Dragons Rise

Darkness coated Luke’s vision as pain lanced through his left hand. His left arm felt like it was on fire, as he held it in a death grip. His face buried in the pillow, to muffle any sounds that slipped out. Thoughts raced through his head, as he wondered why this was happening. This pain was growing more bearable and he sucked in an uneasy breath. Luke growled into the pillow as another spasm passed through him.

This wasn’t the first time he had felt this pain, the first time was when he had gone to visit the village of Orak. It had happened when he was in a small medicine shop. He had just barely managed not to make a scene there. This pain had happened three more times since his trip to Orak village. Each time only lasted a couple minutes but left Luke panting in relief at the end. Luke let out a sigh of relief as the pain ended. Sitting up he pushed himself off the bed, and pulled open the curtains. It was around three o’clock at night as he gazed up at the stars.

Two weeks ago was his fifteenth birthday. People believed that the fifteenth birthday was the year where you’d have the most luck. Sadly it seemed that his fifteenth year was starting out as a wreck. Spring had just come and the corn crop of the year had been planted. Usually after the hard task of planting the corn was over it would leave a chance to relax. Sadly that was not the case four days ago a wicked wind storm came through. The wind uprooted an old tree on the side of our land and it crashed into the barn damaging the roof.

Which left cleaning the roof up to Luke and his older brother John. Well he wasn’t his actual brother since Luke was an adopted child, but Luke considered him as his brother. John was the son of Sophie and Miles Parker. Sophie was a talkative older women of fifty-four with a height of around five feet. She was a kind person who never turned others out even if we barely had enough for ourselves. Her hair was a dark grey-brown color which she always kept in a tight bun. Her eyes were light green with a spark to them. She was a thin women but even when times were rough she never complained.

Miles was a quiet man of fifty-seven with a height of six feet. He had a sturdy build and he was a hard worker. His face was tanned from work outside, and he had a light smattering of freckles and dark green eyes. Miles had short light grey-brown hair which was thinning out. Miles was possibly more stubborn then Sophie when it came to doing his fair share of work but we all knew that Miles and Sophie were growing too old to be working like this.

John on the other hand was talkative and loves having fun. He has light brown hair about an inch long with the same light green eyes as Sophie. If anything he portrays more of Sophie then Miles. He has a thin build like Sophie but he’s stubborn and has grown strong over the years. He’s eighteen with a height of five feet six. He’s a hard worker and loves making others smile. He’s lately been spending lots of time down at the village with Mr. Avery who gave him an apprenticeship as a smith. John always loved watching the smith work so getting this apprenticeship was like a dream come true.

Miles and Sophie have been asking Luke to start considering what type of apprenticeship he wants but Luke has yet to decide. Luke on the other hand has light blond hair, with blue eyes. He had a slim body with a strong build. His skin was a light color tanned by the sun. His height was five feet four inches only slightly smaller than John. The wind rustled the trees outside playfully and Luke grinned throwing on a shirt. Silently he slips downstairs not wishing to make a noise in fear of waking his family. Sophie and Miles are unaware of his night trips outside, but John knows and at times joins him. Luke dislikes being inside and John seems to understand. If anything John has the same problem but on a lesser degree.

When Luke’s inside, it’s like he’s trapped. It’s hard to think and it feels like suffocating. One or two hours inside made him feel like he was going to die especially with the headaches that came while being inside. Half a day made him feel like he would go mad if he wasn’t outside, which is why he often sneaks out. John is a bit different he twitches a lot like how Luke does, but not as bad. Like a dog ready to run, but cooped up.

Luke slid open the door silently and walked out. He smiled allowing his tense body and mind to relax. Fresh air blew around him and he let out his own relieved breath. The outside was where he belonged and he knew it as he trekked out into the woods to the usual spot where John and Luke came. It was a big boulder they called Silver rock since it gleamed silver in the bright sun. Now it was dark and cold as he climbed up the familiar side.

He laid down in a small jut and let himself relax. His head still hurt from being inside for a long time but he was used to it hurting and didn’t think too much on it. He grinned remembering the times when John and him played Indians in the wood. John was never as quiet or stealthy as Luke, for that matter Luke always beat him in Indian. Jumping down from a tree, sneaking around to startle him or scaring him with surprise attacks. But they enjoyed it. They had taught themselves the way of the outdoors, and had even learned how to track animals across grassy plains or through woodlands.

He sighed, realizing how much he missed playing outdoors with John. He rolled to his side his hands resting beneath his head as he remembered the last time they had played Indian. John had ended up with a bad cut on his left arm, from a horrible fall off the side of a cliff wall about a twenty foot drop. After that they hadn’t played again. A loud shrieking sound pierced the night.

Was that a bird? Luke wondered as he sat up, glancing around. The noise had sounded somewhere off to the left. Curiosity made him jump off of the rock and set off towards where the sound had come from. Another loud screech drew him closer as a crashing sound followed. His eyes widened and his heartbeat quickened as he ducked into some brush pulling himself closer silently. Careful not to make noise.

