literature

The Millennium Dragon

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(this is when I lived in Stony. I am still only 21, my hair is short, my teeth are straight, and my CP, shunt, tube, and scars are all still long-gone. Marc and his friends are all still gone, so there is still peace)








I sat quietly at my bedroom desk, working intently on one of many sketches of the stars of the constellation Draco; the soft white light from the globe of my dragon lamp, and the soft scratch of my pencil upon paper, the only illumination and sound in an otherwise dark and quiet room.

I would occasionally glance out my bedroom window to take a quick look at the 17 stars forming the constellation, then go back to my sketch.

I also admired the soft blue light reflecting off the snow in the yard outside my window; the waxing crescent moon shining brightly upon the dark landscape locked in the icy grip of winter.

I was very excited, as it was now 10:00 pm, December 30th, 1999, and in just twenty-six hours, the new year, 2000, would begin, as would the new millennium!!

And I considered it special since it would be the year, in the Chinese calendar, of the Dragon, my most favourite mythical creature!!

And another thing that made it significant, was that even though the Dragon’s year in the Chinese lunar calendar occurred every 12 years, this year was extra special, since it would herald the new millennium, which I would experience only once in my lifetime!!!

My sketchbook, given to me by Barb, was a beautifully-crafted hardcover edition, silver, with a beautiful Chinese dragon engraved in gold within a black circle, with my first and last name both beautifully-engraved in silver above and below the design, written in Old English font.

Attached to the top of the binding was a long, metallic red ribbon used for a bookmark.

I smiled as I flipped back to the first page, depicting a masterfully-sketched drawing of the stars of the constellation Draco.

Going to the next page, I grinned as I studied the second sketch I’d penned just days later: an amazing rendition of halves of two faces divided by a bright white line that represented light: the left half was of my own human face, and the right was of Drake from ‘Dragonheart: A New Beginning’, with the title “The Truth Within”, handsomely-written beneath, also in Old English font.

Yet another sketch depicted both the dragon Drake, and myself, standing side-by-side.

My current sketch was the first of the dragon’s constellation, and its rendition was my best work yet, in my opinion.

After finishing the sketch, I placed the ribbon in it to mark the place, before closing the book, and getting up, walking to my window and gazing out over the silent winter landscape, as the epic, haunting song “Darkness and Frost”, by the heavy metal band Wintersun, which I’d listened to earlier on my iPhone, echoed in my mind.

I closed my eyes, smiling to myself. After going to bed, I began to dream…

Slowly, I woke up, opening my eyes to find a soft golden glow on the horizon. I blinked, yawned, then looked around, finding myself on a cliff over a vast landscape, before glancing back toward the glowing light, surprised to see the first hints of the coming sunrise washing over the weathered stone of what I recognized as the quarry!

I also found things to be VERY different now!! For one, my vision was MUCH sharper and clearer, and colours of the landscape seemed more vibrant, as did smells and sounds! Slowly getting up, I was momentarily surprised to find that I was now lying on my front; my legs and feet resting comfortably beneath me!! I had been resting my head on my arms, which felt oddly natural! I then looked down, and managed to stifle a cry of shock!

My hands were now covered in thick brown scales, with wickedly-curved black claws. They'd also grown slightly larger, and my middle and ring fingers on each hand had fused together, leaving me with three fingers and a thumb per hand! And I found, much to my amazement, that they were as dextrous and natural as my human hands had been!!!

Noticing something in my field of vision, I crossed my eyes, looking down at what could only be described as a M-U-Z-Z-L-E!! That jolted me into action. Jumping up, I blinked hard, shaking my head vigorously.

'This has to be a dream!!' I told myself over and over, but no, it wasn't. For when I walked down into the canyon and across toward the pool (oddly not noticing how comfortable I now was on all fours), I slowly reared up, placing my hands on the pool edges, and looking up at my reflection. My jaw dropped in utter disbelief at what I beheld: a large, young brown dragon!!!

