Dragon Rider (DragonMage Saga)

by Platt, S. P.

  Just getting to where the path turned a corner he heard the young dragon noise again, it was close. He poked his head around and there on the path which ended on a ledge was a young dragon. Not just a young dragon but a black one, he stood there and looked. It was half again in height over him and could only just fit on the ledge. The dragon was a black with silver scaling running down the back. The head had two white horns on top with smaller ones just under the chin and the eyes a silvery white.

  Angel could see it had not seen him but was looking over the edge of the ledge and down. He then heard the Fire Lizards and he could tell there was more than one. He looked at the dragon again and could see a little cut in the wing on this side. That would stop a young dragon from flying, as the air would tear through it and stop the lift.

  Suddenly the young dragon turned and looked right at him. ‘Hello’ Angel looked around but could see no one. Then the greeting came again and this time Angel knew where it was coming from, the dragon.

  ‘Hello’ said Angel staring at the dragon, not thinking of anything else to say.

  Then in his mind again. ‘Can you help me I can’t fly?’

  Angel started to go closer to the dragon as he spoke. ‘Can I come closer and have a look?’

  Again the young dragon in his mind. ‘Please come, but quickly, the Fire Lizards are very close.’

  Moving close to the dragon he could see she had been here for a while as there were droppings on the ground and she had not been able to clean herself. He had been able to tell it was a female because the voice in his mind was female.

  ‘Can you help me?’ Her plea came again, but this time more frantic.

  He looked at the wing and touched the tear. The dragon would feel no pain in this part of the wing. ‘The tear is bad but when I would play with the young dragons at the Hatchery I carry needle and tread in case one of the little ones tore their wings. I have the kit still in my belt pouch.’

  ‘Thank you, I could feel you climbing the mountain and tried to call to your mind but could not get through. Your thoughts were very muddled, but you came. Thank you.’ She was looking at what he was doing as she had been speaking to him.

  He carried on fixing the tear as he talked to her. ‘I’ve only just moved in down below the mountain. You’re lucky I decided to climb up here today.’

  ‘No this was meant to be, like I was not meant to be here. My grandfather would not be happy. We are not to be near humans. We have hidden for years and my grandfather has hidden even longer, so he wouldn’t be happy.’ She turned away after telling him this.

  The tear was almost closed up and Angel had just put the last stitch in and was about to paint glue onto the tear that would finish it, when there came some scratching noise from just over the side of the ledge. Angel stopped and stuck his head over to see how far the Fire Lizards were. He quickly pulled it back as a little lizard head appeared and looked at them.

  Angel, without thinking gave it a kick and saw the lizard go flying down into the rift. Quickly brushing the glue onto the tear they now had to wait for the glue to dry before she could fly. He went to the side again to see where the others were and could see time was running out for there were another four Fire Lizards and they would be at the top at the same time.

  ‘Quickly now, you should be able to fly, quickly before they get here.’ Telling her in a load voice, as he moved away.

  ‘Thank you.’ She looked at him and gave a blink of her eyes and as she leapt into the rift and spread her wings.

  He could see her falling down and down when all of a sudden her wings caught the air currents, she soared upwards. Angel could see the grace in her wing movement as she flapped them in the air. She soared up above the ledge where he was and flew around close to him.

  Then in his mind came a warning. ‘Fire Lizards’

  He turned and looked around him and while he had been mesmerized with her flying the Fire Lizards had climbed onto the ledge and now he was trapped. There was one up the path so he couldn’t get back that way. The others just on the edge coming his way.

  He backed up against the mountain and could not think of what to do. Panic began to take over his mind when there was a call in his mind. ‘Leap now.’

  He didn’t think but just did it; he jumped into the rift over the heads of the Fire Lizards and into midair. He was spread eagled in the air thinking, I’m flying but why am I yelling at the top of my lungs.

  Just as panic came into his mind a black shape come up under him and he heard her voice in his mind. ‘Grab hold quickly.’

  He grabbed her around the neck and held on. After a time his thoughts come free and he realized he was still screaming and stopped. Now he could think more clearly, she had saved him. She might only be a little bigger than him but she was strong and was able to easily carry him.

  She kept going down for a little yet before she was able to glide. She was not use to carrying anything on her back before. She was strong enough it was just new to her. She turned her head to Angel and spoke. ‘Thank you for my life. I had been on the ledge there for four days before you turned up to help me. Thank you.’

  Angels mind had settled down now as he moved around. ‘I’ll just move into a better position as where I am now is not good for you. Thanks for saving my life back there. With me dropping on you like that it would have been hard for you to catch me. So again thank you.’

  After he settled himself into a better position for both of them he could look around at where he was. It was now mid afternoon and he would have to be going home soon or he would be missed and they would send dragons out looking for him.

  He wandered what her name was. ‘My name was given to me by my Grandfather and he tells me it is a very old name and means Princess of Night, I am NightAura.’

  Angel thought about it for a time and said. ‘Yes it fits you, I’m Angel. My mother would never tell me why she went against tradition using the single word name instead of the two word names like all other Dragon Riders and their families have.

