Dragons of Draegonia

by Michael Libra

  Green smirked as Dragon Blue, somewhat flustered, told Black that he had not had sufficient time and that Dragon Brown needed to investigate further to obtain all information and facts prior to the interviews.

  “WHAT?” bellowed Black, “I made it perfectly clear that the ‘Generals’ were to be captured and immediately interrogated! Who countermanded MY orders?”

  Before Dragon Blue opened his mouth Green interjected: “Dragon Brown did not want to interrogate the prisoners.”

  Blue catching his breath defended Brown’s decision by repeating himself. “Dragon Black, we have every intention of interrogating the prisoners and Brown and I believe we just need to investigate some anomalies first. By tomorrow afternoon we shall…”

  Blue never had chance to finish. Black interrupted. “Green you are now in charge and you Dragon Blue, you are to go with Green, arrest Brown and place him in the cells.” Blue stuttered “Oh…Oh…on what charges?”

  Black glared at him “The same charges you will be on if you do not carry out my orders Dragon Blue.” Black continued, his face displaying a look of thunder. “Brown is to be charged with Incompetence, dereliction of duty and of being a suspected TRAITOR!”

  Blue was just about to lodge another protest but saw Dragon Black with his piercing eyes staring at him ready to perhaps have him arrested too. In response Blue agreed he would arrest Brown immediately but really did not require Green to be in attendance. Dragon Black looked even more terrifying and with an attempt to breathe a rain of fire failing, resulting in a small circular puff of smoke emanating from his open mouth, Green was unable to suppress a snigger.

  “Green,” barked a very angry and annoyed Dragon Black, “Irrespective of what Blue wants, you are both to arrest Brown. Green you are in charge of Draegonia’s forces and I am issuing a second state of emergency, AND Blue from this moment on YOU WILL report to Dragon Green, now go and do your duty!”

  Dragons Blue and Green turned and in doing so Green saluted. He had achieved his goal. He had engineered what some would have considered impossible. He had won the trust of Dragon Black, was on his way to arrest Dragon Brown and at last, had Dragon Blue reporting to him. Everyone would now be ‘Green with Envy’ but not him.

  Dragon Brown was rudely awakened by a loud banging on the outside door. He stretched and switched on the ‘Dragon light’ in his bedroom by turning a black disk that revealed an already lit candle. “Who is it” he bellowed.

  Moving across the bedroom floor and through into his lounge he opened his front door where Dragon Blue and Dragon Green were standing. “What on earth do you want, what time do you call this?” Brown demanded, “What has happened, have the prisoners escaped, are there more of them coming?” Brown rubbed his tired eyes and stared at the two of them, waiting for an answer.

  “I’m sorry Brown” Blue started to say but was interrupted by an officious Dragon Green. “You’re under arrest on the orders of Dragon Black,” Green spurted out. “Come quietly or we will use force, won’t we Dragon Blue?”

  Blue ignored Green’s feeble attempt to make an arrest and continued in an authoritative but friendly tone. “I am afraid, Dragon Brown, that we have been sent under a state of emergency order issued by Dragon Black to take you into custody.”

  Dragon Brown thrashed his tail up and down in anger and looking straight at Dragon Green said, “And on what charges am I supposed to be arrested?”

  Dragon Blue, somewhat embarrassed, coughed, cleared his throat and continued. “On the basis of negligence and dereliction of duty and suspicion of being…” Blue paused, swallowed with a large gulp and said the words that visibly stunned Dragon Brown, “suspicion of being a traitor.”

  “Put the cuffs on him Dragon Blue,” shouted Dragon Green. Green smirked and preened himself, he was loving every minute.

  “Is that necessary Green?” Blue demanded. “I don’t think Dragon Brown deserves to be treated as a common criminal dragon, after all nothing has been proved and he has nowhere to run.”

  Green snatched the cuffs dangling from Blues belt and snapped one bracelet to each of Brown’s front paws with the chain between, being linked to a similar pair of bracelet cuffs he also affixed to Dragon Brown’s hind legs. “He certainly won’t run with those on, now let’s get him locked up! Or do you want me to report you to Dragon Black as being uncooperative, Dragon Blue?”

  Blue looked at Brown who immediately understood that Green was obviously empowered by Dragon Black and that Dragon Blue was powerless but to do exactly as Dragon Green said.

  “OK Green,” Dragon Brown spoke in an unhurried commanding officer tone of voice, “Let’s go NOW, I need my sleep. I expect we’re going to have a very busy day tomorrow Green and I trust you will come to your senses.” Green just smirked and pushing Dragon Brown forward made him move slowly, taking very short steps because of his chains, marching him back towards the police station, where he too was to be locked up.

  CHAPTER 15

  Interrogations and more Lies

  All other Dragons of Draegonia were asleep, not knowing what had taken place. That is all dragons bar one. Dragon Pink had spent the whole day as usual walking around the island. She usually came back late, but on this occasion it was very much later as she had visited the spot where the four children had landed on the shore. She had wanted to see for herself where the dingy had been placed and if it was secure. Pink had made her mind up that she was going to assist the four to get back to their home. It was nearly three o’clock in the morning and the police station lights were still on. Why? She thought?

