Dragon Tamer: Chapter two

Packing up my things didn't take long, since I didn't have much. A leather bag slung around my neck and resting against my back held all that I needed, and it only took me five minutes to get ready. Why Imarx was determined that I leave today, I had no idea. Checking to make sure I had my blue knife, which I had nicknamed Bane, I hurried out into the cave entrance. Imarx was waiting, and took me down to the clearing. Safina, the blue female, was waiting there. "Safina will take you to the nearest town. Be careful, Bracken. And beware, when the power comes, be thankful you have the marks. Good luck with your quest."

"Wait! What about the madness? I need to know what to look for." I halted him with a hand on his crest, my fingers working through the small holes to hold him back. In all the years he had taught me, he had never told me what the madness was, or how it manifested in tamers. He sighed, and closed his eyes. "I haven't told you, because it was not my place. In times of old, it was the burden of the parents to tell you. Only the tamers know, and a few select dragons. The marks you have channel your power, which you do not have a grasp on right now. That is all that I know, to find out more, you need to go to another source. But you will know what the madness is when it finds you. Be careful." He shook my hand free of his crest and took off, leaving me with Safina.

I watched in silent farewell, then turned to my mount. "Well, let's go." She ducked her head in assent, then told me as I climbed on, "He means well, Bracken." I settled onto her back, giving her side a light kick. "I know he does. Now come on." She laughed and unfurled her wings, beating them a few times before taking a long leap and becoming airborne.

I had flown many times on dragons, and the novelty of it never wore off. Seeing the world from a bird's eye point of view always amazed me, watching the clouds roil below us at times. The ride was only half an hour, and then Safina landed near a small village on a plain. Honestly, I had napped most of the ride, since it was only an hour or so after dawn. The jolt of her landing woke me, and I slipped down. "Where are we?" I asked, rubbing sleep and wind-induced tears from my eyes. Indeed, it was very windy down here, needle sharp, too. And it was cold. I tugged the collar of my coat higher around my neck. "It is a town called Aliskman. It is here that you will find the way to your revenge. Be careful, and good luck, my friend." She took off, and I called a farewell, knowing that from now on I was among strangers.

The prospect didn't alarm me, rather, I was excited. During the years I had spent with Imarx, he had taught me how to keep my marks hidden. The ones along my face and throat were dim enough at times to pass as skin, but the ones in the hollow of my throat always glowed brightly, which was why I wore high necked jackets all the time to hide them. I was still curious as to the power, but decided to let it lie for now.

Tucking my hands into my pockets, I started towards the high walled city, my boots slipping over the icy ground. And then it began to snow. I started laughing. The cold, the wind, the snow, the strange town in front of me, and the monumental task of killing Shadow should have daunted me, instead, I was cheerful. The wind swirled my hair around my face, since I kept it cut shoulder length.
I soon reached the gate, which was closed, and pounded on the wood. Someone poked their head over the wall, and shouted down to me. "What do ya want?" the person asked. "I need in," I called back. "I'll ask the captain. Wait here." The person, a man judging by his voice, left. I grinned slightly. They were wary of letting strangers in. The world was an odd place, considering that I had spent my life among dragons. Five minutes later, the gate swung open, and I slipped inside. A young girl was waiting on the other side, wrapped in a shawl. "Hello. I'm to take you to the inn," she called over the wind, and I nodded.

She spun and led me down the street, nearly running. I kept up easily, glancing around curiously. Nobody was in sight, but animals were in abundance. Poking their heads out of barn windows and doors, huddled in shelters in corrals, making noise inside of barns. The girl stopped outside of a three storied building, and struggled to open the door. I helped her haul it open, and we both tumbled into the warm building. The door slammed closed behind us, and one last gust of snow swirled on the floor. I shook the snow from my hair and arms, and turned to look at the girl. She was smaller then me, with long blond hair and green eyes. She offered a smile, then shed her shawl and hung it over her arm. "I'm Nelly," she said, offering her hand. "Bracken," I replied, shaking her hand before looking around curiously.

It was a long, low room, with fireplaces at both ends, and long tables. A counter stood along the back wall, with a plump, curly haired man behind it. "Hey now, Nelly!" he cried, trundling towards us. "Pa, this young man showed up when I was taking supper to Daniel at the gate," she explained. The man studied me, and I returned his gaze. "Very well. Where you from, stranger?" he asked. "Around Telhon," I replied. The man raised an eyebrow. "Wild place, that." I shrugged. "Depends on where you live."

"Ah, well. My name is Benjamin, this is my daughter Nelly, and my wife Nola is in the kitchens. Come in, come in! Don't get strangers out here often, no sir." He trundled off again, mumbling about storms, snow, and the world in general, and Nelly giggled at my expression. "He does that. Come on now, off with your jacket and get warmed up. Catch your death in that snow." I hesitated, then removed my jacket and handed it to her. Luckily, the shirt underneath was high necked as well, but thinner then the jacket, and the tattoos might shine through if it got darker in the room. Nelly hurried off, and I went over to where Benjamin was working behind the counter. "You don't get many strangers here?" I asked, leaning on the counter. "Goodness, no. We're way out here, laddie. Most of us who live here date back many generations. Who were your parents? If you live by Telhon, they may have passed through here on their way."

