B006T5JMRC EBOK (3 page)

“What good are you to have around as a friend if you don’t have more faith in me?” Jedah continued to prepare his things for the trip “Besides, it’s only a sack of eggs I’m ordered to deliver—hardly an epic task.” He rolled his eyes.

“Do you know why the King wants these sent to Eldawin? They must be the eggs of a bollusk, or another large animal. Look at the size of those things.” Saldin held his hands up to visually measure them. “Maybe they aren’t even real; I’ve never seen an egg so colorful and shiny.” He scratched his scalp between long, greasy strands of brown hair.

Jedah ignored his friend as he carefully placed the eggs into a sack, harnessing the straps over his shoulders so it hung comfortably against his back. He had no concern about the reasoning behind the delivery mission. All he cared about was the promotion in rank he would receive upon completing the task. He would finally become an official knight; someone respected and held in high regard—he longed for the moment. There would be no more catering to the veteran knights, no more polishing armor, or carrying shields—he would finally be the one with power. The thought alone put a smile upon his face.

“Are you ready to begin your journey, Jedah? You’ll want to make it to the twin stones by nightfall.”

Kale immediately recognized the voice—it was Thomas. The vision they watched had been seen through his eyes.

“I’ve always been ready, old man,” Jedah replied.

Thomas held out a pendant that dangled on a golden chain. He informed Jedah that King Valamar sent instruction for the talisman to be worn at all times. Disgruntled, and slightly confused, Jedah snatched the pendant and placed it around his neck. He sheathed a small broad sword and gripped a sack filled with generous food rations over his left shoulder. Without saying a word, he turned and left to begin his mission.

“What was the pendant for?” Kale questioned.

“King Valamar requested I place an enchantment upon the pendant so he could view Jedah’s progress and actions throughout his journey. Because I was the sorcerer to conjure the spell, I too was able to view Jedah as he moved toward his destination.” Thomas smiled, “And now, it is time to accelerate this story, or else I’ll be decrepit and staring at my grave by the time this is over.” He chuckled to himself.

With another wave of his hand, they watched as Jedah sped along, traveling from village to village, covering many miles of ground. They viewed as he ventured across forest, river, and desert. If Kale didn’t already know of Jedah’s cold and hateful heart, he would’ve thought he was watching one of the bravest, most devoted warriors in Mirion. As Jedah traveled, not once did he detour from his mission. He handled the sack full of eggs with care, always taking caution to ensure they were safe and unharmed.

“And here, my friend, is the answer to your question,” Thomas said as he slowed the vision to a normal pace.

They continued to watch as Jedah approached a range of sand dunes. It looked dreadfully hot as the sun blazed down, blistering his face. He mumbled to himself about being thankful he had taken the inn keeper’s advice involving the intense heat and left his chest plate and heavier clothing at the last village he visited. One of the King’s couriers would be able to retrieve it on his next arrival. Jedah knew there would have been no way he could endure the sweltering heat with it on. The mission was far more enduring than anticipated; however, he trekked on—determined to succeed. He staggered as he crawled up a tall dune before pulling out a canteen of water, stopping briefly to take a conservative gulp—and that’s when he heard it.

His heart raced as he listened closely to the flapping sound high above. Something was flying toward him, and fast. He saw the significant, green mass from the corner of his eye just in time to dive down against the hot sand. Jedah spat as dry sand stuck to his moist tongue.

“You dare take that which is not yours?!” a booming voice called out.

Jedah could now see that the green creature was a dragon. The mighty beast landed on the dune near Jedah, glaring down with intimidating, black eyes. His skin looked as though composed of smoothed rock slates. As Kale watched he could see the terror in Jedah’s eyes—something he never knew the general was capable of feeling. Trembling, Jedah unsheathed his inadequate broad sword, aiming it toward the dragon.

“Leave me be, beast! I am on a mission for King Adrian Valamar of Mirion to deliver an important package. Do not interfere, creature!” The blade wobbled as Jedah’s hand trembled. Though he knew of the dragons’ existence on Ravondore, he had never until that day crossed paths with one. His chest tightened as he struggled to take in each breath. For the first time, Jedah experienced genuine fear. Yet, despite his emotions, he knew he must remain strong in order to complete his mission.

