When dragons cry

"Are you crying dragon father, there are droplets falling from your eyes. Can dragons cry, I never thought so". The young man was casually leaning against the great body of his parent. He touched the liquid that was trickling from the great brute's eyes, rubbing it between his fingers in wonder.

"I do not cry, that is a human thing, you have done it many times. This is just a reaction from the heat of my body".

"Uh huh". Said Kadron.

Gwinfer had been a father for sixteen years. He loved all of his calves alike, both winged and none winged. He was not yet ready to send his none winged child out into the frightening world alone. But the pup was now grown and had gone searching for his own kind. At least his winged children, though grown, were still a part of the thunder.

"I am eighteen years old now father, old enough to live on my own. Furthermore, I have met someone that I care about".

"What do you mean live on your own? Your home is here". Gwinfer had always dreaded the approach of this day. In his heart he knew it was inevitable that Kadron would return to his own kind someday. But really, the years had flown, and he was not ready to relinquish his child to uncertainty.

One day a note had appeared in the forest where the children played by the fishing hole. Gwinfer had taken it to his human friend who read it for him. It told a story of witches, unseen parents and much danger for the young boy. He had been extremely vigilant in keeping the child safe after that, but he always wondered about the full story of Kadron's beginning. Gwinfer had informed the young man of the note when he got old enough.

"I am grown now Father, I have to start making my own decisions. I cannot fly remember, and I want to experience college with my own kind. It is different for dragons. I love you dearly, and I will visit you often you know that, but you have to accept that there is another world out there where I belong too"?

"What of the ones who still search for you out there in the world. We don't know if they can identify you still". Gwinfer wondered if the human fathers were as reluctant to let their newly grown children move away from their homes.

"I cannot live in fear forever. I will not allow anyone to dictate how I live my life. You taught me well father. I am strong and fearless just like you are". Kadron pumped his muscles at Gwinfer. They both laughed.

Looking at the tall athletic brown skinned youth who stood defiantly in front of him, his confident eyes seeing beyond this home into a future of his own choosing, Gwinfer knew that Kadron would be able to take care of himself. He always did have a stubborn streak. He was ready, he had been well trained physically and was a brave cub. The young child was gone, now it was time to welcome a grown man, well sort of, he still had a lot to learn.

"Kadron, Kadron", came a chorus of three young dragons. Vinela was ten years old, the same age as Kadron in dragon years, she was a startling red colored dragon with a fiery temper to match, she had passionately protected her 'wingless' brother as she called him, from the day they met. Secretly she was his favorite. Andar was seven and Juno, the baby of the bunch was five years old. What fun they had had growing up flying, hunting, playing games and being wild. Their mother was never very far away. Kadron loved Mayana, she was kind and fair and fiercely protective of them all.

"Vinela says that you are leaving, we don't believe her. Is it true"?

Kadron crinkled his face at Vinela, "Vin, I told you that I would explain it all to them myself".

"Well, they found out by eavesdropping on you and father, I just didn't want to lie to them".

"It's ok, come along, we have much to discuss you little spies". He chased them out to the clearing near the trees where the fresh water flowed down unto the rocks forming a beautiful stone strewn stream. Flowers grew in great natural splendor everywhere, offering a choice and variety in color. Out here in the sunshine and fresh air, their home was perfumed with the delicious scent of the floral bouquet.

Gwinfer knew that his son had made up his mind. All he could do now was support him. He stood for a while in quiet contemplation after Kadron had left.

"Like father, like son". He heard behind him.

Gwinfer turned to see his mate standing and smiling behind him. "Don't start that now". He said, still a little preoccupied with his conversation with Kadron. For a fond moment he looked at the mother of his three dragon and one human child. She had welcomed the lost child with open arms, saw it as a challenge, and loved them all equally. He was so proud of her.

Mayana was a mid-sized petite blue dragon with a light purple face and blue horns. She was unusually colored and stood out among other females because of her impassioned nature and no holds barred honesty. If you hated the truth them she was not the friend for you. He knew that she agreed with Kadron and was confident that Gwinfer would come around eventually, but really, he had no choice in the matter. Kadron had made up his mind.

