Out of the Dragon's Den, Into the Void

Mist hangs low in a dark forest, pin-pricked with fires. The air is still, but for the flashes of activity lit in flames. A child slumbers, wrapped in an old blanket. Its small face is ringed with dew in the night air. The baby slumbers peacefully. Screams are heard , gently and far away, barely reaching the sleeping babe. Like a whisper while the little one dreams. A roar bellows in the distance. The air itself begins to move. Trees sway and branches snap. A large shadow presses itself down into the clearing. The mist swirling and churning, as finally the baby awakes and the air goes hauntingly still around it. The babe’s eyelids open slowly; adjusting to the scene. The stars are blocked from its view, and in their place, two menacing and brilliant purple eyes.The child’s own eyes, a swirl of blue and green stare right back into them. The fires have burned down, and not a scream remains. The two creatures study each other. Until finally, the air begins to move again, and with a gentle rumble it’s gone. The moonlight hits the clearing again. Nothing remains of either pair.

Light breaks on an iridescent cave. A small boy with shaggy hair looks out at the sunrise. The cave overlooks a beautiful range of mountains. Perched on the ledge, the boy looks down at the world below, fascinated. A light breeze blows steadily up from the edge, blowing the boy’s hair back. And then grows lightly still. Suddenly, the wind pulls from the other direction, pulling the boy to the ledge as he loses balance. His hands fly out and breathing panics before he catches himself and scitters away from the ledge and the void below. A large rumble from behind him prompts the boy to turn. A large black dragon with purple eyes walks into the warm light and rubs his head warmly against the boy before crawling up a low rock wall to a large city center of dragon caves.

The dragon’s tail slides slowly past the edge and out of view of the boy. The ledge is nearly thirty feet above and the wall near vertical. The boy sets a determined expression and runs at the wall, jumping off it once to a higher point, and then grabbing onto a handhold where he doesn’t break stride from grabbing another and another. Corded muscles bulge in the boy’s back as he flings himself up over the ledge and onto the flat rock walkway. The black dragon has traveled a fair distance away, but acknowledges when the boy makes it to the top and sprints after him.

Large statues dot the worn stone expanse at seemingly random points. Although many seem to be in the way, the dragons walk carefully around them. Many dragons sit perched from above, staring at the statues. The ground is marked in various intricate sections and shapes that the statues sit upon; a tapestry of statues and beautiful etchings. Occasionally, a dragon will move one of the statues and the other dragons will perk up when one does. They all study the board for a moment and everyone goes about their business, until another moves another statue.

The boy darts quickly across the enormous expanse, trying not to get in the way. A dragon, lying in its cave, growls menacingly at the boy as he passes. The boy increases his speed to a near sprint in an effort to catch up to the black dragon which is already far ahead.

Many dragons roamed the streets and the boy had to be cautious so as not to be squished accidentally, or maybe on purpose. In an effort to not be stepped on, the boy darts as often as he could from large object to large object. Most of the dragons when they’d spot the child would be careful in their movements to ensure the child’s safety. Others were not so welcoming of the outsider. One in particular, a red dragon, would often sweep its tail when walking past the boy, feigning it as an accident when the boy tumbles over and is sent skidding across the stone, much to the anger of the black dragon. It was this dragon that, having spotted the boy alone, approached.

The boy darts hides behind a large column when he sees the red dragon. Hoping he hadn’t he hadn’t been spotted, the boy holds his breath as he listens to the dragon pass. A faint slither of it’s tail is heard as its booming footsteps continue past the boy. Walking around the column, to keep it between himself and the dragon, the boy cautiously starts taking steps away, when he is grabbed suddenly from the middle with a quick flick of a red tail. The dragon slithers and coils itself around the column, and with its tail hoists the boy upwards.

A mental spike penetrates the boy's mind with almost no effort, but still viscous in its strike. The boy cries out in pain at this and the ever increasing pressure around his middle.

“Little rabbits shouldn’t wander around the wolf den alone.” the red dragon hisses into the boy's mind. “Where’s Daddy?” it says with a smile as the boy's breath is squeezed from him and he can no longer make a sound. “Gotten away from you, has he? Little rabbit wasn’t quick enough.”

The boy looks around in a panic. There are several dragons a distance away, but none make any move to intervene on what’s happening. The red dragon pulls the boy higher into the shadows of the pillars. Its brilliantly white teeth almost seem to glow alongside its flaming maw and eyes.

