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Dragon Games

By Ruth A. Douthitt

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It didn’t appear right away to Kieron that his dragon, Vâken, was signaling to turn, but once the massive oak tree came into his view, Kieron pulled up on the reins in time to avoid collision.
But the hearty laughter of his brother, Théan, could not be avoided. The eldest of the Gaardœn siblings, Théan never missed a chance to annoy his younger brother.
“Impressive!” Théan shouted as he and his dragon raced past. And for a moment, Kieron felt proud that perhaps his skills had impressed his older brother. But the smirk on Théan’s face revealed the sarcasm.
All Kieron could do was pat his dragon on the neck and thank him for preventing another humiliating story from being told around the dinner table back home.
“Extra treats for you, boy,” he said.
Vâken landed gracefully and champed on the bit in his mouth. Kieron leapt off and removed the bridle and saddle from his dragon. “There you go, boy. Freedom at last, huh? Excellent practice today. I think we’re almost ready.”
Vâken’s light green scales sparkled in the sunlight as he shook the sweat from his body. A smaller Draco, Vâken stood only slightly taller than his master, but his wide wingspread and long neck helped him glide through the air. Kieron liked that Vâken had smaller spikes along his back that reached to his tail.
“Yes,” Kieron said as he stroked the smoother scales on his dragon’s snout. “We’re almost ready.”
“Ha!” Théan laughed. “Hardly. In fact, you’ve so much more to learn about dragon riding.”
Kieron frowned as he watched his brother land nearby, surrounded by admiring fans. The elation on their faces made Kieron grimace with scorn.
“One day,” he whispered to Vâken, “That’ll be us. We’ll be winners of the Dragon Games and have all the adoring fans.”
Vâken shook its head and began munching on the moist green grass beneath his claws.
“You must be thirsty. Come on. Let’s get you to the cave where you can eat, drink, and rest. You deserve it.”
“Well done, Kieron!” Kealy shouted as she approached. A few years older and wise beyond her years in dragon riding skills, she remained Kieron’s best friend and confidant. “You both looked amazing out there.”
“Still struggling with navigating those trees, though.” Kieron shrugged.
“You’ll improve with more practice. Trust me.” Kealy pulled up her tunic to reveal a large bruise on her ribcage. “I know what I’m speaking of. If you don’t have a few bruises, then that means you aren’t practicing hard enough!”
Kieron winced. “Looks painful.”
“Dragon riding is painful. Anything worthwhile is painful. That’s what makes you stronger. You’ll find out soon enough, my friend.” She patted his back. “Let’s get something to eat.”
Together, the friends led their dragons to the cave that was used as a stable for the dragons. Kealy, tall and thin with long white hair parted on the side, was pretty for being so tough and rugged. She had become like an older sister to Kieron ever since Aislinn died.
Aislinn.
She was everything Kieron wished he could be. Brave, strong, and an excellent dragon rider. She was well on her way to winning the Dragon Games and a place on the queen’s Dragon Riders. She and her dragon, Gwyn, were the best. Even Théan couldn’t catch her, and he knew it. Kieron’s older sister had also been his instructor. Accurate in archery, Aislinn came close to winning the archery portion of the Dragon Games. But close isn’t good enough. She had trained continuously in the woods near their home, but still took the time to help Kieron train.
“Open your chest wide,” she had advised him during an archery lesson. “Pull the arrow back and hold your breath.” Kieron could still sense her presence, standing behind him as his instructor and protector.
But Aislinn was gone. Forever.
Kealy came alongside him and encouraged him to enter the tournament. She and Aislinn were inseparable and when Aislinn died, Kieron understood why Kealy took him under her wing as a little brother. It was as if she wanted to do it for Aislinn, in her memory.
Kealy’s beast, Söen, a mid-sized Wyvern, squawked and chirped as she made her way to the waiting stall, careful not to drag its impressive wings on the ground. Walking required some clever maneuvering for Wyverns, due to their having only two large legs. This made them resemble birds of prey more than the reptiles that scurried along the desert landscape outside the forests of Vulgaard.
“Söen sounds more like a bird than a ferocious beast.” Kieron laughed.
“She may sound like a bird with her little squawks and chirps, but just know that she is a fearsome dragon in the air, able to swoop and strike even the most elusive enemy.” Kealy shook a finger at Kieron. “I know of what I speak.”
