The Dragon Charmer

Mike Wass (02.03.00) elcarpo@yahoo.com

"Respect those who have the trust of dragons."

Chapter 1

The pungent odor of the large cigar filled the room. A cloud of smoke hung over the black leather chair that the Johnson now sat in. It concealed his chubby face and silver framed glasses. I suppressed a cough. I hated the smell of cigar smoke and it made my eyes water, but I would put up with it because behind that smoky veil lingered dollar signs.

"Here is the story Mr. Harper. I need you and your unique talents to find a woman for me." The chubby faced barely moved and all that could be seen shifting was the cigar.

"Hard time finding a date?"

He chuckled a bit.

"No Mr. Harper, I need you to drag, seduce, or bribe your way into bringing a particular girl here to me."

"Go on, I'm listening."

"Her name is Sharmra, Sharmra Dracon."

The name was very familiar to me; it was more legendary than fact.

"In English her name means dragon charmer. She is only a legend, you want me to bring you something that may not even exist?" I inquired.

"I'm glad to see that you are familiar with the legend, but I assure you she is very real."

"How can you be so sure and why do you need her?"

"Fair enough you deserve some more information. You are familiar with Lofwyr, I have no doubt?"

"Yes he is the great dragon that owns and runs his own corporation, one of the richest beings in existence. They say that his tailor is among the ten richest men in the world because of the quality and shear size of Lofwyr's suits."

"That's the one, his corporation is incredibly large and important. He is one of our corporation's largest competitors and we wish to break into some of his areas of marketing but we need a trump card, so to speak. This Sharmra Dracon is that trump card. With her dragon charming abilities we can have Lofwyr by the scales. He will be putty in our hands."

"So why me?"

"Well, lets take a look at your file. Spence Harper graduated with honors from Seattle College of paleontology and zoology, the only elf in your class. You were considered one of Seattle's most eligible bachelors, that is until you were caught sleeping with the head CEO of Ingersall Inc.'s wife. You have been hiding in the shadows ever since using your uncanny ability to lure women into your web then robbing them blind. You also have a unique interest in dragons as animals and have done research on reptiles at the University. You're the perfect man for the job."

The fat face seemed to grow as he smiled.

"How am I supposed to find this girl?"

"Well that I can help you with, just so you know your not the first one we've sent. I sent out three of the best big game hunters I could find after her. She had been sighted in the woods to the north just over the Canadian border. The three men came across her in the woods. She was alone and when two tried to force her to come with them a great dragon came out of the woods behind her. One of the men was snipped in two at the waist, the other was impaled on the dragon's tail."

"What happened to the third guy?"

"He was just about to be devoured when the girl spoke to the dragon and told it to let him free because he had taken no part in the attack on her and to let him be a warning to other people that came looking."

"Hmmm, she is easily provoked, that will prove most interesting. Well, sir I will take the job, but for no less than one million creds."

"One million creds.! Are you out of your mind?"

"I am putting my life on the line, you will pay me one million creds."

"Fine, one million."

"If you will pay one million you will surely pay two, and I want it today by five o'clock at this address." I slid a small business card across the desk as I stood up and closed my briefcase.

The large face ceased to billow smoke and started turning red.

"You will have your two million, no more no less and I want that girl. If I don't receive her then I will turn you over to the Ingersall Inc. and I'm sure they will deal with you at their leisure."

I nodded to him, and walked out of the large office and into the waiting elevator.

"This will be most interesting. I must charm a charmer. I think I might need to buy some new cologne."

Chapter 2

My first order of business was to find out as much information on this legend and compare to the facts I received from the Johnson. I traveled to the public library to find out what I could. If I needed to, I had a friend at the University library that could certainly let me look at the archives there. The University had a large section on Dragon myths and facts that I might need. The public library was one of only two in all of Seattle. It was very large and was always up to date with the latest vids and had the largest collection of actual books in the entire nation.

My search led me to the dusty ruins of the archives. I was particularly interested in old elven literature because it was always well written and more eloquent than any other race's. I searched back to just after the Awakening when many elves used literature to express themselves when they were ridiculed in public. They would take pen names that sounded like human names and this made it possible for them to publish their thoughts. My main focus was that of the legends associated with the Sharmra Dracon, and how the legend came about. I remembered when I was young my Grandmother would read stories from an elven fairy tale book and that the Sharmra Dracon was a prominent figure. It took me a few hours but I finally found the book I was looking for.

It was by an elf with the pen name William S. No doubt a play on William Shakespeare, one of the few human authors that just might have been an elf had he lived to see the awakening. I had to wear special vinyl gloves as I turned the pages of the delicate book. It was dated about the time of the Awakening. It was a fairy tale book written in the first person about a gallant Knight that leads a quest to find and kill a mighty dragon that was terrorizing the nearby village. The passage that intrigued me the most was this:

When I had cleared thick patch of coiled vines, I could see a vast opening of knee high grass. In the center of this ocean of green sat a beautiful creature like I had never seen before. Her skin was pale as snow but her eyes were green as the grass that surrounded her. What was most curious and made my heart leap was that at her feet lay a dragon as large as a fishing boat and much wider. The young women almost like the Greek gods of old but for her pointed ears. Her clothing was shear white and seemed to just lay on her like a layer of morning dew. She stroked the horned head of the dragon and spoke to it ever so softly. I curled a large leaf into a cone and placed it to my ear that I might hear her whispers. It was a soft melody in a language I had never known. I sat and watched and fell in love and yet inner judgment kept me at bay. I sheathed my sword and retreated back into the woods.

