Date: Sat, 22 Nov 2003 12:57:30 +1300
From: arthur <rochopa@xtra.co.nz>
Subject: white dragon part 2

					WHITE DRAGON

					Part Two

					By Arthur


					Ode to Goron


			For searching soul and mighty Wing
			I beseech thee oh son of king
			Take this body of mortal man
			That he may sleep within your hand
			To rise once more above this stricken land
			And fly among Mighty Dragons mists.


As Gremen moved lithely towards the entrance of the cave, Bragill could
feel the smooth warm scales slide tanterlisingly over the naked skin of his
thighs and that secret place of his joining with his Krou. The warmth and
movement very quickly had its effect on his body but the thought of being
clothed from the eyes of his Krou was the furtherest thing from his
thoughts.

The entrance appeared quickly before him and he could see that it was early
dawning by the subdued light outside. In the center of the clearing before
the cave mouth lay a bundle surrounded by the course cloth of his
mentor. No birds sang nor animals moved as the pair appeared in the forming
daylight. The mighty White Dragon lowered himself to the ground and dropped
one wing for his rider to descend to the bundle of cloth and bones before
them.

Gremens words formed in Bragill's mind as he stood naked before the remains
of his mentor and guide.

"Do him Honour Preador, for he was the last of the great ones, just as you
and I are the last of our kind."

"We are the last?"

"Yes, we are the last of the honoured ones, there will be other Krou but no
more of the Goron. You and I have many tasks to complete before our end
comes in ten centuries."

"Ten centuries! but no man can live that long!"

"You are no ordinary man my Preador, you have been blessed with the claw
and the soul of Goron, you will never age nor weary only your understanding
of mortal man will increase and thereby you will save him from his own
destruction."

"But I am only a boy, I can't do all that."

"Yes Preador, a boy, but also a Dragon, that is your saving."

"This is all to much for me to take and please stop calling me Preador,
it...well it seems...not right."

"Ahh if that is your wish my soul, you shall be Brae to me but you must
accept your title from others, as they will expect it to be so."

"Yes that makes me feel better, but what should I call you, Gremen instills
fear of a kind and Goron is to....kingly for my soul."

"Hmmm....well you hold my soul so you make the name."

Bragill frowned at trying to find a name to do honour to this giant soul
mate of his as he tenderly folded up the cloth containing the remains of
his Mentor. As he carried the the bones carefully to the edge of the stone
area to seek a softer place to lay his Mentor to final rest, a name came
into his mind as a friendly paternal face blossomed in his head.

"I would call you Galland, to honour him and to honour you, for that name
carries more import to me than any other."

"Ah my Brae, it is indeed a name of honour and I shall carry it with pride
for your naming."

A warming blue spark developed in Bragills mind as he looked for a place to
lay down his burden.

"Here Brae, let me do him honour."

Bragill turned to look at Gremen, now Galland. The Dragon tood to his full
height, towering over the smaller boy and his bundle, then with a darkening
of his eyes he lowered his head towards the stone and began to emit a blue
shimmering haze from a point between his horns. As the shimmering touched
the stone it appeared to melt into a shallow hollow, long enough to lower
the remains of Galland into.

Bragil carried the bundle to the shallow grave and lay it down with
reverence and slowly the tears of rememberance began to fall down his
cheeks as Gremen put out one mighty talon and scraped large boulders and
stones over the last of Galland until there was a cairn of stones to dense
for any to uncover.

"He will rest here for eternity and none will disturb his final rest my
Brae, be happy for him, for he has brought you to this place to settle the
wrongs of man and that alone was worth his passing."

"I will miss him so much, he was the only father I ever knew."

"Then you were doubley blessed by him Brae, now you must come with me to
Belhadria."

"Belhadria, what is Belhadria?"

"It is our seat of power. It is where all Dragons and their riders gather
to greet each other and to discuss what must be done to help in the saving
of man."

"Will there be many Dragons?"

"Normally not all of them come, but this time they will all be there to
greet us and to do honour to our father."

"Our Father?"

