The Divine Apprentice (The Divine Series) (21 page)

This is how I met the dragon,
he thought to himself. 

Grateful for getting away from the torment of his own thoughts, he took in the view of his surroundings.  Rayden increased his pace into a lope.  The dragon went from a relaxed stretching of his body to a tensing of its muscles, ready for the next powerful lunge.  It was more like the dragon was launching itself forward and then gliding through the air to land, ready for the next lunge.  Not a far leap, but not a run either.  Kade was not sure if he could take this kind of jolting for long.  As if Rayden had read his mind, the dragon’s gait changed yet again.  It now stayed closer to the ground as the distance it covered shortened.  It made for a much smoother ride.  He smiled to himself in satisfaction and settled in for the journey.

Kade forced himself to stop criticizing his decisions and watched the woods for any sign of danger.  He knew he would be a fool to think there would be no more fearsome creatures like the last.  He tried to think back on the storybook and recall what other dangerous creatures he may find along the way.

Hours slid by as Kade’s worry for his parents grew.  His quest to find another Chosen had to wait until he knew his parents were safe.  He was not about to let another loved one die at the hands of this evil; not if he could help it.

Everything was quiet with the exception of the dragon letting out a grunt here and there as it ran.  There was not even a single animal in site, but he was not going to let this lull him into a false sense of security
.  I am not going to make that mistake again,
he told himself, trying to stay alert, but his mind would, inevitably, return to dissecting every decision he had recently made.

Patting the dragon’s neck affectionately, his hand came away with a slight wet feel. 
This is as good a time as any for a rest
, Kade thought as he directed Rayden deeper into the woods for cover.  The almighty Divine knew he could use it and they had covered a lot of ground.  It was not long before they entered a clearing under a large tree.

This looks like a good place to stop and rest,
Kade sent to the dragon.  Rayden eagerly came to a stop and bent down to one knee, trembling slightly until its front leg was down.  Kade slid off, not using the dragon’s knee for support, and landed on his feet, then his butt as his knees gave way.  His legs tingled from the lack of circulation.  He rubbed his thighs, trying to get some feeling back into them.  After waited for the tingling to stop, he got to his feet, looking around for any signs of water.  His throat was dry and he was certain that the dragon would appreciate a drink, also.

Thinking back on the stream, Kade turned to the dragon. 
Can you find water?
  Kade asked with his mind.  The dragon eyed him without lifting its head off the ground.  Its eyelids looked ready to close and the eyes themselves appeared to be losing focus. 

Maybe later,
Kade thought and considered just dropping to the ground himself when the dragon, with obvious effort, heaved itself up to stand unsteadily.  It shook slightly and headed off at a slow meandering walk in a direction that left no doubt in Kade’s minded as to where they were going.

For once, things seem to be going right.  It was not more than a few minutes when Kade could hear the sound of babbling water.  Suddenly, they stepped though a line of trees into one of the most beautiful lagoons Kade could have ever imagined.  The water was a deep, clear blue with lush vegetation everywhere.  There was a twenty foot waterfall that made him feel as if he had stepped into another land.  To say it was majestic was an understatement.

The dragon seemed to pick up a bit of energy as it dropped down next to the edge of the water and took long draws of the cool, clean liquid, swallowing loudly.  Kade did the same.  Knowing that this must be a common watering hole for other animals, Kade stayed alert for anything that moved.  The area stayed quiet, giving them the much needed break.  After drinking their fill of water, Kade rose to his feet and beckoned for the dragon to follow.  Lethargically, it rose and lumbered after him.

Kade worked his way through the woods, looking for a safe place to stop and rest.  Several minutes later, he stopped next to a large tree that must have been close to a hundred feet tall and six feet wide at the base.  He examined the ground for tracks or any other sign that would indicate animal life and found none that were recent.  Believing this place to be safe, he removed the books from the dragon and plunked them down next to the tree.

