BrotherHood Chapter 2

Adrastos Was a young and youthful spirit. He was very curious of the forest that lived around his lived around his rocky home in the mountains. Adrastos was no ordinary youngster. He loved darting faster then jack rabbits, Climb trees like the forest bears, but what he loved most was to sit at the top of the mountains and watch the clouds,sun,stars pass him by. He was king of the world as he sat at the top. When he finished soaking in the view ,he would always jump off the mountain for a flight. How can a person fly you ask? Well maybe it was because Adrastos wasn't a human in the first place, He was a dragon!
    He lived deep in the mountains with his mother. She was a lot bigger then him in size. She was as tale as a old pine tree and With a wing span longer then two tree's! She had red scales with golden eye's. She had horns long and strait with pointed ends.You could tell just by looking at her (without running away in fear) she was a protective mother, With a very active child. She seemed to always be looking for Adrastos because of his habit of always run off somewhere.

"don't wonder to close to the humans, Their not safe" she always told him before he would run off into the woods.

But he couldn't help but go find a good hiding place and just watch them. The way they moved, lived, played, was so much different then a dragon or any other nature dweller. They built their homes out of broken rocks. And made weird things with wood and sheep hair. The young humans would play with fallen sticks, poking each other with them. Then one would fall over as if pretending to die. This always made Adrastos twist his head slightly to the side in curiosity. He always wondered what they where doing and why.
    As time went on in the forest. Adrastos also got braver, going even farther away from home. He also improved at flying. His wings where strong enough to fly for a few minutes, which for a dragon could get you very far, very fast. Adrastos just gained a very eager mind. He wanted to see everything! Everyday he would look for something new in the forest and just watched it with wide open eyes. He loved the sound of the birds, trying to fly with them was never a option for him though...they did not take kindly to his size...or teeth... But Adrastos didn't mind. Soon Adrastos started flying closer to the open fields of the humans. there where not as many and they seemed quieter then the ones who lived in the weirdly shaped rock.
    One day Adrastos was flying out in the forest near those quiet humans places, as he looked for a new creature to discover. As he flew he heard something strange...yet soothing. He liked the sound of it.So being his curious self, he landed and started searching for this strange sound. As he searched, he listened. His head was high and perking around for the sound. it started to become a very clear melody. But when Adrastos tried to get closer, it suddenly stopped...So did Adrastos.He didn't want to scare (what he thought was some kind of bird) it away. But the sound never started again. sorrowed from not finding the sounds source he quietly walked away, then flew back home.
    Every day he would go back to look for that sound, and every day he would hear it too. but it would stop as he got closer. then one day when he came back, it stopped completely. day after day he would come back to maybe hear it again, he had no such luck. He finally decided that whatever it was went away and wasn't coming back. Adrastos was very sad to come to this conclusion.
    For the next few day Adrastos felt very sorrowful, he lacked the sound that filled his mind with delight.He didn't explore much, nor was he curious about creatures. Most of the time he just gradually roamed the forest, head lowered and ears heeding for some sort of sound similar to the one he craved so much. He wanted to know it's source, it's noise barer...he had to know...
    "Son,what is wrong?" His mother asked one day watching him walk around sorrowful.
    "nothing..."
    "Don't think you can trick this one, I have been around long enough to tell when one isn't telling the truth" She said with a dragons grin.
    "well...I was walking over near the bottom of the mountains wh-"
    "YOU WHERE WHAT!? No humans saw you did they?
    "No, I was well hidden. Can I go on?"
    "Yes..." she said now a little worried
    "Thank you, as I was saying I heard this strange noise when I was down there."
    "Noise? like human noises?" she said becoming paranoid.
    "No, it was was...different..."
    "Different? how?"
    "Well It was as sweet as a birds voice, but it also put a strange feeling inside you"
    His mother now became very interested as she sat closer.
    "Feelings?"
    "Yes Mother, it filled me with all these feelings at once that made me want do everything at once."
    His mothers eyes widened as she heard this.
    "Oh, really?"
    "Yes, so I started looking for it. Though every time I get close it stops and never starts again. Until finally it stopped all together"
    "Oh...Well you need to be careful, it could be humans, and they aren't safe."
    "Why!? Why are those creatures not safe?"
    His mother turned her glance down the mountain toward the castle.
    "Just trust me...OK?"
    "...Fine." Adrastos finally said also turning his glance toward the castle.
    What was it about these creatures,these humans that his mother did not like? how where they So dangerous for being so small? Adrastos never seemed to figure out why dragons never went near humans. Not only did they not go near then, they never talked about them either. But Adrastos wanted to now more about them. Why they did everything they do.Though he was always afraid to ask.
    "What about that sound?" Adrastos finally asked
    "You said it stopped right?"
    Adrastos nodded.
    "Then there should be no need to worry about it"
    Adrastos didn't like the answer given to him. He wanted to hear that sweet sound again, But he wanted to see what made that strange sound the most. He knew better then to ask his mother again. So he just sat next to her the rest of the night.