It has long been known that music has been able to place reptiles into a trance. In India snake charmers use a flute like instrument to entice cobras out of a basket. Though many of the charmers admit that much of it has to do with the movement of the flute, the song also has great importance.

I used my portable scanner to capture this passage and continued my work long into the night.

After about three more hours of searching in the dusty archives my lungs began to feel tight and I needed to return to the surface, so to speak, for fresh air. I had catalogued about five separate passages from three separate books of elven fairy tales. Each described the women, the Sharmra Dracon, as being young, beautiful, pale, always wearing white and with a voice of gold. I had found no information of any factual kind so I would have to find her before determining other details that I might need. In my game I always observed the women at work or at social gatherings for weeks sometimes months before I would make a move. This would be more difficult especially if her bodyguards considered me lunch or target practice. At this point I don't even know if she went to social gatherings or if she had a job. She maybe a hermit or something.

"This is going to prove more interesting and difficult than I thought." I straightened my hat and zipped my long coat up higher. The usual Seattle rain had begun to fall while I was in the library and large puddles were forming in the street. A flash of lightning lit up the desolate road as I made my way to my car and headed off in the direction of the University. Bach played his second symphony as I drove on.

Chapter 3

Harold Berkman was a friend of mine from college days. He was a lab partner like none other and helped me to pass chemistry while I helped him with biology. I had also helped him to loosen up and enjoy some of the other pleasures of college life, mainly young pretty ladies. I had always had a knack with the opposite sex. I learned quickly to memorize facts and little eccentricities of all the women I dated and use those to my advantage whenever possible. I also learned that this little memorization talent helped when dating more than one woman. Of course at first this process was still unproved and imperfect which led to a dislocated jaw, a few broken teeth and one black eye. I always bounced back and moved on.

Harold thought I was incredible if not insane and yet he was too nice to do what I did. In hindsight I don't regret a moment of it, I enjoyed the challenge and the game. Well this talent of seduction helped me to make a lot of money out of college when I discovered that the only job a degree in paleontology and zoology would get me was a job in a dusty museum or zoo. I loved animals but the money was poor and my tastes and style demanded a larger bank account.

I quickly learned to use my skills with the ladies to my advantage. I started out in my "profession" by working my way into a women's life by studying them for weeks. I would first look into their wealth and then I would basically observe them for anywhere from a week to one time, a month. Once I had established their little eccentricities and interests I would move in casually and I would have them. After working my way into their lives I would wait till the perfect time and when it came I would rob them of either precious jewels or anything of value. Then after maybe a few more weeks I would break it off, making sure not to leave evidence of wrong doing. This system made me a very rich man in under a year and as long as I kept a low profile and changed my name I would be fine.

Then hell broke loose while attempting to work my way into the wife of the CEO of Ingersoll Inc.'s life. She was a young girl that was after the old man's money but I was more determined to take it from him so I played her lover for three weeks before an unexpected arrival of her husband had me dodging bullets and escaping the house in only my birthday suit. Since then I have had to watch myself and not be in the public eye. I quit the seduction routine and managed to land a job as a business negotiator for a small tech company looking to rise in the ranks. I kept a low profile and had to come up with a fake past to cover the three more eventful years of my life. This assignment intrigued me more than any other. If I had been asked to merely seduce just any CEO's wife to steal data I would have declined, but this assignment and the money involved peaked my interest. However, it would not be easy I would have to brush up on my dragon knowledge and identification if I were to survive long. This is were Harold came in.

Harold brought me in to the archives and escorted me past the guards flashing his security badge to the two guards on duty. They waved him on without a thought. The archive was immense and contained the most valuable information the university had to offer. Everything was alphabetized. All of the vids were in perfect working order and were systematically cleaned by a large machine after every use to ensure longevity. Harold led me over to the D section and pointed out the best vids on dragons that he knew.

"Okay, here are the better vids, they contain pictures were available and drawings where not available." He removed a small vid recording device from his bag and handed it to me.

"Here use this to copy what you need of the vids. If you need more info the book section is over there as you know." His handed pointed into the less lit and much dustier area of the archives.

"Thanks Harold, here." I handed him a card with a name and phone number. He turned it over in his hand and read it.

"Who is Angela?"

"She's an aerobics instructor at my health club." I replied, not looking at what I was sure was a grin on his face.

"Did I ever tell you that I love you?"

"Not recently."

I smiled and started my research. Three hours later I had copied and consumed enough information to pull off my ploy and survive. I walked down the street digesting and sorting the information I had managed to obtain. I was quite confident I could pull this off. Now all I needed was a disguise, a story, something to place me in her world. I passed a newsstand, paused and looked at the vendor.

"Would you like to buy a paper sir?"

I smiled at him.

"Yes, yes I would."

