Ben and the Dragon's Pact.

PROLOGUE

There weren’t always dragons in the valley. Although there had been occasional roars heard coming from Mt. Cornet in the night. Most of the townsfolk from the trading town Surcoast dismissed it as a den of lions that must’ve moved into the area. Even though signs started to show more frequently, farmer’s cattle started to go missing in the night, claw marks imprinting themselves on the earth, with a roar not far behind. Still, the townsfolk went about their day-to-day routine, trying to ignore the truth they knew in the back of their minds.

The rhythm of the coach's wheels, and the gentle rocking caused Adelina's eyelids to slowly fall. Michael, a man in his late 30s, with a dark brown receding hairline, an average build, and taller than most men around him, smiled at his beautiful wife across the other side of the coach. Adelina, with shoulder length curly black hair that she often kept tied up. Eyes as blue as the sea, and thick lips that always had a slight red hue to them. She noticed Michael smiling at her and gave a tired smile back.

The sun was making its way below the trees, telling Michael they were on pace to reach their home, Surcoast, just after nightfall. They were at the end of their 3-week journey from the capital city Adera in the north; where, Michael a craftsman and inventor, had just made another successful sale.

Both Michael and Adelina wanted nothing more than to be home sleeping in their own beds, but most of all, return to their son Ben. He was only 11 years old, too young to be home alone. Well, at least that's what Adelina had said. So, he was being watched by Michael's friend Kile. Ben, and Kile's son Loc, had been best friends since they were just toddlers.

“Just a little while longer, we should be home by nightfall. Right Tomas?” Michael said speaking through the small rectangular hole separating driver from passenger

“Yes sir!” said Tomas.

Tomas was an older man, balding, with white hair unkempt on the sides. Though older, he was not feeble by any means. He used to be a fletcher, but wanting to see the world; he retired his trade to his sons and became a coach driver.

“Take a short nap Adelina, we'll be home before you know it,” said Michael

“I want to, but I'm just excited to see Ben, and give him this Handkerchief,” Adelina said stifling a yawn and holding the handkerchief up. It was a light blue cloth with white streaks of wind blowing throughout it.

“He's going to love it hun,” Michael said.

“I hope so,” she said smiling. She folded it and placed it back on the bench beside her.

Adelina rested her head against the coach wall and closed her eyes. Michael smiled at her again. I love that woman, he thought while looking outside. It was a beautiful day, the golden sun shone through the trees, with branches seemingly dancing with the breeze that was passing through the valley. It was a bit hot for Michael's taste, but there were scattered clouds that would sometimes cross the sun weakening the heat for a time. The leaves on most trees were starting to brown showing signs of the summer to come. For Michael, luckily the summer didn't normally last long in the southern part of the continent Hiralyn. Michael rested his head behind him on the coach’s wall, was deep in thought about his latest design. His thoughts were shattered by a sudden roar.

“D-Dragon!” Tomas yelled.

The horses whinnied, and abruptly stopped. Causing Michal and Adelina to fall over in the coach. Michael grabbed his bow he had leaning against the opposite wall of the coach door and rushed out of the coach. Tomas was already off the horses, as he lost control of them, he wielded his own bow. The two looked toward the sky as they saw a large green scaled dragon looming over them, almost looking black in the now dim sunlight. Its wings flapping as it looked down at them with mouth slightly open.

“Michael, what’s going on!?” Adelina yelled from inside the coach.

“J-Just stay inside!” Michael replied, his hand shaking while trying to aim the bow. Tomas took a shot, hitting the dragon in the upper portion of its left wing

“Ha ha take that ya beast!” Tomas yelled.

The dragon roared back and swooped down as if it were a bird of prey. In one swift motion, the dragon picked one horse up with its mouth, and grabbed Tomas with one of its claws and squeezing Tomas. He immediately fell limp in the dragon’s grasp. The dragon grabbed the horse out of its mouth with its free claw, and promptly tossed Tomas into its own mouth.

