10
The Drake

Illustration by Tom Kyffin © Wizards of the Coast, Inc.	Illustration by Dan Frazier © Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

So here I was.  I had finally trekked all the way to the northern mountains, the legendary home of drakes and dragons.  Throughout time, these creatures had been responsible for dozens upon dozens of tales and stories in Middle Earth.  And they did not discriminate.  Whether the village was of men, elves, or dwarves, it never seemed to matter to the reptilian creatures of the air.  They raided and pillaged with just as much ferocity every time.

Of course, I was looking for a more docile drake (if there is such a thing at all).  I wasn't looking for one that enjoyed the flesh of men, the riches of the dwarves, or the magical items of the elves.  I had heard that the drakes in this range of mountains were more hermit-like and preferred to be left alone.  They very rarely attacked villages or bands of travelers.  When they did, it was usually a matter of defending their territory.  Drakes do not appreciate unwelcome guests within the boundaries of their homes and treat them accordingly.

I remember learning all this when I asked a local dwarf a ways back about where to find a drake.  At first, the dwarf just stared at me.  "You want to go looking for a drake?" he eventually responded.  "Yes," I replied.  He must have seen the seriousness in my eyes, for he slowly dished out directions for me to find the kind of drakes I was looking for.  I don't think he ever stopped questioning my sanity, though.

I was brought out of my reverie by a very cold gust of wind coming down off the mountains.  It had gotten much more chilly out, and I was only in the valley at the foot of the mountains.  I had yet to climb them to get to the heart of my search.

I walked past a particularly large boulder that had come down in a rockslide.  I had passed it when something out of the corner of my eye caught my attention.  I twirled around to notice a line of dwarven runes engraved on the side of the boulder.  Too bad I'd never taken the time to learn their language.  I could guess the gist of it, though.  Probably "Beware: Domain of the drakes" or something like that.  Wise advice, no doubt.

I turned back around to continue my ascent.  The number of rocks and boulders increased until the entire ground was a sheet of rubble.  The rocks underneath my feet had the annoying habit of slipping, making walking very difficult.  In addition, I kept having to make detours around the larger boulders.  I noticed a gleam of light among the rocks ahead just then.  I ran over (which was actually hard to do without twisting an ankle in the bed of rocks) to discover that it was only the metallic end of an arrow shaft stuck between the rocks.  It got me thinking who had battled here.  Had the individuals tried to defend themselves against an attacking drake?  Arrows wouldn't do much good unless they were aimed at the creature's eye.  A drake's scales are almost as hard as metal itself.  Arrows would simply bounce off, and I don't think the drake would even feel them hit.  I suspect it would be like someone trying to kill you by throwing paper clips at you.  In any case, I could see no corpses, so I wondered if the unfortunate party had managed to make a retreat.  I found that unlikely.  From the stories I'd heard, drakes didn't usually let invaders get away alive.

Soon enough, the stretch of rocks and boulders ended, and a thicket greeted me.  I gave a slight groan in my aversion of forests but proceeded on.  The grove of trees and bushes proved to be especially unkind to me, as if it disliked me in return.  I made a great deal of noise in thrashing around to get the prickly branches to let go of me.  I have no idea how the elves can walk so stealthily through such conditions.  I don't know if it is the result of some enchantment or whether they simply found a way to live in harmony with the forests.  Perhaps they somehow flew around when no one was looking.  I was joking, of course, but the thought brought a grin to my face.  I don't think the thicket found the thought so amusing, for I immediately got swatted by another branch in the face.  I gave a kind of growl and shoved it out of the way.

Fortunately, the thicket began to clear up as I walked further in.  I suppose these inner parts had less shrubbery due to a lack of available light.  I gave a small thanks for that mercy and trudged on.

I continued walking through this environment for a good twenty minutes when I suddenly heard a very loud sound that seemed like a half roar, half howl.

"A drake!" I immediately thought.

Then the air was pierced by a second howl/roar, and I realized the sound was coming from behind me, down below.  I stood there thinking.  That didn't make sense.  The drakes lived in the mountains above.  Why would the howl be coming from the valley below?  Could it have come from a drake which had circled round, spotted me, and be coming back up?  I didn't think that entirely made sense either, but I decided to keep moving up the mountain and away from the sound.  It was too dark in this thicket to see anything coming.  I wanted to get back out into a clearing again where I could turn around and see the beast's approach and ready myself.  Naturally, I'd stay near the edge of the clearing, so I'd have the option of diving back in for protection if the drake came near me.  Of course, I had no idea what the drake would do then.  For all I know it might follow me in, despite being so large.  I doubt those prickly branches would slow it down very much.

