Chapter 4

By Erik Brown

"And the beast's piercing eyes glared at me from beneath the hooded cowl, and…" Rei moved his hands through the air as he spoke, making dramatic movements as he told his story. His audience though, was now laughing at him.

Lowering his hands he looked at her, and raised an eyebrow quizzically as he asked, "What's so funny?"

She stopped herself, "Oh it's nothing, just that I've honestly never heard such a story told, and in such a dramatic way. You tell it almost like you were really there."

He narrowed his eyes and lowered his hands, "I really was there."

She shrugged, "Say what you want, why don't you hurry it up and finish your story."

But Rei was now reluctant, having been so rudely interrupted. Yet he wanted to see the story through so… "Well, as I was saying. The great cloaked beast stared intensely with fiery eyes straight at me, then…"

…

Val'Gain turned to face Rei, "Pick up that blasted orb, now!"

But Rei was frozen in place, fear was overwhelming him. Rooted in place he could only stare into the wide yellow eyes of the cloaked creature.

Battle-hardened the turtle could tell that Rei wasn't hearing him, that the lad was frightened out of his wits. So instead of fighting a losing battle for the bird's attention, Val' Gain's hands dashed out, and clutched the orb. A gasping shriek of pain ushered forth, from his tired lungs, as the orb pulsated an angry red color, and the smell of his burnt flesh filled the room. He thrust the orb into Rei's hands, and as soon as it hit Rei's hands it began emanating a warm blue hue.

Rei looked down at the orb, then he looked up at the cloaked creature above him. It was obviously a dragon, the oblong snout, and the head adorned with strange, showed that it was at least somewhat mystical. And yet the pale blue light showed an immensely hideous face, too much of it seemed out of place. Teeth jutted out at odd angles, and strange scars dotted the thing's face. It hissed at Rei and the orb that rested in his hands, "Why, you heathen you! How dare you even lay a hand on the sacred Eclipse of the Dragons!"

The young bird rolled the smooth orb round in his hands, as it had suddenly taken his mind off of other more pressing matters, and made him sit on the ground, enraptured at the thing's beauty. Soon he found that on one side was a strange symbol. A large eclipse hieroglyph was carved into the orb, and filling the lines was brilliant red rubies, and gorgeous blue aquamarines. Rei gasped, here was an object that was worth more than any living King had ever been.

Val'Gain roared at him, "No Rei! Don't let the Eclipse Stone fool you, if you give into your greed, then you'll lose yourself, just as Te'ro did."

So he shut his eyes, and slipped the orb into large pocket on his coat. Then he opened them again to see the dragon staring right at him. "Stand your ground bird, and look me straight in the eye, yes that’s it, you have nothing to worry about." Rei looked at the dragon's wide luminous eyes, and trembled with fear, despite himself, "Just as I thought, you are a Kiljrow! Could you be Lulf's son? Oh well, it doesn't really matter."

The dragon turned to a large bundle he held in his arms, and little clawed legs kicked out, "My infant brother, have you ever tasted the sweet meat and flesh of a living thing before? It is a wonderful taste, indeed. And this succulent morsel here shall feed you well. The marrow that you shall suck from his still-warm bones, that shall be the most delightful taste you shall ever have." The dragon turned back to Rei, "If you are a Kiljrow, then you'd better hold your ground!" He pulled back a large arm from beneath the cloak, and was ready to strike Rei down.

"No!" Val'Gain shouted as he leapt in between dragon and young bird. "I won't let you kill this child, you monster!"

"Be careful how you talk to the King of Dragons, knave!" And he struck the turtle with great strength, knocking the creature into the far wall. Val'Gain groaned in pain, as he folded from the wall, and fell to the floor.

"Rei," the turtle said in between labored breaths, "This was the last thing I am able to do. Please don't let me down…" Then he sighed heavily, and was quite dead.

Rei gasped, and turned to look at the dragon. In the blink of an eye the dragon was in front of him, as putrid breath filled Rei's nostrils. He took the Eclipse Stone from his bulging pocket, and held it in front of his face. The large dragon's brother hissed from amongst the bundles of cloth he was in.

"It is okay little brother, this one is powerless to stop us!"

"Go away, oh go away!" As Rei held the stone in front of him, and waved it at the two dragons. This action was met only with cruel howling laughter.

The thing laughed in such a hideous voice, and said, "I'll tell you what little bird, I'll spare your life for now, but I can't say the same thing for your father." He turned to his brother in his arms, "Hear that brother, tonight the first living creature's flesh that you eat, shall be none other than that mighty Dragon Slayer, Lulf!"

