James M Watson

Dawn of the Beast

It was a beautiful summer that the kingdom was having. Everyone was gathering eagerly at the town square to carry water from the magical well. Birds were chirping wherever you went and the people were singing folk songs as they skipped back to their homes.

However, only a short distance outside the kingdom, Atlantis, the dragon sat miserably in his cave in the mountain eagerly awaiting a visit from any of his dragon friends. Although he was actually anticipating a visit from another, more sinister, group of creatures. Every so often they would venture up the steep mountain in search of him, slowly edging towards his cave until they were standing right before the entrance. Then their leader-the bravest of the group –would stalk the cave looking for him, tracing everything he knew. They were always so close, but they could never find him. This only frustrated the leader further, as his primary directive was to find Atlantis and kill him making sure there was no chance of survival. This intimidated Atlantis greatly. They intimidated him greatly: The knight and his men.

Atlantis could sense their sudden arrival with every bone in his body; as dragons do have sensational senses. They were sharp as daggers. He could hear them trekking all the way from the kingdom, and his concern grew day by day. He did not like the way they threatened his way of life, or the fact that they treated it like a game, however he would not stop them. He was a very sensitive dragon, not as you would expect. He had known enough of ‘those’ types of dragons to know he didn’t want to be as such. He had tried once in his youth but had proved futile, he could never live up to the standards of his siblings, he just wasn’t cut out for it. But there was a price to pay, being the dragon he was. He was banished from his tribe; he was rejected by his ashamed parents and forced to live in the cave he currently occupied.

It was late now and he was getting tired, he was dragged down by sleep and could not be bothered to remember what he had been talking about. As a result he soon nodded off into a deep slumber.

Atlantis was a timid and apprehensive dragon who was very reserved, not very distinctive at all. Although he had one feature that made him stand out; his shimmering emerald eyes so full of hope and wonder.

Atlantis had once loved to explore the vast pastures of the land, scaling mountains and charging through the desert, hiding in the meadows and chucking up water from any river he passed. Though since that time something happened to change all this, he was on his final bombing run soaring higher and higher into the sky… when something terrible happened. After this point he had never properly set foot out into the open, but he longed for the courage to do so; He could never bring himself to face his past. However that all changed one day when a leaflet floated onto the foot of his cave.

Atlantis woke up that day in a tired state, it was obvious something had been bothering him last night, however his anxiety faded after his breakfast of the luscious berries that grew all around the cave. It was approaching midday -the time he would usually spend sitting inside the cave doing nothing -when the mysterious flyer drifted through the opening in the rock and onto the cave floor. It was wet and muddy but otherwise it was still legible. Atlantis was intrigued by it and hastily opened it with his claw, eager to see what it said. It read as follows:

Come to the 50th annual festival of talents at the kingdom centre!

Anyone participating will need to venture to the kingdom before the start of the festival in a fortnight.

It will surely be a fine event food, wine and much entertainment from the king’s personal jesters

For the main finale we will be have dragons for show, taunt them as you wish!

They have been handpicked by his majesty, the prince

We ensure you our soldiers will tame them and they will be caged properly

Atlantis put the flyer back down and looked at it in awe. This did not sit well with him. He didn’t like the sound of them enslaving precious dragons. Furthermore one of them could be one of his friends, what if they were suffer? After much deliberation he decided he would venture to the kingdom and come to an agreement with its people so that they would not to hurt any dragons .He thought about going on dangerous venture to the kingdom and couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed however he knew he must do it.so with this he started to get ready. The list of what he would take included:

A pouch of his favourite seasonal berries from the nearby forest

A flask of water from the lush spring north of his cave

A jar of fireflies so he could see at night

And, a book of enchantments to ward off evil spirits

Once he had prepared what he was taking he mapped out his journey both physically and mentally. He traced every nook and cranny of his route to the last inch, so that he took the easiest and quickest route. Then he scanned the map so to check he had not made any mistakes. He knew this would be a long and perhaps treacherous journey. As well as this he had little knowledge of the route to the kingdom as almost all his knowledge came from the woods surrounding the cave. He knew the woods that stretched towards the kingdom well but once he got past there he would be relying mainly on his senses to guide him. He had always wanted to visit the kingdom but had always been too nervous to do so, but today that all changed. With a flutter of wings he raced out of the cave soaring high into the open air. His adventure had just begun.