Another howl/roar was emitted from behind me.  To my horror it was closer this time.  I reached down to my side to feel the hilt of my sword.  A thought suddenly crossed my mind.  Perhaps I should have brought the sword.  It would have given me the extra strength I'd need to truly defend myself.  Then I shook my head at the stupid idea.  No, its power was too much for me to handle at the moment.  After all, part of the reason I had decided to do this crazy hunt had been to get away from that sword.  The other part of it had been to eventually assist the elves in their battles and help them protect Rivendell.

A fourth howl/roar jarred me out of my thoughts.  This one had been even closer and got me running.  I jogged past the trees, a little less concerned about the branches which hit me now.  My backpack got snagged on a branch just then, as if the forest wanted me to be this creature's meal.  I quickly untangled myself and kept running.

There was yet another howl/roar.  This one was much longer and lasted for a good five seconds.  I was rather confused at this point.  If it were coming from a drake, wouldn't it have reached me by now by flying so fast through the air?  Besides, the longer bellow this time had given me a better idea of where it was coming from.  It was definitely coming from the forest itself, not the air.  Why would a drake be coming at me by charging through the forest?  Why not fly?  Now I started to realize it might not be a drake.  What could it be then?  It was definitely not orcs, that's for sure.  Could it be a troll?  I'd never been told of any in these parts, although that's never a guarantee.

I quickened my pace and almost stumbled a few times over protruding rocks through the damp soil of the forest floor.  All of the sudden, I became aware of a constant sound somewhere far behind me.  It was like running water, but I was fairly sure I was too far away from the stream which flowed through the bottom of the valley for it to be that.  It only grew louder as the seconds went by.  Whatever it was, it was gaining on me.  I was sprinting now, trying my best to watch my footing while not losing any speed.  Another howl/roar was given by the mystery creature, this time very loud and much closer.

"Shoot," I thought.  "Why's this thing after me?  Surely there's much more appetizing meals out there than myself."  I remembered the dwarven rune and wondered if that had anything to do with this.  I found myself cursing the fact that I didn't bother to learn the language.

Now I could distinctly hear the sounds of crashing trees and branches being ripped apart.  I figured that's what the water sound had actually been, only I couldn't make it out before.  There was definitely a very wrathful creature behind me, for it didn't seem to give the trees and bushes any mercy as it speed through the forest.  As it got closer, it sounded as if the thing were trying to smash down a whole section of the forest.  It gave another howl/roar, sending goosebumps down my spine.  I swear I saw the trees themselves sway slightly in response to the creature's call, as if afraid of what was coming.  Then again, perhaps it wasn't the cry of this beast but the ground itself that was shaking.  As I ran now, I felt the ground tremble.  One thing was for sure.  This thing was most certainly not a troll or a drake.  It was large.  Very large.

I started looking up around me as I ran.  The thought had occurred to me that I could climb up a tree and hide out there.  Then I realized these trees were far too small and short.  Even if I located one which could support my weight, this creature was probably so big that it could reach up and swallow the whole tree, eating me like a piece of meat on a stick.  The crashing sound of trees was getting very loud now, and I could also hear a kind of "swish-swish" sound, as if it were moving from side to side.  "What the...?" I thought, but I didn't really think about it any further, as I was running for my life at the particular moment.  As if the beast could sense my fear, it let loose another howl/roar.  It was unbearably loud, and I got the feeling it was right on my heels.  What a peculiar thing adrenaline does to the body in a life or death situation, for I started sprinting much faster than I've ever sprinted before.  In addition, I started wondering whether I should throw away my backpack.  It was full of vital supplies, yes, but the supplies would do me no good if I were dead.

Thankfully, my luck improved.  Light came from between the trees in front of me, and I made a wild dash for it.  The thicket became much denser again, but I charged on as if the branches weren't there.  I distinctly felt them scratch my face and cut my hands, yet I hardly cared at this point.  I crashed through the tree barrier into a clearing of more rocks.  I'd forgotten their unstable properties, and I almost immediately fell down.  I got back up as fast as I could.  There was a slight throbbing sensation in my right ankle, but I ignored it and continued running.  I kept looking back over my shoulders to see just what my foe was.

Suddenly, the whole thicket behind me shuddered, and the beast emerged with a horrifying roar.  I stopped running and completely turned around to face it.

Only a hundred metres away was a gigantic wurm with an equally large mouth full of very long and very sharp teeth.  I got the feeling it wasn't a herbivore.

