Legend of the Inero Dragon (25 page)

Chapter One

There are a multitude of rules that must be
obeyed when finding the perfect sacrifice for the great water
dragon, Lord Oceina. The sacrifice must be female. She may not be
older than eighteen years of age. She must be pure like the snow -
un-tainted in any way.

The priests watched all of the girls who grew
up on Little Oceina Island. They watched for potential candidates
for the next sacrifice, because it was to their advantage to have a
girl ready rather than to be caught off guard. The great dragon was
quite spontaneous with his demands, though for the past fifty some
years each sacrifice was spaced apart by exactly eight years. This
time, they would be ready when the great lord called on them for
aide.

The priests had suggested many fine young
women. Each beautiful and smart in their own way and containing
several different talents. One girl in particular the priests
favored more than any. She was a beautiful blonde with sparkling
blue eyes and a body that made many other women jealous. The
dragon, however, was not impressed.

"I don't like her."
He said bluntly in
that strange speech the dragons used with the human priests. Few
humans could understand the dragon tongue. This skill separated the
average person from the priesthood. It was a holy gift, which
helped with the bonding between the two species.

The dragon lord flew through the sky with the
aid of his magic and the head priest of the island clutched to his
dark blue scales for dear life. It was well known that there was
more than one water dragon in existence. This specific dragon,
however, was the lord over all the others of his kind, or so the
priests believed. His happiness was the most important of them all,
as their very lives depended on it.

These dragons ruled over the continent, which
was named after them as appointed to them by God. If the dragons
ever became displeased, the island would lose its protection the
creatures provided. Protection from the other species of dragon who
might invade the island or otherwise try to harm its inhabitants.
There were four dragon species in all. The Oceina (water dragons),
the Aero (wind dragons), the Inero (fire dragons), and the Terran
(earth dragons).

The Oceina dragons all had long, well
muscled, snake like bodies and four legs to support themselves with
on the ground. Their scales were always a shade of blue. More often
than not a deep, rich, dark, blue that shimmered in the light like
precious stones. They were elegant and strong, quick to anger and
wise, and thus amongst the most highly revered species of dragon in
the world.

Without the blessing of the great dragon lord
of the water, the island would lose its protection and be outcast
as a rebel nation, or one unaffiliated with one of the four great
dragon lords. The island was too small, and far too passive to risk
such a venture.
Often, this resulted in the
priests being too agreeable, unwilling to assert their true
opinion.
The dragon lord had been told they would be by his
kin, but he was amazed at how annoying this was. Generally, he was
very patient, but the priests he had spoken to today were beginning
to wear him thin.

"You don't like her?" The high priest
stammered. "Forgive my doubt, my lord, but what is there not to
like about her? Surely she cannot be that displeasing?"

"I don't like her
," he repeated.
"I
have another in mind. Now of course if you wish to go against my
wishes and not provide for me the sacrifice of my choice, I will
simply kill them both and leave your temple for the Inero to set
ablaze. There should be as little bloodshed as possible
."

"Yes, of course my lord."

"I am pleased we agree. Now, as for my
chosen sacrifice...."

Her name was Tai Dawson, and in the great
dragon lord's eyes, she was by far the most beautiful human female
he had ever seen. Few would argue with him on the matter, and not
simply because he was the lord, but because she was indeed a rare
beauty. She radiated with purity, and not just in the sense that
she had never known the touch of a man, but rather because she had
the same sort of beauty a waterfall or a sunset had. She was
natural and confident. Her hair was long and dark, and it looked so
soft. The dragon lord wanted to touch it, so badly, but he would
have to wait until the sacrifice.

What really drew him to her was neither her
long, wavy, dark hair, nor her petite but delightfully curved body.
It was her eyes. It was not often he saw a human with eyes that
matched the color of his scales. He'd always had a strange
attraction to the color blue. The sparkle of her eyes made him
wonder if what the humans felt when they saw him fly was the same
as how he felt when he stared into her eyes - lost, amazed, and out
of breath.

The dragon lord was surprised the priests had
not chosen her from the beginning, but then he would remind himself
of what his kin had advised him. The priests didn't know anything
about what he truly wanted. Thus, he should reject any sacrifice
that wasn't her. He only wanted this girl. He had chosen her nearly
six years ago. His heart was set on it.

"If you're sure, my lord." The priest said,
bowing his head down humbly against the dragon's skin.

