Glaide didn’t move, didn’t breathe. His weapon slid from his hands, touching the ground without a sound. Innumerable memories of paintings, sculptures, and sketches – all representing this legendary animal – filled his mind. He couldn’t say a word. He simply couldn’t believe his eyes. Beyond that, he seemed to be hypnotized by the gaze of this creature. It felt as though in a few seconds, it had read everything in him, and understood him just as well as he understood himself. He found himself unable to blink, and it was the dragon that finally broke the connection, lifting its head to look at the sky.
Only then did the young man become truly conscious of what was happening. Just as with the first time that he encountered orks, he felt overcome by a wave of happiness, tinged with fear and respect. He understood perfectly that if this creature decided to kill him, there was nothing he would be able to do to stop it. However, he didn’t think that would happen, because in that case, why act out this whole scene? A simple strike from one foot while the creature was flying would have cut him in two.
Glaide collected his sword, replacing it in his sheath. The simple movement cleared his head, reminding him that he was on Galadria, where anything could happen. He worked hard not to let his inner turmoil show, though he didn’t see how he was going to engage in any kind of conversation with a dragon. He decided to wait patiently until it addressed him, which happened in short order. The snout, long and somewhat pointed, began to move, and the boy perfectly understood the words it pronounced in a deep, gravelly voice.
“Greetings to you, human. I have come to converse with you.” The dragon took his time, enunciating each sound, and pronouncing each word slowly and deliberately. “I have been following you since you left the dwarves, and it is now time that I speak to you.”
Glaide said nothing. He had nothing to say. He was content to simply wait as long as the speaker deigned to explain whatever it was that it had to say, all the while doing his best to convince himself he wasn’t dreaming.
“Unlike with that diminutive people, we dragons know perfectly well what is happening at this time on Galadria. And I am here to speak to you of it. We are not all of one accord about recent events, but unlike the barbarians, who battle each other, we live simply, as we choose. There are no clans among the dragons. We are not very numerous, and we frequently move from place to place, rather than living together in herds like cattle. However, much like the humans, we know how to join together when we hold the same ideas and goals in common. And it is to speak to you of these ideas that I am here.”
Glaide listened attentively. He was perfectly conscious of the fact that he was facing an animal gifted with an intelligence out of the ordinary, and he preferred to keep his mouth shut, out of fear of appearing churlish by saying an unfortunate word or phrase.
“Effectually,” continued the great voice, “whereas some of us have judged the current conflict as one that does not concern us, others believe that it is necessary for us to intervene, in one or the other of the two camps. I represent those that believe that humans are the future of this world. There is no danger that menaces us, dragons, directly. If we are thinking of acting, it is to lend our strength to humans and their allies, though they are not yet numerous. To be truthful, the departure of the guardian intrigued us, and from the time that we discovered that he brought you here – you and your friends – we have been watching you. I know that you went to the dwarves to attempt to convince them to leave their safe haven, and I know also that you have failed.”
The young man ventured to speak. “It’s true. Their king believes that it is a sign of wisdom that they have accepted their eventual disappearance.”
“It is not for us to judge what is wisdom and what is not, but listen carefully: those that I represent, and I myself, are ready to lend a hand to assist the humans, but we do that only for the Destroyer.”
“You would do that... for me?” asked the young man, intrigued.
“Precisely. You are the intermediary between the peoples. If Aras has chosen you, it is because you are worthy of our support, as well as that of the other peoples in this land. However, we cannot ally our power with a young man who stands unproven. Unproven in terms of strength, whether moral or physical, but also unproven in terms of wisdom. He must be capable of understanding the power that he is taking on.”
“I understand. That makes perfect sense,” Glaide declared with a calm voice. He had to force himself not to shout with joy; a dragon was in the middle of explaining to him that he would be Glaide’s equal, or even that the dragon would stand as a vassal before a lord. Of course, some demonstrations would be required first, but it would be well worth the effort. The young man doubted he had the required skills at the moment, though, and so let the creature continue, in order to know more.
“We have followed your journey nearly from its beginning, and for many of us, you have already furnished sufficient proof. They are devoted to you. But I have been designated as leader of the coalition, and in that role, I must demand more. If we are not satisfied, none of us will follow you. If, on the contrary, you show courage, discernment, and understanding, then know that the strength of the dragons will be yours. This is my offer.”
Glaide was flattered. He felt a breath of pride build up inside himself, and hurried to remind himself that nothing had yet been won. “What are you looking for exactly? What proof of my wisdom or courage do you require?”
“Live your life, exactly as you have up to this point. Forget this discussion, and don’t spend your time trying to prove one thing or another. It is your everyday decisions that will give us the answers we seek. So then, do you accept our offer?”
“Of course,” replied the young man enthusiastically.
“Very good. Then know that we are patient, and you need not hurry. Become what you are meant to become, even if it takes many months, or even many years. When our decision is made, I will find you and let you know.”
