Chapter Nine: The Schlytha Dragon Trials

“Can you blame them? How would you feel if someone slaughtered your children? Dragons are no different from you humans

ODMAR, THE DRAGON ELDER

1333 AD

Chapter 9

The travelers stood in shock at the site before their eyes. Two humungous Dragon’s stood (and laid) before them, a site that has never been seen by humans before; at least not this close and not of this generation.

Proy started to slowly walk towards the standing Dragon, sword Drawn. The lying Dragon saw Proy’s advance and it’s next sprung up like a Cobra ready to strike! You could hear a deep grumbling sound coming from inside the Dragon. Chamansen was still kneeling then he too heard the rumbling. Anyone who knew Dragons knows what a deep grumbling sound meant. Obviously Proy did not.

“WAIT!! NACUUUU!!!” Chamansen quickly stood up with rage and yelled to the grumbling Dragon. “Stop Proy, advance him not!”

Chamansen ran to the standing Dragon and spoke a language unheard by anyone in the group: “Ploy dacurt, hy dacus racuz keeracupek.” After Lord Chamansen said these words the bigger of the two Dragons turned to the grumbling Dragon and grunted out, “Gurszacup…” The grumble Dragon immediately put it’s head and neck down; smoke came out of the nostrils and the side of the Dragon’s mouth.

Chamansen then turned to Proy, “A few seconds my brother you would have been charred as the darkness that besieges us.” The rest of the group continued to be frozen in their positions. But Pureza slowly started waling towards her father.

“That grumble you heard” Chamansen began to explain, “Was the build up of lava and fire within the Dragon’s belly. It sounds like a small earth shake and comes out like a violent volcano! You have no shield my friend, so how were you going to block such flames?”

Proy’s eyes were wide open, like a man who saw death coming for him. He barely opened his mouth to speak: “That language you spoke to that beast, what was that language on your tongue?” “That is not important my friend” Chamansen said, “We have somewhere to be; we must get our children to Odmar” Chamansen said with urge. Chamansen was a bit more than special, he had a rather interesting run in with a Dragon, long ago when he was a child. But now Lord Chamansen was a beautiful man: long brown hair 12 inches past his shoulders, a broad bearded face and eyes that looked like a child’s. He was 6 foot 1 of noble warrior, loved life, loved the kingdom and loved his family. Pureza was his only child, a girl. The night the orb hovered above her head was the proudest day of his life. Now today, his very own daughter awaits the Schlytha Dragon Trials.

Chamansen turned around to see Pureza standing only a few feet from the standing Dragon! “Pureza!” Chamansen said with worry. He knew if the Dragon wanted to harm her it was already too late. Pureza slowly put her hand out as if the touch the Dragon; her hand was only as high as it’s knees so a pet might be rather difficult.

“Shy is sxay deeozhzeer” Chamansen said with calmness, as if he was talking again to the Dragon. The Dragon looked down at Pureza, Proy said in a low voice, “Brother, now is about a good time to rush after your daughter.” “She will be fine” Chamansen said with a slight worry in his voice. He knew Dragon’s were friend of man, but situations can change a bit, when a 16 foot Dragon is standing only 5 feet from your daughter.

Nigent and Mangon looked at Pureza like she was insane. Brock started to say a prayer for the dying. Pureza still left her hand out. The Dragon stared at Pureza, then his nostril slightly moved, smelling Pureza’s scent from a distance. He lowered his neck, the giant Dragon head started to lower. Pureza looked up at the Dragon, right into it’s eyes. She lifted her hand up just a bit more, she could not wait until contact.

The Dragon’s head was just a few feet away from Pureza, you could see her heart pounding from anticipation. “Chamansen” Proy said with worry. “Worry not, she will be fine” Chamansen said. Proy continued to nag Chamansen; I believe he was jealous that Chamansen’s daughter was braver than his warrior son.

Mangon and Nigent were in fear, actually shivering a bit. The Dragon’s head was right before Pureza, it made her look like a 3 year old child standing next to an Elephant.

