DRAGON LOVE
by
Mikael Eriksson
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PUBLISHED BY:
DRAGON LOVE
Copyright © 2010 by Mikael Eriksson
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
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DRAGON LOVE
Petrigal pushed a twig from his face and continued forward through the deep forest. When he had left the last village they said that there were no settlements, but only wilderness along the path he had chosen. He had replied that his path was that way and that he would continue until he found what he sought. They had not asked what he was looking for. He was glad for it because he could not answer. In recent weeks, he had felt called to search for something in the wilderness. It was as if someone needed his help, help from a imprisonment, an imprisonment which drove its victim to the madness.
Here in the forest there were no animals to hunt and villagers had warned him that there were dangerous monsters farther into the woods, that nobody who had traveled the path had returned. So far, they had been right about the absence of any animals, but wrong about the monsters. He had seen neither the one nor the other. His food was running out but he did not worry about it, he knew that the source of his call neared.
He had traveled ten days from the last village when he came to the glade. His eyes had grown accustomed to the dark forest so the sudden light caused them to narrow to cracks and he held up an hand to protect them. He waited and let his eyes get accustomed to the light. In the middle of the glade a small stream coiled. Its sound made him remember the faraway places he had come from.
He was halfway to the creek when he saw the warrior which was waiting on the other side of the glade. The warrior looked down towards Petrigal from the horse he was sitting on.
The warrior held a spear ready in his right hand and the hilt of a large sword was in a sheath at the horse's flank. Petrigal raised a hand in greeting to show the warrior that he was no enemy
The warrior raised his spear in answer and threw threw it straight towards Petrigal. Petrigal jumped to the side, he landed on his arm and rolled around to get back on his feet. The spear hit the ground with a thumping sound, and stood trembling behind.
"Stop!" cried Petrigal, "I am a peaceful traveler!"
"Do not lie stranger. Why do you have the sword ready at your side? I know you are here to abduct my Lady and take her away. But you will not succeed!"
The warrior urged his horse and rode straight towards Petrigal. In a flash the warrior drew his sword and swung it through the air.
The water splashed in the creek when the rider rode right through it without reducing speed. Petrigal drew his own sword and held it up in defense against the blows that would come.
The horse was riding up from the brook and the rider was just within reach of his sword. The horse stumbled, as if it had stepped in a hole that was invisible from the surface. The horse gave away a neigh and threw off the rider. He fell heavily to the ground but got up on his feet again before Petrigal could attack him. The horse reared up again and then ran into the woods along the path that Petrigal came from.
On the ground seemed warrior slow and clumsy. Petrigal still had his sword ready, while the warrior's sword pointed at the ground, as if he was already tired.
"So," said the warrior, "you have magic that makes my mount fail. She has brought me against monsters and beasts of all kinds without hesitation, but now she falls. What better proof that you are a most dangerous enemy and must die before you reaches my Lady".
"I'm no enemy of you. I have no hatred against you or your lady and I myself have been fighting against beasts." Petrigal moved slowly around the warrior without dropping the vigilance. He did not turn his back to the direction of that warrior had come from. There could be friends to him there even if he sounded like he fought alone.
The warrior took no account of Petrigals words. He raised his sword again and rushed towards Petrigal. Petrigal was no sword master, but he saw clearly how the warrior left his whole body open to attack. He directed his sword to the warrior's side, and it penetrated just below his chain mail just as the warrior began the blow with his own sword.
Blood sprayed and the warrior's screams rang through the woods. The warrior nearly lost the grip of his sword and leaned to the side away from Petrigal. Petrigal did feel a moment of triumph before the warrior managed one final blow and hit Petrigals head with the swords flat side.
When he woke up everything was still. The warrior lay dead on the ground. The horse had come back to the glade and grazed in the grass near the forest edge. The sun was close to the horizon now; it would soon be dusk and night. Petrigal took a few steps but stumbled and fell again. His head was spinning. He knelt at the dead warrior and looked into his face. He seemed much older now than he before, an old frail man, not a warrior.
He was interrupted out of his thoughts by a warm breath on his neck. Petrigal looked up and saw the warrior's horse standing just behind him. It lowered its body and looked back toward its seat. It wanted him to get up on it. But how could a horse want to wear his owner's murderer?
He was too dizzy and too tired to think further. He could not walk by himself anywhere, and the horse could carry him to help. Almost unconsciously he lifted the warrior's sword and stuck it in its place. He crawled carefully up on the horse. As he sat in the saddle, it rose up and began to carry Petrigal away from the clearing along a path that he had not noticed before. He leaned forward over the horse's withers. Again he felt the pain from his head where it had struck the ground. He closed his eyes and let the horse go where it wanted. He was more tired than he should be, he did not struggle but fell into a sleep filled with dreams.
