Prince of Dragons

Chapter 5 - Memories

After Enorwin had bought Maréin a horse from a farmer (who had at first been reluctant, but had become very willing to sell Enorwin a horse in exchange for the ludicrous amount of money the prince had offered him), they had travelled on to Chesterham. They had sat in the tavern all evening, asking the visitors whether they knew anything, but they either got people who hadn't heard a thing about this draconic threat, or people who told them stories which were so unbelievable they simply couldn't be true. One farmer had said that Wainur, the first Dragon King, had risen from the grave. Then his wife had insisted it was Norvand, the second Dragon King. They had started to quarrel over it and Arwund had thought it wise to leave them. 

When the townsfolk had started to leave and the other travellers had started to go to their rooms, Arwund, Enorwin and Maréin had also decided it was time to go to bed. "Don't worry," Maréin had said. "Even if we haven't found out anything today, chances are we'll find something tomorrow." Arwund had only been able to smile at his optimism, but he didn't share it. 

And now he lay awake in his bed. 

His 'friends' had already fallen asleep, but somehow, he didn't manage to drift of into the realm of dreams. Instead, Arwund remembered.

——————————————

"Arwund, we have to go," Marhold, a blacksmith, said to his five year-old son. 

"But you will come back, won't you, daddy?" the red-haired boy asked his father. 

"Of course we will, son," Marhold said. But Arwund saw in his father's eyes that something was wrong. 

"Daddy, mommy, I'm scared," he said. 

His mother embraced him. "Everything will be alright, Arwund. Everything will be alright. Remember that." 

Then his father took the necklace he had been wearing for as long as Arwund could remember, and put it around his son's neck. Arwund took it in his small hand and gazed at it with amazement. It had a golden pendant in the shape of a dragon. Strange symbols had been engraved into the dragon's tail. 

His father squatted, so that he could look him in the eye. "That necklace is the key to your destiny, Arwund," he said. "You must never lose it." 

"What do you mean, daddy?" Arwund asked. He didn't get what his father was telling him. Was his destiny some kind of box he could open with that necklace? 

"You will understand when you're older," his father said. "We have to go now. Goodbye, Arwund." 

His mother kissed him on the forehead. "Goodbye, my son. May the gods keep you safe." 

His father embraced him. And then they went away and left him with a strange woman he did not know. 

"I will take good care of you, Arwund," she said in a kind voice. And then she said something else, but he didn't listen. He felt tears running down his cheeks. 

"Mommy," he called, "daddy." 

The woman laid her hand on his back. "Come, Arwund." 

"Mommy!" Arwund repeated. "Daddy! MOMMY! DADDY!"

——————————————-

Arwund was ten years old now. From today onwards, he was officially ten years old. In a few more years, he would be an adult! 

Faschka, the kind woman who ran the orphanage, had baked him a cake. She had even put candles on top of it. And now, everyone in the orphanage sat at the table to celebrate his birthday. 

He took a deep breath to blow out the candles. And then he got a really weird feeling, almost as though something had blocked his breathing and he would have to use a lot of strength to get the air out again. He felt his body growing strangely warm. 

He opened his mouth and blew. 

A flame burst out of his mouth, burning the cake to ashes and setting the table on fire. The other children jumped up in shock and ran away...

——————————————-

"I will take good care of the lad, Faschka," the blacksmith said. He was a tall, muscular man with a full beard. 

"Very good," Faschka said. "I'm glad you were so willing to take him in. I would love to keep him in the orphanage, but then again..." She looked at Arwund from the corner of her eye. 

... I'm a draconic human, Arwund mentally finished the sentence. Why couldn't she just say it out loud already?! 

People had always looked at him just like that ever since his secret had come out. Well, it hadn't exactly been a secret. He'd never even known he was a draconic human himself. But ever since it was public knowledge that there was dragon blood in his veins, everyone had started to treat him like some kind of monster. Almost as if he wasn't... human to them. 

And he hated it.

——————————————-

"Hotter!" the blacksmith yelled at him. "Hotter, I said!" 

Twelve year-old Arwund tried to create more fire with all his strength, but all he could breathe were a few sparks. He was completely exhausted. 

"More fire!" the blacksmith shouted. "MORE!" 

He gave it one last shot. Nothing. 

He collapsed to the floor. Before he passed out, all he heard was the blacksmith's heavy voice. He spoke three words: "You worthless bastard."

——————————————-

He hadn't expected to feel like this, but he couldn't deny that he was scared. However, he just couldn't stand life here with the blacksmith any longer. 

He took his hanger in his hand and looked at it. He now understood what 'destiny' was, yet he highly doubted that pendant would lead him to it. If there even was such a thing as destiny. 

He doubted everything these days. He doubted whether there was such a thing as fate. He doubted whether anyone would ever love him again. 

His mother's words all those many years ago echoed through his mind: "Everything will be alright, Arwund. Everything will be alright." 

With a sigh, he realised he doubted whether everything would really ever be alright again. 

And then he left the forge, never to return.

——————————————-

Arwund grasped his hanger with his right hand and closed his eyes. Everything will be alright, Arwund, he thought. Everything will be alright. 

And with these words, he slowly drifted into sleep.