Part 5 – Carrots: The Surprising Link to Dragons

The King, kneeling on a cold and puddled floor, his arms still shaking from the reigns of his horse all day, picked up the creature. It’s eyes glowed orange and its belly grew with steam rising in the spitting rain. As the King rose, he looked up at saw a bright eyes, wider apart than his own shoulders, staring at him. The emerald eyes locked onto our King as he held her baby. The steam slowly left and rain settled on the little ones belly.

Mother dragon, Queen of all dragons, saw in the King’s eyes what power he held. The future he could bring for her kind. With a nod of the head, mimicking a bow, the Queen waved her front arms and the wings attached blew a mighty gust of wind. As many of the soldiers slipped and fell on the wet ground, the King stood and watched as the mighty dragon took off and left for the mountains afar.

There, on that day, our King not only held the kings own, but the very line of dragons that was fit for a king from the Queen herself was handed to him. A baby that the Queen trusted in the care of him and his family from him.

—/—

Well, that’s the story. But, with the review of those early days, the sources about where people were. Most people have come to realise nearly all of the whole saga never happened. This is also without noticing that dragons, prior to their human connection, were only a small creature and at best, came up to a humans knee, and that is if the human wasn’t very tall.

On the day the Great Expedition arrived at the gate, the 37 men were down to 29, there were 5 people in cages who looked petrified by the crowds. Behind the first few carts of supplies, artefacts and people in cages, were a series of cages all covered up. The convoy hurdled over the cobbled street, stopping and starting repeatedly, as the day they were fated to arrive was market day. A time to find a present for a love one. To buy food for the following week or see what may be on sale from a far. It was not a day to transport a convoy through.

The welcome party was similar in that it  was not just thin on the ground, but also in the wrong place. The Colonel who had been speaking with Gerald, and still made efforts to find out about him, had heard about their arrival and made his way to greet the Great Expedition. But their arrival saw them go down the wrong road and enter the grounds of a mansion for one of the Lords of the city, who wasn’t even home to receive them. They waited patiently until a scruffy servant came out and offered them some carrots. Not knowing what to do and having so little, they hoped it was better than nothing. Beer, which was stored a plenty in the basement wasn’t brought up as it was the Lord’s private stock, and this group of people looked more likely wanting to rob the place, than being a returning exhibition to bring forth the greatest wonder seen for a while..

People really were impressed with the water fountain that could track time. It made most inventions or discoveries look pretty basic for a long time. Something that upset a lot of people whose life’s work was to make their mark on the city. Some of the inventions that got through were vertical windmills to support grinding cereals, stirrups to help riders get onto horses to transport cereals and crops safer and quicker. With these leading to better beer deliveries and the creation of wheat beer. The guild of breweries tended to control most of what happened, so most of the money went to items that helped them with their trade or businesses attached to it.

Dragons nearly became used in heating for production of beer but the military was one of the few avenues that trumped the Brewers Guild. That, and there is little need for heating in the brewing of beer.

As the leaders of the Great Expedition chomped down their set of carrots, the phrase “Don’t worry, eat a carrot” came to be known for many as a way to pass the time when things were not going right for you. A phrase that is not used much today, but then it spread through the lower ranks of soldiers, some of whom became midlevel ranking officers. So if enough of them said it slowly it filtered through to others to say for a while. But like the fountain clock, it soon got replaced with more modern ways and became a thing for the past.

Meanwhile, the dignitaries stood and waited for their arrival for a short while but soon disappeared as it became apparent they were not coming. This was yet another event that would not come to pass. But still, the Colonel managed to stumble upon his chance when walking down from one of the side exits to the palace. Which is most exits as from most angles it was the side due to its size. But he walked down The Prince’s Way following it meander through the markets when he paused at one of the gardens in the south sector of the Capital and saw the Great Expedition in the middle of the Gardens. With all 27 soldiers eating carrots. Covered in filth and a number of carts under tarp that with scorch marks.

It would happen that The Grand Expedition made their official entrance to the Palace grounds with the King sparing 15 minutes, or a quarter Peacock as it was called from the Clock Fountain. They marched in clean, in time and their number had somehow risen from 27 scattered men, to 150 tidy, clean and energised soldiers. The Colonel knew how to make an entrance, to either not be seen or to draw everyone’s eye.

Once the parade stopped, one of the soldiers held out one of the creatures and declare, “A gift for our king from the lands afar. May it grow to protect you family, and lead our Kingdom to a brighter tomorrow.”

It certainly had a better ring than, “Got another carrot?”

– Click here to go to part 6 –