Prophecy

by Gregory Cholmondeley

  He shouted, “Guys! It is so awesome to see you again! Where have you been? We looked everywhere for you!”

  Dragons communicate through telepathy but often vocalize when excited. Juice was a particularly excitable dragon. His tremendous screeching roar reverberated off the hills surrounding the valley.

  The former slaves and older men fled into the forest, but the rest of the group stood frozen, staring at their old friend.

  “What are you doing? Run for your lives!” hissed the giant warrior, Bor, from behind the tree line, but Stavius didn’t have a chance to explain.

  A small, white dragon had just charged out of the cave. In her excitement, she was moving too fast to turn in time and slid into her father, who grunted “oof” as he puffed out a small cloud of smoke and slipped a little closer to the edge.

  Elisa and the dragon, whose name was Mintaka, raced toward each other and collided in a tumble of hugs, screeches, and giggles.

  Two more small dragons ran out of the cave at top speed while Elisa and Mintaka wrestled on the ground. They didn’t even try to slow down, choosing to use their father’s belly as a springboard to launch themselves over their sister and land in front of their friends. Nariana and Versera read their companion dragons’ minds and jumped onto their backs as soon as they landed. A moment later, the two dragons were flying low and fast through the valley with their riders in a no-holds-barred race.

  The young dragons’ bounce off their father’s belly had, however, toppled him over the edge. Thirty seconds of crashes, yelps, thuds, and bangs were followed by a lengthy pause ending with the thought, “I’m OK.”

  General Jairmee poked his head out from behind a tree and exclaimed, “What in tarnation was that? Why didn’t they kill y’all? And, whar did they take the girls?”

  Elisa had finished Mintaka’s belly rub and climbed on her back to join the other two in their joy ride.

  Janus laughed and answered, “These are our friends. The girls are flying Mintaka, Nari, and Sera, and the big dragon is their father. His name is Betel, but he prefers to be called Juice.”

  “Speaking of Juice, we should go down and see if the big guy is all right,” added Stavius as he began trotting down the path.

  Janus jogged alongside him while the others followed at a safe distance. About halfway down the hill, Janus and Stavius heard Juice think, “Hey, guys, could I get a little help down here? There’s a vine, tangled around my tail and a tree pinning down my left wing.”

  Bor and General Jairmee reluctantly agreed to help the struggling dragon but didn’t want to get too close to the massive creature. Juice cringed at every swing of Bor’s mighty battle ax as he chopped the tree trunk in half. Janus wasn’t sure whether Juice’s reaction was due to the blows or from the mighty warrior swinging a battle-ax near his body.

  Bor split the trunk apart in a matter of minutes. He, Stavius, and General Jairmee then carefully lifted the pieces off Juice’s wing. Then Janus used Stavius’ sword to cut through the vine entangling the dragon’s tail. They stepped back as Juice gingerly shook off the remaining branches and crawled out of the debris.

  “How are you feeling, Juice?” asked Stavius as he saw his friend stretch his wings and twist his neck.

  “Ah, I’m fine,” answered Juice. “It would take more than a tumble down a little hill to damage this physique.”

  Then he glanced up the sixty-foot cliff face and reflected, “Wow, that is a lot higher than I thought. Someone should put a guard rail up there. I’m big and tough, but the kids could get hurt. I might be a little stiff for a few days, but I’ll be fine. So, who are your friends?”

  “The big guy with the ax is Bor. He was our fighting instructor,” answered Stavius.

  “And that is General Jairmee, the top general from the Lachian village where we were staying for the past few months,” continued Stavius, with a nod toward General Jairmee.

  General Jairmee and Bor cautiously waved at the dragon. They could hear Stavius but not the dragon, who was staring in their direction.

  “The fat guy in the back is Mr. Urtish, our History teacher,” added Janus.

  Urtish grumbled, “I still hate you, Janus.”

  Juice thought, “He’d make quite a meal if I ate intelligent beings,” and Terra and the boys chuckled.

  “And these are the Prophecy Heroes who were captured and enslaved six years ago,” continued Janus with a wave to the group of nineteen-year-olds.

