The Great Losing: The Mad Dragon King (The World of Shestafa )

by Karine Green

  In less than forty-eight hours not one aspect of the former Wayne Arlen existed. He scratched at the belt, hoping it wouldn't take much longer to break through. Rini said that she and Sarnia hadn't been here that long. They also said crazy things about Dark Secular Witches and Wizards. That they didn't believe in anything. That doesn't make sense. I'd give anything to be able to ask them questions.

  He was thankful so far no one except Sarnia and Rini had been around him because anyone else would surely tell the guards he was preparing to escape. Only the girls have been in that cell, but judging on the constant opening, closing, and locking of the other doors he guessed they were in some sort of solitary-confinement area that’s part of a larger prison. His thoughts cut off as he heard the guards walking up.

  "I am not going in there," he heard one guard say. "He is still dangerous. We can't plug his nostrils."

  The other scoffed. "He is still a pup. I don't think he has learned to use his nostrils."

  "Fine, then you can feed him. You weren’t in the throne room when he tried to drown us."

  "No, you can feed him. The Red Wizard was looking at you when he gave the order."

  "You just said he wasn't dangerous. What are you afraid of? You have more to fear from the Red Wizard than this dragon pup."

  "He seems hopelessly ignorant – just a stupid dragon with no education. Just like the Brown Witch said, he was hidden in a secret place by the White Witch. He doesn’t remember his magic."

  Their voices grew fainter as they passed by his cell door.

  I am tied up you cowards. Come on in here and take this belt off. I could use an arm to snack on. He felt one of the metal fragments on his snout belt give. Smiling, as best as he could, Yes, I am almost through the last steel wire in the belt. I will bite their legs off.

  The guards continued walking down the corridor until he couldn't hear them anymore. He sighed loudly, the musty water from the cell floor splattered on the wall.

  "You can purify water," Rini said. He could hear her pushing her head against her cell bars, stretching to see inside his cell. "Water Dragons can do that. Just call the clean water to you. You have to, at least, stay hydrated."

  He sighed again, and breathed in deeply, this time getting a mouthful of clean, tasty water. It felt good. He concentrated and took another drink. He could get used to being a dragon. Once his thirst was quenched, he scratched at his belt again.

  Soon, I'll be free of the restraints, and then the guards and that brown bitch will pay. I will ice them, and then chew them up. Or perhaps just bite their arms and legs off and leave them. He smiled at his progress but wondered if he could talk Rini and Sarnia into a private party with just the three of them. That would be something worth getting out of this place for.

  Perhaps a little bit of the original Wayne Arlen remained.

  "I wish I knew what to call you. Water Dragon seems a bit anonymous," Sarnia said.

  He could also hear her pushing against the bars. Gorgeous as they are, they are bulky, muscly dragons, it is a miracle the bars hold them. He wondered if they were magic bars.

  "Hey, stop pressing the bars," a guard yelled.

  Arlen heard the crack of a whip, and Rini crying out. Anger filled him. I am going to bite that guard to death. He rustled around, trying to keep his snout down so the guard couldn't see that the belt was shredding.

  "Oh, did that put some life into you, Arlen?" the guard asked, cracking the whip; Rini cried out again.

  "No! Stop, she has done nothing," Sarnia said, but there was another crack of the whip followed by her also crying out.

  Arlen tried to move, again without exposing his snout.

  I am sorry, girls. I am just not ready yet.

  The belt and leg restraints were still holding fast. He could do nothing at the moment.

  "You have a soft spot for the Stoneys? It's a good thing, because this one--" There was a crack followed by Rini crying out again. "--had better have a Water-Stoney Dragon pup in her pouch or she's done for."

  Arlen lay still, trying to absorb what was happening. This can't be real. He glanced toward the cell door as he heard the guard move down the hallway cracking his whip in various cells, followed by the cries of more captive dragons.

  He curled up and scratched at the belt again.

  The Great Remembering

  Misty pointed as Mack circled high above Blue Valley. "By the Holy Elements, it is so beautiful here. I heard rumors, but this is even better than I imagined." They could now see the mist rising up from the lower falls.

