Protected by Wings

With each snowflake in the Blackbird State Forest in Smyrna, Delaware, more and more invisibility became apparent. A thin layer had covered the ground like white satin sheets. Sweet coos from a young babe just waking pervaded the tiny space in the forest.

His gentle hum and quiet murmurings stirred a few crows. His black skin resembled the color of teakwood.

He removed himself from his little cocoon and walked. He teetered a bit but found his footing. Dressed in a sweatshirt, down coat, joggers and boots, he was prepared for the winter winds. No cries came from this child. The swirl of the snow became a vortex of white that slightly blinded the toddler. Still, he forged forward despite the bitter wind, the biting cold.

The toddler had no problem shuffling off his swaddling. All he had to do was push off the cloth like a coil. He placed his tiny steps as a baby warrior brave enough to challenge the elements. Without a clue of where he was or where he was supposed to go, he just walked as the moonlight dripped a glow and it reflected off the snow packed on his hat.

Then, a great stirring occured. Snow whirled once again. This time, it seemed as if the entire world was collapsing. The toddler stood resolute nonetheless. Wings flapped like blades. They cut through the snow. A dragon displayed itself.

Without fire in his breath right then, the dragon sat down and shielded the young child.

“What is your name?” the dragon asked. “I’m Tyvell Gossinger,” the boy answered.

““I’m Radondos. Where are your parents?” The Dragon questioned and twitched.

“They’re somewhere I know not.”

“If you don’t mind, I’ll keep you warm within my wings. Stay tucked under my belly,” Radondos commanded.

Tyvell looked confident. He looked like someone had just handed him bread and milk and told him to cozy up in front of a fire.

“Yes, I’d like that.”

Radondos shuttered like a peacock. His excellent wingspan surrounded Tyvell.

“How old are you?”

“I’m two and a half,” Tyvell answered.

“You’re rather advanced for your age, aren’t you?”

“Yes, my parents have taught me many things. That is why I’m not afraid of being out here with a dragon.”

“I’m not afraid of you even though you are human. It is nice that we’re in the same mode of existence,” Radondos chuckled.

The snow fell slightly and continued for a few minutes and stopped. Then, the crunch of branches alerted Radondos and Tyvell.

“What was that?” the toddler asked, anxiety rising in his voice.

“It must be them….” Radondos replied.

“My parents?”

“I’m sad to say, no, young one. They’re probably hunters slinking through these woods. More often than not, they probably found out you were missing and now seek to ransom you to your parents. You keep quiet, now, okay?” He blew a small fire on some wood to keep the boy warmer.

The first hunters held rifles on their shoulders and armor around their torsos and affixed headgear. They traveled, some alone, others in packs of three or four. A light skinned black man approached Radondos. His wings completely covered the young boy. Only a glow from the fire remained.

“Excuse me, have you seen a small child around here?” Cokeli Loche asked Radondos.

“And if I had any information, what business of it would be yours?” the dragon breathed.

Cokeli snickered and threw up his hands. “Whoa, I just mean that you’re out here next to his belongings and you are withholding data from a human which is a violation of the Dragon Code.”

Three more predators stepped up with their skin and rifles as black as tar.

“I’m telling you that I can retain my words so as to not harm myself. That’s also in the D.C. Would you like me to read the full passage for you?”

“Your sass is only going to make things worse,” Zenino Dashfield said. He had long locks that rested against his brown skin. “You may think you’re a wise beast but you are a beast nonetheless.” About ten more hunters came to the place where Cokeli and Zenino stood with Radondos.

Inside the makeshift cocoon, Tyvell had fashioned a small weapon made from a piece of wood. His face read prepared, resolute as he listened to the dragon speak with the predators.

“Look, we’ll help you if you help us. It’s that simple.” A few more hunters approached Radondos.

“Now, you see. They're men with guns who would be more than willing to lay you down in a pool of blood….” Cokeli grinned. He had motioned his own firearm in all of his verbiage.

“Now, just hand this kid over and we’ll let you fly away on your own accord. There doesn’t have to be any action against us. We just need to have that child or we’re going to have a misunderstanding. We'll be feasting on dragon steaks for months.” The other hunters sneered at this remark. Some gave out great belly laughs. They reared back and continued to laugh at Radondo’s expense.

“You predators are really criminals. I can only wonder how you may have even heard that there was a toddler left in these woods. You probably offered the parents help to find the child. You knew all the while that you’re going to put him on a block and demand that his parents give you money to deliver the child to them. That's reprehensible.”

“For a giant breathing windbag you’ve got quite the wit. I’ll give you that. But this is about our money. We’re not businessmen. We’re not of the law per se. We’re just trying to squeeze the eagle like any other good hunter,” Zenzino replied. A few hunters shouted, “yeah!”

On the hill, the other predators cheered and laughed. Their toxicity became even more pungent as they spit and shivered in the cold and cursed. Radondos knew better than to take them at their word.

