The Keeper of Dragons: The Prince Returns

by J. A. Culican

  That was interesting, Rylan lost some of his mahier and needed to rest, yet Sila seemed just fine. Maybe Sila was stronger than Rylan, by looking at the two of them I thought for sure Rylan was stronger.

  “Your father had to use his mahier more than I did. Rylan protected us as we flew, no human was able to detect us. My job was much simpler, all I had to do was protect you.” Sila pointed at me with that last bit.

  It all made sense now, I had felt like we floated here, when in reality we had sped through the sky. It also answered my question as to why Rylan didn’t speak as we flew, he was focused elsewhere. At least some things started to make sense. Now I just needed to find my dragon.

  I finished eating and watched as Rylan stepped into one of the tents. Sila took my plate and placed it on top of hers and set them by the fire. She nodded at me and stepped into the same tent as Rylan. I sat there alone. Finally, just one thought was in my head, how to find my dragon.

  Chapter Five

  Finding my dragon wasn’t going to be easy. I mean, if I had a dragon, wouldn’t I have already found it in the last eighteen years? Taking a deep breath I closed my eyes and pictured what I wanted my dragon to look like. The dragon I pictured was strong and powerful, a Leslo like Rylan and Sila. It stood taller than both of them, its wing spanned at least twice theirs.

  I concentrated hard on the image in my mind. Nothing happened. I opened my eyes and kicked at the sticks by my feet that Rylan had left for the fire. I felt nothing, my first request by my biological parents had to be to turn into a dragon, and I felt like I was about to fail them.

  I thought about my mom and dad and how they would’ve reacted to my situation. It was obvious to me now that they knew what I was or what I was to become. Even with that knowledge, they loved and supported me. They were always proud of me, no matter what little I actually succeeded in. I remembered my promise I made to myself before I left home. I wasn’t going to let them down! With this new encouragement, I took yet another breath and tried again.

  This time I didn’t picture what my dragon would look like, as I remembered what Sila had said about different types of dragons. Instead, I thought about the traits I would want my dragon to have. Strong, fair, kind and smart. These traits made me think of my friend Eva. Apparently, I wanted my dragon to be like her. I shook my head and cleared my mind of my friend. I again focused on my dragon.

  My breath evened out, almost like I was asleep. Everything around me faded away. It was just me. There, deep within, I felt it. Almost like I was being pulled towards something. I concentrated on it. I tried to grab onto the pull I felt and reel it in.

  My breath caught in my throat, something was happening. I was no longer in control, my body started to shake, my vision blurred around the edges. I looked down at my hands in time to see my fingers turn into claws, they were ginormous and sharp. My body pitched forward until I was laid out on the ground on my stomach. I tried to stand back up but I had no control of my arms. I watched as shimmering scales burst through my skin of my hands and feet. My scales progressed until they covered my whole body. I looked behind me in time to see spikes as they emerged out of my spine, a tail covered in thorns grew out of the bottom of my back, like it had sprouted from my tailbone. I gasped as the wind was taken from me, on either side of the spikes gigantic wings ripped through me. My head started to expand and I could feel two horns pierce through each side of my head.

  Then everything stopped. I tried to take inventory of my new form, but my movements were awkward. I no longer had complete control of myself. I stood on all fours, right where our makeshift camp used to be. Even though I knew what had just happened, and had even asked for it, I was terrified.

  “Breathe son, your dragon is in control, and you mustn’t be afraid. Reach out to your dragon, become one.”

  For the first time I was thankful Sila could read my mind. I did as she had said, I began to breathe slower while I tried to reach out to my dragon. I focused my thoughts, I felt a twinge resounded in the back of my mind. It felt like I was being connected to something or joined. A feeling of peace surrounded me.

  Rylan’s voice startled me, “Very good son, your transformation was quicker than I had expected. Many dragons in the past had been stuck right where you stand for months as they waited for their dragons to appear.”