"Yes, he is the King of Dragons, it is said that he was the father of all
Dragons and has seen the passing of more centuries than man himself."

"How do I greet one so mighty as him then....this is to much for me to take
in."

"You are not there to greet him, he is there to greet you. You see Brae,
you are not only the last Preador but the only one to be found in more than
fifteen centuries. The other Goron before me never found their Preador and
their souls were returned to the father. You will be given honour and power
far above any who have come before you for you will recieve the souls of
the departed Goron before me. That is the gift our father will give you."

"But you recieve nothing from this meeting, yet you are more powerful than
I, and you have far more knowledge than I can ever attain."

"Alas my dear Brae, I do recieve a gift, but one that is both great and
sad."

"What is your gift to be Galland?"

"The soul of our Father, it is 'The Way'. Just as your Mentor breathed his
last when his final duty was done, so our Father passes on to his seat of
Prillian, our heaven for mighty Dragons of the Goron line."

"Why should so many great ones have to die for someone like me?"

"It is 'The Way'. It was foretold that one would come, to save mankind and
that he would be of an innocence and compassion and that he would lead all
of the people to greater living but first there would be war and death and
the passing of the last of the Golden Dragons when he appeared."

"There are Golden Dragons?"

"Yes, our Father is the Dragon of Gold, it was his will that kept the
belief alive that you would one day come to us and to lead man from his own
destruction."

"So much death and saddness in all this Galland, it seems so unfair that
others must be destroyed so the I can live."

"They are not destroyed, my Brae, they go to better places and watch over
us every day from their seat in Prillian."

Bragills eyes let his emotions fall like rain drops as the tears made small
trails down his soft cheeks.

"Come Brae, it is time for us to go, your tears show why you are the chosen
one to lead us, your compassion will be the saving of us all."

As Galland lowered his mighty wing once again, Bragill, with leaden steps
mounted his seat on his soul mates shoulders feeling the comforting heat
coming from the shining scales, his still naked skin tingling at the
contact.

A tickling in his forearm made Bragill glance down and he saw that the claw
was a little brighter under his skin and a gentle pressure descended on him
as Galland sprang with a mighty leap into the air and with a few quick
flaps of his great wings was soon far above the shattered landscape.

'Yes' Bragills mind went back to the dream of the emergence. 'Like an eagle
soaring'

Far below the ravages of the ground spread as far as he could see. Nothing
stirred at this early hour apart from a few forrest animals as they looked
for their daytime hiding places and the first spirals of smoke from the
hovels of man marked the new day.

Far to the East Bragill made out the first tendrils of the rising sun as
they flew steadily towards it. The orange glow growing wider and brighter
as the last of the night was pushed aside to bathe the land in a glow like
fire.

In the far distance Bragill could make out the rising of the mountains,
their white snow capped tops reflecting the fire of the sun as it rose
above the far off horizon. The stark coldness of the grey granite and many
faceted face of the mountains, instilled a coldness to what should have
been a new begining for every living thing.

The morning chill of the passing wind on his naked skin didn't seem to
affect Bragills body as they glided effortlessly far above the land,
Gallands body heat kept him warm and not a little excited as the silken
scales carressed his thighs.

"Tonight we will join again my Brae, as we will for many years to come. I
feel your excitment, it is warming to my soul and my desire for you
increases with each passing moment."

Bragill felt a heat come to his cheeks as the thoughts of Galland came into
his mind and truth be it, it was what he wanted as well, to feel that
beautiful silken boy laying over him again, taking him and then warming him
in repleted rest afterwards.

While the land far below appeared to rush by the mountains in the distance
got no closer but Bragill took no heed of time or distance as he became one
with the Dragons flight, feeling the air about him and watching the small
dot like figures below starting a new day in toil.

"So Galland, you used the Dragons fire to dig the hole for my Mentors place
of rest?"

The answering words in his head had a supressed smile in them as Galland
replied.