“Give me the bag if you wish to survive,” the green dragon demanded.

Without hesitation, Jedah tossed his satchel filled with food rations at the dragon in an attempt to mislead the creature and entice him with the freshly baked bread inside.

The dragon roared, “Do not toy with me human! The pack you carry on your back is what I desire—this is your final warning.”

Jedah sheathed the sword; appearing as though he intended to obey the dragon’s command. He removed the pack from his shoulders, gripping the bulk of the bag by a handle. Jedah took a step forward, insinuating he was willingly about to hand over the eggs, when a smirk crossed his face.

“I don’t think so you grotesque abomination!” He quickly pulled out the sword, hurling it into the air toward the dragon as a method of distraction. He turned and briskly ran.

The dragon grew furious as the weak attempt of an attack rebounded off his stone-like skin. As Jedah ran he could hear the loud flapping of wings once again. Sand spiraled and flew in all directions from the violent gusts of wind. Within seconds, the enormous shadow was nearly on top of him. He quickened his pace, panting heavily as he struggled to take each breath. Suddenly, as his right leg shot forward in a sprint, it penetrated the sand, sinking rapidly below the surface. The soft area was fairly large and caused the rest of his body to follow, dropping into the sandy pit. The more he struggled, the faster he sank into the earth. He was now waist deep, fighting to hold the sack of eggs safely above his head.

Laughter rang out, and the dragon spoke, “You’re quite an amusing human—but now it is time for you to die.” The green creature swooped down, swinging a massive foot toward Jedah in an attempt to lift him and the eggs to solid ground before devouring his meat and bones. As the dragon struck, his smallest claw caught Jedah in the face, snagging his flesh.

Jedah cried out in pain as the force of the blow plucked him from the sinking sand, tossing his body hard against the solid ground and knocking him unconscious. The dragon immediately saw Jedah no longer held the sack and quickly landed. The weight of his feet created crater-like indents in the sand’s surface as he hit the ground. Frantically scraping his claws around the sand pit, the beast searched anxiously for the eggs. His attempts were futile; the pack had already sunk too deep below the surface to be retrieved.

As Kale continued to watch with undivided attention, Thomas once again moved the time sequence along at a rapid pace. Jedah had been rescued by a small group of knights the King dispatched. Thanks to the magic Thomas had placed onto the pendant, they were able to locate where he had fallen. As they journeyed back to Mirion, Jedah’s wounds were treated, and his head bound with heavy gauze. Finally, they returned to the kingdom; Jedah feared the results of his failed mission meant the promotion into knighthood would not occur. The King, however, was a caring and compassionate man; he had observed the struggles and hardships Jedah underwent to succeed. In the end, a ceremony was held and Jedah achieved his goal, becoming a knight. The image faded until the last remnants of the puddle-like mass disappeared.

“So, he became a knight in the end. I’m even more confused now than before.” Kale crossed his front legs.

“Patience, Kale, patience. There is more to this story than what you’ve seen.” He patted the dragon on the snout. “For many years after his promotion in rank, Jedah was mocked and ridiculed by the others as the man who couldn’t deliver a simple pack of eggs. The other warriors harassed him and treated him as an inferior knight. They would throw chicken eggs at his back as he walked by and would jump out from behind corners, pretending to be a ferocious dragon. This mockery went on daily, driving Jedah into a bitter and hateful state, determined to rise above them all. He longed for the day he could use the men who looked down upon him as pawns to seek revenge on dragons. In his mind, his torment was the dragon’s fault. Eventually, his lust for destruction and his fearless sense of battle caused the other knights to fear him. Jedah fought hard and gave his devoted efforts to King Valamar. In time, he earned the trust of the King, ranking his way up to general of the royal army. Throughout this time, Jedah’s mind remained hell-bent on ridding the world of every last living dragon—beginning with the Emerald Prince—the green dragon Jedah encountered on his delivery mission years before.”

