Justin listed intently as the dragon tried to explain. “I don’t know if I understand all of this. Snowden doesn’t think like a human. He just says that his friend Cathy is sleeping and when she awakens he will return to her.”
Something sounded remarkably familiar about what the dragon was saying. It almost sounded to Richard as if he had heard this before. There was an old book of prophecies at home written by his great-grandfather. It had been rumored that the man could see the future. He needed to check the book. This sounded vaguely like one of the prophecies he had read.
“I think we’d better go,” Richard said to Snowden and his son. Then looking at the dragon he continued, “We will return to check on you from time to time. For now, we welcome you as a friend.”
-
As they made their way back down the mountain and toward their home, Justin was full of a thousand questions. He couldn’t believe they had found a dragon. Not only that, but he could talk to the huge creature! Justin wondered if he and the dragon were destined to become friends.
“What do you know about the dragons?” Justin asked his father as they crossed a small stream. Both stepped carefully on the small, flat rocks keeping their balance so they wouldn’t fall into the cold water. The watercourse was fed by the melting snow high up on the mountain. Where it entered the valley beavers had built several dams, flooding some of the nearby lowlands.
Richard was quiet for a moment. He had never thought in his wildest dreams that he would ever find a dragon. Now Snowden had appeared and Richard was afraid of what the dragon’s sudden appearance signified. If Snowden had found their valley, then so could Gilmreth.
After crossing the stream, the two sat down under the shade of a large, towering tree to rest for a few minutes. Justin looked expectantly at his father; he was supposed to get married in a few months to his childhood sweetheart. Karen lived in the village of Plainview, and they had been planning their marriage for several months. Justin hoped their discovery of Snowden wouldn’t interfere with that. He also wondered if it would be necessary to keep this secret from her. This was something he would discuss with his father later.
“There are two old books at home,” began Richard, wondering how much he should tell his son. He had a sister and a brother living on the farm next to his. He knew that, sometime, they would have to be told about Snowden. “They speak of the dragons and how they were created back just before the Worldfire.”
“So long ago,” responded Justin, realizing just how old Snowden must be. “How long do dragons live?”
“No one knows. A page in one of the books claims the dragons are immortal. But I don’t see how any creature can be immortal.”
“Is there anything in the books about Snowden?”
“Yes,” replied Richard, trying to recall the prophecy his great grandfather had written. “One of the books says that Snowden is the oldest of all the dragons. He was the first one created by the great sorcerers of the Golden Age.”
“They must have been very powerful to have created the dragons,” Justin said, trying to imagine what those distant times must have been like.
Justin had explored some of the old ruins that were scattered about. Anything useful in them had long since been removed, but it was intriguing to imagine what some of the ruins had once contained. He had read in school about some of their marvelous machines and the science they had commanded. Much was very hard to comprehend as their own world was now an extremely simple one.
“Yes, they were,” replied Richard in response to Justin’s question. “So powerful that their struggle for power brought about the Worldfire and the end of the Golden Age.”
The two sat in silence for a few more minutes and then Richard stood up, motioning for Justin to do the same. “We need to hurry; your mother will be expecting us home for supper.”
“Can we tell her about the dragon?” asked Justin, wanting to tell someone about what they had found.
“Let’s keep the dragon a secret between us, for now,” his father replied. “We will tell your mother later once we know for sure that Snowden is going to stay.”
Justin almost asked about telling Karen, but decided it might be best to wait.
-
Later that night, Richard sat in his study in the back of their large farmhouse. Several lamps burned brightly, lighting up the small room. Richard leaned forward in his chair and gazed at the page of the old book lying open upon the wood desk. The page had been written by his great-grandfather over sixty years ago. It was a prophecy.
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Behold the white dragon, for the dragon is the redeemer of humankind.
Many years will the white dragon sleep before the one he awaits awakens.
Another will also awaken, the great dragon Gilmreth.
A great battle will rage over the skies of the great mountain.
Dragon versus dragon and sorcerer versus sorcerer.
If humanity is to endure and reunite, then the white dragon must survive.
