Farewell

After tugging on the brand-new set of grass garments that were brought to me, I was approached by an ancient-looking imp using a gnarled tree branch for a cane. He was the first of their kind I had seen sporting a beard, long and snow-white. He was accompanied on either side by a set of young-looking twins, male and female, both with fierce expressions on their round faces.

“I am called Kibaou,” said the old-timer, only the slightest hint of unease in his hoarse voice, “Chief of the Ki Tribe. I cannot thank you enough for defeating that horrible monster, Sir Dragon. We are forever in your debt.” He bowed as low as he was able, leaning on his cane with both hands.

I regarded him for a moment, trying to determine how to respond. The breeze picked up suddenly, bringing with it the scent of the roast pork lying only a few yards away, and my stomach gurgled in response. “Are your people unhurt?” I asked, trying to hold off my urge to dig into the giant slab of meat with my bare hands, like an animal.

The Chief blinked in surprise at my question, and hesitantly glanced around the area. “They…seem a bit shaken, but otherwise are not seriously injured, thanks to you, Sir Dra –”

“Leolyn,” I cut him off, a bit more brusquely than intended, “You may call me by my name. And if none of your people are injured, then let us celebrate this victory with a feast! Before it grows cold.”

He stared at me in disbelief, even the two twins sharing a confused look behind his back. At length, he replied, “V-very well, Master Leolyn! Come, everyone. Let us share in the dragon’s bounty!”

Things happened in a blur as the villagers shook themselves out of their stupor and joined in, passing around clay plates and wooden utensils, starting with mine. I wasted no time in sawing off a heaping helping of steaming meat before plopping down cross-legged upon the ground to, at long last, partake. The first bite nearly brought a tear to my eye, the meat juicy and tender, melting in my mouth. There was only the slightest hint of gaminess, and despite being entirely unseasoned, I found it absolutely delicious. As a dragon, we had never put anything on our meat, and only occasionally bothered to cook it, besides.

I scarfed down my first plate in what had to be some sort of record timing, entirely tuning out the world around me. So, I was surprised when I looked up to see Kibaou and his entourage, as well as Enki and a few other unknown imps sitting in a semicircle in front of me. Seeing my plate was empty, Kibaou gestured towards me and said, to one of the twins, “Aki, fetch him another!”

The young imp jumped up and hurriedly scurried off, returning moments later with a fresh, steaming platter of meat, cautiously approaching me and holding it out while simultaneously trying to stay as far away as possible. The instant I grabbed the plate, she leapt backwards, returning to her seat. I smiled, amused by her antics, and set about eating my second helping at a more reasonable speed.

Kibaou then cleared his throat and spoke up, apparently wanting to continue our conversation from earlier. “If I may say so, Master Leolyn…it is good to see that you are recovered and well. We were concerned when you fell from the sky, and even more so when we learned you were alone. Your injuries were quite serious, I must say.”

I chewed slowly, savoring the meal while digesting his words. He was obviously curious about what had happened, probably wondering what could harm a dragon so badly, and whether it posed a threat to his village. “I understand your concern, Kibaou, but the danger has passed. We were attacked by a human…a warrior known as a dragonslayer. The title is quite apt, as we discovered.”

I felt a sharp pang of guilt as I was once again reminded that Andras was, almost certainly, dead. The group of imps looked at me with incredulous expressions, Enki breathing, “A dragonslayer? Is there really a warrior out there who is strong enough to take down a dragon?”

“Enki!” Kibaou scolded, making the little imp jump. To me, he said, “Please, forgive him, Master Leolyn. He might be the most skilled warrior in our village, but he’s still young and prone to flights of fancy. He meant no disrespect.”

I finished my second helping of pork and, stomach finally filled, set the plate aside with a contented sigh. “No offense taken, Kibaou. Enki is the one that saw to caring for me, along with the eggs I brought along, while I was incapacitated.” I should think of some way to thank him properly, I decided, but how?

The imp chief nodded vigorously at my words. “Ah, that's right, yes!”

Turning to Enki, I said, “Now that I’ve eaten my fill, I would like to check on the eggs. Can you show me the way?”

The imp paused with a bite of meat halfway to his mouth, before jumping upright and exclaiming in a hoarse voice, “R-right! Please, follow me, Master Leolyn!”

I rose, falling into step behind the imp. “Just Leolyn is fine, Enki. No need for the honorifics.”

