Dragon Master's Poetry and Short Stories

[Dragon Master Mike]

Short Stories

The Horses:

Spoiler:

The horses

“The horses are not ready to see you.” The raspy voice whispered from behind the ancient wooden door as I tapped my hand on it.

“How much longer must I wait.” I questioned.

“Sixty two minutes.” I just barely heard it say.

“That is unacceptable!” I shouted. “I must see them sooner.” There was no response. Looking down at my watch, I saw that the time was already 11:17.

It was a black moonless night that I had chosen to journey out into the center of these ancient forests to seek out the horses. Around the clearing the cabin was located in, the tree branches, their leaves long since having fallen off, seemed to reach inwards like the tentacles of a giant squid reaching for their prey. A thin layer of snow had fallen earlier in the day, leaving a coating on the grass and trees.

The cabin before me appeared as if it had been there for decades, maybe even centuries. Its dark interior was hidden behind tattered beige curtains in the now shattered windows. For a moment I thought I saw a curtain move as if something brushed against them from inside.

“11:27.” I thought, looking down at my watch again. Though only ten minutes had passed, it felt like several eternities. I could feel the frigid winter air even through my many layers of clothes, and It only seemed to be getting colder. I couldn’t afford to wait another fifty minutes.

I knocked on the door again.

“The horses are not ready to see you.” The voice rasped again, slightly louder than last time. I figured there was nothing I could do to speed things up. I took a step back and sat down on the rotten wooden stairs that led to the front door. They appeared as if they might snap if I put even a fraction of my weight on them, but somehow they managed to stay in one piece.

I felt a gust of wind blow, and I pulled my black hood down over my face in an attempt to shield it against the painfully cold air, which stung as it made contact with my face. A few moments later I felt that the wind had stopped, but I kept my face covered anyway. I was worried that I would get frostbite soon if I couldn’t get inside. “11:37.” I thought, looking down at my watch again. Another ten minutes had passed.

I knocked on the door again.

“23 minutes.“ The voice said. I was happy when I heard this. In 23 minutes, only 43 minutes total would have passed. This was less than the original 62 minutes. And so I waited patiently, keeping my face covered and my hands in my pockets.

And then a bell rang. It sounded like the kind of bell you would hear from a clock as the hour struck midnight. It seemed as if it was coming from within the forest somewhere, but I didn’t spend long thinking about this. 23 minutes had passed.

I knocked on the door again.

“You may enter.” The quiet voice spoke from within the cabin. I opened the door, a loud squeak emitting from the hinges as it moved.

The inside of the cabin was pitch black. I could just barely make out the shape of a table in the center of the small room, and a door on the left side. I removed my small black flashlight from my pocket and turned it on.

On the table in the center of the room was a grotesque sight. Sitting on its side and in a pool of its own blood, the severed head of a brown horse laid. Its mouth was open, and its tongue stuck out slightly. Its teeth appeared yellow and broken.

“The horses are ready to see you.” Its abhorrent voice croaked, its mouth moving as the words were spoken.

I: (The story of practicing detail that was not meant to be read)

Spoiler:

I sit in this old wooden chair, looking out at the lake before me. The lake is small, and this dock even smaller. The small body of water is shaped like an oval, and is small enough that the other side can be seen with ease. The water is not very deep, but it is deep enough. Many fish inhabit it. Mostly bass. Beside the dock I see a metal row boat, it’s oars sitting inside. I see the suns golden light reflecting off the surface of the cloudy water. I hear the chirping of birds from the trees behind me. I look up and see geese flying overhead, their grey wings flapping as they fly. Looking behind me, I see the hill leading up and away from the lake. I can’t see the top though, as trees block my vision. All around I see trees of various species. Many pine and oak trees, as well as the occasional birch.

Standing up, I turn and walk up the stone stairs leading towards the top of the hill. Twice I nearly trip, but I make it to the top unharmed. I make it to the top and see the house before me. I walk on to the porch that wraps around its back and left side. Looking through the glass sliding door, I see a kitchen and living room area. I also see no one is inside. I had known there would be no one inside though. As the sun begins to set, I step back off the wooden porch and walk along the side of the house. I walk down a gravel path, smelling the scents of the forest. I see an old wooden shed to my left. In front of it lies a log, stood up to allow items to be placed on it. On top of the log sits a small hand carved wooden cross, as well as a small knife. I quickly take the cross and keep walking.

