Where Dragons Haunt (The Diaspora Book 1)

by Scott Meaders

  “I only…”

  “Yes, my dream,” Thanatos cut the wizard off as if in a dreamy state not acknowledging his existence. “I dream that I were a normal child playing as the other kids play, knowing nothing of what I know, I would call it an innocence that I dream for. I dream that I have a family, a normal life.” Thanatos smiled as he shared his dreamy vision, “I even dream of you as my father and that you care for me.”

  Raziel’s eyes widened at his words; he was amazed to hear the inner thoughts of the child, “I am honored that you…”

  Thanatos again ignored the wizard, “But in all my imagining you always cast me off, never to receive me. You despise me don’t you?”

  Raziel knew it to be true, but would not let the words proceed from his mouth. “Dreams are a strange thing, we all have them and very few of us ever obtain them. You for example will never have a mother or father. You will never rule over more than one kingdom.” He paused for a moment, “but your brother will rule over the eleven, and you will go to him now, to the place where the dragons are. Pay your brother the homage that is your proper place in life.”

  Thanatos took a stone and threw it at his own image despising the deceptive look. He walked toward the tree line that was next to the desolate rocky terrain, “Raziel, do I look like my brother?”

  “Yes, but you are just a shadow of what he is.”

  “Jealousy springs up within.”

  “Yes, Thanatos, I have seen it, you will rule one and he shall rule eleven. It is a thing of jealousy to see such a thing. If you love, then you will hold them in high regard; if you hate, you will slay those that are loved of the gods in the facade that you are doing so for a noble cause.”

  “No, Raziel there you are wrong.” Thanatos turned and walked away and emerged from the forest to the rocky terrain of the dragons’ place. He spoke softly to himself as if in further response to Raziel, “No, I will slay him and rip is heart from his chest for nothing nobler than the jealousy that is the flame of hatred in my soul. I will spit at the gods for their choice without pretence of nobility. The entire world will know that I hate my brother having not known him. I shall rule over one and he shall rule over eleven, if he lives beyond this day!”

  Chapter 46

  To be happy, avoid sin;

  to avoid misfortune, examine your faults.

  ~Chinese proverb~

  He pulled himself to the top of the cliff and turned around without knowing his surroundings. He looked below and saw that Tapeinosis was close behind, much closer than he had known. In alarm he started to get up to run but slipped causing a pile of loose rocks to come tumbling down on Tapeinosis. Zoe saw the effects as Tapeinosis almost lost his grip. Zoe quickly went with a new idea. He used the remaining loose rocks by kicking at them while he was sitting down, using both feet to dislodge as many rocks as possible. The man’s hand came within inches of Zoe’s feet until a good portion of the cliff came tumbling off. Zoe almost went down with the aggressor, but was able to scramble away just before came down.

  Zoe scrambled to his feet and looked down over the cliff from his vantage point. He saw no movement at first, only a hand projecting from the rubble. Then a twinge of life was seen in the hand. He knew he didn’t have much time, so Zoe turned to go as quickly as possible, but was stunned at the sight in the distance. In the distance, Zoe saw the place the gods had been leading him for the past few months. He saw a group of dragons land and then fly up again into the air. He was shocked at the size and power they displayed. His heart leapt in fear as he was not sure which fate would be worse, to die at the hands of Tapeinosis or to venture into the dragons’ lair facing an almost certain death.

  From below Zoe heard the weak cries of an angry man, “Zoe! Zoe! I will kill you!”

  Zoe didn’t look back to see where his assailant was in connection to his voice. He wanted to waste no time in descending the loosely filled terrain. While Zoe made his way down the steep slope, he found the rocks quickly dislodging creating a kind of avalanche. He rode the loose rocks down while he kept his feet under him and came to the bottom of the steep terrain. He looked back and saw no figure, but quickly made his way into a protected covering from sight. He saw bones with claw marks and droppings on the ground before him. He felt very alone and wondered why the gods would bring him here. He had made the long journey and now had no assurance of his own safety.