"I'm positive
."

"When do you wish for this sacrifice to
commence?"

"The seventh day of the first month of the
new bloom."
His eighteenth birthday. The day he would be
entering into adulthood amongst his brothers and other kin. He
couldn't think of a better way to celebrate than with the
sacrifice. The sacrifice that was really a marriage ceremony
between him and this chosen girl. He had to be wed. It was the way
of his kind. He wanted to be wed, and he only wanted her or no one.
No one was not an option for him. He had to do his part to continue
on his species. He loved this girl though, a lot. The priests did
not know this of course. The priests believed that the dragon lord
would eat the girl. All of the humans believed this actually. What
the humans didn't realize was the dragons walked amongst them.

His family had thought the idea of
celebrating his birthday with the sacrifice odd. In the rare chance
something was to go wrong, it would be horrible for the day to be
spoiled, but he wouldn't have it any other way. Things would go how
he planned them, and they would be perfect. He refused to accept
any less and he was far too stubborn to give up.

"Yes, the first day—"

"No, your grace. I said the seventh."

"But why the seventh?" The high priest paused
to gasp at the realization he had once more questioned his lord and
proceeded to bury his face back against the dragon's skin. "Forgive
my doubt once more. I should not question your ways. You know far
more than we in the mysteriousness that is our God."

"You too can learn the same mysteries if
you open your faith to the possibility."
The dragon said
gently.
"Seven has always been a holy number and it is the day
which strikes me the most for this ritual. We will not be
performing the ceremony for hopes of a bountiful harvest this year.
I have already foreseen the crops will be ripe on time and
plentiful. This sacrifice is a sacrifice of thanks for safe passage
through the terrible winter storms, and for safety through the
summer months. I worry the tropical storm systems we experienced
recently will only strengthen as time presses on. Perhaps we will
be able to gain favor. Gain favor through obedience."
He
clarified.
"Not through ritual."

"Yes, my lord. That gives us two weeks to
prepare for the ceremony. Do you know the specific arrangements
already, or have they not yet been spoken to you?" The priest
lifted his eyes and his grip on the dragon's back weakened. Which
was good because the dragon feared he might break a scale with such
a hold.

"I have all of the arrangements now. I
shall take you back to the temple and dictate them to your fellow
brothers and sisters. I am very pleased with your obedience. It
will not go unrewarded."
The dragon had the ceremony in his
mind for the past year. He'd been dreaming of this day for so long.
Two weeks was far too long to keep waiting, but it would be
unethical of him to perform the sacrifice before he was of age. It
would defeat the purpose of bringing him into adulthood.

"Thank you, my lord."

"After this sacrifice, I do believe there
will be no need for one again for quite a long time."
If he
could smile, the dragon lord would have.
"Your island has always
been so faithful. I do hope it stays that way. Even without such a
regular tradition."

"Of course, my lord. We will forever be
faithful to you."

The dragon lord hoped the priest was telling
him the truth. The island was an important asset to their empire.
Enough thinking about politics,
he thought. After all, there
were much more pleasant things that should have been dancing
through his mind.

"I will return in two weeks time, and I
shall see for sure then. Do try not to embarrass the poor girl,
though I do make a small request."

"Yes, my lord?"

"How can I put this delicately? I much
prefer to not remove clothing from my teeth. I don't like the taste
of fabric either, but it would be disrespectful to the sacrifice to
have her lie around completely nude."
He was trying not to
sound too eager about the idea, but he couldn't help it. The images
of the girl that were now in his mind were enough to make him
blush. Thankfully, the priest wouldn't be able to notice from where
he was riding on the dragon lord's back, but anyone who was
familiar with the physical attributes of his species would have
noticed the slight purple tint to the skin on his face. He couldn't
help it. The girl was beautiful. The dragon lord had never touched
a woman before in his life. The idea of being able to soon gave him
tingles, made him giddy with excitement. Waiting would be hard.

"Yes, we are well familiar with the custom,
my lord." The priest said softly. "Is there anything else that you
request of us at this time?"

Two weeks.
The dragon lord said again.
Have everything ready by then.

"Yes, my lord."

It wouldn't pass fast enough for him. He knew
it. As he flew home, he was already beginning to feel the drag of
the hours, and those hours would extend into days. He wondered if
the same would be true for Tai Dawson.

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