Dragons of Draegonia (13 page)

White paused for a second or two then putting her mug of hot ‘Dragon Tea’ down grabbed Pinks left paw. “What I cannot understand Pink is why your four friends should attack Dragon Green and cause him so many injuries. I also do not understand why they chased Dragon Yellow.” White gasped. “Unless of course Green has lied about the whole thing and that Dragon Yellow is in cahoots with him!”

Pink nodded. “But why lock up Dragon Brown?” She said.

White had no immediate answer but told Pink that they needed to go together to tell Dragon Blue everything. Pink was uncertain. She questioned whether or not Dragon Blue would believe them and if they would be seen as making up stories.

White looked sternly at Pink. “Look Pink, I made the mistake of not telling everyone exactly what happened, I allowed what was a slight exaggeration to become a major lie and as such we now have five facing the wrath of Dragon Black.”

Pink agreed saying: “Well I am sure that if we speak to Dragon Blue he will know exactly what to do, so shall we go now?”

White looked at the ‘Dragon Clock’ on the wall, a peculiar piece of engineering made out of bits of metal, wire, string and wood, but told accurate ‘Dragon Time’. “I think we need to go together first thing in the morning and in the meantime you can sleep here tonight.”

Pink accepted the offer as White pointed to the spare cave room. Whilst Pink was settling down for what little remained of the night, White washed and dried the mugs, returned to her bed and with one dragon puff blew out the light. Morning would soon come.

 
Dragon Green was in deep conversation with Dragon Black, who at first was unimpressed at being wakened at such a very late time. His sleep had been disturbed and he was even more irritable than usual. He read Green’s, report of the interrogation. Black stopped at the point where it said;

‘It also appears, although they constantly deny unless tortured, that their contact on Draegonia was Dragon Brown.’

Black’s eyes darted up and down the report and back and forth to Green. Black’s tail was vibrating with temper his nostrils snorted puffs of foul smelling smoke that made Green wince and cough.

Dragon Black boomed out, “THEY ARE ALL TO BE PUT TO DEATH, NOW!”

“Your Dragonship… err … Sir” Green’s sickly voice was nervous, he had expected a reaction from Dragon Black, but nothing like the anger he saw before him.

“WHAT” snapped Black?

“Your Lordship,” Green squirmed, “Dragon Blue has informed me that he wants due Draegonia justice to prevail and wishes the four,” Green paused, “no the five prisoners to face a court hearing and trial.”

Dragon Black had little if any patience at the best of times and now his authority was being questioned. His decisions, his rules, his commands, they all were being discussed and overruled. This, he was not going to allow. Dragon Black, with immense hatred in his glaring eyes, was about to issue orders that meant certain and imminent death sentences would be passed.

Dragon Black roared: “IT’S A TRIAL THEY WANT IS IT? THEN LET’S HAVE ONE! ITS JUSTICE DRAGON BLUE WANTS TO SEE IS IT? THEN MY JUSTICE WILL BE SEEN AND NOT QUESTIONED!”

Black stretched himself up to full height, his wings unfolding and refolding very slowly but creating great drafts of air that swirled the dust, forming mini cyclones.

He again roared at Green: “YOU WILL GO NOW WITH TWO OF MY DRAGON GUARDS AND BRING THE PRISONERS TO THE MOUTH OF THE VOLCANO WHERE I WILL HOLD COURT. YOU ARE NOT TO BE ACCOMPANIED BY ANYONE ELSE. IS THAT CLEAR GREEN? HAVE I MADE MYSELF FULLY UNDERSTOOD?”

Green, legs quivering, nodded. He knew that by taking the prisoners to the mouth of the volcano, Dragon Black had already made up his mind as to what sentence was to be passed. It would be ‘Death by Burning’. All five would, one by one, be pushed unceremoniously into the white molten lava that lay within the depths of the smouldering mouth of Draegonia’s Volcano.

“SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?” bellowed Black “GET OUT OF HERE,
NOW!
“

Green quickly turned 180 degrees and ran to where Dragon Black’s personal guards were. Green eyed several and selected two of the meanest looking to accompany him and headed back to where an exhausted Dragon Blue was fast asleep.

