Leaving The Kingdom Of Dolion

“There weren’t always dragons in the valley!” The old scribe muttered to himself as he paced back and forth across the rushes on the floors of the high tower. “There weren’t always dragons in the valley! We were the Kingdom of Thee!” He yelled out into the darkness.

The sweet-smelling compost strewn across the walkways did not calm his nerves in the least. He would stop and glance out the window partially open to the world beyond. He did not see me at first and kept on with his head low, his cape billowing with the breeze that moved in the room once regarded as a holy grail to the villagers. He repeated again, “There weren’t always ….”

“Eh Sir,” I bowed with reverence, “You sent for me?”

He stopped cold and swung around. He moved quickly across the room until he was positioned to glare right in my face with such force that I bounced back to save myself from a tumble.

“Who are you? I sent for Armando!” His eyes bulged with ferocity. I could see he was blind in one eye and needed to see me closely.

“I am Nakao, son of Armando, my father is ill with the sickness that has invaded the village.”

I bowed my head again with respect and spoke without looking at him.

“He sent me to fill your request and begs your forgiveness for his ailment has besieged his being and he could not make the journey.”

I then pulled out the scroll my father asked me to deliver as I looked up to the stare of the old man with a tear running down his cheek. He whisked the letter from my hand, opened and read. When he was done, he rolled it up and handed it back to me.

After a long moment of silence he regained his composure, he spoke with a more even tone, but still earnest as I knew I was being sent to save the kingdom from further mutiny and destruction.

“Very well then, I trust that as Armando’s son you will fulfill your father’s duty and help to end the plight of your people!”

As I nodded my head to his request, I could see the pigeons appear in the window. The same pigeons that had delivered the scribe's message to my father followed me back here to make sure that I followed through with what would be asked of me.

“We don’t have much time!" The old scribe called Asa disrupted my stare. "I will tell you what you need to know and where you will need to go. Sit over there I need to get some things for your journey.” His arms pointed to two small wooden chairs opposite the window. I sat and waited, nervous for what this passage would entail. I was also anxious to prove that I was as much a warrior and loyal soldier as my father. When Asa returned, he carried a straw basket, a woman’s gray-haired wig and an old frayed black cloak.

“I will first tell you that you will be travelling with my pigeons across the mountains. You are going to save this village and this kingdom from Dolion and his family.” His eyes became large as he spoke. “Beyond the mountains by way of the enchanted forest that will lead you close to the sea; my granddaughter has travelled with all the animals who escaped with her when King Dolion anointed himself king. At the time we thought that Dolion would follow his father and grandfather’s lead and keep this a kingdom for the people.” Asa glanced out the window.

“When the dragons arrived, we thought we had been delivered a gift from the gods. The dragons brought with them power to the animals, all animals to take the emotion and missions of their human friends. So, if you owned a cat and you were happy the cat would be happy too and follow you!” He continued without pause even though I knew much of this story.

“I took to the pigeons which have been my friends, they will follow my command and ask only for kindness in return.” He gazed over at his friends with a heavy sigh.

“When King Dolion came into power things started very much the same as his father. This is why the people at first favored his induction to the throne. We were ruled as democracy with allegiance to the king. I know that may sound contradictory in terms, but it worked. People were happy here. We thought with the gift of the dragons we were in paradise.” At this time the old scribe looked down at his hands.

“The dragons came to us first in their eggs as though they were dropped from the sky. They were babes and needed much guidance to enter the world. My granddaughter was the one who found them on the side of the mountain back when we were free to roam as we pleased. We would climb the mountains, drink from the stream, picnic by the ocean. She was barely able to walk herself when she introduced me to her friend, Colm, a full-grown dragon she met that day hovering over the eggs. Colm was a lovely creature who embraced us!” He paused again in remembrance.

I tried to imagine all that he spoke of as my father had said many of the same things. That life before King Dolion was better. I have never even seen the ocean of which they speak. I have heard of the magic that resides in the forest but not had experience with its essence. I was ready to know of these wanders that surrounded our village yet remained out of reach. Both my father and Asa were worn and not up for the fight. I waited so that he would guide me as to what I could do.

Asa continued, "Soon after Dolion was our leader, I noticed small infractions of our fairytale. The king took delight in arresting people for pretty much no reason at all. He started to tax only the poor or the working class. His rich friends appreciated his rule. He started to charge anyone who was ill for medicine. Of course, many people probably as with your father have become ill because, the royal family has taken most of the fresh food and what water we have for their own consumption. Anyone who protested his policies would be taken into custody to his dungeon and never heard from again. And the power of the animals brought by the dragons, he abused that as well.” He looked back at his pigeons. “Animals were being slaughtered or used for mal intent on his prisoners.”

