Memoirs of a Dragon

The stone circle

An hour passed, and to Topaziah’s surprise, the sky seemed to be getting brighter and the sun once again came into view. Another hour past and they began to descend. As they dropped below the clouds, Topaziah got her first glimpse of the Stone Circle. It was a giant quartz dome, which sparkled dazzlingly in the setting rays of the sun, casting fragmented rainbows of color dancing around in all directions. It was breathtaking even from high up. A river ran up to it from the east, and the bank was incrusted with multicolored gems. As they got nearer, she could see that the dome was supported by huge white stone forms with precious stones for eyes.

When they landed, she could see that each of the outward facing figures were carved in the likeness of the magical creatures that would soon be gathered under its dome. The party landed in front of the giant Dragon; up close, the white stone dragon was nearly three times the height of the large green male that had been flying with them. The dome rested atop the dragon’s outstretched wings. Ten feet to its right was the coiled form of a Basilisk, its head arched up like a giant cobra ready to strike, the dome, balanced on its spiny crown. To the Dragon’s left was a Griffin; the tip of one of its outstretched feathered wings touched the tip of one of the Dragon’s smooth ones. In all, it was a spectacular sight.

“The Dwarves are cunning with stone and gems. This was the first project that all three factions collaborated on to create. The Dragon of course, is the only one that is possibly life size, the rest are greatly exaggerated in size to support the weight of the dome,” said the large green male, when he noticed Topaziah’s transfixed gaze.

“How does the council keep the mortals from seeing the Stone Circle, considering how large and dazzling it is? It seems the quartz dome would be impossible for anyone to miss.”

“Well, after our first Stone Circle was discovered and taken over by the two legged mortals, the council pooled their magic and concealed this place from all non-magical beings. When mortals look at the Stone Circle, they see a bubbling tar pit and a polluted river choked with dead fish and grime. If mortals choose to walk through these woods, they will smell sulfur and noxious fumes miles before they reach here.”

“Forgive me, I don’t know your name, and you are so large that it is hard for me to imagine anyone taller than you; are there really Dragons as large as this stone one?”

“I am Eannor, the youngest of the Emerald Dragon elders. A dragon continues to grow throughout its life, and yes, among the elders there are some that have grown to mighty heights, but as they get to be my size, they rarely travel on any long journeys, because as we get larger, it becomes strenuous for us to lift our bodies into the air,” said Eannor, stretching his massive wings and arching his neck.

“I am sorry if you hurt yourself flying here on my behalf. It seems that the younger dragons could have come here on there own and let you stay in your forest to do whatever it is that the elders do. Is it customary for an elder to be present at council meetings?” asked Topaziah.

“No, it isn’t customary for any Elder to make this journey. I volunteered to come because your story is of great interest to me and I want to hear it first hand. I had friends among the Topaz Dragons and the thought of their betrayal cut deep into my soul.”

“It is an honor to meet you Eannor,” said Topaziah, and she bowed low to the elder. Still bowing she added, “Though I am the last of my kind, and those you once knew are now dead, it would bring me great honor if you were to consider me as a friend.”

The old dragon bent his head and touched her gently between the horns; tears welled up in Topaziah’s eyes at the old dragon’s kindness. “Gentle child of a forgotten race, may the blessing of the gods follow you throughout your life.” Topaziah wanted to hug the kind Emerald Elder, but instead she blinked the large tears from her eyes and smiled up at him.

“Topaziah, you have met Sardon, Essence, Onyx and Eannor; now let me introduce you to our four remaining companions,” said Apatina. “First, let me introduce Alexandrone; he is the eldest son of Sardon, and is Onyx’s older brother.” The black dragon with the emerald stripe down his back stepped forward, bowed his head, and then stepped back. “And this is Labara; this is her first time at a full council meeting,” she added, and the smallest Emerald female stepped forward and bowed. “This is Tanzeara, apprentice to Eannor and Alexandrone’s other half,” she was an Emerald female that was only slightly shorter than Alexandrone. There was a certain grace about Tanzeara as she bowed her welcome to Topaziah. “And finally, this is my eldest daughter, and my apprentice, Fluorine.” Fluorine had all the grace and beauty of her mother, as she stepped forward and bowed. Topaziah could see that Fluorine had the manner of a future Matriarch, destined to become a great ruler for her kind.

