Dragon Rider

Kaimria circled. ‘There’ he thought ‘there is a little one.’ He scanned the surrounding area looking for its parents. The infant seemed all alone. He circled closer constantly scanning. It wasn’t that he was particularly frightened of the adults. A few he could manage but they were determined fighters especially when defending their babies. This little one though did seem all alone, but maybe it was a trap.

He hated humans, they had entrapped him from the day of his birth. Not that he knew any different at the time. It was the way with humans and dragons. Humans were the masters and dragons did their bidding.

The worst was the royal family. They had power, power to tame dragons. It was they who had first captured and mastered his ancestors and becoming the leaders of all humankind and all dragons. They were his masters. His master was hard but fair and he learned to avoid the cruel punishments. he resented the fact that as strong and powerful as he was the master had control.

The master had died and his son became king and his master. Where the father was strong and dedicated the son was a weakling who liked to drink. He found the affairs of state boring preferring to party. He hadn’t noticed that his control of Kaimria was slipping and one night while laying asleep with his latest love the dragon had sliced them open with his claw slaying them both.

That had been the start of the revolution. With Kaimria now free the rest of the dragons turned on their master who ran scared. Dragons now freed of their yoke of servitude rained terror on humans and he among them was the most ferocious.

He flew overhead barely off the ground. The little creature just looked up at him. No-one came out running. He circled around and flew directly at it. The child just watched as he pulled up to drop in front. It was too young to be afraid as it turned its astonishing electric blue eyes on him.

He could see that it was a girl child and she was playing with a stick drawing shapes in the dirt. She turned and toddled off away from him making her way into the mouth of a large cave. He was fascinated and carefully followed. On the floor of the cave were he could see her tiny foot prints and earlier drawings she must have made. He peered around ready for an attack but none came. The child made its way deep into the cave where it opened into a large chamber. He barely squeezed though the opening but the chamber massive. He could stand upright and spread his wings.

He followed the little girl wary for an attack . He could see her doodling all over the floor. It seemed to be purposeful rather than random. She had moved to the centre and stood waiting. He ambled over. The drawings were much clearer in here. Near the centre a bluish glow seemed to radiate from the floor. As he approached, beside the child was a drawing of a dragon with a person riding its back.

He reared back in fright his eyes swivelling. The child laughed. Through narrow eyes he noticed that its eyes matched the bluish hue beneath the dirt. He swiped the dirt using his front leg and below the dirt was solid blue crystal rock the same colour as her eyes. He could feel the energy radiating upward. The little girl watched him. This was no ordinary human child. This is one is special.

He scanned the image next to the the one depicting the dragon being ridden, still visible in the dirt. It was of a crown. He looked at it although crudely drawn it was recognisable as the one that rested on the head of the ancient Kings. This was before the uprising when dragons threw off the yolk of their overlords. The young child watched him and pointed to the next image. It was a picture showing the killing of an overlord. He knew exactly who it represented for it was he who had killed this one. The picture showed blood dripping froths claw.

The child watched him a slight smile on its lips. He knew she was accusing him. He stepped back lowered his head to stare directly into her eyes. He rumbled “What do you want?” She didn’t speak just moved her stick to the next picture. It showed the crown and the a beautiful woman. It was obvious that they were a married couple. She saw he realised what was being shown and moved the stick to the next image.

This one showed a baby who was the child of the king and the woman. He let out a soft growl. the stick moved on as she showed him generation after generation of children being born. It was disturbing. At the time of the revolution he was sure that everyone of that terrible family had been killed. The pictures seemed to be showing him that one of those ancients had survived and that the young child in front of him was a direct descendant.

He laughed. It was a terrible sound, deep and rumbling, the sound of death. The child didn’t flinch. He jumped forward ready to sink his claws into her. Her eyes flared as he leapt and she easily avoid his charge. Her speed surprised him. He spun around searching for her to see her toddling her way out of the chamber and out of the cave. He charged after her. He had killed her ancestor and he would kill her.

In his mind he saw again the brilliant blue of the first image that had announced her intension to ride him like a horse. He was never going to submit to human control again. Not after all this time as master of his own destiny. He would tear her limb from limb. After all she was still only an infant.

He rushed out of the entrance. The child was waiting patiently. Scared he slid to a stop. She pointed with her stick. In the dirt was a drawing of a person. It was crude but he could guess that it was one of her ancestors. As he watched the image took on a blue glow and rose from the ground. Standing was a ghost of a man. His blue eyes turning his mouth moving as he pointed straight at Kaimria.

The girl child moved her stick and pointed at another drawing and another apparition materialised. Realising that the toddler intended to surround him with these ghosts of the past, he attempted to take flight but yet another of her ancestors appeared this one throwing a ghostly net high in the air to fall trapping him on the ground. He fought hard, screeching as he tried to tear himself free. The ghosts just tightened the net until he was trapped the little girl then walked gently up to him. In her hand was a muzzle. He renewed his struggled as he recognised it as the one he had been forced to wear before the revolt. She reached past the ghostly net and slid the harness over his mouth pulling it tight before fastening the ends.

She stood in front and tugged the harness. He knew what she was asking and lowered his front leg to assist her onto his back. His one hundred and eighty years of freedom had come to an end. The little infant barely able to walk lifted another object from his past. he shuddered in horror as she carried it up onto his back settling the saddle across his shoulders. She threw the straps down. With some effort for one so small she circled one around his neck and once secure the remaining two she slung under his wings. The whole time she kept her grip on the rein. When she had the saddle secure she climbed in and secured herself. Only then did she release the spirits who had help trap him. The net disappeared. He stood turned his head to look her in the eye. She smiled and flicked the reins.

He leapt into the air flapping his enormous wings. Up they soared with the little girl laughing. The age of man had returned.