  Months? I was frustrated with the few minutes I couldn’t find mine. I was unable to imagine the toll a wait that long would cost someone. The thought alone made me shiver.

  “That thought son is what will make you special amongst our race. Empathy is not a feeling many Ochana’s possess.” She paused to examine me, “Your color is one I haven’t seen before.” A curious look was exchanged between Sila and Rylan.

  Until that comment I had felt confident in my new dragon state. A color they hadn’t seen before? What did that mean? I had hoped to just blend in when we arrived at Ochana.

  “Our council will be able to explain your color, I’m sure it’s a sign of strength. For you, son, will be strong.” I had waited for Rylan to smile about this, but instead he gave a little nod and walked away.

  I watched intently as Rylan shifted into his dragon, it was much smoother than mine had been, which was difficult and chaotic for me, though now that I thought about it, painless. Rylan was so sure I would be strong, I hoped I didn’t disappoint him.

  Sila walked over to me and placed her hand on my shoulder, well my dragon shoulder. “You could not disappoint your father in any way. You have no idea how proud he is of you.” She turned to approach Rylan and shifted as she walked toward him. Her shift was even more fluid than Rylan’s. If I had blinked, I would’ve missed it.

  I stood behind them as I waited to see what to do next, they hadn’t told me anything. I could barely walk as a dragon, I couldn’t even imagine trying to fly. I looked over towards them as we walked, they were so much larger than me. I wondered, was it because of my age or the type of dragon I was?

  “Do not worry, you will grow.” Sila angled her head towards me as her voice flowed through me. “It is time to learn to fly.”

  Rylan kicked off the ground and flew into the sky. The sight amazed me. A powerful green dragon circled us from above. I watched how his body moved, I tried to memorize his movements. He continued to circle us as he moved further up into the sky, until he looked like nothing more than a bird flying above us.

  “Your turn.”

  I was so engrossed in watching Rylan, Sila’s voice startled me. My turn? I had no idea how to start, Rylan had just kicked off the ground and took off. He made it look simple.

  “There’s your answer son. Once you get up, your dragon instincts will take over.” Sila gestured for me to get on with it.

  What’s the worst that could happen? Falling, crashing….dying. I tried not to think of the real possibility of this ending horribly, so instead I shifted my focus on moving my dragon body the way I needed it to. I walked a few feet away from Sila, but I found the simple task of walking difficult, which didn’t leave me confident with flying. I squatted down as low as I could, I dug my clawed feet into the snow, pushed myself off the ground with all my might and spread my wings. I made it about twenty feet from the ground before I fell back down to the earth. I hit the snow with a loud thud and my who body shuddered. I shook the snow off and turned toward Sila for guidance.

  With a quiet chuckle, Sila’s smooth voice filtered through my dazed brain. “Do not fret son, I have never met a dragon who flew on their first try. It may take some time. Once you’re up, stay there and follow Rylan and I, we will guide you to Ochana.” With that, Sila took off towards Rylan, and they both circled me from above.

  They hovered in the air with their eyes focused on me. Rylan seemed to be in such a hurry all night to get back to Ochana. I needed to get myself together and up into the air. I was so worried about Rylan being disappointed in me, he was so sure I was going to be this super strong dragon. I wanted to be that for him, I didn’t understand my need to m
ake him proud. I dodged that thought and tried to clear my mind, except for one thought, fly.

  I shook the snow off once again, leaned down until my chest almost touched the ground, pulled my wings back and kicked as hard as I could off the ground. Once I was about thirty feet up I took a deep breath and spread my wings out. I started to glide, the feeling was incredible. Then I started to descend down to the ground, I needed to fly not glide. I moved my wings up and down. My dragon instincts began to take over as I flew higher and higher. My movements were choppy and clumsy, but it was enough to get me close to Rylan and Sila.