Söen stood proud, with her small head held high. The cool breeze from the mountains brushed her face and she sniffed the air. Tiny wisps of smoke rose from her nostrils. The sunlight danced on her dark scales and leathery wings. Her long thin tail swished along the ground.
“I know, I know. I have seen you both in the air. You will win the tournament again this year. I can feel it.” Kieron watched as Söen made her way past him. “You both have worked hard all summer.” Kieron raised the wooden beam used for a doorway to Vâken’s stall and let him in. “Now, with the event just weeks away, I am even more convinced of your victory.”
“And I of yours, Kieron. I know you are teased about your youth and size, both you and Vâken. But I have seen much improvement in your skills and techniques. I really have.” She hand-fed her dragon some fish taken from a nearby barrel.
“Now that’s a bit of humor much needed on such a hot and trying day as today,” Théan chortled.
“Shut up, Théan.” Kealy frowned. “You’ve had your victory and adulation today. Aren’t you satisfied enough for the day? Can’t you let us alone in peace?”
“Just ignore him. I always do.” Kieron fed his dragon from the barrel of fish, too.
“What a pathetic sight you both are. Trust me, dear Kealy. Kieron is too young and too small to participate in this tournament, let alone win any prizes. And his dragon? Don’t get me started on it.”
Kieron’s eyes became mere slits and his jaw clenched so tightly, one could hear the sound of his teeth grinding together.
“Now look here. I don’t mind you belittling me. But you leave my dragon alone!”
Seeing her friend seething in anger, Kealy stepped between the brothers. “Let’s go inside and have some grub, shall we? The heat has affected more than our practice. It seems our tempers are flaring as well. Come!” She ushered them to their respected corners of the cave. “You eat in peace over there, Théan, and we’ll enjoy our lunch over here.” Kealy waved her hand.
But Théan snorted. “No, thanks. I’m taking my leave and heading to the lake for a swim.”
Kieron and his dragon watched Théan fly away on his dragon into the bright orange sky, a sky still untouched by the Darkness that hovered over the nearby regions. Vulgaard suffered only minor effects of the spell cast by Lord Bedlam. The ground hardened, frustrating the farmers like Kieron’s father.
“Well eat up, and then we’ll head out to my home for dessert. How does that sound?” Kealy grinned.
Kieron smiled at the thought. Kealy’s home was bright and cheerful, thanks to her kind parents. “Sounds like a plan.”
He continued to feed his dragon. After they finished lunch, they left the cave and headed down the path toward Kealy’s home.
A quaint little cottage with a thatched roof, the home was one of Vulgaard’s oldest. Passed down through her family’s lineage, Kealy knew it would one day be hers.
“Hello! Welcome.” Her mother stood in the doorway, waving her guests into the abode. A pudgy woman with messy hair, Kealy’s mother had a contagious smile even though she had such a large family to look after. “Lunch is already served. Better hurry before the others gobble it all up.”
Kieron raced past her, knowing what it meant to not eat due to many greedy siblings ravaging the food before him. He gladly grabbed a plate of meats and fruit before snatching few biscuits.
“I know practicing for the tournament causes a hearty appetite. Don’t worry. There’s plenty for all,” Kealy’s mother said.
“Thanks, Ma.” Kealy pecked her mother’s cheek as she passed by.
“You’d better pay attention to how to serve twenty guests, Kealy. Once you marry and bear children, this will be your task soon.” Her mother wiped her hands on a cloth.
Kealy rolled her eyes and sat down next to Kieron. “Whatever you say, Ma.”
Kieron knew home and hearth was not in Kealy’s future. All she ever spoke of was riding with the Queen’s elite group, The Dragon Riders. The way she’d described it to him made him want to set aside life as a farmer and try out himself. But he knew his chances were slim. He’d have to win in the Dragon Games and gain the attention of the Prince of Vulgaard if he was to try out. Not Kealy. She was good. Good enough to win a place in the elite group. Being a farmer’s wife and mother to many children just wasn’t in her future.
“Kieron!”
“What?” A few crumbs flew from Kieron’s mouth.
“You just ate lunch in the cave. Now you’re eating again?”
“He’s a growing boy,” Kealy’s mom said. “Let him be.”
Kieron grinned.
“Well, hurry up. We’ve a lot of work to do, and you need to practice a few moves,” Kealy ordered.
“Ha ha,” Kieron mocked.