  "I can't wait to see it on the ground and meet some of the people," Mack agreed. "If people in the other realm saw this place they would make long journeys here just to put their feet in that lake."

  "The people here used to make journeys here," Méi said, moving up in altitude. "But, let us not forget that the first act of betrayal against dragons occurred here. Let's stay high and circle to make sure it's safe."

  "Agreed," Misty said. "Mack, that's the smaller upper lake. I have seen drawings of the larger lower lake. It's said, that the lakes are almost clear to the bottom, over a hundred feet in the upper lake, and nearly seven hundred feet in the lower lake.”

  “How? Wouldn’t the light black out the view?”

  “There was once a Water Dragon family that lived in the upper one. They purify the water by swimming in it. It also adds healing power to the water. It keeps the village, both dragon and human, healthy.” Misty tightened her grip as Mack banked left to follow Méi.

  "Why would the villagers kill them if they were bringing that kind of vitality?" Mack asked, the whole thing seemed very self-destructive to him, but it wouldn’t be the first-time mankind did something self-destructive.

  "I don't know," Méi said, banking hard to complete her wide circle of the village. "That's why we’re circling."

  They continued circling high above Blue Valley for a moment to make sure no one was gathering troops or running screaming. People were coming out of their homes and waving at them. Mack could hear cheering and chanting.

  "Yes," Méi said, descending a few feet. "Let's hear what they have to say."

  "Oh, Holy Elementals hear our plea for mercy, and protect our village from all the darkness in our hearts. Please come home." People were holding up their children so they could see the dragons circle.

  “It’s the Elemental Prayer.” Misty patted his shoulder. "I would bet they have not seen a live dragon in at least ten years, and their smaller children have never seen one."

  Mack smiled, "They have their children out. They aren't afraid of us and they don't appear to be preparing for battle; not with kids out."

  Méi smiled, "Let's try to land and see what happens. Be prepared to take off at the first sign of trouble. Misty, help him. The Forgottenness is causing him to have lapses in judgment."

  "What? Is that a hint of trust in a human?" Mack said, smiling at her.

  “I will not let anything happen to him. I’d die first.” Misty patted his back twice.

  Méi shrugged, "Hopefully, they aren't all like the ones I know."

  The dragons landed to a huge fanfare in a large village square. Mack could feel Misty gripping the bridle hard as she looked around. She was doing the job Méi had ordered her to.

  Once they determined that they were only in danger of being loved to death, they relaxed and sat down on their hindquarters, and as promised back at the cave, Misty took the bridle off immediately. Mack shook off like a dog and looked around. Children were laughing. Some women were crying. Men were smiling. Some people in the crowd were singing dragon songs. They were colorfully dressed people and reminded Mack of a hybrid of being overdressed in gauzy clothing that somehow barely covered them.

  A crowd encircled them. A fellow wearing purple calf-length robes and tights jogged forward and bowed low. "Oh Great Elemental Dragons, how may we serve you and your rider?" His hands were up, as if to plead.

  "She isn't his Rider. That bridle belongs to a
nother dragon, my uncle Apis. We just wanted to make sure she arrived safely so she could be returned home," Méi explained. "I am Méi, this is Makani, and that thing is Misty." She pointed with her tail.

  "No! I may not be Makani's rider, but I am not leaving you. And I am certainly not going back to that godless place!" Misty immediately burst into tears. "And, I am not a thing!"

  Méi snorted and then ignored her by making sure her tail faced in her direction.

  "I am Makani, you can call me Mack," Mack said, unsure of how to react to Misty. He corralled her with his tail to keep her from getting separated from them. She clung to it. He smiled at her. There was no way she would leave him, not willingly, and she would protect him with all she had. He could use a friend like that.

  The purple robed fellow smiled. "Come, I am Fabian, y'all look tired from your journey. I'll take you to the trainer's home so you can rest. The villagers and I can be dazzled by you later this evening at the village meal.”

  Méi perked up. “Village meals are the best part of a three-day holiday kick off. Do you have cows?”

