The dragon had spent so many days and nights adventuring around the world. Life was not what he had visioned and dreamed of as a young dragon. The world is not filled with princesses and kings and legends, but more precious things, like his ward, the boy-child Ryn.
They flew together many times, often in silence as companions on the journey of life do. Time lingered in some other dimension when they journeyed - moments took forever, and epic journeys were over in what seemed like seconds.
Melchior the magician had once told the dragon when he was young, "Time is an illusion." The dragon knew this was wisdom from one who had mastered the art of illusion, and he felt magic wisdom on these journeys with the boy.
The dragon sometimes had recurring thoughts about the future for Ryn. Where would he journey? What would he do? Will he be happy? We always have the grandest dreams at the start of a journey, and with Ryn starting his journey in life, the dragon could only imagine the grandest of journeys.
Whenever the dragon was preoccupied with his thoughts of the boy child, Jena the fairy godmother would soon be at his side.
Her voice glistened and tinkled like a sweet piano tune. 'What thoughts fill your head, good dragon? Even though you are invisible, I sometimes feel I can see your thoughts."
The dragon was glad to talk with someone who understood. "You see clearly, sweet fairy."
She circled lazily around the dragon's enormous head as she mused. "If I was wondering about the dear boy's future... hmmm..." She then had a moment of inspiration. "...I would seek the oracle..."
He called out to an empty, desolate valley. "Oracle! Are you here?"
A voice replied, as if it was inside his head. "Seek the oracle only with your heart. What do you seek?"
The dragon tried to explain his query, but a wash of wishful thoughts and memories of Ryn filled his mind.
Before he could reply the oracle spoke again. "Your heart is full, dragon. I am the oracle. I know what you seek."
The dragon saw a flame burning on a rocky outcrop, far below.
He glided down, and saw the oracle, blind and beautiful, tending the flame. "I want to know his future, oracle. Will he be happy? Where will he go?"
The oracle stoked the flames. "The future is not set, good dragon. He has free will. He will go where he chooses. He will be happy, if he chooses."
But she was pleased with his question. "I can tell you the future, dragon." Her sightless eyes saw everything. "From his mother, he will have love and warmth that surrounds him like a light." She stoked the fire again. "From his father he will have..." she hesitated. "...difficulties, challenges, that lead him beyond the light, into new worlds."
The dragon craned forward, anticipating the oracle's final answer to his question, when she unexpectedly questioned him. "In his life, will the boy find happiness, dragon?"
The dragon was taken aback a moment. Why was the oracle, the seer, the giver of answers, asking him a question? As he hesitated, she spoke again. "Look in your heart, see what others do not see, and answer my question, dragon..."
He looked in his heart and saw Ryn safe in his parents' world. And he saw the challenges and difficulties of that world. And then, somehow, he knew... Those challenges and difficulties would lead the boy to find his true happiness, whatever he chose that happiness to be.
"Yes, oracle. He will be happy."
The oracle said nothing more, just stood up and walked away from the fire. Despite her sightlessness, she seemed to know where each crag and twit in the outcrop was. The dragon watched her disappear, then flew off into the heavens once more.
Chapter 10: Ryn's first Christmas
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