Dragon Fate

by J. D. Hallowell

  As he crawled from the shelter, intent on relieving his distended bladder, he felt the strong presence of the baby dragon in his mind. He noticed that she felt more awake than ever. Not wishing to share his bodily functions with her, and wanting to practice his mental skill, he damped down the contact, not completely shutting it out, but preventing the link from carrying complete emotion and sensation. The young dragon seemed a bit unsettled at being blocked and tried to reassert the full connection. Using more of his own energy, he gently but firmly reinforced the block. There was a brief struggle of wills before the little dragon resigned herself to the fact that the contact could be controlled from his end.

  When he had finished washing in the stream, he decided he would re-open the full contact. He was surprised to find that it was now blocked from the other side. When he tried to assert himself, he found that he was barred by the iron will of his partner.

  “There’s no need to be that way,” he told her through the link.

  He had expected no answer, and was a bit startled when he received one. “There was no reason for you to block the contact either,” she retorted, sounding somewhat hurt.

  “I didn’t want to hurt your feelings,” he replied. “I thought that I would practice my skill while not imposing my bodily functions on you. It wasn’t a slight in any way.”

  “I understand your bodily needs and they do not bother me,” she said. “It is terribly boring being stuck in this small space. It makes me much lonelier than I would be if I were free to move around.”

  He was amazed at how coherent she had become. In just the last few hours, she had come to full consciousness.

  “If that is the case,” he said, “why don’t you come out?”

  She hesitated for a moment, considering her answer then said, “It is nearly time, but not quite yet.” Then she paused again, considering her words before continuing. “Also, there is another with you. I will not come out while she is here.”

  At this, Delno was taken aback. “But she is your mother!” he exclaimed.

  “That does not matter,” she told him vehemently. “I know who she is, and I sense that her presence is necessary for now, but I don’t have to like it. I don’t like sharing you.”

  The flood of affection and jealousy as she then allowed the link to open fully on her end nearly overwhelmed him. Realizing that he couldn’t reason with such sentiment, he simply allowed his feeling of affection for her to flow back along the link. His response seemed to sooth her better than any words could have, and soon they were basking in each other’s presence as he fed himself, while waiting for the mother dragon to decide to get up and moving for the day.

  The first thing the mother dragon did when she rose was fly off to bathe. When she returned, Delno recounted his conversation with her daughter.

  The old dragon was completely speechless for many minutes when he finished his oration. She sat silent and motionless considering the implications of what he had told her. Finally, she asked, “So she spoke to you through the link as though the two of you were having a normal conversation?” At his confirmation, she went on, “And she is completely aware of herself and her surroundings?” Again he nodded affirmatively. “And she said she will not come out while I am here?” When he nodded to that, she chuckled, and then again became silent for some time.

  Nearly half an hour had passed, and Delno wondered if the dragon had put the incident out of her mind when she turned to him and said, “We must continue your lessons on magic today.” It was apparent by the tone of her voice that she was worried and eager to continue.

  “Why the sudden rush?” he asked. “After all, we’ve known for some time that she would hatch.”

  The dragon started to give him a look that made it clear that he was being thick headed again, but then her demeanor softened and she said, “I suppose it isn’t your fault. I keep forgetting that you are not taught about dragons here in the north.”

  She regarded him for a moment before going on, “You see, it is unusual for a dragon to become so aware before hatching. It speaks of high intelligence and an extremely strong bond with her rider. She will hatch very soon, and I must prepare you as best I can before I have to leave. It would not be good for me to be here when she emerges from her shell.”

  “Why?” he asked, puzzled. “It seems strange to me that she would be so jealous of you. Is that normal among dragons?”

  “Yes,” she answered, “I’m afraid it is. You see, dragons are very large predators. Even though an adult dragon only eats two to four times a year depending her activity level, perhaps a bit more if she will rise to compete for a mate that year, she can quickly deplete an area of suitable game. Fortunately, going so long between meals allows the game time to forget the hunt and recover their numbers. That is why dragons don’t congregate. It’s in our make up to live away from other dragons so that we don’t compete for resources.”

  “But that doesn’t explain the jealousy,” he said.

  “I’m getting to that,” she said, annoyance once again creeping into her voice. “As I’ve told you, a young dragon eats a great deal of food. It’s all a female can do in the wild to provide for her hatchlings until they are ready to hunt for themselves. That is why a non-bonded female never lays her eggs in her own territory. By the time the hatchlings are old enough to hunt for themselves, they are usually moving toward establishing their own territories which they will guard even from their own mothers.”

  “But,” he blurted out, “I’m not her food, I’m her partner. Why the jealousy?”

  “If you will be patient,” she pronounced each syllable with great care as if speaking to a dullard, “I will explain.”

