CHAPTER 14
About Dragons
After the elves left, the teen trio had several blessedly uneventful days at school. While at home, George focused on establishing communications with his dragon. Before making another attempt to contact it however, he wanted more information on the creatures. He started by looking in elf books. He could read elf now, though only awkwardly. There were hundreds of volumes in the house that related to dragons, but most were highly speculative and based on second or third hand accounts of dragon doings. This seemed to be a result of two factors: elves were a very bookish people, and dragons did indeed sometimes eat elves.
He came to better appreciate some of the more skeptical comments Grog had made about Uncle Henry’s academic approach to things. George needed practical information, good solid information rather than mere speculation, and he needed it now rather than years from now. However, even though he was becoming more and more skeptical, he still hoped he would find what he needed somewhere among the mounds of books and journals. And then there were the statues. They were supposed to also somehow be sources of information, but so far they were mute to his attempts to access them.
He skimmed his mother's journal and found fascinating descriptions of her adventures on Narma, including a thrilling account of how Jewel stole a male dragon egg from the harem of the Dark One and gave it to the elves and Harry for safe-keeping on Earth. But he found nothing directly related to dragon Chosen. He put the journal aside and promised himself that he would study its contents in detail when he had the time.
As a long-shot George also visited the local library with Mary. They found no dragon reference books at all that were worth checking out, but he did get himself a library card. While there, they tried to identify any damage from the dragon’s much publicized visit. They were relieved to find that no damage remained evident.
The head librarian that had seen the dragon issued George a library card, and seemed none the worse for her experience. She was a small, friendly little lady named Ruth, whom George immediately liked.
On their way out of the library another librarian pulled Mary and George aside and thanked them for not asking Ruth about the dragon incident. “Ruth hides it, but the incident was very upsetting to her,” the woman explained. “We think that normal routine will help her heal. She is afraid that she has been losing her mind.”
“We’ve got to help her, somehow,” Mary remarked after they left the library, but they had no ideas about how to do it.
Grog proved to be the best source for practical dragon information. After a few relatively fruitless evenings studying elf-books, George was happy to get out of the house to speak with the troll. With his elf-powers he sensed exactly where Grog was and easily found him, tending the recovering forest by thinning out new trees close to where Harry was buried.
“How goes it?” George asked the big troll.
“Good. Trees here need to have plenty of room to grow biggest, in honor of your uncle.”
“What more can you tell me of dragons?”
The big troll snorted loudly. “Dragons be biggest, strongest, oldest, wisest, most dangerous of creatures.”
“Can someone be friends with a dragon?”
“Dragons make worst enemies, but can maybe be best friends. But that be hard, me think, being friends. Dragons mostly live with self. You be Chosen; dragon chose you to be best friend. Very special thing for dragon and for human. The Chosen be more than a close friend to their dragon.”
“How can I be his best friend, if he won’t even talk with me?”
The troll shrugged. “Elf plan is good. You find dragon name in you.”
“Harry didn’t know his name, did he?”
“No. Harry not be Chosen. Harry and Joan be his friends, talk with him when he be in egg, but not be his best friend. Not Chosen.”
“Would his name be in elf language?”
The troll laughed heartily. “No language, all languages. Dragon and elf very different. Nothing be close to dragons. Languages not important for dragons.”
“What kind of name would my dragon have? Something like Jewel?”
“No. Not have name like female dragon. He have strong name for male.”
“Like Thunder or Storm?”
“Yes, but I think it must be even stronger name. This be most special dragon ever. Dark One be only other male dragon. This dragon be only hope for freedom and life for many, many worlds.”
The enormity of it hit George hard. He had been thinking in terms of saving Earth and Narma, and how that was an absurdly enormous responsibility for a fifteen year old teen to play a key role in, but there was much more at stake than even that. “Where is he? Do you know?”
“No. Hidden dragon leave few signs.”
“Any advice you can give me?”
The big troll shrugged. “You be the Chosen.”
“OK, can you tell me more about what that means? Being the Chosen, I mean?”
The troll sighed. “Long time ago dragons not have Chosen ones. Dragons live apart from other dragons, and apart from all others. Dragons fight, kill other dragons, kill others. Many baby dragons die, as they be weakest.”
“They decline, but then they become wise. Get others to help. Dragons still live apart, but less fighting, less killing each other. Each color dragon lives in a different universe. Chosen ones help dragons at start of life after egg. Help dragons be smart from start. Humans make best Chosen ones.”
“I’m a nursemaid?”
Grog laughed again. “Young dragons not be like human small ones; dragon is already old when born. You be friend, helper. More, you be part of him.”
"Part of him? What does that mean?"
Grog shrugged. "You be Chosen One. It be for you to know."
“How long do dragons live?”
The troll shrugged again. “Long like mountain or stars. They be elementals.”
“What’s an elemental again?”
“Not like other life. Harry say they be much energy that choose matter as form of life. After long time, most forget how to change form, but some dragons remember. White dragons be of all colors and know all, their knowledge and magic be strongest, except maybe for black dragons.”
“Dragons chose to be in the form of dragons?”
“Long, long ago they choose. Harry read this theory in elf books. Is elf theory, elf theory maybe is dragon fact, maybe not.”
“After I die, will my dragon pick another Chosen one?”
“Probably no. He be grown then. You live long also, but I think maybe not so long as dragon.”
“I’ll live long like my Uncle Harry?” George hadn’t thought of that.
“Much longer, I think. You still be human, but not human. Maybe. It has been a long time since there have been dragon Chosen Ones.”
The thought that he was a Chosen One chilled George. But it made sense. How else could he have lifted an auto? Normal human body materials simply weren’t strong enough to support what he could do: human bones, tendons, muscles, and other parts would have broken and torn under the strain. Yet he felt perfectly normal. Human but not human? And the same for Mary?
“Mary be chosen by adult dragon for other reasons,” said Grog.
“Other reasons?”
“Grog think Jewel want to be mate and mother to more dragons. Many dragons of many colors. She want to bring back the dragons that the Dark One consumed.”
“Damn!” Of course! It was so obvious, though what a Chosen One had to do with it was still unknown. “How long does it take dragons to grow up?”
Grog shrugged yet again. “Grog never see baby dragon. No baby dragons for a thousand years, maybe more.”
George’s jaw dropped open in astonishment. “I’m the first Chosen One in a thousand years?”
The big hairy head nodded. “Maybe more.”
“All this that you have been telling me is based on what?”
“Old legends, books. Much is true, maybe. Maybe not.”
&
nbsp; “Swell.”