A Dragon's Unwilling Gift

By Adi Hogg

A GREAT OCEAN SEPARATES THE COUNTRIES OF TWO YOUNG MEN BUT THE WATERS ARE NOT ENOUGH TO SEPARATE THE SHARED FATES...

Two boys come from different countries face the extraordinary challenges of dealing with dragons, magic, family, love and famine...

Alexander the Bear King of Yarexih, comes to power and discovers long stan

• Language: English
• Publisher: Shawline Publishing Group
• Release date: Nov 25, 2022
• ISBN: 9781922751423

Adi Hogg

Adi Hogg lives near the mighty Murray River in South Australia and loves his warm summer days out on the water with his family. If he isn't out playing on the water with his boat, you'll find him tending his cattle or vineyard. Winters consist of Aussie rules football on the weekend and nights in front of the fire with the family. His love of books and literature go hand in hand with his quiet country home. You could find him taking a quiet break on the back of the ute with a book and his kelpie, Cheesle, around lunch time on any given day.

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A Dragon’s Unwilling Gift © 2022 Adi Hogg.

All Rights Reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or

mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without

permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who

may quote short excerpts in a review.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are

products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to

actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Printed in Australia

First Printing: November 2022

Shawline Publishing Group Pty Ltd

www.shawlinepublishing.com.au

Paperback ISBN 978-1-9227-5135-5

eBook ISBN 978-1-9227-5142-3

book 1

ADI HOGG

Dedications

To my loving wife M and highly energetic children Sam and Belle,

who help me experience the broad range of emotions required to

be a good author.

Acknowledgements

Bev Steed

My high school English teacher who instilled my love of the written word through Shakespeare. It started with my giggle from the back corner of the classroom in roughly 1998. I can even remember the exact place from ‘Antony and Cleopatra’ that ignited my attraction to metaphor and simile and the places the written word can take my imagination.

Antony and Cleopatra:

Act 2, Scene 2

agr.

Royal wench!

She made great Caesar lay his sword to bed:

He plough’d her, and she cropp’d.

Shawline Publishing

Brad and his team have managed to take this old pewter that has been sitting in the back of my drawer, hidden for near on a decade and polish it. With a lot of hard work, it now has pride of shelf. I can’t thank you all enough, this book is the realisation of a life-long dream.

Samantha Ellis has done an amazing job on the editing of my story. She has not only straightened some pretty wonky text but has also helped develop my writing by keeping me informed along the way and coaching me through what needed to be done. She also calmed my never-ending anxiety about releasing this onto the world.

Thanks Samantha.

Lastly my loving wife M.

Thank you sweetheart for delving into my imagination. You’ve helped me every step of the way. You’ve weathered the elbows I give you in bed asking, How do you spell..? and revised my text, time after time, to clean up the mess of thought that I have had on the page. Your belief in me and my story has been the driving force that has coaxed me to print.

Dragon’s folly

Coletta, an ebony dragon, was out flying high over the rolling hills of Yarexih, searching for her next meal. Hoping for venison but human would do, if that was all that was available. Human was always the second choice. It was abundant and easy to catch, but always had a grimy taste to it. She flew lazily through the sky with no intentional destination, a meal and a sheltered spot to lay to sleep it off, was all Coletta was looking for.

As she flew, she noticed the unmistakable essence of dragon in the air. But this region was uninhabited. Coletta kept her eyes open all the same. She was nearing the age of mating maturity and anticipating suitors to be waiting to couple with her at any time.

She found a human settlement with a large stone building at its centre and Coletta could already hear the humans cries from their ‘dragon fear’. As she circled to find a fairly plump meal, a silver arrow shot from the castle with a fierce roar of anger. Coletta was shocked. Here was the dragon she had sensed, living amongst the humans! The large silver male darted toward her and at the last second, pulled back and angled his body to use the sun’s reflection off his shiny body to blind her. As the light filled her vision and left her dazed, she felt the silver attack. Its jaws clamped onto her neck and his talons clasped her wings. She couldn’t move. The only defence she had left was magic, but that very rarely had much effect on other dragons. She had to try. Coletta reached out with her veins of magic and found the silver male had no defences up. She simply drained his energies until he was too weak to continue his attack and he plummeted to the ground.

Coletta circled her way down to the ground and landed next to this curiosity. A silver male who was protecting humans.

She arched her neck so her head was directly above his and said, You are seriously the weirdest dragon I have ever encountered!?

Zenos, the silver male, looked up at his adversary and said, You are the only dragon I have ever encountered.

Coletta was shocked by this announcement and simply said, How?

Zenos answered, I am honour bound to a human within and his line, so I have stayed close to protect them.

Coletta chuckled at his words and replied, You have so much to learn. Then, after a brief pause where she was clearly deciding upon something, she said, Ok I’ll do it, I’ll teach you, but you will then also owe me a debt!

Zenos just blinked up at her, feeling as stupid as she thought he was.

Coletta trickled his energies back to him and said, Just because you have an honour debt, it does not mean you have to be their lap dog. I will teach you how you can use your magic to stay close to these humans without being a slave. You are a Dragon! The mightiest of all beasts, top of the food chain and it’s about time you were taught to act as such.

Coletta could tell he was barely a hatchling, 50, maybe 70 years at the most. She could teach this child all he would need to be a mature dragon.

Coletta stayed at the edge of town nestled down by the river, merely one or two hundred kilometres from the castle - not far for a dragon. She lived there for maybe 10 years as she instructed Zenos on the use of his magic. Over this short time (for dragons) Coletta and Zenos formed an inseparable bond. What started out as an accidental meeting, turned into love’s fate. Zenos, at the beginning, still lived with his human hosts, but as the decade progressed, he spent more and more time with Coletta, up until he would only visit the castle when summoned.

Some of the first magic Coletta taught Zenos was to move the energies in the living things around him and how to block others from siphoning energies from himself. As the lessons progressed, she taught him not just how to use the magic, but how it works. She explained about the smaller particles we are made up of. She then explained how they can be manipulated to create new elements and functions by moving the particles around. She also explained about the massive energy that is stored within each particle and the dangers of manipulating these particles. It was all very complicated, but Zenos was a willing student, ever eager to learn and practice. He would practice pulling clumps of particles away from others and pushing them together and finding the infinite detail that needed to be attended to as he practiced. Every action involved energy being given or taken away. Each particle had its own property. He found that keeping the balance as he manipulated the particles was the hardest. He could only compare it to a scale with four sides full of marbles and trying to keep it balanced while you snuck the marbles off each side. He could tip the scales slightly this way or that, but if he took too much, or even added too much, the scale would tip too far and the whole lot would be lost.

One day, about halfway through his training, Zenos was practicing his magic. When he pushed a little too far, there was a massive whoosh of fire and spray of acid. Zenos was left standing in a five-kilometre clearing where a small band of trees and an even smaller pool of water used to be. Neither the heat nor the acid had hurt Zenos because of his scales, but one side of him was a lot shinier than the other. There he sat, shiny and dull in the middle of a burnt out clearing with ash gently floating to the ground around him. It made him sneeze violently and poof, all the ash was back up around him.

With a frustrated roar, he jetted up into the sky and plunged down into the river to clean himself.

When he resurfaced, Coletta was lazing on a clifftop above him and said, Careful now, I’d hate to see you flatten the area altogether.

Zenos fumed and, with all the concentration he could muster, sent a spurt of water from the river and, with a whoosh, drenched Coletta. With a playful roar, she descended onto him, but he darted into the sky, then flew away from the river out into the ocean and dove deep into the water. Zenos and Coletta spent the rest of the day playing cat and mouse in the depths of the ocean.

Time rolled on and by the end of the decade, he was well versed in the use of dragon magic. He could manipulate and balance the forces in the particles around him with accuracy and ease. His scale was always balanced.

Now he had a better understanding of who he was and how to conduct himself, it was time for Zenos to leave the human settlement. He gave the humans a large diamond-calling stone and instructed them on how to use it. He informed them he could sense their presence wherever he went and if they wanted him, they could use the calling stone.

Coletta and Zenos were last seen by those people, flying out of sight straight up into the clear blue sky. Their destination was the stars. Out in the cosmos they were going to search out their brethren, to reunite Zenos with dragon kind. The dragons flew out into the stars for weeks, lazily winding their way through the constellations. Teaching Zenos the finer art of magic was important because it enabled him to manipulate the very atoms around him to take the configuration that he needed to survive. Space has no oxygen, so the dragons had to manipulate the areas around themselves so they could survive. The complexity of such a feat was great and so were the implications if they got it wrong. But Coletta had been a good teacher and Zenos an eager student, so now they soared through infinite space to meet more of their kind.

Once they had reached the dragon home world - Velvet; Zenos was challenged, before he had barely entered the atmosphere, by a huge ancient gold dragon. Zenos was dumbfounded. He wasn’t prepared for a physical altercation. He dodged once, then again twice. Finally, Coletta reared up into the gold dragon’s face and with a mighty blast of fire followed by an angry screaming and blood curdling roar, the gold dragon dipped and bowed, then slowly glided to the ground.

Zenos, confused, asked Coletta with mind speak, What happened, I don’t know what that was all about?

Coletta smirked at Zenos and replied, You just met my Dad.

Zenos was still perplexed Oh…..seems friendly enough…..hopefully he doesn’t want me to come around for dinner! Then he thought to himself, because I’ll most probably end up as the main course!

Coletta started laughing and a little flame came out of her nostrils as she did, then she said in mind speak to Zenos, Was I meant to hear that, or did you forget to sever the mind link again?

Under his scales, Zenos went red with embarrassment and murmured to Coletta, No sorry, I forgot again.

Coletta said to Zenos, He really isn’t too bad. He was just ensuring that you weren’t hunting for my maidenhood.

Zenos gaped and went redder still and said in mind speak, Looks like he would have been happy if it was me.

Coletta simply returned with, He wants me to choose, but mainly he wants me to choose the one he has picked.

Zenos kept quiet, replying didn’t seem necessary.

Zenos was awkward at first amongst the other dragons. He slowly became more aware of protocols and customs, but he was still ostracised. His fate had been altered by the actions of humans and this scared the dragons because they couldn’t read his future.

This also led to a lot of fights. There were several dragons who thought Zenos should receive his rightful fate, but Coletta always watched out for him. She would always defend him and rally her supporters if she needed. Coletta and Zenos were inseparable while they spent their time on Velvet.

Velvet was completely barren, void completely of any life besides the dragons. Large boulders and fine red dust covered the mountainous terrain as hostile as its inhabitants. The planet was also weird to Zenos because one half was perpetual day and the other side, night. It took a lot of getting used to. The day side was a hot 50°C all the time, where the night side was a freezing - 50°C. The light-coloured dragons preferred the light and the dark ones, the night. Seeing as Zenos was light and Coletta dark and Zenos was used to mild temperatures, the pair found a spot on the border in the dusk zone. Coletta’s father sat on a high mountain and watched the pair. He knew he could do nothing to influence Coletta, but he watched all the same. They would laze around and explore the universe with their mind’s eyes.

It was only a matter of time before Zenos and Coletta were truly joined souls and life partners. Their union was acknowledged by her father and he grudgingly gave her his approval, but he told her, I can’t trust someone that has no fate, no preordained destiny; I love you, my daughter, but I will watch your soul partner. You only need to be together until death parts you!

Dragons mate with the one partner for life. Once the bond is formed, it cannot be broken and all other potential mates will feel it and look for a different partner.

Once Coletta and Zenos were paired, a lot of the fighting stopped and Zenos would only be challenged if he wandered into the direct contact of one of the dragons who believed his life was forfeited before he had hatched. They had found a quiet base in the dusk zone to spend their days together. They would laze around for most of their time, communicating with mind speak, debating the obscurities of existence and searching for interesting information that floated through the cosmos. For sustenance, they needed to convert surrounding matter to fit their dietary needs. To do this, they would fly away from the home world. The energy movement required was of unfathomable quantities and because they were not masters, they would fly away to a safe distance to ensure everyone’s safety.

Several decades had passed from when Zenos first arrived on Velvet, but now it was time to leave. Zenos was still not accepted in some circles, but he had made some friends and his father-in-law didn’t hate him, but still didn’t like him. Coletta was pregnant and Yarexih was the dragon’s breeding ground. Food and water were easy to get and the youngster wouldn’t need to use magic until it had been properly trained. There were no real threats to the youngster on Yarexih in comparison to being born in the home world, where the other dragons would challenge them for superiority.

The journey back to Yarexih was full of anticipation for the two young dragons, who were in love and expecting their first child. On the return trip, they reminisced about Yarexih. It was on the journey there that Zenos first expressed his concerns for his offspring growing up in Yarexih. They wound their way between the stars, back to where their love affair had started.

A generation of humans had passed before their return. They had come back to the spawning grounds to finish the procreation they had started while they were away. Coletta was due to lay her egg once they reached Yarexih. But Zenos didn’t want the egg laid too near the humans he owed the honour debt to; in case his offspring should be tied to the debt as well. So Coletta flew over the seas and laid her egg in a sheltered ravine and buried it under tonnes of sand to protect it. She then found a deep cave, set in a mountain, to wait until the egg was ready to hatch. Her resting place was only two hundred kilometres away, so she felt it was safe and she was close enough to protect it.

The mountain where she chose to live was part of a bigger mountain range and had a mid-sized settlement nestled on the base of it. The settlement was not just at the base of the mountain but also at the entrance to the only clear passage through that mountain range. That entrance came to be known as ‘Anxieties pass’ because Coletta had chosen that cave to guard her precious egg. Anyone who passed near would feel the ‘dragon fear’. So, travellers through the mountain range had to deal, not only with the extreme elements but also the mental anguish of the dragon fear emanating from the cave high up at the peak of the mountain.

Coletta slumbered while she waited and spoke with Zenos as she did with mind speak. Their separation of an ocean seemed next to nothing after travelling the stars. So Zenos tended to his life debt while Coletta waited for new life.

Chapter 1: Farmer’s life

It was a miserable cold winter’s day and Golgoth was out in the middle of his father’s farm.

Bloody stupid cattle can’t stay inside a stupid fence for five bloody minutes even though the feed is a foot high and all that is on the other side is a bloody gravel road and scrub. Golgoth grumbled to himself as he trudged out onto the road in search of his lost livestock.

His father, Jed Fleetingale, had a small acreage he worked on day and night. It took him years to save the money to obtain the property and he had once told Golgoth how badly it made him feel that Golgoth’s mum had missed out on a ‘normal’ life to save money for the farm. He developed the property from nothing, so Golgoth and his siblings could have a base from which they could grow from. His father loved his farm; he loved the work and had plans to grow his property with his kids.

Golgoth had set out that day to check the cattle, but they had broken through a fence and were out on the road and heading towards the neighbour’s fields. It was birthing time for the cows and Golgoth had to keep a watchful eye on the heifers. They needed to be checked every day to make sure there were no complications.

Golgoth hated that his dad would mate the cattle, so they dropped their calves in winter when it was cold and miserable. His father had previously explained to him it was so the cows would be on the best feed. This meant they could supply the best milk to the little ones. Also, there was stubble from the crops already harvested to wean the calves onto later in the year and hay and grain to feed them in the feedlot. Golgoth was sure however, his father would time the births because he had a nasty streak and got a little kick out of watching Golgoth slop through the paddocks chasing after the poor little new-born calves ankle deep in mud, but he had to admit the cows’ milk bags were full to the brim.

