Dream: The Dragon Keeper

Date: 2/5/2020

((Note: Written in third person as i dreamt this as if it were a movie played in front of me.))     She sat in darkness, her bright yellow eyes staring back at her in the lake water. Yet she was no young woman. At least, not in appearance. Years ago, when she was still very young, her parents angered a powerful mage that cursed her as punishment. She could only see her true self in her reflection but she was a young man in appearance. A very scrawny, yet athletic, young man who could use more types of magic than there were types of mages. The mess of black hair upon his head reflected as white in the moonlit lake. “Great goddess of the night, grant me the stealth and wit that I will need to accomplish my task. Please also grant me the speed needed to do it quick enough before the others realize what I have done.” the young man whispered. Looking into the water again, he allowed the reflection of his physical form to appear. Where the yellow eyes once were now stared back the red eyes of a dragon child. Powerful, determined, and unforgiving. An onyx cross dangled from his left ear with a green emerald in the center. The last gift from his father. He pulled a black robe upon him, making sure the hood hid him. He hoped he would be mistaken for nothing more than a mere Shadow Mage, beings who use dark magic and can’t stand even some of the faintest of lights. Beings that hide under hooded robes and cloaks in hopes to not be harmed by those lights. “Remember, every action we make will have a consequence. Sometimes, we have to really think about what is the right action and what is the wrong one.” This quote from his father returned to him as he stood up slowly in his place. He was at the edge of the treeline, listening intently to the Draglings in their nearby camp. Draglings being the closest kin to the pure blood dragons themselves. They are creatures with a very human appearance but their eyes are similar to a reptile’s and they have scales that replace their skin. Only a mage such as this young man would truly be able to notice the scales for they have the ability to make their scales appear as skin.     “Tonight, at the darkest point, we will take them down.” One of the dragling males said as he chowed down on a roasted chicken leg.     “Those two are the last of the dragon lords. Soon the draglings will be at the top.” One of the females added, sharpening her knives.     “They’ll soon learn that we draglings are nothing to joke about.” an older man added in.     Many of the others agreed and Char, the young man from before, shook his head. These creatures were criminals in his mind. He had to stop this madness. If he let them kill the dragons, the consequences could be fatal on a worldwide scale. So he had to protect them or at the very least warn them. This task was a big one and he could feel his nerves of steel begin to melt.     “Get yourself together Char, you must go.” the young man whispered to himself, a thick accent of the foreign lands showing in his speech. He watched them once more, listening to see if they could hear him. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------     Char ran fast through the forest as quickly and quietly as he could. The night goddess herself must have been leading him because he was traveling along a dark path that he had never traveled before. A path that seemed to be pulling him into the correct directions. He felt a strong breeze blow through the night air and was grateful that his tracks were being blown away as well. He smiled approvingly and continued on toward the cave up ahead that seemed to be the destination that he was being led to.     “I have to move faster. They could be right behind me,” Char thought as he ignored the urge to look behind him.     Pain seared in his legs as he ran. He knew he had been running for quite a while but he couldn’t stop. He sent a bit of healing magic down his legs. He needed to be at full health when he got in the cave. Who knew what the dragon lords would think of him? What would they do when they saw him?     “Stop it!” Char hissed quietly as he stopped in front of the cave.     It was faint, very faint, but he could feel it. A stir in the air that warned of disaster. It was coming from ahead of him though. He stepped one foot into the cave and quickly jumped out as an arrow came at him. He grinned almost maniacally at this turn of events.     “Apparently the dragon lords aren’t so defenseless.” he whispered as he looked to a boulder near the cave entrance.     Whispering in a tongue that was foreign to most, a long forgotten language that was passed to him by his mother, he changed the boulder into smaller rocks and strategically and magically placed them in a line in the cave path. The moment they all touched the ground more arrows passed by in front of his eyes. He watched, attempting to catch sight of the pattern. There was always a pattern and a break in the pattern. Always. Using his magic again he lifted the rocks and moved them from a straight path to a zigzag line. Sure enough more arrows appeared but he was now seeing the break in the pattern and knew what to do to get across the path.     