A Dragon's Awakening

by Aya Knight

  “Of course, Your Highness, do not forget it was those vicious creatures who took your only daughter from you.”

  The King looked to the floor; it felt like an emotional stone hit him in the chest.

  “Yes… I suppose you are right,” King Valamar replied.

  The general stood, grunting in discomfort. “Do I have your authority to train more citizens for our final mission to eliminate the youngest and last living dragon, Firehart?”

  The King sighed, “Yes. Go.” He motioned General Jedah to leave the room. Jedah bowed and exited the hall. “I do hope this is the right decision.” King Valamar muttered to himself in uncertainty.

  As the months passed, the forest where Firehart dwelled grew lush and thick as the spring season blended into summer. The small bonfire flickered vibrantly, casting a soothing glow against the stone cave wall. Its warmth circulated throughout the room, creating the perfect atmosphere for relaxing. The old sorcerer stroked his grey beard as he pondered deep thoughts. It had been three months since the news of Sylicia’s death spread across Ravondore. She had been one of the final two remaining dragons and a respected elder.

  “It won’t be much longer, you know, Kale,” The sorcerer spoke as he adjusted a steel pot which held a delicious smelling stew he was preparing for dinner. “The general will come for you too.”

  “Then let him come! I’ll rip his repulsive, bald head off between my teeth.” The black dragon shuffled around before finding a comfortable spot to lie down on the cool, stone floor. His dark scales reflected a bluish tint as the flames fed off the crackling wood. “I’m not afraid of them, Thomas. Humans disgust me; all they care about is what they can take and who they can kill.” He snuffed. “And they’re ugly too.”

  The old sorcerer laughed. “Now, now, Kale, let’s not forget that although I do have magical abilities, when it comes down to the facts—I too am human.” He chuckled again before spooning a hearty portion of stew into his mouth. “Mmm, delicious—very hot—but delicious.” He smiled. “See now, Kale, if you were a human, you too could enjoy this magnificent meal.”

  The dragon huffed. “I prefer something fresher.” Kale slid his foot out, digging his claws into an animal he had caught earlier in the day. He then tossed it into the air and caught it within his mouth full of sharp, white teeth.

  The sorcerer wrinkled his nose as Kale crunched his dinner; the bones loudly snapping as he chewed. “How barbaric,” Thomas said, rolling his eyes.

  The two friends laughed. Kale—known to most as the black dragon, Firehart— had been friends with the wise sorcerer, Thomas, for many decades.

  Thomas had spent many weeks debating Kale’s predicament. He knew General Jedah was a cold-hearted man with bitter hatred in his heart and the lust for power. Jedah would stop at nothing to ensure Kale’s death. As Thomas finished slurping the last of his stew, he intertwined his fingers, resting his bearded chin upon his knuckles.

  “So then, what do you intend to do?” his bushy eyebrows narrowed as the mood shifted to a more serious tone.

  “If you want the truth—I don’t know. Stay and fight, I suppose. Sylicia was old; she couldn’t defend herself. If they are ignorant enough to trespass within my home, I’ll fry them alive.” Kale opened his mouth and flames shot out, licking at his snout.

  “Jumping balt toads! You nearly hit me, Kale!” Thomas leapt up, nearly stumbling on his crimson robe as strands of his grey beard smoked. “Do you know how long it took me to grow this?!”

  “I’m sorry…” Kale lowered his silvery eyes.

  Although Kale’s age surpassed a normal human’s, among his kind he was young and had trouble controlling his emotions.

  Thomas patted at the ends of his beard to ensure nothing still sizzled.

  “You’ll need a plan you know,” He moaned, lowering his achy body to the floor, situating himself into a cross-legged position. “If you intend to sit around waiting for them to come, then I presume you’re as good as dead.”

  “Great. Thanks for the support.” Kale rolled his massive body over, turning his back to the sorcerer.