I blinked, rubbing my eyes hard, then looked again, but the dragon still stared back at me. I gave my arm a hard pinch, which oddly didn't hurt that much due to my scales. But this was indeed no illusion!! I closely studied my new form. After a few seconds, I closed my eyes, telepathically searching my memory of what dragon I had now become.

It only took a few seconds for the truth to become clear: I had become Drake, from the movie 'Dragonheart: A New Beginning’!!!


As the realization of what had happened dawned on me, joy unlike anything I’d ever felt before welled up in my heart, as I began to weep; sparkling diamond tears falling from eyes, gleaming in the light!

After my joyful weeping had abated, I slowly looked up into the sun, as my amber eyes shone with sheer courage and determination! Then, with a full-blooded, joyful draconic roar, I crouched, and sprang skyward; my huge wings instinctively unfurling to their full, 40-foot span, and catching the warm morning winds, sending me soaring skyward like a bullet!!

I executed several spectacular loops and dizzying twirls, before levelling out and letting the wind lift me, before banking and soaring eastward, toward the rising sun, blasting a massive orange jet of flame across the sky!!




I came awake with a sharp gasp and a start, bolting up in bed.

That dream, if only a dream it had been, seemed so breathtakingly real!!

After calming down, I slowly laid back in bed again. As I fell asleep, somehow, I remembered the dream, and pondered the possibility of whether it was a premonition.

Considering this fact made me smile to myself, before I completely drifted off…



The next morning, December 31, 1999, I woke up at 8:00 am, and got up, stretching and yawning.

After a quick hot shower, I dressed in my black pants, socks, and my plain white t-shirt, before hurrying downstairs to greet my dad, brother, and Barb, as we sat down to a delicious breakfast of steak, eggs, and apple juice.

We talked excitedly about the coming new year, and the coming millennium.

“So, Charlie, have you made any resolutions?” dad asked with a smile. I grinned.

“I plan to make this year the absolute BEST of my life, dad!” I answered, as he, Brandon, and Barb all smiled.

Little did I know that something would soon happen to help me do just that, although not in any way I expected!!

Throughout the day, I sketched, spent time with my family, explored, and also went out with them around town.

We planned to make the last day of the year, and the end of the second millennium, unforgettable.

And I knew, somehow, that the first day of the new year, 2000, the third millennium, would be just as memorable for me!!

We went to the Royal Canadian Mint, where my dad bought me a solid silver coin inscribed with the Chinese dragon in a gold cameo in the centre.

We also went to Appelt’s Jewellers, where he purchased Aragorn’s sterling silver ring, the Ring of Barahir, from ‘Lord of the Rings’, as a New Year’s gift for me.

I smiled as he slipped it onto my right index finger, and gave me a hug, as we wished each other a happy new year.

We then went out to eat at the Prairie 360 revolving restaurant in Winnipeg, before going to Assiniboine Park to watch the fireworks.

After coming home, we stayed up and celebrated with popcorn, candy, and party poppers.

After counting down, we set off our poppers at midnight, heralding the new year.

After wishing each other happy new year, we all went to bed.

I laid back in my bed, satisfied and very happy.

I examined my coin on the shelf across from my bed, as it gleamed in the moonlight, as well as examined my ring, smiling as the fiery green gem between the silver serpents glistened, as the golden crown of flowers shone!

At 6:00 am on New Year’s Day morning, I woke up, and sat up in bed, yawning and stretching. Oddly, I felt too well-rested to go back to sleep, so I got up, had a quick warm shower, then dressed in my black jeans, and my plain dark blue t-shirt, before slipping my silver ring on my right index finger.

Quietly heading downstairs, I had a quick breakfast of a warm danish with blueberry jelly, and a hot mug of cocoa.

After cleaning up, I wrote a quick note to my family telling them I had gone out for a walk.

I headed to the quarry, and walked across the cliff over the canyon, breathing the cold, fresh morning air and revelling in the silence of the winter dawn.

’It’s a new millennium, with new possibilities, and…!’

