Story Ideas

A Dragon's Rider pt 3

Over the next few years I raise Kayla.

She only cried if she couldn’t get my attention. She first crawled during a feeding and walked a few months later. The day she walked I started counting the human years starting with her first.

At 2, her first words were in Draco, the language of dragons. This earned her the last name of Dragon-Tongue.

By the time she was 6 we would have long and in detail conversations. I began teaching her everything I knew about dragons and humans alike.

At this same age, she began riding. I had collected items over the years and one item had been a horse’s saddle.

It was much too small for me but with it I was able to design a saddle for Kayla to ride in. It took weeks of gathering tough leather but I finally was able to construct one.

From then she slowly learned how to ride on my back and hug my neck.

She grew quickly and never asked questions. But that changed.

Her first question was when she turned 10.

It was a cool day near the end of summer. The leaves would be changing color soon.

Kayla was swimming in our pond as I laid on the bank letting the sun soak into my scales.

Kayla got out and grabbed a towel and sat against my side. “Glace, where did I come from? You always talk about the dragons and the humans but you never told me how you found me.”

I turned my head and looked at my daughter. “I’m not sure of your past but I do know that before you could even crawl you were put into danger. One night, a human was running through the forest and fell into a fast river near me and when she fell she threw you. You landed in front of me and weren’t even scared. You even laughed and tried to touch me. From then on you have always been my child.”

Kayla sighed and looked into the distance. “You teach me about the riders a lot but always the same things. Why is that?”

I smiled and laid my head down. “Well, the riders were alive many years before even I was born. They made peace and stopped the first dragon-human war. But they died over the years and no more riders were ever found. So not much was known about them. And in the last few years the humans have decided to begin a new war and forget the riders.”

Kayla moved closer to my head. “One more question for today. How old are you?”

I sighed and lifted my head up. “For a dragon I am young. I would still be considered a child in the elder’s eyes. But I am ancient to the human’s. In human years I am 95 years old. And in dragon’s eyes I am almost 10. As I’ve told you a dragon’s year is equal to 10 human years.”

Kayla giggled. “So were almost the same age according to our different species.”

I smiled. “Yes, my child. Now let’s go home.”

Kayla grew only more curious about everything from that day.

Eventually I began teaching her how to fight. It was difficult and most of it she figured out herself.

And whenever she needed supplies we would find a village that had be abandoned or attacked and grab what supplies we found.

By doing this we began to fill the cave with weapons and tools. Kayla owned a wide variety of colored swords, guns, and other weapons. But the largest selection was her archery.

An entire wall was full of different bows and quivers of arrows. Some were handmade while others were steel.

Her favorite was a wood bow with a steel center. She had painted it purple to match my scales. The matching quiver held a variety of arrows. Three steel, three gold, three made of ivory, a few wood arrows and finally, an arrow she built herself, a arrow with a smoke bomb in place of the arrowhead.

Kayla could hit anything from anywhere by the time she was 14. She could even hit a racing deer from my back as we fly over head.

We have both gained a few unique talents recently as well. Strangely we are able to speak through our minds as well as out loud. This was part of the mind link from when Kayla was a baby but I had forgotten it. We are also able to mind link to other creatures and speak to them through our minds.

And the other strange talent is that she can shift the shadows just as I can.

Now Kayla is 16. She had grown greatly over the years.

Her long black hair reaches her mid-back. Her eyes have changed from blue to a dark purple. Even her skin has darkened since I found her. Her once ivory skin is now a light tan.

I lay on the cave floor while Kayla picks over a few of her weapons. I watch as she pulls out a few swords and switch the sheaths around.

Finally Kayla sighs and turns to me. “Glace, are we ever going to try and help with the war? We always talk about it and everything but we never do anything. I think I’m ready and I want to help. Why don’t we go to the council?”

I look at Kayla and realize that she is serious. “Kayla, I don’t know if it’s safe to go straight to the council. I don’t even think it’s possible to get you into the gates. And even then I would need to set up a meeting and maybe talk to Teacher.”

Kayla frowned. “Well maybe you can go do that tomorrow. I’ll stay here in the cave and get my stuff together for the trip later.”

I sighed and lowered my head to the ground. “Fine. I’ll go hunt and get you some meat before I leave. I can’t take anything with me. But while I’m gone I want you to pack the main saddle. Make sure you have enough to last you a few days.”

Kayla smiled. “Oh, I’ll start right now.”

I watched for a moment as Kayla began pulling out bags and weapons. I shook my head and turned to the cave entrance.

A few hours later I carried a large deer up to the cave. I drop it just inside the cave and turn to Kayla.

“Dry some of it so that it will last. Drop any entrails down the side of the mountain and I’ll clean them up when I get back. Be careful and stay safe. I’ll be back in a few days.”

Kayla hugged me before stepping back. “I’ll wait for the link once you’re in close again.”

I nodded and turned back to the mouth of the cave. In one swift moment, I jump out of the cave and begin the long flight to my old home, Gilda.