Dragon Tamer

I didn't want it to end up like this, I realized as I looked around at the carnage and destruction that Shadow had wrought on this world. Mangled bodies lay in heaps among the rubble, golden scales flickered in the waning light as the sun caught the shape of the dead dragon that lay half in, half out of a building. Blood trickled down my arm from my bicep, my hair was a tangled mess, I was covered in dust, and my clothes were shredded. The images danced in my mind, Shadow rampaging among the people of this new world, my final showdown with him, and the aftermath of his dying convulsions. People gathered around me, stepping timidly closer. I knew I must look strange to them, as they did with me. The wing shaped tattoos that ran from the corner of both eyes down my cheeks to my collarbone marked me as a Dragon Tamer, but they wouldn't mean a thing to the people now crowded around me. I looked up, towards the sky, which, free of Shadow's claws, was again a bright blue. The portal through which I had dropped was gone, the starlit circle vanished. My gaze returned to the people around me. A mother and her child stared at me in fear, a man was holding up a black rectangle of metal and making clicking sounds. I shook off the fog of the shock, and started moving towards Shadow's carcass. The people parted for me, and silence fell. I rested my forehead against Shadow's wing, whispering, "It is done." My voice came out harsh and throaty, due to the dust coating my throat. As I stood there, memories rushed over me. I closed my eyes, letting them bear me away into the black.


I was born on the High Peaks of Telhon Mountain, which isn't known in this world. My father was a Dragon Tamer, as was my mother. We lived among the dragons on Telhon, along with a small community of humans. The night of my birth was wild and cold, a snowy night after the first of the new year. Father says that the dragons gathered around the house, worried about the woman they called Nightowl, due to her black hair and wide eyes of the same color.

I made my first appearance around midnight, a tiny bundle of flesh and blood with the same black hair as my mother and the ice blue eyes of my father. Mother, who was worn out, panted my name: Bracken. Both she and my father had hoped for a boy, since boys back then showed more tendencies for taming.

I don't remember much until my fifth year, at which time the memories come full force. My parents, Neil and Tari Mort, were well known dragon speakers, or tamers, whichever you chose to call them. They could talk to dragons, be heard in their minds, and knew how to defeat the great beasts. I had an advantage that most of the young tamers didn't have: experience. My parents traveled alot, and often left me in the care of an older female dragon named Nita until I was old enough to watch after myself. Spending so much time with the creatures turned me into something of a expert. I'm not boasting when I say that they loved me, it's the truth. I played with the youngsters, listened to the elder's tales of wars and days gone by, and hunted with the middle-aged ones. I learned, in those years, and they taught me all I now know. But the year I turned 15, both parents died in one foul day, and my life was changed.

I remember it clearly. I had come in from returning a hatchling named Rin to her mother, and was shaking the snow from my parka when my mother, who was crouched by the fire, stood. "Rac, listen." I cocked my head, listening. After a moment though, I heard it too. A dull thudding. Ominous, to one who lives among the dragons. Only ones who have evil on the mind fly slowly, creating the thud with their minds, hearts, and wings. Mother paled, and father rushed in from the barn. "Tari!" His voice was filled with fear, and I saw tears in mother's eyes. Dread laid it's icy claws on my heart as I saw the two bravest people I knew frightened into a panicked state. "Mother, what is it?" I asked, heading for my bed and reaching underneath. After some scrambling, I found my knives and strapped them on. "A few months ago, your father and I went to speak to a dragon. He was dead when we got there, and his son found us after we had been there awhile, making a cairn for him. The son flew into a rage, thinking we had killed his father. He wouldn't listen to us, and we had to slash his wing to escape. He has come for revenge."

My father had been strapping on his knives and armor as she spoke, and paused when she was done. "Rac, he's come for blood and more. He doesn't know we have you, go hide." He withdrew a knife from his belt, a shimmering blue blade that was beautiful in it's danger. The hilt was made of jet, and carved skillfully into the shape of a dragon's curling tail. He handed it to me. "If we do not survive, use this to remember us by." Mother had armed herself by now, and her eyes were wide with fear, but she was calm when she spoke. "Go hide in Rin's nest with her mother. She will take care of you. If not, go to Imarx. He will help you."
A loud roar shook the house, causing things to topple and crash. "I don't want to leave you!" I cried. Father rammed the blue blade into an empty sheath on my belt, and gripped my shoulders. "You are the last tamer with any connection to Telhon. You MUST survive." Another roar shook the house, and mother embraced me. "Live without fear, my son." The house shook again, this time as if in an earthquake. The dragon had landed.

