In the sky, the sun was at its highest point, marking with the sundials distributed throughout the capital that it was midday. At that hour everyone was busy with their work; both the citizens of the capital and the employees of the castle were bustling about, and the commotion was such that Ketsual could hear it from where he was.
Sitting on the ground, rather on a hill, Ketsual could see the town in the distance and, a bit farther away, the castle. Even from the height where he was, he could see the dragon stables.
And with that view, a sadness reached his chest, remembering his friend Popuro, whom he had not been able to see lately because of the dragon domestication that was being carried out in the stables.
“Oooy, Ketsual!” a shout sounded behind Ketsual, causing him to stand up and turn his body.
Now in front of him was a large gray stone platform, with some green patches. Its dimensions were sixty meters wide, seventy-five meters long, and two meters high. To climb onto it, there were stone stairs all around its perimeter.
Ketsual walked across the platform, reaching the other end of the hill, where he could see several buildings of different sizes. They were similar to dragon stables, though some of them were much larger.
And coming up the hill, he could see his teacher Milto, and behind him were several knights and a large, bulky dragon with brown scales that looked as if its skin were covered in dirt, walking on four legs—thick legs with five short claws.
On the dragon’s back there was a circular structure made of fabric, with a rectangular pane of glass at the front, and its perimeter was framed with black wood.
The fabric of the structure was white with red and golden patterns, and it also had a drawing of a dragon’s face placed beneath the glass.
The teacher, the soldiers, and the dragon approached until they reached Ketsual, where the soldiers bowed.
“It is a pleasure, young Prince Ketsual.”
“Ah, the pleasure is mine as well,” Ketsual said, bowing too.
Milto turned back toward the soldiers, toward one in particular — a soldier with a golden breastplate and the same drawing of the dragon’s face printed on his chest. He had brown skin, and a large mustache adorned his face.
“Thank you very much, General Yaotl, for granting me a moment for the prince’s lessons.”
The general let out a loud laugh.
“Don’t be so formal, Milto. Besides, I don’t mind losing a bit of time, as long as it is for the education of the young prince."
Milto turned toward the prince. “Prince, allow me to introduce him properly. He is Yaotl, general of the Tenth Division of the kingdom’s army, who has allowed us to use his time and availability to learn about the Worlik dragons.”
“At your service, young prince.”
“It is a pleasure.”
“Very well, then we will begin the lesson. Prince Ketsual, please come this way,” Milto said, before heading toward the dragon.
Ketsual walked toward Milto and stopped beside him. Now being closer to the great brown dragon, Ketsual could see that the dragon was about eight meters tall, around eighteen meters long, and about fourteen meters wide.
“Do you know what species of dragon this is?” Milto asked.
Ketsual looked at the dragon’s face, then shook his head. “I don’t know, Professor.”
“It is an ixko tlali dragon (surface of the earth), but this particular dragon is a special one.”
“Special?”
“That’s right. This dragon was born with the ability to fly through the sky and beyond. This dragon is a Worlik dragon (world link).”
“Wow… but how do you know it’s a Worlik dragon?”
Milto was about to answer, but General Yaotl spoke first. “It cannot be known at a glance. To know whether a dragon is born with the ability to fly beyond the sky, it must first be domesticated, and then it is given a test.”
Milto resumed the conversation. “Thank you very much, General Yaotl.” He turned toward Ketsual. “And as the general said, a simple test is done with domesticated dragons, which is to take it over there.” He pointed with his finger at the large stone platform. “To the Talipatani platform (ground, flying), where the key lies on its surface. Have you seen anything that caught your attention?”
“Something?” Ketsual looked toward the platform, narrowing his eyes before suddenly opening them wide. “Do you mean the green stones embedded in the Talipatani?”
“Correct, Prince. Those green stones are called teotilistli (energy). They are an important mineral for the entire galaxy. The stones cause an increase of power in dragons, allowing them to launch themselves with force from the ground to the sky and beyond.”
“Wow, it’s incredible that several stones can do that,” Ketsual said with a face full of amazement and eyes that radiated a glow of excitement.
“Very well, Prince, now it is time to take a closer look,” Milto said, stepping to the side of the dragon, where beside it there was a ladder made of ropes.
“Eh? We’re going to climb onto the dragon?” Ketsual asked in disbelief.
“Of course. It’s better to see it up close in order to understand it better,” Milto said as he reached the dragon’s back.
Ketsual approached, watching the dragon’s movement with each breath it took.
He took a part of the ladder with his right hand and placed his left foot on it. Then he grabbed another rung with his left hand and placed his right foot on the next step. He continued like that, alternating from left to right with each movement, until he reached the top of the ladder, where he did not know where to hold on to climb up.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
“Let me help you,” Milto said as he extended his hand toward Ketsual, who accepted it, and with Milto’s help he was able to climb onto the dragon.
Once there, he realized that the dragon’s back was almost flat, and he could see circular structures there, like the one he had seen before. The dragon’s breathing caused a strange sensation in his legs; it was something unusual to feel.