"Not really Brae, far from what man believes Dragons don't breathe fire,
what you saw was our Aura, it appears to man as though it is fire but in
reality it is from our soul and is an Aura. We can use it for good or for
battle but it is not hot burning fire. The stories say that we lay waste
the land with our fire breathing but in truth it was man himself that set
the fires, our Aura has no heat to it as man would know it."

"But I saw you melt the stone, that would take heat?"

"No Brae, it was a power not a fire that melted the stone."

"What of the stories of Dragons eating new born babes and destroying flocks
and herds in their hunger?"

"Just that Brae, stories, stories to frighten young children, as you have
seen for yourself, we need no common sustainence, we gather our strength
from the air about us just as you now do. Why should we eat the one thing
that we are sent here to protect?"

"So much to learn, I don't think I will ever know it all."

"It will come at the time of the greeting, everything will be made clear to
you when you recieve the souls of the other Goron."

Bragill sat at ease as he let his mind wander through all the new lessons
being passed on to him by Galland. How long had they been flying Bragill
had no idea, but still the towering cliffs of the mountain range looked no
closer but the land below them was now changing into a more rugged
landscape of broken ground interspersed with small farmlets of goat herders
holdings.

Bragill thought he could hear the sounds of small flutes rising from the
ground as the herd boys calmed their flocks far below. Bragil had not
realised that it had been for some time that he could hear the sweet
melodies of the boys pipes and that as far above the ground as they were,
he should not have been able to hear them.

"Calm yourself Brae, your hearing and sight are now much stronger than any
other mans, your abilities will soon match my own in this way, remember we
are one soul so we have the same power except for my Aura and ability to
take flight you are my equal in everything."

Bragill settled once again into his sturdy seat on Gallands neck and let
the lilting tunes flow through him as they passed far overhead. After some
time Bragill made out other small dots in the sky heading in their
direction and as they neared he could make out the bodies of ten Dragons
diving and swirling in the sky as they formed up to approach the pair.

As they drew closer Bragill could make out that they were all a shimmering
bronze colour and that at each of their necks sat a small boy with the
bright shock of red hair flowing in the wind of their flight. It was at
this point that Bragill felt his own hair rustling about his neck. This was
unusual to him as his Mentor had ensured his hair was always close cropped
while he was doing his lessons. He then remembered he had been in the cave
for over five months and his dark black hair had lengthened until it was
now a flowing soft cape around his head and neck. The feeling of the hair
tickling his neck as they sped towards the waiting group gave Bragill
another new found feeling and his boyhood told him what effect it had on
the rest of his body.

The Bronze Dragons and their small redheaded riders soon formed up around
them, five on each side and slightly behind them, the greeting could be
heard in Bragills head clearly as they sent their greetings to the new
pair.

"Greetings mighty Gremen of the Goron, Greetings Preador, Keeper of the
Claw, let us escort you to Belhadria, the Golden One awaits your arrival."

"Greetings, followers of 'The Way' we are both honoured by your escort."

Bragill listened to the formalities in silence but did notice the looks of
awe on the faces of the riders, some of which had previously taken great
delight in bullying Bragill at the school of learning. When the young
riders saw him looking in their direction the each dropped their heads,
both in respect and in shame for their earlier misdemeanors, Bragill felt
now neither hurt nor the need for revenge as he saw how contrite the young
riders now were and let the lesson be its own teacher.

Gallands words entered his head as he sat in contenplation.

"I see you already have the wisdom of a great Preador. Their lesson will be
well learnt by your unsaid words."

"It's just that I see no need for retaliation against what was no more than
boyish pranks at the time. Most of them were in their own way had their own
lessons to learn in their own way, I don't see where it would do any good
to take revenge for no more the pranks."

"Ahh, my Brae, see you are wise beyond your years, just as I said you would
be."

A comforting warmth overtook Bragils mind at the words of his Galland. A
sudden loud mental shout burst through Bragills revery as the Bronze
Dragons began to rise as though they were of one body, Galland at the first
warning had taken the lead in the quick reaction to the shout.

"DANGER, RISE, ALL RISE."

