Part One

Meet the main character in his confused and disgruntled state - he's not supposed to be here! However, he will come to appreciate being a part of something bigger than himself.

 

A Dragon Story

I was running through the canyon as fast as I could. I had to reach the end before nightfall. I have been traveling for three days now, consulting my father's map, whose directions left much to be desired. And now, here I was, at the Angeluk Canyon, on the right day. If I miscalculate my timing by only a minute, my family and the world will have to wait another five hundred years. Who knows if we will even have that long. Trying not to lose my balance, I dart around loose rocks and strips of pebbles. I trip anyway, landing my hands on rocks that are before me. Noticing the sun beginning to hide behind the cliffs above me, I'm reminded of my time constraints and jump back up.
Finally, I round a bend in the canyon, and on the far side of the gorge, I see a cave. The mouth of the cave is wide, and extremely tall. On either side of the opening, there is a torch, both of which are already lit. Monks from the Sarkan Order maintain this cave, humbly serving its legendary inhabitant. Without even breaking stride, I grab the torch nearest to me from its base as I enter the cave. I do not have the luxury of time to gaze in awe of where I am.
              I run down the corridor, carefully aiming the torch to light my way. I come to a fork in the path. I need my father's map. I regretfully pause, catching my breath as I reach into my pouch. I pull out the aged paper that was merely more than a scrap, really. The map was starting to show it's age finally, after being passed down from generation to generation. Some of the ink was fading by now. Although there was not much to interpret, for there was little direction and detail. Only lines leading to somewhere. An occasional name of a town or geographical landmark. I saw the fork that I was now facing, and which path I need to follow.
             The map was given to my family by the Sarkan Order many years ago, when they were forced to go into hiding. The first born son would inherit it from the previous generation. My father inherited it from his father. Then, after I reached my sixteenth year, my father gave this map to me. It should be him in this cave, but he is too old to make this trek now.
            With a weary sigh, I veered to the left of the fork and kept on going. There were some bends in the tunnel now. I wasn't running anymore, but I had to hurry. Around another turn, and I began to see a little glow of light reflecting off the walls before me. As I descended further into the earth, the light grew stronger. At last, a vast room opened up and revealed a wondrous sight! All the greatest treasures a man could ever desire. Mountains of it. The shimmer of gold and other riches bounced off all surfaces, making the room brighter than daylight. The shine was almost blinding. I had to wait a moment and adjust my eyes.
            I must admit it was a little overwhelming, but once again my task at hand reared up in my mind. "Only a test." I whispered to myself. Most men would be tempted to stop here, but I was on a mission. My father warned me about the things I would see here. Besides, the fear of the consequence, should I take something without permission, far outweighed my desire to possess even a single coin. All that this treasure means to me at the moment is that I'm near the end of my journey.

            Lifting my gaze from the abundance of riches, I scan the walls for another opening. I can see the large mouth of the next room. I make my way past the mounds of gold, jewels, trinkets, and coins. These things were all given as gifts to a more worthy being than I, and I was about to meet her. Hopefully.
              When approaching the chamber, I see that there is little light inside. Good thing I did not forget my torch! I hold it up to light my way. I step lightly into this room, for I should not be alone. Inside, I notice that the faint light comes from a triangular hole at the center of the ceiling. The hole led to the surface, and the light was the remaining sunlight. It is now turning an orange hue, as I imagine the sun is disappearing below the horizon by now.
               Which means I need to hurry.

               I looked around, and the room was empty. My breathing was getting heavier as I started to panic. Was I late? The sunlight was quickly fading. The prophecy states that at the last drop of sunlight, she will appear. My torch will soon be the only light left in the room, yet I see nothing or no one. Have I traveled so far for nothing? The orange glow of the sun was reduced to a tiny string of light; a mere dot on the floor, and I was reminded of how alone I was.
              Suddenly, I saw something reflect in the string of light. Almost like a ripple of water. Then, a hot breeze blew through the room, and my torch was blown out. Stunned, I didn't know what to do at first. I focused on the string of light that was disturbed. Maybe I wasn't alone after all? I strained to remember the call of greeting that my father made me memorize.
              I stood up straight, took a deep breath. I'm supposed to say this with sureness, but the darkness was stifling, almost making me doubt this whole trek. Still, all of this will be in vain if I don't make this happen. This is something I have to do.