  Rylan took off towards the clouds while Sila stayed back with me as we followed behind him at a much slower pace. I started to fly without thought, it felt like my body just knew what to do. With this new freedom, I could focus my attention on my surroundings. It was still night, but the moon and stars seemed brighter than before. I could see the clouds as we weaved through them. The sight took my breath away. I thought I would have been scared, being so far off the ground. Instead, I felt unafraid, almost fearless, like nothing bad could happen to me. At least not in my dragon form.

  I couldn’t see Rylan anymore, so I stayed close to Sila, she didn’t seem to pay any mind to me as she flew. Everything that happened in the last few hours still left me stunned. How could this possibly be my life? A dragon. Imagine that? I couldn’t, not in my wildest dreams did I ever think dragons existed, or that I would be one. Sila veered right and I followed her. We flew over water. It was beautiful, frozen patches covered the majority of it.

  “This is the Lincoln Sea, it is part of the Arctic Ocean. Human population in this area is near extinction, it is why this location was chosen for Ochana. We are free to come and go undetected with ease. The water here is frozen quite thick, so the vibrations from our wings go unnoticed, with the support of our mahier.”

  That knowledge ignited many questions about my future home; however, I wasn’t sure how to communicate with Sila as a dragon to ask. I hadn’t heard Rylan speak as a dragon, so I figured it wasn’t a skill all had.

  Sila’s laugh pulsed through my head, “Son, I hear you loud and clear, through your thoughts. It is how I am communicating with you. I am projecting my thoughts. Your father can do this as well, but his focus is elsewhere. Your father has already made contact with Ochana, the council will be ready to receive you when we arrive.”

  Council, I wondered about them. Who were they? Would they have answers about my color? Were they the dragons in charge? I focused on Sila, “How long until we arrive?” I hoped I was able to project like she had explained.

  “We’re almost there. Don’t be nervous. The council is very excited to meet you. They have been waiting for eighteen years for you. It may seem like an insignificant amount of time in a dragon’s life, but we have waited for you for much longer than your short life thus far.”

  Before I had a chance to comprehend what Sila had just told me, she darted upwards. The angle was difficult to follow, right when I thought for sure I couldn’t continue, Sila leveled out and began to descend. I looked out in front of her and noticed what looked like an island, only instead of being surrounded by water, it was surrounded by clouds. A large waterfall fell freely off the side, disappearing into the clouds. I watched as Rylan landed effortlessly next to the magnificent waterfall.

  Sila landed smoothly onto the island, which I believed to be Ochana. I braced myself for my first landing, I hit the ground rough, and stumbled forward hard with a crash. I picked myself up in time to find Rylan and Sila as they observed me in their human forms. Behind them were four individuals who looked to be just a few years older than my parents. I inspected the others as thoroughly as they inspected me. They each had a very distinctive trait that separated them. The characteristic that stuck out most were their eyes, each a different color; but still, like Rylan and Sila, they stood out like gems.

  This must be the council.

  Chapter Six

  We all stared at each other for some time, my nervousness was beginning to show as my hands trembled. I couldn’t get a good read on the council, they showed no emotion, but their eyes never left me. I wondered what they thought about me as they studied me. This would be a great time to know how to read minds like Sila. I need her to teach me that next.

  Rylan broke the silence as he commanded the attention of the council, “It is my honor to introduce my son, Colton, Prince of Ochana.”

  I looked at Rylan after he finished. Prince? I must have heard wrong. No one had said anything to me about being a Prince or royalty. This can’t be right, I’m just Cole, not Colton, not Prince. I can’t be a Prince.

  A woman with long black hair bowed to me in respect before she spoke, “King Rylan, Queen Sila, we are glad to see you have returned so quickly. Your stay at Ellesmere Island must have been a short one. That is a very good sign of things to come.” Finally she broke her stare from me, and her bright blue eyes looked towards Rylan.