“Oh my god,” Michael said. He was frozen in fear.

“Michael?!” Adelina yelled again.

“Stay inside! I’ll try to lure it away,”

The dragon thwarted that idea, as it swooped down a second time, instead this time It opened its mouth as flames built up and swirled into a ball. It spit the ball of fire in the direction of the wagon. Before michael or Adelina could react, the fireball slammed just in front of the wagon causing a great explosion, sending Michael flying toward the side of the road.

Ears ringing, vision blurry, and immense pain burning in his side; Michael thought for sure he had a few ribs broken. Michael forced himself to one knee as he struggled to stand. With his vision slowly returning he saw the destruction before him. The coach was blown into several pieces, his wife Adelina lay still in the middle of the debris.

“Oh please! Please let her be okay,” Michael said, adrenaline kicking in as he stood up and limped over to her.

“Adelina! Please wake up,” Michael’s voice turned into a whimper as tears started running down his cheeks. Her hair singed, and a piece of thick wood stuck out of her stomach; blood pouring out of the wound, and most likely several places Michael couldn’t see. Adelina’s eyes fluttered open.

“Michael, it hurts,” she said with a cry.

“You're going to be okay!” Michael said. He stood and ripped his shirt off, trying to apply pressure to the wound.

“C'mon! Come on! Stay with me!”

Adelina grabbed his hand, stopping him. She opened her other hand revealing the handkerchief.

“Please make sure Ben gets this. Tell him that I love him. Michael, I love you, I-I Can't,” Adelina said, her breath labored; then, her grip loosened, her breathing stopped, and her once beautiful red lips turned a pale cold blue. Michael wept until he fell asleep holding her in the middle of the road.

Michael awoke and stood up to collect his thoughts and bearings. The only light was that of the moon above. With the horses gone, his wife deceased on the ground before him, he looked around as if he was going to get an answer.

“Why?” said Michael. His voice resigned and defeated.

Michael looked towards the heavens.

“Not getting any help from you I see!”

Michael’s voice strained with anger. He Picked up Adelina, cradling her like he did with Ben the day he was born, and walked the last two miles home, not faltering in his step. Angry determination pressing him forward. Watching her lips turn blue and her last words replayed in his mind the entirety of the walk. "I can’t."

Chapter 1

Dragon Strike.

Michael snapped out of his waking nightmare. A Nightmare that still haunted him several years later. It still felt fresh, like water from a rainstorm.

“Huh? What?” Michael said.

“We’re almost there Michael. Let us pray this plan of yours worked,” Druf said sounding hopeful while patting Michael on the shoulders. Druf, the Mayor of Surcoast led Michael, and the five other men behind him toward the dragons’ cave. Their boots on the gravel made it sound as if they were a parade of cracking knuckles. The night was calm, and slightly chilly. The sky was clear, except for a few clouds lazily moving about.

The men from Surcoast were all silent as they walked. Michael shook his head and refocused himself. The plan was to slay the dragon that has made a large cave in Mt. Cornet her home. The dragon that changed Michael’s and most of the people in Surcoast’s life. Michael himself was not a fighter, he was however, a decent hunter and very clever.

Michael’s plan was to feed several sheep a large dosage of lilyblossom,

which would put them in a deep sleep. Lilyblossom, a very potent sleep aid, was strong enough to put horses to sleep rather quickly; It was often used during medical procedures.

The goal was to lure the dragon into eating a large quantity of the dosed sheep, and hope there was enough Lilyblossom in their system to put the dragon to sleep. They would then wait an hour or so and with any luck, they would head to her cave and slay her without a fight. Otherwise, it would not be a fight at all, In The dragon’s favor of course. Old Grayson, the farmer that Druf had purchased the sheep from was sad to see them go out like that, but he understood why. Besides, if they were successful, his future livestock would be safe, and his name would be included in history books.

