by M E. Holley
‘After he’d eaten, the hero could understand and speak all the dragon languages. But, what’s more – and this is really important – they would obey him, because they admired him. Do you begin to see what I’m saying?’ Jonah shook his head slowly. Surely the Archangel wasn’t suggesting that he could have eaten a dragon’s heart.
Michael laughed at his bewildered expression. ‘Bear with me a little. The thing is, they could pass on the gift to their sons and grandsons.’
Claire’s mouth dropped open. ‘Are you saying Jonah’s one of them? That someone in his dad’s family fought a dragon once?’
‘Yes, I am.’
Jonah was stunned. Saint Michael patted his shoulder. ‘Hard to take in, isn’t it? It’s true, though. Anyway, let me go on with the story. As the dragons withdrew to their caverns underground, men began to think of them as legendary creatures. The people who were born with the ability to understand and control them rarely saw a dragon any more. Eventually, most people forgot about the family gift. Very few people realised it had ever existed.
‘But Jonah just proved that the power is still being passed on, even though people like him, who possess it, may not be aware of it. Maybe it has jumped a generation or two, maybe it has leaped over many generations. But the line of descent, however obscure, is unbroken.’ He looked round gravely. ‘He is the living proof. You are descended from such a line, Jonah. One of your ancestors must have been a great hero, a Heart Eater. That makes you a Dragoneer.’
Jonah, beside him, looked as if he’d been punched hard in the head and everyone else looked mystified.
Saint Michael laughed. ‘You really should see your faces!’
Emlyn was frowning. ‘What I don’t understand is this. If Jonah, who’s just a boy – and I accept he’s special and all that – but if he can get the dragon to obey him, well, you’re an angel, Mike – er, Michael. Surely, it would be safer, if you told it what to do, wouldn’t it?’
‘Dad!’ Erin rolled her eyes. ‘Mike’s explained all about Jonah’s ancestor eating a dragon’s heart.’
‘Yes, I know but—’ ‘Oh, Dad! Just think. Angels don’t eat meat.’
Gwen tutted. ‘Erin!’
Erin looked apologetically at Emlyn. ‘Sorry. I didn’t mean it to sound the way it came out.’ She brightened. ‘Come to think of it, I don’t suppose angels have ancestors, either.’
Gwen looked round at the adults with a ‘What can you do?’ gesture, while they all tried not to laugh. Jonah could see Michael was stifling a grin.
‘It is true,’ he said, ‘that I and my kind don’t consume flesh. We cannot take dragon spirit into ourselves, cannot bond with the dragon races in the way the Heart Eaters did. Dragons fear and distrust our power in battle, because we have fought and killed so many. Dragons see angels as formidable enemies.’
The Archangel looked ruefully at the group of wondering villagers. ‘I doubt the dragon would ever trust me, as he will surely trust Jonah. Well,’ he said, ‘I’d better go and tell all your neighbours.’
He walked towards the church. Exchanging looks, the children followed him and listened with growing excitement as the Archangel began to tell all the villagers about Jonah and his ancestors.
‘Now you are safe. You needn’t be afraid of the dragon any longer,’ he finished.
‘But that’s only a boy,’ an elderly man objected. ‘How can a young chap like him control a darned great thing like that? He’d be but a mouthful for it!’
The Reverend Vaughan also looked dubious. ‘Forgive me for seeming to doubt,’ he said gravely to the angel, ‘but how could Jonah possibly make the dragon do what he wants? It seems quiet now but think of the devastating amount of damage it can do, if it becomes angry – or just hungry. How can we believe that young Jonah can stop it from killing us all?’
Saint Michael looked amused. ‘I think most people in the Radnor Forest found it hard to believe in my existence until this morning,’ he said gently, and held up his hands as a clamour of apology and denial broke out. ‘But I do understand. Naturally, it is difficult for you to believe that the dragon will obey Jonah Drake. It’s hard for Jonah!’ The Archangel looked sympathetically at all the people. ‘I understand your doubts,’ he said. ‘Of course I do. But even though he was unaware of it, Jonah was born with this power. And now we’ll prove it to you!’ He turned and beckoned Jonah forward. ‘He is going to show you, aren’t you, Jonah? He’s going to go over and command the dragon.’
