by Platt, S. P.
Suddenly he stopped, bumping into someone; his mind had been on the little dragon that nipped him, he had not been watching where he was going, and was lucky it wasn’t a wall but his brother Rho-Marin. Stopping, he looked up and suddenly realized who it was. ‘Rho what are you doing here mum said you and Etha wouldn’t be back till late, so she was going to take me home.’
Rho looked at him with a smile on his face. ‘I got back earlier than I thought and decided to see what you were up to. Want a ride home as I think mum will be late she was sent to sort out a problem with the wizards.’
Rho-Marin was Angel’s oldest half brother; he had another half brother Etha-Wyn. Both were dragon riders, with Rho riding a white named Moontear and Etha riding a blue named MoonSkin. They were ten years older than him and with their father having died in an attack by renegade dragon riders. Angel’s father, no one knows who he was as his mother would not tell anyone. He gets ribbed about it at times but it doesn’t worry him.
His half brothers are really good to him and have taken care of him when their mother is away. Angels name is single. All Dragon Rider names are two part names but his is not. His mother told him she liked the name Angel as she was lucky not to lose him, so she decided his name was to be Angel. She did not adhere to the double speaking name the dragon riders have.
So Rho asks him again. ‘Want a ride home as I’m going there now?’
‘Well I’m not going to wait around half the night so let’s go, race you.’ Angel was quick off the mark being down the hall before Rho could move.
Angel was about to climb up onto the dragon when Rho got there. His dragon was just a little jumpy while Angel was getting on and so Rho was holding him to calm him. ‘I don’t know why he’s playing up like this maybe it’s the long day, common let’s go home.’
He jumped up in front of Angel and they took off. The dragon rose into the air with a quick jump, the wings starting to flap in gentle rhythmic motions till it left the Dragon Hall. Once outside the wings beat faster lifting it higher and quicker. Rho could still feel Moontear was a bit jittery, giving him a pat on the side of the neck to try settling him down. At least they didn’t have far to go.
They climbed up high above the Dragon Hall cave where there were homes built into the mountain. These homes had caves for the dragons that lived with their Riders. Once inside the cave and on the ground Angel jumped down and thanked his brother and dragon and went inside to get a meal ready.
Contents
Old Life Gone
It would take Rho a while to settle his dragon down for the night. When alone Angel called his brothers and mother by the first part of the name, it was their way of showing Angel they didn’t need the double name making Angel more comfortable with his single name. By the time Rho was in he had the meal ready and they sat down to eat.
He decided to speak to his brother about the little dragon nipping at him and just out and asked him. ‘Rho one of the young dragons took a nip at me this morning. I just don’t know why, I never hurt it or anything and that’s never happened before, even to my friends.'
Rho looking at him could see Angel was worried. ‘Come on, it was just playing, you know they don’t nip you young ones when playing. You just thought it did, just trying to give you a final play nudge.’
‘No, it was a nip; I’m just not sure I suppose I‘ll see tomorrow when we go back and play.’ Angel’s faraway look while talking was starting to worry Rho.
‘Come on lets see what you got for our meal as I’m hungry, and as you said wait and see what tomorrow brings.’ Rho gave him a smile and started eating.
His thoughts were still on the events of the day. Something happened before the young one nipped at me, just after we won the fight. I felt funny, it was as if my mind got all screwed up and I just couldn’t think. Like nothing was around me, no noise of the young dragons. My friends were making that much noise but for that moment I heard nothing, saw nothing. Then just as suddenly it was all back, then the nip from the dragon.
I feel something’s changed but what I don’t know; maybe when mum gets home I’ll ask her. I do feel a little different, there’s a tingling in me, not a bad tingling but it does make me feel good now that I think of it. I hope mum will be able to tell me what happened and what the feeling is.
He’s suddenly brought back to the moment with a shake. Rho is staring at him talking to him. ‘Angel what’s wrong, Angel can you hear me?’
‘What yes, yes I’m fine just thinking of things maybe when mum gets home I’ll talk to her about what happened today.’ He was starting to feel uncomfortable an changed the subject ‘What happened to you today, as mum told me you wouldn’t be back till late but here you are?’ giving him a smile.
Rho could see he was changing the subject and decided to let it drop. ‘I got things done quicker than we thought so I could get home earlier.’
After their meal Angel decided it was time to go to bed. His thoughts still on what happened. Tomorrow was going to be an interesting day I just have that feeling. What ever happened to me today I thinks going to be worse tomorrow.
Angel awoke early and decides he’ll walk to the hatchery. Having got something to eat, he leaves a note for his brothers, heads off. As he walked down the track past the dragon cave he could see his brother Tas’s dragon there but not his mothers so she didn’t get home. With his mind back on what happened he carries on.
Well I can’t talk to mum I’ll just wait till I see her to day. It must have been important for her not to get home; being head Dragon Rider tends to keep her away longer from home.
The path Angel took was carved into the side of the mountain and leads down to the hatchery, passing other homes with dragon caves. There are parts of the path that are narrow and look down far below to the valley floor. It’s a steep climb down, but would be easier riding on a dragon than walking. This morning he wanted to walk and take his time. He would eat on his way down to the hatchery, before meeting his friends and going to play with the young dragons.