Fourteen years earlier

Long ago in the forest of Middren, he had chanced upon a little tot lying fast asleep and all alone. This was such a rare thing to see, he knew immediately that something was terribly wrong. Why would a child be all alone in the middle of the forest.

The Middren belonged to the dragons, the humans knew that it was out of bounds, they knew not who owned it, but they respected the boundaries and ownership of the land and space. They came often, nonetheless, to traverse the forest, no harm came to them as long as they honored the land. The land of Middren was fertile, with verdant grasslands amidst a wild abundance of multi-colored trees as far as the eyes could see. Large and extremely high mountains formed a vast backdrop for this forest. The paths to the mountains were not easily visible by the humans traversing its interior spaces. A great river and many scattered waterfalls obscured the hidden mountain paths. Parts of the river intersected with the Sorall ocean where the dragons fished and the young frolicked and relaxed by the shore. Their hunting ground was the dangerous western section of the forest which was out of bounds to all except the hunters, many dangerous animals roamed this area.

Gwinfer had been wrong though, all those years ago, Kadron had not been alone.

For, unseen by him, standing over the child for protection, were his parents, Iona and Timas. They had not been visible to the ordinary eyes. Three years ago, they made a deal with the devils, the witches of Dankirk. A pact was made for this childless couple, the nature of the pact had been unclear. They had desired a child so badly it mattered not what they had to do. Their deep yearning and desire overshadowed common sense, and they fell prey to trickery and deceit. One year later, they got their wish, a son was born. They doted upon him completely and all but forgot about witches and pacts.

When the child was two years old the devil witches came to claim his soul. "We promised you a child, we made no pact for the length of time, your days are up, the child is ours, a sacrifice is wanting, upon the next full moon"!

In desperation they tried to run, the further they ran from home the less the child could see them. By the time they got to the Middren forest, they were totally invisible. The witches had hexed them. The poor perplexed child had then started to cry. Imagine the confusion of a tiny tot who could hear but not see it's parents, nor even feel their touch. Becoming completely exhausted, the child laid down, stuck a thumb in his mouth and fell asleep.

Standing over their child feeling dejected, helpless and lost, they clung to each other. They had to protect this child from wild animals and people who would do him harm. But how? All they could do was make a lot of noise to drive away any danger that appeared, a whole lot of good that was going to do. Hopefully help would appear if the universe and the gods heard their prayer.

To their consternation, a great dragon swooped down from the sky. They were shocked, did dragons not become extinct a long time ago. Was it planning on eating Kadron? This large and powerful looking creature was of a dark green color from head to toe, except for the eyes, which were yellow with a wide black slit in the middle. The child's mother, fearing for his safety, reacted without thinking.

"No"! Iona shouted, rushing at the dragon, while her husband tried to stop her. Alas, Gwinfer could neither see nor hear her, her voice was now gone too.

Gwinfer had heard the child crying while out hunting. He approached the sleeping child and gently nuzzled it with his jaw. It moaned and turned on it's side.

"What are you doing out here all alone, little one"? He said aloud.

Iona and Timas were surprised that the creature could speak their language. It seemed friendly though. Maybe there was hope after all.

The child awoke and saw the large dragon. "Doggie". Kadron said, reaching up to touch Gwinfer's face.

Amused, the dragon asked, "what is your name child"?

"Me Kadwon, Ka...dron".

"Ok Kadron it is. I guess that you are coming with me for now. We can try to find your parents later".

His poor parents could only stand by and watch as the dragon picked up their only child with it's large talons and flew up to the sky. They hoped with all their hearts that he would be safe.

The strange thing was that when they returned home they were visible again. The witches were furious. They cursed them that whenever they were near the child he would never see them, and neither would they be able to touch him ever again. Over the years they would walk to the forest and see Kadron and the dragons playing or hunting together. This brought them some peace. They adopted a little orphan child and were happy enough. The witches were not interested in this child, they still fumed about Kadron and their loss. Whenever they went into the forest Iona and Timas just casually passed by the child, they knew not to get close enough to start fading, the witches were always watching. Thankfully they never figured out who Kadron was with or where he was.

