The Dragon's Abode(Compressed)

Part 2: Chapter 4

The wind blew gently on her face, caressing her skin. The meadows glistened with droplets of water left from the rain. Everything was peaceful and serene. She felt like she was in the middle of a calm ocean on a raft floating ever so gently on the surface of the water.

The dragon glided close to the ground. The grass rustled as the dragon brushed past them. The dark green hills to the northern horizon seemed inviting.

"So this is how beautiful the meadows were..." She wanted to say but was too overwhelmed to speak. She watched the hills from the distance as they approached close within a millisecond of the flight.

The dragon gently lifted himself further from the ground. The Earth's magnetic field seemed to loosen it's hold on him as he projected himself further from the Earth's surface. The girl closed her eyes and felt her heart leap as the dragon rose majestically to the starry sky. The air thinned and breathing became difficult. She gasped as she struggled to stabilise her breathing. The dragon descended slightly.

"Take and deep breath and calm down." He advised.

The girl exhaled and inhaled as deeply as she could.

The dragon ascended again and suddenly stopped midair which urged the girl to open her eyes. As she did she noticed a sight to behold. Everything came to a standstill. All there was to see were the Northern Stars from where specks of ice-like dust could be seen shooting from between two groups of stars at irregular intervals. The girl gazed at the horizon in awe of the event. Each speck that passed by captured her heart and she felt like the happiest person in the Universe.The cosmic spectacle which unfolds on that late summer night held memories of the dragon that glided ever so gracefully under the starry skies above the village that shall cease to exist and under the starry sky that night, the two glided over a village nearby wherein which the story of the man that slayed the dragon was told.

In a cottage far from the common din, a conversation between two can be heard faintly from outside.

"What became of the man who killed the dragon, grandfather?"

"Guilt consumed him..."

"From what I've heard... the dragon take away people's souls excruciatingly... slowly... painfully..."

"So that's what she meant when she said she'd weave another story so fine... " the voice of an old man could be heard muffled by his trembling .

"Were you saying something ?" The voice that seemed to be the voice of his grandson was heard asking.

"No... Nothing.... I can hear him..." The old man replied.

"Who?"

The old man stared blankly out his window and replied.

"The dragon... He's soaring the skies again..."

"Doesn't that spell trouble?" The grandson asked.

The old man shook his head.
"The dragon was innocent..."

The conversation went on and above that little village, the dragon hovered. His sad eyes looked below at the cottage from where the faint light of a little lamp danced by the window. He heard the thoughts of the man he once knew from the cottage.

"So your heart hasn't died, old friend..."

The dragon gently smiled.

"So hasn't yours..." He said gliding away from the village and over the hills with the girl lying still on his back like she used to at the times she felt sleepy when she was a child.

"Don't fall asleep or you'll fall off..." The dragon said.

"I haven't been sleeping. I'm wondering what troubled your heart so a while ago." The girl replied.

"You know me too well..." The dragon sighed.

"I'm here for you... Like you've always been there for me since I was little."

"You still are little..." The dragon chuckled.

"I am not!" She protested.

The dragon laughed.

"I know you..." He replied.

"You'll always be there ..."

When they had descended upon the meadows, the girl decided to pick some raspberries along the way to the cave. The sooner she moved along the forest path she wakened the fireflies from their sleep. Their lights glimmer and glow amidst the darkness and the owl hooted as if greeting the two familiar figures of a little human and a gigantic dragon in the woods.

They approached the cave and any being with a functioning nose could take in a whiff of the aroma of cooked mushrooms that exited the cave. Excited, the girl ran and what awaited them was a splendid dinner of seasoned mushrooms.

"Well it took you long enough, dragon." The raven-haired woman spoke. Her hair shone from the light of the fire which beholds the splendid blackness of her long raven locks.

"And so you invited yourself to stay over ?" The dragon added humourously.

"We've got no choice but to stay it seems..." The girl said as she went to her mentor's side and handed her the berries she had picked.

The dragon sighed.

"Indeed we've got no choice." His mustache moved along as he shook his heavy head.

"...but the world seems less lonely now..."