Black meanwhile had stomped off along a corridor known only to him. This large tunnel curled steeply up to a large hidden exit close to the mouth of the volcano. Black emerged into the first shimmering rays of the early morning sun as it rose out of the sea to the East. The immediate surrounding area was quite flat with a gentle slope rising to the smoky and very hot mouth of the volcano. Around the edge and protruding into the mouth were 12 very large flat slabs of fire hardened rock that formed the outer ring of a clock face with no hands.

These slabs were designed to hold dragons that were on trial, but today these would be used to hold one dragon and four children, on trial for their lives.

About 15 dragon paces in front of the nearest of the slabs and facing south was a much larger and taller platform. This was not made of rock but jet black marble with white veins running throughout and the top allowed for a perfect platform from which to view any prisoner who might be unfortunate enough to be chained to any one of the 12 sentencing and execution slabs.

The tall marble platform was to be the perch of Dragon Black who was not only the Judge but also the jury. This trial was going to be nothing but UNFAIR.

Dragon Green was totally exhausted. He had been up all night and seeing the sun rise, realised he had not slept for over 24 hours. With the two dragon guards dressed in their Black, Red and White regalia, on which was printed gold dragon motifs, he aggressively hammered on the police station door. The loud repetitive banging not only woke Dragon Blue but also the prisoners and several other dragons close by whose sleep also had been rudely disturbed.

“Open up and be quick about it” demanded Green. The door opened and Green charged past Blue. “Right, I have an order from Dragon Black to immediately take charge of the prisoners and take them to trial.”

Blue rubbing his eyes was taken aback and exclaimed. “What, why and where are you taking them? Dragon Gold needs to be informed if he is to Judge the issues and we need to raise a Jury. This is going to take a little time.”

Green smirked and in a very condescending growl said. “You have to do nothing, nothing at all, Dragon Black is going to judge the issues and he is arranging the court to sit right now at Volcano Peak.” Dragon Blue winced. He knew time was running out and that executions were inevitable if Dragon Black was to pass judgement. Green told Dragon Blue that he had been ordered by Dragon Black, that the prisoners were to go with him right away and that failure to comply with these orders would mean he too would be arrested. Dragon Blue’s shoulders dropped. He had to, although very reluctantly, obey. Taking the keys off their hooks he went with Green to the cells.

The four youngest prisoners were shackled and linked together with heavy chains. Dragon Brown was pulled from his cell by Dragon Black’s personal guards, protesting and demanding to know where they all were being taken to.

The two guards ignoring Brown’s arguments took their place top and tail of the line of four children and a very annoyed brown dragon. The line of prisoners and their escorts marched through the open door and headed towards the long trek and climb to Volcano Peak.

Dragon Blue looked on. There was little he could do. His lifelong friend Dragon Brown was certainly being taken to his death and with him four small creatures he felt sure were also innocent of their alleged crimes.

The noise and kerfuffle of the prisoners being marched in chains from the police station towards the volcano, together with the noise generated by all the dragons who had lined up two and three deep along the roadside, was ear shattering. Such was the chatter, growls and grunts that the accumulated cacophony of sound woke Dragons White and Pink.

Pink peering out of her bedroom window shouted to White. “We’re going to be too late to save them! Look, they are all being marched in chains and they have Dragon Black’s personal guards with them!”

White immediately knew the ramifications of the situation and grabbing her bag told Pink to follow her. Both dragons fought their way through the tightly packed crowds until they reached the police station where Dragon Blue was trying to get through on the voice box (telephone) to Dragon Black. Once more his concentration was interrupted. “Oh, White, Pink, sorry but I really haven’t the time…..”

He was cut short in mid sentence by Pink. “Dragon Blue, White has some very important information for you concerning the so-called invaders.” Pink continued with White nodding profusely. “Dragon White didn’t tell the whole story and we believe an injustice is being done.”

Blue moved quickly and shut the door. “What on earth are you saying? What information have you and why has it taken so long coming forward?” Blue listened intently to both Dragon White’s and Pink’s accounts. Once they had finished telling the whole saga, Blue crouched down at his desk.

“We still do not know what Dragon Green is playing at and why Dragon Yellow should be involved in this intrigue,” he said picking up the ‘Voice Box’ and blowing down it to get attention. “Put me through to the Mayor, immediately!”