“What a sick individual. That’s hardly a reason to loath
all
dragons. Jedah deserves a tortured death; one that leaves him suffering until his last gasp for air,” Kale muttered in disgust. “Humans...” He shuddered at the thought.

Thomas yawned—the time had come for him to return to his own home. He stood, gently brushing the sandy debris from his robe. He smiled at his friend, who was obviously upset with what he had just observed. Thomas rubbed his hand over Kale’s neck. The dragon closed his eyes momentarily, humming softly as he enjoyed the soothing sensation.

“Get some rest, my dear friend,” Thomas whispered as he rubbed his green eyes wearily. “I’m not going to give up, you know. I’ll find a way to ensure your safety.”

Kale huffed. “You worry too much; I’m going to be just fine. No human will ever take me down,” Kale lied. His stubborn personality would not allow him to reveal his uncertainty.

Thomas knew his friend well enough to see the truth behind those wide, silver eyes. “Goodnight, Kale.” He did not wish to argue. Thomas held his palm out, caressing the air with his fingertips as he softly recited words of ancient magic;Thomas vanished, returning to his home.

Kale remained at the cliffs, enjoying the cool breeze as it brushed his scaly cheeks. As he drifted to sleep, listening to the waves crashing below, he had no idea of the life changing event soon to come.

Chapter 2: Transformation

T
wo more months passed and Thomas continued to assess the different outcomes for spells he could use to protect Kale. Everything he devised thus far concluded with often disastrous results. In one scenario both he and Kale would die from the wrath of the general’s army. In the other, they managed to escape, but were then left with the constant need of finding large secluded areas in which to hide the dragon from the world—something Kale would surely be against. He was a hard-headed creature who always placed pride before logic.

Thomas began to dedicate a great amount of time to researching books and old scrolls with the hope of acquiring new spells. As each day passed, his determination shifted toward frustration. He knew time was of the essence, and yet the old sorcerer felt he was getting nowhere. Thomas began to sense the villagers had grown suspicious of his sudden change in behavior. Always collected, calm, and polite—he was now an anxious mess, remaining bottled up within his home, only leaving to purchase food and necessities. His hair appeared untamed and oily; his appearance unkempt, as if he hadn’t bathed in days. He knew he had to find an alternate method of obtaining information before time ran out. The moment had come to seek the aid of another.

Thomas knew exactly where to go—the home of a great philosopher and friend. If anyone could assist him, it was Rogerick. His home was a sanctuary to many old tomes; there had to be something hidden inside to point Thomas in the right direction. Thomas slid circular, frameless spectacles into the pocket of his robe as he exited his home for Rogerick’s. He was grateful that his friend’s house was located within the same village.

As Thomas briskly walked through the village square, many individuals stopped to stare. Some whispered to each other as he passed and young children pointed as if he was some sort of peculiar attraction. In the small village most people had known one another for many years and if anything was out of the norm, gossip would flood the streets.

I knew I should have taken the back route
, Thomas thought to himself.
But that would have taken me twice as long, and time is not on my side
. He exhaled in relief as he approached the white stone home. The yellow flowers that landscaped Rogerick’s yard were an inviting welcome. As he reached out to knock on the wooden door, it swung open before his knuckles touched the surface. There stood a very weary-eyed Rogerick. He looked as though he had not slept for many nights and his usually well-maintained blonde hair hung, sloppy and askew.

“I was wondering when you’d arrive. Get in—get in. The last thing I need is everyone thinking I’m crazy too!” He motioned for Thomas to step inside, quickly closing the door as the sorcerer entered. “Just what is going on, Thomas? I’ve always been a good friend to you. Now, it seems as though you’ve gotten yourself in a pickle and yet you won’t even discuss the situation with me? Everyone in the village is talking about you.” Rogerick walked over to his bookshelf, placing his hands upon his hips as he hung his head, sighing.

After a moment, Thomas sat down, wrinkling his forehead in thought. “Wait a moment... How exactly did you know I would be arriving at your doorstep today? It’s as though you were awaiting my visit.”