The Obsidian Dragon Awakens

Suddenly, I gain awareness and catch myself as I clumsily lose balance. Still startled and groggy, I come to my senses just before keeling over, like when you catch yourself when you start falling asleep while sitting upright, as if gravity itself has just slapped you in the face.

Things continue to whirl around me, even after I have stilled myself.

Or have I even stilled myself?

I don't even know to be honest. All I know is my head is throbbing and that I am struggling to find balance and any sense of calmness within this kinesthetic storm cycling through my body.

Finally, after what seems like an eternity, things around and within me still themselves to the point where I can begin to see my surroundings through the fog and haze.

I am in a forest!

No, no, not a forest, I am on some sort of slope just outside a forest. An ancient and majestic oak forest at that! I peer into the ancient forest, inquisitively searching for more detail in the fog and early morning mist, as something from within the mysterious forest seems to be calling me.

After a few more moments of gazing into the forest, I look around and behind me to see a mountainous slope leading up to a far-off snow-capped peak and it dawns on me that I am actually near the bottom of the mountain, right at the beginning of a valley that contains the mysterious forest which once again captures my gaze.

The early morning mist almost seems to glow in the sunrise adding to the mystical feeling in the air, as it is not yet day, but it is certainly no longer night either.

The wind picks up slightly and travels through the branches and leaves, making the ancient woods almost dance and hum with a haunting yet soothing feeling.

The sound soothes me, it soothes me so much that I finally begin to relax enough to become aware of my currently aching body. For some reason, I am sore all over and the need to stretch and work out the various kinks throughout my body overwhelms me.

I stand up slowly on my hind legs and dig my claws deep into the mountainside as I reach upward and stretch out my glorious wings as far as they can go. I take joy in the way my shiny black scales glisten in the early morning sun. I stretch out my face and neck upwards towards the sky as I stretch out my tail behind me, elongating my spine and cracking my aching back.

Ah! The relief! The freedom!

Where I was before felt so constricting and uncomfortable, yet now I feel so free and unencumbered! I shift my weight forward and let my arms fall back to the earth. I slowly begin to crawl forward on all fours, stretching out my back and wings with each step. My crawl turns into almost a dance as the feelings of joy and freedom consume me!

I cannot remember the last time I felt such freedom!

Come to think of it, I cannot remember much at all to be honest.

I stop my impromptu stretching routine to p0nder this a few moments. I try to search my memory, but all I can remember is the feeling of restriction and a cold dark uncomfortable place.

Then I realize, where I was is no longer important, the important thing is where I am now and the fact that I am free from the horrid place where I once was!

As I stretch my wings and prepare for flight, I begin to rejoice in this glorious realization. I shift my weight onto my hind legs and crouch down slightly, preparing to take off, only to have my excitement shattered as something in the forest below fills me with both awe and terror.

...................................................................................................................

There off in the distant haze and mist, deep within the ancient oak forest, lies a small human child, fast asleep in the midst of a small clearing.

Listless and almost lifeless, yet still very much alive. I don't know how I know that it still lives, I just know that I know. Its very presence in my line of sight vexes me and fills me with anger, dread, and a plethora of mixed emotions.

Yet for some reason, I cannot look away. I must take a closer look! I must!

I quickly crawl toward the forest and slowly begin to stalk the small human child. I carefully navigate through the ancient oaks with my gaze fixed on my prey, never losing sight of it.

I am not sure why but deep down inside I know that I must destroy this child!

With each step closer I can make out more and more of its puny little features. It is only a small boy, still young, no real threat to me, at least not yet. Yet my anger and disdain for the small human child only grows as I approach closer.

My heart begins to beat faster as my senses heighten and the anger within begins to border on rage.

I get within twenty paces or so of the irksome little child when all of a sudden, I feel a presence behind me that was not there moments ago.

I stop and quickly turn around to see nothing more than a large old oak tree.

"Why do you wish to devour the human child? Hmm?" I hear off to my right.

I turn quickly, ready to pounce, to see the source of the words just spoken, to see a forest spirit manifesting itself in yet another oak tree just a few paces away.

"How do you know what my intentions are to the human child forest spirit?" I retort.

"It would be clear to anyone who has observed you what your intentions are towards the child!" it scoffs back.

"You stalk the child the way a hungry wolf stalks a wounded dear, yet it is just a harmless human child who is not even conscious," it says in a judgmental tone.

I growl in anger and snap back "What do you know!? It is not as harmless as it looks!"

"Really!?" he says condescendingly as he melts back into the oak. Only to startle me by manifesting himself through the oak directly in front of me and saying, "What has the human child ever done to you? Hmm?"

"Silence!" I shout back, as my anger boils over. "It is none of your business anyway" I add as I resume my advance toward the child.

