Dragon

Tamer

written by

Eya L.

    "Hey, watch where you're going, kid!" The city guard bellowed as the little boy bumped at him.

    Who could blame the kid? The marketplace of Malozia was crowded as ever, the customers gathered in the spaces of small shops and stalls. The boy was just trying to get through the audience... or so others think.

    "I'm sorry," he replied in a small voice. The guard gave him a stern look before leaving. The boy cramped his small body between the sweaty, muscular bodies of men making their way to the shops to deliver their goods, as well as the noisy customers bargaining for lower prices of potatoes, cabbages, and carrots.

    Yet, the boy thought that the large crowd gathered in the marketplace today will put him into an advantage.

    He took a deep breath of relief as he finally got out from the mass of people. Triumphantly holding the small purse he got from the guard, he smiled and looked back, silently laughing at the guard's reaction on discovering that he was being pick-pocketed.

    "Thief... thief!" The guard declared, which was the signal for the boy to run far away. That was the advantage he was talking about; the large crowd of people would stall the guard's movements while the boy was freely running far away from him.

    He stopped for a while when he lost sight of the guard, smelling the aroma of freshly-baked bread as it wafted through the air. He found himself in the city plaza, scanning around the place to track down the source of the aroma. He beamed when he saw a big, fancy sign labeled Mabel's Bakery hanging on a post beside a wooden shop painted in powder blue.

    Counters displaying delectable loaves of bread, croissants, apple pies, and chocolate chip cookies greeted him as he entered the bakery. His lips let out a small "wow" as he looked around the jars strategically placed on the shelves, the jugs positioned near the counters. He opened the small purse he took from the guard, taking out its contents.

    Eight, nine, ten... ten gold coins! He beamed when he confirmed that he just got ten gold coins. He imagined all the stuff he could buy with ten gold coins. New clothes, new weapons for hunting, food and drink...

    Food and drink.

    He immediately bought bread and pastries from Miss Mabel, the shopkeeper of the bakery. He paid two gold coins for the food: a croissant with chicken filling served along with some chocolate chip cookies and a warm glass of fresh cow's milk. He immediately wolfed down the food, and boy was he satisfied. It was the first time he tasted that kind of chicken filling; it had the right blend of saltiness, sweetness, and savoriness. The croissant was freshly baked too; he fondly remembered the feeling when his baby teeth sank into the hot, soft bread, even if he just ate that croissant a while ago. The chocolate chip cookies were not too sweet, not too bitter. Just perfect. It blended so well with the milk, its creamy texture adding the enjoyment factor to his meal.

    At least he wouldn't scour around the slums or steal others' food. But then again, his money came from a stolen purse...

    The boy decided to take on another quest. That is, after he finishes his meal.

    He knew that ten gold coins weren't enough for him to survive throughout the entire day. He needed a new set of clothes; the thin, sleeveless, gray-matted top he was wearing wouldn't do anything against the unrelenting cold during the winter. His torn, brown shorts were already dirty due to him running around the place, the bottoms accumulating a lot of smoke and dirt in the process. Not to mention, his meals in the future, as well as his other equipment for adventuring.

    He also can't just stay in the church to sleep there throughout his entire life. His money would be wasted if he keeps on staying in inns. 

    If only someone could take him in, if only someone adopted him, if only someone would save him from this hellhole...

    If only the Kingdom of Maragi never attacked his hometown, he would have never experienced this kind of hell.

    But at least he learned an important life lesson: money will rule everything in this world. Money. Money is essential to access all the resources one needs in his or her entire life.

    He'll rack up some money, he would think to himself. But he would always end up spending too much because he wanted to experience at least a short time of comfort. Might as well spend it so that he could enjoy. 

    He thanked Miss Mabel for the food before going out. He ran back to the other side of the marketplace, hoping that the city guard wouldn't notice him. He made his way to the clothing and armor shop.

