Chapter 3- Changes
Sept. 3rd, 11:30 A.M., Day 2
The dragon returned just as Josiah was finishing up. It had blood dripping out of the corner of its mouth; its stomach was twice the size it had been.
“Wh- Where’d you go?” Josiah asked.
The dragon said, “I needed a lot more than that little pig. I found a herd of deer and ate four of them. I usually prefer meat cooked thoroughly but I used—well—this,” it indicated its mouth and brilliant red and orange flame burst out, “and ate them that way. I don’t usually cook in such a manner—too fast to cook right; hard and black on the outside, pink and soft on the inside. You know what I mean?”
Josiah had jumped when the dragon had shot the flames and now was standing well back from the beast. He nodded in response, and gulped.
It looked at the carcass and saw that more than half of the pig was left. “You done with that?”
“Yes, sir,” Josiah squeaked.
“No sirs needed, just ‘Lessiam.’ And you?”
“I’m, well—I’m Josiah Haberson.”
“Ok, Josiah Haberson, nice to meet you.” Lessiam reached out his head to the lad.
Josiah withdrew but the beast reached forward. Josiah was sure he was a goner. Then he felt the dragon touch the scales of its forehead lightly to his own. Josiah could see the beast’s nose and mouth below his own chin. It was warm and his instinct was that he was safe with this beast. He didn’t know why, but the thing felt like—a friend.
The dragon, Lessiam, withdrew.
“Have you never met a dragon before, Josiah Haberson?” he asked.
“Uh, no,” Josiah replied, regaining his composure.
“Well that’s odd for sure, but I should explain the head thing. Like humans shake hands, dragons tap or touch heads. It’s supposed to show trust and care or something. I wish I could tell you more but I never really paid attention in etiquette classes back in school.”
“Oh,” Josiah said, and then he meekly asked, “Why haven’t you killed me yet?”
Lessiam was startled, and then annoyed. This lad still insisted that he was an enemy. “I am not interested in killing you, not now, not ever. Now Josiah Haberson, first you tell me you’ve never met a dragon and it’s clear to me you’re threatened, why?”
“Well, dragons have always hated humans and killed them on sight, except those dragons that are wizard controlled. And even they still hate us. They just can’t kill us without their master’s ok on it,” Josiah reluctantly replied.
“Masters? Dragon’s are free. They have never had a ‘master’ and never will,” was Lessiam’s reply.
Josiah cocked his head and looked at Lessiam, “I’m sorry. I don’t know what world you’re from, but in this one Imbrasius is the supreme wizard. He’s in control of all remaining dragons. There aren’t really any free dragons.”
Lessiam snorted and said, “You’re crazy. There are millions of dragons and each of them is their own master. No wizard could ever control us!”
With that Lessiam stormed off into the woods, Josiah’s teeth rattling with each furious step. The beast returned after a short while with two slabs of wood in his hands. He thrust what remained of the pig in between the slabs of wood, and tossed the package at Josiah’s feet. Speaking directly, he said, “Stay here, and eat again if you need to. I’ll be back. Keep the fire burning and don’t run off. This forest is filled with creatures who actually would kill you. I’ll be back before morning.”
It was clear to Josiah that he’d seriously upset the beast.
Lessiam turned and crouched, ready to shoot into the air.
“Wait!” Josiah said. “Maybe I could help you.”
Lessiam turned and looked doubtfully at Josiah. The dragon’s expression at first showed annoyance, but when he saw the lad’s sincerity, his eyes softened. He gestured to Josiah to get on. Josiah dropped the package of food, hopped forward, and scrambled into the same position as earlier, atop the dragon’s back.
Lessiam took off into the air, spun around and dropped, in a half roll to the left. A stream of ice and water shot forth from his mouth onto the fire, extinguishing it on impact. He rolled back to the right, and then swooped near-vertically up. Josiah held on tightly as they burst from the treetops into the vast sky above. Lessiam rapidly rose into the clouds, and then leveled off.
Josiah finally let out his held breath. “That was terrifying!” he thought to himself. It was then that, had the dragon been looking, he would have seen a smile begin to spread across Josiah’s face as the exhilaration set in.
They soared over the land, Lessiam maintaining a strong pace.
Soon it was noon and the sun was beating down on Josiah’s head. The wind blew his hair straight back, keeping him cool. He held on tight for a long while and then eventually relaxed his grip. After he grew comfortable, he grabbed a breath and yelled out to Lessiam. “Where are we going?”
