James & the Dragon

Laval.” Farloft bent down to allow Laval to get aboard. “We shall look for you in a fortnight.”

  “Goodbye, James,” Laval waved. “I will see you soon.” He climbed aboard Farloft and found a place to sit where the neck met the shoulders of the dragon.

  “Thank you, Laval,” James called back from his place in the sun.

  “I will be back shortly,” Farloft told the boy.

  The dragon stepped to the edge of the mountain and then just dropped out of sight over the edge. James heard the wizard cry out and then saw Farloft and his passenger rise on an air current over the valley below. Farloft was such a tease, James thought and smiled to himself. He had scared the wizard on purpose.

  -YET ANOTHER BREW -

  Laval worked tirelessly in his chambers. His heart had not softened toward the dragon. If anything, he felt greater anger toward Farloft than ever before. Seeing the dragon with James, how much the boy loved him, only reminded Laval of the loss of his beloved daughter and how much that still hurt him.

  A satisfied smile crossed the wizard’s face in spite of his exhaustion. Laval pictured how rewarding it would be to see Farloft’s reaction when James turned from him. The boy would have little interest in Farloft once the novelty of his being a dragon disappeared. The dragon would suffer the loss of a loved one just as Laval had with the loss of his daughter.

  Laval toiled long into the night and on the twelfth day; he finished the potion that would turn Farloft the Dragon into Farloft the Human.

  - THE FATE OF FARLOFT -

  Laval reined in his horse just out of sight of the entrance to Farloft’s cave. He checked the vial cushioned in his robe pocket one last time. He wanted to make sure it had not broken. The thin vial lay intact cradled safely in cotton. The glass blower who normally made the containers for his potions wondered why the wizard wanted a vial so thin and slender. Laval explained it was needed for the application of medicine.

  The wizard wanted the vial especially thin to ensure it would easily burst when it struck Farloft. He did not want to take the chance of it bouncing off of Farloft’s tough, scaly hide. The dragon need not ingest the potion. It would activate on contact.

  He smiled in triumph. This was the day he would get his revenge.

  “Laval’s coming,” James shouted with innocent enthusiasm.

  Farloft did not tell the boy of his past history and general distrust of the wizard. Instead, he allowed James to think of Laval in a more kindly fashion based on his instrumental part in saving his life.

  Farloft noted the wizard as he crested the edge of the plateau before the cave. The dragon had not needed James to inform him of Laval’s approach. He heard the wizard whistling as he rode. Something Farloft thought very uncharacteristic of Laval.

  Farloft’s skin crawled. His dragon senses coming to attention. Something seemed very wrong here.

  James ran forward to greet Laval. Farloft placed a large protective foot in the boy’s path. “No, James. I do not wish to see you trampled. Wait until he dismounts.”

  Laval’s horse pranced and tossed its head in the presence of the dragon. Laval brought him under control, dismounted and tied him securely to a nearby tree.

  “You are early,” Farloft challenged.

  “It was such a nice day I thought I would come while the weather was clear.” Laval looked to the West. “I feel it may snow again soon.”

  Another thing that did not ring true, Farloft thought. The wizard knew as well as the dragon the signs of coming snow. There were none today. Farloft became more and more suspicious, but of what he was not sure, other than the intentions of the wizard never seemed what they appeared to be.

  James ran forward. “Come on, Laval. You can have lunch with us. Farloft brought down a grand, big stag this morning.” James gave the wizard’s sleeve a short tug. “Come on, I’m hungry.”

  “You are always hungry,” Farloft said with a lop-sided toothy grin at the boy as he ran toward him.

  Farloft, with James at his side, headed toward the cave entrance. Laval trailed close behind, his hand feeling for the vial in his pocket. He pulled the potion out. Farloft’s back was to him. There was no possible way the dragon could turn in time to save himself.

  “You are looking well, James.” Laval commented in an effort to keep Farloft unsuspecting.

  “Thanks to Farloft,” James said, and patted the dragon’s side affectionately. “And you, of course,” he added, as he turned back toward Laval.

  The noonday sun reflecting off the pointed glass vial in Laval’s hand, made it appear to be a dagger.

  “Watch out, Farloft,” James shouted, and with the speed of youth, rushed toward the wizard.