After lunch, Kieron mounted Vâken, heeled the dragon’s ribs, and together they dove off the cliff. As the force of the wind pushed him backwards, Kieron relented to the force, spread his arms wide, and grinned. Pulling up on the reins just in time, Kieron tugged and Vâken swooped up, skimming the river water with its feet.
“Yes!” Kieron shouted. He heeled Vâken’s side again and the dragon shot straight up like he was going after prey. Kieron gripped Vâken’s saddle with his thighs, tugged on the reins, and motioned for the dragon to twirl in mid-air. When it reached its zenith, the dragon hovered in the air for a second or two, allowing Kieron a glimpse of Vulgaard from the air. The river sliced through the valley and tiny villages peppered the countryside. He even saw some smoke rising from chimneys in the distance. And way off in the distance, emerging from the mountainside, stood the Palace of Vulgaard in all its splendor. It sparkled like a jewel. Kieron smiled at the sight and then he and Vâken did a free fall. Kieron’s insides floated within him, giving him a tingling feeling inside. He laughed as they fell from the sky like a shooting star. He leaned back and closed his eyes, relishing in the feeling of flying.
A jerking motion stirred him out of his trance and he opened his eyes to find his dragon racing toward a tree growing out of the mountainside. It was soon caught up in branches of the tree on the side of a cliff.
“No!” Kieron shouted. He used his arms to move branches away from his face. Vâken roared from frustration. He pulled and tugged on his wings and clawed at the branches with his front and back legs. Kieron did his best to calm Vâken while he broke branches, trying to free them both.
“Hang in there!” Deep inside his head, he heard his sister, Aislinn’s, voice. Instantly, he was reminded of that awful day the previous summer…
“Very funny!” he shouted to Aislinn when he and his then dragon, Pegasus, were trapped in a cliffside tree. “No more jokes. Just help me. I don’t think this tree will hold us much longer, and its wings are stuck.”
Kieron remembered watching his sister dismount her own dragon, Gwyn, and climb onto the tree.
“What are you doing?” he had shouted at her.
“I’m getting you out of yet another bind. That’s what big sisters do,” she said as she reached for a branch. Once she had found her footing, she climbed further onto the tree. “Let me break a few of these branches and let your dragon loose.”
A loud crack was heard.
Kieron shivered as he remembered that day.
“The tree can’t hold all of us!” Kieron had shouted at her. “Get out of there, Aislinn!”
But she ignored him and continued twisting and pulling branches away from Kieron and Pegasus. “Almost there. Just a little bit more, and you’re free!”
“Aislinn!” he had cried to her. But she ignored him.
Snap!
Vâken’s roar woke Kieron from the painful memory. His eyes grew large and he pulled out his knife to cut away at the branches that trapped him and his dragon, but Vâken spewed fire and freed them. The two shot out of the tree and flew away toward home.
Once on the ground, Kieron leapt off Vâken and collapsed to his knees, clutching his chest, desperately trying to breathe.
“What’s the matter? What happened?” Kealy asked as she hopped off her dragon and rushed over to Kieron’s side. “All I saw was Vâken trapped in the tree, some fire, and then you two diving toward the earth.” She cupped her friend’s face in her hands.
But it was all Kieron could do to not hyperventilate. He closed his eyes and took slow, deep breaths. “I could see…I could see Aislinn, and she was—”
“Shhh, it’s okay. Say no more.” Kealy hugged him. “When I saw you both trapped in that tree, I had a feeling you were thinking about it.”
Kieron wiped his eyes and quickly stood. “I heard her voice.”
“It’s okay.”
“I’m alright,” he whispered. “Come on. Let’s go back out there for another try.”
“You sure?” Kealy watched him approach his dragon.
“Yeah.” Kieron took the reins into his hands and hopped onto Vâken’s saddle. “Everything’s fine.”




“You’re late. Where have you been?” Kieron’s father shouted from behind the fence that surrounded the pig sty.
“Sorry, Father.” Kieron led Vâken by the reins into the stalls, carved out of a cave.
“You’ve chores to do before supper,” his father barked. “Did you hear me?”
“Yes sir.” As Kieron closed the gate behind Vâken, he sighed. Deep down inside, he dreaded coming home after practice. Without Aislinn, it was just a house on the farm. He tossed some hay into the stall and watched as his dragon, his friend, chomped.
“Want some fish, boy?”