Walking through the Forest, it felt quiet and lonely. So he decided to go watch  the humans again, maybe watching them do their crazy things would make Adrastos curious again. So he flew down into some well hidden bushes and watched. But he saw something different this time. He saw a young boy, much smaller then all the others who where surrounding him. As he watched the others, they seemed to attack this little human. Adrastos had no idea why but he had a sudden desire to just jump out and protect that little human from the others, he even stood up ready to dart into flight. but he was able to stop himself when he saw that another human stopped those human and got them to run away. as he watched him walk away with this bigger human, Adrastos began to to think to himself in confusion

"Why...was I about to risk myself to save...that small human?"
He could not figure out what came over him. Pondering over all these thoughts he decided it was time to go home,but this time he was just going to walk back. Head full of thoughts

"...why?..."He recalled over and over in his head

The walk back was filled with the sounds of birds singing and the swaying of trees in the wind blowing to and fro. But then Adrastos heard something. It was the music he longed for! Wasting no time his head darted up like a bullet, to the air it went listening,smelling for the source of the sound. He just couldn't lose it this time! He darted into the forest searching. You would not imagine a dragon could run so fast.  Darting around every tree ,stone and bush. losing that sound again just wasn't a option! He soon began to pick up on the trail, getting ever closer to the source he desired so much. He was so near that he could almost point out the spot. But like always it stopped. Adrastos Stopped as quickly as it did.
    "No,not again!...not now"
    Adrastos held his breath hoping for the impossible to happen....It did. Adrastos thought he had hit a dead end again when the music suddenly started playing again even louder then before. Adrastos stood frozen in place for while. He couldn't believe it started up again. the beautiful noise that rang in his ears. Slowly he turned to find the location it came from.It was coming from behind a bunch of overgrown bushes. Step by step he walked closer to peer over the bush.
    "Maybe if I jump over, I can look at the creature before it flies away" He thought cleverly to himself.
    Hunching down he prepared to jump over the bush with great speed to get a glance at the creature. He was about to see the one thing that has ruled his mind like the aweness of a setting sun. He was ready to see the music maker. Getting lower for a greater jump he started to imagine What this creature looked like.

"Could it be a bird? or maybe some other kind creature...or even...a human..."He thought with a little fear in his eyes.

