DRAGON DEFENDER
By Terry FortunéiUniverse, Inc.
Copyright © 2010 Terry Fortuné
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4502-8563-6 Contents
1 - Dawn of Realization...............................12 - Knowledge Renewed.................................103 - The Starting Path.................................194 - Reunion...........................................285 - The Concealed Sorcerer............................376 - The City..........................................437 - Invasion..........................................528 - The Hidden Ones...................................649 - The Elfin Girl....................................7310 - Evil Magic versus Good Magic.....................8111 - Joining Together.................................8812 - Mountain of Darkness.............................9613 - The Council of Ska...............................10614 - Boat Ride........................................11515 - Understanding of Power...........................12416 - City of Magic....................................13517 - Hate or Love.....................................14518 - Final Wall.......................................15619 - Tragedy of Life..................................16820 - Battle for Truth.................................17721 - Lost Control.....................................18722 - The Ancient Evil.................................19923 Defender of All...................................20824 - Epilogue.........................................220
Chapter One
Dawn of Realization
Pain.
That was the first thing I felt after I woke up. I had no clue why I was in such pain nor had any recollection of falling asleep in the first place. As I tried to get up from where I lay, my entire body cried out in agony over the sensation of being jabbed all over by hot blades. Unable to handle such pain, I stopped midway and just sat on what I felt to be the wooden floor of a home.
The reason I say "felt like" was that I had become aware that something was wrong with my sight. I could see, to a degree, walls and sunlight coming from a possible window, but they all appeared to be blurred. I couldn't even see my hands—which I held in front of my face—clearly.
When one of my hands brushed the sides of my head, I found the reason for my blurred vision: my eyes were covered by several layers of bandages. I was about to take them off when the sound of a door being opened interrupted me.
"Oh! So you're awake at last, I see," a dignified yet wise-sounding old man's voice spoke out.
A figure stood in the center of a doorway, but I couldn't see what he looked like. As he started to walk toward me, I heard a thumping kind of noise along with his footsteps.
The man stopped a foot away from me and said, "Please don't move so much. You are still recovering, so leave those bandages alone."
"Where am I? What happened to me?" Even speaking was too much for me, so I only spoke sporadically in a low tone.
"Where you are now is the small village of Kenga. It's just a few days' journey from the City of Gale. As for what happened, I was hoping you could tell me," said the man.
"What ... do you mean?" I replied.
"Someone found you just outside the village, unconscious and severely wounded." As the mystery behind the source of my pain was solved, the man continued, "They brought you to my home, where I managed to patch you up quickly before you lost any more blood. What happened?"
I tried to remember the last thing I did, but I couldn't remember anything.
I had no memory of what I did the last few hours, the day before that, or even the week before that. I couldn't even remember if I knew of any of the places the man spoke of.
My mind was completely blank.
"I ... I can't remember." I could hear my voice tremble while I spoke. "I can't remember anything."
"It's okay. Just tell me what you can remember," said the man.
Trying hard to think through the constant feeling of pain, I was finally able to remember something. "My name ... My name is Shirai."
"Shirai, huh? I'm Elder Giram."
Upon learning the man's name, I wanted to thank him for helping me. However, while in the process of moving slightly forward, I noticed something.
My whole body felt weird. I knew I had one, yet I knew it wasn't mine.
"My body ... something's wrong ... it doesn't feel right."
"Is that so?" I could detect a hint of confusion in Giram's voice.
"Why are my eyes covered?" I placed both hands on the bandages. "Did something happen to them?"
Giram didn't say anything at first. Assuming that he was thinking, I waited. It was so quiet that I could hear him breathing. Finally, he replied, "Before I answer that, I must know something. This may sound weird, but do you remember what you looked like?"
I thought that was a weird question, but he sounded serious when he asked me, so I told him, "I know that I'm just an ordinary young man. What does that have to do with anything?"
Again, there was silence. Only this time it didn't last as long as before.
"I knew it was a good idea to do what I did," said Giram, who sounded relieved for some reason. "Listen, Shirai. At first I thought I should cover your eyes up because they were probably damaged, but now I think it is best if you never take those bandages off."
