Chapter 11: Decisions
Littlefoot, Cera, Petrie, Ducky, and Spike were faced with a conundrum. Should they take Vylon's proposal and become Dragon Riders, or should they stay in the Great Valley? They thought about their answers as they walked back.
"I want to be able to use this magic that he can, but I don't want to stop being a swimmer. No, no, no!" Ducky said.
"That magic isn't real. I bet this is just some joke the grown-ups are pulling on us to get a good laugh." Cera said stubbornly.
"Quit it, Cera. You know as well as I do that that is magic. How could you be covered in fire that matched your color, and come out perfectly unharmed? That has to be magic." Littlefoot said.
"Me no know about you guys, but me going to become Rider." Petrie said.
"Well, I think that we should make a decision as a group. How could we call ourselves friends if we didn't stick up for our friends decisions? We couldn't. No, no, no!" Ducky said. "I'm going to go with Petrie. What about you, Spike?"
Spike nodded as Ducky mentioned his name. He stood by his sister, no matter what.
"I'm doing it, too. I don't want you three to be alone. What about you, Littlefoot?" Cera asked.
"I don't know. I like being a longneck. But that magic is far too tempting. Well, I'll see you tomorrow. If we meet at Vylon's place, then my answer is yes. If not, tell him I don't want to be a Rider." Littlefoot said.
"Good night, Littlefoot!" the other three said.
Littlefoot walked back to his nest, saying good night to his grandparents. As he fell asleep, he began dreaming about Vylon and the offer he was given. He imagined himself on the back of a massive dragon the same orange color as his egg.
"Come!" a booming voice rang out in Littlefoot's head.
"Who are you?" Littlefoot asked, a little nervous.
"I am a friend. You don't need to fear me. Listen to me, Littlefoot. I know that you are fearing the choice of becoming a Dragon Rider, but don't be nervous about it. Listen closely, and I will tell you a story of my homeland, Alagaesia.
"I was born in the elven forest of Ellesmera. I was treated like a normal elf, until Argana hatched for me. Then, I rose above the ranks of all the other elves who weren't Dragon Riders. I was one of the prodigies that appear once every century. I discovered that I was one of the Riders who was proficient in magic. This gave me an advantage of the other Riders, but I still treated my fellow peers as equals, even though they and I were different.
"The land was peaceful. The rulers were benevolent. The land was treated nicely, and it returned the favor with successful harvest after harvest. The happiness was like no other in the world.
"However, this couldn't last. One of the Dragon Riders was reckless. He lost his dragon. He went insane with grief and madness. He grew angry with the Elder Riders. He decided to betray the Riders and steal a newly hatched dragon. He destroyed the Riders, and the peace we strived so hard to achieve. This man is the current king of Alagaesia. He possesses two dragon eggs that he hasn't managed to hatch yet.
"Your decision is not only for you. It is for the dragon hatchlings that the king possesses. It is for the friends of the elves. It is for Alagaesia. It is for peace.
"Think hard, Littlefoot. I will await your decision tomorrow. I beg that you come to me."
Littlefoot, while hearing the tale, watched events happening before his eyes. The events seemed to be of what Vylon experienced. The images matched up with the story perfectly.
Littlefoot awoke. He noticed that it was still night time. He decided to leave a little early. He wanted to be at Vylon's cave at the crack of dawn.