    He ended up spending the rest of his money to clothes. At least his new sleeved top looks thick and durable. He needed a set of new shoes too, for his shoes were tattered because of too much use. It's either he has so steal something again, or maybe he could take on another quest. Most probably, a highly-priced quest.

    Which is why he made his way to the Cloudborn, the local tavern in Malozia. He put his hands on his bottom's pockets (thank God his bottoms had pockets) and walked casually. He didn't have anything to worry about the guards; most probably, the city guard would only remember his clothes, and the little boy had a fresh change of clothes. Like the former would imprint the latter's face in his mind.

    He saw two burly men standing near the doors of the tavern. He beamed up to them and waved his hand. "Hey! Long time no see!"

    The burly man with tanned skin at the boy's left folded his arms at him. "And who are you?"

    "That's Old Daran's errand boy," the muscular man with the beard at the right answered for the little boy. "Let him in."

    The boy skipped inside the tavern, the two men holding the doors open for him. He rushed to the bulletin board, where the calls and requests for monster hunts and quests are usually posted.

    "Kiddo!" The old tavernmaster called. The boy turned around and went to a tall chair and jumped to sit on it.

    "Hi, Old Daran!" The boy gave the tavernmaster a toothy grin.

    "You look pretty happy today." Old Daran adjusted his spectacles. "New clothes, kiddo?"

    The boy nodded. "Yeah! They're more comfy, Old Daran! And I had the best lunch ever!"

    "Ah..." Old Daran nodded a few times. "Where did you get the money you used to buy food and clothes, then?"

    The boy let out an embarrassed laugh, scratching the back of his head. "Don't tell the city guards."

    "Ay... you naughty boy." Old Daran pinched the boy's cheek. "I told you not to steal anymore. You would get yourself into deeper trouble. Especially if you deal with authorities. What if they send you to jail?"

    "They won't. I'm a kid. A minor."

    "Really, kiddo. If you keep this up, you will be in serious trouble sooner or later." The tavernmaster ruffled the boy's messy hair. "You do have new clothes, but you are in dire need of a bath! God!" The old man covered his nose.

    The boy smelled himself. "Hey, I don't smell so bad."

    "Ugh... well, anyway." The tavernmaster dusted his apron off. "I have a task for you."

    The word task made the boy all perked up. "How much? How much will you pay me?"

    "Silly, that is the first thing you're going to ask me?" The tavernmaster was about to hit the boy's head but the former stopped himself. "Twenty gold coins. Is that enough for you?"

    The boy shook his head. "Make it fifty."

    "Fifty?!" Old Daran's eyes widened at him. "This is just a simple task, little boy. Twenty gold coins are already a hefty amount of money for this kind of quest."

    "Is this yet another fetch quest again? I want something more highly-priced," the little boy declared before returning to the bulletin board.

    "Hey, where are you going--" The tavernmaster stopped when he realized the flyers the little boy was checking out. "Kid, don't you even dare not to take on those kind of quests."

    "I like these monster hunting quests. A sure amount of one hundred gold coins." The little boy nodded as he checked each flyer posted on the bulletin board. "Oh, wait, this one! One hundred and twenty gold coins with fifty silver coins and, wait..." He picked up a rusted piece of paper posted on the board. "Wait, this quest is still pending?"

    "Kid. Don't you even dare try to take that on." There was a hint of warning in Old Daran's voice. "You already knew it. Most of the people who try to accomplish that quest end up in failure. Or worse, death."

    "The Onyx Dragon..." The little boy stared at the intricate illustration of a scaly, black dragon, its mouth breathing immense, bright fire. His eyes sparkled when he read the details of the flyer even further. The promise of treasures, gems, and lots of gold... not to mention, additional rewards if he managed to slay or capture the dragon. Of course there will be a reward. 

    The little boy imagined the sea of gold coins and treasure chests containing gemstones, jewelry, and money. He would be a happy guy; he would buy all the things he needed and all the things he wanted. He would no longer live the life of a street urchin.

    "Old Daran!" He tore off the rusted paper away from the bulletin board.

