Dragon Soul

Oblivion. Deep, endless void. That's where we all start.
Then, a trickle of light. Life. Magic.
Expanding, self-awareness.

He was different from the others. They saw him as a loner, although that was not how he saw himself. He listened. His senses were better than the others', although they didn't know that.
But he was special. He had developed an extra sense. He could communicate with beasts. And not only normal animals like wolves and such, but beasts of magic.
While the other boys were training their weapon skills, he was out in the deep woods of Drathorn. It was common knowledge that the woods were dangerous; oversized beasts and mysterious things happened around the woods. The inhabitants of the harbour city had once tried to cut down the forests, but the workers kept disappearing without a trace. After that, entering the woods was banned by the city Council and the Duke.

Today he had ventured further into the woods than ever before. He had a reason though. He was following the whispers.
He had been in a conversation with a squirrel when he heard it. Squirrels tend to only talk about nuts, so he was relieved when he found an excuse to leave the talkative chit-chattering squirrel behind. From the beginning he couldn't quite understand the whispering, and he still couldn't.
The further he walked, the more he could feel a tension in the air. The forest had gone eerily dark and quiet. The treetrunks got bigger and bigger.
This part of the forest must be ancient! he thought. He quested, an ability he had taught himself. What he did was simply 'spreading' his mind, feeling for any creatues nearby.
This was unusual. He couldn't find any living beings, except for the single-minded insects.
He looked up, trying to find out how long he had been walking for, but the trees were forming and impenetrable roof with their heavy boughs, hiding the sky and sun.
He hesitated, wondering if he should be going back to the city.
Not that anyone would care if I was missing, he decided bitterly, and started walking again, knowing that it was true, that no one even noticed his coming and going in the city.

The ground had begun sloping a while back, turning rocky. The whispers had turned to bestial screams, both in his mind and pounding in his ears. He had to climb now, it was getting real steep.
Then, he saw them.
It was breathtaking. A dragon, fighting another winged creature. The dragon was stunningly beautiful. Red scales covered its sleek winged body.
The other creature, however, was ugly. It was black, its lizard-like head resting on a long neck, its wings were bat-like, a little like the dragon's, but the dragon was graceful, and this creature just emanated one feeling: evil.
To the lad's creature sensitive mind, it was like smelling a bunch of rotten corpses. It was evident that the fighting had gone on for hours.There were deep gashes in both creatures.
'Finally, you have come.'
He started, looked around, but then realised the voice had been in his head. It sounded female. Then he realised it. It was the dragon. It was like when he talked to the animals, yet different. It was intelligent. Far more than a mere animal, and even humans.
'Look in front of you. On the ledge.'
'I see it.' He replied. It was a nest. A big one. Dragon-sized.
'You have a special gift, Shamizo-al Mirago. I held off this creature, waiting for you to come and claim what is rightfully yours to care for. Take good care of her, Shami, Beast Kin. Stay true to her and you will have gained a thing very rare and precious; the friendship of a dragon. Now, I bid you fare thee well.' And with that, the magnificent red dragon took off, closely followed by what Shami somehow knew was a Zamok.
He stood a while looking at the horizon, but then came to his senses, and moved towards the nest. In it, he found only one thing. It was an egg. A very big egg. It had a dull, grey colour, almost like a rock, but Shami knew it was an egg. It was warm, and he hesitated, then chucked the egg into his shirt. It would be easier to carry it that way. a quick look around, and then he started walking back the way he had come from. A few hours later, Shami emerged from the forest. He stopped and looked at the city below him. Not a likely place to raise a dragon, but what other choice did he have?
As he walked down the hill towards the city, Shami tried to think of a good place to use as a hiding place. He then remembered a person from his childhood.
He had joined the Thieves guild at a very young age, but had gotten out of it only a few years ago. He had now lived for about 20 winters, as far as he knew.
Usually the thieves in the Guild tried to not form any lasting friendships, because the deathrate was fairly high.
When Shami had joined the Guild, having only lived through four winters, an old thief had taken him in, and acted as Shami's tutor. Branak had always been as much friend as a master, but Shami knew he could keep a secret, and not be bribed to tell it to anyone whose ears were unworthy of the secret.
Having made up his mind, Shami trudged along secret paths that he had not trodden since he left the Guild. He followed the paths to his former master's hideout, deep in the city sewers. He didnt need a light for these tunnels. He wouldn't be able to forget, even if he wanted to.
Shami knew that the Thieves had seen him enter the tunnels, so he didn't attempt to move stealthier than what was normal for him.
After countless twists and turns in the black tunnels, Shami reached his destination. He tapped an intricate code on a metal pipe, that only he and Branak knew.
A few clicking sounds, and a small door opened seemingly part of the brick tunnel. No light spilled into the sewer tunnel. A little precaution against possible unwanted onlookers. Shami stepped through the opening and the door slid shut behind him on oiled hinges. Now light poured out from an unseen source. It was like entering a lair, but Shami knew he couln't be in a safer place. He went into a room in which he knew he'd find his old master.
"So... What brings you back to the Guild? I cannot believe that you've come back just to pay an old friend a visit?" He sat, like an old battle-scarred tiger, slouched in a chair. Branak was getting old.
'He must be near 60 winters or more by now.' Shami thought.
"I need your help," he said, and withdrew the egg from his shirt, "with this."
As realisation dawned on the old man, his eyes widened in wonder.
"Shami, is that what I think it is?" The lad nodded, and let his master take the egg when he reached delicately for it.
"I heard whispers from the forest and followed them. You know I've always been able to Listen." Branak nodded, and let Shami tell the story of how he had obtained the
dragon egg. The old man nodded again and stroked his grey goatee, deep in thought.
"We can keep the egg here till it hatches. But we must find another place when it grows bigger. You will have to rejoin the Guild, Shami, otherwise your presence here will be questioned by far too many Thieves, more than we can afford with what is at stake." He looked at Shami, and the lad nodded in agreement.
They placed the egg on a few blankets ans cushions close to the fireplace. Then they went to plead for an audience with the King of Thieves.

After three days, the King finally allowed them to beg their case to him. They tidied themselves up, and started towards the King's chambers.
They entered a big cave. The Guild's common area, where the Thieves either sat around, talked, or practised their various skills on each other...Sometimes with a bloddy outcome. There were also small kids. Apprentices.
Branak and Shami walked towards a side-tunnel, guarded by a big brute. He looked at them suspiciously, recognised them, and let them enter.
The King sat on his throne, which was decorated with dried human fingers, ears and skulls. Shami noticed that some of the limbs were fresh, blood still dripping from them.
They stopped a dozen paces from the King, and knelt. After a little while, the King finally spoke to them.
"Want to rejoin the Guild, ey? How can We be sure that you are not a spy from the Duke? We must put you through a test to make sure your allegiance still lies with Us."