Flightless Dragon

Flightless Dragon
By Kitty Willard


Prologue

The sun was still high in the sky, when Afarrious, a ship owner, went out on his daily walk out on the docks where the market place was. The salt filled air opened up his lungs as he breathed it in. The gray wisps of his hair was blown about by the sea breeze, as he strolled down one of the many little cobblestone roads. A smile played upon his lips though the people around him were too transfixed with the market to notice it. Sounds where everywhere. Men and women alike were shouting out prices and specials. All the chattering, hollering, muttering, arguments, and threats were all pitched into a mass of incoherent ramblings. Passing by some stands, Afarrious greeted the people he knew and bought some figs to snack on. Exhausted, Afarrious stared his way back home when unexpectedly he ran into an old friend, Edel. His stomach twisted, this was the last person he wanted to see. He despised Edel, outwardly and inwardly alike. Edel was vile, corrupt, wicked, dishonest, and a back stabbing hypocrite. He knew all this by personal experience. Edel and he used to be partners in the shipping market, but alas Edel was too much to bear. He cheated, broke the law, kept hidden secrets, and did many other things Edel behind Afarrious’ back. In the end Afarrious left the partnership, and started his own shipping market, which grew extremely well surpassing Edel’s. Ever since that he had not seen Edel again. He knew that Edel loathed him even though he, with Eidon’s help, forgave Edel of all his treacheries. But alas here he was- in the market place, the last place in the world Afarrious would ever expect to see him. Afarrious first thought was to escape from Edel before he saw him, but he was touched when he saw Edel’s brutality full force upon an orphan boy. Edel screamed and kicked the boy in his furry. Afarrious knew he had to stop it. He had seen the boy before and had heard good reports from people he knew that the boy was trustworthy and hard working. There was no possible way that boy deserved such treatment. As Afarrious got closer he could hear Edel shriek, “You dim-witted boy, you called that work!! It’s not!! Be gone- I shall neither give you food or water, you worthless thing!!” Afarrious’ blood boiled. No creation of Eidon’s deserves that type of treatment! “EDEL!” Afarrious’ voice boomed clearly. Edel swirled around. Afarrious could see the fury in his eyes as they widened. A cruel smile swept across Edel’s red face. “Afarrious.” Edel said as he opened his arms to greet Afarrrious. Afarrious frowned. Hatred filled Edel, when Afarrious did not greet him; therefore he kicked the orphan boy again and left. After Edel was out of sight, Afarrious took a deep breath, then knelt besides the curled up boy. “It’s alright, he’s gone.” Afarrious whispered as he stroked the boy’s back. Uncurling slowly, the boy looked up into his savior’s face. “Can you walk?” asked Afarrious. The boy nodded his head yes, but when he tried if it wasn’t for Afarrious being there he would have fallen to the ground. Helping the bruised boy up, he said, “I am Afarrious. My house is near here, come with me.” Without a word spoken after that, Afarrious helped the boy to his house. Closing the door behind him, Afarrious shouted for Molly the house servant. “Molly! Molly! Where is that confounded servant?”
“Here, sir.” Molly said as she ran to meet her master at the door.
“Well Molly, don’t just stand there! Fetch some water and while you’re at it some clothes for this young boy here. Do go ahead and start cooking some of that famous stew of yours for us. Where is Shelly? Whenever I need her, she always seems to be out somewhere!”
“My lord, she went out for a moment. She’ll be back soon.” Molly stated as she rushed to comply with his orders.
While Afarrious waited for the stew to be cooked, he helped the boy bathe and clean his several cuts and bruises. The whole while the boy said not one word. Finally the stew was done and Afarrious took the boy to the kitchen. Leaving the boy to his meal, Afarrious went down to his little library. He hadn’t even been there for 15 minutes, when his daughter Shelly came running into the room. “Father, how was your day!” she said smiling fondly.
Quite tired Afarrious said, “You are old enough to know not to run in the house.”
Shelly drew a breath, “You’re right father. I’m 16, but how can I not for I love to run!”
Smiling Afarrious told of his day and how he brought the boy home.
She squealed in delight, “What is his name and what is he like??”
Afarrious frowned, “I don’t know. I don’t even know if he can speak!”
Shelly laughed and then pulling his arm, “Let’s go ask him then!”
Both went to the kitchen, but when they got there the boy had fallen asleep on the table. Molly went on to mention that the boy must have been starving, because he ate hungrily. Deeply touched, Afarrious picked up the boy and set him in a bed where he could sleep more peacefully.

Morning came and Afarrious went to check on the boy he had brought home yesterday. He was pleased to find the boy sitting up eating breakfast. In seeing Afarrious, the boy stopped eating and stood up.
“What’s your name, lad?”
“Angelo, sir.”