Jonah’s knees felt wobbly and there were a thousand butterflies tumbling around in his stomach. He had never felt so scared. What if the dragon got angry and burned him? Worse still, what if it tried to eat him? He looked at the Archangel apprehensively. Would Michael be able to save him if something went wrong?
He swallowed hard. ‘Yes,’ he croaked. ‘I’ll have a go.’
The church ministers were shaking their heads and Bryn looked appalled.
‘Sir,’ he remonstrated, striding over to the Archangel. ‘With great respect, we can’t put someone as young as Jonah in a situation where he might be killed!’
There was a cry of protest from somewhere in the crowd and Claire pushed through, followed by the Morgans and Rhodri.
‘Saint Michael, please listen to my husband.’ Claire was wild-eyed. ‘I’m sorry, but please don’t ask me to let Jonah do this. He is my responsibility while he’s staying with us. How would I face his parents, if anything happened to him?’
Bryn looked at the Archangel sombrely. ‘Forgive us, my lord, but my wife is right. Jonah shouldn’t face the dragon. He is still a child.’
‘Bryn!’ Jonah flushed. A child! As if! He’d be a teenager in a few weeks! Even though he was frightened, he didn’t want everyone to see how nervous he felt, and he certainly didn’t want to let Saint Michael down. ‘I’ll be all right,’ he muttered to Claire, but even to himself his voice sounded small and shaky.
Now Rhodri stepped forward. ‘Sir, I used to be a soldier. Let me have a go. If the worst happened, well, I’m not married now. I haven’t any children. If anything should go wrong, it would be better that it happened to me and not to Jonah.’
Michael smiled at him. ‘That’s a brave offer. But you are not descended from the Families of Domination. You cannot command the dragon. If Jonah’s father were here, it is possible that he could. But he’s not here, so it seems only Jonah has the power.’ He looked around at Claire and Bryn kindly. ‘Have no fear for Jonah. The dragon will obey him. Watch, and you’ll see.’
Claire’s mouth trembled and she looked near to tears but she daren’t argue with the great Archangel.
Michael turned and touched Jonah lightly on the arm. The spot he touched seemed to glow with warmth and immediately Jonah felt better; the butterflies subsided and he felt quite calm and determined.
‘Come on, we will go back across the lane.’
‘How shall I get him to come to me?’
‘Just call him by his name. From now on, wherever he is, he will hear you.’
‘Michael, what did you call him? It sounded like “Ferny”.’
‘His name is Ffyrnig – wild as a furnace.’ The Archangel spelt it out.
‘Is it all right to call him that? It’s not too casual, is it?’ Jonah felt anxious as they went out of the churchyard. ‘I mean, he’s so important – the Last Great Dragon of Wales and all that. Ought I to say ‘my lord’ or something? Won’t he think I’m being a bit, like, pushy?’
The Archangel began to laugh. ‘Jonah, you have to realise that however mighty Ffyrnig seems, from now on you will be much more important. You can make him obey you; he won’t be able to control you.’
‘But he’s huge. I still don’t see how I can possibly make him do anything he doesn’t want to.’
Michael gripped Jonah’s shoulders. ‘Well, if you look steadfastly into Ffyrnig’s eyes, and tell him with all your heart and will what you want him to do, he will obey. There’s a bond between the dragons and families like yours,
Jonah. He will be bound by your will as a Master Dragoneer and, what is more, it will seem to him the right thing to do.’
‘What shall I ask him to do?’
‘Oh, just tell him to stand up and walk round the field with you. That will be enough to show everyone you’re in charge.’
Jonah scrambled over the gate into the meadow and the angel, alighting on the grass beside him, looked deeply into his eyes. ‘He must feel your truth and goodness, Jonah. It is through you that Ffyrnig will learn to tell good deeds from bad ones. That is why you must never lie to him and you must never, never tell him to do anything you know to be wrong. For if you do, you will unleash a terrible evil on the world, and your power over the dragon will weaken.’
Jonah gazed up at the Archangel. As he looked into Michael’s eyes, he felt as if golden light was running through his veins. Suddenly, he felt excited and proud and ready for any challenge. ‘I will do my best,’ he said. ‘I promise.’
