A Dragons Story

Chapter One

There weren’t always dragons in the valley, but after the bombs fell during WWIII, it caused the earth to spill away, freeing a dragon and her nest, that were frozen for many millennia.

Her eyes snapped open, and without hesitation, she burst through the earth and burrowed her way to freedom, free to fly the starry night sky once again. It wasn’t the land she knew, but a new and unfamiliar land. A land that appeared to have been damaged by a great disaster.

****

Ian was taking a late midnight walk in the Phoenix Valley. Although it was a hot night, there was a nice breeze that made the heat tolerable, when suddenly he saw something fly across the sky from the corner of his eye. When he stopped to look to see what it was, there was nothing there. Shrugging his shoulders, he returned to his walk. Then, he heard what sounded like flapping wings – very large wings, and when he stopped to look again, he could not believe what he saw, a dragon. Ian shook his head and closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, yep, it was a dragon. A living breathing dragon, one of myths, was now directly above him.

****

As the dragon flew across the sky getting a feel for this new land, that was so different from the land she knew. This land had tall buildings and little boxes rolling across the land. But when she spotted a human male, there was something about him that fascinated her. She felt drawn to this human male, and the only time this happened before, was if the human possessed magic, so she moved closer to get a better look at this human. When the human looked at her, she roared and spewed fire, letting him know she was not one to be reckoned with.

****

Ian could not believe what he was seeing – a dragon. A living breathing dragon, and when the dragon shot fire, he hit the ground so hard he was sure the gravel penetrated his shirt and embedded them into his skin beneath.

****

The dragon, after giving the human her warning, saw the human drop to the ground. Sensing no threat, she decided to land directly in front of the human male. For a long moment, she stood observing the male, trying to get a sense if he was good or evil. After a few moments, she smiled, he was a very good human, with a long-living soul, one that possesses great power, something he seems to be unaware of. She determined he was a human she can trust.

“You, human male, stand and look at me.”

When the dragon landed directly in front of Ian, he was sure he was going to be the dragon’s dinner. But when she – yes, she. He wasn’t sure how he knew the dragon was a she, but he did, and when she spoke to him, he was shocked. How can a dragon…animal speak to him, he thought?

“Human male, rise and speak,” the dragon said again.

Slowly and carefully, Ian rose off the ground, and when he did, he found himself standing directly in front of the dragon. He had to tilt his head far back in order to look at the dragon’s face. “You can talk. How is that possible?” he asked.

The dragon laughed. “Silly human, all dragons can talk. How do you not know this?”

Ian raised his eyebrows. “How would I know. You are the first dragon I have seen. You are…were believed to be a myth.”

This shocked the dragon. Myth’s, how can this be, she thought. Then said aloud, “Myth’s…how…can this be. There are…were many of my kind.” Baffled by what she learned, she whispered, “Myth’s…how…how,” looking directly at Ian, “can this be. There are…were many of my kind.”

“Maybe during the time you lived, but now they don’t exist and were…you became to be known as myths. A tale that’s been told, without proof they existed.

“Well human, as you can see, I exist,” she said with irritation, as she looked around at her surroundings and then back to the man. “what do you call yourself human?

Ian smiled, “My name is Ian. What is yours?”

The dragon returned the smile, but barred her teeth, then said, “You will not be able to pronounce my name, but you may choose a name for me.”

Ian looked at the dragon’s teeth, believing she was trying to intimidate him, but it did not, so he returned the smile. Ian placed his hand on his chin as he thought of a name befitting a dragon, and when it hit him, he put his head back and snapped his fingers, “How about Darca?”

“Hum, I think that is a fine name. Ian, will you help me learn the way of this new land and the people who live on it?”

Ian smiled, “I would love to, but I don’t think we should remain in the open. I don’t know what people will do when they see you…a dragon. They could panic…fear what you may do to them and try to shoot you.

“Yes, I believe you are right.”

Darca thought of where they could go, should she take him to her nest. Can she truly trust this human? She moved her head closer to Ian, so she could look directly in his eyes, which made Ian uncomfortable, but he did not move. As Darca looked directly into Ian’s eyes, deep to penetrate his soul, and what she found was enough to satisfy her.

Darca nodded her head, “We shall go to my nest where we will be safe.”

Ian tensed, her nest, he thought. “Nest,” he said slowly as he swallowed the lump in his throat. “How will I get there? And how will I know once I am there you won’t eat me?”

Darca threw back her head and laughed. “Human, if I wanted to eat you, I would not fly you back to my nest. I will fly us there.”

“Oh, well that’s good. On…your…back,” he asked.

“Yes, on my back.”

Darca laid down and magically produced a saddle on her back.

Ian was shocked and said, “Magic. You can do magic,” with fascination.

“Yes. Now climb up my wing to my back. Once you are seated in the saddle, I will take you to my nest. Ian, where I take you, you must keep secret. You must never tell anyone. If you do, I will have no choice but to destroy you.”