  “Jules, you will find that my son is quite remarkable, as you can see even his color is unique.” Rylan gestured towards me then turned towards the other councilmen. “Let’s take this conversation inside, we have much to discuss now that the Prince has returned.” Rylan turned and walked about a hundred feet, he stopped beside the waterfall, with a wave of his hands the water ceased. He continued to walk, until I could no longer see him.

  The council followed behind him. One councilmen, the one with calculating red eyes shot me a look over his shoulder before he disappeared with the rest. Sila came over to me, and placed her hand on my shoulder. I could tell she was trying to relax my fear. She had a calmness to her that in return cleared a bit of my anxiety.

  “I need you to change back to your human form, the council will want to speak with you.” She informed me.

  Her voice calmed my nerves a bit more as she spoke, until I registered what she said, “How do I change?” I hoped she could hear me.

  “Just as you found your dragon, you now need to find your human.”

  I pictured myself as I knew me to be. My mop of brown hair that constantly fell in my face, my dull brown eyes, lanky limbs and thin physique. I felt a now familiar twinge in the back of my head. I grabbed on to this feeling, like I did with my dragon and started to change. My body jerked for long moments, until I found myself sitting on the ground by Sila’s feet. I looked up and found a smile had formed on her face as she looked down at me. She reached her hand down to help me up, I grabbed on and lifted myself off the ground. Once up, she continued to hold my hand as we walked through the waterfall. Once through, Sila looked back towards the entrance and the water began to fall once more.

  We walked through a series of caves. On the walls there were pictures painted and words I didn’t understand. The pictures showed dragons and humans alike throughout history. They were hard to decipher without knowing the history behind them but I could see that humans and dragons had been connected since the beginning of time, based on the evolution of man in the drawings. I couldn’t wait to take a closer look, whoever painted them was very talented, and I was amazed by the drawings.

  Sila squeezed my hand, “Soon you will learn all about our history and relationship with the humans. Some of it will be hard to hear and will anger you. Keep an open mind as you listen.” She looked over at me as she spoke, “First, we need to get your training schedule prepared. Then, I will show you around Ochana and our home.”

  We finally arrived into a large square room. The first thing I noticed was that the room didn’t have a ceiling. When I looked up the evening sky looked down on me. My eyes shifted to the four walls, each wall displayed a picture of a different colored dragon. The first wall showed a huge red dragon with fire shooting out of its mouth while it appeared to be in combat against a black, shadowy figure. The word “Woland” was carved into the wall towards the bottom. The second wall exhibited a blue dragon who stood next to what appeared to be a large bird’s nest full of eggs. The word “Galian” was carved into the
wall alongside the image. I decided to wander to the third wall, and saw a silver dragon who pulled a cart of fruits and vegetables behind it. The word “Sien” was etched on the wall below the image. Finally, the last wall showed a dragon I was familiar with, a large green dragon who stood at the top of a cliff, its head raised high. The word “Leslo” was written on it. I took another quick look at each picture, I figured these must be the different types of dragons, and the images depict the jobs and responsibilities of each dragon.

  I turned away from the last image to face my parents and the council, they had all taken seats around the huge round table placed in the middle of the room. Rylan and Sila sat next to each other, but I noticed there were two empty chairs next to Sila, and three next to Rylan, while the council occupied the remainder of the seats. Sila commanded I have a seat as she pointed to the spot next to Rylan. As I sat, I gazed at the empty seats and wondered who would fill them.

  “Son, I would like to introduce you to your council. The Keepers, as they are known by, is formed of elders who represent the four founding dragons. As I’m sure you have noticed, dragons are distinguished by their color. Your mother and I are green dragons, or Leslos, as is Allas.” Rylan gestured towards an African American woman with shining green eyes. “We are the leaders of Ochana, our family has been in command for many generation. You will find that Leslos are the rarest dragon and the only dragon equipped to lead.”

  “Prince, it is an honor to see you again.” Allas bowed her head slightly towards me. Again? I don’t remember meeting her.