Chapter 4 -

Chapter 4 -- Eat Orcshit!

As I lay on the ground having finally caught my breath, I wondered if I beat my track record for a mile. Even though I'd only been here a day, it seemed like a long time ago. This was no longer a dream. This was reality. I had been transported here by God knows what. And where is here? I had no idea.

I knew I had serious feelings for Arvin. Not in a sexual way, but I knew that I loved him. You could call it brotherly love, but it seemed more than that. I was an ass to him. There was no good reason for my castigation of him just because he didn't fit MY dreams. Would he hate me? I knew he wouldn't, but I needed to apologize.

My stomach growled loudly and as if on cue, Zeek walked up with a huge basket of food.

"Sorry I took so long but my mom made me do my chores before I left. She asked me if I was feeding that dragon again. They don't approve of my friendship with Arvin," he giggled cutely, causing me to smile. "I told them it was for a human boy called Gladimhere. I told her how beautiful you were and so very friendly. Of course she didn't believe that I actually met such a magical creature as you."

I had to laugh at the fact that I was considered a magical creature.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"Me! Magical! I'm not magical," I laughed, "I'm only human. You're the one that is magical, not me. You're an elf and elves are magical creatures."

He rolled his eyes looking so sweet, "I wish." His expression changed to sort of a melancholy look, "I practice magic everyday in hopes that someday I'll become as magical as humans in our folklore. I only do slight of hand. You are magical, Gladimhere. You may try to hide it, but I can sense it -- it flows from you. It surrounds you."

I smiled. It's funny but that the way I saw him -- magical. I was about to say that to him but my stomach once again interrupted.

"Well, my luh-," he blushed slightly, "my friend, try this." He handed me some kind of fruit which was delicious.

I wondered if he was going to call me `my love' and then realized part way through. Was he in love with me? He could easily be a part of my fantasies.

We conversed over the next half hour while I ate. Truthfully, he did most of the talking. They called this place Landsphere. The area we were in is called Dragon's Tail and he drew me a map in the dirt showing me where he lived, the cave and hot springs.

Having eaten my fill, I realized Arvin had not yet showed up.

"Zeek, I need to go find Arvin. I was upset and sort of yelled at him in anger. I feel bad about my outburst."

"What happened?" Zeek asked.

"He laughed at me when I said dragons could fly. You see, in all the human cultures dragons are mythological creatures full of magic and they could fly and breathe fire. He's a dragon with wings. I know he can fly. I feel it deep in my heart. I guess I really love him a lot and when he laughed at me for thinking that he could fly, I yelled at him."

"Yeah, I understand. The thing is, dragons here don't fly. He may have wings but he doesn't use them to fly; in fact it's sort of a sore point with Arvin."

"What do you mean?" I asked, as we started walking to where I had left Arvin.

"Well, you know he no longer lives with his kind. It's because of me partly, and I understand your love for him because I love him too. His father blames his `affliction' meaning his love for me on the fact that he never had his wings clipped. You see tradition is that dragons have their wings clipped, but when he was born he was very sick and his mother didn't want him to have to go through the agony of a wing clipping. He's always been ashamed of having such big wings. He never unfurls them, but I imagine they are huge. He's quite a manly dragon if you know what I mean."

"Yeah," I said sadly. I must have really hurt his feelings. "I need to run like the wind to find him and apologize," I said to Zeek, as I broke into a sprint.

In no time, I was through the woods that opened to an open area where the hot springs were. I stopped so suddenly my momentum carried me further and I fell, rolled and sprung to a standing position.

Before me was a truly awesome sight. It was Arvin with his wings stretched out and unfurled. There was only one word that came to mind magnificent! He was so magnificent, it took my breath away.

For some reason he didn't see me race to him. I think it startled him a bit to see me standing in front of him in all his splendor. He had just given his wings a swift and strong stroke downward which made his front legs rise off the ground a good four feet.

His fore feet fell to the ground; he furled his mighty wings and gazed at me.