  Zoe mumbled to himself, “Hagious, Hagious, if I’ve ever needed you, now is the time.”

  “Yes, Zoe now is the time!”

  Zoe turned to the voice and saw the man he had seen before the blue fire. He had not noticed him in the vicinity until now. “Who are you and how did you get here?”

  “I am Hagious and I am the wind the stars and the sky. I go with you as I was here before you and I am with you always!”

  Hagious came closer and towered over the boy in a non-threatening way. He peered at Zoe with eyes as blue as the sky but as penetrating as fire. The fire of Hagious’ eyes inflamed Zoe’s heart as he felt the eyes to search his soul. Zoe wondered if he would come up wanting in character and that the god would allow him to face death alone. The word alone seemed harsher than the word death to Zoe, though now for the first time he realized his end. “You mean for me to die.”

  “Yes, it is as you say.”

  Zoe started to have tears fill his eyes, “Why?”

  As a tender father, Hagious spoke, “Zoe, you must understand that life and death are not as you think. One is not the end and the other the sustenance of existence. Life and death are the same as they are both eternal. You in life have been dead and in death you shall live.”

  He shook his head, “I don’t understand.”

  “The seed from a tree gains life and forms, but it falls to the ground and dies only to again find life and form. There is a cycle, a great cycle that you cannot escape, but are destined for. You will die and a glorious death it will be!”

  Tears streamed down Zoe’s face as he knew that he was to die. Hagious took out his hand and wiped away his tears. “No more tears, nor more crying for now. There will be a time to weep, but now is the time for bravery and gallantry. You must face yourself Zoe, you must!”

  His tears had stopped, “What do you mean face myself?”

  “You have a battle within for good and evil, the two natures of light and darkness dwell within you. You have at times found darkness to overshadow your nature and evil, vile thoughts direct your path, and at times light dwells in your presences, and you can see the steps of your feet as the path becomes as noon day. But you are in the balance and your heart is to be weighed with a feather. Do you work for all of eternity towards darkness or towards light? The evil within must be overcome or the dragons and owls will devour your flesh.”

  “But if I am to die, is it not already made clear that my heart is evil? I see it now that bad thoughts come and go and kindness is being pushed aside. How can I possibly fight against all of my nature?”

  “You must as your happiness depends on it!”

  “Happiness,” Zoe sat down to cry but couldn’t, “what is happiness? I have only known misery and shame.”

  “To be happy Zoe you must avoid the darkness that lies within and to avoid the mishap and the shame you must take care to examine all your faults as they lay a trap for your feet, a snare for your soul. Zoe, it is time to face your worst enemy. He his here!” “Who?” Zoe looked up at the god.

  “Thanatos has come to the place of the dragons’ haunting. Go to the dragons for your safety and know your fate!” Zoe looked down for a moment and then looked back up only to find the god had vanished. Zoe wanted to cry, he wanted to sit in his misery, but he found a courage and strength that was not his own. He stood up and looked in the distance to the rocks. He saw a figure standing somewhat to the west of where he had come over the steep hill. He thought to himself—Tapeinosis, if I don’t make it to the dragons all is lost!

  Chapter 47

  I have a heart, which G
od knoweth,

  I wish I could wring from my body

  and hurl to an infinite distance;

  a soul which is a cage of unclean birds,

  a den of loathsome creatures,

  where dragons haunt and owls do congregate,

  where every evil beast of ill-omen dwells;

  a heart too vile to have a parallel—

  "deceitful above all things and desperately wicked."

  ~C.H. Spurgeon~

  Surreal motion swirled about Zoe as every living thing started to breath. Zoe noticed the surroundings that had been his protection. He saw the towering trees that were petrified and bent over in agony, bending over like a person bending to touch the ground from the side. The many branches were a tangled web of perches that allowed for the owls to find rest. He noticed that in the midst of these angry trees were thousands upon thousands of owls. The trees stretched on for yards upon yards having a tangled maze for the boy to make his way though.