The group made their way further up the path. Even in the dim moonlight, Michael could see the large cave opening. As big as the mayor’s house, which is a large two-story masterpiece. The entrance is in the shape of a large arch, with jagged edges, which made it look as if you asked a child to draw an arch who could not keep a straight line. They were a roughly a hundred yards away and were inching closer.

Michael could hear the nervous deep breathing being taken by the men behind him. This was an extremely dangerous mission, but it needed to be done. Michael was going to take the burden of making the killing blow. It wasn’t a burden to him though, this was vengeance.

When they reached the mouth of the cave, Michael and the others stood there for a few moments in silence.

“You can do this Michael; we’ll be right behind you,” Druf said reassuringly placing a hand on Michael’s shoulder. Michael nodded to Druf.

“I’ll be fine,” Michael said, partially lying to himself.

One man, Markis, who was barely into his 20’s looked as if he was going to get sick. The others didn’t look far behind. Michael couldn’t blame them, his nerves were at a high point, but he was always good at controlling them, and keeping them from bubbling to the surface. They extinguished all but Druf’s Torch

As they silenced themselves, they could hear the dragon’s slow consistent breathing. That is a good sign. She must be sound asleep, Michael thought. As they entered the cave as quietly and as slowly as their bodies would allow. The single bit of torchlight illuminated very little, but what they could see was the outline of the large green dragon. Markis turned and left the cave, Michael could hear him getting sick outside. They tiptoed toward the dragon, this time it was only Druf and Michael walking up, the others were frozen in fright behind them; Spears shaking in hand.

It was sound asleep and breathing heavily. Michael could feel the air coming from the dragon's Nostrils, it was like a warm summer breeze. Michael drew his longsword; Druf’s torchlight illuminated the dragon’s head, which Luckily, was on the ground low enough for him to reach. With the small amount of light he had, he could see the dark green of her scales. Her head reminded him of a cat’s head in a way, except instead of whiskers, there were fins, and teeth, very large teeth. Two fangs stuck out from the bottom rising above her upper lip. She looked so peaceful. Our coach ride home was peaceful, Michael thought.

Years of grief, anger, and guilt bubbled up inside of Michael. Adelina’s last words “I can’t,” repeated themselves in his head.

“I can,” Michael said, determination filling his heart.

Michael took a deep breath. Half trying to relieve the nerves, the other trying to calm his emotions as to not mess this up. Michael raised his sword in both hands, the blade facing downward with the sword above the dragon’s head. Michael roared.

All the emotions he felt the night he lost his wife were channeled into his attack. He slammed the sword down as hard as he could. It seemed as if he was trying to puncture 6 thick bear hides at once. Resistance at first, but then the blade penetrated and hit home, with the hilt stopping at the dragon’s forehead.

The dragon’s eye’s opened with a flash of rage. Michael jumped back, with arms outstretched trying vainly to defend himself for what was about to come. The dragon’s shoulders started to rise as it tried to get up, but just as quickly as its eyes opened, it fell limp, no longer breathing. The plan worked flawlessly, the silence in the cave with the dragon dead was almost deafening.

The moment of silence was broken when from behind Michael, cheers broke out.

“The beast is slain! The hero of Surcoast! Michael! The dragon slayer!” Druf yelled in triumph. The men cheered, hooted, and hollered. Even Markis came back with a large smile on his face, relieved to still be alive. Michael couldn't help but smile in return and raising a fist of his own.

As the party left the cave with Mayor Druf leading them out, Michael lagged. He got a strange feeling that something in the cave was watching him. He turned back and peered in, squinting his eyes.

“What is tha,” Michael started to say.

“Michael! What's the hold up? We can't go back to Surcoast without our new hero!” Druf bellowed from behind.

Druf stood in the cave entrance eagerly motioning. Michael turned toward Druf who had a grin as wide as the cave's mouth. Michael snapped out of his stupor.

“Oh, I'm coming!” said Michael. He jogged toward the exit.

