Chapter Two: Honor is Like Your Name
A boy about fifteen years old watched as his father crossed into the Gates of the Underworld. His father carried a small basin of ewe's blood. He held a sword over it to ward off the hungry spirits. The boy, whose name was Ronan, watched his father looked through the transparent spirits.
They threw themselves at him, hoping to gain taste of blood. Finally his father found Alvin, the human counselor of elves. He was none for his wisdom and beauty. Drudwyn let Alvin drink the blood and slowly Alvin regained his mind, enough to remember his wisdom to speak wisely. Drudwyn spoke first.
"Alvin, friend of the elves, you know why I have come?"
"Yes my dear friend, yes Drudwyn I know. You have lost your honor as a paladin."
"Yes. I was afraid."
"My child, would you rather die in honor or live a long life to be forgotten?"
"Honor of course."
"And why is that?"
"Honor is like your name. You have to protect it."
"You want it back?"
"Yes. And it is a sacred law that I should consult you on my task to retrieve it. I lost all my holy powers."
"Travel to the dragon worshipping people in the city of Pendragon and there your journey will unfold."
"Yes."
Drudwyn left carrying an empty basin. He looked at his son, Ronan and smiled.
"My son, would you like to come to Pendragon with me?"
Ronan shook his head.
"No papa, I can't leave mum alone with no one to help manage the farm with her."
Drudwyn looked down at his son proudly. "You will some day become a paladin." He smiled and looked down the path leading home, Vladimir. Vladimir was the quiet city. Peace could always be found there. The two, father and son left the Gates of the Underworld and walked down the steep hill side. Ronan's mother was outside waiting patiently for both of them. When they came down Marisa ran to them. Drudwyn placed the bowl on a nearby rock and hugged Marisa. Soon Drudwyn's other two children came from the door running to their papa.
Drudwyn looked at both of them and picked them up. He held his twin girls. Both of them had the same golden hair like him, and sapphire blue eyes like Marisa. Ronan was the only one in the family who was different. He had dark dirt blonde hair, and emerald green eyes. Drudwyn told his family about the journey he was going to take and they all listened intently except Ronan who knew about it.
The next day Drudwyn left for Pendragon, the city of the dragon worshipers. The family did fairly well without him but all of them missed him dearly. Winter soon came and passed; now it was spring and Ronan was 16 and his twin sisters were five. Ronan was practicing his swords play outside when a large shadow covered the area. Ronan looked up and saw a large mass of yellowish orange blocking the sun.
Wind started to blow from every where and Ronan found himself knocked off his feet. And quite suddenly every thing stopped. Every thing was peaceful and calm again. Ronan looked up and saw that the large yellowish orange mass was a dragon. It was an elegant creature with large ruby red eyes, blue fan ears, shimmering green scales, long, pearl white teeth and claws, and a large healthy looking yellowish orange belly.
"Are you the son of Drudwyn?" Ronan swallowed hard and nodded his head modestly. The dragon's throat produced a bell like sound as if it were laughing. "No need to fear me, young Ronan. I won't eat you. I am Draconic." By the sound of its voice Ronan concluded that this dragon was a girl.
The dragon's head lowered till it rested on the ground right in front of Ronan. "Your father is not at all well. I know you are worried."
Ronan looked at it in shock.
"Can you read minds?" Once again the dragon laughed its bell like laugh.
"Of course. It is the gift of dragons. So you see, nothing in your head is hidden from me."
"What's wrong with my father?"
"The better question is have you crossed the Gates of the Underworld. He is residing in there now."
Ronan felt a pang nagging at his heart.
"Young Ronan, don't start blaming yourself. It's not your fault. You had to stay here and help your mother."
"Are you sure he's in there?"
"We dragons know everything. It would not be so that I was wrong."
"How can I be able to talk to him? I know that once, my father walked in and all the spirits were speechless and mute."
"Take a basin of ewe's blood and hold a sword over it. Don't let any other ghost drink it except your father. And after he will speak and his voice will be heard." With that the dragon started flapping her magnificent wings, soaring higher in the air.
"Goodbye young one!" She called as she disappeared into the sunset.
"Goodbye." Ronan whispered silently to himself as he stood. He screamed loudly and fell to his knees. He then slowly wept bitterly.
The next morning Ronan walked to his home. He entered. His mother was in the kitchen weeping. She turned and when she saw Ronan, as bloody as he may be, she ran to him and hugged him tightly.
"Where have you been?!" She let him go and put her arms on his shoulders. "Your father is dead." Ronan looked down at his mother, who was now a widow. He held her tightly too him. He didn't want to loose another parent. Marisa smelled the dried blood on his shirt and looked up at him with tearstained eyes.
"Why are you covered in blood?"
Ronan didn't answer. He stayed silent as he remembered the events of last night.
"Complete my quest at Pendragon, my son. Do me honor, so as I have not died in vain. Remember to keep your honor and hold it as your name." These words ran through Ronan's mind.