But Vâken shook his head, circled around a couple of times, then plopped down onto the hay with a loud harrumph.
“I can take a hint.” Kieron smiled and entered the stall. He gently removed the bridle off the dragon’s snout, patted it on the head, then left Vâken to nap.
Inside the house, the kitchen was cool and dim, not bright and warm like at Kealy’s house. Kieron’s home smelled of cooked fish and bread.
“Hello, Kieron,” his mother said without looking at him. “Here’s some supper for you.” She placed a bowl of fish soup onto the table and set a basket full of bread next to it. “Do you want some milk to drink?”
But before he could answer, the front door flew open.
“He’ll eat after his chores.” His father picked up the bowl and placed it onto the stove top.
Kieron stood with his back toward his father. His hands formed into fists.
“Now get to work.” His father brushed by him and removed the bottle of milk from the counter. He gulped it down. Kieron watched with a clenched jaw. Shouting at his father wouldn’t help, and he knew it. But he also knew what the matter was. Before Aislinn’s accident, he and his father fished in the pond every afternoon. There was laughter and games inside that house. Fun games, played by the fire after dinner, that made them laugh until their bellies ached. Games that he usually won. Now, he and his father hardly spoke, and Kieron knew why. His eyes welled with hot tears. He wanted to shout it, but he knew he couldn’t. You blame me for her death, I know it.
“What’s the matter with you?” his father said. He squinted his eyes. “Well?”
Kieron wanted to say it. The words burned in his mind. But he knew he couldn’t do it. “Nothing.” He blinked back the tears. “Nothing is wrong.”
“Well then. Go do your chores, starting with that dragon stall. It reeks.”
His father slammed down the bottle and raced past Kieron without looking at him.
His mother approached with her arms out, but Kieron stepped away from her embrace. “He hates me.”
“No, he doesn’t. Don’t say such things.”
“It’s true. He hates me.”
She reached up to touch his cheek, but he turned away from her.
“And I know why.”
Aislinn.
Kieron ran outside and headed to the cave where Vâken napped.
For it had been Aislinn who taught Kieron how to saddle a dragon, bridle it, and handle it with care.
She had also showed him how to speak to dragons, using dragonspeak that all elves knew but many had forgotten.
“Speak to them in their language, and you’ll gain their trust,” Aislinn would tell him.
But Kieron was timid to try it. He didn’t want Théan to tease him about his dragonspeak. With Aislinn’s encouragement, he finally tried it and gained the trust of Pegasus and now Vâken. Aislinn was his older sister, but also his best friend.
When she died, all life went out of their home like a candle blown out by the wind. All that remained were the fond memories, rising up into oblivion like the wisps of smoke from the extinguished candle.
“Come on, boy,” he ordered.
Vâken hopped up with wide eyes.
“Let’s go for another ride.”



Escape was all that Kieron had anymore. His home, darkened by the overwhelming cover of loss like a thick wool blanket, no longer felt safe.
Being in the sky on the back of a dragon was the only safe place.
In the air, Kieron motioned for Vâken to dive into the White Forest. As they did, the cool moist air brushed his face, calming his spirit. He closed his eyes and inhaled the fresh scent of pines. Out there, nothing could bother him. The forest was his true home. Flying through the sky was the best way to get his father out of his mind. This was his favorite place in the whole world with his most faithful friend in the whole world. Ever since Théan had taken Pegasus for himself, Vâken was all that Kieron had. Aislinn had picked him out from a bundle of newly hatched dragons, but Théan had said it was too small and scrawny to be any good to anyone.
Kieron knew better.
Vâken pulled up, stirring Kieron. He tugged on the reins and landed the dragon next to the pond.
“Hey!” He heard a shout coming from behind. He turned to see his friends coming toward him.
“What are you doing here?” Kealy asked. She tilted her head. “Escaping chores again?”
Kieron ignored her and led Vâken to the water for a drink.
“Did you get in trouble again?”
Theyer, Kealy’s younger brother, crossed his arms. “I bet you’re in big trouble. You know, your brother was just here.”
Kieron jerked his head around. “He was?”
“Yep. We saw him grab a sack full of fish he’d caught. He flew on his dragon’s back toward your farm. I bet your father is ordering him to come find you right now.” Theyer laughed. “Now you’ll really be in trouble.”
“Shut up, Theyer.” Kealy shoved her brother aside. “Go on home, you little pest.”