As Kade was considering what to do next, his stomach grumbled loudly.  The dragon dropped to the ground and its head started to slowly sink.  Before Rayden could close his eyes, Kade’s stomach protested again at the lack of food.  As much as he wanted rest, remembering that tasty, hot, juicy meat made his mouth water.  He was more famished than he realized.

Kade glanced at the dragon and gave a bark of laughter.  Even though Rayden was quickly fading into a sleep state, he had just a little bit of drool coming out of his mouth.  Kade knew exactly how the dragon felt.  He watched for a few more seconds, waiting.  Then…the dragon’s eyes shot open as if it were stung.  Its head rose up and it looked at Kade expectantly while licking its lips.  Kade let out another laugh.

“So, food before sleep?” Kade asked.  “You go get us something and I will start a fire,” he prompted.

The dragon seemed to consider the proposition of food as it eyed the ground, tempted to lie back down.  Kade gave a sly smile as he visualized the strong smell of cooking meat, and that was all Rayden needed.  He was off on the hunt.  Kade laughed again as he watched the dragon disappear into the woods.

He started to rub the soreness out of his muscles as he turned to look for wood to make a fire.  He was certain he was going to suffer dearly in the morning as he tried to work the kinks out of his lower back.  But that just could not be helped.  It was either deal with the soreness or a walk that would take days.

There was plenty of firewood for the gathering.  Kade had a pile of kindling ready to go and sat down with his back against the tree, waiting.  The rough tree bark was not as comfortable as he would have liked, but he appreciated the chance to relax and regain much of his lost energy.  He leaned his head against the tree and closed his eyes.  His mind slowed considerably and his body relaxed more and more by the second.  It felt amazing to finally be able to just let go for even just a short time. 

It will only be a few moments, and then I will get back up to wait for Rayden,
he told himself.  At least…that was the plan, but he felt himself drifting, and he had no energy to fight it.

Kade jumped hard as something shoved him over, startling him awake.  He rolled to the side and sprang to his feet, ready to face this threat.  He tried to clear his head as a giant, golden eye glared at him.  Well, he probably would not have realized it was a glare without the subtle mental connection.  His face turned a few shades of color under the dragon’s scrutiny.

“I did not mean to sleep.  I was only resting till you got back,” Kade said a bit sheepishly.  “Okay, fine.  You were out working and I was relaxing,” he said as he shook his head.  “What was I supposed to be doing?”  That was the best apology the dragon was going to get, but it appeared to be enough.

Rayden turned and picked up something from the ground.  He spun back toward Kade, and unceremoniously, dropped a boar heavily at his feet with a thud.  The apprentice smiled and his stomach growled in anticipation.  Turning his attention to the pile of wood, he called on the Blue Flame of the Divine and set the logs ablaze.  Pleased with his work, he turned back to the boar and stopped.  He glanced around for something to use to prop the boar up with.  There was nothing.  With no spit, this was going to be difficult.

“I have an idea,” Kade said as he started to gather large stones.

Grinning to himself at his cleverness, he soon had the boar completely covered with large rocks.  A good amount of confusion came from the dragon, making Kade chuckle.  The dragon was mystified beyond words as to why Kade was burying their food and even attempted to dig the boar back up until Kade pushed it back.

“Just watch,” Kade said and felt good about finding this simple solution to their problem.

He used several branches to move the wood around the pile of rocks.  He heaped several more on top of the pile and gave the fire just a little help to increase the heat.  He stood back and smiled.

“It’s an oven.  You will see.  The rocks will cook it but not let it burn,” Kade said proudly.  Doubt came from Rayden as confusion drifted through the link.  “Well, it’s the best we have,” Kade said defensively.  “Okay, you just wait.  When I have hot, steamy pork, you will see.”

An hour passed as Kade to fire.  It was not difficult to keep the fire burning hot, but it was hard to be patient as the smell of cooking meat wafted through their little camp.  Kade looked at the dragon with an I-told-you-so expression, but Rayden seemed not to notice.  Kade almost believed it until he saw the drool starting and burst out laughing so hard he actually doubled over.  The dragon snapped at him but it only served to confirm what he suspected.