  Fabian nodded. “You are the first dragons to come to our village since the Great Losing so long ago. I had feared all the dragons were dead, but now that you are here we will celebrate...After you rest your wings of course. I'll stop babbling, now."

  "I can take them myself, Fabian. I have a much more appropriate location for them. I am the village dragon trainer, Romayo," an older man in white and dark blue robes said, also bowing and making a presenting motion to the large barn-like building to the north side of the village.

  Méi couldn't help but smile as she wagged her tail. "A real dragon trainer." She calmed herself at once. "I remember my parent's dragon trainer. He was the only human I ever trusted, or even thought about trusting.” She frowned. “He was murdered defending me. His actions allowed the White Witch to escape the village with me." She cast a guilty look downward, then glanced over at Mack. "But I bit her."

  "I am sorry Méi, the White Witch is my sister. I told her we had a way to keep the Four Nobles safe. She insisted on using her plan, and we argued. We rarely speak anymore. She did it all on her own, and then justified everything by saying that 'desperate times called for desperate measures.' Let us not speak of her now. We can only move forward from where we are," Romayo said, looking sad.

  Méi leaned over to Mack, "Dragon trainers view life from a whole different point of view. They have to because they have to tame people well enough to be partnered with a dragon. Wild humans are terrible to deal with, as you know from the hunters. They have to be tamed."

  He leaned back. "Like Misty. She seems pretty tame."

  Méi frowned at Misty, then glanced over at Romayo. "We are so happy the Village still has a dragon trainer."

  Romayo chuckled, "I was about to say the exact same thing about you. We feared the worst for you when we heard you bit the White Witch and ran into the forest." He looked at Mack, and then turned to Fabian, "Fabe, do you think he looks like our Air Dragons?" he asked, as he walked toward the Air Dragon home. "She did say you were Makani? I am not sure; it’s such a common male dragon name amongst the Air Dragons."

  Mack nodded, "Yes, but please call me Mack. Everyone does."

  Mack and Méi followed Romayo. Misty was close on Mack's left hindquarter. He smiled as he remembered something; the place she was walking, it was the traditional spot that the dragon's rider walked in. He pulled his tail around to make sure no one in the crowd accidentally pushed her away from him. She put her hand on his side, he could almost feel her smiling as she ran her thumb over a scale.

  Fabian hurried to catch up and match strides with Romayo. "Yes! I would think he is the same. He looks an awful lot like the Great Dragon, Parana. She had exactly the same striping on her back. Do you mind if we all walk with you?" He gestured to the thousand, or so people standing behind him with the unmistakable look of hope on their faces.

  "I doubt I could stop you. Come, we will head to your parents' home," Romayo said, motioning to the end of a shop-lined street. "I love my priesthood, but I have desperately missed training riders and dragons. And you two look a few years overdue for training." He pointed to Mack and Misty.

  "She's pretty tame already." Mack nodded, "Why are the larger dragon homes so far apart?" He noticed smaller dragon barns toward the middle of the village.

  As they walked with Romayo he pointed toward the large guardian home at the North side of the village, "That is your parents' home, it's yours now." He stopped walking. "The others belong to the Ministries of Water, Earth, and Fire Dragons. The placement is to remind us to keep balance in the village, and to keep membership of the dragon government accessible for all the villagers, both dragon, and human. Their homes are larger because they house their governmental offices, and they also provide military watchtowers in each direction for the security of the village."

  Mack looked lost for a moment as another memory dashed into his mind. "Air Dragons are always to the North, Fire to the East, Water to the South, and Earth to the West with the civilian population in the middle of the village. This pattern seems to allow the Elemental Dragons to work together more cohesively than other housing patterns." It had been his great grandmother, The Lilac Queen who changed the orientations. She had been concerned that the old flow had alienated humans from the dragon government.

  "Yes," Romayo smiled, and nodded at him. They started walking again.

  Mack looked over at the windows of the shops they passed by. People lined the streets and windows. Their clothing was similar to that of Fabian and Romayo with varying degrees of stitching, tucking, and brightness. The people sitting in the little café with their faces plastered against the windows seemed to sport every type of hat Mack had ever seen; from elf-hats and bonnets to top hats, even a hat that reminded him of a baseball cap. His foster-father would have loved this place.