"I...I don't know if I should bandy names around." He winked and laid a finger alongside his nose. "I understand, lad. Mums the word." I struggled to keep my face straight. Obviously he thought I had a disreputable family. Nelly came back in a flurry of skirts. "Pa, ma wants me to take him back so she can feed him and warm him up. You know how she is."

"Oh, yes. Go on now, let the wife fuss over ya." He shooed me away, and I followed Nelly, feeling a bit overwhelmed at the odd family. Then again, I hadn't grown up in a normal family, so they were probably considered totally normal.
Nola was a plump woman who fussed over her daughter and me like a mother hen. I was seated in front of the fire, and was soon warmed. The orange tabby kept winding around my legs, and mewing. Nelly sat down next to me, nudging the cat away with her foot. "Go on, Ginger." She glanced at me, then looked closer at my throat. My hand flew up, and sure enough, the neck of my shirt had somehow loosened and exposed the dragon wings on my neck. Her eyes grew wide, and I made a shushing sound with my hands, nervously pulling the fabric back up. "Um, mother? I'm going to show Bracken the prints. Be back in time for supper."
"Alright dear." Nelly wrapped her shawl around herself again and handed me my dried jacket, which I zipped up thankfully. She practically hauled me outside, but we stayed in a sheltered alcove where the wind wasn't so loud. "You're a Tamer," she breathed reverently. "I am. I meant to keep them hidden, I didn't know how they would accept it." And I wasn't too used to it myself, either. Even after all this time with them, they still seemed a little strange on my skin. She stared at me, and I grew uncomfortable with it. "Don't tell the others, OK?"

"Don't tell the others what?" asked a male voice, coming from beyond the house. Nelly jumped, and cried out. "Daniel! You're off duty." A stout young man with brown hair came into view, I recognized him as the man who had been on top of the wall when I arrived. He seemed to recognize me as well, and his eyes narrowed. "What are you doing outside with my sister?" he asked. I lifted my hands, palms out towards him, in a calming gesture. "She pulled me out here to talk about something." His eyes narrowed even further. "What about?" I glanced at Nelly, who nodded. "If you can trust me, you can trust him." I wasn't totally sure if I could trust her yet, but I pulled the neck of my jacket down enough to show him the marks. He gasped, and took a step back. "I don't believe it.....They were thought extinct after the ones on Telhon died in the attack." I stared at him. "People know about that?"

"Everyone. We saw the smoke for days, and saw him fly over. Why?" I took a deep breath. "Because he killed my parents in that attack." Daniel seemed speechless, and Nelly laid a hand on my arm.

The marks on my throat started ticking against my skin, like a pulse almost. "What's that?" Nelly asked. I glanced down, and saw that they were emitting a bright glow. And then they started lighting up on my face, one by one. And then I felt it. A rush of tingling power through my limbs, making me feel like I could leap a mountain or bring it down with my bare hands. In the evening dark, they sent out tendrils of light, writhing in the gloom. The tingling continued, and the power grew steadily. Was this the power that Imarx had warned me about? It sure seemed like it, but how was I to know? That was when we became aware of the slow thumping sounds that vibrated in our chests and stomachs. Nelly squeaked in fear, but Daniel and I looked at each other. We knew what it was. Another dragon was coming to wreak havoc on human kind. The rush I felt must have been a warning.

We whirled and burst into the inn, scaring Nola half to death. "Goodness!" Then she caught sight of my face, which must have been an unearthly sight to the poor woman. "Ben!" she shrieked, backing off. He came through the door, and froze. "Lad? I didn't recognize you there for a moment! Nola, stop your caterwhauling, woman! If he's one of them, he can help us." Grabbing my arm, he hauled me back outside and down the street. Daniel and Nelly followed, clutching each others hands. People gathered around the gate, and turned with startled cries as I came near. The marks had dimmed a little, but pulsed with my heartbeat, which grew steadily faster as we drew near. The thumping sounds had stopped, but I heard a sharp scritching sound, like claws on ice.

Claws.

My heart froze. A dragon had landed on the icy slopes outside of the town, like Safina had. And these folk hadn't realized it, because they couldn't hear the thin sounds that came from outside the town. "Ben, get everyone inside, into a safe place, and do NOT come out," I said quickly in a undertone, heading for the gate. "Everyone, back inside! This young man is going to find out what's out there!" he called out, ushering people back indoors.