“Dizzy, Prince?” a voice was heard behind him. When he looked back, he could see Yaotl. “Relax, you’ll get used to it.”
Milto looked toward Yaotl. “I appreciate you accompanying us,” he said with a smile, and then looked toward the structures. “Let’s continue with the lesson. To begin with, these structures are called yurts, which could be compared to small cabins used for traveling through space.”
“That’s right, some are also used as storage,” Yaotl added.
“Correct. Now let us enter the main yurt,” Milto said, heading toward the largest yurt, which was near the dragon’s head.
Milto entered the yurt, then Yaotl entered, and finally Ketsual followed them. Inside the yurt, Ketsual could see wooden structures along the walls that supported and formed the yurt. In addition, there were three windows with black wooden frames on the walls—one on the right, one on the left, and the last one in front of Ketsual.
Inside the yurt there were, neatly arranged, two beds, a table, a chest, and several pots that contained small, light blue trees. On the wall in front of him there was a metal tube hanging, and at its ends it was connected to chains, which went out of the yurt through two holes in the wall.
Ketsual turned around, looking at the interior of the yurt. It was something simple, but it had its charm.
“Very well, Prince,” Milto said, looking at Ketsual with a small smile. “We will begin with the simple things. What you can see at a glance is that the yurt is designed so that one can rest during the journeys.
In all yurts there must always be these plants. They are called ajak (air). They provide the air so that we can breathe in space, at least in this small yurt.”
“In the case of smaller dragons that do not have yurts on their backs, adjustable masks are normally used, which contain a type of fungus that works like the ajak, allowing one to breathe and travel without problems,” Yaotl said.
“Incredible… and what is the metal tube with the chains for?” Ketsual said, pointing toward the tube.
“Ah, that,” Yaotl said as he approached. “It is used to guide the dragon. Keeping it tense, like it is now, tells it to stop. When it is loosened, it signals the dragon to move forward. Pulling the left side of the chain guides the dragon to that side, and the same happens with the right side. Look, I’ll show you.”
“Show me—?” Ketsual could not finish his words, because he felt a tremor in his legs that made him fall onto his backside. But the trembling was not caused by his body; it was because the dragon was moving.
When he raised his gaze, he could notice the movement of the yurt, the tilt showing the steps the dragon took as it walked forward.
And in that moving room stood the soldier Yaotl and Mr. Milto as if nothing were happening, as if their legs were stuck to the floor.
“What do you think, Prince? It’s the first time you’ve been on a walking dragon, right?” Yaotl said, giving his back to the prince, though he was surely saying it with a smile.
“Yes, it’s my first time on a dragon,” Ketsual said with a slight tremble he tried to hide.
“Well, since we’re at it, you should experience the whole thing, shouldn’t you?”
“Eh? The whole experience?”
Yaotl did not answer him. “Hey, Milto, can we do a small test flight?”
“Hmm, I’m not sure. Maybe the prince won’t be able to handle it.”
“Is that so? What do you think, Prince? Could you handle a small dragon flight?”
Yaotl stopped the dragon’s movement, fastening the chain back in place, then turned his torso and head to look at Ketsual. Milto also directed his gaze toward him.
Ketsual looked at the floor for a moment, remembering why he was taking these lessons, and with that in mind he raised his gaze.
“Yes, a flight is fine, but I would like to see up close in order to learn.”
“Learning to fly a dragon? Well, it seems the prince knows what he wants to become.”
Ketsual did not understand Yaotl’s words, but it seemed to be a compliment.
“I see. Very well, come closer, Prince,” Milto said as he approached Yaotl.
Ketsual did as he was told and went toward them, standing between them, looking forward at the window while Milto stood behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
“Very well, Prince, look at this. The chain is somewhat tense, which gives the dragon the signal to stop. But if we tighten it more, we give it the signal to fly. Do you understand?”
“Yes, I understand.”
“Very well, then come closer and tighten the chain so it can fly,” Yaotl said as he took a step back.
“What?! You want me to do it?”
“That’s right. There’s nothing better than learning through practice. It gives you real experience.”
Ketsual looked at the metal tube in terror, not knowing whether to do it or not. Then he felt an emptiness on his shoulder, and when he looked, he saw that Milto had removed his hand from it.
He looked at Milto’s face, which held a smile. It was a small action, but Ketsual understood what he meant.
“Alright, I’ll do it,” Ketsual said as he stood in front of it, with the tube hanging within his reach.
“…What do I do?”
“Well, you just have to hold the tube without losing the tension, but also without increasing it.”
“O-okay.” With careful movements, Ketsual brought his hands toward the tube, lifting it slowly and then pulling it closer to his chest.
“Well, that wasn’t so difficult,” he said with a smile, before looking at Milto, who was holding the chain at one end of the tube. Then he looked to his other side, only to see that Yaotl was doing the same with his side of the chain.
“Well… no one does everything perfectly the first time,” Milto said with an awkward smile.