Char lifted the rocks, then dropped them again. Right as he dropped them he took a running start and leaped through the barrage of arrows. His body spun right out of the way of each one as if none could hit him. Dropping from the leap he rolled just in time to get away from a blazing pendulum. Flames overpowering it.     “This really will be an interesting adventure.” he said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. He really hadn’t planned on it being one literally right after the other with these traps.     Watching the ever silent, yet very bright hot, pendulums swing he jumped up and latched to the top of one. He coated himself quickly in a heat resistant magic and jumped to the next. Doing his best not to step on the sharp blades of the pendulum themselves. He hoped and prayed that the next trap wouldn’t be too horrid as he made his way across the path of blazing pendulums and into a walkway that seemed way too safe for comfort.     “Arrows, pendulums, now silence. It seems too good to be true,” Char thought as he looked around, lowering the heat resistant magic.      His red eyes scanned the area skeptically. He took a few steps ahead and jolted at a shot of electricity going up his leg. He jumped back to his beginning steps. He closed his eyes now and took in a deep breath. He slowly exhaled. He could faintly hear the buzzing of the electric spells in the walkway. There weren’t as many as he had expected but still enough to make things difficult. He could hear the beat of his heart as it raced but he slowly tuned that out. He had to focus solely on the buzzing.     “Let the magic guide you child. It will take you where you must go,” came the faint voice of the night goddess herself.     Char kept his eyes closed, forcing himself to go in blind. He took another breath, exhaling slowly once again. Quickly he jumped from one stone tiling in the walkway to the next. He didn’t know what pattern he was moving in nor did he care because he wasn’t hitting any of the electric spells. He jumped once more and landed with a thud against a door that had to be made of the same stone as the walkway. It sure hurt to land against. He opened his eyes, stepping back a little to see the door better.     “The sanctuary of the dragon lords must be just beyond this door.” he whispered right as he heard a shriek in the distance.     More shrieks and yelling came from the direction he had come. He cursed himself inwardly, guessing the draglings had followed him here. Wishing he had heard them before now. He shook his head and placed a hand on the door where he assumed a good push would open it. Instead he wound up stepping right through it.     Looking around Char could see this was definitely the sanctuary. A single path, lined with dim firelight on either side led up to a small pool with two stone dragon statues standing erect before it. He could see such amazing details on the stone statues. The one on the right was made of a red stone that somehow captured the colors of the fire dragon it represented.     “The dragon lord of the sun must be far more spectacular to see in person,” he thought before looking over the other statue.     The stone statue on the left held hues of icy whites and blues. As if the one who carved it truly was trying to capture the moon itself. Char stared in awe a moment longer before he remembered what he had come for. He heard the sounds in the distance again and quickly placed a magical barrier in front of the door before turning back to the stone dragons. Except the stone statues were no longer made of stone and looked as if they were about to kill him.     “Oh goddess what do I do?” he whispered as he felt the magic in him beginning to weaken a little.     He shook his head weakly and knelt before the two dragons and placed both hands on the ground. Quick as a thief in the night, his magic wrapped around the dragons. He had placed limiter magic upon them so they wouldn’t be able to use magic power stronger than he could conjure. It wouldn’t keep him alive too long but long enough to explain.     “I don’t wish you harm my lords. I only wish to warn you of the impending danger if you choose to stay in this cave’s sanctuary.” Char said, praying they’d spare his life.     A shift in the air caused him to look up and stare at two young men. Both of them gave him wicked smiles that showed their true devious natures. Neither of them seeming less malicious than the other. Both dressed as if they were royalty.     “Well now child, what is your name?” one of them asked in a strong yet polite manner.     