Chapter 4

The pictures from the photo booth were far from flattering but they would serve their purpose. I bent over my hard oak coffee table and carefully snipped off the white edges surrounding my picture. Behind me on the desk my printer was supplying me with a press badge. I would insert the picture, laminate it and I would at least have some kind of cover. Then I would need a good camera, a pack that looked more rugged than my briefcase, some blue jeans, a tan vest and I would be fine. I would need some outdoor equipment suitable for camping and I would need to make it look used. I was no idiot when it came to camping, I had done some before with "company clients," and I was a quick learn. None the less, I borrowed a Boy Scout handbook vid from a friend and skimmed through it while I packed for my trip. It wouldn't make me an expert but at least I could have some lingo to throw around. The information I had told me that Sharmra Dracon was up in the western woods far north of Seattle. She was also known to frequent a small town pub where she socialized.

"Not the legendary, mystery type is she?" I pondered why I had been chosen for this assignment. She was obviously well known in her circle, why choose someone from the outside?

It didn't matter, from the information I had most everyone in the town was human and maybe the company figured an elf would be better. This, I hoped would be my advantage. I decided that I would travel to this town first by way of small seaplane and meet her face to face and see if she would allow me to follow her around. This way I could manipulate my way into her life and eventually use what I learned to coerce her into doing this job for the company. I placed the micro-recorder in my suitcase and zipped it shut. My plane was to leave in a couple of hours and the cab would be here in an hour. I sat down, poured myself a glass of red wine and listened to Beethoven's second symphony as I prepared myself for what I was sure was to be an interesting job.

Chapter 5

Smoke swirled around the executive's desk as he spoke into the speakerphone.

"Good, when you have her make sure you don't hurt her. She is extremely valuable and most importantly her voice." A dry and confident voice arose from the small machine.

"What will you do if she won't cooperate with us, Mr. Pierce?"

"If I have to I'll cut out her voice box and implant it into someone who will do my bidding." Came the stern reply.

The fat man chuckled in his chair making the smoke dance in gray waves.

"I like your style Mr. Pierce. Now as for Harper, I assume you have that taken care of as well."

"Don't worry, I've already contacted Ingersoll Inc. They will pay three million credits for us to turn the little drek over to them when we are finished with him."

"Wonderful, looks like we win doubly on this little deal. God I love this job. Well Mr. Pierce it has been a pleasure working with you. Once this merger is complete and we take over Lofwyr business we will control this town far better than anyone else ever has."

"You are almost correct my fat friend."

"What do you mean, I'm almost correct?"

"I'm sorry Joseph, but what is that old saying? That's it, this town is too small for the both of us. Good by Mr. Graham." The machine clicked and was silent.

"Wait you little." Joseph Graham slammed his hand on his desk.

"Erica get security up here immediately." Graham spun his chair around and opened the safe behind his desk and removed the Pred pistol he kept there.

"Sir, I've called security their on their way up. Is everything okay Sir?"

"It will be Erica, just don't let anyone in until security arrives." He spun back around in his chair as he loaded the Pred.

A movement in the room went unnoticed until the mage appeared directly behind the unsuspecting executive. Joseph Graham made one short gasping sound as a long blade went deftly through both the chair and into the fat lump sitting in it. A small growling like sound came from the stealthy killer as he removed the blade and wiped it clean. The fat man slumped forward in his chair as the cigar fell from his lips. The assassin swept into the shadows and slid out of the room when the security guards and receptionist came in.

Chapter 6

I made sure to arrive by taxi so that I would not appear too flashy. The town was right on the pacific coast and the buildings were best described as quaint. The area had been a large logging area until the Awakening and the local tribes made it illegal to destroy the trees. Now the town acted as a sort of getaway from the big city.

It had a charm about it that made it warm and inviting. Most of the structures were made of wood and had an Old World look. The whole city slanted downward, as did the main road, toward the bay area. Old wooden docks were lined with Old World boats for tourists to enjoy. Most of the buildings along the bay were bed and breakfast's and were the backbone of the town's income. There were numerous antique shops and at least two confection shops.

As I passed one, the smell of fudge made my nostrils widen in response. I walked down the block to the only real hotel in town and after settling in my room, I made my way down to the lobby desk. I made sure my press pass was clearly visible and had my one camera slung over my shoulder. I wanted to go to the tavern in town where I was told Sharmra visited often.

"Hi there, I was wondering where I might find Big Jim's Tavern?"

"Certainly, Mr. Harper, the Tavern is down one block toward the bay then take a right and it will be the second building on the right."

"Thank you very much."

I nodded to the clerk and made my way to the tavern. I passed an antique toy shop sporting a Nintendo 64 in the window. I found Big Jim's without a problem. It looked like any one of the older buildings except it had smaller, tinted windows. Inside was just as I imagined it would be. A large bar lined a wall, and numerous tables were scattered around the room. A pair of pool tables could be seen to one side and the jukebox was playing some upbeat country song. I noticed whom I took to be Big Jim, very quickly. He was an enormous troll, even by troll standards he was huge. He stood in the middle of the room screwing in a new light bulb into a hanging light. I watched as he lowered his massive arm to his side and he looked down at me. He smiled with a look that revealed he had seen people stare at his immense size.

"What can I do for you, son?"

I shook myself awake and looked back at him.

"Hello, my name is Spence Harper, I'm a journalist looking for a Sharmra Dracon. Would you know where I can find her." I fumbled with my press badge to show some sign of authority.

"I think I can help you better than Jim can."

The voice was soft, sweet and yet sarcastic all at once. Big Jim looked over his shoulder and then stepped to the side to let me get a good look at who had responded. It was a strange feeling. Not exactly how I had imagined her but somehow just right.

She was sitting at a table against the back wall. She had a glass in one hand and was sipping some liquid that looked like tea. She wore a white shirt with silver, star beads along the sleeves. Her pants were made of a light brown leather and had small looping frills down each leg. Around her neck was a leather necklace with what appeared to be a dragon's tooth dangling from it. The letter "D" was inscribed in red on the tooth. On her one hip was a large flat object, when I looked closer I recognized it as a dragon's scale. Dragon's would sometimes give them as a token of extreme trust and loyalty. I had only seen on in a museum once. On the chair next to her was a dark-green hooded cloak. On the table laid a long staff topped with a dragon's head curved in a position of an "S". I stared in awe of this legend of my people.

"Harper you said."

"Yes, Spence Harper of the Seattle Times."

It wasn't until I approached her that I noticed the lesser dragon that was silently coiled around the bottom of the table. It was a dark brown and about eight feet long. It had rather short legs and neck but its tail was at least four of its eight feet. At the tip of the tail was a pair of curved spikes. That along with its small size and short frill denoted it as a Lisk dragon. When the elf moved the dragon awoke from its slumber and crept out from under the table, alert at its master's size. The animal had the same intelligence capacity of any dog and it appeared to be quite timid. Still I let Sharmra walk toward me and kept my distance. She must have noticed my apprehension.

"Don't worry about Lisa, she won't bite until I tell her to. Now just don't give me a reason to, okay."

I nodded fully understanding the women's intent. She smiled at me almost triumphantly, then turned to Lisa, said something in old elvish and pointed to the door. The dragon looked at its master then lumbered out the door obediently and sat just outside the window.

"Please Mr. Harper sit down and have some tea with me."

"Ms. Dracon, feel free to call me Spence."

"Okay and you feel free to call me Shara, it is just easier to pronounce."

"Thank you, Shara."

"Now what can I do for you Spence?"

"Well I'm doing an article on you and comparing it to the legend of the Dragon Charmer found in old elven fairy tales. Would I be able to follow you around and experience what you do and ask some questions for my article?"

"I'm sorry Mr. Spence, I don't think that would be wise. Dragons are very solitary and don't appreciate being bothered. I would fear for your safety and my own if I were to take you out to meet them."

"Well could you maybe go out your self and then see if they would accept me and then I can observe you and them at their discretion?"

"I understand that this would not endanger my friends in anyway and that no harm would come to me."

"Of course not, your friends, I'm sure are much more powerful than one city journalist. I am also to believe that you are too."

She looked at me, her resolve beginning to wane.

"Okay, I will go out tomorrow and speak with the dragon and I will see if he will allow you to be an observer. If he refuses then you will only have access to my knowledge and a few choice words. Am I clear?"

"Yes, I understand completely."

"Good then you will meet me here tomorrow at noon and I will give you my decision."

She stood, as did I and shook my hand.

"Good day Spence. I will see you tomorrow. Go get some food then I would recommend sleeping, if you are lucky then we will have a lot of walking to do."

"I will, thank you."

She nodded put on her cloak took her staff and walked out the door. Lisa padded along beside her as they disappeared into the forest.

Chapter 7

Of course I followed her. I was incredibly curious and besides I had a job to do. I had to make sure that this was not some wives tale and I was wasting my time on this job. I made sure to allow her plenty of room ahead of me. If Lisa were to get a whiff of me, I'm certain it would not be pleasant. I had brought some anti-scent chemical from a hunting store I had found. I only hoped it worked as well on dragons as on deer. I dropped small transmitters along the way so that I could find my way back in the dark. Shara walked for about three hours before she stopped by a pond in the middle of the woods.

A stream flowed from a nearby hill. The water seemed incredibly pure and felt warm. It was probably an underwater spring. I maneuvered myself downwind as best I could and sat in the bushes watching and admiring the view. Sharmra was sitting near the stream on a small pile of rocks; she dangled her toes in the warm water and caressed Lisa's head now positioned on her lap. She smiled at the sleeping creature then looked up at the moon and she began to sing.

The music was unlike anything I had ever heard before. It was breathtaking. I had to catch myself from standing up and giving away my position. I shook my head and tried to listen to the words. She was singing in old elvish. It was a story about the coming of magic and the great birth of the wondrous dragons. The melody seemed to encompass the entire forest and imbued a sense of warmth and grace. I began to see what the dragon's saw in her voice, it was definitely magical and mesmerizing.

I was so lost in the music that I didn't notice the small thumping vibrations approaching until they were close enough to make the water ripple. At first it was only the large brown head, then the rest of the neck and front two legs. Sharmra was completely calm as the great dragon moved out from somewhere inside the woods. He held a small bush of flowers in his one hand. With his free hand he dug a hole in the ground next to the stones Sharmra sat on. He carefully planted the flowered bush in the hole. She smiled up at him as she finished a note.

"Thank you Cortal, they are quite lovely."

"Almost as lovely as your voice but not nearly as sweet, my lady."

His voice was firm yet loving and incredibly powerful.

"Ah, your flattery is most appreciated Cortal."

He bowed to her and continued to walk out of the woods and into the pond. His tail was incredible and at the end was a pair of sharp spikes. The spikes glistened in the moonlight as he submerged himself in the pond. The pond was only deep enough to cover most of his body. He curled his tail up under the waves and laid his head at Sharmra's feet on the bank. Lisa was now visibly awake and a bit alarmed but quickly settled down.

"Cortal, I have a favor to ask of you."

"A favor my dear, for you, consider it granted."

"Well, you might want to hear it first. You see there is this reporter, an elvish reporter who wishes to witness my singing and he wishes to see the great dragon that he has heard of. Would you allow me to bring him here tomorrow night to the pool to speak with you and listen to my singing?"

Cortal was quiet for awhile. His eyes remained closed in thought as steam from his breath poured out of his nose.

"Hmmm, if you feel he is safe, then I will be happy to talk to him in person. However, he must not give the location of this place and he must allow us to read what he intends to write before he leaves."

"Thank you Cortal. He appears to be an honorable man and I sense he has a good heart. Now what would you like to hear this evening."

"You are too kind my lady. If you could sing the Travast, I would be likely to bring you many more bushes."

As the singing began I found my opportunity to slip away into the night. I followed the transmitter path back to my hotel in time to catch some sleep before I would have to make the trek back to the pond in the morning.

Chapter 8

"I followed him into the woods last night to the pond. I found the girl like you said and the dragon. Now I wish to wash my hands of the rest of this operation. I will have nothing to do with the capturing of this dragon."

"Listen you tiger shaman drek. I'm paying you good creds to help us catch this Cortal, and you will be there or I will have you killed. I need that dragon and you are going to help me get it."

"For what reason do you seek Cortal, he is only a great dragon like all the others. What purpose does he serve?"

"Fine, you shamans are obviously lacking in your knowledge of the Northwest Dragon Cortal. He is the oldest great dragon known to man, legend has it that his blood is pure astral energy and that if a human consumes it, they will be immortal. Now I don't wish to be immortal, I only wish to make other people immortal and in the process make myself rich. If I decide that I have grown fond of living then I may become immortal. You are to help me catch him and subdue him long enough for us to capture him and make him ours."

"You are an insane man, those are only legends, I will not be a part of this massacre. If you try to hunt me down you will find that you are quite mortal. Now you must never call upon my services again, good day."

The phone clicked off. There was a loud scream of frustration from an office building somewhere in downtown Seattle.

Chapter 9

The sun peaked through the crack in the widow shades so common to hotels. It lay across the bed and creeped up my side and directly into my weary eyes. I turned to the side attempting to evade my rude awakener, but found it no use. Tired of my battle with the sunbeam, I arose and sulked my way to the shower, where the hot water quickly got me going. I glanced at my watch as I finished putting my boots on, a protein bar sticking halfway out of my mouth. It was almost eleven.

Shara had not said when she would be coming to pick me up so after my protein bar and after I had packed up some choice items for my trek, I headed downstairs all packed and ready. The main lobby was not very busy, a few people sat around tables eating breakfast and reading the paper. I sat down with a paper and sipped some much-needed coffee. I swallowed hard at the news on the second page. The headline read: "Corporate Head Honcho found stabbed through heart in office." The picture of the man when he was alive was all that I needed. It had been the Johnson who gave me this assignment.

My mind raced. Should I complete my assignment? Was I going to get paid? Why hadn't the organization contacted me, was he the only one who knew about my little mission? These questions began to pound doubt into my mind. He had obviously been murdered, could I be next.

My mind was interrupted by a tapping at my ankle. I moved the paper and looked down. Lisa was nuzzling up against my leg. She sat down on my foot and placed her head on the ground. Both worried and startled I looked around for Shara. She sat in front of me about twenty feet away sipping some coffee. Her smile was wry and confident. She nodded to me.

"Good morning Spence." She smiled at me again. "Looks like you two are getting along."

"I don't think I had much choice in the matter." I responded looking at the little dragon that had begun to breathe slower as it drifted to sleep.

Shara came over and tapped Lisa awake with her staff and the dragon obediently crawled off my leg. I flexed my foot as the large weight came off of it.

"She is a heavy little sucker isn't she?"

"Dragons eat quite a bit when allowed to. I try not to feed her too much, or she will surely get fat and lazy. Well, more fat and lazy than she already is."

Lisa had at this point wandered over to a scrap of sausage that had fallen on the floor and quickly gulped it down. Shara just shook her head, and turned back to face me.

"Well Mr. Harper are you ready to get going. Cortal has agreed to meet you and to answer some choice questions. Now you must understand that you have to allow us to read what you intend to print before you do or he will not let you leave." Her face was stern and very serious.

"Yes I understand completely, thank you for your help." I replied, keeping my anxiety in check.

"In that case lets get going." She called to Lisa and led me out the door into the woods. She was incredibly deft as she walked through the trees. I struggled seeing no path to speak of and in constant amazement at her ability to navigate the trees. I had to keep myself a good distance behind so that it would not appear that I had been this way before. I made sure to ask for some breaks so that I could rest and appear out of my element a bit. This made the trek stretch out a bit longer but helped me to get my bearings as well. The transmitters I had setup the night before were still working and we were taking the same path. The transmitters would allow for a quick escape in the event that things got ugly.

We approached the pond and I made my best effort to look bewildered and new to this place. Shara motioned for me to sit on a rock next to her. Lisa placed her head in Shara's lap and Shara began to sing. I was as mesmerized as before and stared at this beautiful woman and her strong and glorious form. She was like no elf I had ever seen. She was untouched by much of the world and she was so content with her life. My thoughts wondered to her background and her family life. I was so deep in thought and admiration of her voice I didn't notice the thunderous footsteps until they began to shake the rock I sat on.

In a few minutes the footsteps grew louder as Cortal the Great Dragon stepped out from the woods. I leaned back and almost slipped off the rock in a bit of fear and acting. In one hand he held an apple tree, and he moved slowly forward on the rest of his legs. He stopped at one point and dug a hole in the ground and planted the tree firmly. He nodded to me and smiled at Shara as he stepped into the pond. Again his mass was only partially covered by the water. However, something I had not noticed the night prior, the water level rose so high that it created islands out of the rocks Shara and I sat on.

I pulled my feet in to avoid getting them soaked. Shara sat up stopped singing and led me off the rocks and back onto the bank. We sat under the apple tree that Cortal had planted and she picked us each an apple. I continued to stare dumbfounded at the size of the dragon and the shear power that seemed to radiate from his body. I almost forgot what I had come here for. The dragon had rested its head on the shore near us.

"So you are the reporter that Shara has told me about. Nice to meet you, ummm your name sir is?"

"H-H-Harper Sir, Spence Harper."

"I am Cortal, the Great Dragon of the Northwest Woods. I welcome you to my forest and will answer your questions as requested."

"Thank you Cortal, everything that Shara has told me is quite true. You are a noble and wise Dragon. I thank you again for this opportunity."

I fumbled through my backpack looking for something to write on. I found my pad and began to ask Cortal various questions about himself and the allure of Shara's song. I discovered that Shara's gift runs in the family and that Shara's mother, grandmother, and great grandmother had entertained Cortal with their voices. Along the way I would ask Shara questions as well and the whole tapestry of her life began to unfold. As was said before, her magical voice and powers are a family trait carried on the mother's side. Each woman in her family is only able to bear one child, a girl, and this daughter is imbued with and taught her magic by her mother. Then when she is of age she is allowed to go out on her own. Shara found her way here on recommendation of her mother.

She has been singing for Cortal for two years now. On occasion she has sung for other dragons. This is the reason for the scale with the "D" she wears. It was a gift of the Great Dragon Dunkelzahn when he was invited by Cortal to meet this young mage. The scale was a gift of the Dragon for her performance. He carved the letter "D" in it with his massive claw.

"Fascinating. You have truly met some of the greatest beings to ever walk this earth and yet you are so secretive and seemingly fragile." My statement made her blush as she turned away from me to watch Lisa chase after a small lizard that had been resting on a rock. I noticed this and my mind found myself seeing her for the first time. I shook my head, trying not to seem obviously interested in this mystical woman. I turned my attention back to Cortal who hid a smile when I glanced at him. Apparently the wise and old dragon was aware of something that Shara and myself had started to notice.

I brushed it off and jot down some notes in my pad. My mind wandered back to my study of Dragons and their abilities. Dragons live on both the physical and astral plane and they have the ability to read auras like any mage, accept that they can do it with great ease and understanding. It has been said that no amount of technology or astral blocker can affect a Dragon's ability. Could he read my real intentions here? Did he know more than he was letting on? Cortal raised his head and was staring intently into the forest. Shara turned to follow his search.

"Come out of there human. You have no chance of survival if you dare cross me." Cortal's voice was confident, solid and intimidating. He moved out of the pond and in front of Shara and myself, water dripping off of his body onto us. I quickly put away my pad and packed everything up. Cortal spread his wings out to dry a bit and to show his size. I peered underneath his massive body to the forest beyond. A lone figure in a black coat appeared from the darkness. He was human and held a sheathed sword in one hand. The black hood hid part of his face and the rest of his form. He wore a pair of ankle high leather boots. His appearance was one of mystery and discipline. The lone man knelt to the ground on one knee and placed the sword on the ground in front of him.

"Mighty Cortal, I am Mati, the tiger shaman, I come with information and as a warrior of nature. I mean no harm. I have information regarding Mr. Harper as well as information that even he does not know. Please hear me out." He raised his head and removed the hood.

Cortal folded his wings back and peered at the man. His eyes were intent and appeared to be reading this shaman's soul. After a few seconds he sat down.

"Mati, tell me what information you have and how you found us. Your aura is one of a strong mage; you are no doubt a noble defender of the forest and a very brave man. I will hear you out."

"Thank you Cortal. First off, the man there is by no means a reporter, and has actually been hired to coax Sharmra Dracon into speaking with Lofwyr and using her song to persuade him to hand over large portions of his corporation to a another corporation. However, the man that hired him is now dead by my sword. What Mr. Harper does not know is that he was being used to find you, Cortal, and that once you have been found the corporation that hired me intends to kill you and sell your blood to those willing to pay the high price. Then, once you had been caught, I was to kill Mr. Harper and Sharmra Dracon. After I learned of this information I immediately left to warn you. I will have no part in the slaughter of innocents. I do fear that they may find you soon; Mr. Harper was tricked into ingesting a tracking device. They will know where we are."

"I knew of Mr. Harper's deceit, but his heart has changed a great deal since he spied on us last night. He has no intention of hurting Shara and in fact has grown quite fond of her. He also had no intention of harming me."

The expression on my face was one of terror and amazement. Shara turned to look at me and smiled wryly.

"Spence, did you honestly believe that you could follow me into the woods and remain hidden from Cortal. I don't blame you for what you did. You obviously had no intention of harming either of us and you were played for a fool as well. It would appear you have paid for your crimes."

"I, I was only hired to trick you into talking to Lofwyr. I'm so sorry, I had no intention of harming anyone, and now I've led them right to you. I have to leave, I have to get out of here and try to lead them away as soon as possible."

I frantically grabbed my belongings and began to walk away when a massive hand lifted me into the air. Cortal brought me up to his face and peered at the feeble elf in his grasp.

"Mr. Harper, we are going to need your help. Besides you owe us a favor, don't you agree?"

"Yes sir."

He placed me back down on the ground and raised his head up high into the are. He sniffed the wind as it blew past.

"They are on their way, they have about six hover vehicles coming this way. Probably be here in twenty minutes or so. Mati, you have filled your obligation, you may leave if you wish."

"No thank you, Mighty Cortal. I will stay and fight along side you. They will harm none of you."

"Very noble, my shaman friend. Let us prepare for their arrival. There is a larger lake about three miles north of here. Let's draw them there."

With that he grabbed each of us in his claws and flew into the air, through the clouds and over the trees at a speed unfathomable.

Chapter 10

"There he is Sir. Harper is standing near that lake. He has the Dragon Charmer with him, but I see no sign of the dragon."

The rotorcraft pilot stopped and spoke to the man in a gray suit sitting behind him.

"Where is the blasted dragon. Tell the other choppers to circle around and look for him. We'll land and take care of the Dragon Charmer and Mr. Harper. If they find him try to get as many tranquilizers into him as you can."

At this the pilot relayed the message to the five other rotorcrafts and slowly descended into the opening. Spence and Shara moved out of the way of the flying debris as the craft came to a halt. Four men leapt out, a man in a gray suit and three security guards. The security guards trained their weapons on the two elves.

"Where is Cortal?!" The man in the gray suit screamed at them.

"Right over there." Shara responded as she pointed to the lake behind them.

The suit looked over her shoulder at the lake just in time to see the mighty dragon burst forth from the water straight into the air. In one quick movement Cortal had two of the rotorcraft in his claws and batted a third with his tail. The fourth narrowly missed destruction. As Cortal fell back into the water, he smashed the rotorcraft together like toys. The wave from his body washed over the group on the shore, but a well-placed shield spell kept Shara and myself dry and on our feet. The rest of those on shore were thrown to the ground. I leapt at a guard as he tried to get to his feet and ripped the gun from his hand and fired a small burst into the guard's chest. It knocked him back but didn't pierce the thick armor. He fell to the ground unconscious.

Another guard rose to his feet and grabbed his weapon, bringing it to bear on me. He never got a shot off. A sharp pain surged through his body and he looked down just in time to see the tip of a sword being retracted from his chest. His body fell limp to the ground. The other guard began to run back to the rotorcraft. Mati chanted a few words and the guard turned his feet sideways causing him to loose his balance and fall into a rotor fan. There was a small crunching sound followed by an explosion as the engine ignited in flames.

The pilot quickly dove from the cockpit and found himself face to face with Lisa. She growled once, then leapt at him, grabbing his leg and tearing it in half. He screamed and she tore his head off. I swung around to find the suit, and found him holding a gun to Shara's head. The other rotorcraft was still circling away from the lake. I moved toward the man, my gun ready.

"Not so fast Mr. Harper, I would hate to have to mess her pretty little voice up." He thrust the gun into the side of her neck.

"Now drop the gun and step back, you too you shaman and no tricks or she dies."

Mati moved next to me as I dropped the gun.

"There is no way to escape, your rotor-craft are gone and you will never get past us. Give up."

"You think you can talk me and sway me like some female. Well you won't, I've got The Dragon Charmer and I'm certain Cortal will be willing to negotiate, once he sees I have his prize."

He pulled his sleeve off of his wrist and spoke into it. "Pick me up, I have the girl."

At the sound of the approaching rotorcraft, Cortal rose slowly out of the water. The suit spun around to face the monstrosity. Cortal continued to rise out of the water until he was standing waist deep in the water.