Even though it broke my heart, I grabbed my parka and fled the house, staying to the shadows. I glimpsed the dragon as he tore into the house. A magnificent golden specimen, with a forty foot wingspan. His teeth and claws gleamed as he tore into the wood, and green flames rippled from his jaws. I knew that no one could help my parents, except themselves. I turned away and headed to Rin's nest, tears blurring my vision. I didn't need to see when my parents left this world, I heard the dragon's victorious bellow, and a shriek of terror from my mother. The woman who had never been afraid of any dragon, was shrieking in fear now. I nearly turned back, but just covered my ears. I didn't want to hear. And that is the night that my heart turned to ice.

Rin's mother, a purple dragon called Dusk, took me in for awhile. I never went outside the cave, and under the influence of the silver glowing stones that lit the inside of the cave, my black hair grew in silver. I grew pale, and refused any attempts on Dusk's part to get me out of the cave. She finally went to get Imarx, a dragon who was past middle-age, but was still fairly young, according to the elders. He slithered into the cave one afternoon, his folded wings knocking down several glowing stones down in front of me and he settled down on his haunches. "Dusk is worried, little one," he said, his voice gentle. I glanced at him, but made no answer. "All of dragonkind mourn for your parents, but you stay in silence." I stood and began to replace the stones in their hollows, lifting them easily. "My mother shrieked, Imarx. She shrieked. You of all dragons know she was never afraid." I spoke softly, sounding hoarse. He nodded, his silver scales sparkling. "Nightowl was a brave tamer, as was her mate." I quirked an eyebrow. "Judging from the shrieks that night, neither was very brave. What do you know about the dragon who killed them?" Imarx rose slightly, his crest flaring. "You make light of your parents death?" he asked, his voice dangerously soft. I stared up at him, tears tracking down my face silently. "I don't know how to cope," I replied helplessly. Imarx sighed and glanced towards Dusk, who kept watch over Rin near the mouth of the cave.

"His name is Shadow. He is the son of Trifant, who was one of the greatest dragons who lived. He was just and firm and loyal. He helped set down the order of the Tamers. His son believes your parents killed his father, so he was out for revenge. Now that he has killed a Tamer, he will be revered among the rebellious dragons north of here." I turned the name over in my mind. "Shadow....." I must have said it a bit louder then intended, because Dusk looked up, her great purple eyes fearful. Rin squealed, hiding behind her wings. Imarx shook his head, crest flared. "Do not speak his name. He has been rampaging near here since that night, months ago. He is revered, like I said, and will not pause to hunt you down if he learns of your existence."

Rin pranced over, nosing my shoulder. I patted her back, not minding the needle shap spikes that pierced my skin. Dusk moved closer, concerned. Imarx glanced at her, then back at me. "I think it's time. The son of the Nightowl deserves to be made into something more powerful." I looked up at him, shaking my head. "I do not want to follow the path of my parents. I will not suffer the fate as they did." Imarx stared at me. "If you do not let me mark you now, when the power comes upon you, you will go mad with it." Rin purled, a soft, warm sound down in the depths of her chest. I nodded. "If just to keep my sanity."

Dusk herded Rin to the mouth of the cave again, as Imarx lowered his head close to mine. A primal fear struck me, but I held still. Blood trickled from my palm, but I held still. Imarx blinked once, then a low sound began in his throat. He breathed out on me, and a slow burning began down my face and throat. I had seen the marks on my parents, of course. The tattoos marked them as tamers, and were usually applied by other tamers. But a few tamers had marks made by the dragons themselves, and I already felt the power build up in me. Dragon-made marks made the bearer stronger, faster, agile, and graceful, like the dragons themselves. The burning increased, and images flickered through my mind. My parents last moments before death claimed them. When they first met. When they married. When mother told father she was pregnant. His joy at knowing they had the chance to pass on their knowledge. The pain my mother felt during birth. I heard my first cries. I watched myself grow into what I was today. And I saw a future where I killed and avenged my parents. I saw Shadow's corpse. And again, I heard my parents shriek. But this time, the shrieks trailed off into nothing, and did not return. I knew that they would not be back. And I knew what I needed to do. My eyes opened, and I found myself on my hands and knees on the floor, gasping for breath. Rin crouched near me, looking worried. Imarx nudged my shoulder with his nose. "Let me see." I turned my face up to him, blinking painfully. Everything looked clearer, the sounds sharper, and the smells intensified. Imarx looked satisfied. "Very well." I stood, dusting off my hands and knees.