  Juice bowed to the group and thought, “Please thank your friends for freeing me.”

  Janus said, “Juice wants to thank you and to welcome you to his valley.”

  Bor exploded, “His valley!? Who does he think he is anyway?”

  Juice roared at Janus, complaining, “That is not what I said!”

  Stavius groaned, “Janus, you are such a dick. Juice did not claim that this is his valley.”

  General Jairmee shouted, “How are y’all able to talk to this big lizard anyway?”

  Terra answered, “We can read their minds, which you can also learn to do with enough practice. Besides, they aren’t related to lizards. They’ve evolved from birds.”

  General Jairmee grumbled, “Well, they don’t look much like any birds I’ve ever seen.”

  Bor interrupted to say, “Ask him why they chased us out of our homes and destroyed our village and my beautiful tournament field.”

  Juice turned to Bor and thought, “We didn’t chase you out of your valley, you jerk. We knew Stavius and the others would be heading this way and came looking for them. You guys were fighting in the valley when we arrived and saw another fifty Septumcolans waiting at the ridge to swoop down and finish you off. We carried those reinforcements off to a faraway place where they’ll never return. After that, we moved into the cave since we had to flee our previous home when the Septumcolans invaded. We never forced you to move, and I’m rather insulted by your lack of gratitude.”

  Stavius did not trust Janus to translate Juice’s answer. He quickly recounted Juice’s explanation and explained that Juice could understand them, even if they could not understand the dragon.

  Bor turned to the big dragon and blurted out, “But why did you have to wreck my tournament field?”

  Juice was confused by this outburst and stared at the giant, angry warrior without a reply.

  Stavius explained that Bor, like Juice, was a gardener and that the nearby field, which was now little more than a frozen, scarred, mud patch had once been a perfectly smooth, pristine lawn.

  Bor added that it had been much more than that. Stavius had never seen it in the spring. If he had, he would have known it was surrounded by daffodils, tulips, roses, azaleas, and dozens of the most beautiful and fragrant lilacs bushes in the world.

  Bor had barely finished when the word “LILACS!!!” exploded in everyone’s mind.

  “What was that?” screamed General Jairmee.

  “That was your first communication with a dragon,” explained Janus, as he rubbed his head. “Juice clearly likes lilacs.”

  Juice was hopping from foot to foot, staring at Bor with his mouth agape and his head bobbing.

  “Tell him about my garden! Tell him about my garden!” the big dragon thought to Stavius.

  Stavius opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Juice.

  “And tell him about my rhododendron, and the big maple, and the lovely pine trees, and my gorgeous lawn which you destroyed.”

  “Hey, you’re the one who scorched your lawn trying to roast me!” complained Stavius.

  “Well, it wouldn’t have been so bad if you hadn’t thrown up that shield and made my flames burn the grass and my maple tree!” retorted the dragon. “And then your friends landed in my rhododendron and broke most of its branches. I wouldn’t be surprised if it doesn’t bloom at all this year.

  “Tell Bor that I know just how he feels about losing his field. I didn’t know it was a lawn. I just thought it was a great place for my kids to play. Tell him it’s now of
f-limits to them and that I’ll help him replant in the spring. Oh, and tell him that I love lilacs but have never been able to get them to grow. Ask him how he does it.”

  “Juice! For the love of Venus, stop!” shouted Stavius and Janus in unison.

  Stavius shared Juice’s remarks with Bor, ignoring the many continuing corrections and interruptions from the frantic dragon. Bor accepted his apology and was taken aback by the dragon’s gardening interest and offer to help.

  “I’m sorry. I never knew dragons were interested in gardening,” marveled the old soldier.

  “I don’t think that many are,” admitted Janus. “However, Juice is different. For that matter, I didn’t think that war-hardened soldiers were avid gardeners. I never understood why your field was so important to you.”