              “Mother of all the land, water, and air. The one they call Asdeev, old and wise. The family of Kiral travels far and wide. Years ago, you gave us your name. Now, we call out to you, for help to make evils tame!”

              I looked blankly through the room, but saw nothing. There was no response. The silence was thick. I watched the last string of light disappear. Without my torch, it was completely dark. I began to doubt myself. I had surely failed. What would Father say? The whole world would suffer because I was a minute late!
              As I was hanging my head, dreading my return to my father, I felt the floor begin to vibrate. I looked up curiously, but still did not see anything or anybody. The rumbling of the rock foundation grew stronger, and seemed to climb up the walls. I could not think of what I needed to do next. I attempted to stand firmly, trying to gain my balance, and also be ready to make an exit, should I need to.
              The room quivered, making loose rocks fall away. Luckily, none big enough to make me want to leave this spectacle. The vibrations were making their way across the ceiling now, towards the center; towards the hole. I noticed that a new light had begun to gather there in the triangle. Where this light was coming from, I'm not sure, but it had a blue tint and moved in a way that suggested this was not sunlight I watched as the vibrations reached the center, and seemed to seep into the hole. Almost as if the hole was pulling the vibrations in. Looking down at the ground, I realized the floor was no longer shaking, and now, the stillness seemed to creep up the walls instead, replacing the quaking. My father told me I would see strange things, but this is beyond strange. I was well aware that I am the only person to witness this event in some five hundred years. I am the only one alive to tell this tale. And it's not even supposed to be me that gets to experience all this. My father should have been here. Now, I stood in awe.

The vibrations all sank into the hole at the top of the cavern, and the dark room stood still. I watched as the hole in the ceiling somehow remained illuminated. The light beyond the hole was swirling in motion, as everything was silent. It was truly the most wondrous thing I’ve ever seen in my young life.

            Then, as quickly as it began, the silence was interrupted by a loud thunder. The light poured heavily into the room, erasing the darkness that resided only seconds before. A gallery of images was revealed all around before me. Ancient carvings in the walls; inscriptions written in an old language. It was nothing that I had ever seen before. Seeing the whole room lit up, I could see now that it was massive. I suddenly felt the insignificance of my size.

            In my observing, I noticed a tiny hole in the floor directly below the one in the ceiling. Surrounding it was an etching of a triangle lined by ancient script. A larger circle with similar writings enveloped the triangle. Upon seeing this, I realized what I had to do next. I reached into my sack again, this time pulling out a tiny vial. This vial contains the blood of my ancestors, so my father told me. The blood of my ancestors was needed for blood to flow through her veins once again. After all the running about, I’m surprised the fragile glass lasted the trip. With vial in hand, I cautiously made my way towards the center of the cavern. I stood inside the circle on the floor and took a quick look around. Still seeing no one, I crouched down to look at the hole. I pulled the cap out of the vial and poured the contents into the hole. Almost instantly, waves of color ripple across the room infront of me. I couldn’t see her full form, but only a ghost of her. Asdeev only shows herself to those she chooses, but the blood should have dragged her body out of its slumber. She was fighting it.

            “Why have you come?” Her voice surprised me. Deeply feminine, like a beautiful woman, yet it resonated deep within the walls of the cave. I could feel it reverberate in my chest.

