Free Defenders of Kron - The Black Dragon by Ritu Ghosh

till he felt stuffy. He didn’t complain about the dry breakfast. It felt like heaven to him. He drank some water to gulp it down.
    “Eat well till the supplies last” said Dan giving Aaron and Ony some meat he cooked. Ony was now sitting next to Aaron.
    Dan put out the fire as soon as everyone finished their food.
    The weather was pleasant; the sun was not harsh. Aaron’s horse looked much better, after feeding the horses they untied them.
    They soon came across a river. They stopped to wash their faces, hands and feet in the river. It was refreshing. The horses drank from the river.
    ‘What’s up with him?” Aaron asked Dan, looking at Ony standing at a distance.
    “Oh! We had an argument about the path that we should take” said Dan looking the other way.
    “Well, looking at him, I can tell who won!” Aaron smiled, but Dan wasn’t amused.
    “The path he suggested was easy but dangerous. I could not risk your safety on any condition” said Dan.
    “You still think the wolves are following me?” Aaron almost chocked.
    “It doesn’t matter what I think Aaron. If they are not wolves they could be something else. But they will all come with one intention” he looked at Aaron “To finish you!”
    “Why? Back in the house you said that you are part of a secret council. What kind of secret council is it? What evil are you fighting?” asked Aaron.
    “Well, I am not the best person to tell you everything, but you should know about your heritage. Aaron, we are the ‘Defenders of Kron’. It is our duty to protect the land of Kron from the Evil Force.” said Dan calmly.
    Aaron was taken aback. “But how can we protect the whole of Kron?”
    “We are a secret group formed to break the Evil Force from within. We do not go to war like the other warriors or the armies of the kings. Our job is to take the evil down wherever it raises its ugly head. We are all highly trained in alternative warfare.”
    Aaron felt a surge of thrill, he was going to be a part of something exciting.
    “What is this Evil you speak of?” Aaron was curious.
    “This evil was born thousands of years ago. Since then, it has come back in many forms over and over again. There are Men, Animals, Wizards and Giants who have fallen under its influence. This force has turned them all Evil too. We have to be on a continuous watch to identify and destroy this evil.” Dan shifted his weight and then continued “This war will go on forever if we cannot finish the Dark Lord.”
    “Dark Lord? Who is he?” asked Aaron immediately.
    “You will get all your answers once we get to the Blue Mountains.” Said Dan.
    “Blue Mountains?!” Aaron exclaimed. He had heard about the Blue Mountains in folk tales of the village. A place where weird things are seen after dark. Some say that there was a wizard who lived in these mountains. He would turn you into something horrible if he caught you. ‘ Why would you go there ?’ He thought, but he remained quiet.
    Before Aaron could ask another question, Dan was on his horse ready for the journey ahead. Ony too was ready on his horse and was not showing any willingness to stay further. Aaron filled his pouch with water from the river and joined them soon. He kept thinking about what kind of war he was going to be part of. He imagined what the Dark Lord would be like. If the wolves that attacked him were so monstrous, what else would the Dark Lord be capable of doing?
    The forest they entered was strangely welcoming and peaceful. Aaron had never come this far from his village. The forest stretched many miles with no sign of any big or dangerous animals. Time to time, he saw small squirrels jumping from one tree to the other and birds chirping on the high branches of the tall trees.
    “So am I a Defender now?” Aaron asked enthusiastically.
    Ony burst into laughter and sped ahead.
    “Not till you have been trained. Every young member has to train and pass the test before they can be Defenders. Till then, you