Riveildian tales

The Flawed Dragon

Dragons, magnificent creatures they are, even in Riveildia, a land home to marvels and wonder, dragons are admired greatly. But in this story, Oliver and his friends would understand that these wonderful creature are not just admired for the power, but for something far greater.

Mr Hamphyll's class had just begun, and as usual, he wore a nasty scowl that meant he was already fed up with everyone. Oliver sat silently, thinking of how funny it would be if he turned all of Mr Hamphyll's robes pink, Amice had a bleary look in her eyes as she whistled a silent tune. It was obvious to everyone around her that she wasn't paying the slightest attention in class, unlike Thomas. He sat with his eyes focused on his teacher and his ears open, now while this was usually a given for Thomas. Today, the reason for his thorough attention was the topic Mr Hamphyll spoke about.

"Who can tell me what a dragon is?" Mr Hamphyll asked the class. It was no surprise that Thomas was one of the few who rose their hands, and was certainly the most eager of them. Mr Hamphyll's grey eyes shifted down to Thomas's clearly waiting for his answer.

"Dragons are rare creatures that aren't magical and are not quite normal. In Riveildia, dragons are a symbol of strength. They are known to look like giant scaly reptiles with wings and popular for breathing fire. In rare cases, dragons can be nocturnal under the condition—"

"That's quite enough Thomas." Mr Hamphyll cut in. It was no new thing for Thomas to go off when answering a question like that, it only meant he enjoyed the topic very much. But then again, he enjoyed a lot of the things that were taught in class. Oliver often reckoned that Thomas was the only child in Riveildia that couldn't be bored by Mr Hamphyll.

"As explained by Thomas, although dragons aren't creatures of magic, they are creatures that hold many mysteries. For instance, while a dragon cannot truly be tamed, they stay loyal to their masters. Once chosen, a dragon stays with its master and protect them as long as they live." Now, Mr Hamphyll had managed to get the attention of the whole class. One student raised her hand and asked,

"Does the school have a dragon? Do we get to ride one?"

"No, Even if one of the school staff had one, dragons aren't like horses. They won't let just anyone sit on them." there was an obvious disappointment in the classroom, all the children grumbled in annoyance, except for Gilbert. He wore on his usual haughty smile and leaned backwards on his chair.

"I guess I'd just ask my mother to get me a dragon then." The whole class looked at him with starlit gazes. "What? They seem rather fun to have." Everyone knew how wealthy Gilberts parents where. His mother was Riveildia's most influential Duchesses. And if there's one thing she did better than managing the affairs of the kingdom, it was spoiling her only son. Gilbert basked in the admiration he got from his classmates, he loved the looks of awe and excitement he got from them when he spoke about things like these. One thing was sure to Oliver, Amice and Thomas though, they couldn't care less if there were a hundred dragons in the school, if they all belonged to Gilbert.

"Unfortunately for you Gilbert, dragons can't be bought." Mr Hamphyll said quieting the excitement that was brewing around Gilbert. "Things like mere gold coins don't matter when it comes to dragons. They only value what is within their masters"

"Dragons want my gut?" Gilbert said in horror.

"No Gilbert. You see, a dragon is said to be a mirror of its master. If its master is strong, then so is it. If its master proves to be clever, then that's the case for it to. Do any of you know what that means?"

"It means a dragon would only choose you if it desires the qualities you hold." Oliver said. He didn't know which feeling was stronger. The happiness he felt from seeing Gilbert pout like an infant, or the excitement he got from knowing dragons were a thing.