  The first owl that he noticed seemed to be spying upon his flesh to see if he were ready to be killed. The owl had a heart shaped face that had openings for the ears on each side of the head that was at slightly different levels and angles. The different locations for each ear made for an advantage of hearing its prey. The creature was covered by a flexible flush of densely webbed feathers which gave it a heart shaped face and directional hearing as the sounds would reflect off the sides of the feathers into the ears. The dark center of the eyes looked at Zoe questioningly, asking are you pure of heart? The yellowish golden feathers with tiny speckles of black contrasted with the white face enhancing the deep thoughts of the owls face. Zoe wondered what the bird would do. The owl lost interest and flew to a distant perch.

  Another owl looked upon Zoe with intrigue. The owl was tiny with a short tail. The bird sat straight up with its knees bending inward as if touching. The round head had no fur or feathers covering the ears which stuck out. The plumage was a tint of gray intermingled with brown all over. The belly was a pure white having no blemish that was noticeable to Zoe’s fleeting eyes. The dots on the forehead and stripped wings added to the ominous glare of the owl’s yellow eyes and penetrating black center. The legs appeared to be without fur and boney as it stood up and stretched out its long wings that spanned out 15 inches on each side. The grey-horned tipped bill opened up as a shrill high pitched yip let out, “Whi-Whi-Whi.” Twenty yips were heard in succession as the bird flew away, with it thousands of other owls.

  The owls were of a mixture of colors. There were orange, black sleek looking owls, and redish-blue ones with purple beaks. Brown ones with white bellies and brown bellied ones with white tops. Every imaginable color spread upon the birds. Feather patterns were in variety as well. Some feathers stuck straight out with others pointing down while some were disarrayed in many directions. Some were long some were short, with many having medium lengths, some feathers were thick while some were narrow. Some feathers seemed sleek and others seemed ruffled. Every difference, from legs to perch on to beaks to squawk with, was imaginable.

  When the owl had squawked signaling to the thousands to amass, Zoe turned his head in the direction of their flight path. He saw in the close distance a beast of the ground that walked upon fours. The beast was somewhat meaty and had horns that sat upon its head having long ears that stood upright and a long snout stuck out from its face. The royal looking animal seemed to be lost and was searching for the shelter of the forest amongst the fragments of rocks.

  The attack was quick and hideous as the whole of the foul descended upon the creature. Zoe watched as he saw the owls swoop down in the thousands and claw at the flesh knocking the beast to the ground. Continually, wave after wave, the owls descended on the beast tearing the flesh off of the animal until there was nothing left but bones. Even then many of the owls slide down through the air in graceful attack and tore apart the bones. When the attack was finished, the rocks where the beast had been was bloodstained and empty as each returned to the perch of the trees bending in agony from the weight of the owls. Zoe looked on as he saw raw flesh hanging in their beaks and talons, the torn remembrance of the lifeless beast.

  Zoe became weak knowing that at any moment, for any reason, the owls could do the same to him. He wondered why they didn’t tear his limbs apart as they had the other creature. To the owls, Zoe would have been no different. He lowered his head in fear, thinking possibly if he didn’t see them that they would not see him. On the ground in front of him, he saw crawling inch by inch on a flat stone a small caterpillar. It bent up its body in the center and raised it in the air as the front stayed motionless while the back end pushed forward creating an arch. Then the front inched forward as the black and orange colors squished together with the movements and then took their normal outstretched shape. He wondered about this, why would the owls devour flesh and leave a caterpillar alone that would have been a normal meal for the owls?

  He felt if he looked up he might just know why. In terror the boy trembling bent his head back and saw before his eyes a huge set of eyes right above him peering into his own eyes. Zoe almost fell over backwards in shock. Zoe crinkled his upper lip into his mouth and ran his teeth over his upper lip wondering what to do. The owl spun its head completely around while it looked at him and then let out with a hideous screech, “Whik! Whik! Whik!”