Chamansen could barely breath, but he knew if the Dragon was that close, things should be fine. He knew to watch the eyes of the Dragon, that tells all. Long as the eyes do not squint.

A groan came from the Dragon’s mouth as he moved his head closer to Pureza. But that groan sounded more like the Dragon was relaxed. He looked at Pureza as if to say, “Touch my nose.” And that is exactly what Pureza did, she touched the Dragon’s nose! Not only did she touch the Dragon’s nose, she fully put her palms on it’s nose. A glow came about Pureza, more like a violet aura, then she lifted her other hand and put it on the Dragon’s upper lip flap.

Pureza was now hugging the creatures nose! (well that was all her arms could handle). Chamansen saw a smile of love on her face he would never forget as long as he roams this earth.

The Dragon’s eyes slowly closed, then the other Dragon slowly crawled over to Pureza. She turned around, hugged the other Dragon and said, “Oh, I love you both! Haha, this one smells like strawberries!” she said to the group. “You smell like strawberries haha” she said to the Dragon. The strawberry Dragon was slightly smaller than the other.

The bigger Dragon walked over to Chamansen. Chamansen kneeled again, then the Dragon tucked his head to the ground and lifted up Chamansen, standing him upright. Chamansen looked up at the Dragon, the Dragon looked into Chamansen’s eyes and tilted it head. It then grunted out: “Pedy pekylcoxy yacu.” Did this Dragon just speak?

“I feel very welcomed my friend” Chamansen said; then he rubbed the Dragon’s nose.

Along the back of the Dragon were saddles. The Dragon looked back at them then looked at Chamansen and the rest of the group as if to tell them they all must get on. The smaller Dragon had two saddles. They were not the same saddles you see on modern day horses. These saddles were made up of shrubs, flowers, grass and were tied around the Dragon’s belly with thick vines.

Pureza was still petting the Strawberry Dragon. Nigent finally spoke, “What does it feel like Pureza?” She replied, “Oh, she feels like a giant snake. I mean the strength, her scales feel like smooth rock yet they are warm and pulsing with life! It’s like hugging a giant horse!” Pureza said while hugging the Dragon’s huge neck.”

“How do you know it’s a girl” Nigent said. “I just know she is” Pureza responded. Just then the Strawberry Dragon laid it’s head down on the ground and looked at Pureza as if to invite her. “Father?” Pureza asked Chamansen. Chamansen noticed that there were two saddles so he quickly walked over to the Dragon and Pureza.

“Are you ready my daughter?” Chamansen said with an excited yet nervous voice. “I think so father” Pureza answered with her voice shaking.

“What are you saying crazy man!” Proy yelled. “Are you saying we have to ride these beasts!?” “Our children were chosen” Chamansen stated, “And you know what the Heaven’s insist of this. They are truly beautiful beings.” “You cannot call a Dragon a being” Proy yelled. “They are beast’s, not on the same level as humans.”

Chamansen looked at Proy with discomfort then walked over to the Strawberry Dragon. He stroked the Dragon’s neck and Pureza was right, it felt like a giant Python. “Wow, this is truly amazing, she is so beautiful…” he said.

Chamansen looked at the Dragon to see how he was going to climb up to the saddle. The group looked at him, still in shock. “Hmmm, how is this going to work I suppose? Well this might work:” he grabbed on to a scale coming from behind the Dragon’s ear, it was easily big enough for his left hand to grab onto. “Yxcus sxa’ee” saying “excuse me” as he put his right on the side of the Dragon’s outer mouth. He then grabbed the same scale with his right hand and pulled himself onto the Dragon’s head, behind the ears.

“Oooh, I’m up” Chamansen said, feeling a bit uneasy. He was now a good 8 feet off the ground and sitting on a Dragon’s head! “Come Pureza” he said as he held out his hand to help Pureza get up. “Step on the outer mouth like I did darling” Chamansen said.

Pureza stepped forward, put her left hand onto another smaller scale handing from the side of the Dragon’s head. She grabbed her dad’s hand, stepped onto the outer mouth and she was up, quickly!

