Interlude 6: Dreamscape Fables

the story continues

Dreamscape Fables

(An interlude in the space opera serial ‘Androids do indeed Dream of Heaven, Hell, Dragons and other things’)

 

 

Storytime

I

 

 “Mommy, mommy tell us more of those stories, we’re not sleepy yet,” said the twins in unison. Juliana smiled and bent over to give each of her children a kiss on the forehead. Levistar and Lillierosa cooed in delight as they saw their mother reopening the ‘Book of Leviathan’.  “Okay it’s time to settle down my little ones,” said Juliana, “Just a few more tales and then it’s bedtime for you both.” Juliana opened the book, picked out some favorites of hers and sent the children’s imaginations back to wander amongst the fairylands...

 

i

 

Stripes of a Different Color

 

In another time and dimension,  long, long, ago in the Dragon Kingdom of Draelierkor, Shahshona, a young dragoness, left her dragonkeep against her family’s wishes in order to be with Argoness, a young Red Dragon of the Blue Stripes that she was madly in love with.  Her family was distraught over this affair being that they were Red Dragons of the Yellow Stripes. It was frowned upon amongst the Prime Reds concerning the mixing of Stripes; it was the way of things that stripes of a different color should not mate or co-mingle with one another. Every Stripe Clan had its place and function and to mix stripes would only create renegade stripes that would no longer belong to the primary stripe clans. But for Shahshona love was color-blind and her hearts wanted what it wanted. She only hoped that Argoness would agree with her decision and welcome her with open wings.

 

Argoness’s double hearts skipped a few beats as he looked up in the sky and saw his beloved Shahshona heading towards him.  He couldn’t believe the sacrifice Shahshona was making by abandoning her clan and openly declaring her love for a blue striper. He needed to be as brave as her and embrace her in the skies by wrapping his tail around hers for all the blue stripers to see. But he was afraid, it was taboo amongst his kind and part of him always thought that Shahshona would never leave her clan for him; that their forbidden love would forever remain a secret between them both. He needed to make a decision quickly, either fly away to his dragonkeep and disavow his love for Shahshona or meet her up in the skies. He looked up toward her and saw how beautiful she was, what was he thinking, she was the love of his life. He lifted his wings and flew up to meet her in the skies.

 

They wrapped their wings and tails around each other and put on a fire display that the whole kingdom was witness too.  It was glorious! To find true love is a rare thing and to deny oneself of that love would be a crime against their hearts and souls. They both decided to follow their hearts rather than adhere to the ways of the clans.

 