Only through the white dragon can humanity find salvation.
-
Richard leaned back and mulled over the words. The prophecy said that Snowden would have to sleep for a very long time before he found the one that he had been searching for. There was no doubt that the prophecy also predicted a great battle between Snowden and Gilmreth. If Snowden won, then humanity would continue and grow. If Gilmreth won, then humanity would die. It also seemed as if sorcery would be involved, with some supporting each of the dragons. It made him feel uncomfortable thinking about sorcerers fighting sorcerers. No good could come of that.
Richard stood up and, reaching up to the top of a bookshelf, took down an ancient book. Returning to the desk, he sat down and opened it. The pages were yellow with age and extremely brittle. Only a sorcery spell kept the book intact. It was a sorcery book and listed many powerful spells. Most of the spells he couldn’t perform since he wasn’t a powerful sorcerer. He turned the pages until he found the one he was seeking. It was a sleeping spell, one designed to put a dragon to sleep. He didn’t have the power to cast the complete spell; no one had that kind of power anymore. However, he could cast a weaker version with Justin’s help.
Once they were certain that Gilmreth wouldn’t find their valley, they would put the white dragon to sleep to await his destiny. Richard had a feeling that the white dragon’s destiny lay far in the future. This would be his family’s secret and duty for generations to come. They would protect the white dragon until the day he was needed to be the defender of humanity.
Richard picked up a pen and opened up an ink well. Turning to the back of the book of prophecies, he began writing on a blank page. What he was writing would be the instructions his descendants would follow for generations to come. Richard felt pride well up inside of him as he realized what providence had chosen for his family. With a smile, Richard realized that his great grandfather had foreseen this years ago. He had known that his family would become the protectors of the white dragon.
Other Books by Raymond L. Weil
Available on Amazon
Moon Wreck (The Slaver Wars Book 1)
The Slaver Wars: Alien Contact (The Slaver Wars Book 2)
Moon Wreck: Fleet Academy (The Slaver Wars Book 3)
The Slaver Wars: First Strike (The Slaver Wars Book 4)
The Slaver Wars: Retaliation (The Slaver Wars Book 5)
The Slaver Wars: Galactic Conflict (The Slaver Wars Book 6)
The Slaver Wars: Endgame (The Slaver Wars Book 7)
The Slaver Wars: Books 1-3
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Dragon Dreams
Dragon Dreams: Dragon Wars
Dragon Dreams: Gilmreth the Awakening
Dragon Dreams: Snowden the White Dragon
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Star One: Tycho City: Survival
Star One: Neutron Star
Star One: Dark Star
Star One
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Galactic Empire Wars: Destruction (Book 1)
Gala
ctic Empire Wars: Emergence (Book 2)
Galactic Empire Wars: Rebellion (Book 3)
Galactic Empire Wars: The Alliance (Book 4)
Galactic Empire Wars: Insurrection (Book 5)
Galactic Empire Wars: Final Conflict (Book 6)
Galactic Empire Wars: The Beginning (Books 1-3)
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The Lost Fleet: Galactic Search (Book 1)
The Lost Fleet: Into the Darkness (Book 2)
The Lost Fleet: Oblivion’s Light (Book 3)
The Lost Fleet: Genesis (Book 4)
The Lost Fleet: Search for the Originators (Book 5)
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The Star Cross (Book 1)
The Star Cross: The Dark Invaders (Book 2)
The Star Cross: Galaxy in Peril (Book 3)
The Star Cross: The Forever War (Book 4)
The Star Cross: The Vorn! (Book 5)
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The Originator Wars: Universe in Danger (Book 1)
The Originator Wars: Search for the Lost (Book 2)
The Originator Wars: Conflict Unending (Book 3)
The Originator Wars: Explorations (Book 4)
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Earth Fall: Invasion (Book 1)
Earth Fall: To the Stars (Book 2)
Earth Fall: Empires at War (Book 3)
(All dates are tentative)
Dragon Dreams: Firestorm Mountain (Book 4) July 2019
The Originator Wars: The Multiverse (Book 5) September 2019
Dragon Wars Page 11