“I understand. I should just be myself, and await your judgement, and hopefully that will come soon.”
“We will see.”
A moment of silence descended on the two. The discussion appeared to be finished, and the deal completed, but the dragon had not yet decided to leave. He stared off into the distance, appearing lost in his thoughts. Glaide decided that it was not appropriate to leave yet, so he remained still and waited for whatever would come next. The creature looked at him suddenly, then said, “I am pleased with you, Glaide. You are a unique individual. Your past is mysterious, and great things are promised to you. Who you are interests me. You prove to have great joy even when your friends feel despair, you seek to rally peoples that you have never met, and all in view of a battle that may never come. Shall we commune together for a time in our wayfaring?”
“You mean... Do you mean you would accompany me to Adrish?” Asked the young man timidly.
“Perhaps not all the way to Adrish, but it is certain that on the back of a dragon, you will gain precious time. We would move in the direction of that village, though I would surely leave you before we arrived there. Would that be suitable?”
“Why, of course... Of course that would be suitable. That would be great!” Glaide couldn’t believe his ears: he was going to fly! And in the company of one of the most interesting creatures of Galadria, nonetheless! Compared to walking, he would gain an incredible amount of time. In only days, he would be within reach of the city.
“So then,” spoke the dragon. “When do we begin?”
“Immediately! If that isn’t a problem, that is...” The young man mounted the dragon via its wings, sitting astride the creature, at the base of its neck, as though he was simply going horseback riding. “I may not know how to mount a horse, but I know how to mount a dragon,” he thought to himself with a smile. There, where he took his seat, the scaly armor of the creature was nearly nonexistent. It was the one point of weakness on the creature, but one that allowed him to ride quite comfortably. The adolescent attached his sac
k firmly to him, made his sword disappear, and prepared himself for take-off, all without truly believing what was happening.
With a powerful bound that shook the young man, the dragon lifted into the air. Then, he began to slowly but regularly beat his wings. He flew at that height – a few yards from the ground – for a time, then, all of a sudden, shot up towards the clouds. Glaide found himself pressed up against a spike that was directly behind him on the creature’s spine. He found that it was wide, shaped much like the back of a chair. He leaned back against it, then watched as the ground drew away from him with dizzying speed. Strangely, despite his tendency towards vertigo, he felt no fear. His confidence in his chance companion was total. Underneath him, he could feel the muscular body, so full of life and strength. He could feel the heart beating, and the wings – which moved from time to time, then stopped to let the creature glide – reassured him.
The journey to Adrish had begun.
Chapter 8
SEVERAL minutes passed with neither of the companions saying a word. Glaide wore a blissful smile that never left his face, which was being caressed by a soft breeze. The dragon didn’t fly too high, for fear of freezing or asphyxiating his passenger. The height at which he flew was perfect for making him appear as a bird to any occupants of the terrestrial sphere that might lift their eyes towards him, and at the same time allowed the adolescent the opportunity to gaze at the earth below him – an opportunity he certainly didn’t deprive himself of! The squares that represented fields and gardens, the dark stains that represented forests and woods, the long stretches that were prairies... Everything was miniscule. With a single glance, one could take in the countryside for miles in every direction.
Instinctively, the young man compared what he was experiencing to the one or two plane flights he had taken in the past. The view was similar, if not for the absence of the tiny airplane windows, but the voyage itself was entirely different. Glaide found himself on a living creature, made of flesh and blood, and not in an aggregation of sheets of metal and electrical wiring. He could see the eyes of the creature scanning the horizon, noting even the smallest movements in the distance, with the great head moving to the right and to the left, using the full reach of the long, scaly neck. The sunlight played across the crimson of the scales, sometimes giving the impression that the sun was setting them ablaze.
Glaide was filled with joy; he was living a unique adventure – one that was rare even for Galadria. However, he also felt a subtle shadow over his emotions: he felt as though he wasn’t really experiencing what was happening to him; he couldn’t quite convince himself that it was real. He could see everything around him perfectly well, but somehow he didn’t believe any of it. His life was passing before his eyes like a dream. Even the words of the dragon seemed to be empty of sense and meaning.
He contemplated how far he really was from truly living on Galadria; his body lived there, but his mind didn’t. The only thing that had really, truly, and deeply affected him up until that point had been when he had left his friends, and then only because he knew them so well. They were human beings that, like him, had come from Earth.
As for the rest of his experience... It all seemed foggy and unreal. He had just encountered the dwarves, and now, just a few hours later, they already appeared to be an infinitely distant memory.
However, even if he could not force himself to believe what he was experiencing, he still wanted to take full advantage of the opportunity he had in this flight.
“What do you think, young human? Are you pleased by what you see?” asked the dragon, interrupting the thoughts of his passenger at the same time.
“It’s fabulous,” he exclaimed. “Magical!”
“It pleases me that you are appreciating it, as the voyage will be long. It is not possible for me to fly throughout the entire day, so I believe we will reach the area around Adrish three days from now. Then it will be up to you to complete the journey on our own.”
