack asked.

  "The villages of North and South Dragons Ridge are separated by a small, but very high mountain range that features a whole heck of a lot of water; including the Dragons Ridge River. It takes humans two to three weeks to walk around them." Terra nodded, making a face. "Did I mention that there are a lot of wetlands in the valleys? That’s why Stone Dragons normally avoid the area. That's also why it is a good hiding place, but only for those who can move past the fear of the water. Flying dragons can make the journey in an hour."

  LeVa smiled and winked, as she walked closer to Mack. "You can fly Wren to the south later this evening, perhaps after dark. We'll follow you down the hills to the forest. There is a clearing, and a high waterfall about twenty miles in, just stay south around the edge of the mountains. The Mad Dragon King won't send his army there because with the mountain ridge it's nearly a ten-day walk for the troops from the North. We’ll be long gone before he could get anything in place." She wagged her tail and then sat down to make it stop.

  Dunia nodded. "According to Blue’s scrolls, the Mad King is just powerful enough to securely hold what he has. Taking more, including South Dragons Ridge, would stretch his army too thin. That would include sending out patrols of water phobic dragons to search wetlands. He is powerful, but power has its limits, especially since he lacks command of two elements."

  "Why didn't the White Witch say something to us?" Suki asked.

  Misty didn’t say anything, she continued to set up her camp.

  LeVa shook her head. "She didn't know the full extent. She is a witch, not a psychic. I can't imagine she would willingly endanger an Elemental hybrid by sending him back to live so close to the Mad King." She shook her head again like she was trying to convince herself of what she was saying. "No, she must not have known
that Wren was a hybrid, or she would probably be held up in her castle with him. She has a reputation for taking dragon pups and hiding them."

  "Oh yes, I know that from personal experience." Mack rolled his eyes. "But, history aside, she knew-Yogan said so. She didn't want us to give Wren to the Stone Dragon village. She wanted us to get both, the Earth and Water Dragon. She even said so, return the pup to his family."

  "We're his family," Terra said, offended. "His mother, our sister, is dead."

  "True, but not like the Water Dragon is, he's Wren's father, who is still alive. And he is the missing element in a complete set."

  "Hold on," Misty said, stowing her arrow, finally, "I had my father, but lost my village and everyone I loved, extended family included, so did Méi and Suki. We can tell you, the whole family together is important. Let's go meet at the lake, and then go see the knights in South Dragons Ridge in the morning. Let's focus on reuniting the entire family."

  Mack pulled Méi aside. "You realize we cannot leave Wren here. Once grown he will be the only dragon endowed with the power of all four elements. Our children must grow up alongside him because I guarantee Wren will be a force to be reckoned with. We as Elementals must be there for him, especially if we cannot find the Water Dragon."

  "But he only has three; Earth, Fire, and Water," Méi said, looking at him.

  "Yes, but the most powerful part of Air can be learned; strategic logic. It is the most difficult element to master, because of the variables in the belief systems used in its application. He must be properly trained in Air if we are to truly help him. If he isn't trained and raised to be the best dragon he can be, he will be his own army...and then take over everything. Suddenly, the Mad King's obsession with Wren is logical."

  She nodded.

  He knew she agreed. Any dragon could master the most powerful concepts of Air. It was not simply the understanding of logic, but applying it without emotion in a way that was productive without being self-serving. That fact alone made it potentially the most dangerous part because it needed to be applied with mercy so it benefited many. The bad side of that logic was that it could easily justify an end to a means. Only two physical parts made Mack a purebred Air Dragon. One was the hurricane force winds for dragons' breath, and the other was his seemingly unnatural ability to fly at odd angles that would normally cause other dragons to lose their lift.

  He sighed. "We can decide later, after all, we have to get through this first. And, once his father is involved the decision will largely be out of our hands. We will only have to consider what we will tell him to convince him to cooperate with us," Mack said.

  "Should we tell Arlen anything about raising his son?" Méi said, worried.

  "Under normal circumstances, absolutely not. He is Wren's father and should be solely in charge. However, he is a victim too, and we four are the only so-called Elemental purebreds that seem to be left. Therefore, we shouldn't leave each other's side. I also think we should encourage the humans to embrace all pups as true dragons, not Common, Elemental, or Hybrid; just dragons. And for us, as a Dragon nation, we need to make sure they are all appropriately educated. We must ensure their rights to choose a rider, and not have humans take them as war beasts of burden. We also have to assure the humans that dragons will not eat them."

  Méi smiled, "And you deny that you are the rightful Dragon King? Mack, that was quite a civic mouthful for someone who isn't interested in ruling."

  He shrugged. "You have to remember something from a very selfish point of view. Here are the future mates of our children." He gestured toward the village. "So we also need to make sure they are well-trained and educated. I won’t have some uneducated country bumpkin chasing after my son or daughter."

  “Come, let's rejoin them and prepare for the flight, my love.” Méi head-butted him gently before heading back over to the Stone Dragons.

  Water and Fire

  Later that evening they traveled without incident to the waterfall, then they flew high enough that no one would see anything during the day, let alone at night. LeVa and Terra ran. It had taken them nearly two hours to get there. Dunia hoped Mack would come up with a better solution for the sisters than running. It would take too long to get there at this pace. They needed every second they could squeeze out in South Dragons Ridge.