And the dragon child seemed to squeal with delight, as his brother swirled about, and in a flash was through the doorway, and into the cavern. A great clamor of claws on rocky floor was loud, but was soon diminishing as the great thing proceeded to leave the cave.

His mind felt flooded, so many things had happened, too much for him to comprehend. Slowly he put the Eclipse Stone into his pocket, and he laboriously began to walk towards the door. And as he walked, his mind flitted across the events of the last hour. Then he gasped, as one more shocking revelation came to him.

"Mother, father!" He had to go save them, he just couldn’t lose any more loved ones. Forcing his body to move, he began to run. As quickly as he could, he ran through the cave, running up the stairs and around curves, until he finally reached the exit. It all was going by in a flash, as he ran instinctively towards the cabin.

The rain had stopped, but the earth beneath his feet was soft and muddy. Continuously Rei kept almost slipping. But he didn't, he kept his footing as he ran through the forest, in between the trees, through streams, over rocks, and past branches.

From above there came a splinter of wood. Stopping for just a moment as he looked up, he saw a horrible site. Among the branches crouched the dragon, his tail hung below him, and now great bat-like wings protruded from his back, and were spread out to there fullest. He laughed at Rei, as the gold bird spun off, running into the woods again.

He had to get away from that hideous monster, had to get to his family, warn them. His dad had a gun, said he might go hunting during the week. Rei ran all the more faster, as the dragon slowly trailed him, leaping from tree to tree. The beast incessantly called out from his sporadic perches, "Run, run for your life!"

Heart racing, his lungs aching, Rei thought he heard something else. The dragon suddenly, with a great sound of escaping air, took to the sky. Then Rei saw a comforting site, the light of a lantern, and then he heard his father's voice, "Rei, are you out there! Son can you hear me?"

Joy and relief coursed throughout his entire body, as he tried to cry out, "Father, here I am!" But his lungs and throat hurt too much, so he slowed down a bit and ran to his father.

"Son, you had me and your mother so worried." His father dropped the lantern and opened his arms to his son, who promptly buried his face in his father's shoulder and began to weep.

"Are you alright Rei? Wait, where's Te'ro."

Rei tried to explain, but he was breathing too fast. "Te'ro… he… he's gone…"

"What? Let's go inside Rei, then we can sort this all out." And Mr. Kiljrow bent down and picked up his lantern, and led his son to the house.

As they walked Rei tried to warn his father, "Dad… something's coming… wants to attack you…"

"What are you saying? Wait! Did you hear that?" Rei did, far above them was the sound of large wings beating the air. "What is that…" The spectacle left him breathless, and with a great earth-shaking sound, a huge shape with great bat-like wings alighted in front of them. It flexed it's free arm, and curled and uncurled it's tail.

"Greetings Dragon Slayer!" The creatures said, as it stared at father and son with bright cunning eyes.

Rei shook all over, as he tried to hide behind his father, but Mr. Kiljrow stood resolutely, standing tall before the dragon. "I'm sorry," he said with no fear in his voice, "But I don't think we've ever met before."

The beast stood there, and chuckled, "Then you are not the Lulf Kiljrow?"

He shook his head, "No, can't say I am."

"A pity. He was a great and noble fighter, despite being a measly bird. When the time came he stood up to me, and we fought a great fight."

Mr. Kiljrow bent down and whispered to his son, as he pointed past the dragons and into the woods, "Go Rei, the cabin is that way."

Shaking his head Rei said, "But, the dragon?"

"It's okay, just start walking, I'll take care of everything." Then Mr. Kiljrow stood up and bellowed loudly at the dragon, "It sounds as if you honored this Lulf?"

"True, he was a great warrior, such a shame that our duel was sadly interrupted." And as Rei walked past him, the dragon looked at him, and a deep growl emanated from his throat.

"Beast, don’t harass my son! Surely you wouldn't, as a warrior, kill a young child for no reason?"

Again the thing chuckled, "Now I know it, you are most definitely a child of Lulf. Surely you have inherited his wits."

"Hopefully I've more than Lulf's wits. I'll fight you dragon, and I'll give you my best!"

And as Rei heard his father's words he burst into a run, pushing himself to find the cabin, and if possible, protect his mother. The last thing he heard was his father yelling loudly, and a large crash when he cracked the lantern on the dragon's head. Rei quietly lamented as he ran, worrying about his father's safety. First his friend, and now his parents?