“That sounds atrocious and of course you’re not businessmen. You don't have the stomach for it. Not to mention the brains.” A few predators unslung their rifles and trained their sights on Radondos.

“If you think you’re scaring me with your meager tools of death and destruction, I’ve given the wrong impression. What you have done now is cross a line,” Radondos continued.

“Oh, yeah,” Cokeli taunted. “What’s that ‘line’?”

Next, Radondos opened his wings wide enough and exhaled fire that looked like a stream of hot, gamboge saliva. It scorched the hunters. By setting ablaze their weapons, they fired off rounds that shot right into the night. The heat melted some of the other armaments as well. In all the confusion and fog of war, the men had turned to feeble children not worth Tyvell’s slight stature. By taking down the forces against him, Radondos gathered full power. The other predators still challenged him. Some continued to advance, firing their weapons and watching the bullets bounce off Radondos’ skin. For all their bluster and rage, they could not topple the dragon. For all the advancements in their rifles, they could not contend with Radondos’ thick skin. With every ounce of might and orneriness they had built up in their bodies, Radondos was matchless. He breathed even more fire to stop their encroachment. Tyvell just looked stern and ready for the fight. His whole mission was to beat up the bad guys as much as Radondos was winning against them.

The other hunters dropped their weapons. They scurried about like fire ants after a heel hit the hill. In all their alleged acts of bravery, they displayed cowardice and evasion. This was not an evasion of trying to trick the enemy but of skirting danger and not facing reality. They went about in all directions trying to escape the ferocious column of fire. The inferno damaged or destroyed the men despite their efforts. Once they had become fully aware of just how powerful Radondos’ venomous blaze was, they did everything in their power to stop the dragon from completely razing their bodies. It mixed with the snow and made a mist of smoke, fire, and precipitation. All of this happened in the stark night that still showed reflections of the snow on the ground. With every blast from Radondos’ mouth, the hunters grew fainter still in their numbers. This great scene was not lost on the surrounding areas. Flames shot up some trees and Cokeli and Zenino felt the fiery lesson of Radondos’ terrific rhetoric. When the last predators limped away and could not match Radondos, Tyvell unclenched himself from the dragon’s belly. He witnessed the facts of trying to contend with a dragon. Radondos’ wings then returned to shielding Tyvell from the conflagrant expression. By revealing that he had just a bit more strength left in him. Through all the adversity, there seemed to be a definite clearing within the woods.

As the flames shot into the air, the Gossingers took note and traveled in their floating car through the forest to the blaze. Tyvell stood up with his fists clenched and ready for anything to come his way.

Once the pair had arrived, they saw a light and the face of their little boy. His mother, Allakina and his father Vernal Gossinger, both the same color as Tyvell, hugged him and kept him tight. They retrieved his swaddling and ensured that their son was going to be okay. They clutched onto him a few moments more. The dragon sighed. Battle weary, Radondos walked slowly away from the family. He had almost spent all of his energy in the service of the small boy. He laughed. He knew that what he had done was to protect with his wings the child’s future and his parent’s sanity. He looked up past the snowfall and gazed at the stars that had just begun to come into view. Just a few flurries fell now. In everything that had occurred, Radondos could still move his muscles. His fiery breath felt comfy in his belly and the rounds that the predators fired never penetrated his skin.

“You’ve saved our child. What can we do to repay you?”

“You do nothing. Tyvell is a great and noble future warrior. Unlike those predators, he will be an asset not a liability to all of his values.”

“If I may,” Gossinger said, “I’d like for us to be closer. If it isn’t too much trouble, we could all live together. You can stay at our fortress…if you’d like.”

“I’ve got to remain wild to prevent incidents like this as much as I can. Also, if something like this happens again, I’ll be prepared to defend the next soul separated from his family.”

“That’s honorable,” Gossinger said. “Again, thank you for protecting our little boy.”

“You should have seen him around the fire I made for him. He looked like a fighter with steel in his brown eyes. You ought to be proud of him.”

“We are. If those hunters who tried to ransom Tyvell had succeeded….” Allakina teared up a bit. Light snow mixed with her tears.

“They didn’t. I wouldn’t let them. Every chance they had, I impeded their advancement,” Radondos reassured. He looked at the night sky. It had finally cleared and produced its last flake. The mixture of the fire on the white hill created a picture of coolness and intense, glowing warmth.

“I must be off now. I take no reward except in knowing that I have served worthy people and have restored their value to them. May you folks take care.”

“Will we ever see you again?” Gossinger asked.

“Given the circumstances that I find myself in, I hope not!” Radondos grinned, bearing rows upon rows of razor-sharp teeth. He took one last look at Tyvell. The little boy then proceeded to salute the dragon. Radondos returned the salute. He let out another stream of fire towards the sky and flew off into the night.

The family found more of Tyvell’s belongings amongst the charred earth and returned to their vehicle to go to the comfort of home.