Shahshona and Argoness flew off into the sunset leaving their dragonkeeps behind. They soon formed one of their own. But that is a tale for another time...

~~~

Juliana stopped reading and was pleased to see the smiles on her children’s faces. It showed her that they had empathy and an appreciation and understanding about the power of love.

 

Levistar the more serious of the two touched his mother’s cheek and said,” It seems that love can at times require great sacrifice.  What happened to them? Were they punished by their clans?” Juliana was impressed with her son’s depth of understanding. He was going to be a force to be reckoned with when he came of age. She gently placed her hand on his and said,” Their story would be too long to tell, it would take hours, but they did form a new and powerful Dragonkeep which later was one of the sparks that started the great Dragon Wars. I’ll have your father tell you that tale. He’s the historian of the family.  I have another story to tell that I sure that you would both like.” 

 

............

ii

The Ogre and the One-Winged Fairy

 

In another time and dimension, long, long ago in the Fairy Kingdom of Fairiemount there lived a large and fearsome looking Ogre named Benenoblenobblebobblelink.  He was ten feet tall, with a massive belly, large fangs that dripped with saliva and other gooey substances and mammoth hands with razor sharp claws that could rip and tear through flesh and bone. All who came into his view fled with terror before he had a chance to say hello or anything for that matter. Rather than giving him pleasure at the abject terror that his visage instilled, it instead caused him much distress.  You see, Benenoblenobblebobblelink wasn’t your typical everyday fairy and man-eating Ogre; as a matter of fact he was a strict vegetarian.

 

As you can imagine, this caused him to be quite unpopular amongst his own kind. They never invited him to any of their hunting parties or social gatherings. They only called on him when they were warring with an enemy clutch. He was their greatest warrior, being that he was two feet taller and three times stronger than any other ogre. The clutch tolerated him because of his warring skills but kept their distance from him when it came to all other matters.  

 

They found his eating habits and demeanor very off-putting. He had a pleasant disposition, was caring and kind, and respected all living things. This was quite abhorrent behavior to the ways of the Ogre. Ogres were rude, nasty, vicious, surly, obnoxious, and downright mean. They were ravenous glutens, eating their fairies raw and their humans cooked. He didn’t fit in, so they left him alone, only calling on him in times of need. He was pariah amongst his kind, mostly shunned and avoided and only called upon in times of need.  He was one lonely Ogre.

 

One day while he was gathering berries and nuts on the edge of the Gray Forest he heard someone sobbing in the forest deep. Now if one must know, he had extremely good hearing, he could hear a pin drop close to a half a mile away.  As a matter of fact all of his senses were what you would call phenomenal.  He was one extraordinary Ogre.

 

He entered the forest on the run and let his ears guide him to where the sounds of sobbing were coming from.  To his surprise and utter astonishment he saw a large female black fairy warrior spread eagled on a bed of spikes, wrapped in chains that were attached to stakes buried deep in the ground.  One of her wings was ripped off her back.  She was in agony; the only sounds she could make were moans and sobs.  

 

The black fairies were not friends of the Ogre. They were Ogre killers.  For a brief moment he thought about leaving her there, they hated his kind and hunted Ogres for sport. But he realized that he could never live with himself if he didn’t try to free her from this living nightmare that she was in.

 

When he grabbed her chains he yelped in pain. His hands felt like they were in boiling water.  The chains were laced with fire magic. He swallowed hard, grabbed the chains and with all of his might tried to break them apart. The chains were nearly indestructible and the pain was excruciating but he continued to pull them apart with every bit of strength that he had. He thought he was going to burst in flames but he continued on until they finally shattered.

 

He freed the black fairy from her chains.  She grabbed Benenoblenobblebobblelink and gave him one big bear of a bear hug. No one ever hugged him before and it felt really, really good.  She said her name was Druprisilla, a high caption and regent of her clove. But when she outlawed Ogre and Troll hunting when used as sport, the child princess (under her mother’s influence) declared her an enemy of the state and sentenced her to death.

 

Druprisilla looked fondly on Benenoblenobblebobblelink and said, “It seems we’re both outcasts of a sort. Let’s join together and create a new race of our own. I still posses my magics and if you agree, I can create a transformation spell that will change us into a new kind fairy creature.”

 

Benenoblenobblebobblelink experienced nothing but grief as an Ogre. He gave up of ever finding a mate and accepted that he would be alone for the rest of his life.  He now found out he had an opportunity at happiness with this black fairy. He smiled and nodded his agreement.

 

She spoke a few ancient words and drew a few runes. They both shook, shaked and gyrated. They each grew fifteen feet tall with human like features accept for the fangs. He became one handsome creature and she one beautiful gigantic woman. A new Race came into being and they called themselves Giants... 

~~~~

Lillierosa gave her brother a quick hug and her mother a kiss. She said,” I just love stories with happy endings. I’m so happy for Benenoblenobblebobblelink; I thought he was going to be lonely and sad till the end of his time. He found love by his an act of kindness as well as a new and exciting destiny.” Levistar smiled at his sister and said, “You do realize that it is just a fairy-tale.   Ogres and giants may have existed in the time when the gods ruled but these stories are just fables, a means to teach children like ourselves certain values. I doubt if Benenoblenobblebobblelink or Druprisilla were real living beings. “His sister hit him on the arm and said, “Don’t be such a poop. I choose to believe it---it doesn’t matter if it happened or not or if they are real or come from a writers imagination.  If I could see and feel them in my mind’s eye they exist in a world of my own choosing.” Both laughed and agreed that they were both right.

 

Juliana marveled at the maturity, intelligence and depth of her children. One had the makings of a serious scholar while the other the temperament of an artist. She swelled with pride and a fierce love for these little imps. She gave each of them a big hug and a kiss and told them it was time for sleep....

The End