Asa stood up and walked to the window, “My granddaughter, Kameigha was, I mean is, a great lover of animals. She could not fathom how they were being abused, especially the dragons that were a gift. The animals would gravitate to her as her presence brings joy to both beast and man. One morning she enlisted Colm and left with several families from the village. She took most of the animals including the dragons. There were only two that she could not find that day and they were scooped up by the palace guards who also kept their horses and brought them to the king. Kameigha left my pigeons as well. She knew I would provide them care and they in turn would watch out for me.” He gazed at his beloved birds on the windowsill.

I spoke with curiosity, "With respect sir, King Dolion has committed these atrocities for many years now, in fact I do not know of the time that you speak of when these horrible acts were not happening. Why the urgency now?”

Asa turned and faced me again, “King Dolion, himself is now ill. Though this should be good fortune for our kingdom, his children are much worse than he. King Dolion has relied on his advisors for their counsel. His sons are fools and posers. The King knows they are not suitable and will not grant them the throne. He will give it to his daughter, Sidero who has evil intent. She is more learned than her brothers and more self-absorbed than the king. She will completely destroy what is left of our kingdom.” He turned to me. “That is why I need you to find Kameigha and tell her it is time to come home. She can bring the animals and restore the balance to our people.”

I looked at him with concern, “I have no weapons, how will I get past the guards on the mountain who do not let anyone leave unless they are a friend of the king.”

Asa looked again at me, “I have my dear wife’s old cloak and wig that she wore before she left this world. You know she was King Dolion’s sister and that is why I stayed. She is gone now, and you will be disguised as old woman begging for bread alongside the other villagers who are out in the streets. In a short time, there will be a distraction and the guards will be running in from the surrounding hills. This small moment in time will be your opportunity to move quickly over the mountains, through the forest, the trees will provide you direction in their magic as will my pigeons who will guide you to the ocean. To the ocean where Kameigha lives with her people and animals.”

It was not the image I pictured for myself as a soldier, running away in disguise as an old woman, but I nodded my head in agreement as I stood up. I took the bycoket off my head and rested the hat on one of the chairs. Asa adjusted the wig and helped me adorn the weathered cloak. He then handed me the basket, “There is one more thing Nakao, the dragons that reside with the king have become evil and they did produce an offspring. They will not be happy when it is missing.”

“Missing, sir?”

Asa opened the basket, “Not really missing as saved!”

I looked down to see a large egg glistening among the straw.

“Take it to Kameigha who will care for it! Here are a few shillings to buy bread and a scroll for my granddaughter with what she needs to do. Now you must go!” Asa closed the basket and started to shuffle me out of the tower.

“Be safe Nakao, and remember it is time to run for the hills when you see the guards running towards the distraction! The forest will show you the way!" With that he closed the door behind me.

As I headed through the stone halls of the tower, I kept my head down and held the basket in front of me. The cloak swayed in movement, and I tried to slower my pace to resemble the old woman I had become. I passed several guards along the way who paid me no bother.

When I walked out to the open village, I looked up briefly to see Asa staring down at me through the window. I walked to one of the food lines where many peasants had gathered for whatever was available. I held the few shillings close and kept my head down. A long gray curl slipped out of my cloak as I asked for some bread when my turn arose in line. My palms were sweaty as I clung to the basket. My nerves were heightened by the drumbeat of local panhandlers who played in the village road. I tried to make my voice sound as feminine and frayed as possible.

"May I have a half a loaf?"

The palace guard who dollied out the small baguettes just responded, “Three shillings!”

I handed the coins and took my bread trying to carefully place in the basket. I started to walk quickly probably out of nerves which I’m sure threw off my disguise. I looked to the trees in the distance and could see the pigeons starting to gather on the branches. It was if I could hear them speaking to me, "It is now time, Nakao!"

I tried to slow my stagger and hunched myself over. I had to keep my disguise. “I am old woman!” I whispered to myself, “I am old woman!”

At that moment a sword pointed right down in front of me stopping me from further movement. I knew right away it was one of the guards.

“Let me see your face old woman!” he shouted.

I did not respond and felt the blow to my face that knocked me down. I did not let go of the basket. I could feel the blood run down my cheek while my face was in the dirt. I grabbed a stone and flung it as I swung around careful not reveal my identity. The stone hit him off the side of his head, but it was the pigeons that were hovering over that gave me rescue. They swarmed into peck at his eyes and face. He screamed in agony and ran off leaving his sword. I turned towards the forest path to see the trees move in sequence with a signal. At that moment there was another commotion happening in the sky as I watched the king’s dragons fly to Asa’s window. They let out a fire before they flew in.

I then heard the loud bell from the palace that calls the guards followed by rustling of the feet as those faithful soldiers to the king raced from the hills towards the tower. The drumbeats of peddlers seemed louder. I took the b the sword and tucked it under my cloak. I hastened my pace up the mountain towards the trees who were now promising my refuge.

The pigeons were already soaring high above me. A cry like no other filtered the air. I looked over again at the Asa’s window only to see the king’s dragons flying out with the corpse of the old naked scribe firmly in their grips.