5
The next morning found all the candidates in the Great Hall. They chose to sit together at one of the larger tables. They were all refreshed and full of anticipation at the coming event. Daniel introduced each person to the others. Collin, true to his word, kept quiet. They ate quickly, murmuring softly among themselves. They finished quickly and went above as a group to meet with Jake. The other members of the community felt their energy; they knew something was about to happen. Once they arrived at the hatching ground, Kate began by giving them a brief history of dragons.
“Eons ago man and dragon worked together as a team. Somewhere along the way man was elected to go his own way, without the dragons.” She solemnly looked at everyone; “I think we can agree that we botched it up pretty good.” Heads shook in agreement. Then she began to tell them what it was going to be like when they went for their eggs.
“When you enter the grounds, it will be very dark. Take time to adjust your eyes. Look around for any puddles of water. It won’t be water; it’ll be dragon urine. Roll around in it if you can; get the smell all over you. It could save your life if any of the other dragons show up. Carefully look around for a place to hide yourself from sight. Be very careful, do not, I repeat, do not touch any eggs. Get settled somewhere and then be very still. Listen with your mind for any sounds. When you hear a small child calling out to you, raise your hand to signal the others, and then begin to talk to it using your mind. The little dragonet will be very excited when it makes contact with you. Calm it, and ask it where it is; try to locate it. When you are sure you have it, gently pick it up. There will be a small electric shock,” she raised her hands and patted the air, “it’s ok. That bonds you to the egg, and the dragon to you.” Kate made eye contact with each of the candidates, “what you feel now will be first contact with your dragon. He or she will fill your mind with such feelings of love and contentment that it will sweep you away for a moment. Try to keep control, tell it that you must get away quickly and the feeling will subside. Place the egg in your shirt next to your skin. The little dragonet will lead you out and Jake will tell you where to go once you are outside. Each of you will do this, one at a time until it is finished.” Kate stood erect and looked at all of the candidates and smiled.
“Now, for formality’s sake, do all of you give permission for Jake to speak to you whenever it is necessary?” Heads nodded all around, “you must tell Jake yes, in your minds.”
They have all said yes My Lady. Jake answered immediately.
Daniel came forward holding pieces of material, which he gave to Kate. She held them up and demonstrated their use.
“This is a carrier I made when I hauled Jake around with me. It works real well while the eggs are small. You place it over your head like this, and you can take the egg with you when you go about your daily chores.” She handed one to each of the candidates and they placed it about themselves.
“Take your dragon egg to bed with you at night. Sleep curled up around it, don’t worry, you won’t hurt it. Use your mind and talk to your dragon as much as possible. Tell him or her all about yourself, about those you lost, about what you do during the day, you can tell him anything. Also tell him how wonderful he is, how beautiful he’s going to be. Praise and love are the keys. The more love, the bigger the dragon. Jake is three times the size of the biggest of the Insane Ones. Your dragons won’t be as big as Jake. But I wouldn’t say that Lady Jennie is small, would you?”
There was some laughter at that question.
“As your dragon gets bigger, it will take on a more mature voice. You will notice that for yourselves. Your dragon will share with you vast stores of knowledge. Don’t worry about remembering all of it. When you need it, it will pop into your head. When your dragon egg is too big to carry around any more, place it on the hatching ground. If you want to sleep there with it, that’s ok; I did for a while. The eggs will harden, and will grow quite large. Continue to visit your eggs every day and as often as you want. When your dragon is ready to hatch, he or she will call to tell you to come quickly. You must be the first person your dragon sees when it emerges from the egg.” Kate’s heart was filled with excitement for these future dragon riders. She was remembering her first meeting with Jake, and she smiled at the joy these people were about to experience.
“This is going to be a momentous event in your lives.” She was looking at all of their eager faces. “I can’t fully explain the feeling that will engulf you when you see each other for the first time. It is a very emotional and spiritual moment. Just prepare yourselves for a very moving experience. It will change you in ways I can’t even begin to explain.”
“As to the changes that will take place physically to your bodies; you will become more of what you already are. Your body will slowly become taut, muscular. To the women, you will notice that your hair is lush, growing at a rapid rate. Your breasts and buttocks will raise and become as in youth. The men will also have rapid hair growth; sorry but long hair is in guys. Your bodies will be perfect in muscle tone and shape. You will have enormous energy. You will find that you will become night owls, needing hardly any sleep. You will understand things quicker - your thought processes will be much faster. You will communicate with each other at a faster level than the others, almost anticipating each other. This will become the norm for us.”