CHAPTER 18
MY NAME IS JONAH DRAKE
The Great Dragon opened its eyes and squinted as Jonah walked out into the meadow. Everyone was tense with apprehension. Jonah stared up at the dragon’s huge frame and the dragon looked back at him expectantly. Jonah turned to Michael, who was still standing by the hedge. The Archangel nodded reassuringly and Jonah, aware of all the eyes focused on him, held his head high and walked forward another few steps. His legs began to feel horribly wobbly and his mouth was dry. He stopped a few yards away, hoping that he could dodge backwards if the beast blew flames at him.
‘You need not be afraid of my breath, Master,’ said Ffyrnig mildly. ‘I only breathe out fire when I need to.’
‘I didn’t say anything!’ Jonah stuttered.
‘Your eyes did,’ remarked the dragon. His own eyes were twinkling with humour. He settled more comfortably on the grass and folded his enormous, bat-like wings over his body. There was a long sigh from the watching crowd.
Jonah’s eyes had widened with surprise but he felt amused, as well. ‘I can see I shan’t be able to tell you any porkies.’
The dragon’s eyes snapped open and he turned his great head expectantly. ‘Pork? On the contrary, I should love you to talk about it. Have they brought me some?’
‘Oh, not yet.’ Jonah groaned and banged his forehead. ‘I need to get you some meat, don’t I? I should have asked someone.’
The dragon blew out a little smoke. ‘I could murder a cow,’ he said.
Jonah shot him a glance and drew himself up. He tried to speak firmly. ‘My name is Jonah Drake,’ he began, trying to sound confident. ‘Saint Michael says that I am a Dragoneer. He would like you to walk across the field with me. Just for a moment or two, and then we’ll get you something to eat.’
The dragon looked doubtful.
He’s going to refuse, Jonah thought, beginning to feel panicky. Then an idea, as if someone had switched on a light bulb, popped into his head. ‘Just to show all the people how magnificent you are,’ he coaxed.
The dragon sighed deeply and rose majestically to his feet. Excited gasps and low cheers came from the churchyard. The dragon squeezed his eyes together in a way that seemed to show he was pleased. As they walked across the meadow, Jonah looked up at the scaly head, high above his own, and thought how magnificent the dragon really was. Tentatively, he put his hand against the warm, shining scales on the dragon’s side. He found it hard to believe that he was walking beside a real, live dragon. He didn’t want the moment to end.
But Ffyrnig needed feeding. Jonah stopped and looked up. ‘If you wait here in the field, I’ll go and ask my uncle to bring you some meat.’
‘Yes, Master,’ rumbled the dragon. ‘Will it take long? I am ravenous.’
Jonah bit his lip, acutely aware that he had to be absolutely truthful. ‘I honestly don’t know. Someone has to go to the butcher’s shop in Knighton and I’m not sure what time it opens. But they will be as quick as they can. Look, I’ll go and see if my aunt has any meat in the freezer.’ He looked searchingly at the dragon, who had sunk on to the grass with a dejected expression. ‘You could just nibble on whatever we can find, till your real meal arrives. OK?’
Ffyrnig brightened. ‘Thank you. I’m afraid I shouldn’t have flown up and down the valley, so soon after waking up. I feel quite weak.’
Which was a good thing, Jonah thought, as he ran back to Michael. ‘He needs a meal quickly,’ he said. ‘I think Claire has some chops and things in the freezer that Ffyrnig could eat, while someone goes to the butcher. Shall I go and sort it out?’
The Archangel nodded and then he smiled. ‘I should leave you now. We are needed in Hereford. There seems to be trouble there, too. ’
Jonah immediately felt anxious. ‘Do you have to go? What about the wolves?’
‘Yes, the wolves—’ Saint Michael began and then checked himself, looking gravely at Jonah. ‘Well, we must talk about them when there is more time. For now, the people in the Forest need not worry too much about them. Demons fear the power of those dragons that serve man. They know the dragons’ breath can wipe them from your world. If they come up through the fissure in the woods again, tell Ffyrnig to drive them back to the Underworld.’
‘Will he really do that, if I ask?’
