A Collection of Short Stories

Dragons: Part 1

  *** I would like to apologize beforehand at the misspelling/misuse of the East Asian Language Translations. I attempted using Google Translate as that was the only multi-language translator I have access to. If you know how to use them correctly, please let me know. You don't need to know the translations to read it smoothly, but I have a vocab below if you want it. Thank you! Enjoy!***

***Vocab:
- krou- Khmer for teacher
-chuna- Hindi for chosen
-rồng- Vietnamese for dragon
-sakay- Filipino for rider
-Sahapāṭhī- classmate in Bangla
-C̄hạn mī'-Thai for mam'
-Uisig- Korean for ceremony
-Phu Pongkan- Lao for Protector
-Anak Api- Indonesian for Fire Sun (name of Emperor)
-hkell- Burmese for Lead(leader was too long) ( name of head dragon)

           I had trained for this all my life. I was ready. Wasn't I? Doubts raced through my head, but I shoved them into my mental lockbox. I took a deep breath and to steady my racing mind, I focused my anxious energy on observing and listening to my krou. The thundering of the crowd occupying the tremendous stands reminded me of the delightful festivities occurring just outside the large, red tent. The tent, an assortment of rich fabrics,  had been transformed into a makeshift waiting area for the Chuna. It consisted of six wooden benches facing the flap of the tent. Seated uncomfortably on the benches were ten select students from the Rồng-Sakay Academy. 

Every year, the Rồng-Sakay Academy chose ten of their two hundred students in their sixteenth year to become the Chuna. The Chuna then performed in the Uisig which was the celebration of the year where the country's finest sixteen-year-olds from the Rồng-Sakay Academy get either chosen or discarded by a dragon. The dragons usually choose one or no Chuna. One year, two were picked, but, the last couple of years have been barren. Usually, boys are the only ones to get picked even though girls have a shot too. The first female rider was chosen 183 years ago and after that girls were allowed to participate in the sacred ceremony even if the number of women chosen could be counted on only one hand. If you are chosen, you join the Phu Pongkan who are the elite guards of the emperor and country. It is the highest honor and only the members are permitted access to dragons. Others are lucky to even see one out of the arena let alone ride and form a bond with one. 

Her krou, a strict, older woman who always wore differentiating shades of brown with her steely, grey hair wound tightly up into a knob that rested firmly atop her head, was explaining the rules again:  "One. Do not approach a dragon until it has picked you. Two. You must bow to Hkell, the prideful creature if he has accepted and bowed to you. Then wait for an unnamed dragon to step forward and claim you as their own. This is when you name them but ask for permission to announce their name. Only announce is they agree. Three. If you are chosen, lead your dragon to the other claimed dragons and join the Phu Pongkan in your booth. If you are disregarded, get you get out of the arena and back into this tent quickly. They will not be happy if you stay in their presence for too long and might feel disrespected and attack. You may not whine that you did not get chosen or how your sahapāṭhī got one. Are we clear?" "Yes C̄hạn mī'." we chorused.

        Outside, the exhilarating rumble from the packed stadium quieted and after a moment, a deep voice came over the intercom. I'd listened the Uisig on the radio with my fellow Sahapāṭhī in the courtyard at school many times before and recognized that the voice belonged to Emperor Anak Api, the leader of our nation. I picture him standing at the edge of his royal platform stuffed of luxuries I will never know with his arms stretched out to the people. His speech began as normal, welcoming all of the Chuna and the legacy of the Rồng-Sakay Academy and Uisig. He then pauses before moving on to introducing the members of the Phu Pongkan who nod gruffly in acknowledgment. There are many empty seats in their box as no rider has been deemed worthy in fifteen years. With no new recruits, their numbers have dwindled down to nine riders. This worried the nation, but the Emperor always waved away the problem. The dragons of the nation are then reinstituted. I know they dragons by heart as we had to memorize all of them for a modern history course:
   
      There was Hkell, leader of the dragons. He was a fire dragon and was bonded to the Emperor who had become a Phu Pongkan by default because of his heritage. Emperor Anak Api never trained or rode with the others, but was considered a member when he became of age. Second in command of the dragon hierarchy was Matahari, the mother light dragon, who was known for being gentle and kind which contrasted her rider Beā, leader of the Phu Pongkan. Matahari is not attending this Uisig because she is protecting her nest full of Hkell's and her eggs. The already chosen dragons consisted of one light dragon, three earth dragons, two ice dragons, one water dragon, and two fire dragons. The eligible dragons without names who have not chosen yet are one light dragon, six earth dragons, four ice dragons, five water dragons, one fire dragon, and one young night dragon. Some of these dragons will never be named and some will serve their duty to their country until they retire with the rider they share a bond with. Night Dragons are the rarest and most powerful class of dragon and the only type of dragon that has never claimed a rider. This is the first Night Dragon we've encountered in centuries. She is strong enough to challenge Hkel,l if she chooses a rider, and take her place as the Dragon leader, therefore making her rider leader of the Phu Pongkan, but she has not taken a rider in her thirteen years of attending the Uisig ceremony.