    "Oh no, don't tell me you're going to--"

    "I'm going to take this quest!" He said with a pride smile. "It's been a long time ever since I've met a dragon!"

    The Onyx Dragon: infamous for being virtually untouchable due to its aggresively defensive nature, its large, sharp claws swiping every intruder to its hoard. It wields one of the most ancient and arcane branches of magic: the Erebus magic, which allows it to manipulate darkness and shadow. Most of the adventurers who braved the dragon hoard got killed by shadows materialized as spikes and swords.

    A lot of eople formulated the idea that the Onyx Dragon guards highly valuable treasure, which explains its deadly defenses. After all, since the Onyx Dragon is undefeatable, it would be highly celebrated if someone out there would take it down and grab its well-guarded treasures. Headhunters would sparkle their eyes every time a poster asking to take down the Onyx Dragon is put up on bulletin boards.

    But a lot of headhunters returned with deep wounds, catching their breaths. Whenever the other townspeople or villagers inquire how the journey was, they would recount it with terrified eyes, their legs shaking while illustrating how the dragon bellowed and unleashed its magic towards them. It was hard to escape from its clutches, its dark, arcane clutches that only the dragon could conjure. So far, there was no other way to counter the Erebus magic the Onyx Dragon possesses.

    Which explains the disdain on the headhunters' faces when the little boy decided to take on the Onyx Dragon.

    “Are you kidding me? You're wasting your life, kiddo!” The bounty hunter wearing an eyepatch on his left eye shouted at him.

    “I can do it,” the boy declared.

    “No, you can't. Leave this mission to adults like us.” The stout hunter pointed at themselves, his eyes narrowed at the little boy.

    “No, you can't do it too.” The little boy pouted. “I mean, why would have such a hard time on killing them? You guys are experienced and all--”

    “You little piece of shit...” The eyepatched hunter was about to punch the little boy but the stout one grabbed his wrist. “Ugh. If we couldn't take down the Onyx Dragon, what more could we expect from a little brat like you?”

    “I have a way with dragons,” the little boy proudly reasoned. “I've been around with dragons before. They wouldn't lay a finger on me.”

    “Hmph. Lies.” The hunter with the big belly sneered. “You have a way with dragons? Pfft. Since when did I hear someone being friendly with dragons?”

    “Unless you're from Draconia.” The little boy felt something heavy in his heart when he heard the eyepatched hunter say that. “But it's impossible. All of the citizens of Draconia are now slaves to the Kingdom of Maragi. Of course there wouldn't be any Draconians running around here.”

    There were pools of water forming on the corners of the little boy's eyes, but he refused to let it flow. He took a deep breath and shook off these feelings. Now is not the time to cry in front of grown-ups. They would be more convinced that he wouldn't be a reliable hunter to take down the Onyx Dragon.

    “Now, leave the rest to us adults, okay?” The stout hunter slapped the little boy's shoulder before the hunters left the Cloudborn.

    When the adult hunters were out of sight, the boy repeatedly stomped the floor, his face completely red and his brows furrowed.

    “Just because I'm a kid?!” He shouted. “They don't want me to go because I'm just a kid?!”

    The adult hunters didn't know. The little boy was the one behind the accomplished monster hunts posted in the Cloudborn. They didn't know the lengths and measures he went through in order to defeat them, in order to claim the rewards waiting for him. Even those who posted up those hunts shot surprised looks at the little boy because a kid actually managed to do the job for them! The adult hunters didn't know; only the ones who put up the hunts, as well as Old Daran, do.

    “I could do better than them. I could do better than them,” he muttered as he went to the bulletin board and pulled off the poster about the Onyx Dragon. He scanned the contents to pinpoint the location of the hoard.

    The Forest of Hoffman, east of Malozia.

    It was supposed to be a forbidden areas, but bounty hunters who were targeting the Onyx Dragon were allowed to pass through. A lot of casualties happened in the forest, not only because of the dragon, but also because of other dangerous creatures residing behind the trees.