This one had to be the human form of the sun dragon. That was what Char had decided anyway. The young man looked to be in his early thirties. He had fiery red hair that was slicked back and pulled into a tight rattail. He had golden eyes with glints of orange around the rim and a light tan that just barely hinted at the muscle tone. This guy didn’t need magic to kill Char. His own physical power would be enough. Of that, Char was certain.     “I am known as Char.” He could hear the unsteadiness of fear in his own voice and it angered him a little, but he hoped it wouldn’t make him more of a target.     “Well Char, what impending danger are you warning us of?” the other dragon, the moon dragon, said in a playful tone. Not childlike playful either. Char was certain this kind of playful tone was very dangerous.     Char turned his attention to the moon dragon. Shoulder-length black hair that looked like it could be made of silk. Silver eyes that he was sure could see every secret he’d ever had, every lie he’d ever told, every detail about him including his own soul’s hidden truth. He had more of a warrior’s physique. Built to fight if he wished it but still small enough build that he could easily be underestimated. His skin had the same light tan as the sun dragon. These two were a perfect pair of deadly beings. He was sure they could kill him in an instant.     Char gulped down the building fear, remembering his job. “The draglings have turned against you my lords. They are here in these caves now. Attempting to make their way through the traps you have laid out.”     Within seconds the sun dragon appeared in front of Char’s face and smirked at him. He stared in his eyes as if dissecting the truth from them. He made a motion to the moon dragon who just laughed.     “Your vocabulary would make it impossible for you to speak our true names. In the human language I guess the best choice for me would be Anthony. My companion is Darrik. We won’t kill you Char. Not yet anyway.” the sun dragon, Anthony, said before returning to his companion’s side.     “You may stand Char. We’ll need you alive anyway.” Darrik said, that smile of his never faltering with his words.     “Yes my lord.” Char said as he stood. He kept his tone even and collected.     A loud scream came from the other side of the door and his heart stopped a moment. Char turned to face the door but his wrist was grabbed by Anthony in that same moment. He put up two more barriers behind the first one to help keep them out of the room. Darrik dived into the pool as Anthony pulled Char towards it.     “Take a deep breath. When we get in the water I’ll make it so you can hear us and once I reach ten, let out that breath. You’ll be able to breathe. I promise.” Anthony said quickly.     Char barely had time to take that breath before Anthony had pulled him in close and jumped into the water. He was surprised at how deep down they were going. The water seemed to resonate with magic. Further down they went as he watched the dragon lords lead him down and down. Yet soon they were swimming towards a light source. Darrik ahead of them by a good distance. He pulled himself through the source and vanished. Char’s eyes widened as Anthony pulled him through the light source. They sat on a grassy bank surrounding a pond. Darrik stared them both down before grinning maliciously.     “Let’s make sure they can’t follow us here.” Darrik stated with that same malice.     “I agree.” Anthony stated and let go of Char’s hand.         The two of them waved their magic over the pond. It shifted and changed. Soon it became nothing more than part of the clearing they were in. Char watched in surprise as they did this and clutched his hood closer to him.     “Now let’s get going.” Darrik stated as they headed off.     “Thank you for your help little mage, but we aren’t done with you yet.” Anthony told him and held his hand out to Char, “Can you still run, little mage? Or will you finally release your limiters on us?”     “Will you kill me if I release my limiters?” Char asked him as he hesitated to take the sun dragon’s hand.     “If I wanted to kill you, I could do that without my full power. Darrik as well.” Anthony stated with a smirk as Char took his hand.     Anthony pulled Char up to him and Char smiled weakly. He held a hand out to Darrik who sighed and took hold. Char focused his magic and pushed through himself to the two dragon lords. He released their limiters. His legs trembled as he collapsed against Anthony. The sun dragon shook his head but looked to Darrik.     “We should take the child with us.” Darrik told him.     “My thoughts too. He can explain more of about these Draglings who want to take us down. Maybe more about where his strange magic comes from. Too much power for a mere human.” Anthony explained and lifted Char into a bridal carry.     The two dragon lords let out huge wings and flew off.     Then I awoke.