They Were Born Upon Ashes (17 page)

Nick sat there and looked at Ron, Jeffrey, and Andrew. Their faces expressed the very essence of shock.

Nick grabbed hold of two spikes that were directly in front of him. They rose off the base of the dragon’s neck two feet high. The dragon rose to its feet and arms. Nick was startled and struggled to keep his balance. He gripped the spikes even harder.

The dragon ran on its arms and legs before spreading its wings. Two flaps was all it took for Nick and the dragon to be in the air. Nick lowered his head as the dragon flapped its wings and flew out of the canyon.

Nick squeezed his legs tight on either side of the dragon’s neck and held on even more tight as the dragon ascended straight up.

The wind rushed in his face. It started to burn his eyes but he couldn’t bear to even blink. His heart was racing out of his chest and his mouth wide open in an attempt to breath. It flew with such pace that Nick was completely overwhelmed.

The dragon flew them through the grey clouds. All Nick could see was white. He felt cold and got wet as he traveled through the cloud. Then they broke through the clouds. The dragon leveled out and flew straight.

Nick could not believe what he saw. It was immaculate. The sun shined brightly over the thick clouds that stretched as far as his eyes could see. The clouds almost looked like a white floor below him. The sky was blue and crisp.

He could not help but smile. It was like nothing he had ever experienced. There was nothing in the world that he could relate to the feeling of flying. He was free, happy, and felt more alive than ever.

“Woohoo!” Nick screamed.

He took his hands off the dragon’s spikes and held his hands above his head. The wind rushed between his fingers. He closed his eyes and felt as though he himself was gliding through the heavens.

As he placed his hands back on the spikes the dragon quickly made a sudden turn and dove through the clouds. They were now free falling and Nick held on for dear life.

The dragon spread it’s wings and glided through the sky. Nick looked down to see the land below him. It looked terribly strange and small from the height he was at. Mountains looked like hills and forests looked like a tiny green patch of grass.

The dragon continued to descend. They were heading towards a mountain in the distance. Within a few moments they were flying over the mountain. Nick could hardly comprehend the speed at which he was traveling. On the other side of the mountain there was flat brown land. The dragon began to descend even further and Nick spotted what seemed to be a man made structure. It was circular in shape. As they got lower and closer Nick could see just how massive the building was. It resembled an arena like Nick had fought in; only it was about the size of an entire city.

The dragon flew as low to the ground as it could. Nick and the dragon were only five feet above the ground as they approached the structure directly in front of them.

The dragon spread its wings forward in order to halt its speed. It flapped its wings a hand full of times before landing on the ground. It lowered its head and body to the ground. Nick jumped of it’s back and stood on solid ground once again.

The dragon did not move and simply rested on the ground.

Nick looked up at the massive structure in front of him. The walls were not smooth and rounded. Rather there was number of rectangular stone pieces that were offset, one next to the other. The walls were made to look jagged. One massive stone would protrude while the one next to it was sunken in. The jagged stone walls connected in a curved manner and made one giant circular structure. The walls stretched hundreds of feet in the air.

Nick walked closer to the walls in order to find some sort of way in. He walked the path around the massive structure until he found a giant yet elegant ceramic door. He placed his hand on the handle and turned it.

“I wouldn’t go in there.”

The words from the lips of a woman were heard from behind Nick and it startled him. He jumped and unsheathed his sword. He turned around to find an old Reza woman standing before him. She was short, had sunken in eyes, and sunken in cheeks. She was very skinny and had thin curly grey hair.

“Who are you?” said Nick.

“This is my home. The better question is who are you,” said the old woman.

“I don’t know where I am,” said Nick. “You wouldn’t believe me, but I was taken here by the flight of a dragon.”

“Boy,” said the woman. “What is your name?”

“My name is Nick Bint.”

The woman stared at him. She did not blink and she did not move a muscle.

“Nick Bint you say,” she said. “Very interesting, yes. You are what they call a supreme Reza. That’s why Cezolon sought you out and brought you here.”

“I’m sorry. Who is Cezalon?”

“The green dragon of course,” she said. “Very intelligent that one. He has quite a gift of finding ones like you.”

“Do you own that dragon?” asked Nick.

“No,” she said. “There is no such thing as owning a dragon. That is preposterous. The proper question would be if I know of many dragons. The answer to that is yes, I in fact know of more dragons than you would believe exists. Step away from that door there. Tomorrow will be that day.”

“What’s beyond that door?” asked Nick.

“What most people would consider a nightmare,” she said. “Come. Follow me. I have a tea that should be ready by now.”

Nick followed the woman as she walked along the wall of the structure. After a few hundred feet there was a small wooden cabin at the base of the structure. There were round wooden logs that made up of the walls and flat wooden pieces made up the roof. The wood cabin had to only be ten feet by ten feet.

Nick followed her into the cabin. It was tiny and smelled similar to that of the forests Nick had traveled through. There was a fire in the center of the room with a metal pot hanging above it. There was a wooden table with one wooden chair. Finally in the corner there were stacks of fur that made up some sort of mattress.

“You never told me your name,” said Nick.

The woman turned around and looked at him as if he was the most despised person in all of the lands. She then smiled and said, “Dear young Nick. I have just welcomed you into my home. Have a bit of respect. I’ll tell you my name if I can trust you.”