Once introductions were made, the group entered the Stone Circle, passing between the stone dragon and griffin. Once inside, Topaziah was surprised to see the ceiling was not the quartz of its exterior, but made instead, of a shiny blue stone that appeared to glow like the moon, round and bright. There were four quarter circle tables, with an empty circle in the middle, so that if the tables were pushed together, it would form a perfect ring. Around the outside of three of the tables facing in, were large stuffed cushions made of a substance softer than the feathers of a dove. Behind the fourth table was a waterfall that splashed down from under the edge of the stone dome and emptied into a pool that curved around the edge of the table, then out into the river outside.

Topaziah looked around in awe, as the rest of her companions busied themselves setting the four curved tables with varied sizes of stone bowls filled with honey-water, and gold platters heaped with either portions of meat or fruit and berries. By the time the last gold plate had been laid on the table, the other Immortals had begun to arrive and take their places around the tables. Topaziah saw Onyx take his place at one of the tables next to his father, and she headed toward them, but she hadn’t gotten far when she was stopped by Apatina. “No dear, your place is over here,” Apatina said, leading her to a cushion on the opposite side of the room where a single bowl of water and plate of meat was set with a separation of several feet to either side of other place settings. Topaziah’s heart sank; she would be dining alone.

“I am sorry, but this is where the Snow Cap Dragons used to sit; the Council puts a large amount of emphasis on the importance of tradition and will insist you sit here. Once everyone arrives, I will introduce you. The Council members will state there names, starting with the being to your right, and ending with the one to your left. The meal will then commence, and afterward, you will be asked to present your case, and the full Council will vote to either welcome the Snow Cap Dragons back into the Stone Circle, or to allow the current judgment to stand.”

“What is the current judgment?” asked Topaziah tentatively.

“Well, as long as there is at least one of a certain type of Immortal alive, their stone will stay lit.” Apatina indicated a glowing stone imbedded in the table in front of Topaziah. “When your stone stayed lit and none of your kind came to the meetings, after the third missed meeting, the Council disassociated itself from the Snow Cap Dragons, which means, if you ask for aid, no one belonging to the Council will heed your call, and no one will communicate with you for any reason whatsoever. Similarly, because the Snow Ikean also failed to make contact with the Council they were also disassociated. You will have to convince the Council that you are not a betrayer and should be allowed to rejoin the Council. If you fail, you will be permanently banned from the Council and will face isolation, or you could beg the Dragon Elders to let you join one of the other colonies, but neither you nor any of your offspring will be allowed to attend Council meetings, and some members will look down upon you for the rest of your life.”

Topaziah began to feel sick and the boulder in her throat returned as she looked around at the many faces that filled in around the table. “Good luck Topaziah. I must return to my place; nearly everyone is here.” Said Apatina as she walked across and joined the eight other Emerald Dragons, Topaziah knew that soon the meeting would begin and all eyes would be on her. After a moment or two, the only empty spaces remaining were to the left of her, where nine other Topaz Dragons should be, and to her right where ten Snow Ikean used to sit. She felt very alone, and as she stared down at her heaping plate containing the hind quarters of an elk and two rabbits, a meal that under normal circumstances would have been a welcome treat, she felt as though she couldn’t eat a single bite.

Shortly after everyone arrived, Apatina stepped into the center of the circle. “I, Apatina, Matriarch of the Emerald Dragons, called this Council together to reconsider the judgment as it stands with the Topaz Dragons. After many years of silence, their side of the story will finally be heard. I present to you, Topaziah, last child of their race.” She extended a wing in the direction of the white Dragon and motioned for her to stand.

“I am Topaziah, the last child of the Snow Cap Dragons that some refer to as the Topaz Dragons. I have been raised these last 2,000 trips around the sun, by the Snow Ikean. I am deeply sorry for any feelings of betrayal that may have developed because of my absence, but I just found out about the existence of other Immortals. I come here today to beg the forgiveness of all present, and to retell the story about the tragic demise of my race,” said Topaziah, before bowing low to the Council.