“That’s perfect!” he said, then thought to himself joyfully, “I’ll save a great deal of time that way. Only three days to reach the city, when I’d expected it to take many weeks. Then again, that makes the time a bit short to try to learn everything there is to learn about dragons! I guess we’ll have to see...”
The hours passed, one after another. They were not boring, as he always had something to distract him; whether conversing with his dragon mount, or gazing at the always-changing landscapes below, the adolescent’s mind was always occupied! He tried to estimate the speed of the dragon based on the distance they traveled. Basing his estimates on the speed of birds, he came to an estimate of fifty miles per hour, or probably fifteen times the speed of a human traveling on foot. He thought that the creature might have even reached 60 or 80 miles per hour! The real question, though, was how long he could stay in the air for.
His estimates of the speed, though, seemed lower than the speed it felt like he was experiencing. Or were they really moving as quickly as he felt they were? Naturally, it could be. Fifty miles an hour was a very high speed, especially here, but he was so used to cars and other modern forms of transport, that his judgement was flawed.
A simple examination of the distance he could travel on earth in a few hours, compared to the same distances which here took days, helped him reset his frame of mind. They were traveling fast enough. He thought for a long time about this easy speed, and how it gave a person a phobia of schedules, which always force one to hurry and to forget that long ago time when a voyage was no small detail – and sometimes even a burden – though a normal part of life...
The day was reaching its end when the mount and his rider came to rest on the ground. Once again, the earth trembled, and a huge cloud of dust formed when the back legs of the creature struck the ground. Glaide had to hold tight to the long neck to avoid being catapulted several yards away.
“We’ll stay here for the night. The woods will shelter us; let us seek a place near the edge.”
They did so. The huge trees masked the presence of the dragon, who crept in among them with the agility of a snake.
“I’ll make a fire,” offered Glaide. He set about the task of gathering branches which he arranged in a small pile, surrounding them with stones to prevent the fire from escaping. The crucial moment arrived. He had his flint on hand, just in case, but he waited to see if his companion would do what dragons do so well, in the legends at least: breathe fire. He moved a little ways away from the mound and waited, but his companion obstinately gazed at the treetops. He seemed to have found something of great interest in them. Grumbling to himself, Glaide removed the stones from his pouch and began to strike one of them energetically against the blade of his sword, and when a spark ignited the small bonfire, he heard the deep and already familiar voice resonate behind him.
“It will be up to you to prove that we can trust you with this gift.”
He turned and gazed at the creature. The message was clear. The contract that he had made – that would come to pass if he proved what they were waiting for him to prove – offered him the dragons and all of their powers, including that of breathing fire. Until then, he had the right to a mount, but nothing more. The young man doubted whether the dragon would even offer aid if they were attacked.
Whatever the case, a few minutes later, the dragon took to the skies to hunt. He brought back what appeared to be a gazelle that he devoured. Glaide made do with what he had in his sack: a few pieces of fruit and vegetables, and a little cold meat. He had thought he would refresh his stock of provisions in Elmash and Grenhart, but since he had not passed through them, he would have to hurry after leaving the dragon. He would have food for one or two days, but not more. He would have to reach Adrish within that time, or risk going hungry. However, he was not worried. Two days would be enough.
Once the meal had finished, the animal looked around them with his piercing eyes. Not seeing anyone for several kilometers in any direction, he generously offered to let the adolescen
t rest against his flank for the night. It was warm there, and Glaide curled up comfortably against the blood red scales, which he covered with his cape so he would not be injured if he moved. The dragon covered the human with his wing, protecting his head from the leaves that fell from time to time. Glaide slowly began to let the stupor of slumber comfortably invade and dull his senses.
He could see his reflection in the perfectly polished scales of the beast. He had aged. His features seemed more drawn, and his face more rugged. He smiled and thought that that was not the only change in his body. He had also become a much better walker, he had more endurance now, and he had more muscle. Just as sleep began to take him, he asked sleepily, “What is your name, actually?”
“My name?” repeated the creature softly. “It is unpronounceable in your language, but you can call me... Ayrokkan.”
“Ayrokkan...” murmured Glaide faintly. “I like it. That suits you very well.”
The head of the monster noiselessly came to rest on the ground, then Glaide fell asleep at last. And so the man and the beast passed the night, side by side, under the benevolent gaze of the stars. The glow of the flames gently illuminated them, letting shadows play across the two bodies.
Chapter 9
“HOW far have we actually traveled since yesterday?” Glaide asked himself. He and his companion had woken relatively late that morning. It had been a long time since the young man had slept so well. Settled in, warm and comfortable, he had almost had the impression of being tucked into his own bed. He was still looking forward to finding a real bed, though. He had now been sleeping under the stars for almost two weeks, and even if he appreciated this close contact with nature, he would not refuse a good mattress!
Chronicles of Galadria II - Encounters Page 6