  Zoe took off running as fast as he could stepping squarely on the caterpillar ending its cruel existence. He ran on for a time as fast as he could not looking back nor really looking forward as he was so concerned with keeping his feet on the uneven terrain. When Zoe came to the end of his strength, he let out in exhaustion all his pent up air and breathed in rapid panting breath trying to grasp air for his starved lungs. He was bent over with one hand on his knee bracing himself from falling over. He looked up and saw the owls and a figure walking trough the midst of them. He had hoped that the owls would devour him once he recognized the form to be Tapeinosis. Beyond the trees and owls, Zoe could see a figure up on the hilltop watching him. He wondered if Hagious was watching from a distance.

  He turned to go but was stopped breathless at a startle. Upon a huge black surface he saw his own reflection within inches of himself. He looked at himself and wondered at his appearance. The image was clearer than water and seemed to have a personality. He saw his reflection and knew that it was him, but at the same time the reflection was not standing as he was. Defiant looks could be seen on his face, and his heart was easy to be distinguished as well; it was a wicked heart that was a loathsome place for all unclean animals and foul birds of the air. The image was beastly to look upon as every beast he had encountered with all their vile passions and lusts were bound in the heart of the image—his image. His own heart swelled with sadness as he realized that his heart is the center of vile ideas and wicked intentions, where dragons occupy and owls assemble. He knew his own heart for the first time as he came face to face with himself, and Zoe despised what he saw but he did not deny it.

  Now Zoe knew the secret of the dragons’ haunting and the owls’ congregating. The place was of unmistakable naked truth. What a person is and what the person is like is clearly told. One cannot fight it as it is the naked truth. Was Zoe good or was he evil? The truth was told and Zoe now had to choose as he saw what he was. In life he had always protected his mind from thoughts of truth; he did evil things and bore the mark of meanness from time to time. He knew now that mean acts beget mean people, that wicked actions produce wicked people. His nakedness shamed him, but something stirred in his soul as he found a choice. He could die to the wickedness and live to the kindness. There was an option, a hope!

  But he didn’t know how as of yet, and self hatred started to swell for a moment, but only for a moment as time would not permit self loathing. The black image blinked. Zoe blinked in disbelief and then the blackness blinked again with the semblance of a rough outer shell. Zoe’s eyes widened and his lower jaw dropped as the realization set before him. He spoke softly but cle
arly, “A dragon’s eye!”

  Chapter 48

  Walk softly, March, forbear the bitter blow;

  Her feet within a trap, her blood upon the snow,

  ~Lew Sarett~

  A firm hand clasped onto Zoe’s shoulder and spun him around. Before him was the bloody figure of Tapeinosis. The man grabbed Zoe by the throat and squeezed tightly. Zoe in futility grabbed at his hands and arms trying to pry himself loose, but his time was fading as he felt the frailty of his own mortality. Tapeinosis had lifted him off the ground and then threw him down upon the jagged rocks maintaining his grip. The monster spoke, “I will squeeze the life out of you and leave your body for the birds!” His voice was even and still, deathly frightening. Zoe knew that there was little hope for survival.

  He saw out of the side of his eyes the image of the man in the dragon’s eye. Tapeinosis was empty and filled with rage and flames of fire; a vile wickedness flowed from his veins. This was known as Zoe felt his life passing. But what was not noticeable to the common eye was the shell of greed that bound the man’s heart.

  Within the darkness of the dragon’s eye, Zoe saw his only means of hope. He tried to breath, but felt no breath. He spoke in raspy voice, “Gol…gol…” He tried to get out the word, but the man’s wrath had a tight grip on him. Finally he got the whole word out, “Gold.”

  The man stopped squeezing and released his grip as his heart was moved by the passions of his heart’s desire. “Gold?” He said being mesmerized by the word and his imagination of wealth. “Gold?” he whispered again.

  Zoe coughed and held his throat with his own hands trying to relieve the pain. He backed up slightly, “Yes, gold.”

  This shook Tapeinosis out of his trance as the voice of his betrayer was before him. “To the dragon’s hell fire with you boy! You’ve tricked me before!”