Dragons Shining (2 page)

Chapter One – Young Owen

“Owen,” called Sophie, his older sister. “Father and Tom are on the corn harvest in the back fields. Father says stay clear because the serpents will be running from the harvesters. He wants you to milk Elsie, muck the stalls, and get the fresh eggs under the hens. I am taking the wagon with mom to town, so make your own lunch”.

“I will take care of it, Sophie”, called Owen. “Get me some chocolate if you can!” She smirked and ran off to where Mom was waiting on the wagon with the team of horses he had hitched up for her not long ago.

Nothing new, he thought. He was twelve years old, still too young to help with the larger chores, but strong enough to do the “easier” work. So Paw thought anyway. He didn’t really mind. Paw, or Mr. Ben Hodgens and Angie, his mom, were very good to him, especially considering that Owen was adopted. He was considered a member of the family, if not by blood then by love. He could not remember a time when he was not living at the farm. Mom told Owen that at dawn one morning they found an infant in swaddling on the doorstep, with a note and fifty sovereign gold pieces in a pouch. Angie had shown him the note and the fifty gold pieces she had so far refused to spend, saving it for him. It was more than enough to buy a farm and livestock someday. The note said, “Please take care of Owen. Any of his needs will be met upon request. We will be watching and will contact you from time to time. For his safety, please simply pretend he is yours.” Signed and sealed: “Mary of Kanley”. It was signed by the young Queen no less.

So far, the Hodgens had asked nothing more of the Queen, even though each quarter when a contingent of Royal Guard passed, they would stop at the Hodgen Farm “for water”. The Captain would always manage to speak with Ben or Angie alone, and inquire about Owen. The Hodgen’s answer was always the same. “Owen is a son to us, and we are doing fine without any help. Thank the Queen for us, please.”

Farming offered a good life. Owen tried hard to get along well with everyone in the farms nearby, and in the town as well. He was happy here. He often wondered who his real parents were and why the Queen was “providing” for him.

Owen was very good with the animals now. Initially they feared him, or what was buried inside him, but he could sooth them with a spell the old teacher had taught him. He couldn’t let the others know about that. He had secrets to keep. His mind wandered as he was milking Elsie the cow, remembering when he discovered how different he was.

___________________________________________________________________

Old Baird taught all of the children in town their reading, writing, numbers, history, faith and other important lessons, in the one room schoolhouse halfway down the road to town. After school, he taught Owen lessons he did not teach the others. Dafford handled the sports, weapons training and physical training basics. Owen could still remember the first time he learned what he was deep inside, when he was only seven years old. He had no trouble with school, absorbing everything like a sponge. When he sensed jealousy from others he learned to make mistakes, just like them.

Baird had given the kids a challenging puzzle to solve when trying to teach the children logic. “Consider this”, he said. “Three prisoners were given a chance for release, except only one of them was to go free. One was blind. The jailor put a small hat on each of their heads and said if you take your hat off you lose. The men could only see the hats on the other two men, and not the one on their own head. They were told there were three blue hats and two red hats in all, before three were selected and placed on the three men’s heads. The men were asked one at a time if they could determine the color of their hat by logic alone, to win his freedom. The jailer asked the first man, who said, “I cannot tell”. He asked the second man who said the same thing. He then asked the blind man, and the blind man said, “I have a ‘What Color?’ hat on and ‘this’ is how I know”.

Baird had then asked for a show of hands of who could say what color hat the blind man had on and also tell him logically why. No one raised his or her hand.

After class, as Owen was leaving, Baird said. “Owen, I would like you to stay a while today.” The rest of you can go.

After the other kids had left, Baird asked, “Owen, I know you solved that puzzle. Why didn’t you say so?”

“How do you know?”

“Because I can use a little magic.” He then held his hand over his pipe and said “Flamar”.  A blue flame shot from his hand to light the pipe.

Owen jumped back and said, “Wow. Oh how neat. Can I do that?”

“If you let me teach you, yes. But you must be honest with me at least. Don’t hide things from me, because I am your friend.”

The way he said that caught Owen’s attention. Suddenly he has a suspicion, but he only said, “The hat was blue. Logically the first man did NOT see two red hats or he would have known his was blue. So, the first man saw either two blue hats or a blue and a red hat. The blind man’s hat could not have been red because: If the blind mans hat was red then second man would have known his hat was blue, or else the first man would have seen two red hats and would have won. Therefore the blind man’s hat was blue.”

“
This boy will have a powerful mind when mature
”, thought Baird.

“Very good”, said Baird. “Now I will teach you a spell. Not the fire spell just yet, but one to calm animals. I think you need that one first”.

“Why are the animals afraid of me, Baird?” This disturbed Owen more than he let on.

“Let’s just say they sense a predator in you, Owen. Can’t you feel that deep inside?”

That did bother Owen. He could deep down in his soul feel something wild and ancient. A powerful something held at bay - by his own fear mostly. But that something wanted OUT. “Yes, how did you know?”

“A little magic, remember? Here, what is magic but the talent and then the belief and training to go with it? You have the talent, without question. First though, you must understand yourself a little better Owen, and accept what you are. Come here.”

Owen approached the old man, who put his hands on Owen temples. “
Hear me Owen?”

He tried to jump back but Bard had firm grip on his head.
“Yes, I hear you. How is this possible in my mind?”