  There was a knock on the police station door that made Dragon Blue jump. Now what, who can this be at this time of night? Dragon Green was still interrogating the prisoners wanting to be left alone to do it. Dragon Brown was on his own in one of the more comfortable cells, despite what Dragon Green wished. Dragon Blue was not going to let his friend suffer at the claws of Green.

  Here however was yet another visitor to the police station. Blue opened the door and revealed the smiling face of Dragon Pink. “What ‘Dragon Time’ do you call this? It’s late Pink, and you should be at home fast asleep. Why are you here? Is there a problem?” Dragon Pink peered in through the open door and seeing no one else around asked Dragon Blue why he was still on duty. Normally the lights would be off and Dragon Blue in bed fast asleep, so something was up.

  “Look, Pink” Blue said rather frustratingly, “we have caught some of the invaders who are responsible for the failure of our flames. They are,” Blue continued, “in the cells, being interrogated by Dragon Green who is now Commander in Chief of ‘Special Forces’, the Army and the Police Force of Draegonia.” Blue coughed, “And I am sorry to say we also have Dragon Brown in a cell on the command of Dragon Black, so it has been a very difficult and tiresome day. It’s nearly morning and I need you to go.”

  Pink, opened her mouth in a gasp and in doing so a small jet of yellow and white flame was expelled. “Ah, I see your flame has returned then,” Blue exclaimed. “Returned?” Pink queried, taken aback by this comment. “I never lost it in the first place Dragon Blue.”

  Blue dismissed the comment in the same way as he dismissed her. “Look I have no time to stand here chatting with you. I’ve told you, it’s late and you should be home. Just leave and let me get on, good night and good morning!” And with a closing farewell gesture shut the door, returned to his desk and crouched down. It had been a very traumatic day, and he still had to wait for Green.

  Dragon Green was in the main cell block. The walls were rough and very wet and because there was little light getting through during the day, the air was musty and damp. This was not a place to spend any time and Green wanted to get away as quickly as possible. He knew however, that he had to go through the paces of being seen or heard to be conducting the necessary interviews with the prisoners.

  Zach, the youngest, was the first he was to interrogate. Green carried a flickering light that cast weird and sometimes frightening sh
adows on both walls and across the very high ceiling. The shadows danced menacingly from wall to wall with shapes of ogres, goblins, dragons and fearsome giants. On entering Zach’s cell Green first asked for Zach’s name. Zach, very angry at being dragged and locked up that afternoon, refused to speak.

  Green gave one of his sickly smiles and said, “Look, I really am here to help you. I didn’t want to have you captured and treated like criminals but I was under orders, mainly because you and your friends are responsible for us dragons losing our flames.”

  Green had planned to be nice in order to find out about the antidote urgently required by Dragon Black. Zach turned his back on Green. “I’m not talking to you. You know my name we all told you them earlier and I don’t trust you one bit!” Zach was not showing that underneath his bravado he really was shaking with fright. “Anyway, you’re going to get everything you deserve Mr Dragon!” Zach said angrily “When George and Grace finish with you, you’ll be trussed and stuffed ready for a Christmas dinner!”

  Green, realising he was not going to get anywhere with this creature, exited the cell, leaving it once more in pitch blackness. He moved cautiously through the dimly lit corridor to the second cell holding Joel.

  Green had exhausted himself and in the darkness, broken only by the flickering flames of Green’s portable light. He entered the cell containing Joel but failed to see Joel lunge at him.

  Joel kicked, punched and yelled, “Let me out of here! I’m not going to talk to you unless I can have something to eat and drink!” Joel, even though being locked up in the dark, thousands of miles from home and facing his capturer, which was a green dragon, was still thinking of his stomach.

  Dragon Green demanded Joel’s name and this time, with more direct and aggressive questioning, ordered him to tell how the dragons’ flames might be restored. Without any pause or giving time for his prisoner to really answer, Dragon Green rained down a barrage of questions. Green had absolutely no interview technique whatsoever and failed dismally to get any response from Joel, who just scowled at his capturer.

  Green realising that he was getting nowhere with the youngest ones, slammed the heavy door of the cell, locking it behind him. He moved on to cell three.

  Opening the door he saw Grace standing upright and squarely in front of him, her arms folded and glaring. She was steely eyed and although very tired knew she had to negotiate rather than give in to a scheming dragon. Showing no fear she spoke in a very determined voice “What are we supposed to have done, why are we here and who is responsible for our imprisonment?”

  Green once more fired his questions, one after another in rapid succession, requesting her name, age, what she was doing on the island and what was used to destroy the dragons’ flames? Ignoring Green’s threatening posture and tone, Grace sidestepped all the questions and reiterated her own. The tables were being turned. Green was no match for this stubborn young girl who wanted answers and wanted them immediately.

  “So, if you were supposed to be our friend why did you trick us?” Grace, not waiting for an answer, then demanded: “Who is in charge, I want to see them, I want food and water and to be released straight away. That’s it. I will not talk to you anymore, whatever you try to do to make me.”

