The Dragons' Last Wish The rain came down and poured. In the wind and wetness a young boy sought dryness in an old cave. He sat near the entrance staring at the damp cold floor of the cave. He did not want to move further in from the wetness into the dark dark cavern for he did not want to disturb what ever else had sought refuge in there. But it didn't matter, for they were expecting him. A small pair of green glowing eyes gazed at him. The boy felt it's stare but made no motion to acknowledge it. "What did they say Boston?" said a high pitched voice. The boy did not answer. Another pair of eyes seemed to gleam now. They were as red and golden as a blazing fire and could have been at least 30 - 40 times bigger than the tiny green eyes. A smoldering voice came from the direction of the red golden eyes, "What did the villagers say?" The young lad adverted his eyes to the opening of the cave, in hopes to discourage the voices from further questioning. The small green eyes approached him revealing a tiny black dragon with silver wings. The creature was no bigger than that of a man's hand. The small dragon fluttered and made the boy's knee a perfect little perch. "Come on Boston," chirped the little black dragon, "you can tell us. We're tough enough to take it." The little dragon puffed up it's tiny little chest trying to appear intimidating, but it only made himself look cute. The other creature in the cave came closer to Boston showing his red scales and fire wings. "Tell us Boston. We need to know." The larger dragon spoke as the small nimble dragon crawled up Boston's cold arm onto his shoulder. The large dragon, which was the same size of a large horse, sat down across from the young lad waiting for his response. Both dragon's knew that the lad's news was bad, but they still wanted to hear the details. Boston finally looked up at the dragons. "They said they wouldn't stop." His voice trembled with sadness and fear, "They said if I were to come back that… that they would lynch me too!" The small little black dragon stood on it's hind legs and placed it's nimble and tiny little hand on the back of Boston's head to comfort the lad as he wept. Boston was a sheepherder like his father. Even though his parents were poor, they had hearts of gold. He remembered them well. He remembered his mother in their tiny little garden and his father in the field with the sheep. He was in their shaggy little house where the walls were made of mud and straw. The roof was also made of straw from the fields by the edge of the forest by their home. He was in the house getting shears for his father to cut the wool from the sheep for the summer. That was when he heard the blood curtailing cries of the sheep and he heard his father cry out to his mother. Boston ran to the door and peered out staring, gazing at two massive dragons. They were wyverns. Giant serpents with massive wings and two massive claws with which they dragged their bodies along with. Their breath, he was told, caused disease and pestilence. Boston stared at the top of a knoll as he watched one of the wyverns knocked down an old lonely oak tree like nothing and clenched his father taking his life. As his fathers blood curtailing scream died, so did his life force. Boston was not the only one who saw his father's fate. His mother standing in the garden next to the house also was in shock but her silence soon disappeared. She suddenly felt her happy life dissipate as her beloved husband's bodily remains fell back to earth. Her heart sank and she gave out a cry that pierced Boston's ears. She screamed to bring back her lost happy life she had, to hold it one last time, as if to say good bye to it, to make time stand still. And Maybe it did for her. As the other wyvern slithered around the back of the house it carelessly smashed and destroyed the back end of their homely home with the tip of it's tail. As Boston's mother turned to see the destruction of their home she was met by a massive claw. She soon was unable to have the capability to scream and Boston watched in horror as his mother's life was also taken. Boston stood their in perfect silence, not making a move. But it didn't help. The two wyverns heads' snapped to gaze at their next victim of choice. But to Boston's luck, his deceased mother's cry was not done completely in vain, for a powerful being heard her. As the wyvern next to the house advanced to destroy Boston's little body a giant red scaly claw crashed down upon the wyvern's body , killing it instantly. The red scaly claw was almost the size of his house. The wyvern on the knoll came storming down the hill but screeched as a second red claw knocked it over. The first claw that was next to the house lifted off the dead carcass of the dead wyvern and shook some of the dragon's blood off the claw and grabbed Boston. Boston was frozen in fear as he was lifted off the ground into the air. The wyvern on the knoll writhed to get back up and snatch Boston from the giant red claw but was knocked over by yet another massive red claw. Boston's eyes peered up to see dragon larger than he had ever seen before. The red dragon was almost a mile long with it's serpent like body. Dispite this large dragon had no wings, it still flew through the air using strong wind currents from high altitudes. Boston found himself becoming farther and farther away from the ground and panicked. This dragon was taking him away, but Boston didn't know where nor for what reason. "To eat me?" Boston thought to himself. The young lads fear, idea of self-preservation, and a fight or flight response ran through his body. Boston instinctively clenched the sheers that were surprisingly still in his hand