Blue waited and in less than a few seconds he heard the voice of Dragon Gold. “We have a situation, Dragon Gold, and this is a code RED.” On hearing this Dragon Gold listened, whilst Blue gave him a short version of the facts he had been presented with.

Dragon Gold asked where the prisoners were and if Dragon Brown was with them. Blue confirmed that they were being taken, as he spoke, to Dragon Black’s court and that there was little time. Dragon Gold was overheard to tell Dragon Blue that he was leaving and would be with him in a few minutes and that in the meantime Dragon Yellow was to be found and brought in for questioning as a matter of urgency.

Pink, immediately volunteered that with Dragon White they would find Dragon Yellow and bring him in. Without waiting for Blue to respond they opened and shot out of the door like bullets from a gun.

Yellow, was actually on his way down the street as he passed the convoy of prisoners and gingerly waved at Dragon Green who, upon seeing Yellow, looked the other way and ignored him. Green had completed his cunning plan making him the second most important dragon in Draegonia and no longer required Yellow. Yellow also was caught up in the jostling crowds.

Some minutes had passed when Yellow saw two dragons forcing their way towards him. “Yellow,” shouted Dragon White, “you are needed at the police station right away - it’s a matter of life and death!” Pink reinforced the urgency by saying, “And we mean right now!”

By the time all three dragons had returned, Blue was in deep conversation with the Mayor, who in his hurry had forgotten to put on his ministerial chain and looked unusually untidy. Dragons Gold and Blue saw Dragons’ Pink and White pushing and prodding Yellow into the office. An office, that was now a very cramped meeting point.

“OK Yellow” Blue barked. “If you do not tell us the truth Dragon Brown, is going to be sentenced to death, and if we do not act now perhaps will be executed before we can get to him.”

“That goes for the four children!” Pink cried out. “You must tell us the truth.”

Dragon Yellow sat down on his haunches, eyes popping out of his head he was seen to shiver as it dawned on him the game was up. “It was Dragon Green,” Yellow started, “he suggested I make up a story so that dragons would not see me as a coward.” Yellow then detailed everything that had taken place. He confirmed that it was he who ran away from four children who he had been told were tied up by Green. He also confirmed that he had not seen any army but thought there had been one as it was Dragon Green who had told him he had seen them.

Dragon Blue wrote down everything Yellow was saying. “We must hurry Blue,” Dragon Gold was becoming agitated, “surely we can leave the administration and form filling until after we prevent Dragon Black murdering them all?” he said.

Dragon Blue was not to be rushed. He was aware of the urgency but also the need to have documented hard evidence if he was to present it to Dragon Black. “I know the seriousness and urgency, Gold” Blue protested at being rushed. “But if we do not have statements with us from Dragons Yellow, White and Pink, then Dragon Black will just throw our protestations out and execute them all.” He paused, then in a serious tone of voice. “And possibly all of us could end up with the same fate. We must present irrefutable proof of innocence.”

Dragon Green had now reached Volcano Peak and anchored each of the prisoners by their chains to the metal rings protruding from each of the slabs of rock. They were all facing Dragon Black who glared and growled at Dragon Brown, but Black just stared in bewilderment at the four small creatures before him.

“This court is in session” Black boomed out, “I will read out the charges brought against you.” Dragon Black had no charge sheet, just the written reports of Green and Yellow.

Black continued, “First I will take the charge of espionage and assisting the enemy, dereliction of duty and placing Draegonia in great danger” Black’s eyes were focussed on Dragon Brown. “How do you plead?” Black waited for Brown to answer.

Dragon Brown made no move but stood straight (well, as straight as he could be being anchored to the rock by his chains).

“Nothing to say eh!” Black motioned his claw in a circular wave, “You’re guilty by default.”

However, before Dragon Black was just about to pass sentence, Dragon Brown spoke. His voice was loud enough to be heard by all, but he did not shout. His tone was firm and precise with no hint of fear. “Dragon Black, this is not a Draegonian judicial court. I am innocent of any of the trumped up charges and if not released into the custody of the law pending the preparation of my defence, then you will be guilty of imposing improper justice.”

Dragon Black roared with laughter, sneering at Brown he leaned forward and growled. “I am the Law, I am the Judge and I dispense the Justice here, something you will soon learn. You’re GUILTY AS CHARGED!” he finally bellowed.
“And I sentence you to be thrown to your death
.
‘’