Outside, the other men started to congratulate Michael and pat him on the back. Michael was all smiles, though he still had that uneasy feeling gnawing at him from inside the cave

Chapter 2

Venture into the unknown.

Two weeks had passed since the dragon was slain, and Ben could already see Surcoast was becoming busier. With the dragon gone, trade was starting to flood Surcoast again. Food and drink were plentiful, but more so were the smiles. Everyone seemed much livelier than they have been in years. Even his dad seemed much happier too. Surely business would pick up again for him. Which meant Michael had to get back to work building and inventing.

Surcoast, a quickly growing town on the continent Hiralyn, located in the world known as Alexium. The weather was regularly cold and wet in south Hiralyn, whereas the north is typically hotter and dryer. The continents east and west of Hiralyn are separated by large bodies of water that few have crossed and come back.

Michael invents all sorts of contraptions and tools and sells them for a living. Though his pride and joy above everything is his son Ben. After losing his wife, Ben was all he had left. She always went on trade runs with Michael, as she loved to travel, and to be around nature. Michael still blames himself 3 years after the fact. She always insisted on going, telling Michael that he couldn't work all day and night.

“Besides, I need something to do. I get bored, and I'm not sure I can reread all the same books again,” she would always say.

Michael's guilt over the loss of Adelina was too much to bear at times; Often having to hide away when he got emotional as to not upset Ben. He did all he could to support Ben and himself while living in Surcoast.

After the tragedy, Ben became introverted. At 14 years old, Ben with light brown curly hair, and deep blue eyes, like Adelina. Ben was taller than most kids his age. He was a combination of curious and brave. A combination which often got him hurt or in trouble.

It was a beautiful day out; all the children were out playing. Ben played with two of his best friends Loc and Amra. Loc is a year younger than Ben, but even bigger and taller than him. He always kept his head shaved, he preferred it that way so when he worked, he wouldn't get sweat, dirt, and flour in his hair. It was much easier to clean.

Loc's parents owned the local bakery, “The Crust of the Hearth” which always made the town smell wonderful in the mornings. He would help carry bags of flour from the storage shack to the bakery. From time to time, he would help deliver bread to the rest of the town. Loc is always on the move and lifting things, which is probably why he’s so big for his age. Amra on the other hand, was a slender girl of 14 and Mayor Druf's granddaughter. She was told her father died when she was just 2 years old; she barely remembered him. She never knew her mother. She was told that she had ran off after giving birth to go live in the big city.

Amra with average height, and wavy black hair that went down to her shoulders, had dark green eyes and a pale complexion. Which to Ben, made her the most beautiful girl he's ever seen. Ben thought it a shame that Amra often put her hair in a bun. She is a bit of a tomboy and loves exploring with the two boys.

Loc has always had a crush on Amra and would always tell Ben that he was going to marry her one day. Amra didn't really seem to pay attention much to boys. Although Ben would catch her looking at Loc from time to time when he'd be working at the bakery. Perhaps they will get married he thought to himself. As for Ben, he wasn't interested in anyone now. He would look, but his head was always on his next adventure. Where was he going to explore next? What will he find?

The trio decided they were going to go to their secret picnic halfway up Mt. Cornet. They traveled through the woods and up the same path towards the dragon's cave, well what used to be their cave. About halfway up, maybe a mile and a quarter from town there is a smaller path that heads east and up away from Surcoast, which eventually curves back toward the village. At the end of the path sat a clearing that gave a splendid view of Surcoast.

Today, they brought themselves some lunch. The three liked having picnics up here. Loc would bring a couple loaves of bread, while Amra would bring some meats and cheese. Ben would always carry the water, and on rare occasions he'd sneak a small bottle of mead. They sat and ate their meal. After they finished, Ben and Loc pulled out their wooden practice swords and pretended to sword fight. They had no real training but liked to pretend they were warriors out of legends. Amra just loved to watch. Ben was sure she didn't mind watching Loc at all. She would giggle if one of the boys would slip or get smacked with the sword. After a while they'd take a break and sit on the ledge; legs dangling below while they overlooked Surcoast.