  Then a store caught his eye. "What store is that?" He pointed with his front paw.

  Misty skipped up a step. "It's the Inscrollium.”

  ~~~

  What appeared to be a group of students wearing student uniform robes of red-brown-and dark navy were clutching scroll parchments in their hands as they scuffled for a view out the front door.

  He was very curious about the Inscrollium, but would have to ask about it later, since he could not read. He only read English and Spanish, and he doubted that would be useful here. Although he was glad he could talk to everyone. He must have remembered how to speak the language.

  He looked at the windows of the store. They were stacked with books and scrolls -- mostly scrolls. He couldn't wait to get started on learning to read in this alphabet. It seemed very runic to him. He had studied runes, and knew them well, but some words seemed misplaced to him. In the other realm Rune meanings were disputed, so these would probably have a different meaning altogether than what he was used to.

  Romayo paused and glanced at Makani's paws.

  Mack looked at his feet. He still wasn't used to this, although being in Blue Valley had jogged memories. He still felt out of place.

  "Can you write?" Romayo asked. "I am going to guess from the clean claws you don't write often."

  "I write often, and a lot," Mack nodded, "What would clean claws have to do with my ability to write?"

  Romayo made a dipping motion with his finger, "Dragons dip the tips of their claws into the ink cakes to write.

  "Oh, the other realm had special writing instruments, it's very clean."

  Méi looked at the ground frowning, then Mack saw her look at the scales on her side. She looked ashamed to be in public. She seemed wild now that they were back in civilization. There was dirt embedded in her scales like she had been living in the woods.

  Mack felt sorry for her. It wasn't her fault. "I don't know how to write in this language," he said taking some of the stares off of her.

  Romayo turned to Méi, "You?"

  "No, I raised myself in the woods. There was no one to te
ach me."

  "So you are our Fire Minister's niece." Fabian smiled and clapped, then quickly crossed himself using an X motion, to pay respect for the deceased Fire Minister. Mack smiled, then frowned as he remembered the social-religious norm.

  Méi nodded.

  Romayo pointed with three fingers to Misty. "What about you?"

  "Yes, my father taught me. I had attended school, until the Great Losing, but I was only eight when we were finally allowed to settle in Dragons Lance. All official schooling ended when I started field hand duty to help pay for my mother's incarceration. She was convicted and sent to jail for being Minister Apis' rider."

  Fabian took his hat off again. "Arinda's still alive."

  Misty nodded, "I am her daughter, and my brother was born safe thanks to Apis."

  Mack heard a cursing scatter through the crowd at the fact Apis had been transferred so far north with the war brewing up. Another memory surfaced: Apis had been sent there to fill in until a replacement Fire Dragon minister could be found. He wasn’t supposed to be there when hostilities broke out. Mack frowned- how did he know that down to the orders to evacuate if certain circumstances happened. He glanced at Misty; Apis stayed to protect his rider’s family. They weren’t supposed to be there.

  "Welcome, young lady," Fabian said, nodding.

  Misty returned the nod and smiled.

  "Alright, so all of you need polishing on written communication. We can all talk later." Romayo said, clapping once to refocus everyone. "We'll visit the Inscrollium tomorrow afternoon for an assessment, and introduction. Then we will decide what sort of training is needed."

  A small celebration erupted throughout the students at the store.

  They all nodded and continued toward Mack's barn.

  Mack stopped again. "You don't have very many bound books, are they all scrolls?"

  "Do you have any memory tea to reverse the Forgottenness Blessing?" Méi asked "The Blessing seems to have over-affected him. He doesn't seem to be recovering. He is very unaware of himself."

  "I see. I'll make a tea blend later on, but I am not a magical human so my potions are usually weak," he said, turning his attention to Mack. "The Secular army destroyed our printing presses. We have only been able to rebuild one so far. We are working on a second one, so soon the books will again outnumber the scrolls." He smiled as he continued to the large barn at the end of the street.