Golgoth made his way through the break in the fence with his ever-faithful mate Thor at his side.

Thor was a mastiff-cross dog Golgoth found as a pup, black as night, with a white strip that resembled a lightning strike on his chest. He had grown now and stood mid-thigh height to Golgoth, roughly a metre tall at the back. Golgoth had found Thor because the pup been thrown out of a cart onto the side of the road and ended up at the local dog shelter, which was close to Golgoth’s home. Golgoth went to the shelter all those years ago to get his dad’s kelpie ‘Cheesel’ spayed. Thor had come running through the shelter with one of the workers chasing after him. He had run straight to Golgoth and plonked his bum right in front of him, looking up at him with a silly, happy You’re finally here! look on his face. So Golgoth picked him up and took him home.

His father simply smiled on his return home and said, A dog is more than just a pet boy, they are a soul companion especially this fella for you, because he sought you out and animals have a curious knowledge that I trust completely, so don’t you ever let him down.

Since Thor and Golgoth met in the dog shelter that day, they had been inseparable. The two of them had a bond, knowing what each other was thinking. They could look at each other and knew what was needed to get the job done. They would round up cattle without a word being said. Many who saw it mentioned how eerie it was to watch.

Thor was fully grown now and as they crossed over the fence line to get the bloody cattle back in the paddock, he plodded by Golgoth’s side. As they moved the cattle back through the break in the fence, Golgoth noticed a shadow and his skin crawled for a second, but paid it no heed as he continued on. The pair put the cattle back into the paddock where they belonged, so they didn’t wander into a neighbour’s crop before all hell would break loose.

Golgoth had a quick count of the cattle as they jumped back though the break in the fence, 61, 62, 63 and of course old slow poke at the end here, come on over you go. Well Thor, that’s it. I’m pretty sure they are all there.

Golgoth unslung his razor-sharp axe from his belt and set about cutting another rail for the fence. The sweat poured as he applied himself to the task. It didn’t take all that long, but still it was high noon by the time he was finished and he hadn’t brought any food or water with him, (fancy thinking that having a quick look at the cattle would be quick. He should know by now they always manage to get into some sort of trouble) so he set back for the homestead for a quick bite and to grab a pouch of water.

The homestead was a beautiful building built by Golgoth’s father when he first settled on the farm land surrounding it. It was nestled in a ravine and appropriately named ‘Promised ravine’. It was productive ground and there was always plenty to do. The terrain was high rolling hills with thick wooded area, perfect for hunting game. The farm stood alone in the ravine, with no other houses around it. The district was still establishing and area being cleared of the forest for farm land. Golgoth’s grandfather was one of the original settlers in the district and had cleared most of the land his father farmed.

The house they lived in was built by Golgoth’s father after he had wed. Stone had been sourced from the foothills and timber for roof trusses from the local forestry. The house was nearly completely made of slate stone, with thick dark walls and a slate roof. It was also a big home with five bedrooms, a big kitchen and lounge and surrounded by a bullnose verandah. This style of building was common throughout the district because the local building materials were cheap and reliable.

Golgoth got home and met his mum in the laundry, putting clothes through the wringer, ready for the line.

He wandered into the kitchen, followed by a yell from his Mum, GET that mud-soaked dog and those big thumping boots OUT of my kitchen.

Golgoth looked down and went as red as a beetroot looking at the muddy trail leading straight to him from the front door. He quickly turned about face and met his mother at the threshold.

Golgoth, my dear boy what am I going to do with you? she said and gave him a playful warning by grabbing him by the neck and pretending to throttle him, You wait here, I guess that you’re hungry!?

Golgoth nodded his head, still bowed down looking at his boots. His mum came back with four scones, thick