At the end of the gravel path I see an old pickup truck. Its dark green paint is covered in dust and dirt. I open the passenger side door and climb in. Looking in the back seat, I see a small box of fishing hooks. I pick the container up and put it in my pocket. I step out of the truck and close the door behind me. I continue down and step out on to the old road running in front of the house. I turn right and begin walking, watching as the sky begins to darken. I begin to walk faster, trying to make it to my destination before night falls. To my right I see another house, this one older than the one I had just left. Continuing down the road, It begins to turn right. I keep walking, the forest surrounding me on both sides. I look up and see branches and leave covering the road, making it feel as though I walk through a tunnel.

I hit another road and make a right turn. I see a few more old houses to either side. Eventually I reach another road and make a left turn. Continuing down, I reach an area with a clearing to my left. Looking into it, I can see several deer lying in it. Just past the clearing I see the edge of yet another lake. This one is only slightly larger than the last lake, but I still struggle to see the other side, as the lighting is growing dim. I pass over a small bridge leading over a stream, then proceed up a hill. Walking down the worn road, I pass two more old houses before reaching my final destination. To my left is a house. It is old, but in better shape than most of the others.

I walk down the gravel driveway. With the last light of day gone, the forest looks very different. It is like a whole new world, where every tree could be a monster waiting for you to come within its reach, or where forest ghouls could be watching from a location just beyond sight. With this thought, I turn around, making sure one was not following me. I quickly turn back and continue down the driveway. Looking to my left, I see a pile of wood. Next to it is a log with an old axe in it. I quickly grab the axe before walking to the front of the house. I quickly ascend the steps to the porch, each of the four stairs creaking along the way. I reach the door and set the axe down. Reaching in my pocket, I quickly remove the key. Wanting to get inside and away from the cold, I insert the key into the door and unlock it. I quickly open it and pick the axe back up.

Walking inside, I am immediately met with the smell of stale air. I see a short hallway in front of me. The floor is wooden, and the walls and doors are all stained wood. Immediately to my right, I see a door. Opening it, I see a bathroom. I flip a switch and a small light hanging from the ceiling lit up, illuminating the Sink and Toilet along one wall, and the tub along the other wall. I flip the light switch back off and close the wooden door. Just past this door on the other side of the hall is another wooden door. I do not look inside however, and keep walking. I reach the end of the hall and see a door to my left. To my right, there is a small kitchen area, containing a small counter and a refrigerator. On the counter sits an old fashioned black phone. Just above the sink, there is a small window covered in blinds. I set the axe on the counter and keep walking through the room. In the front to my right is a kitchen table and chairs. To my left, the room connects to a living room. To my front is a glass sliding door.

Walking into the living room half, I see two old and worn couches to either side. Above the couch to my left is a painting of bears, all dancing around. In the far right corner of the room is an old TV. It is not very good, but it gets the job done. In the center of the room is a small table, with a brown rug underneath it. In front of me is a small fireplace. The screen covering the inside of the fireplace is moved aside, and wood is stacked inside. Underneath the wood is newspaper. The fireplace had already been set up. I see a red lighter in the center of the table, and I pick it up. Walking up to the fireplace, I light the newspaper under the wood. It quickly catches, and begins to spread. Within a minute I can hear the crackling of fire. I set the lighter on the counter next to the axe. I take the fishing hooks and wooden cross out of my pockets and set them down on the counter. I then quickly walk into the bathroom and change into my pajamas.

I see a TV remote on the couch. I grab it and turn on the TV. Flipping through the channels, I eventually find a movie that looks good. I toss the remote back on the couch. On one of the couches I see a blanket. It is old, but it is clean, and that is all that matters. I pick it up and lie down on the couch. Pulling the brown blanket over myself, I listen to the crackling of the fire. I look over at the glass sliding door leading to the back porch and hear the crickets and other night time insects. Looking back over at the TV, I watch the movie. The room quickly began to warm up from the fire, and I quickly began to grow tired. It wasn’t long before I began to fall asleep.

This story I wrote for the PXR shiny event. I can't remember if it won second or third place. Word count is just over 1,000.

Yellow:

Spoiler:

Yellow

It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, and there was not a cloud in the sky. The smells of the forest filled my nostrils, as well as the smell of prey.

