Chronicles of Carnezia (Book 1): Dragons of Dracona

Chapter 32: Matching Tales

Chapter 32: Matching Tales

            It had grown very windy now and Frain was struggling to stay in the air. We landed at least five more times since near the woods after spending hardly more than twenty minutes up in the sky. The wind had also blown in a thick mass of cloud and it wasn’t just cold up there anymore. We were now on the ground and Frain looked exhausted; he was sprawled out on the grass with his wings stretched out each side of him. Hydra didn’t look anywhere near as worn out but she was huffing.

            Doran hadn’t spoken to me since the first landing when he had said that we were starting off again. Whilst I was talking to Frain, to reassure him that he wasn’t weak, Doran came over looking a little baffled. ‘Er, Carly, I think we need to talk.’

            ‘Oookay.’ I stood up but he had stepped away from where Frain was laid out. Following, I hoped maybe he could tell me something of my dad.

            He stopped, though he didn’t turn around. ‘I have a story to tell myself,’ he spoke, still not looking at me. ‘About twenty years ago, a young man had run away from Dracona. It was to see if he could find some freedom from all of what he had to learn there; it was a small adventure. He stopped in a town and found a small shop.

            ‘Well, as he looked around he tripped and when he opened his eyes he was in a new place. It was a very strange place. And there was a girl working in what seemed to be a small shop but... different.’ While he went on with his story, I could piece things together; that the girl was my mum but I wasn’t sure who the man was meant to be. I mean, Doran had probably heard this story off the man whose story it was or... It was when he had finished that it clicked. He turned around and was smiling with some uncased knowledge. ‘I knew there was something familiar about you... it was only when you told me your mother’s name that I realised.’

            Although there was no other thing he could have meant, it didn’t sink in as deep as I had wanted. ‘Er, maybe we could talk about this more later,’ I suggested really slowly and not looking at him. Turning around, I walked back towards Frain who was now up off his belly.

            ‘Is something wrong, Carly?’ he asked when I was right next to him and absent-mindedly stroking his neck. ‘Carly,’ he repeated, nudging me harshly.

            ‘Sorry, I’ve just found something out that I thought was impossible,’ I explained but keeping my head down and starring at nothing in particular.

            He nudged me again and then again when I didn’t look up.

            ‘What? It’s fine. I’ll tell you when I’ve taken it in myself.’

            And it did take a long, long time for it to be the truth in my head. Sitting on Hydra’s back, Doran in front of me, I tried to think over his story and my mum’s at the same time. There was so much in common but I still had a little problem with Doran really being my dad. Maybe it was meant to be that he was sent to make sure I got safely to Dracona though it seemed so coincidental for that to make sense.

            Hydra had flown past the massive clouded region and Frain had been flying below her to try and keep out of some of the moisture. She was now gliding on the warm air that we were now in and I could hear her breathing and also when Doran spoke to me.

            ‘How are you doing back there?’ he asked, a little shouty but he was talking over his shoulder. ‘Aching again?’

            I brought my head round from watching Frain flap his way up to join us. ‘I’m feeling good, for now,’ I replied calmly. ‘Will we land soon?’