|
chippen
New Peasant
Joined: February 6th, 2007, 10:54 pm
Posts: 9
|
 Braun and the Dragon Here is a story I wrote. It is a rough version, but I think its alright. Just let me know what ya think.
This didnt adapt great into the forums, the word document of it is in better format, but i think you can understand this
Some concepts in this story belong to the works of Christopher Paolini, while the others are my own.
OF BRAUN AND THE FINDING OF HIS DRAGON
Braun slumped in his saddle, his eyes fixed upward at the myriad of stars. It was a beautiful
night. A chill crept up Braun’s back as Sylvir cut through the damp sky, parting the low clouds
leaving a wispy trail in their wake. Extending his mind, Braun felt pain. He felt terrible pain and
suffering. He had heard reports of foul misgivings in the north, though he did not know the extent
to which the riders were involved.
Braun had been sent on an expeditionary mission to the south, as far as Rhone, where he
was to mediate a dispute among two warring families. Being from the south himself, he had been
selected by the council for his familiarity with the land.
Braun was old; he could feel it in his bones, even by rider standards. He had been born long
ago and had not become a rider until middle age. He smiled as he thought back to his journey into
the mountains as a guide for trade caravans. He had been separated from his party during a
storm. Braun cringed as he thought back on his misfortune, being swept down the river; victim of
a flash flood,…left for dead. He was pushed into a small culvert, merely a backwash of the river’s
ebb and flow. He regained consciousness and with the last of his strength, brought himself out of
the culvert. He had no food, no gear, and wet clothing. Fate had smiled on him that day, however.
The strike of lightning illuminated a cave. Despite its ominous appearance, Braun had no choice
but to enter the cave to shelter himself from the storm. The next day the storm had passed, and
Braun lit a fire. The fire danced across the two walls of the cave, but there was no third. The back
of the cave was shrouded in darkness. He made a torch from a dried piece of driftwood and a
piece of his sleeve. Despite his fear, something tugged at his mind, it was not strong, only a faint
dance of fate playing across the back of his mind, creating an insatiable curiosity that he could not
quell, even with his own fear. Braun journeyed into the back of the cave, until he heard the sound
of running water. There was light ahead, he could see the glow in the distance. He continued on
drawing nearer to the light. As he brought himself closer and closer, he began to hear a deep
humming noise, rhythmic in its pace, with an occasional rasping noise, as an animal drawing
labored breaths would make. Braun continued until he rounded the corner. His heard leapt into
his mouth at what he saw. Before him was a dragon! The dragon fixed a large eye on him, but did
nothing. The dragon was beautiful, Braun thought. It had an amethyst hue and looked like it could
snap the life right out of him with one movement of its tail. Fear gripped him, but as he looked
closer, he could see the dragon was not healthy. He realized now the sounds he had been hearing
were the labored sounds of the dragon’s breathing. He had heard stories of dragons, and their
riders. When he was younger, he, like many other boys, had dreamed of one day becoming a
rider. Those dreams had passed long ago. He had heard of wild dragons as well, fierce and
terrible creatures, who were often unpredictable and uncontrollable. He wondered if this was a wild
dragon, being in the absence of a rider. He stood there with eyes locked on the dragon as it
returned the favor.
Human.
Bran spun around, searching for who had spoken to him.
It is I who speaks to your mind, human.
Braun did not believe that he was communicating with a dragon. “What?” “Show yourself if
you wish to speak to me!”
I am right here, there is no other.
Braun stared in disbelief. He had heard that the riders and dragons communicated without
speaking, but he did not ever believe that this could happen. “Are you going to kill me?”
If I had wanted to kill you, you would not be standing here. And aside from that, I am in no condition to fight.
“I will take my leave then.”
Wait, commanded the dragon.
“Well I’ve been separated from my party and I must be going.”
I need your help.
“I do not know what I have to offer you, I have no supplies, and my companions are many
leagues away I imagine.”
You do not understand. I am dying. My years are long and my wounds are grave. I have
suffered for many years with wounds of magic. You see, I was once the dragon of a rider. The
same magic that has plagued me is the magic that took the life of my rider. With his death, I have
never been the same. I give you my story so you can remember me by. I ask that you take my
egg. It is my final wish, that my offspring be given to a rider.