Keeping my head low, I watched the small creature scuttle around, its pinkish purple shape easy to keep track of. From the bush I was hiding in, the Pokemon wouldn’t see me coming. As it came closer, I saw it stop and pull something off of a bush. A berry maybe? It didn’t matter to me. The Rattata only stopped at the bush for a moment before continuing towards the bush I was hiding in. It was close now, only a few feet. I could feel my mouth watering.

“Dinner.”

I darted out of the bush, my nine tails trailing behind me. I looked down at the Rattata, its eyes glued to me in horror. I felt kinda bad for it, but everything needs food to survive, and that meant hunting was a necessity. My mouth watered as my feet met the ground. The normal type looked up at me, surely giving up all hope of survival. I opened my mouth, preparing to grab it. Closing my eyes, I clamped my mouth back closed, impaling it with my sharp row of teeth. Lifting my head up, I opened my eyes to admire my… Lump of grass? Dropping the grass from my mouth, I watched a purple shape disappear into the bushes in front of me.

“And I thought YOU were going to show ME how to hunt.” My companion said as she stepped out of the bushes she had been spectating from.

“Shut it, Lea” I said as I looked back at her, half playing, half annoyed. At that, she laughed. I smiled back at her as she walked to my side.

“I bet I could catch more Rattata in an hour than you could in a day!” My fellow Ninetails said, still with a smile on her face.

“Is that a challenge?” I said, speaking with a much more serious demeanor.

“Maybe.” She said in response

“Alright then. Lets see who can catch more Rattata by noon.” I said, stating the conditions of my competition..

“Deal! I’ll meet you back here at noon!” She said. Before I could say another word, she had darted off, running with speed few Pokemon other than a Ninetails could achieve. Satisfied I could win this challenge easy, I moved slowly, walking off into the bushes. I figured it would be the best way to avoid startling any prey. Taking my time, I made sure to avoid stepping on any twigs or anything else that could give my position away to any Rattata that may have been watching. I could only imagine Lea darting through the forest, frightening every living creature within a mile radius. She could be so careless sometimes.

I kept my eyes and nose open, looking for any signs or smells of prey. It was only a matter of time before I began to smell something. It was clearly the smell of a Rattata, and it was fresh. I began following the smell, even more cautiously than before. My search led me farther than I had expected. I travelled for a good hour, past streams and dense shrubbery. Finally, peeking my head through some bushes. I was met with a pleasant sight. Crouching down by a stream in front of me was a Rattata. Almost immediately I noticed something very strange about it.

It was yellow.

Yellow.

A Yellow Rattata.

I had never seen anything like it before. It stood there drinking from the stream, its shockingly shiny yellow fur glistening as a beam of sunlight broke through the leaves above him, shining on his back.

“This should be worth five rattata when I show it to Lea!” I thought, holding back a laugh. Looking at this Rattata, I almost felt bad for what I was about to do. In fact, I actually did feel pretty bad. Why did I feel bad though? This was nothing more than I did every day. The only difference was that this Rattata was yellow instead of its normal purple. I knew that I had to catch this Rattata. If I didn’t It would mean I lost the competition, and even worse, that I might go without dinner… Yet, something inside me said I shouldn’t. I don’t know what it was, but that something saved that Rattatas life. I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I knew this Rattata was special. Turning around, I left as quietly as I had entered. I was disappointed to not have anything to show for my long trek, but was happy to have seen the Rattata.

Walking back, I felt the soft grass beneath my feet. It really was a lovely day, and I planned to take my time walking back. It was only then however that I realized how close it was to noon. Even if I had no prey to show for it, I had every intention of making it back on time. I rapidly shifted up to full speed, sprinting as fast as my legs would allow. Moving full speed, I managed to make it back in only 15 minutes compared to what had felt like forever the other way. I stopped at the agreed meeting place, out of breath. I was so out of breath, I hadn’t even noticed the Ninetails waiting for me in the bushes.

“I was starting to think you would never get back!” Lea said, laughing at my tired state.

“I was starting to think you might have caught something.” I said, looking at the clear lack of food in her possession.

“And you would have thought correct! Wait until you see what I caught!” She said, turning and darting into the bushes behind her. I waited for her for a whole minute. By the end of that minute, I was starting to think that she was taking a while just because. She came out a moment later, carrying a Pachirisu. As soon as I saw the Pachirisu however, I noticed something strange.

