Awakening

Chapter 1

Awakening

There weren’t always dragons in the Valley. Rhein could almost hear his father, Thom’s voice whispering to him. Rhein stood on the very spot at Dragon’s Bluff where he last saw his father. The captivated look on his father's face as he described how ferocious and unrelenting the winged reptile-like beasts were, haunted him. Thom took Rhein by the hand and led him closer to the edge of the bluff. Rhein stood staring in amazement at the majestic creatures, he guessed about twenty were flying around in the distance. One specific dragon grasped his attention and would not release it. Its brilliant golden scales reflected the sun in every direction, creating a marvelous light show with every flap of its fleshy wings. Rhein remembered thinking how many meals he would be able to provide for he and his father with just a single golden scale. In concert with the thought, the dragon turned its head in their direction, seemingly noticing them—

“Rhein!” Janus shouted. “You going to play something, or continue daydreaming?”

Rhein shuddered out of his reminiscent stupor. “Yeah, sorry about that.” He tossed the right half of his tattered brown cloak over his shoulder and knelt to open his lute’s case. “I was just thinking about the last time I was out this way. It’s been nearly eight years.”

Janus knew what his friend was referring to and immediately regretted interrupting. “Oh, yeah. Sorry about that, we all miss your father.” Janus laid back into the spring growth, turning to one side with his back to his friend. His face feeling warm with the sudden rush of blood, which happened every time he felt he offended Rhein. For the last eight years Rhein has been living with Janus and his family. Throughout his time with them there was little about his father he was willing to talk about. The two were basically brothers at this point and he felt useless that he was unable to help Rhein get over his father’s passing.

Rhein ignored Janus’s apparent shame and started unbuckling his lute case. As he opened the case he admired the beauty of the deep reddish-brown of the polished mahogany lute. Every time he opened the case, he tingled with excitement. He imagined it was the same feeling one would get from looking at a fine work of art. Thom took him to Dragon’s Bluff to make presenting the gift to his son a memorable experience. He must have spent a fortune on it. Rhein had no idea how his father was able to afford such an instrument. The gift was just one of many surprises that would change Rhein’s life that day. Without wanting to postpone his friend’s enjoyment any further, he sat cross legged on the ground next to his case. After gently lifting the lute from its case he cradled it between his legs, careful not to let it touch the ground.

“What tune should I play for us today?” Rhein asked Janus, as he carefully checked each string to ensure the instrument was in tune.

Without much thought Janus replied, “Something uplifting.”

“How about The Wandering Mystic? It was my father’s favorite song to hum during spring harvest.” Without waiting for a reply, Rhein began playing the song’s introduction. It was a difficult song to play by anyone’s standard. The song rotated around an upbeat chord progression with quick transitions to and from up tempo finger picking. Performing this song was easy as breathing for Rhein. No matter how busy it was around the farm, he always found time to practice his lute. He found it to be the best way to remember his father. He remembered a couple occasions where his father brought him to the Wooden Flute Inn to see visiting musicians. Evergreen Hills has been Rhein’s home since as long as he can remember. His father used to tell him that he met Rhein’s mother in that town when he was in the military.

Janus rolled over toward his friend, propping his head up with his hand, not caring that the elbow of his long shirt was sure to get muddied by the damp grass. When the chorus came, he began to sing.

“A wonderful stranger, traveling through.

Our neglected town, a frightful view.

Her presence was truly, a marvelous sight.

For in her wake, she cured our blight.

A touch from her, your land would prosper.

But beware for those who would imposture--”

Rhein was too distracted to sing along. To his astonishment, little waves through the air appeared to be originating from the strings of his lute. He stared, dumbfounded, as the translucent ripples streamed through the air into the visible distance. Every note he played seemed to be on its own path and pattern.

When he noticed the music stopped abruptly, Janus hesitantly asked, “uhm, Rhein?” Not knowing if he should interrupt Rhein again. “We don’t have to continue if you don’t want to. I just thought it would be nice to get away from home for the afternoon, since we start harvesting tomorrow.”

“Did you see that?” Rhein asked, as he pointed out into the sky.

Janus glanced around wondering what the he was talking about. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

“I swear I just saw the music coming from my lute.”

Janus looked back at Rhein, confusion on his face. “What do you mean you saw the music?”

“I started playing the song, and with every note there was a little wave coming out of my lute.”

“Honestly, you are probably just exhausted from the hike up here.” Janus said while shaking his head in disbelief. “You must be getting out of shape in your old age.”

“I’m 16 Janus, and don’t call me old, you turn 16 this winter.” Rhein said sharply. “But perhaps you’re right.” He said a moment later, visibly loosening his shoulders.

“Let’s just relax here for a while before we have to get back to help with dinner.”

Rhein began the process of putting his lute back in its case, as Janus rolled over on his back. “I really did see something. I swear it.”

“I believe you.” Janus replied as he stole a worried look at Rhein out of the corner of his eye.

Rhein finished buckling the lute’s case and laid next to his friend. Gently resting his head on the hard case of the instrument. He laid there, an arm’s length away from the other boy. Subconsciously counting the few dragons that were within his view over the vast valley below. The valley stretched to the north as far as the eye could see from this vantage-point. Looking out at the charred valley, much of it appeared to be in various stages of regrowth. From what he heard from the merchants traveling from Magnus, the dragons were occupied keeping their eggs warm until the summer. Magnus being the largest trade city on the western side of Valia, the information originating from there was thought to be trustworthy.

Janus was the first to break the awkward silence. “Hey, there should be a merchant visiting at some point today. They usually arrive right in time for the spring harvest. Maybe we could ask if they have ever heard of anything like what you just experienced.”

“Yeah, maybe.” Rhein replied dismissively. He didn’t want to be labeled as an outcast if anyone from Evergreen overheard him asking such an obscure question. He feared they would try to send him to one of those asylums run by the church in Magnus. After a while, the tension between them dissipated. Rhein’s neck began to ache from being propped upon the case. “We should probably head back now. I’m sure your parents are beginning to worry about you.”

“I’m sure they are worried about you too. You're a part of the family too.” Janus was quick to say. He hated when Rhein talked like that. His mother and father always treated the boys equally. They may have given Rhein a little more leeway, but only because he went through so much before moving in.

Rhein went about brushing the grass and twigs from the backside of his cloak ignoring his friend’s comment. He leaned over to pick up his lute case by the shoulder strap.

Janus followed Rhein’s lead and began brushing the twigs from his hair and the back of his now wrinkled, damp shirt. Reaching over, he picked up his bow that was resting on the nearby juvenile oak. He always brought it when the two of them ventured outside of the small village. Their parents expected them to bring some sort of meat back from their trips. Janus’s mother could make an amazing stew with squirrel, or rabbit and some vegetables.

The boys glanced at each other, checking if the other was ready to begin the long trek back to their village. Turning their backs to the valley below, Rhein let Janus take the lead in hopes they would come across some wildlife to bring back in time for dinner.

Suddenly there was a deafening shriek that came from behind them violently shaking the nearby trees. Janus flinched, covering his ears out of the fear of becoming deaf. There must have been a dragon hiding somewhere close. Instinctively he turned his head to his brother, expecting some guidance. He gasped when he noticed Rhein collapsed on the ground holding his head in apparent pain. He reached for his brother, when he noticed out of the corner of his eye, something large peering above the edge of the bluff. The dragon’s head was slightly turned to one side, exposing a vertical elongated pupil staring directly at his brother.