Daniel's Early Days

Ch 11 Dragon Eggs-Before Daniel became a powerful Mage, he was just a boy. Follow Daniel from the beginning as he receives his powers, embarks on many adventures, and learns what true power really is.

“Dragon eggs!” Daniel cried in delight.

Pearl tilted her metallic head toward Daniel, and sent an answer that was only meant for him. “There is a few dragon eggs hidden away, Little One,” she sent from her mind to his. Daniel was practically crawling out of his skin, he was so excited. What could be more thrilling than hunting for dragon eggs, and who better to take him than the spirit of an old and powerful dragon?

“Where?” he shouted, forgetting to keep it between just him and Pearl. His mother looked at him strangely, and then over to Pearl. The tiny metal dragon kept still, and stayed silent.

Just then, the screen door squeaked open. “Lunch,” Daniel’s father called from the doorway. Daniel turned toward his dad, and then back at Pearl, still hoping for an answer. The only answer he got was a growling reverberating deep in his stomach. With all the excitement this morning, he found he was suddenly ravenous. Between his first attempts at magic, the secret rendezvous in the forest, bonding with a dragon talisman, and his vision, Daniel was in desperate need of sustenance.

He turned to rush back inside, but stopped short and turned back to Pearl. As expected, she jumped into the air, flapped her wings to gain altitude, and then settled in a crouch on his shoulder.

Still as a statue, Pearl perched silently on Daniel’s shoulder through the entire meal. Daniel tried to question her privately using his mind, but she was uncooperative. She felt closed off and distant; almost like she had abandoned her tiny, metal shell and had flown elsewhere. Every time he asked where the dragon eggs were, she would answer with one word only: hidden.

Eventually, Daniel gave up and turned his attention back to his lunch. Barely even tasting it, Daniel quickly devoured his chicken salad sandwich. With a wink, his father got up to make him another.

His grandmother floated in, and joined them at the table. Pearl seemed to come to momentarily. She shifted slightly at her entrance, and Loma addressed her personally. “Pearl,” she acknowledged with a nod of her head, and Pearl responded in kind. “How goes it?” his grandmother asked earnestly.

Daniel hesitated, not sure whether she was asking him or Pearl. “Very well,” Pearl answered immediately. This seemed to please Loma, and she beamed happily as she heaped berries on her plate.

“Would you like to try your hand at some other magic after lunch?” his mother asked conspiratorially.

“Yeah,” he muffled through a mouthful of raspberries. His mother gave him a pointed look, and Daniel quickly swallowed before asking, “What kind of magic?”

“Well, we could test your skills in the garden,” she suggested hopefully. Daniel made a face. “Or, you could try your hand on a spell from the family tomes.”

“I’ll take that as a yes,” his mother laughed.

Daniel’s eyes lit up at the prospect of finally getting a chance to experiment with the family spell books. He had seen his parents work minor spells from them before, but he was never allowed to touch them or look inside. His grandmother always had one of the books tucked under her arm or spread out on her lap, but she never let him close enough to even sneak a peek.

Once, several years ago, Daniel had inadvertently come across one of the leather bound books abandoned in his grandmother’s chair. His grandmother was nowhere in sight, so he snuck closer for a better look. The brown leather was old and discolored in several places. In the middle of the cover, embossed in gold, was a strange symbol. He couldn’t say why, but the symbol made him feel uneasy. With a start, he realized the symbol was moving. Suddenly, gold tendrils leapt off the cover, and began reaching toward him. Terrified, Daniel rushed out of the room, and did not look back. For weeks afterward, he had nightmares about the image on the book reaching out and grabbing him.  

As soon as his father set down his second sandwich, Daniel quickly attacked it, and washed it down with a glass of cold milk.

“Attic,” his mother called over her shoulder as she took dishes to the sink.

Unable to wait for her, Daniel dashed upstairs to the attic while Pearl flew beside him. They found Quip sitting at his miniature desk, reading a tiny book. “Back so soon,” he murmured without looking up from his reading.

“Yeah, Mom’s going to let me try a spell from the tomes,” he said breathlessly.

“Is she now?”

“Yep, do you know where they are?”

“I do,” Quip drawled, still consumed with his reading.

Daniel resisted the urge to sigh, and tried to stay patient. Quip was likely to ignore him altogether if he lost his cool. Daniel didn’t know if all House Brownies were this temperamental, but Quip had a quick temper and did not appreciate being rushed into anything. Whenever he felt that someone had wronged him in even the slightest way, he would quickly react in kind. Usually, followed by quickly disappearing through one of his many tunnels, that wound throughout the house. If Daniel spoke even a little bit harshly, Quip was likely to treat him to a lengthy lecture or find some other way to teach him a lesson in manners.

“Can you tell me where they are?” Daniel asked sweetly through clenched teeth.

“I can,” he said slowly. “But, I won’t.”

“Why not?”

Finally, Quip turned to him. He peered over his wire rimmed spectacles at Daniel, and fixed him with a stern look. “Not my place,” he said with finality, and turned back to his book. Pearl, sensing his frustration, settled back on Daniel’s shoulder.

Daniel sighed in exasperation, and plopped down on the floor. Pearl seemed to anticipate this sudden movement, and clung on without any trouble. “Stubborn little fellow, isn’t he?” Pearl sent to Daniel.

“You have no idea.”

“What kind of spell do you want to try?” Pearl asked curiously.

“Levitation,” he answered promptly.