Now keep in mind this was not some overgrown earthworm I was dealing with.  It looked very much like a dragon without wings or legs.  It was also just as big, if not larger.

The wurm had stopped at the edge of the clearing, staring straight at me with its slitted eyes.  Then it looked to the ground below it and back at me.  It seemed to be growling deeply while doing so.  Yet again, it looked down to the ground below it.  All of the sudden, I realized it must prefer the forest floor over rough, uneven surfaces.  My running out into the rocky clearing had been a good move.

As if the creature had sensed that very thought of mine and wanted to dash away my hopes, it quickly looked back towards me.  Then it gave a low grunt and slowly started to move again.  I started muttering some very bad words and ran in the opposite direction.  Then I noticed that the clearing ended not far ahead and forest began again.  I would lose my advantage there, so I started running to my left, straight up the mountain slope.  It was very hard, and I kept slipping on the rocks and cutting up my jeans.  I caught glances of dark red stains near the cuts, too.  I had obviously been landing on those sharp rocks much harder than I thought.  Nevertheless, I scampered up the slope with renewed strength in a desperate desire to live.

I looked back over my shoulder to discover, to my horror, the wurm moving at a much faster pace than before.  It seemed to have an expression of annoyance on its face (don't ask me how I determined that) at having to travel over the rocks, but it seemed awfully motivated in the prospect of catching me for lunch.  And it was gaining on me again.  With a grim look all over my face and a constant stream of swears coming out my mouth, I trudged up the mountain while pulling my sword out of its sheath.  I don't know if it was the adrenaline kicking in again, but the sword seemed extremely light (even for an elven weapon), and I was ready to defend myself.

Then I remembered the flute Arwen had given me.  I reached into the right hand pocket of my jean jacket and started fiddling around in there as I ran.  I wasn't sure how much help birds were going to be against this nasty beast, and I remember Arwen saying its effectiveness would be much less the farther I was from Rivendell.  Well, right now I was pretty darn far from the mountain valley which contained the peaceful elven home.  Still, considering my current plight, it was worth a shot.

Suddenly, there came another shriek above and to my right.  "Oh my God!" I thought.  "There's a second one coming for me!"  While still running, I looked over, and I'm glad I did.

Far above, there came a dark blue winged creature which glided effortlessly towards my position.  It was a drake!  Question was, what did it want?  Was it going to assist the wurm in the slaying of me and split the resulting feast?  (Although, to be realistic, I'd hardly call myself a feast - more like a snack or an appetizer for these large creatures.)

My question was soon answered when the drake turned away from me and headed straight for the wurm.  The wurm stopped right where it was to stare at the drake menacingly.  Right before it was about to ram into the wurm's mouth, the drake tore away and flew up into the sky again.  The wurm gave a terribly loud roar in frustration.  The drake then made an arc high above and dived again at the wurm.  Yet again, the drake seemed to taunt the wurm.  It moved away at the last minute, and the wurm missed it and took a chomp out of the empty air.

There was only one difference this time.  The drake instead made a beeline for me.  My eyes widened in panic, and I ran in the opposite direction.

"Uh oh!" I thought.  "The drake attacked the wurm for the sole purpose of stealing its meal - me!"

As soon as it was right behind me, I made a dive for the ground which failed miserably.  The drake caught me in its talons quite firmly and dragged me up into the sky with it.  Fortunately, it had wanted to carry me away, not kill me then and there.  It could have done so quite easily by shifting its talons into a position such that the sharp ends would have penetrated my back.  No, it had purposefully made the effort to capture me alive.

As we flew away, the wurm gave another round of howls and roars before moving back into the forest in defeat.

"Huh," I said out loud.  "Good riddance to you too!"

The drake heard my comment and gave a kind of huff sound in response.

"Um... thanks," I said, with some genuine sincerity in my voice.

The drake only gave another, lower huff in reply to this.  I still didn't know if it was truly saving me or whether it had only plucked me up for a late brunch.  I stared down at my hands.  The cold wind generated by the flapping of the drake's wings had turned them a purplish blue colour.  My right hand still clutched my sword.  Realizing that attacking the drake while in mid-air would be a fatal mistake if it dropped me, I put it back in its sheath.  Besides, I'm not sure how much damage I could do.  It wasn't like I was an expert swordsman, and I'd never had any experience in fighting drakes before.  To make matters worse, my body was getting rather stiff from the cold wind up here, and I was already cut up with scratches and such all over.  Those factors greatly reduced my ability to fight with full strength at the moment.

Eventually, the drake came down to a cave in the side of the mountain, dropped me off, and pushed me into it with the edges of its wings.  It stood at the entrance, giving me no where to go but further into the cavern.  I slowly walked further into the darkness, bumping into walls occasionally.  The drake followed me in but did not encounter the same difficulties.  I began to wonder whether it could actually see in the dim interior or whether it knew the way by memory.

Suddenly, the drake clutched my jacket with the tiny little claw on the end of its wing, halting my advance.  I heard pebbles banging against rock walls far below me.  I knelt down to feel the ground around me.  Less than a foot away from me, the rocky floor gave way to what felt like a cliff, and by the sounds of the pebbles, a very tall one.  I shuddered and took several steps back, ramming into the belly of the drake.  It gave another one of its deep huffing sounds, and I could feel the warmth of its breath against my neck.  Not sure what to do, I walked slightly forward again.

With a rather violent huff, as if scolding me, it reached out with one of its talons and wrapped it around my entire waist.  Then it pulled me back rather roughly.

With another huff, it suddenly moved forward.  Hopping on the other talon while kind of dragging me along with the other, it made a dash for the ledge.  I gave a yelp as I felt my feet drop away from solid ground.  It spread out its wings, and we sailed through the air for several seconds.  My panic gave way to delight as I felt the cool air blowing past my face.  I also somehow felt secure with the firm grip of the drake's talon around my waist, knowing that it would not let me go; I would not fall.

The feeling didn't last forever, though.  I was brought out of my pleasant thoughts quite abruptly as my shins banged into the opposite ledge of the abyss we had just crossed.  Moments later, the drake landed on level ground and let me go.

"Ow, ow, ow," I proclaimed, rubbing my shins while getting back up.  As if that wasn't enough, my shoulder decided to announce to my brain that it was real sore, too.  As I moved to rub my shoulder and figure out why I was feeling pain there, the drake swatted me with the end of its wing, motioning for me to keep moving.  I now trailed it, using its heavy breathing and huffing sounds as guidance of where to go.  Nevertheless, I had the misfortune of running into a few more sharp turns in the cave walls and stumbling over bumpy outcroppings in the floor.  And every time there came a thump sound of me slamming into something or the corresponding muttering of curses from my mouth, the drake gave a loud huff back at me.  It even hit me lightly in the chest twice with the end of its tail.  I knew it was a playful gesture, though.  Had it hit me with the full force of its tail, I would have flown backwards with a bunch of broken ribs.  I suppose it was somewhat like a person saying, "You fool!", and slapping your head.

As we trudged on, I looked back to where the ledge was (though I couldn't actually see it in the darkness).  It had dawned on me why the drake had picked this particular cave as its den.  No doubt many daring warriors had ventured into drake's caves to try and slay them while they slept.  The obvious defence of the drakes had been to find natural ways to thwart such attacks.  The poor soul who did not know of the abyss would fall to his death, never getting within even an arrow shot's distance of the drake itself.  I shuddered slightly at the thought.  That poor soul could have been me.  Still, I had an even greater respect for the drakes now, or at least this one.  It takes an intelligent mind to think of a tactic like that.

Presently, the drake stopped.  Fortunately, I stopped this time and did not run into it.  I groped at the stone walls and found this place to be larger than the tunnels which led here.  The drake seemed to be fiddling with something in the corner.  I started to approach it to find out what was going on when a stream of fire illuminated the room.  Thankfully, it didn't come in my direction, but I still jumped back a metre or two with my heart beating rather speedily.  As I took a closer look at what the drake was doing, I noticed that it had lit up a torch on the wall.  It did the same with two other torches on opposite walls and then crouched down on one side of the room.  Huh.  Home sweet home.  I started to approach it again, but its head came darting up and it gave a very loud huff, mixed with a roar.  I stopped right where I was, and it stared at me with its beady eyes for a while before laying its head back down and closing its eyes.  It gave another small huff and wisps of smoke rose from its nostrils.

"Okay then," I muttered to myself while taking off my backpack and setting it on the ground.  "I'll see you in the morning."

I lay down on the hard floor across from the drake and tried to find a position in which I was least uncomfortable.  I never really found any ideal position on the stone floor, and I never really got to sleep.  Besides, what was this?  The drake walked around in the dark cave by day and lit up the torches when it slept?  How could it sleep with all the light?  I found I certainly couldn't, though that didn't really matter with the hard floor and all.  Giving a deep sigh, I closed my eyes and tried to ignore the pain from all the injuries I had attained today.

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