“Do you know what Elf tastes like? I do.” the dragon says with a smile. “Your kind is quite delicious. Maybe I’ve tried your family. I’d have to taste you to remember.” He says, opening his mouth and sliding the boy nearly inside.

“That’s enough!” A booming voice flashes out at both the dragon and boy’s mind. A roar accompanies the entrance of an enormous black dragon with glowing purple eyes. The red dragon immediately begins uncoiling itself from the pillar and slides away from the large dragon while releasing the boy.

“Just a bit of fun” the red dragon smirks. “I wasn’t really going to eat him. I don’t eat garbage.”

The red dragon begins slithering away. “The boy should watch himself, though. There are many among our kind that, given certain circumstances, would lower themselves to this trash.”

The black dragon barrels over to the red dragon with a roar and pins him against the wall. The red dragon is vicious in its snarl, but dare not bite or even make a move at the much larger foe.

“If you ever do anything like that again, I’m going to teach you a lesson you’ll never forget” The black dragon growls, releasing the other dragon.

The other dragons in the area turn their heads and walk away. The red dragon stays where he is with a snarl still etched onto his face, while the pair continue on their way.

The boy trots to keep up with the black dragon who seems lost in thought. Barely looking at the boy who is still nervous and occasionally massaging his hurt stomach.

“I won’t always be there.” The black dragon lamants. “And I don’t know what to do. You can’t defend yourself against even the smallest dragon.” the boy hangs his head. “You can’t fly, you’re weak, and you’re fragile.” The boy begins to cry. “But I love you” the black dragon says, lowering his head to the boy. “This place was not meant for you. You are a stranger in this land, and worse, you are a stranger made of glass. One single misstep, and you could shatter.” he says, pressing the cowering boy.

Softening, the dragon continues walking. “Come” he says, and the boy darts after him.

They arrive at an ancient basin with a spire which reaches up into the sky. The air is thin here, and although it is the middle of the day, the sky is darker due to the great height. The dragon strides around the great basin, shrouded in shadow from the spire and the basin’s grand embankment which rises up like walls, tipped with spires themselves all along the perimeter. In the center lies an emerald glowing orb. Nearly thirty feet across, it rests in a moulding in the floor. Like an enormous well of swirling energy.

The dragon has finished walking, and is standing at the forefront of a dark entrance to a tunnel . The boy stands where he stood when he entered the cathedral, staring at the swirling well.

The dragon gives one last look at the boy, and enters the tunnel. The boy stands there a few moments longer before slowly walking down to the orb. His little legs barely let him see over the ledge into the Eldunari.

With a glance at the tunnel, the boy climbs onto the barrier and sits upon the little ledge with his legs dangling over the ancient creature.The swirling is mesmerizing. It mists and wafts at the laziest of pace; graceful and ever changing. The boy watches it for a time, and rests his chin on a knee; the other leg left to dangle.

Finally, the boy reaches out his mind to the creature. It doesn’t take notice of the boy for a long time, but finally pulls itself from its slumber.

“Ahh, the lost boy again. And what question burns in your heart today?” Says the deep and ancient voice of a once great dragon, now sat in the orbish form that is its heart of hearts, the Eldunari.

The boy pauses “Where’s my family?”

“Your family is here.” replies the Eldunari.

“Where is my real family?” implores the boy.

The Eldunari remains silent, and then finally- “I cannot tell you that.”

With a huff, the boy gets up from his spot.

“Why not?” he demands.

“It is not my place” , the Eldunari laments.

The boy strides away, angry. “...Why am I here?”

The Eldunari remains silent again. Glowing warm with energy, it reaches out to the boy.

“Your place will reveal itself. But only you can find it. You did not choose to be you or live in this place. But you can choose who you are, and what you do in this place. Your every footstep changes the course of history, and you choose each step. You cannot control what happens to you with every step. You cannot control anything around you. Only yourself. You are whoever you want to be, and do whatever you choose to do. That is why dragon’s pick their own name. No one tells a dragon who they are. We are. We decide.. And so will you. Do you want to be prey? A predator? A monster? Hero? Or something else entirely? Something you decide. Something greater.”

The boy is deep in thought as the black dragon reappears in the tunnel, so soon.

“Come little one” the black dragon commands, and the boy jogs after him, still deep in thought, as is the black dragon.

They walk back through the city streets, or rather the dragon does. The boy runs alongside, but so conditioned to this gait, the boy’s mind is free to wander while his legs thunder forth.