Twisting his head until he could see behind him, Bragill could make out a
mass of twenty to thirty black coloured bodies swooping towards them.

"Galland, what is it?"

"Take note Brae, they are the followers of Gestan, the Knight of Darkness,
they are the Black Dragons of the Wizard of Gestan. Be ready my Brae, this
is going to be an ugly fight, keep the claw in your hand and remember it
will follow your every thought."

As though without thought, the Claw appeared in his hand like an extension
of his own body and as he looked at the other riders he saw them crouch
lower on the necks of their Dragons so that they lay full length aloong the
muscled necks.

"What of the other riders Galland, are they not armed?"

"No Brae, they are the souls of their Dragons and no more, only you have
the Claw, only you can fight alongside of me or any other Dragon."

"I don't know what I can do Galand, I'm not trained in warfare."

"Just let your mind and compassionate soul do you bidding, you will know
what to do when it is time."

Bragill looked again at the closing Black Dragons as a shiver of fear
settled deep into his stomach at the sight of so much power and evil being
projected towards them. As he watched the formation of evil split into
three groups, the leaders still heading straight towards them. The other
two groups tried to gain height as they veered off, one to the left and the
other to the right in what could become a pincer movement.

"Thank you Brae, your eyes are my eyes so if you can keep watching them for
me I can make our plans."

The blue spark that had appeared in his minds eye, grew brighter as he felt
Gallands soul singing in harmony with his own.  With a sudden twist of his
lithe huge body, Galland swung them higher above the other Bonze Dragons
and turned towards the Black horde as they approached.

"Be ready Brae, I'm going to dive through the lower ranks, I will use my
Aura to protect us and attack them but I will need your eyes and the use of
the Claw to help me. The others will keep the outriders busy but you and I
must take on this flight alone. Are you ready my Preador?"

"If it must be then I die alongside you my Galland."

"We will not die this day my Brae but we will have the fight of our lives
to remember."

Galland began his dive towards the now expectant Black Horde, his Aura now
glowing a darker shade of blue as it reached out at the invaders. Bragills
hand clenched the now glowing Claw is it reshaped itself into what Bragill
hoped would be an effective weapon against the charging mass in front of
him.

While the feel of the claw was a comfort to him he didn't think that its
slender glowing length would be very effective against the masses of Dragon
flesh before him.

'I need an Aura like Gallands to fight this mass.' Bragill thought to
himself.

Like magic in his hand the Claw sent a bright sharp bolt of white light at
the first of the Black dragons, striking it below the neck between the
front legs. With an ear splitting scream of agony the wings of the Black
Dragon folded and the dark rider on his back fell from his seat to plummet
down to the waiting cold hardness of the jagged granite below them. The
Dragon turned over and over in a final somersault of death as it plummeted
downward.

Galland renewed his downward dive at the rest of the formation, all of whom
had begun to slow at the surprise attack by the small rider of the Goron
Dragon. Nothing like this had happened to them before and as they ususally
outnumbered their foe they had no reason the think this would be any
different from other attacks on the Bronze Dragons of Belhadria. The sudden
attack and death of one of their number, by no less than a rider, was
enough to unsettle the invaders but by the time they had reformed their
attack it was to late as Galland swooped down among them, his Aura sent out
to stun two more of the Black horde as he drove through them and with a
twist of his body began his upward flight to attack them again from below.

Bragill sent out another thought like the first and with a shudder of
feeling at the effect of his blast, watched as another Rider fell from his
mount as it tumbled lifelessly towards the ground. As Bragill took in the
total power of the Claw and its abilities in battle he suddenly felt a
blast of stunning power hit both of them as they climbed up through the
rest of the panicing mass of the enemy.

The beginings of blackness started to overtake him as he felt Galland begin
to tumble downward as one wing began to drop as though useless for
flying. Dreaded thoughts ran through Bragills head as he stayed with his
soul mate in the flailing fall toward death.

"Galland....Galland, you said we would not die this day, but if it must be
then I gladly die with you.......I love you, Galland.


TO BE CONTINUED: