Inside the council hall, the meeting was still ongoing. A woman was crying while hugging her son, with the support of her sobbing husband seated on the side. The elders were discussing several options regarding the issues. And the children remained quiet in this environment full of adults despite their eagerness to join in too as the discussion mostly concerned them.
A cough from one old man made the others aware that the meeting was getting out of hand. To manage the issue, Shaman Matnaad then suggested, "Let me talk to Ling alone," as it mostly concerned the child.
The commotion started again but quieter this time. Before anybody could say their point louder, a roar from outside reached their ears. This was followed by screams from the people.
Panicked, everybody inside the room claored to go outside. Ling was specially worried since he recognized the roar. What was he doing here?
Outside the hall, the villagers convened in front of its big doors, staring at the roof fearfully. Some were squinting their eyes to look up since the sun was already at a glaring height.
The council hall was the largest structure in the village. It has three floors with the first one as the work or meeting rooms, the second as quarters for some apprentices and the third as a storage of the village. Its roof has a steep incline but the middle part has a flat surface which was often as an observatory.
The roar came from the dragon now standing on the roof's flat surface. It was glaring at the people below with its teeth bared, but it just kept growling, not attacking anyone despite some thrown spears that didn't reach even the building's third floor.
Afterwards, the door of the council hall opened and out came several rlders. Despite their fear of the dragon, the villagers still bowed to pay their respects to the white haired men and women.
Meanwhile, the dragon saw the small figure wearing last night's animal skin coat above the usual shirt and trousers of the village children admist the group that came out. The boy was also looking at the roof where he sensed the dragon was at.
Before anybody could react, the black figure from the roof dived down and snatched the boy admist the group. Then, it flew up to the roof again, whimpering while holding the boy its arms.
"NO! LING! MY BABY!"
"The dragon snatched a child! Get your weapons!"
"Move all the children away from here!"
"Aahh! It was going to attack me too!"
"I WANT EVERYBODY TO LISTEN TO ME! LOWER YOUR WEAPONS AND LET ME TALK!"
The booming voice startled all the people, and dragon, present. Some heard a ringing sound in their ears even after the voice faded out, making them wince while still covering their ears with their hands. Fortunately, nobody fainted unlike the last time Shaman Matnaad shouted like this during a war, which could be another story.
"As I've proposed to the other elders," the shaman looked at the said elders before continuing after no peep came out of these old men and women, "and with their permission, I want to talk to Ling alone."
He turned his stare to the figures at the top and somewhat restpectfully, asked, "Maga, right? You can come with us too."
The silent walk of the old man in front followed by the boy and the dragon was slow. Nobody broke the serene atmosphere even when they got far away from the people clustered outside the council hall.
Keeping his hand on Maga's back, Ling kept following his master, familiar with the path they were walking. Soon, they heard the rush of water falling from a high place then, they were at the waterfalls where he trained since he was younger.
"Our world is vast and even dragons were just a speck of the mystery it contains. Did you know that I haven't told you the truth when I said I hadn't seen a dragon myself?"
Not waiting for a reply, the shaman stopped walking and stood in front of the pond with his back facing the boy, his eyes on a far away memory as he continued to speak. "Our clan has fought for territory in the central islands years ago and I was one of the young ambitious warriors. Other clans had their own dragons as they attacked other clans.
"However, most of the fighting clans realized that more deaths would just result to further suffering of the people. The 'haze' in central was even causing further deaths. Then came the decision for the dragons to absorb some of these 'haze' since they have more capacity. This made the view on dragons as helpful for some but it changed again when the dragons were badly influenced by the 'haze'.
"They attacked the people on their own and the people were unable to subdue them because they have more strength. That was when the clans from Kal'wa Island visited. They saw the chaos and went mad at the treatment on these dragons. After the talks, these clans moved the dragons to their island. Therefore, different stories about dragons were spread around our world."
Shaman Matnaad faced the boy which only reached his shoulders, the sound of the waterfalls did not din his voice as he spoke, "I see that you dragon was being obidient and had never harmed any of our people earlier. But you also saw that our people were afraid of it. They even attacked upon seeing it flying in the village without provocation. What do you plan to do now?"
Mesmerized by the story, Ling replied slower. Never would he have thought that the old man had that kind of history. "Then Maga should also go to Kal'wa Island. And I will accompany him."
"Why not bring more people with you? You're too young to go on your own especially if you're going to sail the Limaw Sea."
"But the villagers were still afraid of Maga. I do not know who to trust aside from my friends which were also my age. But with them accompanying us, the journey will take longer compared to if Maga took me alone to fly." Looking straight at the calm eyes in front of him, Ling said the same argument he told his friends.
"Haven't you thought that going to the central islands will also be sufficient as an exile for the dragon? Most of the people there do not have the same belief on dragons as the people in these small islands. We have part of the clan to help as well as your own sister. And the journey should be easier."
"I thought about it too but in Kal'wa Island, Maga will have a higher chance to meet his family."
"I see. Then you're only problem are your parents? As well as your other friends?" The shaman smiled when he only heard a grunt as his reply. The boy had his head bowed, deeply thinking with his brows curled together.
Meanwhile, the dragon was lying on its stomach beside them, relaxed by the quiet discussion between the two. Maga was relieved to be close to its friend, safe while it sensed a good impression from the old man. When the place became quiet, it only opened its one eye and also waited for any of the two to come to their final decision.
___
In the chief's house, the family were seated around their dining table, waiting for Ling. The opening of the door startled them and Mahina stood up to walk and kneel in front of her son. She saw the determined look in the eyes of her son before the boy answered their unspoken question.
"The decision will be announced tomorrow."