This was Ben's favorite place to be, and he would sometimes come here by himself to think. Behind them they could hear the birds chirping and the squirrels skittering around, the wind rustling the branches and bushes. Sitting on the ledge, Ben could feel the soft breeze hitting his face as if the finest silk were caressing him. He closed his eyes and took in the sounds of Surcoast. If he listened closely, he could hear the water wheel echo up the mountain, the clanging of the blacksmith's hammer, and faint cries of people selling their wares.

The sounds of his home put together almost made it as if it were a living creature. This always made him feel pure joy and allowed him to just let everything go. For at this moment, he could feel peace within himself. Ben, Loc, and Amra sat in silence; occasionally saying how nice it was.

The sun was starting to descend below the ocean beyond. Loc stood up,

“Think it’s time we get goin eh?” Loc asked while helping Amra up.

“I think I'm going to sit here a while longer. I'll catch up to you guys in a bit,” Ben said, not even looking at the other two.

Loc and Amra looked at each other and with a grimace, Amra nodded at Loc. They both knew what Ben had been through, and what he was probably thinking.

“Okay, just be careful,” Amra said.

“You know I will,” Ben replied. With that, Loc and Amra left Ben to himself.

Alone, Ben stared off into the distance, Surcoast only living in his peripheral. Smoke from the inn slowly started to fade away, signaling that dinner was done for the ones taking residence. He wondered if things would ever change.

“Am I going to take over dad's shop? Do I want to? What else would I do?” Ben said aloud to himself, disappointment in his tone. There was a whole world to explore, He loved his town and everyone in it, but the day-to-day routine would get tedious once and awhile. Ben always fancied himself to be a hero and to travel the world and find ancient relics, but those were just childish dreams.

Sighing, he got himself up, grabbed his backpack and turned toward the path leading down. Before he started walking though, he looked up and saw the entrance to the dragon's old home. He stood staring for a moment, then decided he was going to go inside the cave. It was safe right? The dragon was gone.

I could find some treasure! He thought to himself with excitement. Without realizing it, he was at a jog with his backpack bouncing around behind him. As usual, the thrill of adventure egged him on, and he always fell for it.

Chapter 3

When foe becomes friend.

By the time Ben reached the cave entrance the sun was almost completely down.

“Going to get another scolding from dad again...” he mumbled to himself. That, however, didn’t deter his enthusiasm. Ben reached to the side of his backpack and pulled out his torch, lit it, then stepped into the cave. The flames made shadows bounce around the caves’ walls, the torch fire crackling above his head. Ben gulped and took a deep breath as he stepped further in to explore.

As he walked further in, a stench hit him. He couldn't quite place what it was. Dung, or old meat that has been sitting here for some time. Whatever it was, it made him cover up the smell by putting on his favorite handkerchief around his nose. The sky-blue cloth with white wind blowing throughout, the last gift his mom got for him. He treasured it and carried it always. In the distance Ben could hear what sounded like water dripping. It reverberated throughout the cave making it sound louder than it probably actually was.

Curiosity getting the best of him, he walked toward where he thought the sound was coming from. He would look down from time to time along the way to see if there were any gold or gems that were left behind. Frowning he didn't see anything of value. Though in one corner he could barely make out what looked like a decent size pile of animal bones. “I guess that's where the dragon put their lunch when they were done with it,” Ben said.

Startled by the echo of his voice, Ben gave himself a small fright. He laughed at himself and started saying “hello! Hellloooooo!” enjoying the echo of his voice.

Suddenly, to his right he heard a skittering across the cave floor. Ben froze in place looking toward the sound, peering as hard as he could. Reaching to his side, Ben pulled out his dagger. The blade was about 7 inches long with a falcon design on the flat of the blade. The handle, a yellowish gold with a downward curved crossbar on both sides acted almost like a shield for the fingers. The bottom of the handle was shaped like a falcon head and inlaid on each of the eyes were small sapphires. The dagger fit him like a glove. It was a gift his dad bought him when a recent merchant came to Surcoast. Like his handkerchief, he carried it everywhere he went.