Recovering from his fits of laughter, Kade patted the dragon on the side.  He chuckled to himself, wrapped his arms around Rayden’s neck and hugged him tightly.  Rayden relaxed ever so slightly.

“I would not trade you for anything,” Kade said.  This seemed to help even more.  “I know what would make you happy,” Kade said as he picked up a pole he had cut from a nearby tree.  He shifted the rocks away from the boar to display their prize.  Just then, Kade flinched as a big, wet splotch hit him on the head.  Reaching up and running his fingers through his hair, he pulled his hand away to display a massive amount of slimy wetness.  He wiped his hands on the ground and glared at the dragon.

“Was that necessary?” Kade asked as he tried to clean more of the drool out of his hair.  “Do you have to hover over me and do that?”

Kade used several large leaves to clean his head the best he could and then returned to their feast while looking forward to bathing in the lagoon.  He could almost feel the water washing away the days travel.  He was wiping his hair with another handful of leaves when an odd sensation drifted through the link, causing his eyes to widen and his mouth to hang open.  Kade looked at the dragon in shock.

“Oh, so now that’s funny, eh?  Okay, just remember you started this,” Kade chided, feeling a friendly rivalry starting.  He was good with this kind of challenge, even though he would have preferred not to have a head of slimy, wet hair.   He refocused his attention on removing the boar from the makeshift oven.  There were a few burnt spots, but for the most part, it had cooked nicely.  Kade quickly forgot all about his hair as he licked his lips in anticipation of the juicy meal.

It took just a little work, but soon, Kade had one leg severed from the boar.  He had to use leaves for pads or the meat would have burned his hands.  With his portion in his hands, he motioned for Rayden to eat.  The dragon’s head dipped toward the boar and then shot back up to look intently at Kade.

“Yes, all of it is yours,” Kade said, sensing the unasked question.

Rayden did not need to be told twice as he lunged at the boar as though it were trying to escape.  Dragging the carcass away just a few feet, the dragon dropped down and tore hungrily into its prize.  Using its front claws to hold the boar, it tore the meat apart easily and eagerly.  Kade found himself staring at the dragon’s ferocity.  Returning his attention back to his own food, he did his best to eat the steaming meat, but unfortunately, he did not have the dragon’s tolerance for heat.

As soon as the food cooled, Kade stuffed himself full.  Not able to eat even one more bite, he sat back against the tree and closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of a full belly.  After a moment, he noticed it was quiet, too quiet.  He opened his eyes and turned to see Rayden staring at him.  No, not just staring but locked onto him without blinking or even hardly breathing.  It shot a glance at his left hand, which was holding the meat, and then returned to staring at him.  Kade smiled and motioned with the boar’s leg. 

“It’s yours,” Kade said, allowing the thought to pass through their mental link.  The dragon did not need any urging and snatched the meat up so fast that Kade flinched.  “Easy boy, easy,” Kade said, checking to see if he were missing any fingers.

Seeing that all appendages appeared to be intact, Kade smiled to himself and watched the dragon quickly engulf his leftovers.  There were only a few bones left with just scraps of meat on them.  He hoped the dragon had, had enough, but he had his doubts.  Kade knew it could eat a whole cow in one sitting, so this was probably more like a snack.

Leaning back against the tree, Kade enjoyed the calm of the woods.  He looked around the clearing and for the first time really noticed the nature that was surrounding him.  The air was clean and he felt good for the first time in a long time.  He knew that having a full belly, plenty of water and the company of his dragon had a lot to do with it, but he was ok with that.  He took in the sound of birds and smiled.  He looked at his pile of books to make sure they were still secure and considered sliding them next to him in case he drifted off.  He quickly discarded that idea, worried that he would inadvertently open one during his sleep. 

He could feel his eyelids growing heavy, and welcomed it.  He was almost out when the snoring dragon startled him.  He smiled again, and then let go, enjoying the feeling of every muscle turning to jelly as his mind drifted in any direction it wanted.  He felt himself take a deep, long breath, and as he was exhaling, the world faded.