He was just starting on his long journey to the kingdom. He had chosen to go through the heart of the fearsome forest as this was the quickest route ,however it was also extremely dangerous so he was making extra sure that he was careful. Along his travels he met with several very disturbing sights. He was halfway through the forest when he became very scared. The sky started to turn grey above him, and clouds were swirling in the sky. Atlantis was getting nervous, he tried to fly up out of the forest but he kept being forced to the ground. He used all his energy to thrust forward edging on until the storm passed. Although his anxiety did not. He needed somewhere to rest that night so he didn’t freeze to death. After much searching he found an opening under the rocks at a patch of shrubbery.

He lay down his head. He had never experienced such harsh conditions before. It was making him rife with panic. He lay there with his head held low, sobbing himself to sleep. The next day when Atlantis woke up the storm gone .It was approaching just over a week into his journey and he was getting hungry as well. He had one thought in his mind: If he was going to make it all the way to the kingdom ,he was going to have to be very brave. He looked through his book of spells before continuing his journey, once he had found what he needed to know he resumed his journey once again. Next stop on his journey was the rapid river.

He picked up his belongings, trekked along steadily, leaping over mountain passes and ducking under branches. He spent some time in the moors of the deserted pixie realm. Atlantis wondered why it was deserted however this would soon be evident to him. He kept trekking until he reached the river ,there was just one problem, he could not swim. The wind was far too strong for him to fly across. He only had one option, he would learn to swim. He lay on some flat rocks on his belly practicing all day. By now he had almost mastered the skill. However it was almost evening; it was now or never. He looked into the deep blue water full of dread, however he knew he must swallow his nerves. Before he could change his mind he dived in: first his head then his long neck followed by his arched wings and his enormous body and finally his strong legs. Once he was in the water the panic set in again. His legs were splashing up and down and he was sinking, but he gradually coordinated his arms and legs to work together. However his mind was not cooperating. The cold water struck at him from every angle. He was inhaling lots of water .He was going under. All hope seemed to be lost when he found the end of a vine in front of him. He grabbed at the vine desperately to pull him in as he was being sucked under by the current. He was regaining his confindence. Slowly as he pulled on more and more vine he approached the shore. He was exhausted, and he was overcome with a sense of pride, a pride that reached out and tingled through every part of his body. A pride that only came with achieving something you never thought you could do.

Atlantis would need somewhere to stay again tonight. He chose a comfortable clearing in the woods with a burnt out bonfire in the middle. Atlantis was intrigued by this. It was very spacious and there was also plenty of moss he could use as a blanket. It looked like something or someone had been here before but he wasn’t going to argue. He slumped onto the floor, pulling the moss onto himself and drifting into a deep sleep after an extraordinary day.

He was nearly there, the final day of his journey was rapidly nearing. So far he had:

Scaled the rocky mountain passes around his cave

Gone north through the fearsome forest encountering harsh winds and other dangers

Trekked along the grassy highlands of the pixie realm.

Swam across the rapid rivers

And now the end was imminent. All that was left to do is scale the mystical meadow surrounding the kingdom. For this he would need his spell book as he had a deadly allergy to the mystical powder contained in the meadows. He took out his spell book and flipped through until he found the letter ‘M’ then he found ‘mystical powder’. Once he had found it he saw it required light so he whipped out his jar of fire flies and rehearsed the chant. Gradually the spell began to work. The mystical powder drifted away from the long grass and collected in clouds in the air allowing him to walk freely. Only then he was fully enclosed in the meadow did he see something strange and curious. He saw four hooded figures, also in the long grass, as if on their way back from a trip in the direction he’d come from. He knew this because they all looked exhausted. All except one, the one at the front, who looked frustrated as if he was looking for something that he had yet to find. He wanted to go and say hello, but he had been warned to be cautious so reluctantly he did not.