Taking a few careful steps toward the sound, many thoughts ran through his mind. Was it a lost dog? Or a pig? Or possibly a sheep that was spared by the dragon? Ben was having second thoughts about coming in here now. He took a step back and almost ran back outside. Instead, he pressed on and pointed his Torch in front of him so he could see more clearly.

There in front of Ben was what looked like a partitioned room in a house except the pillars were made of stone. Inside that room was… Ben stopped breathing and became as stiff as a statue. 10 feet in front of him was a baby dragon rearing its teeth, shoulders up, and its legs back as if it were about to pounce at any moment. Its small wings raised up making it look like a cat puffing its tail in an attempt at intimidation. In fact, it did look about the size of a large house cat, its scales were a dark blue with a gray hue to it. Ben's lips and throat were suddenly dry as if he went days without water. Licking his lips, he took a step back. Doing so made the wyrmling take a step forward. They locked eyes, and Ben noticed the wyrmling would glance at his dagger in the standoff. When he looked down at his dagger; the wyrmling took 2 quick steps toward him and started growling. Ben quickly looked up and had a realization. This dragon feared his dagger.

“I'm not going to hurt you,” Ben said. he slowly put away his blade.

He reached into his pouch by his waist and produced a small handful of jerkies he had left over from the picnic. As he gently tossed them at the wyrmling’s feet, his Torch started flickering, nearing the end of its life.

The wyrmling licked and chomped at the jerky ravenously.

The poor thing was starving, it probably hasn't had a decent meal in days. I'm being a fool; I need to get out of here, Ben thought. Something kept him from running though. He felt sorry for the creature. No food, no water, no companionship.

“No mother,” Ben said softly to himself. This is the dragon's baby, he thought. His village killed her; his dad killed her. He felt a sudden connection to the wyrmling. He felt sorry, sympathetic, almost equal to it. His Torch was flickering more wildly now.

The wyrmling looked up into Ben’s eyes and cocked its head sideways. It took a few steps toward him, Ben stepped backwards; and the wyrmling froze.

“I’m sorry little guy. Its late and I need to go home,” Ben said.

The wyrmling stepped forward again and started purring. Ben let it get closer, then the wyrmling started to rub its head on Ben’s legs, Ben started to laugh. His torchlight started to fade. The wyrmling looked up at the torch, then started to claw its way up Ben’s leg.

“Ow! That hurts,” Ben said, as the dragon’s talons dug into his legs. The wyrmling crawled up Ben’s back and perched itself on his left shoulder, looked at the torch, and blew a small jet of flame reigniting it. Ben got a closeup of the wyrmling now resting on his shoulder. Its beaty black eyes matched well with his dark blue scales. Its eyes looked lonely and sad. Ben took his free hand and began petting the wyrmling on the head. Its purrs became increasingly louder.

“Haha, you’re really cute,” Ben laughed.

The wyrmling started rubbing its head against Ben’s

“You’re all alone, aren’t you? I kind of know how that feels. I feel alone a lot. I must go now, okay? My dad is probably worried about me. I wish I could take you with me, but I know the townsfolk would hurt you,” Ben said.

Ben grabbed the wyrmling under its stomach and removed it from his shoulder and placed it on the ground. It immediately ran through his legs again; Ben couldn’t help but smile.

“What should I name you?” Ben said. He thought for a few moments.

“How about Rosco?” The wyrmling jumped up on Ben’s leg again.

“You like that name? Alright then Rosco, I’ll be back tomorrow. I promise, I won’t abandon you. It’ll be you and me forever,” Ben said. Ben gave Rosco a few more pets and left the cave. For the first time since his mother passed, Ben had something to look forward to everyday. Ben smiled the entire way home.