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Edir had been a young dragon when the gods lived. Sometimes, she had served them, but she had not missed them when they disappeared. During the long years afterward, she became slowly tired of her peers. The world bore no surprises and the season-long discussions of beauty, meaning, justice, the fate of the gods and the worlds futures lost the luster they had had. She had withdrawn from her relatives and friends and had built her nest in human country. She lived far from the nearest settlement so people did not bother her. Sometimes she was visited by other dragons but the widening gap between her and the rest by her race made the visits fewer as the years expired .
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In Petrigals dreams the cry for help where more powerful than it had ever been. He searched in passages and among mountains after both a prisoner and prison guards, but found nothing other than new pathways to explore.
When he awakened, he thought that he was still in the dreams. A thick fog lay heavy around him and hid anything that was more than a few men's lengths away. He saw no trees anywhere. On the ground appeared just grass, no roots or rocks that had frustrated him during the long journey through the forest. A faint sound from a brook came somewhere from the left.
Suddenly he came out of the fog. He was in the midst of a large meadow. At the far end of the forest began again. The air became clear as
it had not been since the childhood days he sometimes remembered. Behind him the sun was setting. On the left poured the brrok, he had heard, and on the other side of it stood a castle, built in white stone and larger than any he had hitherto seen in his life. He knew it was from there that the call for help had came.
A roar that made the ground shake tore his gaze from the castle. A creature had appeared from nowhere on the other side of the meadow. It was bigger than the horse , and he could feel its eyes boring into him. The beast was almost entirely white, and its scales glistened in sunbeams. It roared again , and its blood-red mouth contrasted with its white body.
Its only color was in its dark blue eyes that seemed to radiate evil against Petrigal. It sat on its hind legs, still, like a dog waiting to take its prey. It was a dragon. No one had seen dragons since the last war but the paintings that was left from the time could have had this as a model. They had been great allies , and terrible enemies , and few people had fought against them and survived. He wanted to turn his horse and flee, ignoring the cries for help and the urge for unknown destinations.
The call in his mind changed, became words. "Kill the beast, kill it and make me free." The voice was calm and in control, the owner wished him well and would not send him out the something he could not do. Petrigal knew no fear now, no doubt, he understood what the voice wanted and he would do it.
Without any urging the horse ran towards the dragon. Now he saw that it was even bigger than he thought , it was more than twice as large as the horse. Its neither backed down or attacked, but when he got closer it spread out two wings that reflected the sun and almost blinded him. It roared again and a cone by red-heated fire hurled against him. The horse did not stop but ran into the flame, straight towards the dragon. Almost instinctively he lifted his sword and swung it against the dark shape that he felt more than saw as he rode past it.
When he had ridden past the horse stopped quickly and turned around so that he looked straight at the dragon. It sun was behind it and its rays made the dragon's outline sparkle like silver. Petrigal could see a wound in the middle in its chest. A green liquid flowed out of the wound and stained its shiny surface. Somehow he had hit, and also have came through the fire without being harmed himself. The question was if he would have the same luck the next time.
The dragon lowered its wings and opened its mouth. Petrigal prepared for the ground to shake from a new roar, but instead it spoke to him.
"You have defeated me, human." The words did not sound quite right but he could understand the dragon as easily as he could understand another person. "Do not get too overconfident, " it continued, "We will meet again."
After its words it began to shimmer in the air. Petrigal realized that he saw the sun straight through the dragon's body, and after another moment it had completely disappeared.
The call was strong now. He found a small bridge over the brook, and rode over to the front of the castle. He went on into its darkness. He shook, cold reached into his body. Something was wrong, he should leave the area but his yearning drove him on. The hall was dark but as he continued forward torches were lit at his side. The light showed remarkable statues depicting animals and monsters that he did not recognize, and furniture whose function he could not understand.
A door opened when he came to it. A bright light came from the other side followed by music and a song that reminded him if the longing he had felt for so long. He walked into the room and there stood a woman. Her long blond hair glistened like if it was of silver. She seemed naked, only wearing his hair but he saw that her hair almost imperceptibly slipped into a dress that swirled around her body. She looked up at him and he met her eyes. At that moment he was lost.
She sang him welcome to the castle. He had defeated the evil ruler of the castle in the clearing in the woods and defeated his guardian on the ground outside the castle. He would become the new ruler here. The castles. And hers.
The song led him to a chair where he sat down and leaned back. He closed his eyes, almost put to sleep by the singing and the music. Invisible servants brought food and wine to him.
"Tell me about your adventures, " she sang to him.
"I've had many, but today's adventure is my biggest ever." Even his words came out as a song. He realized that it was as it should; common words would be jagged and crooked in here, song was so much better.