“There has been a development” the black dragon finally says, coming to a stop in the shade of the entrance to the city center. There isn’t another soul nearby, save these two. “Several moons ago, I petitioned the other high council members to allow you to participate in the Bloodrending ceremony. As I am also a council member, I had to recuse myself from the decision making process on this matter...and I was just given their decision. As you are not one of our race, you are forbidden to attend. Which puts us in a dangerous situation, because as I am honorbound to attend, which means I will have to leave you. Do you understand what I am saying?” The dragon says, leaning close to the boy.

“I will not be there to protect you. If something happens, you are on your own.” He says each word individually to emphasize his point, now eye to eye with the boy. “Look around you. What do you see? You are not one of us. And they don’t care who you are, they care what you are. Every one of them grew up hearing the stories of the great battles with elves, and how elves would sneak into our dens in the night and slit the throat of every dragon before a single noise could be uttered. You look around and see monsters, and yet you are the monster that scares them. You have done nothing to these creatures, and they don’t care. You are alive, and you are near them. And some will try to make sure you aren’t anymore.. I tell you this not to scare you, but so that you understand why I do the things that I do, and why the other dragons do what they do. You must be careful.” The dragon pauses. “I need to show you something” the dragon says, wandering down a new path the boy has never gone before.

The way is dark, and the two have left the city and are now in a large forest. The magical trees that grow in this great height seem to bend over the path. The forest is thick, and creatures seem to be just beyond the edge of vision, watching. Birds and bats shriek and stir as the boy and the dragon disturb their domains.

Finally, the pair reach a large cliff face, and running up the middle is a deep crack. Far too small to fit a dragon, but large enough for the boy to walk easily inside. They stop at the mouth of the cave.

“This is where you’ll stay during the ceremony” the dragon commands, and the boy looks up incredulously, but the dragon continues “You are not safe at home during the ceremony. The Bloodrending would be incredibly dangerous for you, even if you are at my side, but here you’ll be safe. No one is small enough to enter but you, and the fissure runs deep enough that not even dragon fire can find you. Do you understand what I am saying? During this ceremony.. Dragons are not themselves. It is a dance of bloodlust and drink. Thousand year old kegs of ancient drink, known only to dragons, are opened up and shared by all. Dragons lose their senses. They do things they would otherwise not do. It’s dangerous even in the best of times. But for an elf, even if you clung to my horn the entire time, I couldn’t guarantee you’d make it unscathed. I asked the council that not only could you attend, but if they could guarantee your safety during this time. They could not. It was a tall ask for them to make special arrangements for someone not of our race, historically, the council has not been kind to your species. But I had to try. Those who have it within their power to do the right thing, have the responsibility to do so. I was honor bound to at least attempt. But we are on our own. And now, for the first time, you will be. You must promise me, when the ceremony starts, to never leave this cave.” The dragon says, leaning into the boy. “Promise me.”

The boy is hurt and in thought, but finally he replies “I promise”

“Good. Now, remember this place, remember how we got here, and pay attention on our way back. There is only one path here, so you can’t get lost. You mustn’t come here again unless it’s an emergency. It’s better if the other dragons don’t know you’re here, even if it is a safe place. The ceremony is still a long way away. I’ll take you back here before it begins, but if something terrible happens to me, and I don’t return, you’ll need to know the way home. If that happens, go directly to the council chambers. They are honor bound to not harm you, since I have spoken for you, but the other dragons have made no such oaths. I’ve made arrangements with one of the other council members that if the worst comes to worst, they will take you in.. for a time.” the dragon stops walking. “Until they decide you’re ready to be on your own.. They were unclear as to when that is.”

The boy looks scared. The dragon tries to calm the boy “I say these things, not to scare you, but so that you are prepared for when I’m gone. I don’t know when that will be, but you must be prepared for anything. You are young, and you are not ready for this world.” the boy hangs his head.

Just then, a faint glimmer attracts both their attention. A small glowing orb flits through the trees. First it glows pink, then bright white, then soft blue, and round and round randomly between them.

“Paldri” says the dragon.

“What?” asks the boy.

“Paldri was once a dragon. Not a very long lived dragon. In fact, the shortest life span of any known dragon. She disgorged her heart of hearts near immediately upon birth. The life was squeezed from her by a monster, and her life ended moments after it began. For a thousand years she remained the prisoner of a sorcerer in her heart of hearts. Finally free, and abandoned in a forest, she was come upon by a host of fairies. So saddened with her story, they gifted her with powers, even we still do not know. She is free now, roaming to her whim and hers alone.” says the dragon softly as the Eldunari, the size of a bird's egg, glowing with aura, approaches the pair.

