DRAGON FRIEND
This is one story that I completed for a writing course I recently completed. I think it might make a novel someday.
At the crack of lightning outside the cave, Gavin Drakeson shivered violently. The sound only brought home the fact that he was ill equipped to survive by himself after the sailing vessel sank with all aboard. Now he was on what appeared to a deserted island clad in tattered clothing and only carrying the battered sword of his father's. How he wished now that he had stood up to h is father, the Duke, and told him how much he hated the task set before him on his eighteenth birthday. To hunt and kill another creature just so others would think him a man! He grimaced at the thought and shivered all the more harder as the cave suddenly fell black. Wiping the dampness from his face, Gavin spied something strange at the cave's back. Light. Dim and pale gold in color, he was sure it was light. If there was light then maybe there would be warmer place there.
Moving slowly in the dark, Gavin finally reached the end of the tunnel. To his immense surprise an enormous cavern lay before him, complete with a fire pit in the center. A huge pile of what looked like purple rocks sat nearby. Inching his way to the edge of the pit he peered over the lip. Suddenly the fire flared upwards and startled, the young man dropped the sword and the resulting noise was loud enough to wake the dead.
Or a sleeping dragon.
MONTHS LATER
Watching the sea, as he had done for the last two months, Gavin wondered if anyone would ever come looking for him. He smiled at the thought of what his father would say about his new friend, Guffwain the amethyst dragon. Instead of eating the young man when he had awoke, the dragon had taken pity on the shivering human and offered friendship instead of death. Gavin, intrigued by the thought of knowing a dragon, had accepted wholeheartedly and was soon helping the drake keep an eye on his brood of eggs. Since the death of his mate, Guffwain had been stranded on the island until the eggs hatched and the babies would be old enough to survive on their own. The dragon had actually enjoyed the humans company and even spent the mornings, like now, looking for the ships.
His huge bulk behind Gavin, Guffwains scales flashed in the rising sun as he gazed out at a speck that floated on the sea.
"Friend Gavin! I think I see a ship. It flies a black flag with the shape of a hound on it." Guffwain's voice was deep and slightly harsh.
"Uncle Caleb." Gavin announced softly.
Waiting on the beach, Gavin wondered why he was so uneasy. Uncle Caleb was a known dragon hunter but he felt sure that Guffwain could keep hidden until they all left. Still he felt edgy as a small boat ran aground and a familiar figure leapt out. But instead of a welcoming Uncle, Caleb Drakeson's face was twisted with rage as he charged up the sand, his sword drawn.
"Dragonspire will be mine!" He screamed.
Startled, Gavin wasted little time trying to reason with his enraged uncle and raced back the way he had come. He had to recover his weapon.
As it was, only his youth gave him any edge of he managed to grab his sword and turn to face his uncle. Instead he found Caleb staring at the clutch of eggs with a greedy look on his beaded face. Spurred by the fear of what his uncle would do, Gavin raised his sword just a roar thundered through the cave. Guffwain!
Caleb rushed forward with a greed shining in his eyes, meaning to cleave his nephew in half with the first blow. He didn"t succeed, but his blow did shattered the ancient sword. In dismay Gavin could only stare at the damaged weapon. He was doomed.
"Catch!" Roared out Guffwain as a sword came flying through the air straight at Gavin. Nimbly the youth caught the pommel and also avoided the next swing of his uncle"s. With an almost feral grin of his own, Gavin came up swinging. The sword seemed to have a life of its own as it meets Caleb's neck. Like butter, the sword cut and his uncle fell to the ground. In two pieces.
Breathing hard, Gavin could only stare at the man he had called Uncle. It was time to go home.
The amethyst dragon had said his good byes in the cave, curled around his eggs. As a parting gift from his horde, Gavin left with the sword he had fought with, christened Dragon Friend. He also left with a greater gift. The knowledge that two different species could be friends especially where it counted the most.
In the depths of the mind and the even deeper depths of the heart, human or dragon.
Here is another short story: " Harmony "
McCall was beginning to feel frantic. His job on the plant of Argos was to make sure that everything ran smoothly between the processing plant owned by the Company and the indigenous life forms. So far his job had been a total failure. The natives, (simply called the people) blocked the way of the huge transports on their way to the landing field in protest of the plants toxic waste. Carl Roberts, his boss, disliked him. He also labored under the handicap that he could not afford to mess up. He owed too much money to too many people back in civilized space and the Company knew this. Screw up here, he had been told and no one will hire you again. The threat hung over his head as he labored up the stony path that led to the only person that might listen to him on Argos.