"Mother, I'm going to Pendragon."
A boy about fifteen years old watched as his father crossed into the Gates of the Underworld. His father carried a small basin of ewe's blood. He held a sword over it to ward off the hungry spirits. The boy, whose name was Ronan, watched his father looked through the transparent spirits.
They threw themselves at him, hoping to gain taste of blood. Finally his father found Alvin, the human counselor of elves. He was none for his wisdom and beauty. Drudwyn let Alvin drink the blood and slowly Alvin regained his mind, enough to remember his wisdom to speak wisely. Drudwyn spoke first.
"Alvin, friend of the elves, you know why I have come?"
"Yes my dear friend, yes Drudwyn I know. You have lost your honor as a paladin."
"Yes. I was afraid."
"My child, would you rather die in honor or live a long life to be forgotten?"
"Honor of course."
"And why is that?"
"Honor is like your name. You have to protect it."
"You want it back?"
"Yes. And it is a sacred law that I should consult you on my task to retrieve it. I lost all my holy powers."
"Travel to the dragon worshipping people in the city of Pendragon and there your journey will unfold."
"Yes."
Drudwyn left carrying an empty basin. He looked at his son, Ronan and smiled.
"My son, would you like to come to Pendragon with me?"
Ronan shook his head.
"No papa, I can't leave mum alone with no one to help manage the farm with her."
Drudwyn looked down at his son proudly. "You will some day become a paladin." He smiled and looked down the path leading home, Vladimir. Vladimir was the quiet city. Peace could always be found there. The two, father and son left the Gates of the Underworld and walked down the steep hill side. Ronan's mother was outside waiting patiently for both of them. When they came down Marisa ran to them. Drudwyn placed the bowl on a nearby rock and hugged Marisa. Soon Drudwyn's other two children came from the door running to their papa.
Drudwyn looked at both of them and picked them up. He held his twin girls. Both of them had the same golden hair like him, and sapphire blue eyes like Marisa. Ronan was the only one in the family who was different. He had dark dirt blonde hair, and emerald green eyes. Drudwyn told his family about the journey he was going to take and they all listened intently except Ronan who knew about it.
The next day Drudwyn left for Pendragon, the city of the dragon worshipers. The family did fairly well without him but all of them missed him dearly. Winter soon came and passed; now it was spring and Ronan was 16 and his twin sisters were five. Ronan was practicing his swords play outside when a large shadow covered the area. Ronan looked up and saw a large mass of yellowish orange blocking the sun.
Wind started to blow from every where and Ronan found himself knocked off his feet. And quite suddenly every thing stopped. Every thing was peaceful and calm again. Ronan looked up and saw that the large yellowish orange mass was a dragon. It was an elegant creature with large ruby red eyes, blue fan ears, shimmering green scales, long, pearl white teeth and claws, and a large healthy looking yellowish orange belly.
"Are you the son of Drudwyn?" Ronan swallowed hard and nodded his head modestly. The dragon's throat produced a bell like sound as if it were laughing. "No need to fear me, young Ronan. I won't eat you. I am Draconic." By the sound of its voice Ronan concluded that this dragon was a girl.
The dragon's head lowered till it rested on the ground right in front of Ronan. "Your father is not at all well. I know you are worried."
Ronan looked at it in shock.
"Can you read minds?" Once again the dragon laughed its bell like laugh.
"Of course. It is the gift of dragons. So you see, nothing in your head is hidden from me."
"What's wrong with my father?"
"The better question is have you crossed the Gates of the Underworld. He is residing in there now."
Ronan felt a pang nagging at his heart.
"Young Ronan, don't start blaming yourself. It's not your fault. You had to stay here and help your mother."
"Are you sure he's in there?"
"We dragons know everything. It would not be so that I was wrong."
"How can I be able to talk to him? I know that once, my father walked in and all the spirits were speechless and mute."
"Take a basin of ewe's blood and hold a sword over it. Don't let any other ghost drink it except your father. And after he will speak and his voice will be heard." With that the dragon started flapping her magnificent wings, soaring higher in the air.
"Goodbye young one!" She called as she disappeared into the sunset.
"Goodbye." Ronan whispered silently to himself as he stood. He screamed loudly and fell to his knees. He then slowly wept bitterly.
The next morning Ronan walked to his home. He entered. His mother was in the kitchen weeping. She turned and when she saw Ronan, as bloody as he may be, she ran to him and hugged him tightly.
"Where have you been?!" She let him go and put her arms on his shoulders. "Your father is dead." Ronan looked down at his mother, who was now a widow. He held her tightly too him. He didn't want to loose another parent. Marisa smelled the dried blood on his shirt and looked up at him with tearstained eyes.
"Why are you covered in blood?"
Ronan didn't answer. He stayed silent as he remembered the events of last night.
"Complete my quest at Pendragon, my son. Do me honor, so as I have not died in vain. Remember to keep your honor and hold it as your name." These words ran through Ronan's mind.
"Mother, I'm going to Pendragon."