    The boy decided that he will leave before sunset. For now, he would scour around the city with resources he can possibly get.

    He jumped from roof to roof, ran from building to building, pilfering a few apples, packs of nuts, and bottles of water along the way. While scouring for resources, he picked up a large sack and folded it many times so that it could fit in his bag.

    He went to the local forge and bargained at the blacksmith to enhance his dagger. After minutes of smooth talking, the blacksmith decided to enhance it for free, much to the little boy's delight. The boy thanked the smith many times, promising that he would bring pieces of bread as a thank you gift, but the smith kindly declined.

    That was all he needed: food, drink, and a sharp blade. The next important thing he should rely on was his instincts. His skills. His abilities. It made him survive through every hunt he took on, and he was confident that it would turn out well. It would turn out well, it would turn out well...

    The sky was getting orange, which prompted the little boy to hurry outside the city of Malozia. He ran with his nimble legs until he saw two guards stationed near the forest from a distance. He turned to the right and made a shortcut, climbing trees and swinging through vines, sneaking around the guards. The guards didn't seem to notice the little boy landing behind them, as they were looking straight forward to the road connecting the Forest of Hoffman and Malozia.

    Every time the little boy would take a step, his heart would beat faster. It was always like that; he always becomes nervous before facing the hunt itself, but he would overcome it anyway. He would hum a tune that his mother used to sing whenever he couldn't sleep. For some reason, it calms him down, and it makes him feel better about his own capabilities.

    Will the dragons act the same way as before?

    He traversed through puddles, the brown mud sticking on his legs. He crossed through raging rivers, carefully stepping on every stone. He washed his legs first with the river water, even if his clothes would get soaked. The big rocks erected on the soil served as obstacles on the road to the dragon hoard.

    Not surprisingly, there were no creatures and monsters along the way. Maybe they were terrified of the Onyx Dragon too.

    After an hour of traveling, he finally reached the mouth of the cave. He gaped as he took notice of the large opening that can accommodate a large dragon. He started walking until he almost stepped on something: a blood-stained torch on the ground. He took out some matches from his bag and lit the torch, which served as a guide to the dark cave.

    The cave was eerily silent; only the plops of water formed in the stalactites of the cave were heard. Fortunately, for the little boy, the path was straightforward, so he wouldn't worry so much if he would get lost. He almost dropped his torch when a swarm of bats flew above him. His new clothes didn't help much on battling the dampness and coldness of the air.

    The heavy beating on his heart wouldn't cease, which caused him to hum that melody his mother would always sing.

    He knew that he was going deeper, because there were now torches on the walls of the cave. He could feel it; he could hear the dragon breathing. He took a deep breath himself and continued humming to calm himself down.

    He stopped when he saw a large, scaly tail on the ground. He hid behind the cave walls and peered at the tail. He looked further only to see the large, sleeping dragon in his cave.

    This is it. The Onyx Dragon, right in front of his two eyes. And it was sleeping.

    The little boy nodded. It would be the best time to get the treasures guarded by the Onyx Dragon. Tip-toeing, the boy carefully traversed around the dragon, scared that even the softest sounds would wake up the dragon. He hummed his mother's melody in his mind.

    When he made a semi-circle, he found another opening. This must be it, the little boy thought as he entered the other opening, still tip-toeing.

    The road felt longer that it should, as the little boy kept on taking small steps. Thankfully, there were more torches guiding his way towards the presumed treasure.

    His heart almost shattered when he heard shrill noises from the other end of the path.

    Now is not the time to run away. If ever he runs away from here, he might wake the dragon. So he had no choice but to press forward, this time, humming his mother's melody softly. He closed his eyes while pressing forward, the noises becoming more and more audible.

    He heard the flapping of wings.

    What?

    The little boy opened his eyes only to find a small, golden dragon in front of him. Yes, the dragon almost had the same size as him, but it was still small for its species. The dragon seemed not to notice, as it continued to fly around the place, until it stumbled again.