  Bor stared at the young man and took a deep breath. “Janus, my name used to be Billee Bor back when I fought for the Lachians. I spent most of my adult life knee-deep in mud and blood, fighting and killing for my kingdom. I became tired of hatred, animosity, war, and death, but all I knew was combat. This valley gave me a chance to use my skills to train young heroes how to fight and survive. It was a noble job, but I was reminded of death every time I smelled the dust or mud of the old arena.

  “I constructed my field with smooth, soft grass and surrounded it with beautiful and fragrant flowers to bury those memories. For me, stepping out onto a luxurious carpet of freshly-mown grass and being surrounded by the beauty and fragrances of lush plants and flowers makes me feel the glory of a good fight without reminding me of the painful suffering of war.”

  There was silence when Bor finished, and nearly everyone, including General Jairmee, was thoughtful. Juice, however, was jumping up and down and flapping his wings with excitement as he thought, “I love this guy! He is totally awesome. He has to learn how to talk to me!”

  Juice’s excited flaps were pelting everyone with snow, ice, and gravel until Janus shouted, “Juice! Calm down, dude. You’re killing us here!”

  The chagrined dragon immediately tucked his wings at his side and apologized to his friends.

  Stavius patted his massive head and reassured him, “Don’t worry. I’m sure you and Bor will soon be having long conversations about plants. He already heard you when you shouted about lilacs. But first, where is Saiph? Why isn’t she out here with us?”

  Juice cheered up at the thought of his wife and assured them that Saiph was healthy and looking much better now that she had gained several hundred pounds of weight. He explained that she hated cold weather and was safely ensconced in the cave. Juice was sure she would be thrilled to see them.

  Terra explained to the newcomers that Saiph was Juice’s spouse and added that she agreed with Saiph that it was too cold to be standing outside. She suggested that Bor and Urtish take the newcomers to the village while she and her friends called on the fifth dragon.

  Urtish asked if he could join their visit to the cave. He had left several boxes of files in there and was anxious about whether they were safe.

  Terra looked pained at his request but reluctantly agreed. Juice, however, was hopping up and down again, eager to ask a question.

  “Can Bor fly with me to find the kids? It would be a great way to get to know each other, and it might help us learn to communicate,” thought the big dragon.

  Stavius laughed as he repeated Juice’s request to Bor. Bor appeared uncomfortable with the offer; however, Stavius assured him that dragon-riding was an exhilarating experience that should not be missed.

  Bor hesitantly accepted Juice’s offer, provided General Jairmee directions to the relocated village, and gingerly climbed on the dragon’s neck. Juice lifted off, and they heard Bor whoop with joy as the two of them circled above and made a dive over their heads before beginning their search for the girls.

  General Jairmee and the others left down the path alongside the river toward the village. Stavius, Janus, Terra, and Urtish ascended the trail in the opposite direction, back up to the cave.

  “We’ll see you for dinner,” shouted Stavius.

  “We have Urtish with us, so you know we won’t be late,” added Janus.

  Terra and Stavius laughed as Urtish muttered, “I hate you, Janus. I truly do.”

  “Yeah, we all do, but you know that he’s right,” laughed Stavius as he slapped his old teacher on the back.

  Urtish sheepishly grinned and admitted, “Perhaps he is, but he doesn’t need to point it out in front of Terra.”

  Chapter 2

  The Order of The Key

  Saiph was thrilled to see her friends again. However, the weary dragon remained resting in her nest at the back of the cave chamber. The group rapidly became engrossed in making introductions, sharing stories of recent experiences, and generally getting warm. Saiph was the first to notice the strangers in the room. A terrified expression washed over the dragon’s face, and she quickly curled into a shaking ball with her head tucked under her long tail. Janus immediately spun around to see a Soul Reaper pointing at him from a mere five feet away.

  No one knows what Soul Reapers are, but every creature on the planet, from the smallest insect to the mightiest dragon, is terrified of them. No magic nor physical force has much of an effect on them, and no one who has ever tried to use either on a Reaper is known to have survived. Those who attack Soul Reapers just seem to blink out of existence.