No, he couldn’t let that happen! First he would get to the cabin, and barricade the doors and the windows. Then he would get his father's gun! But would there still be time? He had to try if nothing else.

Looking between the trees he could almost make out illuminated windows, there he would find the cabin. Sadly though, he knew he would find no rest or respite there. Soon he could see it, the log cabin with the windows, lit up by the glowing fire that shone from the hearth inside. His mother stood in the doorway, an aura of firelight around her.

"Rei!" She shouted, "Is that you son!"

"Mother!" He cried as he pushed her inside, and turned and locked the door behind him.

The young bird tried to start barricading the doors, but his mother held onto his shoulders. Confusion and panic was in her voice, "Rei! Where are your father and Te'ro?"

"There's not enough time to explain, we have to barricade the windows and the door first. Do you know where Dad's gun is…"

She cut him off, "Rei! For heaven's sake you're worrying me? What is going on!"

He looked into her eyes, it was the first time he had really seen an adult afraid, and his mother was absolutely terrified. Sighing he said quickly, "You won't believe this, but just a couple hundred feet from here Dad is fighting a dragon. He told me to run to the cabin and protect you!"

Bewilderment filled her eyes, "A dragon? Do such things exist?"

She let go of his shoulder's, and he ran to grab some chairs, "Yes, I saw it with my own eyes, it is very real. But please mother, go get the gun and load it!"

For a second she didn’t move, shocked by the severity in Rei's voice. Her natural instincts, to be ordered around by a child, despite being her son, balked at such a thing. But she knew that there was nothing else to do, but heed what he was saying.

So she ran to the bedroom, and found her husband's rifle near his things, and quickly she took the bullets from his suitcase, and loaded a round into the weapon. As she stood there, weighing the gun, and disputing what to believe, a splintering of wood and a cry from her son alerted her.

Mrs. Kiljrow ran back to where she left her son, and hardly had she looked at the door, when it was torn to pieces before her eyes. The body of her husband was thrown into the kitchen, and as he landed limply near her feet she screamed. Quickly she bent down to her lover, to find if he was alive, as she did this, she let go of the gun and the bullets, and carelessly let them fall to the ground.

As her hands caressed his body, his chest rose sharply, as he tilted his head towards the door and shouted, "Dragon!" And she too looked at the doorway, and she beheld a horrible site. There standing outside their doorway was indeed, a dragon. It stood taller than any bird that she had ever seen; all around it were fragments of torn rags, as huge gashes amongst its body bled openly. A huge black smear ran along the right side of it's crooked face, and it's single good eye flashed in the firelight, as it stared at the family in the cabin.

Her husband tried desperately to sit up, "You coward! You could have killed me outright, and eaten my flesh, and sucked the marrow from my bones! I stood up to you, I dueled you! Respect my courage, and respect my honor! Leave my wife and child out of this… please…"

The great beast opened its jaws, as it's breath making the air stink of smoke, and said, "I honor your bravery, and I honor your strength, but I shall give no respect, to a lowly creature like you!"

"Why!" And as he shouted, the cuts along his body poured out blood

Mrs. Kiljrow wept bitterly, as her husband lay beside her, his life beginning to fade away, "No, my love!"

But the dragon only laughed all the more, and filled everyone's hearts with bitterness and gall, "Ha ha, rot quickly brave little bird, you may have had Lulf's wits, but you never had his strength and endurance."

"You monster…"

"Yes!" The thing shouted, shaking the rafters of the cabin, "A monster I am, in your eyes. Even in my people's eyes I am a monster. I am shunned by everything, no one welcomes me, and no one loves me."

Mr. Kiljrow's body began to shake, as the grip of death began to clutch at him, "You… despise yourself!"

The creature became silent, and then he said to them, "I shall feast on your body, and your beloved, and your son." And the thing reached out with its free hand, and took Rei's father by his foot, as he could only struggle meekly at the beast's grip, and his wife cried out, weeping in anguish.

Then everyone froze where they stood, as an echoing shot rang out, and then time seemed to freeze in place. Time had forcefully slowed down to a heartbeat, and then it began to run faster and faster again. And Mrs. Kiljrow stopped her weeping, and her husband wasn't being dragged anymore. And the dragon's left arm was no longer alive, for it had gone utterly dead, and his infant brother flew helplessly through the air.