  Thomas grew quiet as he pondered yet again. He knew his dear friend was very strong; but not enough to defeat the incredible army which would soon come for him. The sorcerer was friend to both human and dragon kind. Because of that, he was able to obtain information from both sides in order to implement a plan to help save Kale. Yet, every time he tried to think of an idea, his mind remained clouded and uncertain. He had overheard gossip at the tavern in the town of Kimolde. General Jedah had devised an army much stronger than before; ensuring each warrior underwent rigorous training. Jedah was determined to rise victorious as The Man Who Rid the World of Dragons.

  “Maybe you could leave this area. There’s more out there in this world than just the continent of Ravondore—I’ve seen it, you know.” Thomas felt disappointed with himself for falling short on ideas. The old sorcerer knew—although Kale would never admit it—the dragon relied on him for help with the situation.

  “What about Sundra? I doubt you would be bothered there,” the sorcerer suggested.

  “Thomas, this is my home. I’m not leaving—let them come.” He rested his head heavily on his clawed front feet as a puff of smoke swirled from his nostrils. “Besides… Sundra is a big block of ice—hardly compatible. Not to mention, humans are bitter beings. It doesn’t matter where I go; being the last of my kind, there will always be someone who will seek to slay the only remaining dragon.”

  At that moment Thomas realized there would be no way to take Kale willingly to safety. However, he wasn’t ready to lose hope. Kale had always been a loyal friend—quite moody, but loyal none the less—he wasn’t about to abandon him in a time of need.

  “I need some fresh air. Let’s go for a walk to the cliffs.” Thomas needed an excuse to get out and gather his tangled thoughts.

  “I suppose we can. I presume there won’t be nights like this once they find me.” He turned to Thomas. “Want a lift?”

  Once Thomas was securely positioned on his back, seated away from the dragon’s massive folded wings, Kale rose to his feet. Small pebbles and dirt tumbled to the floor from Kale’s torso as his massive feet tromped against the ground. The two made their way to the cave opening where the crisp night air filled their lungs, a blissful scent of pine and jasmine. A soothing ocean breeze sifted through Thomas’ long grey hair, causing him to grip his pointed, crimson hat, pulling it down firmly upon his head to ensure it wouldn’t fly away. Kale made his way through the wide forest path formed from many of his previous outings to the cliffs, a favorite seclusion he and Thomas shared. They could hear animals scurry away as Kale’s feet tromped the ground.

  As they approached the cliffs, the forest scenery slowly merged with tropical foliage. Palm trees and wildflowers bordered the trail. Finally, the beautiful panoramic view of a vibrant starlit sky came into view.

  “Ahh, here we are, my dear friend,” Thomas said as he slid off Kale’s back.

  The two sat beside one another, admiring their surroundings. The steep ledge declined to a rocky bay where waves crashed in a repetitive pattern, creating a soothing ambiance. They enjoyed the moment, watching silently as a far off transport ship sailed along the horizon; the large white sail faintly noticeable through the darkness.

  Finally, Kale broke the silence. “Why does General Jedah hate dragons so much? I don’t understand the purpose of this war against us.” He exhaled heavily.

  “Well, I do know a thing or two about the general’s history.” Thomas replied. “I was in collaboration with the King when Jedah had his first encounter with a dragon. Would you care to see?”

  “You know, for a wise old man you sure do ask pointless questions. Of course I want to see! I am the one who questioned the situation after all.”

  Thomas chuckled as
he waved a hand slowly in an upward direction. “Mortana nul kardenea,” he chanted.

  Instantly, a puddle-like mass appeared in front of them, floating in mid-air. An image of the general appeared within it. He stood inside a stone room, occupied with a row of many narrow beds. Thomas quickly explained it was the sleeping quarters near the barracks for lower ranked knights in training. Kale could immediately see the vision was from many years ago, as Jedah looked much younger. He was clad in dingy cloth with a lightweight chest plate commonly worn by squires while sparring. Kale found Jedah’s short curled, frizzy, red hair to be amusing.

  “Are you sure you’re ready for a delivery mission?” a voice chimed in.

  It was Saldin; his face was dirty with very uneven patches of hair growth around his chin and upper lip. Although this was from many years ago, his smile was already repulsive with yellowish stains upon his teeth.