  NightAura turned her head and looked at him. ‘She was right to call you that as to me you where an Angel coming to rescue me, for only an Angel would have done that.’

  ‘You have Angels in myths as well do you?’ said Angel as he looked into her deep white eyes.

  ‘They have been in our legends always and it means someone who stands over us in times of need, and there you were. You were my Angel when I needed you most and is a fitting name for you.’ She turned her head away.

  Angel was quite for a time and soon found it was starting to get late. ‘NightAura I must get home before they send out dragons to look for me can you fly me close to home without getting seen.

  ‘I’ll take you now; can you show me where to go?’ She turned her head and looked at him.

  ‘Can you go back and take me thru the passage in the mountain as I think it was big enough for you to fly through.’ He turned to look back and see if he could see the gap.

  She turned in the air heeding back into the rift, her wing just gliding through the air. As they came to the end of the rift, NightAura headed for the gap. ‘Hold on, this will be tight.’

  They headed straight for the cliff when she did a sharp turn that took them into the passage. Angel held on for dear life as she screamed into the passage and out the other side. They shot out of the passage so fast they went far out from the mountain.

  'Quick NightAura back in close to the mountain in case there are dragons still flying around my home down below.’ A worried sound in his voice, as he looked all around.

  She quickly turned and headed in close. They descended close to the mountain till Angel could see his home far down below. ‘NightAura, if you go over that side of the house, you will see some caves there where you can put me down and we could meet.

  The dragon cave by Angel’s new house was underneath it and so his mother and brothers dragons would not be able to see them. They found the cave Angel had seen on the way up and upon lookin
g at it more closer found it to be a good size and not too high for Angel and NightAura to meet.

  Landing in the cave he checked her tear in the wing. ‘The tear is good and holding but you must get back to your home, is it far from here?’

  She looked into his eyes as she spoke. ‘It is in the mountains and will not take me long to get home. When will I see you again?’

  ‘We can meet here anytime you like as I will not be going to school for a couple of years so we will have plenty of time if you talk to my mind I will know you are here and come and see you.’ He gave her a rub under the ear and said goodbye.

  NightAura looked at him and in Angels mind was joy and a thank you. She jumped into the air and went straight up till she was just a small dot in the sky. He turned and worked his way down home. When he got there no one was home yet so he started to get the meal ready. There was a smile on his face as he did this for he rode a dragon and it didn’t hate him. Suddenly it dawned on him what he just thought, she didn’t hate him.

  Angel was in a really good mood and started humming a tune as he got things ready for there evening meal. As he was humming away he did not hear the dragon of his mother coming in so when she walked in the door, it gave him a fright. She could see she had given him a fright, but didn’t say anything for the look of happiness on his face which she had not seen for a couple of days and she smiled.

  ‘Angel I‘ve brought someone with me to see you; we thought it would be better to have given you a couple of days to settle in before talking to you.’

  ‘Who have you brought to see me and why?’ An air of uncertainty in his voice as he looked behind her.

  Gavrie was standing behind his mother. ‘Hello Angel I hope you are feeling a little more relaxed here away from the dragons?’

  ‘I am feeling better and thank you for jumping in to save me the other day.’ Speaking as he came over greeting Gavrie.

  Tish showed Gavrie to a set and asked Angel to come over and join them. He could tell by the look on his mothers face what Gavrie was here for was important. Sitting down beside his mother he gave her a look, not understanding why she wanted to speak to him.

  ‘Gavrie is here to talk to you about your magic and what is going to happen now.’ Looking into his face as she told him to see if there would be any reaction to what she just said.

  Angel gave Gavrie a look and turned back to his mother. ‘What is going to happen now I won't be a dragon rider like you?’

  Before she could say anything Gavrie stood. ‘You have come on your magic early, too early as magic does not appear in a child till they are 14 or 15 years old. You are still too young to come to the Wizard School and so must stay home but your magic must be controlled.’

  A look fear came over his face as he looked into their faces. ‘Controlled what do you mean?’

  ‘It’s alright it’s not bad I will come every six days and will show you ways to relax and feel your magic, for you need to feel the channels that have opened up in you. When you know these magic channels you are then able to control them and your magic.’ He spoke in a calm and controlled voice not wonting to scare him.

  Tish could see he was having trouble understanding what Gavrie was saying. ‘Gavrie is just going to show you some exercises of the mind that will show you your magic. All wizards must go through this. It will be harder for you as you are younger.’

  ‘Will I be the same after I learn how to do this, it will not change me will it. I don’t want to be different. Will I look the same as I am now; I’m not going to turn into a monster because the magic came on me early?’ There was near panic in his voice as he said this.

  Tish gave him a big hug as she tried to reassure him. ‘No, you will be just like you are now except you will have magic in you and you must learn how to control it. That’s all, you should feel a funny feeling deep in you well this is your magic and Gavrie will show you how to see and feel it better.’

  Angel sat on his mothers’ knee and gave her a hug and then stood up and went over to Gavrie who had sat back down. Standing in front of him Angel spoke. ‘Thank you for what you are going to do to help me.’

