Chapter 7: Communication

    Ardan blinked his eyes rapidly and stared at the most enormous and most beautiful animal or creature he had ever seen. It had scales the color of deep water and the stars bounced off of them causing their light to dance. It had a huge head that was attached to it's body by a long, powerful neck. It had spines down it's back and a thick, long tail that ended, like it's ears, with a tuft of blue fur. The creature's feet were almost as long as Ardan himself. It's talons were like long, curved knives, sharp and shining. He gasped when he saw it and felt Taur grab his arm in shock.
    "What... what is it?" Taur asked, shaking slightly.
    "I don't know." suddenly they heard a noise. Taur was afraid and looked at Ardan, who to his horror was smiling.
    "Did you hear that?" Ardan asked
    "Yes. It grunted or roared or whatever sound that kind of animal makes. It's angry and we should go home." Taur replied tugging on Ardan's vest.
    "No...No it... it talked."
    "It what? No, Ardan, it didn't talk. It grunted or something."
    "Yes it did!" Ardan was bigger and, though so very often kind, had a temper like wildfire, so Taur conceded to appease him even if he didn't believe him.
    "Okay. So, it talked. What did it say?" Taur kicked at Rheto who dodged and trotted behind Ardan.
    "He knows we're here and he says we should introduce ourselves. He called us rude." Ardan began walking toward the beast, but Taur grabbed him.
    "What are you doing?"
    "Introducing myself." Ardan smiled and pulled away from Taur, picking up Rheto as he half-walked, half-slid down the side of the dune. Taur watched him walk down toward the creature and then, almost in tears, followed him at a distance. Upon reaching flat land Ardan set Rheto back down on the ground, but continued striding toward the giant thing. He skirted a stake holding down the nets, slowing his walk as he drew even with the creatures head.
    "There you are," said the giant voice. It was much louder this close. Ardan could have reached out and touched one of the great ears, but he didn't dare. "Please, come where I can see you."
    Ardan swallowed hard and slowly came around the great snout with nostrils bigger than his head and a mouth.  He could have easily slept inside. The great eyes pierced him to his soul. Each one was as large as one of the village fire pits and light blue like the eggs he sometimes found, but shining like smooth stones.
   "You're a child," exclaimed the beast. Air rushed from Ardan's lungs as he released the breath he'd been holding so he could answer.
   "I am almost a man. Two more cold seasons and I'll be fourteen. Then I'll be a man."
   "Well, good for you," it replied. Taur came tearing around the side of the great creature and skidded into Ardan, breathing heavily.
   "Ardan! It'll eat you!"
   "Taur, calm down. We're talking."
   "You weren't talking. You were just grunting at each other!" Taur was so confused. Ardan hadn't said a word.
   "Is this one upset? Why does he speak so strangely?" the creature asked.
   "You... you can't understand him?"
   "Unfortunately not. I am not as learned in all the languages as I should be, but it's lucky you were here. I've known very few who were so young that were so skilled in drakon speech. It is not easy." Ardan's mouth hung open. He had been speaking drakon, whatever that was. Taur couldn't understand the creature and the creature couldn't understand Taur. His mind was buzzing.
   "Ardan! Ardan!" Taur was calling him, shaking his shoulders.
   "Taur? What?" Ardan felt as if he'd hit his head.
   "I'm going home. Are you coming with me?"
   "What?" Ardan tried to focus. "Oh. No. You go ahead. I'm going to stay here."
   "What if it eats you?!"
   "He won't."
   "I can't believe this! What will I tell your mother?" Taur asked almost frantically.
   "Tell her the truth." Taur's mouth fell open, but he didn't answer. He just stalked off in the direction of the village. Rheto followed him a short way, but then returned and sat beside Ardan, who was still slightly dumbfounded.
   "Where has your little friend gone?" asked the creature, waking him from his stupor.
   "Taur... oh, home."
   "Taur? That's his name?"
   "Yes, he's younger than me and he's scared. So, he went home. He'll regret it in the morning and he'll feel bad and i'll forgive him because he's my best friend." Ardan took a deep breath and looked up at the creature only to realize that it, that he was laughing. "Why are you laughing?" Ardan asked, a little irritated.
   "You aren't scared of me?"
   "No."
   "But I could eat you... I'm bigger and stronger and much more dangerous than you. How do you know your friend, Taur, wasn't correct in being afraid?"
   "Because you're tied down and I'm not."
   "Perhaps I can escape..."
   "You would have done it by now," the creature laughed again.
   "You are very smart little one. What is your name?" he stared at him with one giant eye.
   "Ardan. What's your name?"
   "I am called Fulkar."
   "Fulkar?" Ardan sat down in the sand just a few feet from Fulkar's snout. "What are you?"
   "What am I? I am a drakon?" Fulkar seemed shocked. "Don't you know what a drakon is?"
  

(It's an incredibly long chapter... so this is it for today. Hope you're enjoying it. Whoever you are... More tomorrow!)