I could feel warm tears trickling down from my eyes as I regarded him speechless.

"I-I love you. You are so very beautiful, so magnificent," I said.

"I love you too, Gladimhere, so very much."

I moved forward and embraced him. We stood like that for a good five minutes before I said, "Arvin, I'm sorry. I should have never spoken to you like that. Zeek told me that you are ashamed of your wings," I paused, "You shouldn't be because they make you look magnificently beautiful. I saw them and I cried because they are so beautiful -- you are so beautiful and not just your body. Everything about you is beautiful."

I felt him swallow. He moved back a short distance so he could look at me. Tears were falling from his eyes. He swallowed again, "You are the most wonderful thing in my life. You woke me up. You made me think about myself . You were right to be angry at me. I didn't believe you. I thought what you said was silly and stupid because I had always been told wings were for decoration and smaller wings were always more beautiful. But when you got angry and ran off it made me think mainly because you are such a magical creature."

"It took me an hour to build up my courage to unfurl my wings. I flapped them a couple of times and then just before I saw you appear out of nowhere I tried as hard as I could and it made my legs lift off the ground. Because of you, I believe I can fly. I just need to exercise my wing muscles."

I stepped forward and kissed his cheek where his tears had fallen. His skin was still moist and I tasted his tears on my lips. I would have thought they would have been salty or maybe even sour or acidic but they weren't. They were sweet like nectar from a honeysuckle flower. Quite automatically, I went `mmmm' and licked his cheek. He tasted so good that I licked a couple of times.

He giggled, "That tickles!"

"Oh, really?" I said cheerfully and proceeded to lick even more. Soon we both were laughing and giggling.

"Ahem! What are you two doing?" asked Zeek who had just arrived.

"Well, I am licking his tears away. Have you ever tasted his tears?"

Zeek shook his head, no.

"Well, then join me! They are delicious!"

Zeek got one lick in before Arvin backed off laughing, "No more! No more!"

"Get him, Zeek!" I squealed as Arvin backed off even more.

We spent the next half hour chasing the dragon around the open area playing and having fun. At least two of us were hot, sweaty and dirty. We all collapsed in a heap with Arvin lying down and Zeek and I resting against his belly.

"We should go for a swim," said Zeek, getting to his feet after a few minutes of rest.

"Yeah! We should," I stated as I stood up.

"You two go ahead. I'll watch," said Arvin.

"Like hell you will, my lovely young dragon," I said calmly, "His royal prince of Landsphere said `we'. We means you, me and his lordship."

Zeek giggled, "Yes, I agree with the magical human we call Gladimhere. You, Sir Arvin of the Dragons, being a favored knight of the dragons and having been blessed with the power of magic by this hallowed human whose magic we have seen flowing from him and all around him shall swim with us."

I squatted down in front of Arvin. "You are a most magical dragon and all magical creatures can swim. And if you do sink to the bottom of the pond simply walk out of the water. It is not that deep. Pleeeeze," I said, pushing my bottom lip out and giving him my best puppy dog look.

For that I got rewarded by a wet, slobbery tongue across my whole face which also knocked me on my butt.

Zeek and Arvin laughed.

"Sorry, I just couldn't resist doing that," chuckled Arvin as he stood up.

It was funny so I laughed too. I stripped off my clothes as soon as we got to the water. I noticed Zeek staring at my naked body so I did several poses which really embarrassed him. Still he looked.

To be honest, I was hoping to see his naked body. "Okay, your turn," I laughed.

A blushing elf is priceless! His body was gorgeous we're basically the same anatomically, but he is completely hairless down there.

Of course I made Arvin go first. He was nervous and I think a bit scared. He made a big splash, surfaced coughing and spluttering but then nature took its course and he started paddling around laughing and squealing with delight.

Zeek and I jumped in amidst Arvin squealing like a schoolgirl, "I'm swimming! I'm swimming!"