Stopping at a point with an area for passing as he sits with his feet dangling over the edge, still thinking about what happened yesterday when he could see a dragon flying in.
A large dragon was coming in from out at sea from where dragons don’t fly. The wizard school is that way and the Riders won’t take their dragons anywhere near it. The dragons can feel the magic there and don’t like it. So they will avoid going there. It must be a strong rider to bring their dragon from that area.
The Dragon Rider was coming in fast and doing a wide circle to bring the dragon in. Angel could now see it was carrying a passenger and by the way the rider was fighting the dragon it must be a wizard. He can now start to see the colour of the dragon as it was starting get lighter with the sun coming up.
That’s mum; she must have been at the Wizard School picking up a wizard. There’s not many Dragon Riders who are able to carry wizards, but mums the best at it. Nightwing doesn’t like it, I have never seen him this hard to control, she’s fighting him every part of the way. They will be down soon so I had better get going, tell her what happened maybe she will know I hope.
It took him till the sun is just above the horizon to get down to the hatchery. He heads into the Dragon Hall to see if his mother was there, but finds she’s no where to be seen. He gets something to eat as he felt really hungry still.
Finding his friends waiting outside the young dragons’ chamber, Angel can see they are excited about something and hurries. The boys both try to talk at once when Angel comes up to them.
‘Angel’ ‘Angel’ they yelled trying to talk at once.
Angel held up his hand. ‘Whoa one at a time, what’s wrong?’
His friend Tas-Shy got in first to tell him the news. ‘Did you hear there's a wizard here, he came in before and is looking around? The dragons don’t like it but he is keeping his distance from them.’
His other friend Pol-Orm got in before he could say anything more. ‘They say he�
��s from the wizard school and that it took a lot of control by the Dragon Rider to control their dragon with him on its back.’
Angel was smiling as he told who brought him in. ‘It was my mother who brought him in, I saw them coming in when I walked here early this morning. I could see she was having a lot of trouble with Nightwing. He just didn’t like it. I wander why he’s here we hardly get wizards here at all, must really be important. Have you seen him at all?’
‘No just got here but everyone is talking about him.’ Tas-Shy a smile from ear to ear. It’s not often they get something this exciting happen here.
Pol-Orm casually looked at them and spoke with an air of importance. ‘I had to show him where the head of the rider council was.’
Angel looking at his friends was thinking about yesterday. Shell I tell them about the young dragon nipping at me yesterday or not. No they’ll just laugh and think I’m making too much of it.
Angel turned and moved to the door going into the young dragons’ area talking to the others as he went. ‘I’ll ask mum tonight what the wizard’s here for. What are we going to do to the dragons today? We won’t be able to try that trick we did yesterday, so it’ll have to be something knew’.
As they moved to go into the room another boy was coming out and told Angel his mother was in there with the wizard. They went through into the chamber; it was large as it had to give the young dragons a good play area and also the area for the nests for the young. Around the area just up out of reach a second level where adults could keep an eye on the young dragons as they played.
Angel and his friends entered looking up they could see his mother with the wizard. Tish gave him a wave and carried on talking. Looking at his friends he could see they were looking at the young dragons. ‘Do they look ok with the wizard here they might be a bit funny, what do you think?’
Pol-Orm spoke before Tas-shy could. ‘They’re all down the other end well away from the wizard, can’t see any difference in them so can’t notice the wizard, come on lets just go and play rough for a while.’
Heading off to where the young dragons were, but Angel was looking at his mother and the wizard as he went. The wizard was looking at him as he moved over to the dragons. There was a strange look on his face as if he was waiting for something; he looked away as his mother started talking to him again. Angel and his friends stopped and went into a huddle Angel speaking first. ‘Shall we just yell and charge them and then see what happens?’
The others nodding turned and they all yelled and charged into the young dragons. The young dragons were screeching, flapping wings as they bowled into them. Angel, Pol-Orm and Tas-shy each grabbed a young dragon and pushed them into the others all the time laughing and yelling. They were being rough this morning but they knew the dragons loved it and could get rough as well but were very good at knowing just how much their human play friends could take before it hurt them.
While playing, Angels mother was talking with the head of the Wizard School, watching what was going on down below. ‘Gavrie do you think there's going to be more attacks on the Dragon Riders? This last one was the worst yet four riders hurt. It’s the second attack this year.’
‘I would like to say no but you and I both know it won’t be the last, if there was a way of taking a wizard with the patrols it would make things a bit safer but we both know how difficult that would be.’ Looking down at the group below.
*
Tish-Niya and Gavrie could see the young dragons were circling the boys. They could see the young dragons looked a little agitated but didn’t think much about it, as they knew what the boys did to the young dragons and the dragons would get their own back on them. Gavrie was not sure and spoke his misgivings to Tish-Niya. ‘Are you sure the boys are ok, the young dragons look just a little bit angry that’s the word, they look angry don’t you think?’