It’s stripe was pink.

Pink.

A Pink Pachirisu.

This one I wrote for URPG to try and catch a Fletchling. There is a small connection between it and the last story. Word count is about 1,800.

Just a Fletchling

Spoiler:

It was a bright sunny morning. There was not a cloud in the sky. The chirping of flying types filled the air, and the many sounds of Kricketune echoed through the forest. The smells of spring were in the air, and as two Pokemon knew, spring meant young Pokemon, and young Pokemon meant easy prey.

“Max, how much farther?” One of the Pokemon asked, the wind gently stroking her fur.

“Shhh,” The other Pokemon said, “Keep your voice down, we are just about there. Just stay low and try not to make noise.” It was only a few moments later that the two Pokemon emerged into a small clearing. In the center of the clearing was a large tree, notably bigger than most of the other trees in the forest. It’s trunk was thick, and from its base, large roots ran into the ground. Higher up, its immense branches were covered in green leafs. Also higher up was where the two Pokemon knew flying types liked to nest.

“You were right,” The first Pokemon said quietly, “this place does look perfect for hunting.”

“Yeah.” The second Pokemon said. “Lets look for the lowest nests.”

5 minutes earlier

I woke up to the feeling of a gentle breeze. Opening one eye, I could see the sun shining through the leaves above me. I quickly opened the other eye and stood up. Looking around, I saw the large nest I had been sleeping in.

“Wheres mom?” I briefly wondered before remembering that Talonflame like to hunt this time of day. “That must be where she is.” I thought, picturing my mother flying around and looking for prey. Though I longed to be able to fly like that, I was just a young Fletchling. I was still unable to fly properly. Looking up, I saw several other nests higher above me. I was fairly certain my nest was the lowest out of all of them though. Walking over to the edge of the nest, I looked down at the forest floor. I had always wanted to see what was down there. I knew this would have to wait though until I was old enough to fly… Or so I had thought at the time. Little did I know my wish would be granted very soon. I had only been looking down at the forest floor for a few seconds when two figures emerged from a bush. As I was not very high, it was easy to recognise the two Pokemon.

“Predators.” I thought, scared. I quickly ducked, hoping they hadn’t noticed me. Without mother there to defend me, I knew I would stand no chance if they came after me. With this in mind, I froze, not moving, and not making a sound. Listening, I could tell all of the other fletchling higher up the tree had also silenced. All except one. The closest nest to mine was about two meters above me and one meter to my left. This nest contained a Fletchling even younger than I. A Fletchling completely oblivious to the danger. A Fletchling that was dead the second the Pokemon below reached it. Moving with speed I had never seen before, the yellow Pokemon darted straight up the trunk of the tree, reaching the nest in only seconds. It was not even a full second later that I began to hear the Flying Types cries of fear.

“Mama! Ma-” With a sickening snap, the cries stopped. The predator looked over the edge of the large nest, the still twitching body of the baby flying type in its mouth. A moment later, the Pokemon jumped back down from the tree, its nine tails flowing behind it. I hoped that maybe I would be safe. I hoped that maybe the two Ninetales would be satisfied with one. I knew though that this was unlikely. I sat for about a minute before deciding to peek over the edge of the nest. As soon as I did though, I wished I hadn’t. The second Ninetales was already on its way up the tree. I couldn’t believe my eyes as I watched the fire type run up the tree as if it was flat ground. I could tell almost the second I peeked that I had been noticed.

The predator continued darting up the tree, only to stop and grab on to the branch my nest was on. I watched in fear as the Pokemon walked towards me, treading carefully down the narrow branch. Fear quickly turned into panic, and I began stepping back. When I hit the edge of the nest, I stopped. I watched as the fierce Pokemon walked closer, its mouth opening to reveal razor sharp teeth. Finally, it pounced. In panic, I jumped back, falling over the edge of the nest. Although thankful to have not ended up like the other Fletchling, I panicked at a sudden new threat. I was falling. Fast.

I flapped my wings frantically, trying to slow my fall. Still being young, I was unable to fully fly, but I was able to slow my fall. Half flying, half gliding, I made my way down to the forest floor. Though I hit the ground hard a few moments later, I was relieved to have not been hurt by the fall. Standing up, I felt my talons sink into the soft dirt. Looking up, I was unsurprised to see the Ninetales running back down the tree. I quickly turned the other way and tried to run. I quickly realised though that my legs were not meant for running. I tried flapping my wings, but only managed to get a few centimeters off the ground before dropping back down, saddened by my pathetic attempt at flight. Looking back, I saw the Ninetales reach the bottom of the tree.