  Laval watched Farloft’s head begin to swing around, in the background, as James dashed toward him. It was throw now or lose his chance for revenge. He lobbed the vial in an effort to clear James’ head and hit Farloft’s back before the dragon could turn.

  James sprang up off the ground and batted at the object thrown by Laval. It shattered above him raining a glutinous, green ooze down upon his head and shoulders.

  “Yuck!” James cried, as he tried to wipe the potion from his hair and face.

  “What have you done?” Farloft demanded of Laval. The dragon turned back around and was studying the wizard suspiciously.

  “Nothing,” Laval lied and took a step backward toward his horse.

  “Stay where you are,” Farloft ordered. He moved closer to James and sniffed at the boy’s hair.

  “Something made from my wing,” Farloft declared in a deep rumble. “What are you up to Laval?”

  The wizard did not get the opportunity to answer. All of a sudden James fell to his hands and knees between Laval and Farloft.

  “I don’t feel very good, Farloft,” James said.

  Farloft was surprised to see the boy’s skin take on a greenish glow. “What kind of wizard’s work is this?” the dragon grumbled in growing anger.

  Laval took another step toward his mount.

  “One more step, Laval, and I will sear you to well done,” Farloft warned.

  “Oh!” James shouted in surprise as his body began to elongate and his skin began to appear scaly. He jerked convulsively as a tail, not unlike Farloft’s burst the seam of his pants.

  “Farloft!” James screamed in fright; when he looked down to find his hands turning to feet with huge claws the size of spades sprouting from each toe.

  “Laval!” Farloft snapped. He started to advance on the wizard.

  “Farloft!” James cried, arching his back in pain as wings began to thrust up through the back of his tunic. “I’m changing into a dragon.”

  Farloft could not believe his eyes when he turned from Laval to look at James. The boy no longer resembled a human at all. Instead, he looked very much like a small version of Farloft. His shredded clothes lay in a pile beneath his iridescent, green belly.

  James was shaking uncontrollably on four new legs, his wings sadly drooping their tips to the ground.

  “Thirsty,” James said in a hoarse voice, and took several faltering steps toward the pool outside the cave entrance. When he reached it he collapsed on his belly, lapping water in great gulps as steam rose from the contact of his mouth with the pool.

  “Why?” Farloft asked Laval. “Why have you done this to the boy?”

  “It wasn’t meant for James,” Laval answered. “It was meant for you.”

  “Why make a potion to turn a dragon into a dragon?” Farloft asked, wrinkling his brow in confusion.

  “It was supposed to have the reverse affect on you,” Laval admitted. “You were supposed to change from dragon to human.”

  “Indeed?” Farloft questioned. “Why would you wish to turn me into a human?”

  “I could think of no worse punishment for a dragon than to be turned into a man.”

  “Punishment for what, Laval? What have I ever done to you?” Farloft asked in all innocence.

  “You caused the death of my Megan.” Laval s
pat in a release of pent up anger.

  “Megan is dead? I did not know,” Farloft said in shock. All during Laval’s stay with them at the cave he had been so preoccupied with James he had not thought to ask about Megan.

  “You didn’t ask,” Laval spit out.”By your reluctance to give me the wing portion I needed to make the cure for the plague she died. If I had obtained it the first time I asked, I could have saved her.”

  “I am so sorry,” Farloft apologized. “You know I would have never harmed her.” He sighed. “If I had known, I never would have...”

  “Saying you are sorry will not heal this wound. I will never forgive you. I will make it my goal in life to seek retribution for your evil ways.”

  James was oblivious to the wizard and the dragon’s conversation. His body felt on fire. When he regained his strength, he waded into the pool and lay down, wallowing in the cool waters, effectively washing off all the wizard’s potion. Having relieved his thirst, and his burning skin, he now stood on four sturdier legs looking at his reflection in the pool.

  “Farloft, I look just like you,” he observed out loud.

  “I know, James. I will have the wizard turn you back immediately,” Farloft assured him, while never letting his eyes leave the wizard.

  “I can’t,” Laval insisted.

  Farloft’s skin began to take on a crimson glow. Spikes bristled in anger from his nose, brow and neck ridge.

  “None of that, Wizard,” he warned. “He should not suffer for my mistake. You will turn him back at once, and be hasty about it, or I will light a fire under you.

  “No, Farloft,” James exclaimed