dragon archives 05 - forever a dragon by linda k hopkins Read Free Book Online

“Nearly thirty years ago Civitas was attacked by a dragon. Perhaps you’ve heard the tales. It was killed by a man name Aaron Drake.” He paused, waiting for a reaction from Zach, but received none. “Is he a relation?”
    Drake stared into the fire. The light of the flames made his skin glow. “The dragon-slayer? You know him?”
    “Just his name,” Lleland said. “I was a boy when the black dragon attacked Civitas. It was before your time, but maybe you’ve heard tales of the hellish creature that wrought horror and destruction in our streets. They are monsters that sate their appetites with human flesh, and once they’ve killed, they continue to bring destruction with their blazing breath.” His gaze wandered over to the fire, and he stared into the flames. “They lure you with their words, spoken in human tongue, but they’re cunning and sly. I remember the beast that terrorized our streets, claiming its victims without care or concern for the misery it created.” He pulled his gaze from the blaze. “Aaron Drake’s name was celebrated through the streets, the one who conquered the beast and returned it to Hades.”
    Drake cocked his head. “Do you know how he did it?”
    “He ran a sword through the monster’s heart, then ripped it out with his bare hands.” He paused a moment. “But you must know this story.”
    Drake shrugged. “As you said, it was before my time.” He threw back the last of his mug and rose to his feet. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a hard taskmaster who expects me to read three more chapters of Aristotelis De Caelo before tomorrow.” He grinned, and with a nod, headed towards the door. Lleland watched him leave with a frown. He seldom talked about the dragon, and never before had he spoken so freely to a student. There was something about young Drake that had loosened his tongue. It was only after Drake disappeared into the darkness that Lleland realized he had not answered his question.
     

Chapter 6
    “Philosophy is the study of truth,” Lleland said, pacing the front of his classroom. It was the last day of class before the Christmas break. “Is it possible to know all truth? Socrates taught that the only knowledge is in knowing that you know nothing. And Aristotle suggested that it is impossible to know anything in its entirety.” His eyes swept over his students. “What do you think?”
    “It depends on whether the object being investigated is animate or inanimate,” Dodds said.
    “What do you mean?”
    He held up a book. “I know the truth of this book. It is rectangular in shape. It has pages, filled with words. The cover is brown leather, and I can measure its dimensions. But it’s harder to know the truth of a person.”
    “I agree,” Drake said. “You might know a person as … a murderer, for example, but that person’s mother knows him as a good son, while his lover knows yet another facet of him.”
    “What you say is true,” Lleland said. “But what about moral truths. Is it wrong to lie?”
    “Of course.”
    “What if the lie saves someone’s life?” There was silence. “Consider the question while you’re away,” Lleland said, “and come prepared to discuss it more fully when you return. Class is dismissed.”
    The students filed past him, leaving Lleland alone in the room as he gathered his things. He was looking forward to a break from the classroom. There had been little free time in the past few weeks as he spent the evenings marking papers and exams. He had managed to squeeze in a few hours with Anabel each Sunday, knowing how she depended on his weekly visits. The nightmares had continued unabated, and she was looking worn and pale.
    The mood was festive as Lleland made his way towards the hall late that afternoon for the evening meal. Some of the students had already left for the break, but most would leave the following morning to travel to their homes in the country. As always, there were some who would remain in their