The little orb studies the pair, and circles around them. Slowly, it approaches the boy who leans in, with fascination lining his every feature. The orb glows sweetly, and the boy feels a weight being lifted from his chest. The orb dances around both boy and dragon, and then flits off into the forest and finally out of sight.

“Come on” says the dragon, and they keep walking. “The news isn’t all bad. The council also agreed on another issue. You are allowed to attend school.” says the dragon slyly as the boy stops in his tracks.

The dragon laughs at the boy’s expression, which turns to pure joy. The boy races off after the dragon, and moves so quickly with excitement that even the dragon starts jogging to keep up.

The boy adapts to school quickly. The dragons are much younger than him, but most already seem more mature and even smarter than he. They grow at a frightening pace compared to himself, and the boy finds that even some of the larger dragons he took to be his elders, were actually born after him. Most of the dragons looked down on the boy as lesser. There are many games that don’t require flying, but during their free time, they always seem to pick the ones that do. Most days he’d hide in the shade of a tree, often climbing and swinging from them. The dragons, even after a few months old, could not fly within the trees, so they became the boy’s sanctuary. He’d dance from tree to tree, often imagining he was playing the game with the dragons flying above him, his movements invisible to them. Often he could move quicker than they could at certain angles. He practiced these especially. But alas, the dragons in the end were much faster than him, and he was left chasing after them, or waiting for their return if they veered too far in one direction for too long. The boy is getting older and learning not to envy, but on those days he wished he had wings.

Just then, a squirrel bounces from branch to branch just above him. It stops close by and stares at the boy for a moment before moving on. It then leaps into the air, spreading itself, and sails across a great expanse to another branch far beyond normal jumping distance, and the boy’s face lights up.

For several weeks, the boy works on a secret project. The black dragon is constantly pondering what the boy is up to, but the boy shakes off the inquiries, preferring to work in secret. He gathers supplies, and is constantly asking for a random assortment of objects and tools. Until finally the boy reveals his project. A suit. A garment of his own design made from leather and old discarded scales of the black dragon. His chest is bare, but two straps run from his armpits to around his shoulders. On his back flows a dark garment, almost spread out like wings. But when the boy raises his arms, a line of black dragon scales flair outward from his upper arms all the way down to his knees. A mesh of ultralight scales that disappear into a smooth and laid back line along the boy’s body when his arms are at his side.

When the boy finally wears it to lessons, he is met with jeers and snickers. This ends soon. At first break, the dragons immediately begin their game by flying away from the boy. He stares up at them and then walks away.

There is an especially large tree at the top of a ledge nearby. The boy walks up to the cliffside and makes his way easily and deftly up the wall in moments. Climbing the tree at the same speed. He’s quickly now above the flying dragons playing their game. The boy waits patiently. Watching their game. At the perfect moment, when the dragons have come well within distance of the tree, and just when the dragon with the ball has his back to him, the boy leaps into the open air.

Angling himself like a spear, he comes hurtling downward, spreading his wings and quickly achieving a speed that even the dragons would admire, grabs the ball right from the clutches of the dragon who was totally unaware of the boy’s even existence.

The boy pulls into a turn and hits an updraft as a booming call goes out to all in the vicinity. “Get him!”

Dragons start flying at him from all directions. The boy is both exhilarated and frightened at the same time. He twists and turns in the air. Dropping and twisting at angles that the dragons can’t manage, but there are too many, and just as the boy turns his head to the left, he sees the final view of the forest below and a dragon’s tail on a collision course with his face

The boy wakes up slowly. Pain bursts forth from every part of his body. His face, so swollen and numb that opening his eyes is a struggle. Cuts run the length of his entire body. Lacerations with bits of branches and splinters still fester in every wound. The boy lays upon a soft bedding of hides and feathers. The air is warm.

“Little one.” breathes the black dragon. The boy begins to cry. “Hush now. Sleep… Sleep.”

The boy drifts back out of consciousness. For days, the boy slips into and out of this dream state. His body both heals and festers. Until finally the dragon comes to the child.