A cough from Yaotl made them pay attention to him. “Alright, the first step is… completed. Now just pull it a little more, Prince.”
“…Like this?”
“Yes, perfect. Now you must pull a bit more, to signal the dragon to fly.”
“Alright.” Ketsual began pulling the tube slowly. In the glass they could see the dragon’s head rising as well, until it stopped at a certain point.
“Stop, that’s good,” Yaotl said, also looking at the glass, then turning to Ketsual. “Hold on tight.”
It didn’t take long before Ketsual felt a rough movement and saw in the glass how the dragon was rising.
“Loosen the tube a little, Prince,” Milto said. “That will make it stop rising and start moving forward.”
Doing as he was told, the dragon stopped climbing in the air and then began to move forward, removing the rough movement.
Ketsual felt excited to be riding a dragon, and without Milto or Yaotl telling him, he pulled the tube slightly to his right, causing the dragon to fly to the right.
He stopped pulling that side, and the dragon flew straight again. Then he did the same with the left side, and the dragon obeyed and turned to the left.
Then an idea came to him, so he pulled the tube on both sides, causing the dragon to rise little by little. After that, he loosened it so it stayed there. Then he loosened it more and it began to descend; he pulled it again a little and it stopped descending.
“Wow, you’re doing very well—too well, actually,” Yaotl said with a clear tone of amazement.
“Really?” Ketsual said with a wide smile to Yaotl.
“Yes, you have great control of the— Mountain!!” Yaotl shouted, pointing toward the mountain they had ahead and nearby.
Milto stepped closer to Ketsual, pulling the tube to the right, causing the dragon to make a sharp turn to the right, thus avoiding the mountain.
“Phew, that was close. Well, you just need a bit more concentration to be a good rider. Just make sure to look ahead, and to the sides as well.”
“A-alright,” Ketsual said, resuming the flight. They continued like that for several minutes, correcting minor things for Ketsual such as his posture or how he held the tube, teaching him how to increase the dragon’s speed, how to decrease it, or how to make it stop completely.
Yaotl wanted to teach him some flying tricks, but Milto prevented him from doing so, since they were too dangerous for him.
They stayed like that until the end. “Very well, we will descend and land.”
Ketsual nodded in response, waiting for new instructions.
The two men smiled at each other when they saw Ketsual’s new attitude.
“Very well, you must descend at low speed.”
Following the instruction, Ketsual reduced the speed and began to descend with the dragon.
“We are close to the ground now. Stop the dragon and let it descend like that.”
With that instruction, Ketsual shook the tube three times, giving the signal to the dragon to stop its movement and only descend.
Only a few seconds passed before they felt a slight tremor in the place, and then only the movement of the dragon’s breathing could be felt.
Ketsual was still holding the tube, with a somewhat stiff posture so as not to give the dragon the wrong order.
Seeing this, Milto decided to take the tube he was holding and hang it back in its place.
With the weight gone, Ketsual began to jump and shout, “I did it! I was able to fly a dragon! It’s incredible!”
The two men could only laugh when they saw that scene.
.
.
.
“Allow me to thank you once again for today, General Yaotl.”
“It’s nothing, Milto. It was a great experience to witness the prince’s first flight firsthand.” Yaotl extended his hand, which Milto shook.
“Goodbye, Prince. I hope to fly with you again.”
“Yes, thank you very much for your help.”
Yaotl began walking with his soldiers, all of them heading toward the dragon to climb onto it.
“Watch carefully, Prince. You will see the flight of a Worlik dragon,” Milto said, still looking ahead.
The dragon began to walk, positioning itself on top of the Talipatani platform. A few minutes passed before the dragon could be seen spreading its wings.
As it did, a greenish glow began to emanate from the teotilistli stones of the Talipatani platform, and that glow also appeared on the dragon’s wings. With each passing second, the glow increased, and then, without any warning or sign, the dragon flapped its wings quickly and with such force that it created a gust of wind that raised a cloud of dust.
Ketsual covered his face with his arms, and when he lowered them he could not see anything because of the dust. He looked to his side and saw Milto staring at the sky. Ketsual directed his gaze upward as well, and there he could see how the dragon was flying at great speed toward the sky in a straight line, becoming smaller with each passing second, until it reached the point where it was lost from sight.
Ketsual watched it with great amazement, the shine of excitement in his eyes giving him away.
“What did you think of the lesson about the Worliks, Prince?”
“It was incredible, thank you very much for it,” Ketsual said with a wide smile.
“I’m glad you liked it. At first I was surprised when you asked me for it, but I think it was the right thing.”
“Once again, thank you very much, Mr. Milto. I will go back to the castle now,” Ketsual said as he began to walk.
“Wait, the lessons aren’t over yet.”
Ketsual stopped his steps and looked at Milto in surprise. “They’re not over yet?”
“That’s right. Now come, we need to go to another place.”
With those words, Milto began to walk in another direction, and Ketsual followed him, having no idea about his destination—one he would be grateful for.