"what if they catch me? what would a human do with a dragon?"
    He was starting to rethink the idea of seeing this creature. the last thing he wanted was to betray his mother.
    "But...I can't turn back now, when I am so close!"
    Adrastos finally decided that he was going to do it. Preparing to jump again. He took a deep breath, Closed his eyes and leaped over the bushes that held his curiosity. He darted his sight up in the air, looking for what he thought was a bird making this sound. Of course the beautiful Melody stopped as soon as he jump, making him dart his head for any kind of movement before the sound maker got away. As he looked he didn't even see signs of birds fleeing from his presents, it was as if nothing was making that noise at all. Looking confused he continues to looked for the sound maker.
    "How did I lose it this time? I was so sure I found the source."
    He couldn't believe he lost it. where could it have gone?  Still looking around he heard something, but it was not in the sky...but on the ground. Hearing the unexpected noise, Adrastos darted for the sound to find a creature that made his muscles freeze in their position...A human!
    Right in front of him staring right back into his own eyes was a human. but not any human, It was the same one he had the strange urge to protect. This was the only reason Adrastos stayed, instead of dashing away. He had to admit he was very curios of why he wanted to protect a human, and this human at that. But he was also afraid of the human, because of the warning from his mother. He didn't know what to do. So he just stood there...starring. This human he watched was very strange, he didn't seem like the other children that played with sticks at all. He didn't seem to get along with them either from what Adrastos had seen. It was as if he hardly acted like a human at all.
     As Adrastos tried to put the peices together as to what this human was doing in the forest. He saw the little human reaching for something on the ground. Adrastos decided he wasn't going to take any more chances with this human and darted for the forest. With great speed and quick darting, It would only be a matter of moments before Adrastos was no longer findable for the little human to follow. He was just about out of sight when his ears pulled back on him like raines on a horse. Adrastos stopped in a instant, For he heard the  the sound one again.
    "Didn't it fly away?" He said, still thinking that it was some kind of bird that made this enchanting noise.
    Head darting left and right, up and down, side to side looking for this sound that captured not only his mind but his very feelings. There where no birds to be found any where. But the sweet sound in the air was so clear.The only thing close enough for that kind of sound was...The human.
    Adrastos slowly turned his head back in the boy's direction. there the small one rested, with this wood in his mouth, making the noise that Adrastos longed to find.
    "A...Human? This entire time it was a human making this irresistible sound? How is it possible for a human so small?"
    Adrastos just stared at the little human. He was much smaller then any of the other little humans he has seen. He also was different from how they acted toward each other. he wanted a closer look at this 'strange' creature. To look up close at the very thing dragons feared to come in contact with. He lifted his front foot to take step closer, then another, and another, Until he was about in the child's face. He examined the boy up and down, Viewing every detail he had never seen in a human. He noticed the boy had no fur of his own, only on his head. He was very small and fragile like a fallen tree stick. But what surprised Adrastos, was the impression on the boys face was not afraid. instead of a feared look  like the rabbits,birds and deer. He found.This human, gave a look of a gentle heart and kindness. The boy's face looked happy. It was strange for anything besides his mother to look at him with such a happy smile. Adrastos wanted to touch this strange creature with his snout, but was afraid of scaring him away. So he just sat down and looked over the little child with curious eyes and enjoying the music.
    The last thing Adrastos thought he would be doing today was sitting happily next to a human. As if there was never any fighting between dragons and humans in the first place. This was strange and yet amazing at the same time. The moment almost seemed unreal, as if he had been dreaming for a lifetime just for this one moment of peace between races. Time itself looked as if it was frozen around these two as the young boy played and the small dragon listened to his tune. No other noise came to ear, nothing else wanted to be heard. Just from looking at the boy, this dragon knew he was not like others. He seemed to be a entirely new creature, unknown by the human race.
    "Nathanael!"
    The shout of another human rang in the dragons ears as he open his eyes to see the boy turning his head to the source of the sound. Adrastos himself turned to see another, bigger human coming their way. With great speed he darted back into the brush where he was unseen to the humans. From there he watched the boy look for him and then pick up a scale that Adrastos never noticed he dropped. Adrastos watched as the young creature was carried away by the larger human. It took all his strength for Adrastos not to follow the young boy home. Because Adrastos knew at that moment with the human, he had gained a friend.
    Adrastos was slowly walking back up the mountain as he wondered if and when he could see this new found friend again, and what would happen the next time they meet. All these ideas just swam through Adrastos mind aimlessly, bring up more and more questions. One question was bigger then any other thought in his mind.
    "Could dragons and humans really become allies instead of enemies? Is this idea even possible?"
    Adrastos thought this question over and over in his head. It just seemed impossible with all the hate for humans at least from dragon history. All Adrastos knew was that humans are the enemy and should be avoided or killed when seen. But what he witnesses today with the small human made him wonder all over again about these dragon ideas. After thinking about all these questions one last one came to his mind, one he would not figure out the answer just by thinking.
    "What will happen when I choose sides with a human?..."
    Adrastos's thoughts where quickly interrupted by a loud shout from the voice of his mother.
    "Adrastos! Where are you!?"
    The shouts where very loud and full of fear. When the sound of the voice came to Adrastos he almost was in fear himself. He shook his head from his thoughts and began to jump into flight. As he did the voice was heard once again.
    "ADRASTOS! WHERE ARE YOU!?"
    It was louder then before and filled with a fearful tone of sadness and worry. Adrastos knew he had to reach his mother quickly. He did not know what was going on, but it sounded nowhere near fine.
    Faster and harder, Adrastos paddled his wings with all his might until he was out of the trees. The valley was filled with nothing but tree's and the mountains the stuck out of them. the only thing visible within the tree's was the humans rock.
    "MOTHER!?" Adrastos shouted with his worry in his own voice.
    deep within the tree's, Adrastos finally saw movement as he looked for his mother. The tree's where moving greatly like twigs snapping as tree's fell with loud impacts to the ground. When Adrastos flew closer, his worry went. But then, Adrastos saw fire. He had never seen his mother breath fire before. She always told him never to use it unless to protect himself. So when he saw that fire, He knew she was in trouble. He saw many more breaths of fire gulp the air surrounding the falling tree's, followed by a terrible roar. Adrastos Dived into the surrounding tree's the moment the sound rang his ears. Fear and anger started to fill his blood. He knew something was terribly wrong now, and there was no sign of it being fine soon.
    Adrastos  hit the ground with silents and no more then a few gushes of wind from his wings. He hid behind a giant tall tree, there...he saw his mother. What he saw pained him so much, he had not the will to keep looking. His eyes darted their glance to the ground from the image that filled them, and tears began to flow. He wanted to roar but couldn't make a noise.
    Adrastos  mother was surrounded by a group of five humans! They where covered in shining rock and carried large wooded stump-like plates, they carried in their other hand long sharp sticks with blood on the tip of one of them. Adrastos now knew why his mother did not like humans. They stabbed their weapons at her without mercy. Adrastos had to do something!
    "GET AWAY FROM HER!" Shouted Adrastos.

