Sheets of
mist cover the valley below, settling into the lower areas between the rolling
hills. The huge creature looks down on it, seated on a precipice just outside
of the cave mouth.
This creature is a breathtaking sight: About the size of a T-Rex, its gorgeous
body is covered with emerald scales and his feet are provided with sickle-like,
sharp talons.
Hearing quiet footsteps, the dragon turns his horned head to find his human
friend walking up beside him from the cave.
"You are up early", the man comments. The dragon replies with only
a toothy smile, nuzzling his friend gently before turning his gaze outward again,
this time looking into the sky. To the eastern horizon, shades of morning are
starting to be seen.
The two sit there for a long while in silence, just watching together as dark
blue turns lighter, finally giving way to oranges and pinks, and finally to
the sun itself. The human leans against the dragon's flank gently and the dragon
folds a wing its human friend and student and smiles as the pair are slowly
bathed in the golden light of the morning.
[inspired by a gesture of deep friendship from my friend Doran towards me]
*******
It was a
crispy morning in November, just before sunrise. I stood at the station waiting
for my train to bring me to downtown for working. Like every morning during
the week, like any other person around me, too. I was angry, they just had said
that the train is in delay - "as usual", I thought.
Another look upon my watch, another impatient look into the sky, as my eyes
realized a movement between the clouds. A silhouette, too swift to be recognized...but
it was certainly not an aeroplane, although the airport was not too far away.
"A dragon! Mom, a dragon!" The child's voice cut through the morning
air like glass. Several heads turned towards the mother with her child, a girl
of 4 or maybe 5. "A dragon", she repeated eagerly. "I have seen
its tail. And it breathed a little flame out of its nostrils." "There
are no dragons, my dear", her mother said and gave the people around her
(me included) a warm smile. "I am sorry", she said. "Chilren!
Always dreaming". A man shook his head: "Too much TV", he mutterd,
two women agreed. The girl turend around and spoke to an elder woman: "But
it was a dragon", she insisted. "No, little one, it was just a plane
on its way to the airport. But you have lots of fantasy. Keep your dreams as
long as you can", the lady said softly. "You!", now she addressed
me, "you have seen it as well. I *know* that you have seen it, that you
have recognized it. You know it was a dragon. Please tell my mother, it was
a dragon. A dragon on its way to its friends. Dragons will return to our world.
Please, you know it, too. I have seen your eyes." The girl started to cry.
I looked into her eyes, I saw her tears. Fortunatly, the train arrived and I
wasn't forced to answer - I thought. I wanted to get in, but she took my arm
and looked at me with pleading eyes. I shook my head. "It was an aeroplane.
You shouldn't watch so much TV, you are still too young."
I took my seat and I heard a scream inside my head. A nasty scream, full of
pain and sorrow. The scream of a dying and betrayed creature.
When I arrived in my office, I checked out my mailbox for e-mails. One of my
American role-playing friends sent me a message: "Dear friend, now it's
time to prove you the truth. I finally regained my dragonform and while you
are reading these lines, I am on my way to your town for making your dreams
come true. To take you with me. But, please, never deny me if you see me, as
we dragons need the belief of you humans. Otherwise I would die in agony and
in pain...."
It was the
start of a horrible day for me.
I should have known better...
Written by Peter Lässig