Mark Of The Dragon Book I: Past

Chapter 5

A few weeks later

Today is the dragon festival. It's sort of a party that dragons celebrate for... Well, being dragons. The actual celebration - that includes a banquet and parade - takes place in the afternoon, so we have the whole morning to set up. It's the community spirit that makes the celebration happen, so everyone helps out. Dragoron's family usually set up the tables and other things. Night dragons will provide the food. (It's never Drakako's family though.) And the other various dragons provide the other various things.

My mother told me to go help set up the tables and such, whilst she helps the ruby dragons prepare the decorations. I arrived at the sight, the centre spot in the meadow, where the festival would take place. I managed to catch Dragoron and Bas sorting out where the tables would go.

"Hey!" I exclaimed as I strolled over to them.
"Sima!" Replied Dragoron.
"Oh, hi." Said Bas.
"We're just setting up the tables, want to help?" Asked Dragoron.
"Yeah." I answered. Well that was kinda why I came here. I thought.
"So I was thinking we could set them up like this..." Bas went on. Yes, I stopped listening. Well mostly because I was too busy staring in wonder at a dragon around our size wandering into the forest, but part of it had to be because Bas was the one who was talking.
"And I think...... That's the reason your mother is dead." He finished.
"What!?" I asked in shock.
"I knew you weren't listening, you always do this! Like that time..." He carried on.
"Who do you think that is?" I whispered to Dragoron.
"Shall we follow them?" He replied with a hushed voice.
"-Maybe we should." Interrupted Bas.
"Or maybe you should help me set up these tables!" He shouted. "Remember what happened last time we went into the forest? We..." He continued.
"Let's go." I said to Dragoron.
"Okay!" He replied.
"And that's why we don't go into the- hey where are you going?" He asked as he chased after us.

As we reached the perimeter of the forest we briefly saw a shape manoeuvring its way through the trees. We followed the dragon until it stopped at a clearing. We observed from the surrounding bushes.

"So you're serious about this, eh?" Questioned an old, wispy voiced man.
"Yes." Replied Garraxeron.
"Well, I'll need some things of a certain... Value."
"Yes..." Said Garraxeron, probing him for answers.
"Dragon blood." His voice turned serious. He didn't have that gentle old-man voice any more.
"...... Yes, O powerful one." Garraxeron answered as he turned to walk back to the meadow.
"Garraxeron." The old man said, back to his gentle voice. "Don't fail me. Or there will be concequences."

The man revealed a small walking stick from his purple robe and pounded it on the ground. Yellow smoke hid the old man as he vanished. Garraxeron, with no remorse of the bargain he had made, marched back to the meadow with a proud look on his face. We waited for the coast to be clear, then returned ourselves.

Luckily no one had noticed we were missing and we returned to our job of the tables not daring to speak of what we just witnessed.

"So... I think we should put the tables in a row." Said Dragoron.
"No I think we should put them in a triangle around the centre like this." Said Bas.

We continued to set up the tables until we had finished. In the end we set two in the corners and one in between the corners at the top, sort of forming a triangle. (But the tables weren't touching.) after that we all headed home to get ready for the party.

I had taken a bath and I was all clean. The three white lines that formed the mark on my side remained. I had tried to wash it off many times, but to no avail.

Once my mother was ready we headed out to the parade. By the time we got there it was dark. Everyone was there. Even Drakako and his family. His eye was still misty white but he had a scar running across it. My mother and I met up with Dragoron and his family. While they were chatting Dragoron and I decided to snoop around the banquet table to see if we fancied anything. There was an assortment of fish on the first table, with cooked pigs and chickens also. The second held large bowls filled with liquids and finally the third had desserts and chocolates that looked very appetising. We made our way to the first table, where a large brown dragon was devouring a pig whole. We decided on a salmon each, and we carried our meal with us, back to our parents, to watch the parade.

"A bit undercooked." Said my mother and she sprayed her blue flame over the fish, cooking it just right.
"Thanks!" I said.

The parade was starting. All I could see was a bright orange glow from over the hill. Suddenly flames erupted as fire dragons carried large torches over the hill followed by earth dragons in a march sequence, stomping their heavy feet into the ground creating a beat. Lightning dragons spout their electricity over the ground creating a sizzling sound as the grass is fried and after the lightning dragons came the bigger dragons that lived in the meadow but there are only two of them. The first one is a fire dragon, Pyrominus, and he shows off by blasting fireballs in intricate patterns. The fireballs were about as big as me, after all he is twice the size of an average adult dragon. The second giant, the village elder, is a green dragon whose eyes are kind but old. His wings have long since been crippled and unable to take flight, and takes his steps carefully as his legs are weak. This was Rampargaros. He smiled at the crowd and as the parade went on he begun to allow a green smoke escape his mouth and nostrils, to add the dramatic effect of what came next. The hazy green smoke denoted that the parade was over, but this was a facade. Two night dragons swooped in through the mist, illuminating the area with half-moon shaped yellow markings. These were Dracerier's parents. The fired their yellow flare into the night sky and then continued to walk forward following the path of the parade. After them came two more fire dragons holding the torches. This was where the parade finished.

"Well that was interesting." Spoke Dragoron's mother.
"You've got to remember that year when the sea dragons took part though." Said his father.
"I agree but what about the food that year. I like seafood but not ten tables worth!" Exclaimed my mother.

Dragoron and I decided to find our friends. (Except Drakako.) We met up with Dracerier and Alexia, who was telling Dracerier all about how her father had gone on a trip for three weeks to find her a rare gemstone for the tiara she was wearing tonight.

"And when he got back, it was too big! So I had him get Dragoron's father to cut it to the right size, then fit it in my tiara." Alexia explained. "Don't you think this sky blue topaz goes well with the amethysts over my body?" She asked.
"Yes, but amber would have matched your eyes." Replied Dracerier. Alexia gave a 'humph' and turned her head to see us approaching.
"Drakosima! Dragoron!" Spoke Alexia. We all greeted each other and whilst Dragoron and Alexia got into a heated debate about ores and gems, me and Dracerier started a conversation.
"Your parents were very good in the parade." I said.
"Thanks but... They weren't supposed to be their." She answered looking at the floor. "Drakako and Garraxeron were supposed to do it... But after the incident... Anyway I liked your mothers decorations." That's right! My mother was helping with the decorations! I guess those posts with red ribbon tied around and blue fire dancing on top must be her doing. I was reflecting on the brilliant job she had done when Dracerier said something.
"Drakosima, follow me." She said and I did as I was told.

She led me away from the celebrations, but it wasn't that hard to sneak off as we were already chatting at the edge of the festivities. She stealthily dashed towards the forest with me on her tail. (Not literally.) we reached the outskirts of the trees when I saw what she was chasing. Garraxeron. I guess he got the dragon blood. Wait. Where did he get that from!? I overlooked the party in the centre of the meadow but there was no sign of panic. We followed him into the forest.