A thud and a strangled shriek directed his attention towards an opening. Silently he crept forward and ever so slightly parted the bush. His eyes had trouble seeing in the darkness but what he did see changed how he saw the world. A beast that shouldn’t exist stood in the center of the clearing. It had the body tail and back legs of a lion, while everything else including the wings was that of an eagle. Griffon, the word came to him as he looked at the beast. A mythical creature said to not exist. Fairy tale myth, legend, campfire stories. All these words came to him as he crouched there barely breathing.

Its wings and fur were glossy brown and its eyes were charcoal black. It had a strange glowing black collar around its neck that seemed like darkness itself. Its wings were open and raised high as if ready to take off. A twang came from somewhere to my right. An arrow whirled barely missing the creature as it twirled shrieking in rage. Its wings folded at its side and it charged towards where the arrow had come from. Luke’s mouth opened in shock at the sight of a man riding nimbly on the griffons back.

It was too dark to make out his facial futures but I could tell he had a big build. A sword was in his hand off to the side. The griffon was nearing where the arrow had come from when on the opposite side another arrow whistled past. It struck the creature’s wing, making it howl in a pained rage. Luke’s eyes widened as the creature fell rolling into a heap. The man lying on his side, after being thrown off the griffons back. I heard a grunt from the man and he was up sword ready.

A form ran out into the clearing and jumped. My eyes narrowed as I made out the form. A person holding a silver sword which gleamed in the moonlight. Whoever it was, was quick and that jump was way too high to be normal. Sword clanged on sword and I saw a flash of green from the new person’s eyes. I wished I could see better but even if I was used to the dark forest I was unable to see much in the darkness.

The griffon stood up and charged at the fighting people. Just as he was about to reach them an arrow thudded into his side taking him down. The griffon lay still before a blue-white light engulfed it and it disappeared. What was that? Luke thought as he looked at the empty spot of grass. Metal on metal clanged in the clearing as a light breeze whistled by. The moon illuminated the clearing. A symbol that looked like a beautiful flower. It glowed a hazy white, the flower clearly pronounced against the man who was riding the griffons, right hand.

The moon was shrouded in clouds once more and he saw the faint glow barely visible. His breathing was slow as his eyes watered from being open for so long. The two people were locked in a fierce exchange of blows. Neither backed down but he could hear the panting of the man who had been on top the griffon. His moves were slowing down and if Luke wasn’t mistaken, the other person was speeding up.

The new person jumped back green eyes dancing as the attacker stumbled forward. An arrow which had come from somewhere to Luke’s left directly behind the griffon riding man. It pierced through the man’s back and he tumbled down. The other person walked over gingerly on cautious, silent feet. He stopped in front of the man and watched as the man turned into blue-white sparks. What’s going on? Luke’s mind raced as he watched the sparks slowly disappear. Until there was nothing left. “Dead.” Luke’s eyes widened as his eyes landed on the man. Dead, the word reverberated inside of him.

Had that man really been killed and why did he disappear into blue sparks? Who was the man still standing? Are there more creatures like griffons? One final question raced through his mind. Were the stories of riders true? A sound escaped from his lips nothing more than a gasp. It should’ve been impossible to hear it, but the man turned slowly until he was staring in Luke’s direction. Fear gripped his heart as he fought not to panic. The man was walking towards him, silver sword gleaming faintly.

Green eyes hard and calculating, his hair was probably black or brown to dark to see in the darkened night. Luke eased backwards quietly until he was behind a new pile of brush. His eyes made out the spot where he had been. The man now stood there staring down. His head cocked slightly to the side. Luke’s heart picked up as he noticed an indent on the ground. It was such a small indent but the man noticed it. He bent down his finger tracing the small hole shaped mark.

Luke knew he had to leave now but the man had stood up gazing around. If he moved there was a chance of revealing himself. His hands clenched he remained still. A sound emitted from the clearing and the man looked up. “Grant.” The man said in a quiet tone barely perceivable. Grant. He thought as he used the distraction to creep silently out. The rest of the way home Luke slipped quietly along careful of leaving a trail. At every sound he paused his heartbeat quickening. Finally he made it home. When he was once more in his room he lit a candle and pulled out his Journal.

His journal was an escape route to him. He’d write and draw everything that stood out to him in it. Right now he turned to a blank page and left nothing out. He wrote his thoughts on what happened and possible theories on mythical creatures. He finished with a drawing of the griffon. It was nowhere near perfect since he had been unable to fully make out the creature. His eyes closed as he twisted a piece of his hair around his finger.

It was a habit he had whenever he was thinking. He dipped his quill in the ink once more his hair falling back in front of his eye. He added the last of the details he remembered, before tying his journal and returning it to its secret hiding place. He had found the hiding spot a while ago when he had cut his finger on the loose wood floor. He had pulled the plank up to find a small area he could hide stuff. Since then he had been using it. If you looked closely you’d see that there was a slight rise to the plank but you’d only find it if you looked closely.

He settled onto his bed to rest, but his eyes remained open. He knew that no matter what he couldn’t let himself be found by that man. If he did it would mean… Memories of his childhood came floating back. Memories long forgotten returning as his mind wandered over one thought. Riders.