Atlantis was very hungry and remembered the berries in his pouch so he snacked on them. After he was fully refreshed he continued on the final steps to the kingdom. Every step edging him nearer to his fate until he was right at the foot of the magnificent golden gates forming the entrance to the kingdom. It was only now that he remembered what he came here to do. He couldn’t help but feel nervous. He was sweating in heaps however his fear ceased when he saw how lively and content the people of the kingdom were. They were so tranquil, going about their business like he didn’t exist. He saw the group of hooded figures entering the kingdom and decided to do the same. He followed in sync until he was pressed up against the gate. There was celebration in the air, though this all changed when they saw what they perceived to be a hideous beast looming over their kingdom. “Dear lord, a monster!”, someone screamed. Soon all of the inhabitants saw him and were horrified, and decided to wage war on Atlantis.

Atlantis was hurt and upset, he had not done anything wrong. All he wanted to do was find his family. He groaned in frustration….Suddenly it was as if his whole body had been taken over by dark forces, he swiped viciously at the castle walls and spat fire with so much power he left a gaping hole in the wall. He pulled away coming back to himself. What had he done? He did not remember causing all this destruction. People stared at him with horror in their eyes. He looked back blankly, confused as to what had just happened, before he could respond he heard a loud voice saying “Man the battle stations!”

It was the voice of what appeared to be a powerful person of high rank in the kingdom, perhaps one of the knight’s men. All the armouries had been activated. Catapults were readied, the archers positioned and they even had a ballista to target him. These could all be triggered by slash of a sword coming from the prince. Tension hung low in the air. Atlantis gulped quickly as all his deepest nerves and fears gathered inside of him as one big black entity. His eyes darted around the scene. Time seemed to have stopped. But there was just one piece missing from the puzzle. Where was the knight? He was inside the kingdom. Surrounded by heavy armour on all sides and at least a dozen soldiers willing to die for him. He could see it in their eyes. He could see everything. Seeing into people’s souls was something only he could do or imagine doing, something wonderful.

However this brief moment before battle, it could not stay like this forever. The moment passed, and lurched back to reality. The piercing sound of the knight’s sword slashing through the air was the only sound that could be heard. It signalled the beginning of the deadly battle between man and beast. This was followed by the word “fire!” and then instantaneously the first flaming cannon ball was fired into the air going straight towards Atlantis. He gulped hard, doing a poor job of concealing his fear. However the weapon was quite out of range of its target. The dragon followed it with his eyes until he found the spot where it was due to land, right on top of the princess. The dragon knew what he had to do. However there was hardly any time to do so. If he floundered that would be her end. With one swipe, his enormous claw he scooped her up into his soft warm chest. He had rescued her just in time, however, the once blazing ball was still spitting and smouldering. Though to Atlantis one thing did not add up, the knights reaction to all this. It was as if he had no regard for what had just happened, he had no regard for this, as if he didn’t care. In that moment it all become clear to Atlantis. The reason he felt so anxious about the knight visiting his cave, the campfire that looked like it had been inhabited, the hooded figures in the meadow; it was all the knight. The knight was on a mission to kill Atlantis, to end him on once and for all. The dragon was the final stage in his game to be the divine ruler of the kingdom. With Atlantis gone he could take his place on the throne. Nothing else mattered, any sacrifice was worth it, even his beloved princess. Atlantis looked into his eyes and saw grimness and dark matter, not hope love or happiness. His mind was driven by power and wealth. He was not caring or compassionate, and therefore he was weak.

What happened next no-one could predict. The dragon and the princess looked into each other’s eyes, and at that moment Atlantis understood her perfectly. He let her go putting her on the floor. She picked up a spare bow on the ground outside the kingdom fortress. Next she climbed back onto his claw as he raised her just above the wall. He did all this as if in some sort of trance, his mind felt like it was being taken over, and not in a good way. However the moment subsided. He was disturbed by it but he managed to push the feeling out of his mind and it didn’t bother him anymore. All the while they were firing at Atlantis from every angle. He was wounded badly .However he remained steady, fixated on the princess. She stood flat of his palm, aiming with her bow and arrow until she had a perfect shot, right in his heart. She let the arrow loose. Timed fell still. Everyone’s eyes were on the arrow. It was whistling through the air. It entered the knight, the King’s only son, piercing his skin and striking his heart.

