***
The Dragon was alone in the chamber; its eyes were fixed firmly on the wall, what if he was wrong. That woman he had communicated with; there was no harshness in her heart, no cold deliberate act to deceive him. It was unlike the feeling he had felt so many years before, from his so called masters. In her there was something different, something not natural to him, and yet not unnatural to her, an understanding of his nature. Were men really capable of nobility, surely not, as far as he was aware mankind always had an agenda, and that agenda was to gain power so as to control others with the tool of fear? If she were truly noble then why was she there? If only he could speak to her once more. But what if he were wrong, and it was all a deception, after all do not all devils walk in disguise, sowing confusion and discord wherever they go, and was that not what man did. Man vexed him before and vexed him still. In the finality of it all, he had to put his doubts aside; the only answer that really would make sense would be the death of his enemy, and that was man. All the cruel maltreatment he had been forced to endure, and might endure in the future, would then truly be ended. The Dragon took a moment to remember the beatings he suffered. The thrashings with the whips, even when he behaved and did as he was told; men would take delight in such vain activities. Thinking how courageous it was to waylay a beast that was both feted and chained. How they had taunted him with that word, 'Beast'. Stripping him of his dignity, and making it easy for them to do the things they did.
Then one day the mountain had shaken with its own anger at his treatment, and with his chains broken and revenge quickly taken he had found his true nature, as man had forged it, there in the heart of Ruin Mountain, and now once again man had invaded his home to disturb his peace. The Dragon leant his head up against the wall, listening, its eyes flickered with delight; there was movement on the other side. Taking a step back he would ram his way through and into the other chamber. Therein he would reap savage reward on those that had thought him a slave, making them pay for the long nights of terror and fear suffered. The Dragons tail swung back and forth in anticipation, its scaled head and body bracing itself for the impact. He took one step forward, then another, and recognising a weak spot in the wall stood up on his hind legs. Spat out a venomous liquid all over the wall to weaken it, and then came crashing down, smashing through with a thunderous roar.
Nicholas was knocked aside, the chamber collapsing all around him, fortunately he was only dazed a moment, he quickly recovered and leapt across the cavern, leaving his position by the chain unguarded. Andreas realising immediately the precarious position they were in, lifted his shield drew his sword and moved to Nicholas’s aid. The Dragon, with its large head protruding through the breech in the wall, gazed a moment at the invaders, and with an inescapable roar, lunged forward, shattering stone and dust filled the air as it moved menacingly between its enemy. He lifted his head and shot venom at Andreas, who thankfully hid behind his shield. There was no dismembering effect, his shield did not break or liquefy like the wall had done, and any venom that fell on his armour just dropped to the floor. The Dragon seethed with anger, these men were not different after all, and they even behaved and looked like his old masters. He would not be held captive again. Andreas sprang forward catching the beast unawares, he thrust his sword forward, but the creature was swift to react, a great talon deflecting the blow aside. Nicholas also struck but his sword bounced back off the hard scaly skin. The Dragon looked round whipped his tale to the side knocking the shield out of Nicholas’s hand, he went to strike at him again, but Nicholas was too quick, this time he ducked beneath its tale and rolled to one side. Lifting his sword he brought it down hard snapping one of the chains. A large board with wooden stakes snapped down into the side of the Dragon. It gave out a shriek in shock, more than agony as the plank shattered. The Dragon enraged turned to face Andreas and Nicholas once more. Then from the gaping hole in the cavern wall leapt Achil, bow in hand. He pulled back the string and let fly, catching the creature's wing and pinning it against its massive frame. It retreated into the area where the trap waited, snapping at the arrow, in a frantic bid to remove it.
Andreas wildly shouted across, “Achil snap the chain by your side.”
Achil reacted immediately, and swung his sword around and brought it down hard, shattering one of the links. The dead weight protruding with metal spikes came crashing down, the creature realising the situation had become desperate managed to avoid the full impact of the boulder, but still it left its mark, a large gash across its neck. It roared in agony, stunned by the frenzied attack. Nicholas struck again slashing the wing of the creature; this time it cried out in pain. The Dragon realising it could not escape, withdrew dragging its heavy frame into a corner of the cavern. The three of them stood watching; all could see that the Dragon was at their mercy. They began to edge closer, but still the Dragon did not move, it looked at each of them in turn, and lowered its head as though inviting the final blow.
Achil lifted his sword as the Dragon closed its eyes, a tear descended from one of them. But the fateful strike never arrived. Something within Achil had halted the blade.
“Nishga can you communicate with it?” said Achil putting his sword to one side.
Nishga stood among the broken rocks with a determined watchful fire in her eyes. She was ready with her powers to prevent any final blow from landing on the creature, but astonishingly at the very last Achil had come to his senses.
Andreas jumped forward, “What do you think you are doing, we should kill it, while we can.”
Achil stood in front of Andreas stopping him from moving closer to the creature.