A lump instantly formed in my throat.
"What are you talking about?"
I felt Giram's hand being placed gently on my shoulder. "If you could see what you look like now, I think it would do more harm than good."
A rush of fear and anxiety quickly overcame me.
"Do you have anything that can reflect my image? Anything?"
"There is a small lake not five feet away from my home, but—"
Not letting Giram finish, I sprang up and felt my way to the door, ignoring the man's calls and the pain that overwhelmed my body. I found walking to be difficult, but I finally found my way to the door and went outside.
Through the bandages, I could see the bright sunlight, but everything else was still blurred. I lowered myself to the ground and began to feel for water. The second I felt wetness on my hand, I ripped off the bandages and looked down at the lake's surface. What I saw made me scream in shock and horror.
While Giram was right about me being severely wounded, that was not what made me cry out like that.
Instead of the face of a man looking back at me, it was the face of a dragon! In fact, in all outward appearances, I was a dragon. Yet at the same time, I looked human.
My red face, now a long, smooth snout, extended in front of golden reptilian eyes. A scar I never had before ran over the top and bottom part of my left eye. Copper-colored plates lined the top of my forehead and snout while tiny fangs lined the inside of my mouth.
I ran my fingers, still human in appearance except for the new talons I had, over the seven-inch-long horns that jutted out the back of my head. Still attached to one of my newly longer and pointed ears was my golden hoop earring. I felt the strands of my now longer, dark blond hair as it ran down my slightly elongated neck.
The sight of that thing staring back at me was so shocking that the last thing I remembered before I blacked out was screaming to the heavens, "What happened to me?"
When I awoke again, I found myself leaning against a wall inside a small house. The walls were made of large logs placed on top of each other, and the ceiling was made of wooden planks. A single bed sat in one corner, under a small window. Across from there was another window, only larger and wide open. There was a small fireplace with a pot over a roaring fire. In the center of the house was a wooden table with two chairs.
Since there was still sunlight streaming through the window, I realized that only a few hours had passed since I had fainted. Looking down, I found I was covered with a blanket. The first thing I thought was that what happened earlier was nothing but a dream.
When I took off the blanket, I looked down, and to my horror, my whole body, except for the front of my neck and my chest, was covered in small red scales. The scales were so tightly packed that it gave the appearance of human-like skin. The front of my neck and my chest were covered with tan-colored plates.
As I turned my head, I noticed that, a couple of inches from where my neck ended, a pair of vibrant red, thin, leathery wings had sprouted from out of my back. My whole upper body was now much more muscular than before, especially my arms.
Sticking out from behind a simple white cloth wrapped around my waist was a slender tail, long enough to wrap around my legs. My legs had become the hind legs of a dragon, and on my feet were three large toes each. They had thicker talons than my fingers.
Seeing my new body made me want to scream again.
"I see you're finally back with us."
The kind voice that suddenly spoke belonged to a young woman who stood at the front door. She was in her early twenties just like me; I was instantly struck by how beautiful she looked. With crystal blue eyes and shoulder-length, golden blond hair, she wore a simple light green dress with yellow edges. It reached down to her knees to reveal a pair of low, leather boots. She held a small bowl filled with water with a small cloth hanging over its edge.
"Where ... am I ...?" I barely stuttered. That was all I could say. This time I didn't just feel the same pain I felt before, but now for some reason, I felt lightheaded.
"Please don't try to speak. I was about to tell you anyway. I'm Tansu, and you are in my house. Giram brought you here after you fainted near the lake." Putting the bowl on the table, she smiled as she looked at me.
"So I hear your name is Shirai?"
Looking away, I said, "Yes."
Tansu looked me over slowly from where she was. "Elder Giram told me what happened to you. Even though you say you are a human, I never expected you to look like this."
When she said that, I instantly felt disgusted, because I remembered what I saw at the lake. I covered my face with my hands just so she didn't have to see it.
"Please ... Please don't look at me." I was close to tears by this point.