“Wow!” the two boys said in amazement. Mangon ran over to the Strawberry Dragon (well, 10 feet away at least), he twiddled his hands very nervously. “Is it my turn now?” Mangon said. “Sorry Mangon, there are but two saddles up here” Chamansen said. “The other Dragon shall be where you ride.”

Proy spoke, “There are four saddles upon this beast, I guess this one be ours. Well lets go, lets get going, destiny awaits.”

Proy quickly stepped towards the big Dragon (in what seems to be the male Dragon). As he approached the Dragon’s head it snorted and looked at him with a slight squint. “Up we go” Proy said climbing onto the Dragon’s head just like Chamansen did. Warrior Proy acted brave but inside he was scared lifeless!

“Come boy, destiny awaits” Proy said reaching out for his son. “Common priest, you and Nigent are next” Proy yelled to Brock and his son. Nigent said to his father, “Is it safe father?” “Well, we cannot stay here and the orbs tell all. May God be with us son.” Brock walked over slowly to the giant creature.

"I cannot do it father!” Nigent said in severe fright. “I cannot! Where are they going to take us, down there!!!” “Come son, we must go” Brock said calmly. He was not very sure about the Dragon neither. Nigent started to cry in fear; he was now screaming. The big Dragon looked right over to Chamansen as if to say, “We must be going.”

“Brock! We must go; NOW!” Just as Chamansen said that, the Strawberry Dragon lifted it’s head! Thank goodness Chamansen and Pureza were already strapped into the saddle. “Oh father!” Pureza yelled with fright. The saddles were upon the bottom of the Dragon’s neck area. Imagine the jolt when the neck sprung up!

“Hang on Pureza, hang on!” Chamansen demanded. Now the Strawberry Dragon was upright on her hind legs! “Whoa!!!” both Chamansen and Pureza yelled at the top of their lungs. When the Dragon stood up, they got a close glimpse of the infinite crater; the only thing that kept them from falling off the Dragon’s back and plummeting into the dark crater was a couple of vine straps. If that wasn’t enough to scare the spirits out of a person; the Dragon then took a big bow, bent it’s knees and put her wings strait up. Pureza got a close up look at the wings: they were huge, spread out right before her eyes.

“HANG ON DAUGHTER!” Chamansen knew what was coming next; the leap! Just then the Dragon shot strait up into the air! “Wooooooooh!!!” Both of the riders closed their eyes tight, their hearts into their stomachs; and the Dragon was off, strait up to the sky…”

When Brock’s son saw the Dragon shoot into the sky like that and heard the screams of a grown man who sounded like a frightened child, he knew he was not going. Nigent screamed and became even more out of control. He backed off and started to head into some nearby trees. “I don’t think we will be making this trip my friend” Brock said to Proy. “Tell the elder I am quite sorry…”

“Well, good luck!” Proy said to Brock. He then kicked the Dragon like one would kick a horse to start running, “So off beast!” Proy commanded the huge Dragon. The Dragon took off strait into the air, with even more aggression than the first Dragon. Mangon yelled at the top of his lungs, Proy yelled with adrenalin, “Whoa boy!!!”

Just as the big Dragon shot up; above, the Strawberry Dragon was hovering, getting ready for a dive!

“Get ready Pureza, I think a real drop is about to come daughter!” Chamansen said with fear in his voice. Pureza held on tighter to the saddle, bent over and closed her eyes tight. Chamansen held on so tight that his nails dug into the vines of the saddle. His legs tightened up on the Dragon’s neck.

THEN THE DRAGON DOVE! She shot down towards the dark crater, full speed. The Dragon was tucked away, gathering speed like it was going to break through some castle wall. All Chamansen and Pureza could do is hang on and close their eyes; they could barely breath because the speed was thinning the air.

Chamansen was able to barely open his eyes for a quick second. He saw the dark hole coming up. Then they were in the crater!

Proy’s Dragon was now about to go into it’s dive. “HANG ON SONNNNNN!” And they dove into the crater

Copyright © 2009 Keepers of the 2012 World: (The Dragon Schlytha Trials) . All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission.