wash bucket until he had nothing left but dry heaves. After some time he could speak again.
“I am a Dragon?” “How can that be?” “How, how can that be?” He sat down and began to cry. What else had scared Baird, scared him even worse, a dark, frightening cavern that defied light yet which shimmered with a promise brighter than the sun? And that was not all. He was not only a Dragon, but also a Vampire Dragon, something from a nightmare. But he could not remember ever craving blood. “I like real food!”
“A Vampire dragon does not need blood, Owen. Most often it draws blood and lets others draw its blood at the same time. This can make itself and those it shares with be stronger. It can feed on the blood of its enemies or prey if need be, and so heal its wounds with blood magic. I did not know you were Vampire, Owen. Believe me though; you are NOT evil, and won't be unless to decide to be."
“But how can I be a Dragon? I am nothing but a small boy!”
“Come here by this mirror, Owen. I want to show you something. Here, I will remove the glamour I put on you as a baby.” With that, Owen’s suspicion was confirmed. Baird was the one who had placed him on the farmer’s doorstep.
Baird muttered a spell, and as Owen looked in the mirror his ears grew longer and pointed. His whole body thinned and grew taller. His face grew thinner and more delicate, and his eyes were large and golden. Through them he could now see the smallest details in the darkest corners of the room’s failing light. He blinked, and gasped. His eyes were huge, slanted, golden and with diamond shaped pupils. Double lids snapped closed one over the other as he blinked. He closed the transparent one, and the light dimmed. His vision was still super sharp, but muted.
“Put it back, Baird”, he said, shaking.
A few words, a hand gesture and Owen returned to what he was used to looking at. He could now sense the glamour that had been there all this time. He remembered the spells, too.
“You will learn to change, Owen, the sooner the better. I mean change into a dragon, not just place a glamour on your Elven body.”
“If I become a dragon or an elf it will scare everyone. I will be shunned and driven from town, if not killed! I don’t want to be a dragon!” He tried to turn and flee, but the old man was very strong.
“I know that, Owen. We must stay in hiding. Keep up the disguise as long as we can. But know this. You are what the Maker has made you, for a compelling reason. Do you hear me?”
Owen stopped struggling and said, “What the Maker has made me? Who are my real parents, Baird?”
Baird sighed. “You and others like you are to be our saviors, Owen. The host of white Angels has given you to us. These Angels obey the Maker’s will in all things, at all times. I was not told who your parents are, when the Angel handed you to me. After looking in your mind I can say for certain that your mother is pure Vampire. Pure Vampire blood can only come from one source. I must do some research to be certain before I name her. There has not been a new Vampire Dragon in over ten thousand years. The only two left are so old and decrepit they can hardly fly. And those could not ever take Elven form like you can. But you are too young as yet. I am sorry to break this too you so soon, but we are hunted always. I could not wait for you to discover this on your own. Those who would kill us because we are a threat to them hunt us. It is they who we must eventually destroy.”
“What others? Who do we threaten? I am only a kid!”
“There were fourteen given to us by the Angels. They are certainly half Elf, half Dwarf and half Human. The other half is Angel, once dragon, I believe. You and one other are different still. The others are all your age and just learning what they must prepare for, to battle the dark things being bred in dark places and deep below ground.”
Baird
“I am a Dragon?” “How can that be?” “How, how can that be?” He sat down and began to cry. What else had scared Baird, scared him even worse, a dark, frightening cavern that defied light yet which shimmered with a promise brighter than the sun? And that was not all. He was not only a Dragon, but also a Vampire Dragon, something from a nightmare. But he could not remember ever craving blood. “I like real food!”
“A Vampire dragon does not need blood, Owen. Most often it draws blood and lets others draw its blood at the same time. This can make itself and those it shares with be stronger. It can feed on the blood of its enemies or prey if need be, and so heal its wounds with blood magic. I did not know you were Vampire, Owen. Believe me though; you are NOT evil, and won't be unless to decide to be."
“But how can I be a Dragon? I am nothing but a small boy!”
“Come here by this mirror, Owen. I want to show you something. Here, I will remove the glamour I put on you as a baby.” With that, Owen’s suspicion was confirmed. Baird was the one who had placed him on the farmer’s doorstep.
Baird muttered a spell, and as Owen looked in the mirror his ears grew longer and pointed. His whole body thinned and grew taller. His face grew thinner and more delicate, and his eyes were large and golden. Through them he could now see the smallest details in the darkest corners of the room’s failing light. He blinked, and gasped. His eyes were huge, slanted, golden and with diamond shaped pupils. Double lids snapped closed one over the other as he blinked. He closed the transparent one, and the light dimmed. His vision was still super sharp, but muted.
“Put it back, Baird”, he said, shaking.
A few words, a hand gesture and Owen returned to what he was used to looking at. He could now sense the glamour that had been there all this time. He remembered the spells, too.
“You will learn to change, Owen, the sooner the better. I mean change into a dragon, not just place a glamour on your Elven body.”
“If I become a dragon or an elf it will scare everyone. I will be shunned and driven from town, if not killed! I don’t want to be a dragon!” He tried to turn and flee, but the old man was very strong.
“I know that, Owen. We must stay in hiding. Keep up the disguise as long as we can. But know this. You are what the Maker has made you, for a compelling reason. Do you hear me?”
Owen stopped struggling and said, “What the Maker has made me? Who are my real parents, Baird?”
Baird sighed. “You and others like you are to be our saviors, Owen. The host of white Angels has given you to us. These Angels obey the Maker’s will in all things, at all times. I was not told who your parents are, when the Angel handed you to me. After looking in your mind I can say for certain that your mother is pure Vampire. Pure Vampire blood can only come from one source. I must do some research to be certain before I name her. There has not been a new Vampire Dragon in over ten thousand years. The only two left are so old and decrepit they can hardly fly. And those could not ever take Elven form like you can. But you are too young as yet. I am sorry to break this too you so soon, but we are hunted always. I could not wait for you to discover this on your own. Those who would kill us because we are a threat to them hunt us. It is they who we must eventually destroy.”
“What others? Who do we threaten? I am only a kid!”
“There were fourteen given to us by the Angels. They are certainly half Elf, half Dwarf and half Human. The other half is Angel, once dragon, I believe. You and one other are different still. The others are all your age and just learning what they must prepare for, to battle the dark things being bred in dark places and deep below ground.”
Baird
Similar Books
April Morning
Howard Fast
Cover Her Face
P. D. James
Black Dog Short Stories
Rachel Neumeier
Zombie Surf Commandos from Mars!
Tony Abbott
Of Starlight
Dan Rix
Willow Pond
Carol Tibaldi
Criss Cross
Lynne Rae Perkins
Rescue Me
Catherine Mann