Dragon Time

It was many years ago when an ancient tribe saw a fireball race across the sky and land on the top of Mount Zenn .
A huge crater had been left where the fireball had crashed and it from that moment on ; regular volcanic activity was seen and heard .

The tribes that lived around the Mountainside were herdsmen and farmers . They made a good living by selling livestock and crops to the larger communities who lived further down the mountain in the valleys cradled between Mount Zenn and Mount Zate .

As time passed more and more volcanic activity was occurring and livestock was disappearing .
The mountain tribes were worried and it was decided that they would leave their mountain home and move further down into Fissure Valley where it was said to be peaceful and safe to live .
Time passed and Mount Zenn had not erupted ,
but no one dared go anywhere near the site just in case . For every now and then some smoke and fire billowed out from around the volcano edge.
This activity on top of Mount Zenn was due to a very exceptional and rare event called Earnesto’s breath . Every now and then fire and smoke would shoot up into the sky from the top of the mountain and rocks would tumble down the mountainside .
Then the ground would start rumbling as if the volcano was about to erupt . Then all of a sudden it would stop .
This activity was the work of one very clever dragon called Earnesto who lived inside a cave on the side of Mountain . He had lived there for a long time and although Earnesto was very lonely he knew he had to keep people away .
There was a young girl called Jill who was just ten years old when both her parents got ill . They took Jill for a long walk up the mountain paths and one morning Jill woke up to find she had been abandoned on the mountain .
Jill ran to the mountains edge and called out .
“Mamma . Dadda “
Her echoes rang out but no one answered .
Again and again she called for help , but no one came .
She wondered why her parents had left her . She started to get hungry and found satisfaction in wild berries and herbs that grew on the mountain . She got milk from the goats that came to her and rested at night on grassy shoulders . She remembered how her parents rubbed sticks together to make a fire and soon learned how to do the same . As weeks passed she discovered how to catch fish with her hands in the mountain streams .
If she sat patiently on the banks with her hands in the shallow sometimes a fish would swim right over her hands . Then very quickly Jill would scoop out the fish onto the bank . Cooking fish wrapped in thick leaves over a fire was a real treat and the water from the mountain streams was cool and refreshing .
One day she heard this thumping and bumping nearby . Jill slowly and quietly made her way over to where the noise was coming from . She was amazed to find this dragon there , jumping up and down on the ground .
Jill climbed up into the branches of a tree that grew nearby and watched in wonder as the dragon picked up large rocks with one of its claws and throw them over the edge of the mountain . She was memorised by all of the goings on and what an incredible sight it was when Earnesto suddenly breathed fire out of its mouth .
Jill had no fear , this was the most exciting thing she had ever seen . Earnesto lifted another huge rock in its claw and as it did the old brittle tree branch that Jill was sitting in snapped and Jill fell to the ground with a thud almost right in front of Earnesto who got so startled that he dropped the large rock from its claw which fell right on top of his other foot .
He let out this very loud shriek sound and started to hop around on one foot .
“Ahoo ooo woha whaoo “
Earnesto went , making this funny kind of dragon sound .
Jill thought it was so funny that she started to laugh .
“Ha ha Ha “
Earnesto who was hopping on one foot , lost his balance and tripped over banging his head on the tree that Jill had been sitting in . Now he was rubbing his sore head and hopping on one foot crying out with a weird sound .
“Ahwah awah waa ahwha wha wo woah “
Jill couldn’t control her laughter and kind of bent over in a fit . She was rolling around on the ground with laughter , kicking her legs in the air .
Earnesto looked at her and in that moment it struck a chord with him .
The fact they were he felt at ease in her company and with that Earnesto begin laughing as Dragons do with smoke and fire pouring from the mouth .
Both of them laughed uncontrollably and when they finally stopped Jill said .

“ So what’s with the rock throwing and the hopping and jumping ?”

Earnesto replied ,
“Well I was pretending to be a volcano .“

Came the reply which made Jill start laughing again them said.

“Why a volcano . Are you rehearsing for a part in a movie ? “

“No silly , it’s so people stay away .“

Said the dragon and Jill replied .

“Right then , so you’re frightened of people ?”

The dragon replied .

“Wouldn’t you be . We dragons learned a long time agio not to trust humans .”

“Yeah I heard all about those olden times. Sorry , it’s not my fault .What is your name ?”

“ I’m called Earnesto and I don’ need any one coming up here disrupting things and interfering with my signal .“

Jill looked puzzled and said .

“I’m Jill Earnesto . So do have you a television set up here ?”

“ No Jill the signal is from my spaceship to my home planet .“

The dragon replied . Jill walked over and stood close to Earnesto who sat lay down and looked back in her eyes .

“I thought Dragons where Earth creatures .“

She said and Earnesto replied

“Well you thought wrong . When we first arrived on earth or as you call it back in the olden days , we didn’t come to inhabit your planet but we came to observe and monitor your progress as a species . But we were not made welcome and left with an option to return every now and then .“

“How can I tell your story to people on Earth .”

The dragon snorted smoke from its nostrils and said .

“Forget it Jill . It was all tried before . “

Jill sat down on the dragons foot .

“Whoo ooh woo”

The dragon cried out .