Tansu slowly came over and gently removed my hands from my face. I was surprised to see that she was still smiling. I could also now clearly see the pink headband that held back her bangs.
"I don't think worrying what you look like now is what you should be doing. Right now, I need you to get well. Now get up from the floor."
I didn't want to move from where I was, but the look in her eyes told me I had no choice, so I tried to get up. However, I wasn't accustomed to walking on my new legs, and I almost fell over. Luckily, Tansu managed to catch me before my face met the floor. She helped drag me to the bed where she made me lie down. This was hard to do when one has horns, wings, and a tail that get in the way. I was forced to lie on my side with my head near the end of the pillow so my horns would hang over the edge of the bed.
"Now I want you to stay in that bed until I say you can get out." Tansu made it sound like an order. "Not only do your wounds need time to heal, but you now have a fever—probably from the shock you gave yourself. You need to sleep and let your body and mind get some rest."
She walked back to where I left the blanket that was on me earlier and draped it over my body. After making sure I was comfortable, Tansu walked over to the table. Picking up the cloth that was on the bowl's side, she dipped it in. After wringing out the extra water, she brought the wet cloth over and placed it on my forehead. Considering the fever I must have had, the wet cloth made my head feel refreshingly cooler.
She pulled up one of the chairs near the table and sat down, looking at me.
"You must have been through a lot," she said while smiling compassionately. "I'm sorry about your memory being lost."
"You ..." my voice was almost a whisper.
"What is it, Shirai?"
"You're not afraid of what I am?"
She looked at me with a sympathetic look on her face. "The way I see it, you can tell what kind of person someone is just by looking into their eyes. And your eyes are telling me you are kind and gentle, yet with more courage than anyone I've ever met. They're also telling me that right now you are scared of what you are and afraid of being an outcast because of it. At times like this, you need the company of a good person to help see you through it."
Somehow I could tell that she was genuinely worried about me. I wanted to ask her some more questions, but before I could, she said in the same commanding tone, "Now, enough talk. Get some sleep. I don't want you to get any sicker than you are now. I'm heading out to run a few errands. I'll make sure to wake you when dinner is ready."
With that, she walked outside and gently closed the door behind her. Sleep was the furthest thing from my mind, but for some reason I felt tired and immediately dozed off.
I was roused by a wonderful smell. Glancing out of the window, I saw the sun was just starting to set, setting the sky ablaze with reds and oranges. My attention then focused back on the smell, which was coming from where Tansu was. She was busy cooking a bunch of fish over the fire. On the table I could see there was bread, a small bowl of fruit, and two cups. I slowly pulled myself up, surprised to find that my body wasn't hurting as much as before. I just sat there, watching her for a moment.
"That smells great," I finally said.
She turned her head around and saw me sitting on the bed. "I see my cooking can still wake anybody, no matter how hard they sleep. Are you strong enough to get yourself to the table?"
I nodded as I slowly got up, taking my time to walk over to the table. I looked at the small chair and knew I couldn't just sit down because of my wings and tail. Maneuvering the chair around, I sat as Tansu came over, carrying the fish she cooked on a plate, and joined me.
After cutting one of the fish, she gave it to me. "Well, go on and eat. There is plenty to go around."
At first, I just stared at it. Even though I was hungry, I didn't feel like eating any protein at the time. So I took an apple and quietly bit into it. As I chewed, I could feel the tiny fangs in my mouth chopping on the piece of apple quickly.
"It's good. Very good fruit," I muttered softly.
"I'm glad you think so. I grew the fruits myself. In fact, everyone in the village eats the fruits and vegetables I grow here."
I continued to eat the apple as I watched Tansu eat her food. Despite my new appearance, she had been nothing but kind to me and had not once shown any fear.
I finally got enough courage to ask, "Tansu, why are you being so kind to me? I'm a total stranger who wandered into this village. I doubt anyone would have taken me in with my ... condition."
She stopped eating and gazed at me with a gentle expression. "Truth be told, when I first saw you, I was a little frightened. However, when Giram told me you had no memory of your past, I realized that you must have been the one most afraid. You shouldn't have to suffer alone."
