Tales of a Dragon

Chapter Four

THE GREAT PALACE

        Milo Vendez, of the Land of Birchsong, listened carefully as King Ashton explained his complaints. Well, not carefully, more like almost-about-to-fall-asleep-ly.

        He sighed.

        "Ceraleum's population is shrinking. And we need to fix that, as soon as possible," Ashton exclaimed, not noticing how idiotic he sounded to everyone else.

        "Well, it's obvious that Tournaments every two months is too much. The population is shrinking, as you said, so we hold the Tournaments maybe once or twice every year?" Jameson Wildson suggested. 

        "No. It is basically tradition now, and that is not going to change it." King Ashton shifted in his fairywood chair, huffing.

        "Tradition is sometimes wrong," Milo said, wanting to stop this stupid thing. "We have to change it if we want Ceraleum to thrive."

        King Ashton screeched. "No! That is not changing! That--"

        Milo looked into Ashton's eyes, and made them swirl about, looking everywhere but at him. Milo was getting tired already. Apparently, the King was an Eden, too! Aha! No wonder he was so hard to control; another secret Ceraleum did not know.

        "Maybe we can do that. I guess, maybe three times every year is well enough.Cutting it in half is enough." King Ashton gasped when Milo released his grasp on his mind. He looked everywhere, already knowing someone took control of him. He slinked back and threw his hands up.

        "FINE! THAT IS FINE!" he screamed. "But do not say I didn't warn you when I say one of you imbeciles are going to be beheaded." He left the room in a fury, his cloak shadowed behind him. The door slammed shut.

        "Ah. Finally." Milo stood and clapped his hands. "This meeting is over, yeah? Everyone go."

        Milo felt somewhat accomplished. But he knew that Ashton was suspicious now. He knew there was an Eden in his palace besides him, and he wanted his skin on his shelf.

THE COLOSSEUM

        "Everyone calm down!" the man yelled through the microphone. The crowd quieted and the short man climbed down to the center, his shoes clicking on the steps and thudding on the ground in the center.

        "Today is the day where sixty out of one hundred twenty of you get your dragon!" He chuckled a bit. "Get ready to spend ten to twelve hours of your day here with me."

        The crowd seemed to make a shuffling sound.

        "Let's start with our wonderful heirs! Avril Bentell, up please!"

        Avril picked the ends of her white dress up. She walked down, slightly nervous and slightly excited.She sighed as her feet hit the gray-white floor of the center. She stood next to the short man and waited for her dragon to come out of that gate at the end of the Colosseum. 

        "Fire was your element, eh? Let's get you your dragon!" The small man waved his hand, and the gates opened up with a creak.

        Avril shook off her nerves and looked up.

        There were two men there, leading a dragon through the gate. Avril suddenly realized how big it was, and how big the Colosseum was to hold this thing. And how big the city of Ceraleum was for holding so many dragons at a time! She gasped.