“Wake little one. You’ve rested too long. You must suffer one last time before you can rest again. There are still splinters in your wounds, and I cannot remove them. You must do it.” The boy looks fearful. He hasn’t taken a good look at himself yet, terrified of what he might see. Raising a hand to his face, he looks on in horror as he sees hundreds of splinters littering just that one arm. Panic sets in.

“Hush now. There is no time to panic. You must remove them or you’ll die. Those are your two options. I cannot remove them for you. You are the only one who is able. Do you want splinters in your body? Answer me, do you want to die?”

“No” shouts the boy.

“Good. Then do something about it.”

The boy takes a few deep breaths and hesitantly begins plucking splinters from his body. Some come out easily. Most of them don’t. The boy stiffles back tears

“You didn’t ask for this. But sulking about what’s happened in the past does you no good in the present. Don’t hold onto your pain. Get rid of it. Like these splinters. If you don’t, they’ll fester away and kill you. Remove the pain.” says the dragon.

“And then what?” replies the boy.

“Live.”

The process of removing the splinters took several days. The hardest were the ones in his face. The first time he saw his reflection made him cry. In addition to the splinters were long wounds that would most definitely scar his skin. He looked as though he had been clawed by a tiger over and over again. He knelt down and cried.

“How you choose to be is far more important than the way you look.” says the dragon softly to him. This provided little comfort to the boy.

His splinters removed, the wounds healed quickly. The infections heal on their own with the help of some herbs the dragon would gather. Soon the boy was up and moving around quite well. His muscles were a little weak from lack of use for so long, but they are still thick, corded and fully functional, though invariably scarred across his entire body. No bones but a finger were broken in the fall or the collision. His elf bones are incredibly strong and luckily the sharp branches broke most of his fall.

Finally, the night of the Bloodrend Ceremony was upon them. A storm had been building in the days before, and now on the night of the ceremony, it reaches its zenith. The wind blew with near galeforce furocity, and lighting cracked the sky. But amazingly enough, there were still dragons in the air. In fact, they were frenzied in its gale. Using the storm to achieve speeds they would have never been capable of before, and rending enormous trails of fire that flashed among the dark avalanche of clouds.

Fires roared in caves all along the city, and up the dragon spires far above. The boy had never been more frightened. He clung to the dragon as it made its way stealthily through the whipping air. The dragon finally bearing down on a parting in the trees and into the wooded path that he had led the boy once before.

“The cave is just ahead. Remember what I told you. Never leave the cave. The ceremony will last on into the morning. Stay here until I come to get you, no matter if the sun rises, you stay here. If I’m not back for one more nightfall, on the next morning, as early as you can, run straight to the council chambers. Stay out of sight. They’ll take care of you from there.” says the dragon. The boy nods in solemn agreement.

Having reached the cave. “This is just me being overbearing anyway.” says the dragon, lightening up and looking upon the boy.

“I’ll see you in the morning.” assures the dragon, walking away.

“See you in the morning” replies the boy, looking after him. The boy stands taller.

The cave is dark, and the boy is cold. Gently he makes his way inside and sits down, resting his head against the wall.

The wind rages outside. It’s been many hours since the black dragon left, and save for the occasional distant roar, the boy hadn’t heard anything but the wind and thunder. No light but for the flashing of lightning and the occasional spot of fire in the clouds above. Suddenly, a light catches the boy's attention behind him, deeper in the cave. A glow that gets steadily brighter. Paldri. The boy relaxes. Paldri remains where she is, and the boy starts walking deeper into the cave, when a shadow appears behind him. The light from the cave is being blocked by something. A red snout presses itself up to the cave mouth and takes a deep breath, sucking the air in the cave like a wind. With a smile, an eye appears.

“Hello little rabbit” the red dragon hisses before raising its mouth up and blowing an enormous flame into the cave. The boy sprints into the darkness. No trace of Paldri remains.

The boy travels through the darkness deeper and deeper until finally a ray of light. Poking his head out, he sees a view from atop the world. Forest far below him, stretching endlessly, and when all of the sudden he feels something around his waist and is hoisted into the air.

The red dragon laughs. A viper, perched on the hillside, holding the boy with his tail above a chasm of emptiness. The dragon's white teeth sheer open.

“”Poor little rabbit, should have stayed in your hole.” he says, bringing the boy closer. “The others think you’re a little monster, but I don’t. I know what you really are. Food!” He says, drunkenly throwing the boy into the air towards his mouth. The rain slips against the boy's skin and the dragon’s scales, and the boy is tossed into oblivion, head first into the void below…