  With that last outburst, she turned in a show of defiance, with her back towards Dragon Green. Green thought for a moment, should he try torture? But he was worried that, because all four prisoners really did not know what was happening and why, they would not reveal anything anyway.

  “So what species are you, at least tell me that?” Green puffed, he was now feeling tired with all the chasing and having to use his brain to make up so many stories. Stories and untruths that he was beginning to lose track of, not knowing what he had said to whom and what the prisoners in his charge would say.

  These four were going to be dangerous if he could not manipulate them to go along with what he needed everyone to believe. Looking at the young spirited girl, who still had her back to him, Green decided to call it a day, give up and question the last of the group held in Cell 4.

  George was trying to piece all the events together. He knew that these dragons believed the four were responsible for something serious. He had overheard the dragons speak about invaders and generals and of those who had lost the ability to spit flame.

  The door to George’s dingy and damp smelling cell opened and in walked a very tired and fed up Dragon Green. George taking one look at Green went on the offensive. “You look exactly as I feel, fed up!” George continued: “You know you’re going to look very stupid once everyone learns that you tricked us in order to lock us up, that we are innocent and are no more than four children washed up on your island after a terrible storm that wrecked our sailing boat.”

  Green listened to the verbal onslaught of George and realised that if these ‘Children’ spoke at length with Dragons Blue and Gold, his deceit and lies might well be found out. He had to move fast and these four had to be dealt with before daybreak, or at least before the majority of the Dragon Council could speak with each of them.

  “So you are a race of ‘Children’ sent to invade our peaceful island using a weapon to which there is no antidote!” Green was speaking out a loud not necessarily for George’s benefit but more as a rehearsal for what he was going to report to Dragon Black. “On seeing the size and strength of Draegonia Dragons and our fighting expertise…” he was thinking of his reporting about overpowering four attacking Generals … “your main force ran to get reinforcements, leaving you to spy on us.”

  George shouted: “Rubbish, that’s a pack of lies and who are these Generals who supposedly attacked you?”

  “You four, of course; it was after I went to the aid of Dragon Yellow whom you scared away.” Green rambled on: “In fact you’re the same mob who attacked me the day before, when I wasn’t looking and beat me with clubs.”

  George expelled a loud irritated sigh. “You’re saying that four young children jumped you and beat you up?” George laughed showing some disgust at the preposterous allegation, saying: “If anyone believes that fairy story, they must be either very stupid or you must be a very weak dragon. Look at yourself, are you really trying to say we not only attacked you, but actually won the fight?”

  George then rubbed salt in the wound: “I suppose you ran off like your friend the yellow dragon. Are all dragons on this island cowards and liars?”

  Green roared and as he did so coughed up several circular rings of bluish grey smoke that drifted upwards. “You might think you are clever,” Green snarled at George, “but when Dragon Black receives my interrogation report, you and your friends will not be laughing anymore. In fact, make the most of it, for you have little time to live!”

  Green turned and foolishly blew out the candle. As he closed the cell door behind him and entered the very dimly lit corridor, he stubbed his left foot on a bucket that ‘Dragon Cleaners’ had left behind. The metal bucket was kicked high into the air. Green let out a roar of pain, which was doused by the noise made by the metal bucket bouncing from side to side as it clanged along the corridor.

  The noise of Dragon Green’s roar and the loud noise made by the bouncing metal bucket startled Dragon Blue. He thought the four prisoners were being given the third degree and felt rather sorry for them. Just as he was about to raise himself up from his crouched position, Dragon Blue saw Green appear. Dragon Green was flustered and looking in some pain. “What’s up Green? Is it all over, have you made them talk?” Blue asked.

  “Yes,” winced Green rubbing his foot. “I have determined that these creatures are extremely dangerous and not to be underestimated.” Green, with his back to the wall, crouched down opposite Blue and dragging a wooden storage crate nearby, placed his injured leg on it.

  “These creatures are devious and clever. They have stated that they were assisted by Dragon Brown and I will let Dragon Black determine his fate.” Blue raised both eyebrows and frowned, but Green continued. “One of them called G
eorge, managed to get hold and threw a steel bucket at me, but his aim was poor. Instead of hitting my head, he caught my leg. Just look at the injury,” Dragon Green said, pointing to where the bucket he had stupidly kicked had hit him.

  Blue got up, went to the first aid box and handed a ‘Dragon Plaster’ to Green who duly placed it over his wound. “You know Green,” Blue said, raising one eyebrow, “You heal very quickly, don’t you? Looking at your head, the wound you had yesterday has totally healed, so the cut on your leg will I am sure heal just as quickly.”

  Green somewhat speedily put his foot on the floor and asked Blue for some ‘Dragon Paper’ so that he might write his report. Blue opened his desk draw pulled out two sheets and handed them to Green. “Here you are, Green. But why don’t you write it in the morning when you are fresh and perhaps not in as much pain?”

  “No, it has to be now,” Green replied, “whilst everything is fresh in my mind. I don’t want to make any mistakes.” As his lying words were replaced by silence, Green put ‘Dragon Pen’ to ‘Dragon Paper’ and concocted a pack of lies and fictitious events, into an official report, that would mean certain death for all prisoners, including Dragon Brown.