She sat down in her wooden chair and looked up at Nick.

“It sucks to be old,” she said. “Tired feet after a five minute walk.”

“Where are we?” asked Nick.

“We are where we are,” she said. “The reason as to why you are here is far more important. You are here because you are what the few men who are aware in Hentrio call a supreme Reza. The real and more fitting name is dragon born.”

“Why call us dragon born?” asked Nick.

“You see Rezas are common. They multiply like bunnies now a days. But every once in a while there is one that is born with a gift. The gift given to them is not only the gift of life, but the gift of another beautiful miracle. They are born the same time a dragon is born. No matter where you are, far or near, you are partnered with that baby dragon as you were a baby yourself. I believe those that are chosen are chosen for a reason. It’s not a coincidence or through luck. It is fate.”

“So you’re telling me I have a dragon that shares my birth exactly?” asked Nick.

“Without a doubt in my mind,” said the woman. “You ate the plant and went through the levels of awakening. You gained three powers that you knew of. The fourth was that you now had the ability to communicate with your dragon. Tomorrow you will go into the dragon’s lair. Every dragon that has not made its match from all the lands will be there. You have to give them time to make their way here or you’d risk the chance of walking into a crowd of dragons without yours being there. You would be a nice snack to one.”

“Well I’m glad you warned me, thank you,” said Nick. “How did Cezolon know how to find me?”

“Dragons are intelligent beings,” she said. “I assume that he just feels in his heart that you were needed. Dragons know a dragon born when they see them. Some dragons like Cezolon can sense a powerful dragon born like yourself.”

The woman grabbed the boiling pot of tea with her magic. She waved her hand and two cups floated onto the table from her pantry. One by one she poured the tea into the cups using her mind and not a single drop missed.

Nick grabbed a cup with his right hand and took a sip. It was a bitter tea that tasted something similar to dirt. He moved his tongue rapidly to try to avoid the taste without being rude.

“You don’t look like a nomal Reza,” said the woman. “Your skin is white, you seem interesting.”

“I am what they call a Hetha,” said Nick. “Part Paplon, and part Reza.”

“I’ve heard of the Hetha,” said the woman.

“How do you know all about the dragons and dragon born?” asked Nick.

“I am what some have called the dragon keeper or the dragon master,” she said. “But the reality is that my family has lived here for centuries. My great, great, great, great grandfather was the first man to ever observe and understand dragons. He was the first blood born to realize that he was a blood born in the history of man. The lessons have been taught through generation after generation. Unfortunately all of the knowledge I posses will not be passed on when I die. I am unable to carry a child. I have no siblings as well.”

“Do you tell this to everyone that is taken to this place to find their dragon?” asked Nick. “Like the men that call themselves the six. They ride dragons and have the most evil of intentions. They are taking over Hentrio one city at a time. They killed the king.”

“I don’t talk to all who make it to the dragon’s lair,” she said. “I know of the men you talk about. It was about a month ago when they showed up. I didn’t even have to go near them to know it in my heart that they represented the very essence of evil. Men are evil and men are good. Dragons are the same way. Evil dragons are partnered with evil men. Good dragons with good men. It is in the blood and it is fate. All I know is that Cezolon did not find them and bring them here. Those men knew of this place. Not too many know of this place. Secrets seem to spread and unravel like yarn as years go by.”

“I wish the dragons had eaten those men whole,” said Nick.

“Wishing is a losing battle and unproductive,” she said. “Simply have your dragon eat them whole.”

Nick smiled at the thought of a dragon eating those monstrous men.

“So you said your name is Nick Bint?” she asked.

“Yes it is.”

“It’s coming back to me now,” she said. “Yes…yes. I am glad to see that you have survived Nick Bint. Your parents were not much older than you when I met them.”

“You knew my parents?”

“Yes I did,” she said. “Of course they elected to not find their dragon beyond the walls of the dragon’s lair. They wanted nothing to do with the life of a dragon born. They wanted a normal and peaceful life. They spoke to me of having a child on the way. And here you stand.”

“They have both died,” said Nick.

“My condolences,” she said. “That is the curse of being a dragon born. There are always people that find out who they are. They find them and want to use them for their gifts. They were such a sweet couple. Many dream of having a love they shared.”

“I miss them terribly,” said Nick.

“You can stay the night in my home,” she said. “The nights are getting longer and colder. All of this talking has given me a headache. An old woman can only bear so much.”

“Thank you,” said Nick. “You should rest.”

“My name is Dricos Fairwind. I am glad to have met you Nick Bint.”

With that Nick finally understood something. Everything happened for a reason. Fate had a funny way with how it grabbed hold of life and took it to the most horrific places to the most magical of places. Tomorrow Nick was going to walk out into the dragon’s lair to find his blood born dragon. He could hardly wrap his mind around the significance of it all. Tomorrow was going to be a new day, a day that would be marked forever in history. Nick Bint will walk out into a sea of dragons, and either come out a true dragon born or drown.

The End

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Part of a three part series entitled: Glory Beyond Battle

#1-
It Rained Red Upon The Arena
, download for FREE
here

#2 -
They Were Born Upon Ashes

#3 -
Dragons Descended Upon The Wicked download it here