“I don’t care if Théan comes to get me. We’ll just fly away.” Kieron picked up a stick and drew in the mud. I’ll fly away and never come back to that awful place.
“What are you doing out here, anyway? The sun’s going down soon. You need to get home, finish your chores, and eat supper. You don’t want to give your father any more reasons not to let you enter the tournament.” Kealy stood watching Kieron draw a dragon in the mud with a stick.
“I know, I know.” He exhaled a few bangs out of his eyes.
“Did you tell them about what happened today?” she asked.
“I never tell them anything anymore. Every time I bring up training or dragon riding, Father changes the subject back to farming. He thinks I’m going to be a farmer, and Théan is the one who will be in the Queen’s Dragon Riders.” Kieron pouted. “Just because Father was one of the Queen’s soldiers once doesn’t mean he knows everything. They might pick me.”
“Of course.” Kealy bit into an apple.
“They might want a smaller rider.”
“Sure.” Kealy winked at him.
Kieron pictured the impressive team of riders, led by the Queen’s brother, Prince Thӕtil, flying high above them. The rows of Elfin warriors, dressed in their white leather armor and silver shields was quite a vision. “I saw them once, the Dragon Riders.” He looked up at Kealy and smiled.
She smiled back. “I know.”
“It was here in the White Forest. They were returning home from battle and—”
A dragon roar from deep within the trees interrupted Kieron. He dropped the stick in his hand and stood. Kealy turned toward the sound.
“Did you hear that?”
They stood completely still, holding their breath.
Another roar sounded.
“What was that?” Kealy asked.
“It was a dragon,” Theyer replied with eyes wide with fear.
“That didn’t sound like any dragon from around here,” Kealy said. Her eyes filled with fear, too.
“Much bigger than the dragons from here.” Kieron began to walk toward the sound, but Kealy grabbed his forearm.
“Where are you going?”
“To find out what’s going on,” he answered and pulled away from her. “Come on.”
“Oh no you’re not.”
“Come on, chicken.” Kieron chuckled.
Kieron felt that only Kealy understood how important it was for him to leave home and do something on his own. He was not a farmer and she knew it, too.
“Maybe we should head home and tell the grown-ups about it, you know?” Theyer rocked back and forth. “I don’t think we should investigate.”
“Stay here, then.” Kieron continued on.
“Kieron.” Kealy watched him then glanced over at her brother, who continued to rock back and forth, wringing his hands. “I can’t go with you and leave my brother behind. There’s only a few more minutes of sunlight left.”
“Go back, then.” Kieron motioned for Vâken to follow him. The loyal beast obeyed.
Once inside the trees, Kieron tip-toed toward the noise. The shouts of men and the crack of a whip were heard, echoing within the trees. The hairs on his arms stood. “Something’s wrong,” he whispered to Vâken. The dragon gurgled.
“Shh,” Kealy ordered. Kieron turned to see his friend and her little brother following after him. “They’ll hear us.”
They stooped down behind some large rocks and spied what was happening in the clearing.
Several men had surrounded a rather large Draco tied with ropes. One man whipped the dragon as another approached with a bridle.
“It’ll burn him alive,” Kieron whispered.
But the man who held the whip pointed to the side. Kieron raised his head to see a baby dragon being held down by another man, with its snout wrapped with ropes as it struggled to breathe. The leader of the men pointed to the baby dragon while sneering at the large Draco, obviously its mother. Her dark gray scales and yellow eyes gave her an ominous appearance that matched her wrath. A guttural growl came from her throat as she glared at the men threatening her baby.
“She had better not spew fire or they’ll kill her baby,” Kealy whispered.
“Barbaric.” Kieron narrowed his eyes. “We have to do something. And we have to do it now. We have to do something to stop them.” Kieron removed a knife he had attached to his belt.
“You’re joking, right?” Theyer asked.
“I think he might be serious,” Kealy replied.
“I am serious. You can help me or stay here, but I’m doing something about this.”
They sat helpless as they watched their friend crawl away from the rock.
“Get moving!” the leader shouted to the other men pulling the Draco toward them. “We’re late. Valbrand expects these dragons at the prison by morning. Move!”
Kieron turned to Kealy. “They’re taking them to the prison?” he whispered. He swallowed the anger rising in his throat. “Whatever for?”
Kealy shrugged. “Get back here.” She waved at him. “Before you get caught.”


 

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