Matáo and Wilhelm stood before the Consul of Elders trying to explain what had happened in Echo. The elders spoke slowly and took their time breaching any subject. Every time that Matáo or Wilhelm would begin to speak, one or more of the elders would interrupt them by asking strange or off subject questions. Wilhelm was used to their behavior, but Matáo was starting to get annoyed.
"As I have tried to say at least three times, my family and some friends had gone on a picnic, and afterwards some of us went on a hunt," said Matáo in an irritated voice. "What did you eat?" asked one of the elders. "What were you trying to hunt?" asked another. "It doesn't matter!" yelled Matáo angrily interrupting another. "The point is, and what I've been trying to tell you is that, why we were away, our village was attacked by men wearing crimson colored armor and the man leading them wore a cloak of the same color," he concluded.
"Forgive my young companion, Grand Master. He is unfamiliar with our ways and has little understanding of the way things are done here," said Wilhelm, stepping in front of Matáo and kneeling before the Council. "He is but a child and knows nothing of the manors of court. I beg your forgiveness on his behalf, and ask that the rudeness he has shown would be overlooked and that you allow him to speak freely, " begged Wilhelm.
"Very well, Master Wilhelm, he may speak, but I warn him and you, he must not repeat his discretion, or there will be consequences," said Grand Master Da'vid then he addressed Matáo and asked, "The man with the cloak, was there a symbol of an hourglass on it?" "It was dark, Grand Master, and I was barely within listening distance, but I did see an image on the cloak. I cannot be certain if it was an hourglass, but did I see that it was colored in gold," replied Matáo respectfully.
"Thank you for your testimony young man, and thank you for your rudeness," said Grand Master Da'vid then he continued, " We ourselves, are unaccustomed to the ways of the world outside of our walls. We have been here many years and rarely entertain people that are not a part of our order. You are the first outsider to stand before this Council in nearly five hundred years. I suspect that if you are to come before us again, you will have learned more of our formalities. Now, go and return to your comrades, we must speak with Master Wilhelm in private. We will summon you all when the time is right."
Matáo returned to his room to see everyone there. The stress of the last couple of days was weighing heavy on his mind. He went to the basin and washed his face and hands, not knowing how dirty he had become. He felt a little embarrassed to have appeared before the Council looking as he did. After he washed, he realized that he hadn’t eaten in nearly a day, so he got some food from the table and went to his bed.
He began to tell the others about his meeting with the council and how annoying they were at first. After his tale, he decided that he needed some rest. "Grand Master Da'vid said that he would summon us when the time was right. I don't know how long that means, but after all we've been through, I think we should all try and get some sleep,” said Matáo as he stretched out across his bed.
The others agreed and the girls returned to their room. J?kob began asking Matáo questions about the council members. He had become very curious about the magic users now that he was one. "Do you think they will teach me to use magic here?" he asked. "I don't know little brother," said Matáo, "I do not pretend to know what their plans entail. Get some rest J?kob. I believe that we are going to need it before too long."
J?kob nodded and went to his bed. He hadn't noticed his exhaustion until after he laid down. He closed his eyes and the sights and sounds of the past few days filled his head. His mood began to lighten as he remembered his party and the making of his bow. He remembered the dragon that Matáo had carved into the handle. He drifted off to sleep with the image of it still on his mind, and he began to dream.
J?kob dreamt that he was a dragon again. He was flying around a volcanic island searching for something. He flew up and down, circling the island. He soared through the afternoon sky searching. He saw something on a ledge, basking in the warmth of the sun. He dove down fast and landed on the ledge next to a hill and began trying to locate what he had spied from the sky.
"Father, I must go to him. He is in great danger!" he said. "You know the laws! The Bonded must remain separated for the first sixteen years. He must go through this alone," said a booming voice coming from the hillside. "But father. He has called to me and I feel him calling me now," he pleaded. "The laws set down by the ancestors are not to be ignored," said the voice from the hillside. It continued, "The laws are to protect your human counterpart. Their young minds are weak and easily broken. Our minds are a thousand times stronger than theirs and if The Bonded get too close before their human mind is fully developed, it can cause madness. Not only for the human, but for you as well young one."
J?kob could feel tears flowing down his cheeks as he took flight again. He turned his head to look back and saw that the hill wasn't a hill. It was another, much larger, dragon now standing tall. He flew higher and higher, then circled the mountain and landed on a different ledge with a nearby cave. He entered the cave and plopped down in sadness and frustration wishing he could help. Then it went dark.
Next J?kob was flying again. It was dark now and raining. He could feel the rain hitting his scales. It felt cold and made him shiver. He flapped his wings harder trying to fly above the clouds. The rain burned his eyes as he climbed higher, and higher. He didn't know where he was, but he was certain that he was needed. He breached the cap of the clouds and felt relief as he flattened out and began to soar above the clouds. It was colder above the clouds, but the rain was no longer burning his eyes.