Ian nodded with understanding, then walked up Darca’s wing and settled himself in the saddle she provided, and without further words, Darca stood and began flapping her wings until she was off the ground, and gradually made her way into the sky. Once she reached the desired altitude above the clouds, she soared through the night sky towards her nest.

Ian could not believe a thirty-year-old man was flying on the back of a dragon feeling as giddy as a schoolboy.

Chapter Two

Ian could not believe he was flying on the back of a dragon. An honest-to-God dragon, and when Darca started to descend he realized where they were – directly over Camelback Mountain. The reason it was called Camelback, was because some said the mountain looked like a Camel, but at times if you look a certain way from Interstate 202, it looked like a dragon.

Well, I cannot say I am surprised, Ian thought.

This area was a beautiful place that use to be surrounded by richly built homes, but now, now the land was as it was before people populated it. So, it was no surprise that a dragon’s nest – Draca was hidden there.

At the northeast corner, just at the top, was a large hole, where Ian believed Darca burst through from her long-hidden lair.

Darca circled the area a few times to make sure there was no one around to see where her lair was, and once she was satisfied it was safe, she called back to Ian, “hold on. I have to fold in my wings and fly straight down.”

Without further words, trusting Ian to do what she said, once Darca reached the place she burst through, she folded her wings and dived through the hole, and tunneled her way down until she reached her lair. After sitting down, she stretched out her wing to allow Ian to climb down, then removed the saddle she produced for him, then turned in a circle and spewed fire to expand the area to a large and wide cavern. After, she produced a chair for Ian to sit on if he so wished to.

When Darac dove into the hole, Ian closed his eyes as he held on for deal life. Once they landed and he climbed off Darca, he saw the nest of six dragon eggs – more dragons. Wow, he thought with fascination. Then, when Darca used her fire to expand the cave to a large cavern and provided him with a chair, he was once again amazed by her magic, but was too excited to sit down.

“This is amazing,” Ian said, as he slowly turned to take in his new surroundings. “The eggs…your children? When will they be born?”

Darca turned to look at Ian, then laid down on top of her eggs, with the need to protect them and to be more at a height for Ian.

“My children will not be born for many years yet, which will allow me time to adapt to this new world and the people of this land. I also want to see if there are any other dragons still alive, that were buried…trapped as I was.”

“Years? Wow! Well, it’s probably for the best since this world will need to get use to you. Do you really believe there are more of your kind alive?” Ian asked.

“Yes, I do and you can help me find them.”

Ian was shocked, “what, me? How can I help?”

“You are not aware of this, but you have a gift, a power within you…magic.”

“What! Me? I have magic? No, not possible.”

“It is. I sensed it in you. It’s what drew me to you. I sensed the power in you, although faint, it is there, and I can help you tap into that power.”

“How? How can you help me tap into this power?”

Darca smiled and bared her teeth. “I can use my mind to enter yours and your soul, the part that holds the memory of this power, and bring it to the surface…return the memory of when you were a Wizard.

Ian could not believe this. Shaking his head, a wizard. What? he thought.

“If you are to do this, how long will it take if I was to consent to this?” Ian asked.

“It will take only moments. We can begin now if you like?”

“No, not yet. I need time to understand this. I also need to acquaint you with this world.”

“Very well, when you are ready let me know.”

“Okay, great. Well, what do you want to do now?” Ian asked.

“Why don’t you tell me about this new world and the people?” Darca asked.

“That could take all night. It’s late and I haven’t slept yet.”

Quickly, Darca produced a bed, an image she’d taken from Ian’s mind. “Sleep then, and we can talk when you are well-rested. I will hunt for food while you sleep.”

Ian panicked, “not humans!”

Darac laughed, “no, not humans. I will seek animals.”

“What if someone sees you?”

“No one will see me, as I will make myself invisible.”

Amazed, “wow, what a great power. Okay,” he said climbing in bed. “I will sleep and we will talk in the morning.”

“Night human…Ian.”

***

Draco flew across the night sky looking at the land and valley below, how much it has changed from the time she remembered. It had buildings that looked to be made of metal and glass, and parts of the land were hard as stone. She also noticed a great deal of destruction, that appears the humans are trying to repair.

Draco had to fly many miles east from where she was before she finally found what she was looking for – cattle. Without further thought, Darca flew down and snatched four cows with her claws and quickly made her way to open land where there was no one to be found. After landing, she became visible and released the cows from her grasp, then blew fire and cooked the cows. Dragons prefer their meat to be cooked, but if they had to, they will eat it raw.

After Draco had her fill, she made sure there was nothing left to show she was there, and when she was satisfied, she took to the sky and flew around the valley trying to learn as much as she could about this new world. Once she was satisfied, she headed back to her lair and laid down and fell asleep just as the sun began to rise.