She then smiled a little as she added, "Besides, I needed the company. It gets lonely here. Now please eat up. Tomorrow, I need to get some herbs from the village's healer so I can change those bandages."
Tansu returned to eating her food. I looked down at the table at the uneaten fish in front of me. I still didn't feel like eating it, so I picked up another apple. However, when I looked at the clawed hand that held it, I didn't feel like eating it either, so I put it back on the table.
I began to think of all that had happened so far, and the more I thought about it, the more I began to feel sad. Before I knew it, I could feel tears pooling in my eyes. I covered my face as I wept softly.
"Shirai? What's wrong?"
"I'm sorry. I can't stop crying. I just don't know what to do."
As I continued to cry, I heard the sound of a chair being moved. Tansu's arms suddenly wrapped themselves around me. I could smell the sweet aroma of flowers coming from her as she continued to hold me while I let the sadness come and go.
"It'll be okay, Shirai," she said in a motherly way.
She remained by my side throughout the evening until I finally fell asleep again.
Chapter Two
Knowledge Renewed
The next morning, I felt a lot better, despite the fact I still looked half-human, half-dragon. Looking toward the table, I saw Tansu sitting there, sleeping peacefully with her head resting on her arms.
I didn't want to disturb her, so I quietly got out of bed and made my way to the door. Incredibly, I wasn't in as much pain as before, and I was no longer lightheaded. Now I felt sore all over, but I didn't mind it as much.
Opening the door, I was greeted by a beautiful sight. A few yards away from the house was a field of nature's bounty—all kinds of fruit trees and berry bushes. Near them were rows of vegetables growing in the ground. Tansu must really be dedicated to her gardens, I thought to myself, to be able to grow so much on her own.
As I felt the warmth of the sun bearing down on my new body, I started to feel relaxed. While I was stretching a little, I discovered that by moving certain muscles on my back, I could actually unfold my new wings. Feeling the sun's rays hit them was like being covered by a soft blanket during the winter.
I sat down as best as I could and just stared at the bounty of fruit trees. I didn't know how much time had passed before Tansu came outside and saw me sitting where I was.
"Good morning, Shirai. You must be feeling a lot better if you were able to get out here."
"Yes, I am." I turned my attention back toward her garden. "Did you grow all these by yourself?"
She laughed lightly. "Of course not. I couldn't do it by myself. Some of the villagers come by to aid me."
"Even if that's true, it's still amazing that you can look after so many plants like that."
Again Tansu laughed. "When you put it that way, I guess you're right."
Then she walked past me. "Now you stay there. I need to get those herbs for your wounds. I'll be right back."
I continued to sit there as Tansu walked out of sight. A light breeze came in, bringing with it a cool wind. The sound of rustling trees and the occasional melody coming from tiny gray birds sitting on the branches were the only sounds I heard. This peaceful moment almost made me forget the events of yesterday.
While I watched the sunlight coming through the leaves of the trees, my stomach began to rumble a little. I could see a peach tree nearby with some of its fruit hanging on a low branch. Getting up, I slowly walked over to the tree, hoping I could pluck a few for me and Tansu.
However, when I got closer, I saw that the branch was higher than I thought. Fortunately, I was lucky to see that the peaches were just low enough for me to reach without putting a strain on my injuries.
I was alarmed to find myself jumping higher than any normal human could. I went flying through the branches of the tree, and just as I neared the top, I came crashing back down onto the ground, bringing along with me several peaches that landed on my head.
I was recovering from my fall when Tansu finally came back, accompanied by an eldery man. Seeing me lying on the ground, Tansu quickly came over and helped me up on my feet. "Shirai! What happened?"
I was still a little dazed after that incident, but I answered, "I just wanted to get some peaches for us, but when I jumped, I somehow reached the treetop in one leap. The rest is as you see."
(Continues...)
Excerpted from DRAGON DEFENDERby Terry Fortuné Copyright © 2010 by Terry Fortuné. Excerpted by permission of iUniverse, Inc.. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