Life with dragons

Gwinfer had one human friend who called himself 'The Woodsman'. He lived in the woods some distance from the home of the dragons. They had been hunting, fishing and visiting together for many years. When Kadron first came home he was an invaluable help with the care of the child, there were a lot of trials and errors, but they all survived and the child thrived. Strangely, the child was rarely ill and adapted to life among the calves and extended family without any great mishaps, just the usual sibling rivalry and healthy childish squabbles. They had fashioned a room in the brightest section of the cave for the child where light streamed in. It had a comfortable bed and everything that a human child would need, including a bathroom which let itself out through a carefully prepared section of rocks leading to the outside. Kadron however, loved to bathe in the river and would spend hours there with his siblings. Thankfully, the weather here rarely changed with the seasons.

The years had flown away so fast that his son's sudden yearning for independence had caught him unawares, or maybe he had just tuned out the warning voices.

Kadron and Gwinfer had a stable of horses especially for transport back and forth to the dragon's home. They were trained and ran free on the grassland north of the forest. He only had to whistle and one or the other would come to his assistance. Kadron brought his mate Ayana to visit on many occasions, she was surprised at the proliferation of natural elements within the caves of the dragon. They literally lived within a fortune's worth of precious stones, you could pluck them from the wall just like you would a rock or a stone. Kadron had no problems paying for his schooling. He just had to use it in small quantities to avert suspicion.

Ayana

Ayana loved the forest, she felt a special peace within the untarnished parts of nature. The Woodsman had fashioned ladders for climbing to the tops of the great trees surrounding the home of Kadron and his family. It felt strange to say the word family. Dragons and a human child. Yet somehow it felt so familiar when she was around them, as if she too had come home. Anya understood Kadron's desire to live among his kind, but she had lived around them her entire life, she would be just fine with a home in the fresh air of the mountains far away from the maddening crowds, what great fun their children would have when the time came for them to arrive and be welcomed. She smiled at the thought, the topic had not yet been broached between them. Maybe later when the time was right. For now she sat on the topmost branches of the trees from which she could see the cities for miles in the distance. How wonderful, peaceful and heavenly it all felt.

School among the humans

Kadron felt like he had entered a new world, he had been to the cities many times when living with the dragons, but actually living among his own kind was an entirely different experience. Yet, he was torn between them and his other life. Ayana was always at his side, ready to give advice on things that he did not understand. There are people who will lead him astray and she would not stand for it. She had the same untamed strong nature much like his dragon mother and he had learned to listen and weigh the strength of any advice given by her. There was always danger and evil no matter where one happened to be.

Their lives went on without incidence for the most part of the four years of college. His years of extensive reading and studying from the huge trove of books and aid provided by the dragons by means of the Woodsman, had more than prepared him for college. He had spent many hours doing research in the city libraries. In fact he was educated well beyond the knowledge of his peers. His father dragon had a great appetite for learning. They had pored over books, battery operated and man-made machines of every type, and together they had prepared him for life anywhere. He had listed himself as home schooled.

Trouble rears it ugly head

Witches never age easily, neither do they forget an ill against themselves. They had not forgotten the child of eighteen years ago, their lives had been invested in him. The pact they had made must be fulfilled with the blood of this particular child, without him they would be no more. Now they were becoming desperate, the thirty years of their rebirth and renewal with sacrifice were fast coming to an end. They had to find the child.

"The lad needs be of age for school, to school you go for to teach, till child be found, be now a teacher true". A location spell is cast for the continued search for Kadron.

Armesia the young witch, was educated in the ways of human teaching. The witches planned for her to enter the school system and find the young man in whatever school he had enrolled. Secretly she relished the idea of being among the young of her age, she could be a teacher or a student, whichever the particular situation required.

Timani, the adopted son of Timas and Iona had long resented the fact that he would always be overshadowed by the existence of Kadron. He had found out the reason why his parents always went to the forest. It was not for him they went, but rather to seek after the safety of their natural born son. They used him as an excuse, he thought, and he hated it. The witches got to him. They promised him wealth untold if he could tell them where his brother was. Kadron was already away at school by then, the visits to the forest had been halted. Timani was not sure which school, but it had to be where he would be now.