  Wren poked his head out of Méi's pouch.

  Dunia smiled at him as he panted, with a gaping smile. He jumped out of the pouch, diving into the water and swimming around like he was born there.

  Méi looked like she would have a stroke. "Wren!"

  He jumped high out of the water, relaxed midair, then splashed back down like a limp rag. He did this several more times. His aunts, Terra and LeVa avoided the water, like humans avoiding a pool of hydrofluoric acid, but they cheered him on from a safe distance once they realized he was all right.

  Mack patted Méi's back with his tail. "I am sure he is just fine. He is part Water Dragon."

  Dunia watched Wren swimming. "He is amazing. I hope my children will one day be that amazing."

  "They will be, all children are amazing," Mack said smiling. “I mean pups, both pups, and children are amazing.”

  Méi caught herself growling. "I am sorry, Dunia. I should have mentioned that Mack and I have two eggs due to hatch in about two weeks. I am trying not to be overprotective right now."

  "Wow, congratulations," Dunia said, smiling, hoping that she would find someone to have a family with someday.

  Suki nodded, as she unpacked the saddle. "Yes, she's a bit on edge."

  "Two eggs," LeVa exclaimed, looking at Méi, and bowing on her front legs to her. "Can I borrow some of that?" She pointed at Mack with her tail. "That would be the fast track to repopulate our village. We could have Fire, Earth, and Air. Our village could use a Noble Elemental dragon. It would help secure the real King's interest here."

  For a split second, Méi looked like she was considering this.

  "No! I am not a chip or bit to be negotiated," Mack protested, frowning.

  Dunia had to giggle at him a little bit. She thought he was too adorable. Méi was a lucky dragon.

  Méi smiled. "I am very sorry LeVa. I appreciate your proposal, but I am the one who will bear his official pups. Everyone will be treated fairly. You will see, soon enough. Elemental Dragons only take one mate for life. Sorry Mack, you are stuck with me."

  "I am okay with that," he said, nearly yelling. He low crawled over to her and laid next to her. This was a public acknowledgment of her as his mate.

  Dunia laughed. "You shouldn't yell, someone will hear us, Mack. And we should all be so lucky as to find a male as nice as you."

  Terra made a disappointed face, then smiled. "It's remote here. I wouldn't worry. No Stone Dragon would get in the water without some severe coaxing. There is no way they will look for us here."

  "What is the big deal with water?" Mack asked, looking over at Wren.

  "We might not be Elementals, but we are of Fire, and that waterfall and small lake are very scary to us." LeVa glared at the water as if to tell it off.

  "Stone Dragons are of Earth too," Dunia said, almost under her breath. "Earth contains the water and stops it running amok. Embrace all that you are, not just parts. That kind of separatism caused this mess in the first place." She had some serious work to do in the dragon education system once this was all settled down.

  Terra smiled. "Too true, but there is still no way I'm getting in that water." She pointed at it with her tail.

  LeVa turned her attention to Wren, now beaming at him. "Look at him swim. That's amazing." She scratched her basalt claws softly into the ground, which was the equivalent of clapping for dragons.

  "LeVa?" A voice from the forest called. "Is that you?"

  "Who is that?" LeVa said, turning and hissing, followed quickly by Méi hissing and breathing fire as she flapped her wings once to fly and land between the location of the voice and the swimming Wren.

  "It's me, Sarnia," she said no
t even flinching at the flames. "You’re traveling with a jumpy Fire Dragon?"

  "Where have you been?” Terra asked scratching at the ground this time to indicate anger. “We have been worried sick...to near death,"

  "Hiding in the one place, I knew the Mad King wouldn't look for a Stone Dragon, whose daughter is half Water Dragon." Sarnia walked out of the woods with a winged dragon about the size as a Cocker Spaniel on her back. The little pup had the same blue/black scales and striping as Wren. Her wings were fully formed, and her horns were about a foot long. She smiled at Wren and jumped off her mother's back to join him in the water. "Shway, play carefully. He is just a hatchling."

  "Okay Mom," Shway said, as she jumped high out over the water trying to catch some air with her wings before splashing down.

  Sarnia turned back to LeVa. "There are more of them?" she nodded toward the Elemental Dragons.

  "Them?" Dunia said, offended. She was so tired of being referred to as them. Her white classmates had always said them in reference to her and her black classmates. It was almost as if it were a dirty word used to perpetuate stereotypes.

  "Yes, I assume he sent you to look for me? I am not interested. He can just leave me alone already. I can raise our daughter on my own."

  "Actually, you can't," Dunia said, leaning up on her hindquarters, and folding her front legs over her chest. "She needs flight lessons, and unless you are going to sprout wings in the next ten minutes I seriously doubt you can teach her without allowing her to hurt herself; possibly even break a wing and cripple her for life."

  Mack nodded. "It's true. Dragon pups learn to first fly on the backs of their parents, with their wings spread. It allows them to feel the air currents under their wings and adjust without falling because they lost lift."

  Dunia nodded. "The parent won't lose lift."

  Méi frowned at both Dunia and Mack. "Let's stay focused, shall we. Clearly she knows who the Water Dragon is and if she has his other pup..."

  "Yes," Mack said, perking his ears up to stand straight over his horns, "Do you know where...?"