That was when the blast of fire struck between me and the fire type. My initial confusion at its source quickly faded as I saw the large flying type hovering above my head. The flying types head was red, and its back was black. The feathers under its wings and on its stomach were grey, and they were spotted with red. Some yellow feathers could be seen in its black tail, and its talons were a dull yellow.

“Mom!” I shouted, Fear beginning to fade. I knew now that I was saved. I watched as the two Ninetales unleashed waves of fire at the Talonflame hovering above me. Both of the scorching hot waves hit, only to bounce off her feathers, doing almost no damage. My mother responded with a fire of her own. Looking at the two Fire types, she let loose a massive inferno. The fire engulfed the nearest of the Ninetales. When it cleared, the predator was visibly burnt. Had the Ninetales not been a fire type, it may not have survived that attack. The burnt Pokemon took a few steps back, but was clearly not going to give up.

“We need to leave!” The uninjured Ninetales shouted at her injured companion.

“Not until we get that Fletchling!” The burnt Ninetales stubbornly responded. As soon as he finished speaking, he unleashed a wave of energy. As this wave of energy struck the Talonflame, she immediately became disoriented. I watched in surprise as she landed, visibly tilting from side to side. The fire type then charged forward, swiping its claws across the flying type’s chest. The bird Pokemon flinched slightly before unleashing another stream of flames. This time, the fire missed, flying just over the predators head. As this happened, the uninjured Ninetales shot a stream of fire of her own at my mother. The fire struck the flying type, this time doing slightly more damage than before. I began to become worried.

“Could my mother actually loose?” I began to question, repeating the terrifying idea over and over in my head. I watched as the Ninetales exchanged more fire with my mother, noting the fact that she was taking more damage than them. I knew something had to be done, or me and my mother would both die. I did not dare move though. I knew that as a young Fletchling, there was nothing I could do. I watched in fear as yet again the injured fire type charged forward, slicing into the Talonflame’s chest. My mother took a different approach to counterattacking this time though. As the Ninetales attacked, my mother slammed her beak into its head, pecking it so hard that it nearly fell down. It didn’t though. Instead it sunk its teeth into her wing. At the same time, the other Ninetales ran forward and grabbed her wing.

As the two Pokemons teeth sunk into my mothers wings, the flying type let out a loud screech. At this point I knew something had to be done, or else me and my mother were both done. Despite being incapable of proper flight, I quickly flapped my wings, launching into the air. I only managed to stay in the air for a few seconds, but this brief flight was enough to boost me towards the two fire types. Landing in front of the uninjured fire type, I quickly slammed my small beak into its foot. The yellow Pokemon immediately let go and looked at me. I froze. I thought I was about to die. It was about to pounce on me when my mother intervened. She slammed her wing into the fire type, knocking her back a meter. She then proceeded to look down at the Ninetales on her other wing. The ninetales immediately let go, anticipating the wave of fire that would have engulfed him had he stayed.

“Max! We need to leave NOW!” The now slightly more injured Ninetales shouted again. The other Ninetales, who was now badly injured, hesitated for a few moments. After thinking for a second, he decided she was right.

“Lets go Lea.” The male Ninetales said back to his female companion. Almost at the same time, the two Ninetales fled, darting back off into the forest.

“It’s… It’s over?” I said quietly, only half expecting an answer. I assumed I had spoken too quietly for my mother to hear me, as she did not respond. It took me a moment to see why. I watched as my mother walked slowly towards the body of the Fletchling the predators had killed. They must have been in such a hurry to leave that they forgot their food. Looking up, I could see other Talonflames beginning to return from their morning hunt. One of them landed next to my mother. Though I never asked, the sound of crying quickly made obvious the fact that this Talonflame was the mother of the dead Fletchling. I heard this crying, and was saddened. Why did such a young Pokemon have to die? Sure, food was necessary, but still… I quickly decided that it was best I not think about it.

I slowly walked my way over to the base of the tree. I didn’t care if I couldn’t get back up to my nest. After what I had been through, a patch of grass in the shade of a tree seemed as good a spot as any to sleep.