Big Nate - Dragon Training Time

Origins

Where am I? Who am I? Why am I... Here? Ah, here. Home. The black void... Which cracked. I wailed in distress, wiggling amidst the destruction of my calm, dark utopia. More cracks appeared, and my world, had fallen. Giving way to a new world. Eep? I opened my eyes. I wasn't annihilated. The ground was hot and burning, and magma stuck to me and tethered me to it. EEP! I screeched in pain, and pulled free. My gem-like scales were graced by a newborn star twinkling in the latest void. My mind started clouding with fear. No... Where was I? Who am I? What is this place? Suddenly, a red-hot blur swerved past my world, and I looked at it with great curiosity. It gleamed, graced by the star's presence. Co... I began, surprised that I'd gone beyond the limit of babbling. Met? Comet! I squealed repeatedly, jumping around in joy. But then another blood-red blur passed, at speeds greater than the comet. My eyes widened. Kid! It called. Wake up! Are you okay? Kid! I woke up, the hot desert sun shining onto me. An old man with an earring piercing his nose and a Rainbow Amphithere by his side was calling me. I was sure I'd just been in a vision describing the Gem Dragon after it hatched. I didn't know it could talk! Rainstorm, began the old man towards his dragon. Grab a pitcher of water from the shack. I know it's for the cockatrices, but do it anyway. This is a poor kid, beside some... Song-ish dragon. I gasped, sat up, and looked behind my shoulder. Pop N' Rock chortled, and tears began to form in my eyes. You had the right idea of survivin', Pop, I grinned. I turned my head, and saw that Rainstorm had brought me a pitcher of murky water, and a plate consisting of dry meat and a crumbly biscuit. I'll pass, I said quickly, dashing away into their shack. Their cockatrices looked at me curiously, and a rather young one pecked my knee. I heard a thud on the roof, and the old man turned his head. The name's Seth, he began, taking out his lasso. I'd figured we were in the Wild West long ago. It IS the Demise Knucker! That dumbo son of a gun better watch out for me, Rainstorm, and good ol' Lasso. I rolled my eyes, and watch him climb over the roof. I heard a screech, some fighting sounds, like grunts and punches, and the lasso whirling before he came smack down onto his face. Rainstorm dived upwards, and engaged in battle with the Knucker. I heard the hiss of annoyance from the Knucker, and Rainstorm came tumbling down, insulting her honor. Hey, I protested. Then Pop N' Rock came forth, and I heard an inconceivably loud roar of agony from what seemed like the Knucker before everything was silent. The surprising Pop N' Rock had actually killed the Knucker, while it was a miracle the others could barely hurt it. Whoa! Whistled Seth. That's awesome! Rainstorm nodded, understanding Seth's compliment and what had happened. I believe we have supper! Seth grinned. I'll cook the Knucker up. You can play with Rainstorm and the cockatrices in the meantime. I smirked as he went out of sight. Rainstorm rumbled behind me, and I turned my head. Her keen, jade eyes bore into mine. So, said an unembodied voice that only me and Pop N' Rock seemed to hear. Decided to toy around with the Hidden Wagon, eh? Your friends have perished, but you have your prey in one place. Behind thick, metal bars of difficulty. I screamed, and Seth came rushing into the room, but didn't seem surprised. That's telepathy and mind-reading, he grinned. If she gave you advice, then she oughta tell me what she told to you. And what you need, the voice continued, echoing in our brain's only, as though nothing had happened, is a key. I gasped. What if the Eon Dragons weren't only reachable through the Hidden Wagon? What if... You needed the Creator Dragon? I heard that, Seth grinned once again today. We all grimaced. It was going to be a long story. No! Seth sighed, as though knowing what we were thinking. Through sped-up, personal telepathy to me, Rainstorm told me your story. And the Creator Dragon can free your friends by finding the Eon Dragons. Instead of having them give you the key, you have them help you. When you find the Gemkeeper and those other dragons who deserve to live their life, the Creator Dragon will help you. And that's when my vision struck again. The red bolt raced across my realm, and my face twisted into a snarl. I was not going to allow this to defeat me. Then other, white, blurs, had all of a sudden, accompanied this shady threat. I'm the Great Creator, and you're just a little crumb of meat for me to eat, growled the peculiar comet. If you are allowed to advance, then I sense great evil will brew on the horizon eons later... To stop you, I shall create... Humans. The Eon Dragons. And all the others on Earth. For I... Am the Creator Dragon. And will bow down to me, and I may bow down to them. Earth will stop you. But I ask of them... To find out where their true power comes from. Not from their muscles or beams of energy that usually shoot out of them. But from their hearts. I opened my eyes. I'd just realized that this was an alternate form of telepathy, sent from Rainstorm to me. Perhaps, to everybody. Pop N' Rock, let's go, I sighed. I mounted her, and she looked at me expectantly, and narrowed her eyes back at Seth. She kept doing this until I understood what she was trying to say. Hmph, I humphed. I turned my head, and saw Seth watching. Good luck! He grinned. We weren't that much of friends anyway, but visit later! Although, I thought I'd have an extra guest to supper, that's why I killed that 30 foot long Knucker... We better not eat too much tonight! I grinned, and shot him a thumbs-up. Then the moon appeared over the late sunset, and I gazed at it and the oh-so dark sky. I will visit, I said. But duty calls. There's a chance my friends might be alive... And I'm going to put that opportunity by candlelight. Then I raised Pop N' Rock, and we shot off into the night sky, leaving Seth and Rainstorm in our dust.