and ran them into the huge red claw. The claw released the young lad into a free fall as a reaction from the sudden pain. The young lad was now faced with another danger. One he could not think of a way to save himself from. He fell with intense speed, plummeting toward a jagged bed of rocks near the base of a mountain. Boston gave a crying plea for life as the rocky earth seemed to close in on him. He shut his eyes and embraced his last breath, but his demise would be saved for yet another day as once again a large red claw snatched him from near and certain death. Boston looked up when he realized he was not killed but saved. The boy gazed at the dragon as he heard a deep rumble sound that he soon realized was the great dragon laughing. The wingless dragon twisted it's head around to eye the young lad as they glided through the air. "You are a silly young human aren't you?" an extremely low and deep rumbling voice bellowed from the dragon, "You must have a strong fate, for if I had not traveled from the far east and heard that woman cry out you would have been killed." The dragon tilted it's head. "Was that woman your mother?" Boston was silent. He never knew that dragons could talk, only destroy. "I bet you wish all us dragons were dead now too, just like that wyvern's mate." Boston did want all dragons because of his parents fate. But he also did not understand why a dragon would save a human from being killed by another dragon. Boston soon learned that the titanic sized dragon was named Lung. He was a large Asian dragon who traveled from the far east to help his fellow dragons from being destroyed. Lung had taken him to a large cave in the mountains where he met more dragons. He soon found out that not all dragons were bad like the wyverns. Most were actually good. There he met a white dragon the size of a large horse named Zitny Smij who was an Ireland dragon of the crops. She blessed the land for fertile grounds for planting. Her mate was a red scaled dragon with wings made of fire. He was the Ireland dragon of the hearth and his name was Zalty. Also Boston met a small little dragon called Puk. He was a small black dragon with silver wings and green little eyes. This little dragon was a European dragon called a house spirit. He had a bad tendency to go out and steal small treasures like a few gold coins and such for the head of the house hold. Like that of a cat bringing a dead mouse to it's master, he meant no harm, but only to make one happy. The Puk soon became Boston's Closest Friend. Boston was also told about a dragon named Li who was a close friend of lung. Li was a hornless water serpent who was unfortunately lynched by a group of sea stricken mad sailors only a few months ago. Li was a kind soul but many people of the world saw all dragons as evil, and sought to destroy them all. The dragons in the cave told Boston about the dragons that cause pain and suffering. They told him about the Wyvern and about his mate which Lung had killed when he saved Boston. Zitny Smij, the white dragon, told the young lad about the Lindworm, a close and deadly relative of the Wyvern. They were almost identical in every aspect with the exception that the Wyvern had wings and the Lindworm didn't. Zalty also told of the Peist who was an evil water serpent of Ireland. Boston learned about the great and famous Fire Drake. The Fire Drakes were once in a populace. They were greedy dragons with horns and wings and they blew fire. They were always found protecting their hoard of treasure which they stool from their victims. Most of the time when people were told about dragons, the Fire Drake would be the first image in their heads. Because of the Fire Drakes, dragon hunting became popular . Soon people began lynching every dragon in sight, Forgetting if the dragon was good like Zalty or bad like the Wyvern. Now the dragons are faced with extinction. Many other types of dragons had already became extinct along with their good friend Li and his race. Because each dragon left was the last of his or her own race they were called not by their real birth names which they would be naturally called by, but they were called by their species name. Thus Lung's species were the Lung race and the Wyvern's were the Wyverns Race, and so on. It was harsh for the last surviving dragons. The good dragons fought the bad dragons and the men of the world fought all dragons. Boston became some what of an ambassador to the dragons. Going from village to village preaching their story in hopes to prevent the extinction of the dragons from furthering. But Boston's work did not help the dragons for the men of the villages did not want to listen to a strange 13 yr. old orphan from some foreign village . Lung and the others decided to have a final battle with the pain causing dragons of disease and pestilence. Boston now sat there with Puk on his shoulder and Zalty across from him. He knew that they planed to have a battle tomorrow and he knew that they did not want him to learn about the battle . For it would be the dragons' last battle of good versus evil. He heard all this from listening in on them. "Now what will you do?" Boston finally looked up. He was finished weeping. He knew what they were going to do, but his question was created to throw them off if they suspected of the knowledge he had possessed about the battle. "Survive," A soft comforting voice spoke. It was Zitny Smij. Her smooth white body and white wings gracefully walked out of the darkness. She reminded Boston of another mystical creature called the Pegasus, a Greek winged horse. Zitny Smij blinked her beautiful blue eyes as she noticed the teary redness in Boston's eyes. "We will strive