The dragon flinched, giving the lad a start as the recoil spread through the beast’s entire body. “Not so loud. You’re right near my ear; a dragon’s hearing is better than what you’re probably used to.”
Lessiam paused before he went on. “We’re going to see my grandfather. He lives well into the Tilidian Mountains, which lie west of here. The cave he lives in is near the town of Lexiter. He’ll have some real answers, not these lies you’ve been fed, Mr. Josiah Haberson,” Lessiam ended with some sarcasm.
Josiah was silent for a moment, and then mumbled under his breath, “Sorry, I grouped you with all those other dragons I’ve heard of.” Then louder he said, “It’s obvious you’re not all like that.”
Lessiam just grunted, hearing every word through the whistling winds.
The lad was the next to speak, “You can call me Jos. That’s the name my friends used.”
Lessiam felt a break in his dark mood and a smile coming on. He quickly suppressed it (and the tickle in his stomach) and said, “All right then, Jos.”
They went on in silence for quite a while. Lessiam was covering the miles rapidly and did not appear to be slowing. He was flying much faster than earlier. They must have covered over a hundred miles in the hour since they had started out. The vast forest they’d been flying over seemed endless to Jos, who was silently wondering many things about the new turns his life had just taken.
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Lessiam flew on, surveying the ground below him as it fell past them. This part of country seemed mainly unchanged, just trees as far as the average eye could see, but then Lessiam saw that the trees ended about 10 miles earlier than they should have. As he came closer to this point he saw that many features here had changed. The River Nuasiotte lay below. It had dwindled and taken new turns, its streams dried up. The plains they were nearing, which had been healthy grassland, were now barren. Life was draining from the country he knew so well. They were now over the plains and the Nuasiotte ended here, where before it had flowed straight into the River Diluthian south of here. It was becoming an undeniable reality that he’d slept much longer than he’d thought. Some of what the lad said could actually be true. As dread of the truth rose in his heart, Lessiam grew melancholy. Jos seemed well intentioned and wasn’t likely to have any reason to manipulate him with lies. In fact, it was good to have someone with him, even if he was a human.
They flew on. After another hour Lessiam broke the long silence, “We’ll be getting near Lexiter soon, in about fifty more miles,” said Lessiam.
“And where exactly does your grandpa live?” asked Jos.
“Some twenty miles northwest of Lexiter,” replied Lessiam.
“Ok. I’ve been wondering. Do all dragons sleep with one eye open or just you?” asked Jos.
Lessiam replied, “All dragons. It’s just something we naturally do. My parents told me that it’s a defense mechanism that developed in us a long time ago, when we were prey to certain creatures. Now all it does is make it possible for us to know when to get up and we can also recall everything the eye saw once we awaken. I suppose if we ever needed to use it to prevent being snuck up on—its original purpose—we could.”
“Yeah, I can see how that would come in handy—all of it,” Jos acknowledged. “Now, this place we’re going, Lexiter, can you tell me anything about it?”
“It’s a magnificent town of humans and dragons, built in a valley where dragons occupy majestic caves high in the mountainsides while humans live in the towers, castles and houses below. They help each other there; in fact, they’ve lived and worked together for centuries,” Lessiam explained.
“I’ve never even imagined such a place could exist,” said Jos.
“Well soon you won’t have to. You’ll see it!” said Lessiam, still hoping. “See, we’re nearing the mountains outside of Lexiter now.”
Ahead of them Jos could make out what looked like a wall of clouds on the horizon. Soon he saw that this was a mountain range, the many peaks were becoming clearer with each passing second. Jos felt the excitement build in him as his stomach clenched up.
Smoke was rising from the center of the range. Dragon forms flew in the air ahead of them, near the smoke. Closer and closer they flew. Lessiam was the one getting excited now. He just had to know why he’d gone to sleep in one world and awakened into a totally different one. Soon he would have some answers. He felt it.
They’d be passing the peak east of Lexiter’s valley in moments; he’d fly over Lexiter and show the lad quite a sight.
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Sept. 3rd, 1 P.M., Day 2
Lessiam slowed down as he approached the peak and began to notice that the town looked different. They called this mountain the Angel’s Grace due to its beauty, but now its surface was pockmarked with mines, and its beauty was gone. Smoke rose from the mines. The snow near the peak was black and polluted. The number of trees covering the mountains in the area had greatly diminished. Where there had been a vast forest, now there were only scattered groups of trees, and even they were drooping and dying.