Mother.
Pausing at the top, McCall turned and looked backwards, seeing the huge plant and the smoke that billowed out of the tall stacks. Even in the twenty fifth century, such work was dirty and hazardous. In the beauty of the valley, it appeared obscene to his eyes and once again he hated himself for what he was going to do. Plead with the woman to get her people to remove themselves from the gates and let the transports once again take their cargo to the waiting ships.
Perhaps if he told her (again) about the Company's policy in dealing with trouble, she might reconsider her people's actions. He could only hope because the people he worked for were not nice people. They would send in a special team to eradicate the problem. In this case, it would be the natives who would be vastly unprepared to deal with the technical advantages of the team. That and the ruthlessness of it.
With a sigh, he turned to head for the cave where the woman called Mother lived. She might dwell in a stone cave, but to her people she was the absolute last word on any problem. This was the last time he could plead with her. After today, the Company's special team would be deployed and the peaceful people of Argos would vanish under their wrath. Since the Confederation of Planets did not know about the refining plant, they would be of little help. Even if McCall decided to throw away his life and managed to send a message off planet, they would be far too late to help the natives. It was all up to him.
"Welcome, Outworlder." It was the voice of a young girl, Zorth, who was Mother's assistant.
"Hello. Is it permissible for me to see Mother?" he asked in a respectful voice.
Dressed as all the native females in a long woven dress of earth hues, Zorth tilted her head to one side, as if listening to an unheard voice. Her dark green eyes gave him a look of almost pity as she spoke.
"Yes, you may see Mother again. Come this way."
Although he knew the way, he followed the girl to the huge cave where the woman lived. Once there Mother greeted him.
A tall, stately woman, Mother looked to be in her thirties but McCall realized that she could be any age, especially when he looked into her dark eyes. She apparently was expecting him; she spoke as he entered the cave.
"So, Outworlder, you come once again to inform me of what my people should do." Her voice was that of a leader, one who brooked no nonsense.
McCall felt awed by the aura of power that he always felt in the woman's presence. With a sigh he went on to explain his mission.
"I'm sorry if you see it that way, Mother. I only want to save your people from the trouble that their protest will bring down on them." he explained.
"Yes, your heart is in the right place, Outworlder, but as I have warned you before, that place is an affront to us and our ways. It poisons the land and our heart!" Her voice grew stern and McCall suddenly realized that Mother was not alone in the cave.
Standing in the shadows thrown by the fire were a group of natives of all ages and sexes. Their faces were so human looking, he wondered just how closely they were related to terrans. He had seen such expressions on human faces before and he was suddenly fearful. He looked back at Mother with pleading eyes. She saw his look and went on to explain.
"We are not a violent people, Outworlder, as you have witnessed. We gave that up eons ago as we did the ability to travel space as your people do now. The life we live now is our choice and we will defend it to the death. Of us or others," she warned.
"But what can you do against the Company? Forgive me, Mother, but they have terrible
means they will bring against your people! I am helpless to stop them, nor can I call for help," he
frantically told her.
"We, too, have terrible means to defend ourselves." Mother's voice was not proud, but sad as she went on.
"You may accompany us if you wish. I am afraid that you cannot return to your structure," Mother told him. Suddenly two huge natives appeared at his side.
McCall felt trapped but he still didn't believe these people would hurt him. It was against their beliefs as long as he didn't pose harm to others.
Harm. That was what the processing plant was doing to their plant. Even if no spills had occurred he bet the output of the smokes stacks were doing harm on some level.
"Where are we going?" he asked and received a solemn look as Mother told him.
"To the Womb of the World."
As they traveled deeper into the earth, McCall was glad of his escorts on either side. His eyes were not used to the darkness lit only by flicking torches and he stumbled occasionally. The walls of the tunnel appeared to have been made from some machines, their sides too smooth for the people to have done them now, given their technical level. Perhaps what Mother had said was
true; at one time their race had traveled the stars. If they did, what made them give it up? Something drastic had to have happened to turn a technical race back to the Stone Age. Disaster? Maybe. McCall wondered if perhaps if as a race they had just gotten tired as he had of the hustle and bustle of the space age. Then he thought about the plant. His boss, Roberts, was probably at this moment ordering the Storm Troopers from the company, intent on keeping his schedules. As he traveled deeper into the darkness, McCall began to worry about the plant and the people who worked there. If indeed these people had once had a high level of tech, perhaps some still existed. Like weapons.