We all had a great time, but then we noticed it was getting dark which terrified Zeek because of the orcs and goblins being about soon.

"Arvin, do orcs and goblin hassle dragons?" I asked.

"No, not usually, unless there are a lot of them."

"So, if Zeek and I rode on your back while you walk back to the cave, we'd be safe?"

"I don't know. They'd be really confused, seeing an elfin on my back. Of course I could tell them that you're my dinner and they'd probably let it go at that."

"See, Zeek, we'll be Arvin's dinner. So up you go." I helped him up onto Arvin's back and then scampered up there, myself.

We were nearly to the cave when three orcs jumped out on to the path in front of us. Zeek nearly died of fright, I'm sure.

"What's that on your back," demanded one of the orcs.

"My dinner," said Arvin, with a low growl in his voice.

"Yeah, well, we want one of them."

"No, they are mine," growled Arvin.

"There are three of us and only one of you and you're very young probably inexperienced in fighting. Let us have one and we'll not argue and you can be on your way," said the orc.

"No."

One of the other orcs raised his throwing axe ready to strike.

"Hey stupid with the axe," I yelled. My attitude was back. They were stupid; they looked at each other to see who was holding an axe. By their actions I determined that they were slow. These idiots reminded me of some of the jocks in school. Big, strong but painfully slow and dumb.

They all looked at me.

"Tell stupid with the axe to drop it or I will cram it down his throat!" I shouted. Zeek was whimpering. I felt Arvin take a step backwards.

"We want that one dragon. Turn him over or face the consequences," said the orc.

"Hey, you fat slob bullies. You want me?" I stood up on Arvin's back.

"I'll fight you. If I win, you leave Dragon's Tail and never come back, because if you come back, I will kill you and those with you. And for the record, I am not an elf."

"What are you?"

"Your worst nightmare. I am a human. Now, do we have a deal?"

"Gladimhere, no!" said Arvin.

"Shut up you low life dragon. You and your kind disgust me -- you're all cowards! Come on, elfin or human, we shall enjoy roasting you slowly listening to your screams and pleas for a fast death," laughed the lead orc.

"Eat orcshit!" I yelled, as I sprung feet first into the orc holding the axe, hitting him squarely in the upper part of his chest. As he was falling back, I yanked the axe out of his hand, swung it with the blunt end straight into his mouth. As he screamed in pain, I threw the axe striking the leader orc in the Achilles heel. He fell in pain. I spun around and did a round-house kick into the third orc whose attention was on his leader, hitting him in the gut then I jumped in the air landing with both feet in his chest.

I saw his sheathed dirk. The dirk flew out of its sheath and pinned the orc's hand to the ground. He screamed.

My adrenalin was coursing through my veins. My thoughts were that I wanted the axe in my hand which I was holding outstretched. The axe flew into my hand as my hand closed around it.

I walked over to the leader, "You have one day to leave and never come back! Come back and I'll send you on a one-way ticket to hell! Never mess with an elfin, human and dragon traveling together! YOU GOT THAT?"

He grunted and I started walking back to the cave.

Our walk back to the cave was to say the least quite. I argued with myself the whole way back seeing as they said nothing. Maybe they were disgusted with my outburst and fighting. When I turn around they avoid looking at me. I felt like screaming at them but that would make matters worse. Maybe they now saw me as an evil ogre rather than a magical creature full of goodness.

When we got to the cave I mumbled, "I'm going to the point. I lost something there and want to find it. I'll be back before dark."

Arvin nodded. Zeek said nothing. Nothing -- that was the worst. It was as if he didn't like me any more or didn't care and that hurt. I took off for the point at a slow jog before I said something hurtful to him to get even.

I found my earphones almost as soon as I arrived. I plugged them into my mp4 player and played my tunes while I sat down on a rock, stared out to the sea and watched the sun gradually lower itself towards the horizon. Saylon Dola was playing -- it matched my sad mood.

I felt so alone.

I started crying.

Was I to be a fuck up in this world too?