Yet this annoyingly persistent forest spirit once again manifests in the closest tree and retorts, "If it is happening in my forest, it is my business!"

"Enough!" I roar in rage as I quicken my pace toward the child, growling in anger.

"How pitiful", I hear behind me "A great big dragon afraid of a small human child?"

That does it! A ghastly and fierce roar explodes from deep within me as I slam my front claws on the ground in anger, causing a shockwave that sends twigs and leaves flying all around me. I lunge towards the latest tree the meddlesome spirit pops out of with claws out but I cannot grasp him, he was too quick!

Behind me, I hear laughter and turn to see that devious little tree spirit mocking me. I charge forward once again only to have it jump to another tree as I near, mocking me with more and more of its laughter.

Enraged, I roar yet again and scream "Let's see how you like it when I burn down your forest and you have nowhere to hide!"

I inhale deeply and stoke the fire in my belly as I prepare to exhale my rage! Flames hot as a thousand suns spew from my mouth towards the trees all around me!

Suddenly, I stop in shock and awe, terrified! Why is nothing burning? What kind of vile magic is this?

Terror-stricken, I look around frantically as my heart beats faster and faster.

"What is this?" I croak out, "what is happening here you wicked spirit!?"

only to have my fearful inquiries greeted by silence.

I look around nervously, to my left, then to my right and behind me.

"Speak!" I croak out nerviously, "Show yourself!", only to again have my inquires be greeted by a haunting silence. My heart begins to beat faster and faster as the panic consumes me.

The trees seem to close in on me as I begin to feel trapped in this haunted, wreteched place. I must get out of here, now! But how?

The tree branches are so thick that amidst the fog, mist and leaves I can barely see the sky! I could not even say which way I had come in at this point, nor am I in any state to figure it out!

I look to my left, then my right yet again, crawling around franticly, looking up for a clearing in the branches big enough to allow me to take flight without getting stuck, but there are none!

Thankfully, I finally notice a sliver of sunlight in the distance breaking through the ominous mixture of oak and mist. I quickly crawl towards it and as I approach, I hear the screech of an eagle directly above me.

I look up to try and catch a glimpse of it, yet all I see are those wretched towering oaks with thier thick intertwining branches. But this new point of view strikes me with an idea! I can't beleive I didn't think of this before!

I do not need to take flight from down here! All I need to do is climb up one of the larger trees just enough to clear the branches and then take flight and I can finally be rid of this wretched place once and for all!

I start to quickly climb the largest tree within sight, carefully maneuvering around the thick branches and leaves. As I do so, I hear the screeching of the eagle above me once again, almost as if it is guiding me out of this terrible place.

Encouraged, and sensing that freedom is near, I climb faster and faster, artfully dodging the branches until I break through the foliage and catch sight of the perfect launching spot!

As I climb a little higher and prepare to lift off I hear the screech of the eagle once more. This time though it is different, very different.

It resonates and echos inside my head and reverberates through my entire body, sapping my energy. My ears pop as I lose balance and my strength fades. My grip on the tree loosens drastically.....

......................................................................................................................

Suddenly, I begin to gain awareness, startled and groggy as things continue to move around me even as I still myself or at least try to.

I look up through the fog and haze to see an intertwined thicket of tree branches and foilage in the distance with barely any sunlight peeking through at all.

Then suddenly, a great eagle maneuvers through the maze of branches. But wait!? Eagles do not have four legs! It is a griffin! It descends to a spot a few paces in front of me near a giant oak, and just before landing it changes into a golden brown mist, and then a grown man!

What is going on? Griffins are not supposed to exist! Let alone shapeshifting ones!? What kind of strange magic is this!?

I try and lift my head to take a closer look only to have a sharp pain shoot up the back of my head and neck which causes me to wince and lay my throbbing head back down.

As the pain reverberates through my entire body I begin to hear fragments of a conversation in front of me. It must be the griffin man talking to someone, but who?

I try to listen but can only make out fragments.

"He has no ordinary fylgja" says the first voice.

"Neither do I, my old friend," says the second voice.

"Yes, but he almost destroyed himself" responds the first voice.

"As did I before my training." responds the second.

What the heck are they talking about? I must find out what is going on here, I must!

I gingerly roll over to my side and just as I prop myself up to try and stand, my head begins to throb once more and I quickly realize standing is not really an option right now.

I can, however, make out a man in a dark brown hooded cloak in front of me, as I try to bring the picture into focus he motions his hand at me and softly says "that is enough for today my child, rest now."

As he does so, my pains begins to subside, as does my consciousness, as I slowly and peacefully drop back towards the suddenly soft and comfortable forest floor.