My thoughts trailed off as I glanced down upon noticing something felt off with my hands, and gasped in shock!

My hands were now covered in thick brown scales, with wickedly-curved black claws!!

Then, a shock like a cold flash rushed across my body, making me collapse to my knees, and fall forward to all fours, then it happened.

The green gem in my ring flashed like fire, as brilliant green flames suddenly erupted from it, swiftly spreading up my arms and across my body, as I was lifted into the air; the power looking almost exactly like the mystic sand whenever it was unleashed from the golden dagger in ‘Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time’!!!

I threw my head back as the power intensified, yet strangely, felt no pain as my human body began to transform!!

Soon, in just thirty seconds, I had completely transformed into a young dragon, as the power faded from around me, making me drift back down, and come to rest gently on the ground again, now unconscious!!!

Upon waking, I found things were MUCH different now!!

Noticing something in my field of vision, I crossed my eyes, looking down at what could only be described as a M-U-Z-Z-L-E!! That jolted me into action. Jumping up, I was shocked when I examined my hands, finding they'd grown slightly larger, and my middle and ring fingers on each hand had fused together, leaving me with three fingers and a thumb per hand!! And I found, much to my amazement, that they were as dextrous and natural as my human hands had been!!! I blinked hard, shaking my head vigorously.

'This has to be a dream!!’ I told myself over and over, but no, it wasn't. For when I walked down into the canyon (oddly not noticing how comfortable I now was on all fours), I slowly reared up, and peered over the edge of the pool, looking down at my reflection. My jaw dropped in utter disbelief at what I beheld: a large, young brown dragon!!!

I blinked, rubbing my eyes hard, then looked again, but the dragon still stared back at me. I gave my arm a hard pinch, which oddly didn't hurt that much due to my scales. But this was indeed no illusion!! I closely studied my new form. After a few seconds, I closed my eyes, telepathically searching my memory of what dragon I had now become.

It only took a few seconds for the truth to become clear: I had become Drake, from the movie 'Dragonheart: A New Beginning'!!!

Fascinated, I immediately started experimenting with my new form, swishing my tail, testing the spike at its tip, lifting and flexing each foot, and testing my muscles, as well as standing both bipedal, and on all fours, finding that either was perfectly natural!!

My body felt compact and incredibly healthy, with an amazing amount of power inherent in every movement!!

And strangely, my ring had somehow grown to comfortably fit my right fore claw, as the silver gleamed in the light, and the gem shone like fire!!

Looking up at the brightening sky, I smiled upon noticing the constellation Draco beginning to fade into the growing morning light, but I smiled upon noticing the star in the dragon’s eye, Eltanin, still gleamed enough to be noticeable, as if the dragon was drawing strength from me, and yearning to hold on just a little longer.

But soon, it faded into the morning light, and disappeared over the horizon.

I smiled, remembering Dragonheart:

”What now, Draco? Without you, what do we do? Where do we turn?”

”To the stars, Bowen! To the stars!”

I smiled, feeling a tear fall from one eye, as I opened them.

“Yes!” I whispered to myself. “As Draco became a sign for those who wanted reassurance in hard times, so I know God has done the same for me!”

I watched Draco fade away into the morning light.

“I know where to turn now, as my family will know if they feel sorrow at my departure! God is with them, as I know He is with me.”

With such a comforting and inspiring realization, I knew the time had come:

As the new millennium had dawned, so had my new life, and a new existence that I knew would bring me greater fulfillment and freedom than I had ever known!!

Slowly spreading my wings to their full span, I took flight once again, and soared away into the sunrise, marking the first day in my new life; the beginning of the new millennium!!



              The End!
A wonderful story about how my greatest desire, revealed to me in a dream, becomes my greatest transgression into a new existence, which is better than anything I had ever known.

Inspired by 'Dragonheart: A New Beginning', and by Y2K. :)
© 2015 - 2024 Rethar-Stonehammer
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Dragonguardian253's avatar
Another wonderful story, my friend. You really know how to capture the reader's imagination with these stories.