I hauled open the door and glanced out, finding nothing in the gloom except a single speck of teal blue. I slipped out and hauled the gate shut, then went towards the speck of teal. As I came closer I saw that it was moving slowly. "Hello?" I called out, easing forwards as I spoke. "You were wrong to come out of the mountains, young one," rasped a deep voice. "I don't think so. I'm ready. Who are you?" I asked again, coming to a standstill. "I am called Fang, I am a messenger of the elder dragons."

The tattoos flared up like they had with Chrome, but I was better able to stand the pain now. I knew what it meant. He was lying. "I don't think so," I answered, tugging my collar down so he could see the pulsating lights. The bright glow lit him for a split second before he moved out of the way. I had see him though, and wasn't too impressed. Smallish teal dragon, white tipped wings, no bigger then a horse. No wonder he was a messenger. "What do the elder dragons want with me?" I asked in a conversational tone, moving closer. "Stay back!" he warned, and a flicker of blue flame appeared in the gloom. I halted. "They want you to come with me. They didn't know about you being taught by Imarx, and they wish to ascertain how much you know about our race, and whether you can be considered a threat." The tattoos flared again, and I shook my head. "I don't think so."

I bent down and began feeling around in the darkness, and all I could feel was the slick ice. Then I felt a claw. Apparently, I was closer to him then I thought. "I am telling the truth," he said, but his voice was nervous. "You'll never kill anyone if you sound scared." I laughed, and withdrew my knife.

It was then that I realized the blue of the knife and the blue on my face and throat were the same. And they both pulsed with my heart, bright and blue. How I'd gone four or more years without noticing this, I don't know. As it was, a fierce grin pulled at my mouth, and I lifted the knife. It brightened at my thought, shedding light across my target. He froze, barely able to control his wings from going limp, which, in a dragon, is a sign of fear. "Where did you get that knife?" he asked, trembling. "I know it's a dragon killer, that's why I carry it with me." My thumb drifted across the handle, and I noticed that a scale on the hilt was higher then the others. I pressed on it, and the knife grew longer. It had been a five inch blade, now it was about 12 inches in all. The dragon yowled in fear and anger, and attacked.

He used his wings to his advantage, using them to give him a lift so he landed on top of me. I slashed at his underbelly with the knife, knicking a scale off of his hide. He hissed, and, using his paw to trap my free hand, he bit at my throat. I swung the blade again, which, as you recall, I had nicknamed Bane. The dragon was hit in the soft tissue of his open mouth, a rush of warm blood flowing over my hand. It stung! He yowled, and Bane struck again, deep and swift through the roof of his mouth. A roar burst out of him, and he used his claws to rake across my midriff. Pain ripped through me, and I shrieked. He laughed, his tail flickering in glee at my pain. The tingling power from earlier rushed into me again, and I found the strength to heave him off and get to my feet. Hacking and slashing with Bane, half crazed with pain, I didn't stop until he was in shreds and begging for mercy. My marks burned bright, and so did Bane. I watched him limp away, trying to fly. But his flying days were over, his wings irrepairably damaged. I know now that I should have tried to kill him, but I didn't. I was unprepared for the fight, I didn't know what I was going to go against. And it was a mistake that I never made again.
Limping back to the village, holding my stomach, Bane shrunk back to the normal size, and I tucked it away. My marks faded in color as well, as the blood poured out of me with each step. But it was dark, and cold, and the snow stung my eyes.

Needless to say, I didn't make it back to the village that night. Or the next. I wanderd on the ice plains for nearly three days before a search party found me. I was told later that the villagers had organized a search party as soon as they heard the dragon roaring, and my shriek. Finding the scene of our battle, and seeing the blood mixed around, they assumed I had died and the dragon had carried me off. But Daniel spotted a trail of blood leading away, and they followed it, finding me half frozen and sick nearly two days later. They brought me back to the inn, since Nola was the town healer, more or less. I stayed there for a week or so, recovering. Due to my dragon induced markings, I healed faster then the normal human does.

But I wasn't easy in mind, and quiet most of the time. Knowing that my act against the messenger would not go unpunished by more dragons, I left as soon as I was able to move. Nelly found me that morning, moving slowly around the room. "Bracken!" She put her hands on her hips, watching me try to pull my shirt over my head. "You're not going anywhere."

"Yes, I am," I answered, out of breath and in pain again.

My stomach had healed pretty well, the rush of power doing most of the healing. I would have ragged scars across my middle for the rest of my life though, as a testimony to my first encounter. But the scars wouldn't heal for another few months, at least not fully, and they pained me for the rest of my life when it got cold.

Nelly helped me with my shirt, then went to get her mother. Nola bustled in, and chiding me, helped me pack. She understood why I needed to go. Indeed, Nola had become another mother to me, and I looked up to her.

I left that night, using only Bane and my marks for lighting on the slippery ground. I didn't want to go through the goodbyes, heartless though it may seem. A week later, I reached the foot of the Bloody Mountains, so named for a great war that the dragons had fought on it's peaks. That is where I met Frost, and where the quest really began.