“No, you are here because your people suffered,” said Achil. “It is here because it was made to suffer also. It has a right to be free as much as you or I.”
“It lost that right when it rampaged, murdered and pilloried our lands,” said Andreas.
“You never lose those types of rights,” said Achil. “And you lose something far more important, if you do not guarantee such rights: you become dead inside. Are you willing to do the same to this creature, as it has done to you? What you are doing has nothing to do with seeking justice Andreas, it's about seeking revenge. And after you have done such a deed, as the killing of a helpless enemy, will you not also lose the good in you. Or will you accept that as you punish others, so you shall be punished by others, and that would be an irony indeed.”
“My People never punished the Beast,” said Andreas determinedly.
“You’re right, but the Dragon does not realise that,” replied Achil. “Andreas lower your sword, please trust me on this.”
Andreas slowly put down his sword and shook his head ruefully.
Achil turned back to Nishga, “Nishga when you used the Orb to communicate with the creature before you believed you could feel what it feels, so you would sense any deception on its part, and I presume it would sense any deception on ours. Then use the Orb and tell it. If it is willing to live in peace with us, we will live in peace with it. But it must give up these raids on the lands of the Dragon People.”
Nishga lifted the Orb. The Dragon became aware of what she was about to do. Achil pulled Nicholas and Andreas to one side so that she might be better able to make the connection without their hindering her. But first Nishga attempted something she had learnt from the Nashvilly, and moving closer to the creature, she placed her hands on its wounded leg, as she did so the crystal around her neck began to glow, pulsating with energy, she then did the same to its neck, both gashes began to heal and close up. She stopped for a moment to rest drained by her efforts to help it, before continuing.
Achil watched marvelling at such a gift. A sullen Andreas sat next to him head down spinning his dagger round on the ground as he had used to do as a boy.
“What’s wrong?” enquired Achil.
Andreas looked up, “It's just a few moments ago I had a lust for its blood, and here we are now trying to save it in the hopes of making peace.”
&n
bsp; “Peace,” repeated Achil quietly. “We were trying to kill a creature that had been hunted and hounded all its life that has been chased by the memory of its captivity for an age. And in a way we are all held captive, by our own feelings, or lack of them.”
Nicholas sat transfixed by what Nishga was doing he looked at his own hands and then back again at hers.
“Is there anything she cannot do,” he said guardedly.
Andreas and Achil looked at each other and back at Nicholas before speaking as one, “Cook."
“She has removed your arrow Achil," continued Nicholas, “and managed to heal the wound. Where its neck was slashed, it looks more like a scratch, and she’s now even healing its wing.”
As Nishga worked, she took out the Orb and began to reach out to the creature's mind, as she made contact with it; she heard words in her head spoken by the Dragon.
“I have been a prisoner for so long,” said the Dragon. “All my dealings with men have been painful ones. What you are doing, I did not anticipate, nor did I expect that other man, the one you call Achil to spare my life.”
Nishga looked over to where Achil was sitting. “He does have his moments I guess. Once you are restored, and to prevent this madness ever happening again, I hope we can reach an understanding.”
The Dragon felt movement back in its leg, “What did you have in mind?”
“Firstly,” said Nishga firmly. “There must be no more war between you and man. Agreed?”
“Agreed,” said The Dragon, wearied by the anger that had weighed it down for so long.
“Secondly,” said Nishga, “this place is a mess you need to clean it up.”
Nishga then called to Achil. As he left Andreas to join her, he stopped and turned back a moment to place his sword with Nicholas before joining her.
“The Dragons name is Ladon;” said Nishga. “He wishes peace also. Is there anything you wish to ask him?”
Achil carefully considered what he should say; the Dragon still unsure of the man in front of him waited warily for what was to come.
“Tell Ladon that I once suffered a great loss and to help heal that pain I needed a new beginning,” said Achil. Nishga repeated the words in her mind. “As a sign of peace between us,” continued Achil, “we shall destroy everything here that held him captive. The chains, the traps, the whips, we shall throw them all into the river of fire at the heart of the mountain. And in future we shall refer to this place not as Ruin Mountain but as Dragon Mount and trouble him no more. The fact we come from different worlds should not be an excuse for war, but an opportunity for peace and leaning, there shall be a new beginning between us, and in time, it is hoped, he will grow to call us friend.”
As Nishga repeated these words the Dragon got to its feet stretched out one leg, the other curled beneath its body and bowed its head. Achil bowed in turn.
Later when they had left the Dragon to recuperate, they seated themselves in the great hall and were eating what food they had. Nishga went on to explain what the Dragon had told her.
“All Ladon wants is peace. You see he had been so badly treated by the people you call the Elder that he saw all men as his enemy, not being able to distinguish between the good or bad. When you declared that you were willing to help destroy everything that reminded him of his captivity, then Landon truly realised that you are different to those that had enslaved him. He also says we need not leave immediately, once we are rested, as a sign of friendship and goodwill he will take us home. First he will take Andreas and Nicholas and then Achil and I will follow."