Best of Burdens
DISCLAIMER: "Jane and the Dragon" belongs to Martin Baynton and company. This is merely a whimsical piece of fan fiction made for no other profit than the joy of receiving reviews.
Note: Here I go again with another one-shot while I'm in the middle of other stories. But when a prompt is good enough, the light bulb in my brain goes bright and I cannot resist my muse. So here it is, just a little something whimsical.
My first time writing from this character's point of view so forgive me if there are errors. He's more serious than usual because I know that despite the wit and sarcasm, Dragon can be pensive as well. I also have not been able to get a hold of any of the books so I'm basing this just on the episodes I have already watched. Please also bear in mind that I haven't finished watching the whole series but I will finish it eventually.
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The midnight sky was looking particularly bluer tonight, like a big, shiny, star studded blanket. A cool breeze was blowing and there was a comfortable silence. The conditions were perfect for a little night flight, thought Dragon.
So, walking out of the confines of his beloved cave, the large reptile spread his wings and took to the air.
It had been a long while since he had last flown around at this hour. And it was even longer since he had last taken flight all alone. Because for the past couple of years, he had always had the company of a certain red-headed knight-in-training.
At the thought of his best friend Jane, Dragon could not help but grin as he soared through the night sky, causing slight breezes with the powerful flapping of his scaly wings. She was probably fast asleep in her tower at that moment, exhausted from yet another full day of knight training among other chores and lessons.
I ought to go back to sleep as well, Dragon's practical side instructed him, we're going on patrol rather early tomorrow morning.
But Dragon decided to defy the logical half of his brain for just a little bit longer. He was rather enjoying himself tonight. Too bad all the cows were all asleep.
Taking such night flights had been one of his favorite activities before he had met Jane. Dragon remembered all of a sudden how much he had enjoyed being surrounded by all the shimmering stars as he bathed in their light.
He had not minded his solitude back then because for as long as he remembered, he had always been alone.
But all this had changed when he met Jane. He had gained a companion and a best friend. And ever since that day, his life had been too busy and interesting for him to revert to his old past times. He was no longer alone.
Dragon pondered over the numerous adventures he had had with his best friend in the world.
Before Jane, he had never really cared much for short-lives. They all seemed so boring, and most of those he had previously encountered were mainly concerned with hunting him down.
And of course, there was the glaring fact that any association with them would be, by his standards, well, short. Time passed very differently for dragons and he knew more than well enough how time could go on almost forever.
He flew towards the full moon, intending for his massive shadow to form a pattern against the glowing orb. Any passerby who would have happened to be awake at that moment would have been witness to a magnificent thing, a dragon's figure surrounded by the radiance of the full moon.
The great beast smiled widely, baring his fangs, as he recalled one amusing adventure or other, ridiculous antics, and even rude jokes. His life was far from boring at this point in time.
In fact, he was happier than he had ever been in three centuries.
Flying away from the moon, Dragon continued to follow an unknown course through the clouds.
When he thought about it really hard, he didn't remember much of the past three hundred years of his life. Most of it seemed to have passed by either unpleasantly or uneventfully. He could only recall but only very vaguely bits and pieces of what he had been doing. And none of them could really compare to the fun he was having right now.
In a way, Dragon had to admit that even a brief period of time spent with Jane and her short-life friends was more precious to him than decades spent all on his own.
Right now, he found enjoyment in their company and gained a sense of belongingness because of the King's acceptance of him in the court. Of course, he had never had to be subjected the laws decreed by humans. But it helped when he was openly welcomed by them.
He had learned so much from that feisty young squire, about friendship, about family, and about life in general.
It had been she who had helped him find out more about the past which he had tucked in the darkest corners of his long memory. They had taken many great journeys together and he was certain that there were more to come, especially when Jane finally fulfilled her dream of becoming a knight of the king's court.
Being with her made him feel freer than he had been even on his own. He had someone who care for him and he would go to the ends of the world for her.
Indeed the bond they had forged together was stronger than any difference of age or species.
And although the thought crossed his mind but rarely, Dragon knew that the years he would spend at Jane's side would be compared to a blink of an eye in dragon time. Soon she would be...
He shook his great head and banished the notion from his mind. He would not dwell on that unpleasant eventuality.
All he knew was that he was fiercely determined to make the most of whatever time he had with his best friend. That was that.
"The cold air is getting to me," he muttered to himself, "and I guess I'm getting rather sleepy as well. Best be heading back to my cave then."
With a graceful loop, he turned around and made his way back home, his wings flapping slowly but surely. Sleepiness was weighing him down but he kept himself alert by trying to imagine Jane's voice yelling at him to wake up.
"DRAGON!!! COME ON! We have some patrolling to do today!!! WAKE UP, YOU BIG GREEN LIZARD!!"
That girl could wake a whole kingdom with all that racket.
He sighed as he realized that he was no longer used to these long night flights all alone. It felt strange now to be flying around without the light figure holding his horns, with thin legs dangling from his neck.
After a few minutes, Dragon reached his cave and crawled in. He dropped down on his boulder and didn't even bother to count cows.
The last thought that crossed Dragon's mind before he sank into serene slumber was that light and almost insignificant though Jane's weight was on his gigantic back, she was by far the best of burdens.