“Welcome, Topaziah, I am Sandfeather, Elder of the Griffons,” said the closest Immortal to Topaziah‘s right. Topaziah could see that his wings were at one time a rich brown, but now, after years of experience and wisdom, were tipped with silver. After Sandfeather returned to his cushion, the Griffon to his right stood, bowed and introduced himself. He was large and black from his head to the tip of his tail, except for a deep white scar cut into his ebony beak. His name was Thunder Beak.

The introductions continued to the right, around the tables, until it ended at Topaziah’s left, with a group of ten red capped gnomes, all balanced on five cushions so that they were able to reach the table. The sight was rather comical; the small gnomes propped up on top of five overstuffed cushions, topped off by hats as tall as they were; but Topaziah didn’t laugh, she felt too intimidated in the presence of so many Immortals that all she wanted to do was to go hide somewhere far away.

With the last gnome introduced, the Council began to eat and socialize with their fellow Immortals. It was amazing to Topaziah that anyone could hear themselves think, let alone hear the others next to them with the echoing roar in the dome of the Stone Circle. Topaziah just looked down at her plate; she tried to eat but couldn’t force down a single mouthful.

“We don’t bite, and you will not find any answers to the questions of the Universe on your plate, so just take a deep breath, let it out, and relax,” said Thunder Beak. He had moved over to the cushion next to Topaziah. “I know how it is to be a stranger surrounded by strangers, and to feel alone in the world, not sure if anyone will accept you or if they will drive you away. Ten winters back, I got lost crossing the sea and broke my wing on the migration to our nesting grounds. I had gotten separated from the flock in a storm and ended up on an isolated island surround by creatures with long sharp teeth and red eyes.

The creatures surrounded me, pointing their spears. Unable to fly with the pain in my wing, and unable to run, being surrounded by these creatures, who were so numerous they could have easily taken me over, I was momentarily unsure what to do. Just as I was about to try and claw my way through the mob, it parted and their chief came forward. He took one look at me, spoke rapidly to his followers in their native language, and then the whole tribe bowed down to me.

“The three months it took my wing to heal, were the most pampered months of my life. As it turned out, Sandfeather had once freed the tribe out of s*****y many years before, and by helping me, it was their way to help repay a debt.”

“Thank you for sharing that story with me,” said Topaziah. “It may not seem like it, but the fact that you came over to talk to me has done much to settle my nerves. I have felt so worried about this Council meeting all day. Even if I am never allowed back here again, it is good to know that a place like this exists where the Immortals can gather together to find solutions to problems that affect us all.”

“You will be back here many times Snowy One, and your children will do great things,” said a tall thin Immortal, placing a hand on Topaziah’s shoulder. Topaziah racked her brain trying to find a name to go with this face, but of all the Immortals that Topaziah had been introduced to, this creature that looked like one of the two legged mortals, was new. “I am Harmony, an oracle, a truth speaker, a future seer and a spell weaver, it is an honor to meet you, Topaziah. I have foreseen great things for you.”

“Thank you, Harmony, the pleasure is all mine,” said Topaziah, as she bowed to the Oracle.

“You should eat dear, I promise you will feel better once you have food in your stomach,” said Harmony, looking at Topaziah’s untouched plate, then she walked back to her seat.

Topaziah stared back at her food and could hear her stomach complain. “She is right, you know, you should eat,” said Thunder Beak still sitting next to her.

“Are Oracle’s predictions always accurate?”

“Usually they are, but I am not sure if I would believe too much of what Harmony says, because she is only half Oracle. Her father was a mortal, and she has been known to get things wrong from time to time.”

At the mention of a half mortal, a shiver ran up Topaziah’s spine and she tightened her jaws. How could she react any other way, after all a half mortal was to blame for her family‘s death. She warily watched as Harmony glided across the room and took her seat. Noticing Topaziah’s eyes on her Harmony smiled a small smile that was meant to reassure the Dragon. The quite smile reminded Topaziah of the smile of the wizard and she remembered that it had really been a mortal that had lead her to this point.

Topaziah looked again at her untouched plate and from somewhere deep inside, she could feel her stomach rumble. She began to eat and quickly emptied her plate. She had been hungrier than she realized and now, pleasantly full, her stomach quit churning and her heart retuned to her chest where it belonged. Feeling better, she thought back on those incidents that had brought her there that night...