“Now my future riders; this next is most important, so I stress this point. Do not ever – ever - make those below feel that you are superior to them. We are here to serve, and save mankind, not rule them. We have all been chosen for this because of our unique ability to see to the truth of things. We can ill afford to let any negativity enter our minds or our future world. All that would do is breed discord, and we would soon be back where we started. We are to become a new breed of humans, Riders of Dragons! Our job is to save this world of ours; and to begin anew. It will begin with just us six. But when Daniel’s queen comes of age, she will mate with Jake; and we will have all the eggs we need.”
She continued using her mind:
After your dragon hatches and grows a bit more, you will take your first ride. During that time the ‘enhancement’ will take place. I will let Jake explain it to you.
Jake rose up to his full height and the candidates all let out uncontained, “ahs, and ohs!”
Fellow riders, I salute you! You are about to enter a new world. You will be its future. During your first flight you will become one with your dragon. There will be a solidifying of you both. You will feel what your dragon feels. Your bodies, rider and dragon, will become perfection.
As long as you are on your dragon, you will be as one. But, if you should find yourself on the ground, and your dragon is in the air fighting, you will be in the throes of the battle. You will feel each blow and each victory.
When your dragon goes into heat, you and your mate will feel that same urge. That is why it is so important that you all have mates. There will be no fighting it, nor stopping it. You will be overcome by pure animal lust. The urges will quickly overtake you, so find your mate quickly and go into seclusion. What takes place there is for you and your dragons alone to share. I will tell you this; you will become more as a direct result of this mating. There are no human words to describe this physical and spiritual melding.
I have been busy making quarters for all of you here, in the mountain. You may pick your caves, and we will put the necessary things you require in them. My Lady will take you to the town to get anything you need to make your home yours. All these preparations must be finished before the hatching takes place. Are there any questions?
I have one. It was Beth I am not too sure about this mating part.
Jake turned his full attention to Beth. Lady Beth, I understand your fear. But believe me when I say that you need not fear Jerry. I can see what is in his heart. He cares for you more than you know. Do not be embarrassed my Lady, there are no secrets between all of us. We all must be as one family. Lady Beth you must allow your heart to show you what true love can do.
Tears began to form in Beth’s eyes; she made fists with her hands clenching them tightly.
Lady Ashley and Steve discovered that last night. They were surprised and pleased that they had taken the chance. Now they know what love is really like. Is that not so Steve?
Steve looked at Ashley, and she at him, blushing, there was no doubt about the love that passed between them. Yes Jake, it’s true. I love her more than I thought possible.
Beth, Jerry now joined the conversation, I wouldn’t admit to anyone how I felt about you. I’ve wanted to tell you, but I was afraid that you would run away. So instead I became your friend. I have dreamt of you for so long, and when I saw you, I had hope that maybe someday you would see me as more than a friend. I respect you Beth, and I won’t do anything to upset you. But maybe you can give me a chance to prove to you just how much I care.
Oh Jerry, Beth was crying softly, I want to try. Will you have patience with me? I want to have what everyone else has found too.
Beth, Jerry went to her, we can do this together, we will make it happen. Jerry held her tenderly to him.
Jake now turned his attention to Collin.
Now to Collin: For everybody’s benefit, he arrived yesterday evening. He has the 'sight'. He already knows all of you for he has had visions of you all for the past year. He keeps those things to himself. I shall attempt to teach him to control what he sees, and not to blurt out what he knows. It could be upsetting to those below. He will be able to aid us when we go into battle- for you see - he hears THEM!
Becky suddenly burst out; do you mean to say that Collin is my mate? Well it’s about time, I’ve dreamt of him, but I could never see his face. But I know that walk anywhere! There was laughter all around. Who would have guessed that Becky was a take-charge girl!
Kate and Daniel stood together holding hands. Daniel began, “this is a real good beginning. We have no secrets from each other. There is no shame, and no embarrassment between us; we are like one big family. When we finally become riders, we will be even closer. We are a family!” He held his arms wide and they all stood up and did the same. “We are family, yes, family!”
Steve stepped forward and looked directly at Jake. Jake, not to throw a wrench into all this… but… well, sometimes I feel like all of this is a dream. Like I’m going to wake up and find myself back in my bed in the barracks. Or worse, in a padded cell somewhere!
