Dragons of Draegonia (18 page)

There was an agreement by various nods of dragon heads to George’s argument. “But Dragon Black has to face punishment for his crimes.” Gold responded. “Or have you got a viable solution.”

Grace interjected, “Sir let us inform you of some tremendous and welcome news. We have found an antidote for your ‘Flame Outs’ and Dragon Red here will confirm that we now have a cure.” Dragon Red bellowed out a burst of flame that tore across the court room floor from his mouth. Dragon Pink laughed at this and in so doing also bellowed out huge bluish hot flames taking Dragon Onyx by such surprise he dropped all his notes. “That is indeed very good and most welcome news.” Gold applauded, “how long will it take to cure every dragon?”

George laughed. “It will be far quicker if we start right away rather than waste valuable time in attending the death of this miserable creature and we have a plan for him that we believe you will approve of.”

Dragon Judge Gold roared for silence and in a stern authoritative voice, his eyes piercing through Dragon Black, passed judgement. “You have thus far been sentenced to 50 years hard labour. This judgement will stand. You will be immediately taken to the north of the island under close guard where on bread and water you will serve time with hard labour and once we have reviewed further sentencing you will return for final judgement, take him down.”

Dragon Black was unchained and escorted away by several guards. Gold adjourned the court and requested the children to meet with him and Dragon Brown in his chambers. He also ordered Dragons Pink and Red to start the re-ignition of all dragon flames.

Dragon Gold entered the inner chamber situated within the Hall of Dragons. This room was very regal as it represented the highest legal rank of Draegonia, The Judge. One wall contained stone shelves of ‘Dragon Reference Books’. On another wall were paintings of previous Judges dating back some hundreds of years. The paintings were not in frames of any kind but had been drawn and coloured straight onto the wall, leaving very little space for further additions.

Close to the third wall stood a large round table and of course no chairs. The table was made out of jet black granite that had been highly polished, the edges of which displayed many layers, indicating its very old age.

Dragon Brown and the four children now stood in front of Dragon Gold who had sat down on his haunches, his upper body straight and looking very severe spoke. “Now then, I am of course pleased and all Draegonia is indebted to you for the return of our flames.” Dragon Brown nodded and made noises of agreement. Clearing his throat the Judge continued. “
Huh-herrr
, we do have a problem though and that is we must impose a sentence on Dragon Black that meets the severity of his crimes. The death penalty I am afraid is the ultimate price he must pay.”

Joel sighed and looked very unhappy as Zach very pointedly spoke out. “So, what about us, we did nothing to harm you, we’ve been locked up, chained up, tried for crimes we have not committed, almost killed and yet still helped you lot?”

“Shush,” exclaimed Grace, “don’t be so rude to the Judge he is only explaining things as he sees it.” Judge Gold smiled lowered his shoulders and whispered to Grace, “He’s a fiery little chap isn’t he?”

At this point George who had been preparing himself spoke up. “If we showed you a way whereby Draegonia Justice was seen to be done and that Dragon Black was given an appropriate sentence befitting his crimes” George paused, “would you consider a slightly amended form of punishment?”

Dragon Judge Gold pondered on these words. “I am not sure what you mean George. The problem as I see it is that Dragon Black has to be sentenced to death for the crimes he has committed.”

George spoke quickly in reply, “Yes we know that but there is of course the factor of timing. Look, Draegonia law can still apply the death penalty but in a new form.”

“Explain” The Judge said looking at Dragon Brown who shrugged his shoulders, wondering what the four had cooked up.

“Well,” continued George, “dragons do not live very long without their ‘Dragon Flame’ do they?” George continued with both dragons listening intently to his every word. “The Court can still find Dragon Black Guilty of the murders and still sentence him to death, but use a different method than the throwing him into the Volcano.”

“Go on,” Dragon Gold gestured.

“You see Sir,” George continued, “you will still find Dragon Black Guilty and you will still sentence him to death but a far worse death than the quick death of the volcano. You will first banish Dragon Black from ever returning to Draegonia. Next you will stipulate that his ‘Dragon Flame’ will not be ignited, it will mean a sentence of slow death.”