"I know what you have done for me today knight, tell me what you've done before, where you have been, what people do these days, what they worship and what they fear."
He sang his stories for a long time. Through the window he saw the dark, then light, then darkness again, but he was not tired. The injuries he had received during his battles healed while he was sitting there. When he became hungry or thirsty food and drink appeared without him really noticing how. He did not recognize the dishes but they tasted better than anything he had ever eaten before. The woman did not eat or drink. When he offered her from his plate she laughed. "Your stories give me the nourishment I need." Things he had thought he had forgotten came back for him and now they seemed so much more precious and interesting than they did when they happened. Finally she interrupted him.
"I have other things I must do now, my dear. Go to your room, sleep and bathe, I hope that I will soon have your company again. She got up and disappeared. Something tugged at his clothes and took him from chair. He followed his invisible companion, and found at last a bed where he lay down and slept.
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A group by people once came to Edirs castle. They came from a town that was far away but they had heard rumors about a dragon, and driven by thoughts of the treasures that it should have. Edir noticed them long before they came near. She met them outside the castle, and studied them as they rode closer it. They gave away strange signals, they were not as dragons, but they were not animals either. When they saw her, they raised their swords, and rushed towards her. She reacted without really thinking, and breathed a cloud by fire on them when they were in the middle of his attack. All but one of the humans died instantly.
The survivor was seriously burned , and was left whimpering on the ground. She did not kill the man. She healed him from his wounds , and let him keep her company for some time. He were a kind of company after the many lonely years. She discovered that it was possible to communicate with him , and learn his motives , and fears. It amused her so she kept him until he became old , and sick. For his own good, she killed him , and ended his suffering. She remembered him , and missed him for many years after he had died. Her first human would always feel special to her.
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Petrigal sat alone and ate his breakfast. During his first weeks in the castle, he had eaten almost every meal of the day alone. The food was prepared for him, and a bell rang when it was ready but he never saw any servants. In the evenings he often met with the castle's mistress, and they entertained each other with songs until he fell asleep. In the morning he woke up in his soft bed, but without memories of how he got there.
He heard a sound from the door. When he looked there the Lady had arrived. He thought that she had told her name during the first night, but he had forgotten it. She had no name, she was one with the castle, and when he thought of her, which he did often, he thought of her as Lady of the castle. She looked so young and vulnerable but he knew it was she who had power. The power over the castle, and over him, from his arrival and until he left the castle. He hoped that it would never happen.
He rose when she came to him. He could not sit when his mistress stood. He bowed but said nothing. He was delighted but surprised to see her at this time of day. As usual, he lost himself in her eyes and face. Almost automatically he lifted a hand and stroked her hair.
"You are so young, why do you let me stay here? I am old and have fought in more battles than I remember. And what are you doing here. You ought to live in a city where you could meet kings and princes."
She laughed and he almost felt ashamed having spoke to her.
They where talking now, not singing, the songs belonged to the nights. "Cities give me nothing, kings bores me. Moreover, I am older than I look." She laughed again but this time he was filled with joy from it. "I have fun while you're here, is that not enough?"
Confused, he looked around. How could the castle be so empty? Where were the servants, the animal handlers, the chefs? Why where the castle here, so far from the nearest village? He looked back at her and eyes caught him again. He immediately felt better, but doubts still filled his head.
"I enjoy the pleasures but I'm still not sure what I'm doing here. I eat, sleep and listen to you. It fills my days with joy but I know that I get lazy and weak from my stay here."
"You lead me to the second reason why you're here. Laziness and weakness are not the risks I expose you to. There are dangers in the woods around my castle and I need a warrior to help hold them away. That's why I came to you today. The dragon as you drive away is back. It is waiting outside the palace and hungers for me.
He immediately breathed faster and his muscles tightened. His queen was threatened and finally he saw the point of his stay here. He was her champion; he would protect her and defeat the monster.
"Where are my weapons and my armor?" He followed her to an armory where he found them, ready to be worn. They had been cleaned and oiled since he arrived and they felt better than they did when they were new. He put on them and let her look at him when he was ready. She smiled at him and the warmth of the smile spread across his body and mind.
"I will defeat the monster for you."
His horse was waiting in the courtyard. Its skin shone and it neighed joyfully when it saw him. He rode to the castle gates and they opened by themselves and let him pass. Just outside the castle, he stopped and examined the surroundings.
The dragon looked the same as when he arrived at to castle. It was waiting near the forest. It is stood still for a moment then turned it on its head and looked at him. It is gave up a roar, and rushed towards him. He drew his sword and rode at full speed towards it. For the second time that day he felt confused. Why was he fighting like this? He should use a bow to weaken it away or lure it into the woods where its size would hinder it. To attack a dragon as if were an opponent in a knights' tournament was just stupid.
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