Jake chuckled loudly. Calm your fears Steve. All of you listen to me; to have second thoughts about all of this is natural. But understand me clearly, this is real. The choice is yours to make; but remember this, you were all chosen for the task that lies ahead.
They all looked at each other and then at Jake. They knew he was telling the truth; this was bigger than all of them.
At a suggestion from Jake, Daniel turned to Collin and asked, All right Collin, what can you tell us about where we are going?
Collin looked around at each person grinning, then he began, “There are no dragons in the area right now, and I hear none approaching. The eggs we seek are all towards the left rear of the chamber. But there is something else, wait a minute,” Collin squinted up his eyes as if trying to see something, “there’s an extra egg there. It, it belongs with us, but I do not know who it belongs to.”
“I do,” said a small voice from the back of the chamber.
Everyone turned around at the sound of Sally’s voice. “It’s my egg. I’ve been hearing it for several days now. I didn’t know what to do so I went to Jake for advice.”
Kate turned and faced Jake asking, Jake, you knew about this?
Yes, Sally has been dreaming all of this for months now. She came to me and asked what she should do. I have been instructing her on the care of her egg. I also told her to speak with Michael, since they are friends. I told her to come here and stay in the back until she was needed. She is to be Michael’s mate, My Lady. The enhancement will age her to a young woman.
Michael stepped forward; it’s ok Kate. I’ve known for some time. Sally and I have spoken about her dreams and compared them to mine. I can help her with the transition. I have been thru it myself; remember?
Kate was trying to put all this new information in perspective. She knew she would have to explain all this to Sam and Lucy.
“I certainly hope there are no more surprises!” Steve echoed for all of them.
There is one more order of business; Jake said commanding their attention, Jeffrey. They all turned and looked at Jeff as Jake continued. He is to be our advisor and our chronicler; he is part of our family. He will help plan our battles, but he is not to ride a dragon. In order to do all these things with us, he must go thru the same enhancement as all of us. I can do this for him, but only if he truly agrees; do you Master Jeffery?
Well now, said Jeffery pondering this question, I’m not too sure about it. Will it hurt, Jake?
No, it will not. Jake chuckled at his question. After all the eggs are hatched and all have taken their first rides; it can be done. It only requires that all of you ask your dragons to fly with me for one special flight. Jeffrey will ride on me and we will take to the skies. During the flight Jeffrey will become familiar with all the dragons and they with him. The knowledge of all will be given to him. When we land, the change will be apparent. You will have a new body as a result of the enhancement ride. You will be in excellent health Jake lowered his head right in front of Jeffery. Big black eyes stared at and thru him. Do you agree?
Jeff looked around, he saw the faces of his new family and his heart was full, he turned and faced Jake. Yes Jake, I agree! If my knowledge of history will help in the future of our world, then my continued existence will be of some use.
It is settled. My Lady, you will have to tell Sam and Lucy before we can go. They must know of Sally’s decision.
Yes Jake, I will go now. Kate turned to leave.
Not without me. Daniel came to her side. “We will do this together woman.” He took her hand and they both left the cave and headed down the mountain.
Down at the Hall, most people had left and were heading to their various chores for the day. Daniel and Kate spotted Sam and caught his eye. He came over to them and they asked that he call Lucy over also.
“We’ve got something to tell the both of you,” Kate began, “Sally has been having dreams of riding a dragon. She went to Jake and asked for his help; he and Michael have been guiding her. She came to us this morning just as we were preparing to leave for the eggs. She was insistent that we take her with us. She wants to be a rider Sam, and we’ve accepted her.”
“But she’s so young,” blurted out Lucy. “She’s just a baby!” She buried her face in Sam’s arms sobbing. He patted her and held her.
"Now, now, we've discussed this happening, we both knew it would. Lucy dear," he stroked her head, "remember that they marked her at an early age. We all know that the dreams tell us of what is to be. If Sally saw herself riding a dragon, is it right for us to object? Michael was only a young boy, and look at him now. He is a fine young man, yes, a fine young man.”
After much talk and finally, acceptance, they gave her their blessing.
“I’m still going to cry about it. She’s like my own daughter,” sobbed Lucy. “But if this will make her happy, I won’t stand in her way.”
They said their good byes and Daniel and Kate headed back up the mountain.