And the bullet that had pierced that dragon's skin, flew straight, and buried itself in the wood of the cabin walls. Breathing hard, the dragon turned towards the door, where the burning lead had flown. And there stood young Rei, a bullet in his beak, as he emptied the chamber of the rifle, and prepared for a second shot.

Through his clenched beak and around the bullet, he said to the dragon, "You'll only ever be an insensible monster!" Then he took the bullet and loaded it into the rifle.

The dragon let out a growl and said, "How did…" But a second bullet plunged itself into the dragon's shoulder, causing it to howl in pain. Rei had missed his desired target, he had been aiming at the things chest. His own shoulder groaned in pain, bruised from the kick of his father's gun. He let the rifle fall to the ground, he was too hurt to use it again, and he had only taken two bullets.

Rei gasped, as the dragon hissed at him, "I'll kill you, little bird!" Then the dragon rushed at Rei, and the thing's claws were around him, and ready to crush his body within their grasp.

A cry rang out, and the dragon's claws stopped moving, "You're lack of knowledge has failed you dragon!" Rei's heart gloried, it was his father's voice, and as the dragon claws retracted from around him, he saw why it had stopped.

Protruding the great beasts chest, was the curtain rod from the living room. Stripped of its curtain, it had been used as a make shift lance. Through the scales, and the muscle, and the thing's shoulder blade, the antiquated rod had pierced one of it's great lungs.

Deeply, the dragon moaned, and it's body began to shudder where it stood, "Why? Beaten by whelps like these! Only fitting for a cursed dragon prince. If only my flesh had been stronger, then your lance surely would have turned."

Mr. Kiljrow stumbled backwards, and leaned up against the wall behind him, and achingly he said, "I have dealt you a death wound, in response for the one you have dealt me. Yet I deeply regret that the pain you have caused my family, I cannot give back to yours. Nor would I, truly a cowardly thing that would be."

"Call me a coward then! But it was your ancestors that killed both my Father and my Mother, and damned my entire race to extinction." With a deft motion, the dragon quickly ripped the bar from his chest, and then it threw the deadly rod to the ground. And in lumbering clumsy fashion, it bent down and picked up it's little brother with his good arm.

"Farewell, brave warrior that you are. Had our strength been matched, I would be no contest for your wits." Then in a blink of an eye, the thing flicked out its tail, and flung Rei's father into another wall. Rei jumped as he just missed being hit by the beast, as it spread out it's wings, and flew into the night air.

It was over, Rei could feel that deep inside of him. That dragon would never return again to plague his life, soon the morning sun would rise, and a new day would begin. Right now, the night was dying, quickly, and was only paving the way to mourning.

"Father?" Promptly he rushed to his father, as his mother wept over his body. He lay there, lying in a pool of his blood, and he looked so very thin. Meekly he looked to his son.

"Rei… I really don't know what to tell you… any last words to you, you already know. Never did I hurt you, not like some father's. You know I love you that you are my son, but at least, I pray now as I die, that you will live a full life. Never forget what you are living for Rei…"

"No, don't die, father?" Rei wanted to cry, wanted to cry out to his father, or to even cry out to the earth, which was hungrily absorbing his father's lost blood, but it just wasn't in him. He had gone through so much pain, and so many tears, he had run dry. All he could do, was watch his father, as his life began to fade, and then as it left his body.

As his mother cried, and tore at her feathers, slowly he reached out, and closed his father's eyes and beak. "Farewell," Rei said in a monotone voice, "Farewell, brave warrior that you are."

…

Only her eyes moved, as her head turned away from Rei she said, "Well… At least that bird died with honor."

"Yes I suppose…" Rei stared at his still full glass, he hadn't touched it at all. For he now sat, absorbed into the very story he had woven.

The bartender, a fat bear, waddled over, and the fox girl that sat next to Rei reluctantly put her purse on the bar. Like a mumbling jackhammer, he told her how much she owed, and grudgingly she took out her wallet, and put her money on the table.

The fox girl laughed, "Sorry about this, but I can't pay for that drink you gots. Thanks for the story, and if you ever come up with a new one, make sure you let me know."

Rei swiveled his barstool to look at her, "That's okay, I've got enough. But I don't think I'll be coming here again."

She giggled, as she got off her seat, "Naw, its okay cos' yer freaking me out. You think that story is true, don't you?"

His face turned sallow, "It was true."

And as she left, her large bushy red and white tail swaying behind her, she called out to him, "You a freak! I hope we never cross paths again!" And then she was out the door, and into the dark city night.