Lost

My entry into the Vocal "Christopher Paolini's Fantasy Fiction Challenge"

He had been told so many times not to stray and to stay close, but he succumbed to temptation easily and was always wandering to explore and follow paths that were not marked. He had seen a creature, he wasn’t too sure what it was but wanted to know, so ignored what his family had told him and stalked the creature deeper and deeper into the forest.

“I wonder what it is,” he thought, “I need to find out then I can tell everyone what I have found."

He was an inquisitive one and was always looking for new things, to learn about, he was seen as one of the most intelligent of them all, so commanded a lot of grudging respect, but that did not stop him from putting himself at risk because he had not thought about the potential consequences of what he was doing.

As he was so young he could only travel on foot knowing that he could easily be caught if the adults decided he should be back in the fold, but he was alone and lost. The creature or thing he was stalking had lost him, but here there were lots of new plants and things that may help the adults in the tribe.

He had a photographic memory, although cameras and photographs were unknown, but his memory was prodigious and when he was with his tribe they always loved to hear what he had to say and what he had discovered. He was much loved and respected although he also caused many to be exasperated when he went off on jants like this and had to be found and brought home.

This was something that he and others could not understand, he had prodigious knowledge, amazing intelligence, a fantastic memory, and a great sense of direction, and still, he always got lost. His mind was easily distracted by the new, which set him on a path to discover more about what he had found to the exclusion of everything else, almost ADHD traits, but again that was something unknown in these times.

Then it happened.

He was in a clearing and there was a roar and a dragon flew down roaring at him and hot a stream of flame at him dousing him in a burning inferno. Luckily for him his scales protected him and he was just uncomfortably warm, he was just a small dragon unable to fly yet, and looked up into his mothers reprimanding eyes.

His mother scolded him:

“Why do you keep going off like this? You are always doing this and we have to come and bring you back? We need to keep you safe you know that”

“I am sorry mother but a strange creature led me here and there is an abundance of flora that I have never seen, who knows how it might benefit us”

“If you are captured or, I can’t think about it, killed by the humans that will be of no help to us. YOu are our Prince and when you are of age you will lead us, but til then I am your regent and protector but you always put yourself in harm's way and at risk, You cannot keep doing this”

“I am sorry mother”

“Ever since your father was cruelly slain by George of Lydda because he said your father demanded human sacrifice, the lying coward. What happened as you know is that George befriended your father, who had always looked out for dragons and humans, and the stabbed your father while he was sleeping, beheaded him, and George was given sainthood and respect when in reality he was a cheat and a coward. This led others to believe they could do the same so now we have to be very wary of humans and must protect ourselves, my son and prince”

“I am sorry mother, I will respect your wishes and always find a companion to come with me when I leave the tribe”

“When you are king, you will not be able to leave the tribe, but you must teach others to do your bidding and to protect us from those that threaten us.”

“I will continue my education with you and the elders, and I will become a king that you and my father will be proud of, I already have respect, I know that and with you love mother, I will keep the dragon tribe safe and we will prosper and be a force for good in this world.”

And so the story continues…….