Michael nodded. ‘Of course. Trust your power, Jonah, and don’t look so worried. Ffyrnig recognised what you are straightaway. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be lying there so quietly, I can tell you!’
Jonah still felt a bit doubtful.
‘Hereford’s not very far, is it?’
Michael laughed. ‘No, it’s not many miles away. It looks as if the Night Creatures may be starting to gather around the cathedral.’
‘More of them? Is it because of Ffyrnig?’
‘Maybe. The heat he generated may have roused more demons. Anyway, it seems that some strange creatures have been seen in Cathedral Green, and the local people are frightened. Be brave, Jonah. My fellows and I must go now.’
Jonah looked up at the great Archangel and, for a moment, their eyes met. Again he had the sensation of golden light running through his veins and instantly felt happy again, and confident and brave. Then the light around Michael grew so bright that Jonah had to cover his eyes, and when he could open them again, the angels had gone. He climbed over the gate into the lane and ran back to the crowded churchyard. Claire rushed up to hug him, and a crowd of people immediately surrounded him, but quietly, in case they disturbed the dragon. Everyone spoke in low voices, asking if he was all right and wanting to know where the angels were.
‘OK. OK.’ He was laughing and breathless, as everybody crowded round to hear what he had to say.
Rhodri put his arm round Jonah. ‘Make way, everyone, please. Let the boy have some room. Here, stand on this.’ He swung Jonah up on to a flat tombstone and looked round for the Reverend Vaughan. ‘No disrespect to the dead, Mr Vaughan, but I think everybody should hear what the boy has to say.’
‘Quite right,’ said the vicar. ‘Can you be quiet, everyone, please? Let Jonah speak.’
The whispering died down. Jonah looked round at the crowd and grinned when he found Erin beaming up at him. ‘First,’ he said, speaking as loudly as he could, ‘we should get some meat to the dragon. He hasn’t eaten for so long that he’s feeling weak.’
‘Good thing too,’ shouted the old farmer, Harry. ‘We don’t want to be feeding that thing up.’
There were cheers and cries of ‘Yeah, that’s right. Good old Harry.’ Then lots of hushing, and meaningful glances at the meadow.
‘No!’ Jonah raised his voice again. ‘If we don’t feed him, he’ll find his own food.’ He looked around, pleased. That had shut everyone up. He went on: ‘Saint Michael says the dragon will do what we want now and he will keep the demons away. He says the demons know that some dragons serve us humans, so the Night Creatures are frightened of them. With any luck, the wolves will stay out of the dragon’s way, too.’ He took a deep breath and looked around, as there was a buzz o
f relief. ‘So, the most important thing is to get him some food. Please, has anyone got some meat he could have, just until we can get him a real meal from the butcher? By the way, his name is Ffyrnig. I think that’s F-f-y-r-n-i-g.’
Several people called out that they had meat at home they could bring.
‘It will take a few minutes to defrost, mind,’ called one woman in the crowd.
‘I don’t think that brute will worry about your chops being frozen, Joan,’ chuckled Mr Morgan. ‘He’s got a better built-in defroster than your microwave!’
There was a shout of laughter. A farmer, who turned out to be the chairman of the Parish Council, suggested that the parish could provide funding for a good feed for the dragon. As there were enough parish councillors in the churchyard to take a vote, they agreed, and the chairman offered to drive to the butcher’s shop in Knighton. The Reverend Vaughan suggested that it was time for everyone to go home, but to take great care, just in case any of the wolves managed to slip past the dragon. Children must on no account be outside on their own, he said.
But now that the great danger had passed, everyone seemed reluctant to leave. People wanted to talk about the incredible things they had just seen. Who would have thought, they said to each other, that when they got out of bed this morning, on a perfectly ordinary summer’s day, that by half-past-eight they would have seen demons and a dragon and shining angels? They couldn’t wait to tell all their friends, when they could use their phones again.
CHAPTER 19
FEEDING FFYRNIG
Nobody could take their eyes off Ffyrnig. They kept peering at him over the churchyard wall. When Claire and Gwen came running back up the lane, each carrying large bags of frozen meat, people started to trickle into the road, feeling brave enough now to come and gaze over the hedge into the meadow.