He was two years younger than Kadron. Greed prompted him to take a year from school to assist the witches. If he went near his brother, they would know, he too would fade when he was close enough to him. They visited many schools but to no avail. For four years they went from school to school. Graduation time rolled around for Kadron and Ayana. On the very day, Timani and Armesia turned up. As awards were being handed out, Timani faded just a tiny bit. Armesia became extremely excited.

Hurrying back to her room, she filled the bathtub with water, poured in a magic potion, swayed, chanted and shrieked, thus relaying the information to the witches far away. Upon their brooms they flew with utter excitement, hurriedly high above where human eyes could not see. In secret they landed and scurried to the young man's graduation. All the awards were done. Hats were thrown into the air and confusion ensued. Parents, relatives and friends now milled and gathered around their loved ones with hearty congratulations.

But, which one was he? For there were many.

In the audience sat the Woodsman, as dapper as can be, watching carefully, for he knew all too well the story of this young man's plight. From the corner of his eyes he saw two people, one was whole, the other was half. He flew post haste to warn Gwinfer and Mayana, who were quite close by awaiting their son. News was circulating in nearby towns of dragon sightings, people scoffed and did not believe, some however took pictures. Soon there would be pandemonium. There was no time to lose.

The great dragons swooped down above the crowd outside, people scattered here, there and everywhere in consternation and fright. A monster, they shouted. Woodsman dashed into the building where the two young people waited for him.

"They have found you. We have to go, Gwinfer and Mayana are outside".

"Kadron, cover your head with your robe", Ayana shouted while pulling hers over her head, the Woodsman followed the two as they dashed out of the building. Upon the backs of the dragons they leapt and away into the sky they soared. School was done, they had no reason to return. Fortune had indeed smiled upon them.

Timani, Armesia and the coven of evil witches, lost their prize in the confusion that followed. They never did find out who it was that made Timani fade a bit away. The witches flew back home upon their brooms, leaving Timani, penniless and alone. He eventually found his way back home.

In shame he confessed what he had done. His parents, however, saw only the positive, their son had escaped, he was safe, and the witches had lost him hopefully forever. She was right, they searched and searched. Gwinfer and his family had gone far, far away until it was safe to again return home.

Eight and a half years passed by. One day Woodsman saw an elderly couple in the woods searching among the trees and looking for something or someone. Casually he approached them and started a conversation. They told him of witches, a son that they had left in the woods and a dragon that raised him as his own. The witches they said had all died. They wished to see their child before they too died. He felt that they spoke the truth and asked them to return the next day. Away he flew with Manziel, the chief guardian of the secret home of the hidden dragons, to find Kadron and family.

The family had grown a bit larger, Kadron and Ayana, pledged together as one, now has a boy and a girl, twins two years of age.

A question of most importance was posed to the couple in the woods. "How do we know that you are not the witches in disguise, still trying to harm our precious child"?

"We have nothing except a photograph and our love, please believe our pain and suffering of many years as proof, furthermore, our child will know deep within his heart that we speak the truth".

Manziel, the dragon, with Woodsman's help, placed the couple upon his back and all together they soared into the sky to meet the child.

Kadron immediately knew his parent's hearts, he had sensed them many times over the years even though he could not see them. These were no witches. He held them tight and cried for the lost years.

Next day there was great a celebration with parents who could now see their son, touch their son and hug him tight. Now the hugs are tripled, with many other hugs for dragons aplenty, plus the Woodsman. The death of the evil witches had released them from their curse. Kadron was elated to meet his human parents. He also welcomed his human brother, in a very roundabout way, his actions had brought closure and happiness to all of the family members.

The family moved back home. Now they just needed to figure out who lived where and what was the best plan for the happiness of everyone involved.

Kadron's dream is to use the resources of the caves to build a forest preservation community which will include young dragons and young human children playing and interacting together. He will hire qualified people to help him preserve the integrity and safety of the forest and the dragon's homes. Hopefully there will be interaction and camaraderie between man and dragons once again.

Here we will leave them to figure out the rest of their lives, to live in peace and freedom from the threat of witches. They will deal with other dangers as they rear their ugly heads. Together they can accomplish anything.

The End.

N.A.