It had only just sunk in for Atlantis, and for the rest of the kingdom. The knight clutched his heart in pain and slowly fell to the ground. Atlantis breathed heavily knowing what had just happened. However the princess seemed surprisingly comfortable. Every breath was held in anticipation. No-one knew how to feel. The air of tension had peaked and now the moment had passed. If Atlantis couldn’t decide how to feel, the kingdom certainly did. They were celebrating in the streets. It turns out the princess had done some of the people a great justice .Although not everyone was happy. There would be great division in the kingdom. Division that would take innocent men to resolve a war. Though for now there would be happiness. Atlantis couldn’t help but smile even though it was wrong.

Eventually everything went back to normal. The conflict between the two sides was gradually resolved, without both sides having to make large and pointless sacrifices. Finally everyone was happy and at peace, the princess, as the only heir to the throne, resumed her place as queen of the kingdom. As for Atlantis, the queen fully pardoned him ,and called his actions purely acts of debt to her. All his wounds all healed and he got more than he sought for in the end as he became the friend and entertainer of the princess who then became queen. He had the friendship of the kingdom and the best part; he didn’t have to stay in his cave anymore! He was finally truly secure . However one question remained unanswered. Where were the other dragons? It was one crisp morning that the dragon looked into the eyes of the new queen as they sat together for this morning’s announcement. She smiled at him with a sweet warm heart-melting smile and made him believe that everything was alright. They shared a long, lingering look before he delved deep into the pits of her eyes exploring every inch and then glanced away what he saw was breath -taking, fascinating it made him gasp in astonishment. At first he saw clouds of thick mystery but they were soon enveloped by fiery pits of anger and rage. Sparks of hatred flickered and danced in circles. Visions of power and glory glazed over her eyes. However at the centre of it all was a stark outline of one creature. A dragon. Atlantis knew her plan was to use her new position to give her strength and power and that she would abuse it; but she had a deeper desire, to wipe out not only Atlantis but all of dragon kind. Her once soft smile now seemed strained and sinister almost as if she was maniacally evil. However there was more, Atlantis could sense it, he just couldn’t put his finger on it. He then saw something on her back, something that he had not noticed before. Part of a hideous scar that ran deep into her back, it was nasty and puckered. It all came to him, she had been scarred by another dragon, related to him. The blood of her and the dragon must have merged and somehow it was connected to her, connected to him and his family. He saw the devious look in her eye. She could read minds as well. With those words racing through his mind he knew she was dangerous . The princess could see he was tense and tried to comfort him, she opened her mouth as if to say something that would make him forget all the worries he had just seen and then she stopped. The princess then spoke softly but strategically making every word more sinister than the last. “It was all me Atlantis, all this time you thought it was the prince, you were wrong, even your brilliant mind could not work it out” she said mockingly “I was the one who sent you here. I hand wrote that letter myself and made sure that you got it, you never knew I was there in the forest around your cave, watching you while you read the letter. I left you clues and you still did not suspect me” she stopped, pressing her lips together devilishly as she studied his face. “I turned you evil and even got you to save me. I have powers beyond your control, Atlantis. Powers even you cannot comprehend.” she paused before resuming her sentence “I have your family and friends held captive here in the kingdom. You were right to be worried. However, I’m not done with you yet” she took a deep breath of air before almost whispering the words of the devil “ the real conflict is just starting. The prince was only a pawn in the games, the real object is you” she said as she smiled. Her smile chilled him to the bone. “The war has only just begun.”

The war hadn’t ended, it was only just beginning, and this time even the bravest would fall and innocent blood would be spilled. It was the war between man and beast.

James Watson, 2016