Without breaking stride, he replied over his shoulder, “B-but you’re our village’s guardian spirit, Master Leolyn! There’s no way I could address you so informally.”

I sighed, realizing that there was only so much I could do to convince them, and followed him the rest of the way in silence as he led me deeper into their village, to a small, round wooden structure with a chimney pumping out thick white woodsmoke into the air. It was rough handiwork like all of the imp constructions, but it was clear that there had been a bit more effort put into this place. The boards were stained with some sort of lacquer, and the thatched roof was covered in what looked like a dried clay slurry.

Inside, it was small and cramped, and I was immediately hit by the sweltering heat radiating from the large fire pit in the center of the space, where upon a bed of glowing coals rested two large dragon eggs of red and green, glittering in the light like precious gemstones.

I immediately strode forward across the space to take a closer look at the eggs, concern for their wellbeing driving out every other thought from my mind. They appeared fine on the surface, with no signs of cracking or injury whatsoever. Gently, I placed a hand on each of them, and closed my eyes, concentrating, allowing all of my senses to focus solely upon these two eggs.

Ba-dum. Ba-dum.

I let out a sigh of relief, grinning at the faint pulse of the hearts beating deep within their shells. They were alive, warm, and appeared to be doing just fine. There was no telling when they might hatch, but for now, they were safe, and that was all that mattered.

“You’ve done well, Enki,” I told my imp companion, “Very well.”

***

Ultimately, I decided to stay with the imps in their village for a few days to recover the rest of my strength. I spent much of that time trying to perfect my newfound transformation skill, in the hopes that I could make my clothing change along with my body, which I was not even sure was possible. But, with time and a lot of trial and error, I was eventually able to make it work.

It was during this time that the villagers started to get a bit more comfortable around me, seeing that I was not the fearsome monster they had always imagined me to be. I would occasionally revert to my dragon form and play with the children, allowing them to use my back and tail as a slide, putting on shows of fire breathing, and telling them scary stories. My time with them might have been short, but it was filled with laughter.

As I came to terms with my situation and mulled over what to do next, I eventually decided that it was time to revisit my old home, and face whatever fate might have befallen Andras.

I was not sure what to expect as I drew near the mountain, my head buzzing with anxiety. Would the dragonslayer still be around, waiting for my return? As I entered into the shimmering heat haze that enshrouded my former den, my fears faded away. I circled briefly, surveying the area. There was nothing alive down below; all that remained was a battle-scarred arena, and the motionless, gray-scaled form of Andras.

I touched down beside my adoptive teacher, a deep sorrow panging in my heart. I had strongly suspected that he had perished in the fight, but thinking it and having it confirmed with my own eyes were two very different things.

I sat upon the ashen ground and sighed heavily, studying the dehydrated form of my former mentor, trying to steady myself to pay my last respects. It had been nearly three weeks, but his lifeless body looked almost the same as it had in life. No other creatures ever braved the heat of the crater, and even in death none of them would dare consume the flesh of a dragon. Andras’ corpse would continue to desiccate in the sweltering volcanic air, until there was nothing left but bones.

“I’m back, Andras.” I said softly. Even if he could not hear me, there were many things I needed to say, things that had plagued my restless dreams over the course of the last few nights.

I went on to recount all that had happened since our parting. I explained my ability to transform, and how I had saved the imp village, joking that he probably would have gotten a laugh out of their antics. I admitted the truth of my rebirth, speaking of my past life, and the despair and loneliness I had experienced in it. Each word served to strengthen a thought I had conceived earlier, until at long last, that thought became a steadfast resolution.

“I’m going on a journey, my friend,” I shared, speaking the notion aloud for the first time, “to see this world and everything that it has to offer. As a dragon, I was bound here, forced to avoid the world. But now that I’ve been gifted with a human form, I can travel their lands as freely as I wish. I will not make the same mistakes again. I will no longer hide from this world, and I will make this life one that is absolutely worth living!”

In the silence that followed my proclamation, Andras’ last words echoed in my head, maybe one day you can realize that dream of a peaceful future…I think I’d like to see that. “I don’t know what’s out there, or where my journey might take me, but I promise you that I will not forget about the dream you gave your life for. There’s no clear path towards that goal, but I will strive to help those I meet along the way, in the hope that one day, I can mend the rift between us dragons and humanity.”

Having made up my mind, and with my heart feeling a bit lighter, I turned away and leapt back into the air, leaving the gravesite behind. Just watch me, Andras. I won’t let you down.

***

Early the next morning, I gathered the imps to announce my plans. The group fell silent as I towered over them in my dragon form. Whatever fear they might have once held of me had faded over the course of the days I spent with them, but there was still a deep and profound reverence held within their sparkling eyes.

“I am leaving to go on a journey,” I told them simply, my sonorous voice echoing out over the crowd. A wave of whispers spread across them, like a ripple on a pond, their disheartened expressions telling me all I needed to know. They wondered who would protect them in my stead, and thankfully, I had already thought of an idea.

“Enki,” I called, focusing on the tiny imp standing at the front of the group, “Step forward.”

His eyes went wide as he glanced around him, as if making sure I was speaking to him. Kibaou gave him a soft whack with his cane to get him moving, and he approached me shakily, stopping just inside of my reach. He fidgeted uncomfortably as I lowered my head to his level and studied him with a discerning eye.

“Kibaou mentioned that you were the most capable warrior in the village. Is there any truth to that?

Enki laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head as he squeakily replied, “W-well, I don’t know about that. I mean, Daki and Moki have so much more experience than I do, and Kinae is better with a bow than I’ll ever be…”

He trailed off as I chuckled. “Relax, Enki. You have done much for me and for the eggs I’ve brought. I may not be able to stay here forever, but I can reward your service. Stand still; this will only hurt for a moment.”

Then, I gingerly touched the tip of my snout to his forehead, closing my eyes and opening myself up to the flow of mana, channeling it into him. It was a simple matter to find his core – a small, pitiful thing – and once located, I did as Andras had once done for me; I forced as much mana into the tiny gem as it could take. Enki gasped and went rigid, likely stunned by the unbearable pain. Just before his core would have shattered, I stopped pushing mana into it and released my contact with the imp.

Enki dropped to his knees, shaking visibly and growling, foam dripping from the corners of his mouth. I watched curiously as I felt a surge of mana from him, and his body was slowly enveloped in a bright, white light. This is quite different than what happened with me, I noted, as the light began to pulsate like the beat of a heart, growing larger with each throb. After about a minute, there was an abrupt pop, a sound like that of a balloon bursting, and the light dispersed in a gust of air.

Kneeling before me was a being that looked almost nothing like the tiny imp that had been cowering there mere moments ago. Panting heavily from the exertion of his evolution, he looked at his hands in awe before standing upright to study the rest of his new body. He was now as tall as a human man, and covered in black plates of carapace, almost like armor. His skin was still grey, but his face was no longer round and childlike, but angular and defined, instead. On top of that, he was bald, save for a thin, dark red topknot that stood upright for about half a hand’s length before falling to hang to below his knees.

I was shocked, to say the least. I had not expected his evolution to be instantaneous, let alone as drastic as this. The sound of sniffling brought me out of my thoughts, and I noticed tears forming in his black eyes, running freely down his cheeks. “What’s wrong?” I asked, and it was only then that I had the thought, What if he didn’t want to evolve?

As I struggled to find words of consolation, he shook his head, wiping his tears on the back of an arm. “My apologies, Master Leolyn,” he said, his voice deeper and more commanding than before, “I am deeply honored by your gift! The legends of my people mention a time when the greatest of our warriors would evolve and become the stout protectors of the forest. But the key to that transformation has been lost to time. There hasn’t been a Forest Shade in nearly a thousand years. To think that I am the first…well, it’s a bit overwhelming.”

“I see,” I sighed, relieved by his words. Looking at him, I could sense the strength of his new form, leagues beyond that of any imp. Reassured that I had made the right choice, I told him, “One day I will return, but in the meantime, I want you to protect the forest in my stead, and care for those two dragon eggs with your life. Build towers to see threats coming from a distance, and walls to keep them out. Make this place a bastion, so that no enemies can breach its defense.”

Enki’s jaw dropped for a moment before he shook himself and dropped to one knee, smacking his clenched fist into his chest with a loud thump. “It would be my honor, Master Leolyn! You have my solemn vow that I will protect both those eggs and this forest with every ounce of my strength. I will not disappoint you!”

I smiled, the final weight of attachment to this place lifted from my shoulders. With the assurance that they would be just fine without me, I said a few more parting words before I set off, flying towards the unknown horizon, and the adventures that awaited me there.