  Delno closed his open mouth with an almost audible snap. She continued, “The jealousy is a projection of the territorial instinct. You see, while the male dragon is a solitary creature who disdains any company, even the company of females unless both are ready to mate, the female dragon craves companionship. If the male dragons shared the female’s craving, the world might become over populated with dragons. Even if dragons allowed other females in their territory, they would soon deplete an area of game. If dragons congregated and propagated the way you humans do, they would eat themselves to extinction. That is why female dragons first began bonding to humans. It fills a large empty void that we feel when we are alone. The jealousy my daughter feels is an extension of her territorial instinct projected onto you.”

  Delno was shocked; he had seen the results of unbridled jealousy among soldiers when they had drunk enough to remove their inhibitions in the presence of willing “ladies.” He didn’t think this was a good thing, and said so to the dragon.

  “Don’t worry,” she replied, “right now she is still very young and immature. This will soften in a short time as she grows. By the end of her first month, she will even be willing to tolerate the presence of another dragon, providing the other dragon’s rider is there also. By the time she is three months old, she will be relatively civil to another dragon even if the rider isn’t there.” Then she added, with a mischievous grin, “By the time she is ready to bear you as rider, she will most likely even tolerate you sharing the affections of a human female, provided, of course, that you don’t get too emotionally involved.”

  As Delno was about to make a comment about the last tidbit of information, the dragon said, “Now then, we have spoken of this enough; we must get on with your lesson. It may be your last, and I have much to teach you.”

  While he had known that the young dragon would eventually hatch, and most likely sooner than later, it had not loomed so large until the dragon’s last statement. He was startled into silence.

  Chapter 11

  He sat quietly while the dragon composed her thoughts. Finally, she began the lesson.

  “Magic is, when applied correctly, quite simply, the movement of energy in a controlled method that brings about a desired result. Force of will, though certainly important, is not enough by itself. Intent a
nd focus are vital to success. When I wanted to heal you and focused my mind, through the use of a word, on the cut on your hand, the cut healed.”

  “I have always believed that there was a magical language that was used when casting spells,” he said, then quickly closed his mouth and flushed, mentally chastising himself for speaking out of turn.

  The dragon, however, appeared unperturbed by the interruption. “There are many who believe this, and, for them, it is true.”

  As often happened, Delno was more confused than enlightened by the dragon’s statement. It must have shown on his face, so she explained her comment. “You see, there are two things that affect magic and how well, or how badly, it works: intent and focus.”

  She paused and looked at him to be sure she had his undivided attention. “Think of it this way. If I were to look at a cut on your hand and say the same words I spoke two days ago, but not really intend to heal you, nothing would happen. By the same token, if I intended to heal you, but my attention was focused elsewhere, the result would still be nothing. I first must decide what to do and decide to do it: intent. Then I apply my thoughts to directing the energy to accomplish the action: focus.”

  “That makes sense. I have thought a little about how I can find lost items. I first want to find it, then I clear my mind and focus on the lost object, then I simply let the impulse move me to where it can be found.”

  “Yes,” she said, pleased by his observation. “You have the force of will to work magic, or you would not be able to bond with a dragon, and now you begin to understand how intent and focus work. Very good.”

  Seeing his pride swell at the compliment, she went on quickly, “Don’t get too full of yourself just yet, though. There is still much for you to learn. Tell me, have you ever found something, anything, that would be better off lost?”

  He started to laugh at the question, then realized the dragon was being completely serious. After considering the question for several moments, he said, “There was one time.”

  When he seemed unwilling to go on, she pressed the point, “Tell me about it.”

  He paused and collected his thoughts. “I was quite young and had told several people about my talent. A young man came to me and said that he had been told that I could help him find something. He seemed to be in great distress, and begged me to find his wife. I was afraid that she might have wandered off and been injured, and knew that if that were the case, she might need help, so I agreed. I asked him for something of hers, and he gave me her scarf. I concentrated on the scarf for a while, and then I knew I could find her, so I led him to her.”

  He stopped, unwilling to proceed, but the dragon insisted, so he continued. “When he found her, a change came over him. He went from concerned, caring husband to enraged tyrant in the blink of an eye. He began swearing at her, telling her how she had humiliated him by running away, and calling her the foulest of names. Then he began beating her with his fists. I tried to stop him, but I was only a boy. He struck me down so hard that I was unable to get back up. Then he dragged her off by her hair. She never said a word, but the terrified look she gave me as he threw her through the door of the shed she had been hiding in haunts me to this day. I have never again used my gift to look for a person.”

  The dragon nodded, “Then you understand that even with the best of intentions, magic can cause harm. Good, you should remember that always so that you don’t inadvertently harm the innocent in an effort to help.”

  “Now,” she intoned, “we will deal with magic words. Remember, all words have power. All words can be used to work magic. It is how you perceive that word that gives it its specific power. Therefore, one word may have different powers for different people. My intent is to heal a wound. I focus that intent by putting my mind to the task, and release the energy I am using through my focus word: heal. To me, that means that the wound will heal completely. If you look at your hand, you will be hard pressed to find even a faint trace of scar.”