“Relax Owen, relax. Let me in.”

At first, Owen would not. Fear froze his thinking, and closed his mind tightly. But he finally did relax. He sensed that the old man really was his friend. Baird’s tickling presence began peeling back the layers within Owen’s consciousness. What he saw made his heart race and bile rose in his throat as Baird led him deeper and deeper, until the old man became afraid and withdrew.

Owen turned and threw up in the wash bucket until he had nothing left but dry heaves. After some time he could speak again.

“I am a Dragon?” “How can that be?” “How, how can that be?” He sat down and began to cry. What else had scared Baird, scared him even worse, a dark, frightening cavern that defied light yet which shimmered with a promise brighter than the sun? And that was not all. He was not only a Dragon, but also a Vampire Dragon, something from a nightmare. But he could not remember ever craving blood. “I like real food!”

“A Vampire dragon does not need blood, Owen. Most often it draws blood and lets others draw its blood at the same time. This can make itself and those it shares with be stronger. It can feed on the blood of its enemies or prey if need be, and so heal its wounds with blood magic. I did not know you were Vampire, Owen. Believe me though; you are NOT evil, and won't be unless to decide to be."

“But how can I be a Dragon? I am nothing but a small boy!”

“Come here by this mirror, Owen. I want to show you something. Here, I will remove the glamour I put on you as a baby.” With that, Owen’s suspicion was confirmed. Baird was the one who had placed him on the farmer’s doorstep.

Baird muttered a spell, and as Owen looked in the mirror his ears grew longer and pointed. His whole body thinned and grew taller. His face grew thinner and more delicate, and his eyes were large and golden. Through them he could now see the smallest details in the darkest corners of the room’s failing light. He blinked, and gasped.  His eyes were huge, slanted, golden and with diamond shaped pupils. Double lids snapped closed one over the other as he blinked. He closed the transparent one, and the light dimmed. His vision was still super sharp, but muted.

“Put it back, Baird”, he said, shaking.

A few words, a hand gesture and Owen returned to what he was used to looking at. He could now sense the glamour that had been there all this time. He remembered the spells, too.

“You will learn to change, Owen, the sooner the better. I mean change into a dragon, not just place a glamour on your Elven body.”

“If I become a dragon or an elf it will scare everyone. I will be shunned and driven from town, if not killed! I don’t want to be a dragon!” He tried to turn and flee, but the old man was very strong.

“I know that, Owen. We must stay in hiding. Keep up the disguise as long as we can. But know this. You are what the Maker has made you, for a compelling reason. Do you hear me?”

Owen stopped struggling and said, “What the Maker has made me? Who are my real parents, Baird?”

Baird sighed. “You and others like you are to be our saviors, Owen. The host of white Angels has given you to us. These Angels obey the Maker’s will in all things, at all times. I was not told who your parents are, when the Angel handed you to me. After looking in your mind I can say for certain that your mother is pure Vampire. Pure Vampire blood can only come from one source. I must do some research to be certain before I name her. There has not been a new Vampire Dragon in over ten thousand years. The only two left are so old and decrepit they can hardly fly. And those could not ever take Elven form like you can. But you are too young as yet. I am sorry to break this too you so soon, but we are hunted always. I could not wait for you to discover this on your own. Those who would kill us because we are a threat to them hunt us. It is they who we must eventually destroy.”

“What others? Who do we threaten? I am only a kid!”

“There were fourteen given to us by the Angels. They are certainly half Elf, half Dwarf and half Human. The other half is Angel, once dragon, I believe. You and one other are different still. The others are all your age and just learning what they must prepare for, to battle the dark things being bred in dark places and deep below ground.”

Baird did not wish to give Owen the whole truth just yet. He would not mention Briana for a while yet, or give his mother’s name. He had not heard from Salece in some time. That was the price of going dark and hiding here in the tiny town of
Fable’s Arch. “
I still do not know who was Owen’s father, because of that dangerous block in the boys mind
”, he thought. Vaness, the boy's mother, had supposedly sworn off having offspring after so many monstrous failures, and he wondered who or what could possibly have convinced that immortal creature otherwise.

“Will I meet the others soon?” asked Owen.

“Not yet. It is not safe”.

“How old are you, Baird? You know so many things.”

That caught Baird by surprise. “That’s none of your business, young man. Let’s just say I knew those two dying old vampire dragons in their youth. Come; let me teach you the calming spell. And tomorrow Dafford will begin your other lessons. The fire spell will be next, and many more after that. Dafford will make a great swordsman out of you, among other things. You have much to learn.”

After Owen had left for home that day, Baird pondered what he had learned. Prior to this he had not reached into the boy’s mind, concerned that he might cause more harm than good. He had waited until Owen’s mind seemed strong enough, not wanting to repeat mistakes he barely remembered, with students of the past. Not remembering the details of how or why, he knew the limits that should not be ignored.
“I have known many wizards and sorcerers. Few indeed have survived their own failings. Bad luck, haste, procrastination, greed, hate, jealousy, misplaced love, paralyzing fear, lack of confidence, or an excess thereof, laziness; all these and more have been the cause of early demise and failure. Only bad luck is incurable, yet proper care and preparation brings a good measure of luck in my experience. I will make certain that Owen is as prepared as he can be for what comes. Even the immense power I sense latent in the boy is no guarantee, if one or more of the possible failings causes this power to be unused or abused.”