Dragon Gold pondered on what he had heard and then asked. “But how does this help you?”

Grace piped up. “That’s easy. You command Dragon Black that he will serve a period of hard labour working an 18 hour day and being fed only on bread and water until he has shed enough weight to enable him to once more fly and carry us back home.”

“I still do not see how this helps the four of you,” Gold exclaimed, “especially if Dragon Black agrees but whilst flying you out of Draegonia drops you all from a great height to your own deaths.”

“We’ve thought of that” it was Joel’s turn to speak. “You see, we have enough explosive material left over from the charges we adapted to cure the ‘Flame Outs’ to make a special collar for Dragon Black. A collar that he would be unable to remove without a special electronic key that we will make using the hand held emergency radio we still have from the life raft.”

Zach not to be out done with the exciting revelations interrupted. “And we can control Dragon Black by letting him know that we can detonate his collar using the transmitter within a 25 mile radius, so any slight hint that he was to double cross us…” Zach paused, smiled, outstretched his arms and bringing his hands together in an almighty clap shouted “BOOM, no more Dragon Black!”

Dragons Gold and Brown looked at each other and nodded. “The proposal is acceptable.” Dragon Gold chanted thrashing his tail in a poor imitation of how Dragon Black used to do it. “But how long will it take for you to make the explosive collar and transmitting device?” Dragon Brown enquired.

George finalised everything and gained complete approval from Dragon Gold. It was agreed that Dragon Black would the very next day be brought back for sentencing. His 50 Years Hard Labour sentence would still apply but he would be informed that if he agreed to safely fly the four back to their homes, the 50 year Hard Labour sentence already imposed would be deferred or held over provided Dragon Black committed no more future crimes.

That very next day Black was in front of Dragon Judge Gold, listening to the conditions of his sentence. Black thought they were soft, had lost their senses, he certainly had no intentions of flying the kids back home. No, he was thinking how he could drop them from a great height and return to Draegonia and teach everyone a bitter lesson. His thoughts were broken by Dragon Gold dropping a bombshell on him.

“Yes Dragon Black,” Gold coldly stated. “You may well think we are being soft.” Dragon Black shook his head showing some false humility. “But,” he continued. “You are definitely not to be trusted. Firstly, we are imposing a death penalty for your heinous crimes of murder. Volcanic death is too good for you and far too swift.”

Dragon Black was not sure where all this was leading and with eyes narrowing, glared first at the children, who were high up in the Gallery, then at Dragon Gold who had placed upon his head the traditional death cap. “Dragon Black” the Judge said, “your flame will not and never will be re-ignited. You will suffer a painful death overtime associated with ‘Flame Out’. You will be fitted with a special explosive device, the collar of which will be electronically locked around your neck.”

The on-looking dragons gasped and murmurs reverberated around the Great Hall. “Silence in Court” Dragon Onyx shouted. Dragon Gold continued. “Furthermore, it is estimated that two weeks further hard labour, working 18 hours per day and fed only on bread and water will have you fit to fly.”

More murmurs filtered into the silence broken only by Dragon Gold’s sentencing voice. “Once you have lost that fat and become fitter to fly the banishment order will take effect. It is a condition of sentencing that you agree, without reservation, to return the four children back to their homes safely.” Dragon Judge Gold stood up and with a dominant gesture and cold hard voice spoke directly to Dragon Black. “DO YOU AGREE TO SAFELY RETURN THE CHILDREN HOME AND ACCEPT THE TERMS OF YOUR SENTENCE?”

Dragon Black who was thinking furiously of a way out realised that if he did not agree then he would without any doubt, be sentenced to immediate death by Volcanic Action, a death he fervently wished to avoid.

Black moved his head from side to side, his steely eyes taking note of each of his accusers. A hush fell around the court as he spoke, his voice cold without feeling, dragons listening to his every word. “I still profess my innocence and will prove this to you all.” Black was a cunning old and very devious dragon even at a time of facing death, “I of course will be pleased,” he licked his lips and with grinding sounds of teeth gnashing together, continued “and it will be my pleasure to assist the children every way I can. I of course accept the judgement of the court.” Dragon Gold thrashed his tail three times indicating the Court had made its final and binding judgement.