"I need to go after Shadow." Imarx startled, and Dusk hissed sharply. "You will be killed long before you reach him, youngling. He has dragons all over the territory working for him. And the son of a tamer is not considered a friend among most," Dusk said softly. I smiled slightly, rubbing her jaw fondly. "I know. That's why I won't advertise my....heritage. Strike quick, then fade." Imarx shook his head, then motioned at a reflective stone in the wall. "Look." I went over, and looked. Bright crystal blue wings tracked down from the corners of my eyes to my collarbone, gradually decreasing in size until the last two matched up in a pair in the hollow of my throat. They were small, no bigger then a thumbnail, but bright. "I don't think you can hide those, my friend." Imarx rose, shaking his wings slightly. "I wouldn't go after him. It would be dangerous. Sometimes, you have to start from the bottom." He left, and Rin approached, nosing at my face and neck curiously. Dusk herded her to the other side of the cave, and I lay down for awhile. Something pricked my side, and I retrieved the blue dagger that father had given me the night he died. I turned it over in my hands, admiring the shine of it. "Dusk?" I finally asked, rolling onto my side. She looked up, then startled. "Where did you get that?!" she asked, voice high with fear. "Father gave it to me the night he died. What makes you so scared?"

"That knife is a dragon killer," she hissed, crest flaring. Rin hid behind her, whining softly. I rose, tucking the knife away quickly. "I'm going to go ask Imarx."

"You mean....leave the cave?" Dusk asked, only slightly settling as the knife disappeared from view. I nodded, then hurried out. I had been in there a long time, and it was summer now. I blinked in the bright light, and felt the marks on my face flare in protest.
Dusk's cave overlooked a clearing, where the dragon's hunted regularly, and I could see a few of them now. I balanced on the edge of the ledge, looking down into the clearing. A red dragon slithered through the trees, a blue one stalked a bird in the tree tops, and a white one dozed in the sun. It was a fair drop down into the clearing, and I hesitated. Before I could change my mind and head back into the cave, I swan dived off the edge.

I heard Dusk's startled yelp, before the white dragon glided up and caught me. It set me down on the ground gently, then landed and swung his head closer to me. "Who are you?" he asked, his voice masculine but gentle. "Bracken." I didn't elaborate, but I didn't need to. The dragon's eyes widened. "The son of Nightowl?" he asked, dipping his head to inspect the marks. I nodded. "And what are you called?"

"They call me Chrome, sir." I cocked my head. His scales were bright and metallic looking. The marks flared up, and I yelped in pain. "What was that?" I asked, hands covering the marks. "I don't know...."

"Where is Imarx?" I asked, then howled in pain as the marks started to blaze like fire on my skin. "He went to hunt. I'll find him!" Chrome flew off quickly. The blue dragon moved closer, it had been watching from a distance. "Are you OK?" it asked in a girl's voice. I couldn't reply as I dropped on my knees and rocked back and forth. "Imarx....," I groaned. A loud thud sounded, and his head hove into view. "Bracken! What did you do?!" The pain abated enough for me to talk, though it still hurt. "I came down. I needed to ask you something." The red dragon eased closer, cleaning a claw casually. "Is he Nightowl's son?" it asked in an older woman's voice. "He is," Imarx snapped, closing his wings around me. The pain left, leaving me gasping and shaking. I rested on my hands and knees as my stomach rebelled, trying to turn itself inside out. When it was done, I managed to stand, fearful of setting off another attack. The blue dragon eased closer as Imarx folded his wings back. "Safina!" he snapped, and she backed off, but still looked at me curiously. And that was how I went to ground and became who I am today.

Imarx didn't try to stop me again from my determined idea of revenge, instead, he trained me in dragon lore and taught me the old techniques that my parents and dragon tamers before them used. I was eighteen when he decided that I was ready to begin my quest. During the years I had bulked up a bit, now more muscular then I was before. My hair was still silver, but threads of black were beginning to show again. When the fateful morning came, I woke to Imarx's insistent nudging. "Rise, Bracken. It is time." He slithered towards the entrance, and I followed, yawning. It was dawn, and the call and yowl of waking dragons rang through the air. "What is it, Imarx?" I asked. "4 years ago, I brought you here to learn the secrets of the Dragon Tamers. Never before has one been totally educated in this trade by a dragon itself. Count yourself lucky, my pupil. And now it is time for you to go and find their killer, and avenge their deaths." I stared at him, fingers automatically drifting to the hilt of the knife as he spoke. I wore it all the time, having made a promise to sink it into Shadow's black heart.