He knew in his mind that what he was doing was right. He had gone against the ancient laws and disobeyed his father. He knew that he would be punished, but he didn't care. Someone out there needed him. He pictured in his mind the memories he held dear. He was going to miss everyone. His mother, his father, and his friends. He cleared his mind and pictured the one person who needed him the most. The one human who was calling to him. J?kob became confused. He saw himself, standing in front of a mirror washing his face. Then he turned his eyes on the horizon, and he could see that the sun was rising in the east. He heard himself say, "Just hold out a little longer. We will be together soon. I'm coming to you, J?kob."
*****
J?kob woke up with a start. He was sweating and breathing hard. He looked around the room. Everyone was still asleep. He rubbed his eyes and then he saw Wilhelm sitting at the table. He was staring at him, eating a piece of cheese. "Is everything alright, J?kob?" he asked. J?kob caught his breath and got out of bed. He stretched as he walked over to the table and then he sat down next to Wilhelm. "You said before that you were my grandfather. Can you explain what you meant by that?" asked J?kob.
Wilhelm swallowed the last of his cheese and said, “It was many years ago, and most of the details are unknown to me, but I will tell you what I know.” “My daughter was a Watcher, like me, who was placed at another Sentinel Tree far from me. She fell in love and married a man from the nearby village. After a few years, they had a child together, but only after a few months he died a tragic death. A death that I know little about.”
J?kob listened closely as he continued his tale, “My daughter came to me and told me little of what had happened. I met her daughter only once, and it was for a very short time. Then they left. I didn’t hear from her for several years, but then she had returned, without her daughter. She was very sick and far along with another child. She hadn’t had time to explain anything before she went into labor. Not long after, you were born. She was so weak from the illness and she passed away in the night.”
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
“I was left not knowing where her daughter was, or if she was even safe. She also left me with you,” he said sorrowfully. “I didn’t know what to do. I tried my best to keep you alive for a few days, but I needed help. I came to the Council to seek their help and they turned me away. I was on my way to the village of Echo to seek help from anyone who was willing. I arrived at Sentinel Tree and to my surprise, I saw a man and a woman burying a stillborn babe. I saw how devastated they were at their loss. I knew them from my visits into Echo and I knew they were good people, and I felt in my heart that they would care for you better than I could ever have done.”
“I placed your basket at the entrance to the Sentinel Tree and crept back into the cave. I waited for you to cry so they would notice you. I watched as they found you, and when the woman that you know as your mother pulled you from the basket and held you in her arms, I knew I had made the right decision,” he said with a tear in his eye trying to hold back a sob. “I have kept a close eye on you as you’ve grown. I began to make more frequent visits into Echo just so I could see you grow. I’ve even watched as you played inside the tree,” he said crying happily. “I have become very proud to be your grandfather, and wished desperately to have been more involved in your life. But I had to keep my distance due to my responsibilities as Watcher,” Wilhelm began to sob as only one who knows loss can.
J?kob stared at him in silence, pondering in his mind all the things he had been wanting to ask, but the only question he had was, “What was her name?” Wilhelm sniffled a reply, “Elaina.” “And what of my sister? Did you ever find her?” asked J?kob. “No child,” he said, “I went to her village and asked around. I hadn’t seen her since she was a babe and I couldn’t remember her name, and no one in the village knew of an Elaina. I suspect that she used another name after the death of her husband. I searched for many months and found nothing, so I returned to my Watcher duties and tried to forget about her.”
“Were you ever going to tell me the truth?” asked J?kob in an irritated voice. “I have been watching you grow, J?kob, and had you started to show signs of being, what we call, a galdra-meistari, or a magic user, I would have.” “Being a galdra-meistari is not always a guaranteed trait passed on from the parents,” he began. “I am a wizard who fell in love with a regular human woman. Our daughter, your mother couldn’t wield magic as I do, but she was gifted in potion making and she had the gift of foresight and prophesy.”
“Matáo told me what happened in the tunnels, and that is one of the reason for my pride in you,” said Wilhelm. “I know that I have no right to these feelings, but I am not ashamed of them,” he continued, “Most users of magic aren’t able to do what you did without the proper training, and the act alone could have killed an untrained wizard of your age.” “I could have died?” asked J?kob seriously, and then, “Until the tunnels, I didn’t even think it was possible for me to have magic in me. How would you have known if I was a galdra-meistari?” “Most of them are unable to use their abilities until they reach their thirteenth year, so I was planning on secretly testing you on my next visit to Echo, but after the events of the past few days, that won’t be necessary,” explained Wilhelm excitedly.
“You were going to test me? What if I failed your tests? Would you have told me of my mother then or about you being my grandfather, or my sister?” said J?kob becoming more angry. “Had you not shown any signs of being a magic user, I would probably not have said anything. Why would I want to change anything that you know to be true,” replied Wilhelm in a mournful tone. “Why tell me now?” asked J?kob beginning to understand. “I don’t know,” said Wilhelm, “I just felt like you should know.”
“The Consul has heard of your abilities from Matáo as well and they wish for you to begin training immediately under their tutelage,” said Wilhelm. “It is almost unheard of, but using magic without speaking the ancient language is impossible to most of the galdra-meistari,” said Wilhelm pridefully. “It is a great honor and a privilege to learn from the Grand Masters. They usually only train members that hold the higher ranks in our order. I have only trained with then on a few occasions.” “Can I refuse?” asked J?kob. “You can, but it is unwise to refuse their requests, young one,” replied Wilhelm. “I want you to train me,” said J?kob hopefully. He was starting to become fond of the old man and wanted to get to know his grandfather a little before they were to be separated. “I will see what I can do, J?kob, but for now I have one question for you.”
“When you awoke, you were breathing hard. Did you have a bad dream?” asked Wilhelm. “Not really. I was having one of my dragon dreams and I was frightened a little by what I saw and heard,” said J?kob. “Dragon dreams? asked Wilhelm raising an eyebrow. “Sometimes I dream that I am a dragon. I do dragon things like fly around and hunt things. This one was different though. I was speaking to another dragon about someone being in danger and that I needed to go to him. I flew away desperate to find a human. I don’t remember all of it, but I remember hearing the larger dragon saying something like ‘The Bonded’ and before I woke up, I saw myself through my dragon eyes and I said, ‘Hold on a little longer. I am coming to you, J?kob.’ and then I woke up.”
Wilhelm’s eyes grew wide and he said, “I must meet with the counsel about this at once. If I am correct, it means that you are one of The Bonded. They are a select group of humans, elves, and dwarves that are bonded to dragons at birth. The bonding happens in an instance and only takes a single touch. The Bond usually remains unknown to the non-dragon being until they are sixteen. When I brought you to the council as a babe, it must have happened then I suppose. But I don’t recall there being any dragons here then. There must have been,” stammered Wilhelm to J?kob, but more to himself. Then he walked out the door.
J?kob sat at the table feeling more confused than he had when he had woken up. He thought about the conversation he had Wilhelm, his grandfather, about his real mother. He began to wonder about his other sister. He wondered what her name was, what she looked like, and if she was still alive. He sat in a daze thinking about the life he may have had and how his life might have been different. He wasn’t sure how long he had sat there, but everyone was still sleeping and he wasn’t tired, so he decided to go for a walk.
He began walking down the corridor that led him to his room. When he arrived at the grand hallway, he wasn’t sure which way to go. He looked and saw where they had entered the hall and decided to go the other direction. He had no idea were he was going, he just had a feeling he needed to go this way. He walked slowly taking in everything he saw with wonder. He walked passed door after door and began to quicken is pace. He felt an inward tug that urged him to turn into a gigantic hallway. The columns here where twice as large as the ones in the great hall. They were thicker and more decorated. The marble used here appeared to have gold streaking through it. They were magnificent.
The rooms in this hall were colossal. J?kob couldn’t believe they were meant for people. He wasn’t sure who these rooms were for, but he suspected giants. He turned towards the end of the hall and saw the largest door he’d ever seen. He felt it was as tall as the tree that he loved so much. He saw that it had glass windows at varying heights and of different shapes and colors. He walked over to it and began staring out one of the windows. He could see lightening flashing outside. He watched as the storm outside threw sheets of rain at the door and all around. He stared out into the storm and just watched.
He spotted something trying to fly and the wind was pushing it back. J?kob began to watch as the creature kept trying to fly up and struggled to get closer. He couldn’t tell what it was and he watched as the wind threw it backward away from the door and back down into the storm. J?kob became dizzy and fell to his knees. His head began to hurt and he placed his hands on his forehead. His vision blurred and then went dark.
J?kob was outside the giant door. He could see through the rain, and from the distance, that the glass formed the shape of a dragon. He called out to open the door, he closed his eyes and showed the image of a lever on one of the columns to someone inside. He saw himself lying on the floor with his hands clutching his forehead. He flapped his wings harder trying to reach the door again.
J?kob was back in his body. He looked around, still clutching his head and saw the lever on the column. He stood up and ran to it. He placed his hands around the handle and pulled with all his might. Nothing happened. He tightened his grip and put all of his weight on it. It moved, but just. He began bouncing with all he had and the lever came down and the doors began to open. He let go of the lever and ran to the door. He looked out into the storm and began searching The wind was blowing hard and made it difficult to stand at the door. He couldn’t see anything. He thought that he might have been too late. Then out of nowhere he heard someone yell, “Move!” He fell backwards as a dragon came flying through the door over his head and crashed to the floor skidding across it and was stopped by one of the columns.
J?kob saw that it was tired and breathing hard. It tried to get up, and stumbled down again. It laid there and through gasps for breath J?kob heard his name being called over and over. He walked over to it and got an urge to give it a hug. He didn’t know why, but he did it anyway. “We...Must...Close…The...Door,” said the dragon laying on the floor panting. He turned his head and nodded at a lever on a nearby column. “I will help,” it said with shortened breaths. It got to its feet and it struggled to get to the lever. The wind from the storm was howling down the hall and the lightening was flashing everywhere, threatening to strike anything and everything inside. The dragon placed a claw on the lever and pressed it down. The door began to close. It turned its head and looked at J?kob and said, “Hello J?kob. I am, Wi?dwyr?.”