            “M’lady, I would not have disturbed you if there was any other way. But, the people need your help! The signs of the time are showing themselves, the dark ones have come! The king has made the people suffer far too long! You are the only one who can save us!” As I protested, I glanced around the room before me. I still could not find her form. Only the ripples of color down the curve of her back gave away that I was facing the right direction. I wanted to look her in the eye, to see who I was speaking to. Would I have the strength to look her in the eye if I could see it?

            She paused a moment. “You have the blood of Laszlo the Bold in your veins.” IT was more a question than a statement.

            “…Yes, I do…” I hesitated in answering. I was a bit puzzled as to why she changed the subject. Laszlo the Bold was my ancestor that had first met this dragon hundreds of years ago. I am the first of my family she has seen since she was forced into sleep. She must know that Laszlo has long since died.

            “Laszlo must trust you if he entrusted you with my name…” It is well known that a dragon only answers to those who possess its name. That is why Asdeev’s name has been passed down through my family, and has been kept a treasured secret. Not even the Sarkan Order knows the name of the dragon they serve. “ And you, what is your name?”

            “My name is Vadas, my lady.”

            “ Vadas. That name means ‘hunter’.” You could hear anxiety rising in her voice. “…Are you a dragon hunter?”

            I let out a light snicker at the thought of that. “No ma’am. My father would kill me! Our family has protected you and your whereabouts for generations.”

            She seemed to think it over, then boomed, “And my children, Vadas, who is protecting them?!”

            “…Children? Ma’am?” I had not thought of her having children before and my father never mentioned any. In fact, I thought the whole reason why keeping Asdeev’s existence secret was because she was the last one! I stammered for a minute, trying to think of what to say.

            “My children, Vadas! My sons and my daughters! Did Laszlo not teach you why it is the Sarkan Order protects me??”

            Laszlo did not teach me anything. He has been dead for hundreds of years. It was my father who taught me everything he knows. He never mentioned any offspring.

            “Well, whe…” I tried to speak. “…where are they?”

            Asdeev began to laugh, which set off more rumbling in the cave. “Where are they??” She mocked my question. “Where are they? My boy, they are the rocks that you walk on, the river you bathe in, the grass you sleep on. They are everywhere, see everything. Where are they, indeed!”

            The rumbling died down. I was beginning to think that this dragon did not care for me very much. Besides which, it was becoming tiresome to not be able to see who I was talking to. “Why do you not show yourself?”

            Silence. Was she considering it? “The only human to ever see me was Laszlo the Bold. He was the only one to prove himself worthy.”

            Oh boy. “My lady. Laszlo is dead. He has been dead for many generations…”

            Silence.

            “…He was supposed to be here when the time had come…”

            “My lady, he has been dead for a long time. Nevertheless, his family, my family, needs you now. Can you not trust his blood just as you trusted him?”

            “His blood?” She snorted. “You? You who does not even know of Asdeev’s children?!” I felt she was becoming irate with me. The last thing I wanted to do was to upset a dragon. She could kill me as quickly as she could think to. The agitated ripples of color down her spine indicated her whereabouts. It only served to give off her distress. She was silent. I could not find the words to say. How could I know things that I have not been told? Her annoyance began to mirror off of me, though. She was not following through with the deal made long ago. Why would I come all this way if Asdeev was not needed? My family has kept this secret. We passed down maps and prayers, even a vial of our ancestor’s blood! We have been loyal to her for generations! Why bother, if this dragon refuses to cooperate?!

            I was planning on telling her all of this, until I heard a muttered, “They should not have sent a child…” I could detect the sadness in her voice. It invoked sudden empathy from within me.

            “I have done the best I could, ma’am. I learned everything from my father, who learned everything from his father. If I have missed something, then it must have been forgotten long ago. Laszlo taught his –“

            “Laszlo knew of my children. He assured me their safety. He would not have forgotten them. Laszlo was not clumsy, like most humans…” Still sadness in her voice, but I had to stick to the matter at hand. She is forgetting why I came to see her in the first place.