Three of the dragons in front of them broke off from the group that was flying over the town. They flew right at Lessiam and Josiah. Lessiam sized them up. The one in the lead was all black, even his eyes. He looked to be middle-aged, in his 4th or 5th century, and still quite strong. He bore a shield on his left arm and was gripping a long, jagged-edged sword in his right hand. On his chest was an emblem of a dragon in an attack position flaming a man. The two brown dragons in the rear had torn wings and fat stomachs. As Lessiam studied the group, his confidence flowed back into him. “I can handle this,” he thought to himself. The ones in the rear had long fingers, which appeared to have been dipped in a black paint, their talons ragged, yet sharp. What was puzzling is they looked so unhealthy, but at the same time, young, Lessiam guessed them at about a hundred and fifty years. They also looked hungry, for what, Lessiam could only guess, though by all indications he was about to find out.
The three of them stopped and hovered directly in Lessiam’s path. This was another oddity. In his part of the world dragons didn’t stop one another in this way. Lessiam went over in his mind what Jos had been telling him of dragons. He then slowed and whispered to Jos to hold on in case he had to make a dash for it. He felt sore from the long flight but more limber than earlier, by far. If he needed to outrace these three he felt he could, but could the lad withstand that? Were there faster and healthier dragons who would be alerted and brought in on such a chase? Lessiam decided he’d try to avoid these variables if he could.
“What’s your name and unit? You don’t look familiar!” the lead dragon called out.
“Les—garde, and I’m part of Unit 237!” Lessiam quickly snapped back at him in mock annoyance as he brought his body to a full stop, pulling his legs under him and shifting his wings horizontally, beating them in the air to maintain his position. He tried to look rather bored and arrogant. In fact, his stomach was doing back flips. He was amazed he’d come up with this lie on demand.
The lead dragon’s head jumped back. This green dragon did not look like any he’d seen for a long time. He was much too “pretty.” He had not expected such a fast and certain answer either.
“From where do you hail and what is your assignment, and why do you carry a human on your back—and alive?” the black dragon growled out, more suspicious than ever.
Lessiam looked at him with lazy eyes, while his mind raced. He knew he was on the verge of being caught. For what reason, he had no idea. But he knew the truth wouldn’t do. “I hail from the town of Smelged and come with private orders. The human is a prisoner and I have been ordered to carry him in this manner. I am to take him directly to your master,” Lessiam replied cooly.
Jos, meanwhile, sat in fear, making himself as small as possible. He hoped this worked. He knew the very real danger they were in. He saw the brown dragons look at one another with doubt. It was clear to him that they did not want to believe Lessiam’s statement. Their eyes met Jos’ eyes. They then looked hungrily at one another, licking their hanging jowls.
“Hmmmm,” the black dragon said. “This sounds like an important task. I wouldn’t want to get in trouble for not doing my job to protect you. I think we’ll escort you in. Let’s go.” At that, he spun about rapidly. “Dinx, get behind them to the left. Livert, go to the back right. I’ll lead us in.
“Follow me closely,” he said to Lessiam.
Lessiam fell into position behind the one he’d decided to call “Blacky.” He followed the ugly beast past the peak of Angel’s Grace—more like Disgrace now. The brown dragons stayed to Lessiam’s left and right, immediately behind his wingtips. Their noses weren’t much more than a dozen feet from Jos’ legs, which he pulled closer to him. No reason to tempt these carnivores.
As Lessiam and Jos crossed the peak they saw the town below. Any beauty that might have been was long ago laid to waste. Massive stones of castle walls were piled here and there. Houses were few; those that stood were run-down shanties. There was a tower standing on the edge of the valley, the only stone structure that remained upright.
In the center of the valley was a large circular pen built of high planks. Lessiam and Jos could see that it was separated into compartments, ten on the outside and ten forming a pie shape in the center. Thousands of humans were being crammed into the compartments of the pen at that moment. Dragons were dropping huge hunks of food into the compartments; the humans were rushing for the food and fighting over it like savage dogs. A dragon stood or flew above the gate to each outer compartment and a couple of dragons hovered over the center of the pen.
Blacky was dropping down toward the one tower that yet stood. He turned and eyed Lessiam again, “What was your name again?”
“Lesgarde,” Lessiam replied, without lag.
“Oh, right,” said the black dragon, turning back towards the rapidly approaching tower. He went on, far from convinced. He knew deceit well enough to smell it so close as this.