  Janus had no idea why this Soul Reaper wanted him. Then he saw two more blocking the entrance and a fourth standing in the shadows pointing down the passageway to the room in which the Reapers usually resided. There was no escaping the Reapers, and they obviously wanted Janus to follow them into their lair.

  Janus gulped and began tentatively walking in the direction the Reaper was instructing him to follow. Stavius tried to accompany his friend but froze in his tracks when the nearest Soul Reaper turned its head toward him and raised its hand in a clear indication to stop.

  “I don’t know what they want with me, man, but I think they want me alone,” said Janus in a trembling voice. His voice wasn’t the only part of him quivering. He was forcing himself to follow the Soul Reapers’ directions, but his legs were shaking so hard he thought he might fall.

  “Don’t worry, Janus,” whispered Stavius. He wasn’t sure whether the Reapers could hear but felt it best to speak in hushed tones. “I bet it has something to do with you being The Key. Perhaps this is some sort of initiation.”

  Janus didn’t like the sound of the word initiation but considered that, perhaps, Stavius was right. Stavius, Elisa, Nariana, and Versera were the four heroes who were supposed to collect the seven talismans. Janus was called The Key with the responsibility of knowing how to use the talismans to save the world. He had no idea how to do this, but maybe the Soul Reapers were here to help. He certainly hoped so but had his doubts as he glanced at the dark-red, leathery skin covering their expressionless faces and bony hands.

  “Let’s hope you’re right, buddy,” he muttered as he shakily followed down the passageway.

  The Reapers led Janus into the small, featureless chamber where they typically stood motionless for weeks at a time. The Reaper in front walked to the far side of the room and slowly slid its hand through the wall. It pulled its arm to the right, and an opening appeared. The creature motioned for Janus to approach.

  Janus walked over to the new opening, reached his left hand into the newly-formed slit in the rock wall, and gently pulled to the left. Widening the opening was almost effortless. It reminded Janus of the cheap, beaded curtain which hung in Shontelle’s aunt’s house back on Earth. The difference was that this one had millions of microscopic strands of beads smaller than grains of sand. He withdrew his hand, and the curtain shimmered for a moment before settling into its original rock wall appearance.

  The Reaper motioned for Janus to proceed through the opening. So, he reached in again, widened the slit, and stepped into an incredible room. The rock-wall screen slipped back together with a hissing noise like t
he sound of water seeping through beach sand after a receding wave. The curtain on this side looked like a sturdy, wooden door that shimmered and parted whenever Janus touched it. Reassured that he wasn’t trapped, Janus turned to explore the room.

  ✽✽✽

  Stavius followed the Reapers as they led his friend into their chamber. However, the room was empty except for the four Soul Reapers standing in their usual positions when he arrived. There was no sign of Janus, and Stavius suspected that the Reapers had teleported him somewhere.

  He returned to the main cavern room to find Terra and Urtish arguing. Urtish was rummaging through his file boxes. They were intact but scattered in a toppled heap in the corner of the room. He was complaining about how the dragons had ruined his filing system. Meanwhile, Terra was angrily commenting that she wished he cared as much about people as he did for his files. After all, one of their friends had just been abducted by Soul Reapers. Urtish responded with some remarks about prioritization, and then the argument became genuinely heated.

  Stavius stepped into the room and yelled, “Hey, guys, just stop it. I don’t know what your issues are, but you need to work them out. We need to work together, and that isn’t going to happen with you two constantly fighting.”

  “Listen to my nephew, Urtish. He makes a lot more sense than you,” said Terra.

  “You’re one to talk. You disappeared forty years ago, leaving me to think you were dead. What kind of person does that sort of thing?” countered Urtish.

  “Why don’t you tell me what happened back then while we wait for Janus,” suggested Stavius. “I’ve never heard the story, and we don’t know how long we’ll have to wait.”

  “That might be forever,” grumbled Urtish. “We don’t know where they took him or why.”

  “Perhaps, but they’ve never been known to thwart The Prophecy and are the ones who recruit new heroes,” argued Terra. “I suspect they’ve taken Janus somewhere to help him prepare for his role as The Key, now that we have collected some talismans.”