"What is it that you want?"

"I want your blood, to give me eternal life and to make me the richest man in the world!" The man's voice was one of panic and derangement.

"So you have come for my blood believed to give immortality to those who drink it."

"Yes, and unless you give yourself up, your song bird will sing no more." The suit's hand began to shake as his eyes bulged.

The rotorcraft set down about twenty yards from the man. He slowly walked to the craft. Cortal watched him remaining still. I looked to Mati, but he was no longer by my side. I looked around and could not find him anywhere. The man was pushing Shara into the rotorcraft's door. His eyes were fixated on the dragon. As he stepped into the back of the craft he yelled to the pilot.

"Lets go, we need to return to the sanctuary, the dragon will come to us." He barked.

There was no response and the craft did not move. The suit reached forward to look at the pilot.

"Are you deaf, I said…" He caught himself in mid sentence. A sword was stuck through the pilot's neck pinning him to the seat. His eyes rolled backwards. The suit panicked and spun around just in time to see Shara running from the rotorcraft. The deranged man leaned out the window and let out a shot. The bullet pierced Shara's shoulder and she fell to the ground. I ran toward her. As the man was readying another shot, a hand grabbed the gun from above him and threw it away.

The man looked up just in time to catch a bolt of energy flying from the shaman's hands as he growled like an enraged beast. The suit was flung to the ground, his chest smoldering and smoking, yet still rising rhythmically. Cortal stepped over the man and peered at the pitiless human as his eyes opened. His mouth formed into an inaudible scream as Cortal crushed him under his foot.

I held Shara in my arms. She was breathing slowly and her eyes were watery as tears streaked down her cheek. I stared into her beautiful eyes as I held applied pressure to her shoulder. I looked up as Mati approached. He was visibly drained and he fell to his knees next to Shara. He placed his hands over the wound and slowly began to chant. He struggled but he was too tired and could barely stay awake. He slumped to the side and just caught himself with his free hand. Mati shook his head.

"I'm sorry, I…I don't… have the strength." He choked it out.

"That's okay, you have done more than enough." I replied my voice solemn.

"Spence…I'm so sorry about all this." Shara gasped as a surge of pain swept through her.

"Its fine, I'm the one who should be sorry." I looked down at her, a tear forming in my eyes. It rolled down my cheek and fell on her neck. I pulled her closely to me and began to sob.

There was a small grunt from behind me and I looked up at Cortal. In his hand he held a single scale from his tail.

"Let her drink." He said, as he handed me the scale. A small drip of his blood had formed at a corner. It was not red but silver and shimmering, like mercury. I placed the scale by her face and let the blood drip into her mouth. She swallowed slowly and continued to breathe slowly. After a few seconds her body twitched a bit and as if breathing for the first time she arched her back and inhaled the air around her. She slowly exhaled as her back straightened out again. Her eyes slowly opened and she smiled up at me. I removed my hand from her shoulder and could see that the wound had begun to heal up. The blood dried and the hole disappeared.

I looked up at Cortal. "So it is true your blood does give eternal life."

Cortal smiled down at me. "No, not quite, but it does have the ability to heal."

I helped Shara to her feet as Mati also rose to his. Mati bowed to Cortal and Cortal returned the gesture. The tiger shaman came over and shook my hand and nodded to Shara.

"My friends, I must bid you farewell. I have to return to Seattle in case there are any loose ends to tie up. Mighty Cortal, it has been a great honor to meet you."

"Thank you Mati, for your heroics and life saving I bestow upon you my highest blessing and this small token of my gratitude."

Cortal carved a "C" in the center the scale and handed it to Mati. Mati thanked him and disappeared into the forest. I held Shara in my arms as Cortal lifted us into the air and returned us to the pond. Underneath the apple tree we sat and stared into space. Shara fell asleep in my arms and together we slept under the protective eye of the Mighty Dragon Cortal.

Epilogue

I paced back and forth in my living room. I had never been this nervous in my life. Outside the window I could see Cortal was pacing as well. His mighty steps made the cabin shake a bit. I caught a picture of Shara and I before it fell off the end table.

She was dressed in her shimmering cloak with a ring of white flowers forming a crown on her head. We had been joined in marriage by the pastor in town. I sold me apartment in Seattle and used my money to purchase the land around the pond. With the help of Cortal, I managed to build a small log cabin on the edge of the pond. Shara and I had live here for about two years now. I was finally happy and Cortal watched over us and kept us safe. I had gotten a small job with the veterinarian in town and it helped bring in some money. I could not imagine anything more wonderful. That is until today.

A small cry was heard from the bedroom. I stopped my pacing and so did Cortal. Lisa who had been napping on a throw rug looked up. I stared at the shut door and listened to the sounds of the little person crying and gurgling. An elvin nurse came out of the room. She was beaming and looking at me.

"Congratulations Mr. Harper, you have..."

"A beautiful baby girl." I interrupted. She looked at me strangely.

"Yes, how did you know?"

"Fatherly, intuition." I smiled at Cortal who was looking in the window and he smiled back at me.

The tradition would continue.

The End