As the group moved down one of the many set of stone stairs that delivered them deeper, McCall realized that they were now in a huge cavern. As torches were dispersed to wall holders, the area began to glow with yellow light. McCall's guards suddenly left him and he found himself alone as the others moved to stand in a circle, hands touching. Mother's voice floated over to him.
"Outworlder. Please stay where you are and do not move. No matter what you may see or hear. It is for your own safety," she ordered him.
"Okay," he replied hesitantly. It was the only thing he could say.
The circle of natives began to chant. As they did so, McCall listened closely. He didn't recognized the language, but as they chanted lights began to appear along the walls of the cave. They shone through the rocks, as if inset behind a thin veneer of stone. As all the walls lit up, he
knew that there had to be machine somewhere and also a power source of some kind. He begun to worry as the chanting became louder and the lights began to dance, turning colors as they
flickered. Then he realized that there was a vibration under his feet. He couldn't guess at the size of the machine the natives were awakening, but what it could to do to the plant scared him. Even if they managed to destroy the building, the Company would only send teams to determine what had happened and perhaps extract revenge. Desperately he wanted to convey this to Mother but she was deep in the chant and he figured she would not listen to him. So he did the only thing he could. He turned and ran for the tunnel.
No one came after him as he paused and snatched a torch before disappearing into the
darkness. Unfortunately the torch did not last long and as the earth trembled under his feet, McCall soon found himself in the dark, alone. By now the loose dirt and rocks that lined the tunnel were falling as the tremors increased and he found himself pounded by the debris. His heart beating wildly, he scrabbled and felt his way upwards, the echo of the chanting loud in his ears. By the time he reached the cave and saw daylight, McCall could barely stand as the earth under his feet shook. Bruised and covered with dirt, McCall emerged from the cave and stopped in horror. The valley where the plant stood was covered with a heavy, dark mist. It seemed to rise up from the earth and it was covering the whole place, no sight of the plant, the landing pad or any vehicles could be seen. In his mind, he could hear the chanting. It rose and rose until McCall screamed and dropped to his feet, clutching his ears in pain. Below the mist abruptly glowed
yellow then white, then it quickly disappeared.
He lay there for some time, unsure of how much time had passed when he realized that the chanting had stopped and so had the tremors. Slowly, he uncurled from the fetal position and got to his feet. What he saw in the valley made him feel faint.
The plant, landing pad, everything was gone! Nothing remained! In shock he searched the valley for any sign of life but could see the dark earth that lay where the plant had been. Falling to his knees, stunned, he was still there when Mother suddenly appeared at his side.
He felt a touch on his shoulder and turned to see the group had appeared behind him.
Mother's look was one of pity touched with resolve. She told him to get up and he did so.
"I am sorry for your people, McCall, but they were warned," she informed him.
"I..what did you do?" he asked, desperate to understand what had happened.
"We call this world Harmony and only those who live in harmony can exist here. Our ancients gave us the power to do so. Be assured that your people did not suffer."
"You don't understand!." he suddenly shouted. "The people I work for will send others! They will demand the technology from you and then they will wipe your people off the face of this world."
Mother laid her hands on his shoulders and McCall's panic suddenly vanished.
"Look upwards, tell me what you see," she told him.
Looking up, he was aware that the sky had turned darker, almost as if a filter was drawn
over the sun. It still shone brightly but there was a difference to it, a darkness that its position belied.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Our world. We thought it was time to rejoin the others but we find it is not. No matter
what your people use, our planet will remain hidden. Until we decide different," she informed him.
A shield. They had the technology to shield a whole planet! Awed, McCall looked at Mother.
"What......what will happen now?" He was afraid to say it aloud. What would happen to him?
She gave him a wide smile and said.
"You are invited to join us, McCall. In your heart you wished to protect us and in return we will offer you a place. A place in Harmony."
Suddenly all the fears and anxieties he had been carrying around vanished. Besides, there was no one left who would worry about him. He gave Mother a warm smile through the dirt on his face. She returned the smile and turned to the others.
"Come, we must return to our village and welcome our new member."
With smiles and murmurs all around, the people surrounded McCall and led him down the stony trail, toward the village. Behind them the valley lay quiet, shoots of greenery all
ready sprouted in the dark earth.
In harmony with its surroundings once again.