The furthest most part of Draegonia, to the north, is rugged and bleak, facing usually rough seas. Dragon Black’s sentence of hard labour sees him under tight guard, moving large boulders of heavy volcanic rock 200 metres into the sea. His task has been to form a breakwater that eventually will be joined either side to make a lagoon. He has sweated and toiled nonstop for 18 hours a day and the diet regime imposed on him, together with the hard work, has made him fitter, slimmer and even more formidable looking than when two weeks earlier he was sentenced.

As he moves the final block to complete the breakwater, Dragon Brown appears on the rocky shore line and Dragon Black wades back towards him. Dragon Black’s legs and tail are still heavily chained. On approaching the water’s edge Black overhears Dragon Brown informing the guards that Black is to be taken back to Draegonia Central where Dragon Red and Dragon Smokey Blue, Draegonia’s Chief Technical Dragon, are waiting with George and the three other children for his arrival. Dragon Black thinks of how he can escape. His thoughts focus on how he will wreak revenge, how he will make everyone suffer and how he will deal with the four who have caused him so much humiliation and pain.

Black’s thoughts are interrupted as he is dragon-handled, placed under heavy guard and unceremoniously marched to the awaiting crowd of dragons who now filled the main square. On arrival, to numerous jeers and growls from the crowd encircling him, Dragon Black is restrained by his guards during the fitting of a large iron collar around his neck. A loud click is heard, as George and Joel presses home and securely locks the collar. Grace holds a tiny black taped box with a small silver aerial protruding from it.

“The collar is a very tight fit, Grace. Dragon Black won’t get out of that in a hurry.” Grace looks up at George who helping Joel down from the ladder perched against Dragon Black’s long neck, adds. “In fact we can honestly say it is made to measure.” All four as well as Dragon Red, Pink and Smokey Blue roared with laughter. Dragon Black makes no move, all the while thinking his time will come.

Whilst Dragon Black had been in the north serving part of his Hard Labour sentence, the four children had also been hard at work. The iron rings of a washed up wine barrel had been forged using ‘Dragon Flame’ and heat into a perfect fitting metal collar. The locking mechanism obtained from an old chest was packed with the explosive left over from the reduced sized cartridges of the flares that had been used to restore the ‘Dragon Flame’. The three boys had worked together to modify the emergency radio into two units: one to act as a receiver and detonator and fitted within the collars explosive packed lock and the other to transmit the firing signal.

Now the day had come to put everything together. Black was fitted with his explosive collar and all the dragons had turned out to witness their departure from Draegonia. The children had been given a number of small gifts now packed in the bag that originally had held their survival equipment. Dragon Pink had organised several of her friends to make farewell banners and were now proudly displaying them. They read;

Thank You for Restoring Our Flames.

Come back and see us sometime.

Remember us as your Dragon Friends

And one held at one corner by Dragon Pink just had three words.

We Love You

Pink had tears in her eyes, “Please come back sometime to see us,” she said.

Dragon Gold moved forward, his Gold Chain glistening in the mid afternoon sun. First he spoke to Dragon Black. “Dragon Black, you have completed just 14 days of your 50 Year Hard Labour Sentence, I am sure you do not wish to do anymore. You also have a collar filled with high explosive that should you try to do any foul deed between now and taking the children home, will result in detonation and your head being blown off.”

All the dragons surrounding Dragon Black laughed and as they did so flames spouted out of their mouths in all directions demonstrating that their flames had been fully restored.

Dragon Gold pointed to a specially designed four seat saddle arrangement and ordered it to be affixed to Dragon Black’s back. “Dragon Black” Gold spoke yet again in an authoritative manner. “You may well think that whilst the four children are seated on your back you could fly them anywhere other than their home and that they can’t do anything about it. Well” Gold continued, “the seat you see being fitted to your back also has a means of being detonated. It has been fitted with what the children call a parachute. The seat would serve as a boat over water but wherever and for whatever reason it should be used make no mistake, it allows the children to also detonate your collar, without them being harmed.”