And There He Was!

Last night Kay didn't sleep at all. He was restless and full of energy. All this was because of the link between him and the dragon that partially fed him with vitality.

He got up as early as his mother. Elizabeth was surprised to find her son up and looking as if he had been awake for some time. In the past, she had always had to drag him out of bed.

Kay ate his porridge across from her mother. His father, Admond was sitted at the head of the table. He was a quiet man, who usually didn't say much, rather, he preferred to listen to his beautiful wife and son chat.

It was nearly at the end of the meal when Kay said " Mom, dad, can I skip lessons today?" He wasn't even nervous. His parents had always encouraged him to feel free to say what was on his mind. And in their turn, they had always supported him whenever they could.

Elizabeth and Admond looked at each other. This was a first. Since Kay had turned six, he had never skipped lessons. He would skip coming to the farm and playing with other children, but never the lessons from One Eye.

" What do you want to do today love?" His mother asked with a soft beautiful voice. Admond was also curious about the reason for the sudden change if his son's schedule.

" I want to go into the forest, there's something I found yesterday, can I please go Father?" Admond looked at his wife who avoided his eye. He knew he was doomed, if he allowed his son, whom he loved so much, to go into the forest on his own, he would have to bear some telling from his wife. If he forbids him, his son may avoid saying his plans to them next time.

" What time would you come back son, why don't you come with us to the farm first and then , after the second bell, you can go and do whatever you in the forest." Admond said as he ruffled his son's hair. " But you won't have to go past the markstones, how is that?"

Kay was disappointed. He couldn't wait to go back to the dragon hatchling. Nevertheless, he agreed with his father.

The second bell soon rang and Kay, after saying his goodbyes to his parents, raced into the forest to the cliff cave. Admond and Elizabeth were left perplexed.

On his way, Kay realised that his speed was slightly increased, and that more light seems to be penetrating through the leaves. Unbeknownst to him, his eyesight, speed, agility and endurance had slightly increased.

He got to the bottom of the cliff in no time. It was nearly midday already. Halfway to the cave, he was met by a slightly bigger dragon than the hatchling. This dragon was black, and its scales glimmered in the dim light.

What astounded Jay was that he felt very safe in the presence of this dragon. And moreover, he could feel its happiness at seeing him. That's when he realized that it was the same dragon.

His jaws nearly fell to the ground. This was shocking! How could this be. This Dragon had grown by so much in just one night? Are there even magic beasts that can grow at this rate? Because of his naivety, he believed it to be so.

Kay came back to his senses. He patted the dragon's head. His little hands held the ridges on its head. They resembled a crown.

Continuing to call it a dragon was generalist, I should find a suitable name for my friend! As the dragon registered Kay's thought, it promptly conveyed its name to Kay.

'Lenthandra'

Meanwhile, Grey woke up from his slumber. His wounds were now fully healed. He could feel that his link with the kid had strengthened somewhat. He padded to him outside the cave.

The dragonling felt the wolf approaching. It turned its serpentine like head and gave a low challenging grow. The wolf howled into the sky and dashed at the dragon.

Last night they had tested each other's mighty. Grey's wounds that tore and reopened during the exchange were healed by Lenthandra after they exhausted their strength and powers.

Lenthandra swiftly moved to the side, leaving a sweeping tail in its path. The wolf twisted mid-air, narrowly missing the lashing tail. The dragon roared into the air.

...

Villagers who were tending in their farms were startled into attentiveness. What was that roar? There was supposed to be no big games nearby. Only if one walked a half day's journey into the forest would they encounter beasts. But now, why was a beast's roar so close to their village?

Admond and Elizabeth were frozen with fear, and then anxiousness for their son? Why, out of all the days would a beast venture this far near the village when their son was out there?

Admond immediately left his weeding hoe and raced to fetch the village tracker and hunters. Unfortunately he only found a hunter apprentice busy butchering a wild boar at the back of the huntmaster's dwelling. The hunters and the tracker were all out somewhere doing what they did best.

The house was nothing more than a flat thatching placed on a plastered closely packed wooden poles. The outcome of which resembled a moden round hut with a flat roof, only that it didn't look as neat. At the back was a shed containing racks on which beasts carcasses were hung to drip blood .

After some coercion, and the intervention of the village head, the hunter apprentice, Admond and some few man from the village ventured into the forest in search of Kay.

The exchange between Lenthandra and the wolf raged on, neither getting an upper hand. The wolf had years and experience over the dragonling, while the dragonling had strength and defense over the wolf. Neither could take an advantage over the other.

Kay was bewildered when he saw the two engage. He felt conflicted whom to save. Not that he could do anything anyway. He felt drawn to both the dragon and the wolf, like they were family.

Sensing the scene in front of him devolving, Kay shouted at the top of his voice,

"Stop!!"

The voice came out like a sceach. Nevertheless, the both were startled into stillness. Their eyes landed on Kay. They could both now feel his fear, helplessness and anxiousness. Fear of them hurting each other, helplessness because of his weakness.

Lenthandra and Grey looked at each other and then back at Kay. At that moment, asLenthandra made a step in the direction of Kay, the ridgeback wolf's ears twitched. Grey raised his paw and gently pressed it on Lenthandra's tail.

She nearly lashed out. If it were not for her sharp senses that, at that very moment, sensed the approaching humans, she would have revealed their location to the humans.

Lenthandra could feel an almost familiar scent on one of the humans. An aura she could sense on Kay's clothes. This should be his parent. And for them to be here, they should be looking for him.

She sent two messages, one to Grey and the other to Kay.

She and the wolf rushed back to the cave leaving behind a confused Kay.

My parents? Where and when? Before he could makes tails over heads and get answers to his questions, he heard his father's voice coming from up high the cliff wall. He ran back all the way to where he had come down from. It was the only place one could get down and up the cliff face.

After a few arduous effort, he was up the cliff. His father and some other people from the village were just a few metres away. They turned at the snapping of twigs and there he was!