  “What good are you to have around as a friend if you don’t have more faith in me?” Jedah continued to prepare his things for the trip “Besides, it’s only a sack of eggs I’m ordered to deliver—hardly an epic task.” He rolled his eyes.

  “Do you know why the King wants these sent to Eldawin? They must be the eggs of a bollusk, or another large animal. Look at the size of those things.” Saldin held his hands up to visually measure them. “Maybe they aren’t even real; I’ve never seen an egg so colorful and shiny.” He scratched his scalp between long, greasy strands of brown hair.

  Jedah ignored his friend as he carefully placed the eggs into a sack, harnessing the straps over his shoulders so it hung comfortably against his back. He had no concern about the reasoning behind the delivery mission. All he cared about was the promotion in rank he would receive upon completing the task. He would finally become an official knight; someone respected and held in high regard—he longed for the moment. There would be no more catering to the veteran knights, no more polishing armor, or carrying shields—he would finally be the one with power. The thought alone put a smile upon his face.

  “Are you ready to begin your journey, Jedah? You’ll want to make it to the twin stones by nightfall.”

  Kale immediately recognized the voice—it was Thomas. The vision they watched had been seen through his eyes.

  “I’ve always been ready, old man,” Jedah replied.

  Thomas held out a pendant that dangled on a golden chain. He informed Jedah that King Valamar sent instruction for the talisman to be worn at all times. Disgruntled, and slightly confused, Jedah snatched the pendant and placed it around his neck. He sheathed a small broad sword and gripped a sack filled with generous food rations over his left shoulder. Without saying a word, he turned and left to begin his mission.

  “What was the pendant for?” Kale questioned.

  “King Valamar requested I place an enchantment upon the pendant so he could view Jedah’s progress and actions throughout his journey. Because I was the sorcerer to conjure the spell, I too was able to view Jedah as he moved toward his destination.” Thomas smiled, “And now, it is time to accelerate this story, or else I’ll be decrepit and staring at my grave by the time this is over.” He chuckled to himself.

  With another wave of his hand, they watched as Jedah sped along, traveling from village to village, covering many miles of ground. They viewed as he ventured across forest, river, and desert. If Kale didn’t already know of Jedah’s cold and hateful heart, he would’ve thought he was watching one of the bravest, most devoted warriors in Mirion. As Jedah traveled, not once did he detour from his mission. He handled the sack full of eggs with care, always taking caution to ensure they were safe and unharmed.

  “And here, my friend, is the answer to your question,” Thomas said as he slowed the vision to a normal pace.

  They continued to watch as Jedah approached a range of sand dunes. It looked dreadfully hot as the sun blazed down, blistering his face. He mumbled to himself about being thankful he had taken the inn keeper’s advice involving the intense heat and left his chest plate and heavier clothing at the last village he visited. One of the King’s couriers would be able to retrieve it on his next arrival. Jedah knew there would have been no way he could endure the sweltering heat with it on. The mission was far more enduring than anticipated; however, he trekked on—determined to succeed. He staggered as he crawled up a tall dune before pulling out a canteen of water, stopping briefly to take a conservative gulp—and that’s when he heard it.

  His heart raced as he listened closely to the flapping sound high above. Something was flying toward him, and fast. He saw the significant, green mass from the corner of his eye just in time to dive down against the hot sand. Jedah spat as dry sand stuck to his moist tongue.

  “You dare take that which is not yours?!” a booming voice called out.

  Jedah could now see that the green creature was a dragon. The mighty beast landed on the dune near Jedah, glaring down with intimidating, black eyes. His skin looked as though composed of smoothed rock slates. As Kale watched he could see the terror in Jedah’s eyes—something he never knew the general was capable of feeling. Trembling, Jedah unsheathed his inadequate broad sword, aiming it toward the dragon.

  “Leave me be, beast! I am on a mission for King Adrian Valamar of Mirion to deliver an important package. Do not interfere, creature!” The blade wobbled as Jedah’s hand trembled. Though he knew of the dragons’ existence on Ravondore, he had never until that day crossed paths with one. His chest tightened as he struggled to take in each breath. For the first time, Jedah experienced genuine fear. Yet, despite his emotions, he knew he must remain strong in order to complete his mission.