He could no longer keep himself quiet, his blood was boiling with anger and rage. With the smell of the blood piercing his nostrils like a deadly sting. He charged with great speed and power and tackled one of the humans. before one of them could even react to the sudden appearance of another. Adrastos  already was biting and clawing at the human now under him.

"GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!" shouted the human under Adrastos clutches.

"Another dragon!? Men! Retreat!" Shouted the scouting leader.

"WAIT! HELP ME!" Pleaded the man still holding his arms up against the dragons blows.
    Ignoring the man's cry for help, the others ran in the opposite direction without a second glance back. Leave this man to be killed by Adrastos. There was no hope for this man, he cried breathlessly as he saw his fate to come.
    Adrastos  was still striking at the man with great power and strength. It was not long until this human would give into his tired body and have the finishing strike hit him. But when Adrastos heard the humans cry...he stopped. His anger faded away, his blood settled, his teeth hid.He just sat there, staring at the helpless human. All he saw in that creatures face, was fear. Fear that he himself had. The humans face was badly scared along with his chest, with blood running down his face.
    "P-please...Don't...Hurt me!..." Said the human throwing his arms back in front of his face.
    Adrastos held down the human with one claw. Now realising the humans great fear, He peered closer at the helpless enemy of the dragons. as there eyes met the humans gaze for a slight few moment before the human once again looked away in deep fear of the dragons glance. Adrastos cloud not believe what he almost did, what he could have done.

With slow movement, that made time itself freeze, only moving when each deep breath was taken, Adrastos look up at his mother. She had been stabbed by a spear in the right forearm and couldn't stand, making defending herself impossible for another attack. Adrastos then look back at the human. His eyes where shut as he let out a small smoking sigh, Letting the human lose.
    With great shock the man didn't move, he didn't know what to think. He thought it might seem some kind of trap. Adrastos Howled at the human, causing the human to fly into a sprint. Taking no time at all, the man was no longer in view. Adrastos and his mother where the only ones now in great silent, they where alone. The only sounds heard was the hard breathing of his mother and the pleads of pain made from trying to move.
    "MOTHER!" Adrastos shouted as he darted to his mother's head laying along the ground.
    "Adrastos...you are safe.." she said with easing in her weak voice.
    "Oh mother...please...I don't want to lose you.." Adrastos layed his head against his mother, his eyes becoming like a mirror to the sadness.
    "...Adrastos...you must go...it is no longer safe here..."
    "BUT-"
    "Adrastos...please go...I have enough strength to lose your trail for you...but that is all..."
    Almost instantly, tears like bleeding water came down Adrastos face and onto his mothers snout, He knew what he had to do even if he didn't like it.
    "...Mother...I love you..."
    "...And I you my little one...I know you will make history one day....now go...and don't look back..."
    "...yes mother..."
    Adrastos backed up and took one last look at his weak mother and the blood that now stained the ground around her. His wings felt listless as they opened among his sides and slowly started to flap them. he felt as if they were bolted to the ground. Then with great distress, He forced his eyes to shut, and his wings to lift him. In no more than a few seconds, he darted away. The over bearing pain did not let him fly long though, Causing him to hit the ground only a mile away.
    There the once happy, care-free, spirited young dragon sat. In the forest that now seemed to be empty and forgotten. All around him it grew dark, cold, and damp, as the cold sun began to rise while the great sun lowered. A great howl was then heard over all the trees and the mountains. Hearing this took the young dragon into himself as he then curled and hid under a large rock. For Adrastos knew now...He was alone...