Jill jumped back in fright and said

“Sorry Earnesto . I didn’t mean to sit on the sore one .“

“That’s all right Jill “

Said the dragon who reached out its claw . Jill sat down on it and said .

“But if I explained to people about what you’re doing and how wrong we have been about your kind , maybe we can work together .“

The dragon foot replied .

“The olden days have left too many scars . Its better we leave things the way they are .“

A strange beeping sound nearby began to get higher and higher and louder and louder further up the mountain .
“What’s that ?”
Jill asked .
Earnesto looked excited and replied .

“At last , I’ve been waiting for an answer for so long . It’s communication back from my home base . I’ve got to go .“

“I want to come , take me with you .“

Jill said and the dragon replied .

“climb on my back and hold on to my scaly skin . You’ll find its quite sticky “

Jill climbed up and sat behind Earnesto neck .
It was very sticky and as Earnesto took flight Jill screamed in excitement . The dragon flew higher and higher until it was right at the top of Mount Zenn where he descended into the crater of the volcano . Deep inside the hole was the dragons spaceship . It was huge and very futuristic . Jill was so amazed and said .

“Wow everybody I know thinks it was a fireball that landed here .“

“No , it was my spaceship . My ship went out of control when I entered your atmosphere and it started to burn up so when I crash landed on top of this mountain I realised I was going to be stranded here for a while .“

“This is ZZ 4 calling QC 3 Earnesto , are you receiving . “

“Earnesto stood outside the hatch door of the ship and it opened up automatically and they both went inside . Earnesto stood beside a transmission panel and flicked a switch with of his claws .

“ZZ4 This is QC3 . At last we’re on line now , receiving you and switching over to ships computer now.“

“ Thank you QC3 . This is Granzor at ZZ4 recieving you Earnesto and awaiting transfer from your ships logs and database . Will be dispatching a rescue mission to your co-ordinates immediately . “

“This is QC3 , thank you Granzor , I was beginning to think I’d be spending the rest of my days as a volcano on this rock .“

Jill started to laugh .

“This is ZZ4 do you have someone with you there?"

“This is QC3 , affirmative , I have a earthling species on board .“

“This is ZZ4 , what is the purpose for the passenger ?“

“QC3 here . ZZ4 please check the history quest statement that was put in place by your predecessor who stated that if I came across a native from this planet who was willing to return that we should oblige and place on the BW program when I return .“

“ZZ4 , that should be ok . I’ll arrange for that and will see you soon . Transmission will switch now to your ships computer.Before leaving Earth , begin the self destruct mechanism on board your ship .“

“This is QC3 . I’ll do that ZZ4 . Transmission ending in 5 , 4, 3 , 1 . “

Jill was astonished and said .
“That was so cool Earnesto . So what is a BW program. ”

Earnesto replied .

“Nothing just routine Jill . It’s a question and answer procedure that gives us the opportunity to get to know you and for you to get to know more about us . We do it on earthlings all the time .“

“When do you expect the rescue ship to be here ?”

Jill asked and the dragon replied .

“Its actually here now, you see we have spacecraft that create holes in space by bending light which means we can travel really really fast .Are you ready to come with me for a ride through space .“

“I sure am .“

Said Jill .

Earnesto punched in the self destruct code into the on board computer and as he did another spaceship appeared outside inside the crater .
“Lets go then .“

Said Earnesto .

As they abandoned the ship lights on the computer panel began to flash with a countdown sequence . Warning you have initiated the self destruct process , please vacate ship now .

Earnesto and Jill made their way from the ship and were soon on board the other spacecraft .

As the rescue ship lifted itself away from the crater , the ship that was left behind started to glow bright red . They hovered high above Mount Zenn until they saw what looked like an volcano erupting and in that moment they split a passage through space on a ship built for time travel .
In a short time their ship landed on a planet that seemed just like earth . When Jill and Earnesto stepped out of the ship they were met by a number of dragon like creatures .

Some were as small and white , like little dogs , others were huge and green , like dinosaurs . Overhead some red flying dragons hovered above the ground and up above there blue crescent like suns glowed through fluffy orange coloured clouds .

Jill was greeted by a white dog like dragon who welcomed her to Planet Tranquilla .

Everyone made Jill feel at home .
She was given royal treatment and after a beautiful meal they brought her into a place for her BW program .

Jill was introduced to 3 strange two legged dragon like creatures .

“Hello Jill we are so glad to have you here and welcome you to the BW program"

Trust us , you are going to have a great time .”

“What will you be doing to me ?
She asked .

“Well we are going to place you inside a capsule then put you into the BW scanner where you will be able to exactly who we are and what you can expect to happen when you return back to earth. "

Jill was placed into a BW capsule that closed up . In a few moments everything about Jill had become clear . Her life experiences so far were all shown on various monitors .

Then a few very special creatures emerged from a lift that descended from the ceiling . These beings were shining brightly and as they looked into the capsule they spoke in thoughts to Jill .

After that Jill went into an unconscious state and when she awoke she was sitting with her parents in their little home in Fissure Valley where she had no recollection of what had happened .
Jill’s parents were happy and healthy and never complained about life . Jill grew up in a community who respected her enormously as she was one of the most gifted and academic students that had emerged from Fissure Valley .

At a young age Jill began her research in discovering ways to bend light and was soon making progress with experiments in space travel and maps that were navigating the solar system .

By Paul McCann

The End