  Angel asked if he could go to his room till the meal was ready so he could think about what had just been told him. Watching him go there were tears running down her face as he left the room.

  Gavrie walks up behind Tish and speaks. ‘You knew this day might come knowing who his father was, it was always likely to happen and now it has.’

  Tish turned with a look of utter surprise on her face. ‘How did you know, no one knew but me. It was something not heard of and so I could not tell anyone. Yet you know, how?’

  Gavrie looking at the shocked look on her face, and smiled. ‘Angel’s father was my friend and asked me if anything were to ever happen to him to keep an eye on you. I have been keeping that promise now all these years. When Angel was burn I had a very good idea who the father was and I had an idea this day would come. I just did not expect it to happen two years too early, he is very young. With the father being who he was, this could be understandable.’

  Sitting down he indicated to Tish to do the same. She sat back in her chair and Gavrie carried on. ‘When he turns 14 his powers are going to be on him in full and so he is going to need these two years of training that I will give him. This way I can keep an eye on his magic and see how strong he’s going to be. Then when he goes to Wizard School at Nirvana I will be there to watch over him.’

  Just then they heard the flapping of wings as Tish’s other boys come home so they stopped and Tish got a meal ready before she would take Gavrie back. After the meal was over, Angel just played in his room, but all he could think about was NightAura and when he would see her again.

  Contents

  NightAura

  The following morning after eating, asks if he could do a little climbing. ‘I won’t go far or high just find a little place to sit and use the calming exercise I learned working with the young dragons. I think they’ll be good for me.’

  ‘Don’t go far as I’ll be going away for a short trip and I want you at home here and not up climbing, ok?’ She finished cleaning up and felt that little bit happier as Angel was smiling.

  *

  Angel’s brothers had gone earlier so when his mother left later he would be by himself. Tish wasn’t happy about this, but there was nothing she could do as she would normally have taken him with her or dropped him at the hatchery. Now this was not possible, she had to let him stay at home.

  Letting him do a little climbing wouldn’t hurt and would take his mind of what had happened. Until he could go to Wizard school, she will have to leave him alone at times. It’s wasn’t going to be easy as there was nowhere else she could leave him. Every other place there were just too many dragons so it had to be at home.

  She watched him start climbing, and after a while was out of sight so she went down to the dragon cave to check on Nightwing. When she got there Nightwing was a little restless so went to soothe him stroking and talking to him. She looked around to see if there was anything around that could be disturbing him but found nothing so stayed for a short time.

  *

  Angel took one last look at his mother watching him and started to climb but not up to the cave straight away but in the opposite direction, just in case she looks for me. Now out of sight I can head to the cave. Suddenly stopping, someone was calling him. NightAura was calling him, it was her NightAura.

  As he got closer to the cave the voice in his mind got stronger, calling his name. As he got to the mouth of the cave she was waiting there for him. ‘Hi NightAura how are you today?’ There was nervousness in his voice as he spoke to her.

  He found it strange the voice in his mind. ‘Angel I hoped you would come, Grandfather is not happy that I am talking with a human. He’s worried others will find out about us and hunt us.’ He could feel the worry in her mind speech as she told him.

  ‘Don’t worry I will never tell anyone and all we have to do is be
very careful when meeting. Maybe we’ll have to find a cave a bit further away just to be safe.’ Worry on his face as he told her for he did not want to lose her now they are together.

  ‘As I flew in I could see another cave a little bit further around the side of the mountain. Hop on and I’ll take you there now.’ Her mind speech was a little bit more relaxed.

  Angel’s face lit up when she said ride, for him he loved the feeling of being on the back of a dragon flying. He climbed on and she walked to the mouth of the cave and launched herself into the air turning quickly and headed for the other cave. As they went Angel made sure he was going to be able to climb around to the cave.

  Angel wanted to know more about her. ‘Can I call you Aura as this feels good?’

  ‘Yes I like it, so you can call me Aura.’ She turned and settled into a better position as she answered him.

  Aura could see Angel wanted to ask something but she could see he didn’t know how to ask. ‘What is it you want to know Angel, I can see by the look on your face there’s something, ask me?’

  ‘Aura, why do you not hate me like other dragons now hates me?' Speaking quickly and getting it out fast, for he had been thinking about it all night.

  ‘Why would I hate you?’

  ‘All dragons hate wizards because of their magic. A wizard can’t go near a dragon without it trying to hurt or kill him. But a wizard won’t harm a dragon no matter what they would do to a wizard.’ He was trying to get across to Aura that this was a big thing, something that is very important.

  ‘I feel no hate towards you, I feel a bond, I can feel your magic, and do you feel mine?’ Looking into his deep blue eyes.

  Angel looked at her and seeing in her eyes no hate for his magic. Then looking deeper and using his mind at the same time. ‘I feel something in you; I feel a difference like me, what I now feel in me, is that the magic I can feel?’

  ‘Yes magic can you feel it flowing through every part of your body. Can you feel that same feeling in my body as I can in yours, magic is running through our bodies but it is different? My magic is earth magic, and yours is different to mine.’ There was a sense of excitement in her speech as she told Angel.