to exist, my friend." Her soft voice comforted all those who heard it. "For that is our last wish." "Last wish?" Boston questioned. "Yes," chirped Puk, "the dragon's last wish is to always exist." Zalty greeted his mate by rubbing his cheek against hers. "Unlike most humans," Zalty spoke, "We are well aware that we soon may become extinct like our friend Li and his race is, But we wish to exist that through one way or another we may strive, live, and exist." Zitny Smij walked over by Boston and bent down low to let the young lad on her back. "Come on Boston," her soft sweet voice spoke softly, "it is late and we all need our sleep." Boston slowly and carefully crawled on to her back. She took him into the depths of the cave until she came to a cavern, which was Boston's room. Inside the cavern was a bed of hay and sheets for his bed. Most of the objects in Boston's room were gifts that the Puk "found", such as the sheets and pillow on his bed, his oil lamp, a small mirror, and a pair of shoes (which were the latest gift the Puk had gotten for his beloved human friend. Zitny Smij tucked Boston into bed and placed her claw gently on his head in place of a goodnight kiss. "Sleep well my good human friend, Boston. And may you have a good night." Her voice in itself was a gentile lullaby. Zalty who stood by the door way said his good night as well as Puk fluttered over by the oil lamp and blew it out. Then he fluttered back and curled up on Boston's chest. But Boston couldn't sleep. Thoughts ran through his head about tomorrow's events. Eventually Boston found sleep, or sleep found Boston in the mid morning hours. Boston suddenly sat up panting from a nightmare. He looked around the caverns of the cave and found himself alone. Boston Knew where the went. The lad grabbed a piece of charcoal and wrote on the wall of his chamber: "Be back in a day. Boston" The young lad was thankful that Lung had taught him how to read and write, and now he had put it to use. As Boston came to the entrance of the cave he realized it was about noon. His eyes slowly adjusted to the brightness of the day and in the light of the brightness at the entrance of the cave Boston found Puk's last gift. A mysterious and powerful sturdy white horse stood at the door of the cave. It had a beautiful saddle and reins. Boston soon realized that this was not any ordinary horse, for it was made from the magic of a dragon. As he inspected the horse he found a large black patch on the front of the neck in the shape of a dragon with it's wings spread wide open as if in flight. The very presence of the horse was a strong enough message to Boston. It was as if to be saying "Take care of yourself." And "Don't forget us." Boston quickly mounted the horse. He knew where the battle was and with lightning speed Boston and the horse flew down the mountain side and through the valley and over another mountain side and onto the planes. The horse was fast, faster than any other horse and it was morning when they reached the plains. It was the stench of death that halted Boston. In the distance the young lad saw the massive bodies of the dragons but only two seemed to make any movement. Lung's head was barely off the ground and seemed almost lifeless if it wasn't for his head that turned to view the scene. The other dragon was Zalty. His head was held low as he appeared to walk among the mangled bodies with a wincing limp. Boston began to gallop to his companions but he halted again when he notice both Lung and Zalty looking up to the right. Boston followed their gaze. The roar of a mob sent total fear into Boston's soul. The young lad saw Zalty turn to fly away but his injury from the battle only allowed him to flutter a bit before the combination of gravity and the loss of strength brought him back down to earth. Lung just laid there. Boston realized he had been paralyzed in the battle and now, the only thing the lynch mob would be able to do would be to put him out of his misery. The boy was in complete horror as the lynch mob surrounded his dear friends. Boston screeched out in emotional pain as he heard the bellowing cries of Zalty. The horse galloped faster than ever as Boston cried in vain, "STOP! STOP! You Don't Know What You Are Doing!" As the lynch mob left the battle field cheering from their own pathetic victory, Boston reached the first distorted body which was that of the Wyvern. He found Zalty in the center of the bodies and next to him was Zitny Smij. Boston bent low and closed their eyes. "Oh, my friends." He spoke as tears burned in his eyes. He stood up and turned his eyes away from the sight of the two young lovers. But from this he saw the one dragon he was looking for, his close friend Puk. Boston started to run but tripped over a rock. He landed face first on the ground but continued to scamper to his friend Puk. The young lad picked up the Puk from the ground and rolled it over onto it's back in his hands. The little dragon's chest raised slightly and fell back down and raised again. "Puk!" Cried Boston. The small dragon had a dazed look. "Boston?" It's tiny little voice struggled as a whisper. "I am so glad to see you." He coughed. "Oh Puk! I have failed you! I have failed you all!" Puk gave a perplexed look. "You are all dead because I could not get the villagers to listen to me." "Oh Boston," whispered Puk, " you have not failed us. Because of you we will exist. Through you our wish will come true." "How?" Boston sniffled. "Tell others about us. Tell them that we one lived. That some of us brought pestilence and others brought peace. That we were," Puk stopped, for he had no more to give to his friend. Boston clenched Puk to his chest and wept.