            “Lady Asdeev, I am sorry that my family has forgotten Laszlo’s promise to look after your children, but we have not forgotten your promise to us! The people need your help! Our villages are in danger, our families are being butchered! Laszlo said that you would help us!” I realized that my lungs were empty and I was trying to catch my breath, but I paused to see her reaction.

            I heard another snort. “It is different when the promise is made to you, no?” The sadness in her voice is gone now, and I could feel the rising tension in the air. Asdeev was building strength now and I could see color rushing down her spine once again. “Until you fulfill your promise, I cannot fulfill mine!” The boom of her shout echoed in the chamber, shaking loose debris and rocks. Boulders began to tumble to the ground, nearly flattening me. Before I could think about what I was doing, I turned and made a dash for the entrance. I made it to the room filled with treasures I passed through earlier. Realizing I had left the dragon without completing my mission, I turned back around.

            “Asdeev!” I shouted as I peered into the dragon’s dwelling. The tumult calmed down, only pebbles were trickling down the rock wall now. It was dark in there once again. I could no longer see the ancient carvings on the floor. The extravagant paintings and art work on the walls were no longer illuminated. The strange light no longer shone from the hole at the top. And I could no longer see ripples of color flowing through the room.

            “Asdeev!”

            No answer.

            “ASDEEV!” I shouted as loudly as I could inside the dark room. My voice bounced off the walls, but had nothing like the reaction of the dragon’s shout.

            Did she leave? How could she leave after I had awoken her? Does that mean we will all have to wait another five hundred years? Have I failed after all?

            I stood dumbfounded. This was not supposed to happen this way. Is it possible that the dragon was still there, hiding in the darkness? I was now wishing I still had my torch. If she had not blown it out earlier, I would have been able to find her in the room.

            “Asdeev!” I shouted again. “You cannot leave me! I am supposed to bring you back with me! You made a deal, Asdeev!”

I waited, but still no answer. I turned around and left the dragon’s lair, defeated. That stupid dragon. She cannot go back on her word! Dragons do not do that. At least, they are not supposed to. My ancestor, Laszlo, trusted her. My whole family counted on her. The whole kingdom believes in the prophecy. Now, because this dragon was having a fit, we will all perish! All because some ancestor long dead forgot her children. They were not a part of the prophecy! I could not possibly know what I have not been taught!

These thoughts made my blood begin to boil. I could feel the anger rising in my chest. The urge to destroy the nearest object was becoming unbearable. Unknowingly, I turned to a pile of riches next to where I was standing and started ripping it apart. I threw crowns and handfuls of jewels. I flung an open chest across the isle and let the coins fly out. I screamed out in rage as I reduced the mound to a flower bed. Destroying this material thing felt good compared to the remorse and guilt I felt building inside of me. What I did not realize was that I was wearing myself down. I did not think about the rule about not touching the treasure. My hands were burning from handling the forbidden jewels and coins. Rather quickly, my palms and fingers started to bleed. I never noticed this though. My anger abated the pain. The pain of failure and rejection was much more powerful.

It all caught up to me all too quickly, however. My vision became muddled and I started to see spots infront of me. All of a sudden, I felt winded and light-headed. I was losing my strength quickly and my throws became clumsy. I had no time to think about what I was doing or what was happening before I dropped to the ground.

Author's Note

The bit that the boy needs to do in order to summon the dragon might seem a bit cheesy. I'm not one for protocol, so any suggestions are appreciated. All comments and reviews are welcome.

Reviews

[Scott]

I'm not an expert at giving advise, and you describe in present tense while I describe in past tense. Regardless I shall do my best. I noticed a few wording issues. Instead of "I trip anyway, landing my hands on rocks that are before me", a better choice would be "Despite my caution I trip over a rock I didn't see, my hands landing on the rocks that lay before me." But that is just my opinion. Other than few similar problems there were a few spelling errors. Overall this is an awsome sotry and I can't wait for the next chapter.

[SamBug]

Wow... phenomanally great. Good job on the write.