    Yet another batch of memories became fresh in the young boy's mind. He remembered how his mother and father took care of the newly-hatched dragons. His parents were one of the best and most reliable dragon tamers around. He could see the joy in the dragon's faces as his father trained them to distinguish who is their friend or foe. He could recall the songs his mother sang whenever she puts the baby dragons to sleep.

    He didn't notice that the golden dragon's innocent eyes were looking at him. A short growl snapped him out from his reverie, and he stepped back, gulping.

    “H-hello, little dragon,” he whimpered. “How's it going?”

    The dragon's head cocked to its right.

    The boy looked around the place, his lips pursed. No treasures in sight. Now what?

    He looked back at the dragon, who went back to practicing its flight. The little boy watched the golden dragon with curiosity, and he chuckled every time the small dragon stumbled. The dragon let out a quiet cry as it stumbled for the nth time.

    “It's okay, little dragon. It's okay,” the little boy coaxed the dragon. “It's okay. You can try again.” He said in vain, as if the golden dragon would even understand him.

    The little dragon's cries were gradually becoming louder. The little boy bit his lip, thinking that the dragon's cries might wake the Onyx Dragon up.

    Without thinking, the boy found himself humming the same tune his mother sang to him whenever he felt crying. He tried to reach out to the dragon's head to pat it, but he took his hand back, thinking that the dragon might do something to him should he make a mistake. The small, golden dragon has finally calmed down, now casting happy eyes to the young boy.

    :Friend!: The dragon gave the young boy's chest an affectionate headbutt, which almost made the latter step back.

    F-friend? The little boy muttered to himself.

    :Friend! Are you Papa's friend?:

    Papa's... what? The little boy was more confused. And where did that innocent voice come from?

    :Papa's friend. You know the song. Papa used to sing me that song whenever I can't sleep...:

    The boy gulped. Who is this Papa? And that song... that song... he remembered.

    That was the melody which tamed the restless heart in him, that melody which gave the dragons her mother used to take care of hope, which made them feel love, which soothed the restless spirits residing in their hearts.

    The boy looked around the area once more. He just realized the sloppy illustrations etched on the cave walls, as well as a few picture frames of small dragon footprints.

    :Those are my works of art, friend!: The dragon growled happily.

    So you guys are also capable of...

    :Of course we are! Papa is so proud of it!:

    He just confirmed it. That voice came from the golden dragon. The dragon can communicate with him telepathically, and he has a slight idea why it could do so.

    :Yay! It's been a while ever since we had a friendly visitor!: The dragon flapped its wings with delight. :Let's play!:

    H-huh?! The boy stepped back. W-what should we play?

    :Tag, I guess?:

    Tag... but you can fly.

    :No, I still can't fly pretty well...: The dragon made a downcast expression. :But I kept on training. That's what Dad told me. I should always train so that I could fly properly.:

    Yeah. Lots of training, the boy nodded. Lots and lots of training. You'll need it. Don't worry. You'll get there.

    :Oh, and by the way, what's your name? I'm Aurelius.:

    The boy recalled the golden dragon's words. He found it strange. Why would this dragon wanted to become friends with him? Why would it say that they finally had a friendly visitor?

    Could it be that... he managed to tame this little dragon and convinced that he is a friend?

    And is it because of that song his mother used to sing to him?

    :Friend! What's your name?: The golden dragon named Aurelius inquired once again.

    “Oh!” The boy got snapped from his reverie and shook his head. “M-my name. I'm--”

    :Wait!: The dragon ran past him. :Papa! Papa's awake!:

    Papa... don't you mean... The boy gulped. That black dragon over there?

    :Yeah!: Aurelius sounded excited. :I'll tell Papa that we have a friendly visitor.:

    The young boy mouthed a little “oh no” as he watched Aurelius the dragon run to where the Onyx Dragon was. He wasn't sure if he will continue to press forward.

    But then again, he's now in the point of no return.

    He had no choice but to face the dragon.