  Delno quickly looked and was surprised to see that she was right: there was no longer even a scar were the deep gash had been.

  She smiled at him, “If ‘heal’ meant ‘stop the bleeding and keep out infection’ to me, then you would now have a thick scab, and you would be favoring that hand until a scar formed.”

  After allowing him to consider this for a time, she went on. “So, you see, you must first decide what you intend to do, then focus the intent. Words help, but you must make sure that you use words that mean, to you, exactly what you intend.”

  “What would happen if I chose a word that has more than one meaning and I’m not exactly sure of it? Can it cause harm?” he asked.

  “Oh, yes,” she replied. “It can cause great harm. You must understand that the energy used to work magic doesn’t care how it is used. It is completely neutral. Once released to do the work, it will accomplish that task in the easiest way possible.”

  “Look at it this way. You decide you want to become a farmer like your favorite uncle, Ben. You decide to use magic to get yourself set up. You work the magic, saying, “I want a farm just like Uncle Ben’s,” then release the energy. Your favorite uncle drops dead, leaving you his farm.”

  “That’s horrible,” he said.

  “That’s magic,” she replied. “In the example, you simply said you wanted a farm just like Uncle Ben’s. You didn’t stipulate that you didn’t want Uncle Ben’s farm, or that you didn’t want any harm to come to him. The energy has no interest in whether or not he lives, so it accomplishes the task in the simplest way possible.”

  She allowed that to sink in for a few moments. “There are those who believe that you can add a simple catch phrase like, ‘for the best interest of all concerned,’ but they are merely deluding themselves to avoid their own responsibility in not thinking it through thoroughly.”

  “Here’s another example using a favorite uncle, and older sister. You need money, so you work magic to become wealthy. You are your favorite uncle’s heir. You are also your sister’s heir after her husband and her three children. Now, realizing that someone could die if you aren’t careful, you add “for the greatest good of all concerned” when you cast the magic. Favorite uncle dies in his sleep, leaving you wealthy.”

  He looked as though he wanted to say something but thought better of it, so she continued. “Why did favorite uncle die when you added the phrase that should have kept him alive? Very simple; the energy will still use the simplest method of achieving the desired results. The choices for the easiest course were favorite uncle or sister and her family. The greatest good for all concerned, and for you to get your money, was for one to die instead of five.”

  “It sounds like magic is something to be avoided,” he said.

  “Magic,” she said in her sternest voice, “is something to be used with utmost care and not frivolously dallied with for personal gain. Those who are selfish enough to use magic for their own gain without regard for the ripple effects they set in motion do so at great expense to those around them.”

  “Now then, we will start your practical lesson with simple healing.” Her abrupt change of subject caught him off guard, so she pushed ahead before he had a chance to ask further questions. “I managed to cut my foot slightly on a very sharp rock during my bath. While it is really nothing, healing it will be a good first lesson for you.”

  Despite years of conditioning against magic and his own bad experience with his talent, he was eager to proceed. “Tell me what to do first.”

  “Very well,” she said, “last night I taught you to project your thoughts and shield your mind using your own personal energy. Today I will teach you to work this magic using the energy around you.”

  “Do you remember me telling you that the energy used in working magic is neutral?” At his nod, she said, “Good. You also need to know that everything has energy that can be drawn upon when working magic. All living things draw energy from the world. The world draws energy from the sun. Energy cannot be destroy
ed, it can only be altered. When a living thing dies, it gives up its energy and that energy returns to the world. Once you understand this, you can begin to feel the energy around you. You can draw on that energy and bend it to your will.”

  “But,” he interrupted, “doesn’t drawing the energy of other living creatures harm them?”

  “It can,” she replied, “if you drain them too much. However, you don’t have to draw the energy from living creatures. The stream running by this clearing releases a great deal of energy as it flows over the rocks. The campfire releases much energy as it consumes the wood. Even a candle can give off enough energy to work a simple healing.”

  Delno was intrigued by her explanation. He began to reach out with his feelings to connect with the energy around him. At first, he felt nothing, but then, just on the edge of his senses, he felt the energy of the campfire. As he expanded his awareness he felt the stream. He began to feel the trees, the small animals in the brush; he even found that he could easily locate the little dragon within her egg. She was delighted at the touch and started to mentally laugh until her mother interrupted.

  “Good, I see that you can feel the energy around you. Now concentrate on a word that will bring the results.” While saying this, the old dragon showed him the small wound on her forefoot. It looked very small on her foot, but Delno realized that it was easily as severe as the wound on his hand had been. He concentrated on what the word heal meant in this instance. Heal to him meant that the wound should close and the skin knit so well as to leave no scar. As he was concentrating, she continued her instruction, “Now, do not draw on your own energy. Imagine that you are a hollow tube and the energy, whether you draw from the stream or from the fire, is like water that will flow through the tube. Then, as you keep all of this in mind, reach out for the energy and direct it by speaking your word of power.”