“But I am no rider, and may I ask what your name is?”
My name is Emayil, and you will be a rider. As a mother knows her egg, I know that my egg
will hatch for you. Emayil produced a dark purple egg from the crook of her front arm. Take this,
it is my final wish. Take the egg, the dragon will not hatch unless in the presence of a human or an
elf, and only if they are compatible. My offspring shall carry on my legacy, with you as its rider.
“I don’t know what to do!” “I’ve never even seen a dragon before, surely there are dragons
nearby, your mate perhaps?” “Can they not take care of the egg?”
You do not understand, there are dragons, leagues away, but the dragons that adopted me
are wild dragons. Their eggs may hatch by themselves, but the magic that binds dragons and their
riders is strong. My egg will only hatch to a rider; it is the way of a rider’s dragon.
“What shall I do, I know nothing of raising a dragon!”
You will find my offspring has knowledge of our past, and will know how to take care of itself.
You are to help it hatch, and never leave it. Being a rider is a responsibility, but I sense that you
are of strong will and good heart. With my limited gift of foresight, I sense that you will never be
renowned for your strength in battle, nor your nobility, but you shall always be remembered for
your unwavering character and compassion for others.
“I do not know what to say, you can see my future?”
I cannot see your future, but vague insight into what you can become. Now go, I shall sleep
now I am glad that fate brought you here. I shall sleep well knowing that you and my offspring
have a future. Braun, son of Brenan, you shall be the keeper of my legacy, I give you what
blessings I have left in me. May good fortune watch over your for the rest of your days. The
dragon breathed one last heaving breath, closing her beautiful jeweled eyes forever.
Cold tears began running down Braun’s cheek. He began to weep at witnessing the death of
such a noble creature. No words could describe the anguish that welled up inside him. It
consumed his very soul. He stayed by the dragon for hours, mourning her loss. A change came
over him as he knelt in that cave in the mountains, he did not feel scared anymore. He felt a
purpose in life, and a desire to live up to Emayil’s expectations. He picked up the purple egg and
journeyed to the mouth of the cave. It was a calm night when he emerged. The stars seemed to
shine brighter than he had ever seen them.
Braun, being a skilled guide, knew how to read directions and soon found his bearings. He
ventured in what way he believed to be the caravan road until he could smell the faint scent of
burning hickory in the air. Minutes later he saw the smoke on the horizon, followed by the glow of
the fires. Fortune was kind to him as he strode in to the camp of his trading party.
“We thought you were dead,” replied Eramis calmly.
“Fortune was kind to me, more than you know,” replied Braun. “Don’t mind this,” said Braun
as he noticed Eramis and others glancing in amazement at his dragon egg.
Days later, the caravan neared the village of Ayden, their destination and where Braun had
his small home. Braun gave his farewells to the trading party as his services were no longer
needed. Braun decided that raising a dragon in the village would not work. Therefore, he decided
to sell his house on the spot, while packing up his belongings and what food he could buy, and
returning to the wilderness of the mountains in order to raise his dragon. He felt confident in his
plan, more confident he had felt in his entire life. No one in the village knew what happened to
Braun after he packed up and left. It was many fortnights later that Braun returned to the cave
that he had found the dragon. He found Emayil’s body gone. While a distant sadness echoed in his
heart, a painful reminder of what he had witnessed here, a cracking noise echoed in the cave. He
spun around to find his egg rolling back and forth. He knelt down and felt the egg. He knew this
was it. His egg was hatching. A dragon, hatched to him! He felt a pang in his chest as his breath
froze. He watched in amazement as the dragon slowly broke apart the shell encasing it. The
dragon finally broke itself out of the egg it had sat so long in. The dragon looked up at him with
amethyst eyes of its mother and blinked. Braun reached down to pet it but recoiled as the dragon
touched his hand, sending a wild sensation through his entire body. He recoiled his hand as if he
had touched flame, and viewed the silver spot on his palm. The pain subsided and he looked with
fondness on the dragon. It looked on Braun with equal love, then the little dragon strode closer to
Braun. He picked the dragon up and walked back out of the cave, sealing the ancient covenant of
dragon and rider, and signaling the beginning of a lifetime of adventure.
|