Tish-Niya looked hard before she spoke. ‘Now you mention it, they’ve never looked like this; they play with them all the time even when they play rough.’
Moving to the edge of the level, looking down at what was going on. They were just not quite sure what was happening.
*
The boys could see, something was not right, it looked as if the young dragons were picking more on Angel than themselves. Pol-Orm spoke first. ‘Angel, are you alright they seem to be going at you more than us, maybe we should stop?’
At that moment a dragon took a nip at Angel but he moved just in time, speaking as he did so. ‘I’m not sure let’s just see what happens we can always just stop the playing and go.’
Tas-shy was not so sure. ‘I’m not to sure they are just playing like they usually do. I think we should stop now, it could be the wizard up there disturbing the dragons.’
Angel was looking up at his mother and the wizard when he got nipped and this one he felt for normally they do get nipped but its just a sting, this was different and he knew it. ‘Ouch that hurt’ throwing himself to the side and looking at the mark now appearing.
The look on his face was a pained one and of surprise. He looked into the faces of the young dragons and could see anger and hate there, something he has never seen in a dragon before. The young dragons were starting to be a bit harder on his friends now so that made up his mind. ‘Lets stop now and go there’s something wrong with them.’
Yelling at the young dragons to stop, but they wouldn’t listen. Angel had the feeling it might be him they are angry at because of what happened yesterday. Yelling to the others, ‘They want me you go first while I draw them away get some help, ouch that hurt.’ Another young dragon had got a good nip in, and Angel could see they were in trouble and needed help and quick.
They started to yell for help as the young dragons were now getting angrier. Angel’s friends were getting nipped now but not as much as he was. Angel started to move to the side away from his friends, he could see them coming after him and leaving the others alone.
Trying to work his way over to the side door leading into the egg chamber, seeing they were following so Tas and Pol will be alright. I’ve got to hurry as they are getting angrier by the minute and it’s with me why. Why me I haven’t done anything to them, got to keep moving. What’s wrong with them, no what’s wrong with me Tas and Pol are fine the dragons have left them alone, its me they want, the look in there eyes, hatred, I’ve never seen that before. Mum. Yes she’s up there call for help work my way there.
Looking up at the second level where she had been to see if she was there still. He could see her talking to the wizard and yelling like he’s never yelled before. He knew they would kill him if they could the look in the eyes had told him that. ‘Help mum help me.’ Tears streaming down his face as he yelled for help.
Tish and Gavrie looking could see the young dragons had circled him. His friends were running up the stairs calling to Angel’s mother. Tish ran to the side as Angel had managed to work his way to just underneath where they were standing. She yelled to Angel, ‘stand still and don’t move I’m coming down.’
She jumped down beside him and held him up in the air. Gavrie, seeing the young dragons were still going for him. Tish was not going to be able to fight them off while holding Angel. She tried passing him to Gavrie but he couldn’t reach instead he jumped down into the middle of them and moved to the side. They would sense his magic and go for him for his magic was far stronger than Angels as he could sense it being this close to him.
Tish was trying to pass Angel up to Gavrie just above but was not quite tall enough. Suddenly Gavrie was beside her yelling. ’Move to the side as I draw them away, now move quickly.’
Gavrie moved grabbing at the young dragons, they could sense he was a wizard and turned on him for his magic was overpowering that of Angel. Being an adult he towered over the young dragons but they still went for him. He could move through them a lot easier and headed off away from the stairs letting Tish get Angel to the stairs and safety. The young dragons gave him a couple of hard nips but nothing serous
.
When he could see they were safe up in the second level he used his magic and lifted himself up there with them. Once there the young dragons settled down. Being young they were not able to sense the magic from that distance and so soon forgot all about it.
Gavrie stood and looked at Tish-Niya holding Angel, he could see in Angel his father. He is definitely his father at that age to be able to sense the magic it is just too young he can’t go to the school yet so we will have to think on it.
Angel looked up at his mother tears still running down his face with eyes not understanding what just happened. Tish could see it there she was not quite sure why but had an idea. She looked at Gavrie and the look he gave her told her what she knew deep down. Angel was a wizard and would not or ever be a Dragon Rider like her or his brothers.
How do I tell him this was the last time he would be near dragons without them trying to hurt him. His life was now changed forever and what he had with dragons was gone forever, never to be brought back. Just look at his eyes pain at not knowing why, I must tell him, I must but how.
Gavrie looking on could see the pain of not understanding, and then looking at Angel’s mother could see the some thing the pain but of how she would tell him. He went over to Tish. ‘You must tell the boy, he must know now what the future holds for him. This path is now gone and a new one opens up for him. It will be hard but he is strong.’
Tish looked at Angel and knelt down to his level and wiped away the tears, looking around at his friends’ faces and the not understanding there. Gavrie's face, there she could see pain but not for himself, but for her and Angel. He knew what she was going through and knew it was going to be painful.
Angel looked up at his mum ‘Why Mum?’
‘If you go back in there with the young dragons they will hurt you or kill you.’ Tish had a look of pain on her face as she tried to explain.