  “Give me the bag if you wish to survive,” the green dragon demanded.

  Without hesitation, Jedah tossed his satchel filled with food rations at the dragon in an attempt to mislead the creature and entice him with the freshly baked bread inside.

  The dragon roared, “Do not toy with me human! The pack you carry on your back is what I desire—this is your final warning.”

  Jedah sheathed the sword; appearing as though he intended to obey the dragon’s command. He removed the pack from his shoulders, gripping the bulk of the bag by a handle. Jedah took a step forward, insinuating he was willingly about to hand over the eggs, when a smirk crossed his face.

  “I don’t think so you grotesque abomination!” He quickly pulled out the sword, hurling it into the air toward the dragon as a method of distraction. He turned and briskly ran.

  The dragon grew furious as the weak attempt of an attack rebounded off his stone-like skin. As Jedah ran he could hear the loud flapping of wings once again. Sand spiraled and flew in all directions from the violent gusts of wind. Within seconds, the enormous shadow was nearly on top of him. He quickened his pace, panting heavily as he struggled to take each breath. Suddenly, as his right leg shot forward in a sprint, it penetrated the sand, sinking rapidly below the surface. The soft area was fairly large and caused the rest of his body to follow, dropping into the sandy pit. The more he struggled, the faster he sank into the earth. He was now waist deep, fighting to hold the sack of eggs safely above his head.

  Laughter rang out, and the dragon spoke, “You’re quite an amusing human—but now it is time for you to die.” The green creature swooped down, swinging a massive foot toward Jedah in an attempt to lift him and the eggs to solid ground before devouring his meat and bones. As the dragon struck, his smallest claw caught Jedah in the face, snagging his flesh.

  Jedah cried out in pain as the force of the blow plucked him from the sinking sand, tossing his body hard against the solid ground and knocking him unconscious. The dragon immediately saw Jedah no longer held the sack and quickly landed. The weight of his feet created crater-like indents in the sand’s surface as he hit the ground. Frantically scraping his claws around the sand pit, the beast searched anxiously for the eggs. His attempts were futile; the p
ack had already sunk too deep below the surface to be retrieved.

  As Kale continued to watch with undivided attention, Thomas once again moved the time sequence along at a rapid pace. Jedah had been rescued by a small group of knights the King dispatched. Thanks to the magic Thomas had placed onto the pendant, they were able to locate where he had fallen. As they journeyed back to Mirion, Jedah’s wounds were treated, and his head bound with heavy gauze. Finally, they returned to the kingdom; Jedah feared the results of his failed mission meant the promotion into knighthood would not occur. The King, however, was a caring and compassionate man; he had observed the struggles and hardships Jedah underwent to succeed. In the end, a ceremony was held and Jedah achieved his goal, becoming a knight. The image faded until the last remnants of the puddle-like mass disappeared.

  “So, he became a knight in the end. I’m even more confused now than before.” Kale crossed his front legs.

  “Patience, Kale, patience. There is more to this story than what you’ve seen.” He patted the dragon on the snout. “For many years after his promotion in rank, Jedah was mocked and ridiculed by the others as the man who couldn’t deliver a simple pack of eggs. The other warriors harassed him and treated him as an inferior knight. They would throw chicken eggs at his back as he walked by and would jump out from behind corners, pretending to be a ferocious dragon. This mockery went on daily, driving Jedah into a bitter and hateful state, determined to rise above them all. He longed for the day he could use the men who looked down upon him as pawns to seek revenge on dragons. In his mind, his torment was the dragon’s fault. Eventually, his lust for destruction and his fearless sense of battle caused the other knights to fear him. Jedah fought hard and gave his devoted efforts to King Valamar. In time, he earned the trust of the King, ranking his way up to general of the royal army. Throughout this time, Jedah’s mind remained hell-bent on ridding the world of every last living dragon—beginning with the Emerald Prince—the green dragon Jedah encountered on his delivery mission years before.”