The Legend of The Ara'dos - BOOK 1: Human's Draconic Ascension

Chapter 1 - Similarities

   As the sun dipped below the horizon, the forest came alive with magic. The ancient trees, adorned with vibrant, luminescent moss, cast long, dancing shadows on the forest floor. Ethereal creatures fitted between the branches, their delicate wings shimmering in the fading light. The air was filled with the sweet scent of blooming flowers and the gentle whispers of the wind. It was a place where dreams and reality intertwined, where one could lose themselves in the enchantment of the twilight forest.
   Dachi roamed the serene forest, keeping his footsteps light, but his head held high. He listened closely to the gentle wind and the soft, rustling leaves. He glanced down at the ground under his careful feet to watch for a snapping stick or a crunching leaf. Then, he looked up when he came across a bush. He stood behind the bush and locked eyes with the creature on the other side. His target, the buffalo, was finally within his range as it stood still, distracted by the soft and bright grass.
   As Dachi focused his energy, a surge of power coursed through his veins. With a determined gaze, he extended his hand, palm open, and whispered ancient incantations. Suddenly, a flickering spark of blue ignited in his palm, growing brighter and fiercer with each passing moment. The fireball danced and swirled, its vibrant azure hues illuminating the surrounding darkness. Dachi could feel the intense heat radiating from the magical flame, a symbol of his growing mastery over the arcane arts. With this newfound power, he was ready to face the challenge that lied ahead.
   The sapphire hue from the fire brightened his lightning blue eyes. Several shades of blue swirled around deep in his eyes like a potion. A small smile formed on Dachi's face as he was in awe with his own talents. He was almost distracted until he heard the buffalo shift around. Quickly, he focused his gaze back on the task at hand.
   Dachi crouched behind the bush until only his head was visible. The buffalo, only taking one step, had been in the same spot for a while now. Dachi raised his eyebrows and tilted his head. This was easier than he anticipated.
   Of course, it was. He was a trained master of his element. There was no use in training anymore if there was nothing left to learn. His pockets were always stuffed with coins for resources he could get without work from his wealthy city instead of scavanging like a caveman. Though, he didn't want to become lazy with all the money he had. Besides, he liked his homemade food better.
   He was ready. Finally, Dachi lunged out from the bush, planting both feet firmly on the ground, and punched his burning fist forward. As Dachi unleashed the power of his fiery magic, the buffalo stood no chance. The blue fireball erupted from his hand, hurtling towards the massive creature with a blazing intensity. The flames engulfed the buffalo, its majestic form silhouetted against the inferno. In an instant, the fire consumed the beast until it had fallen onto its side and fell limp with a groan. Soon, the fire disappeared to reveal the smokey buffalo. Dachi stood there, a mix of awe and determination in his eyes, knowing that he had harnessed the elemental forces to protect himself and those around him.
   From just a buffalo.
   Dachi curled his lips into another smile. He lowered his hands and stood upright. He walked to the fallen buffalo and carefully knelt in front of it. A trail of smoke left the buffalo's side, filling Dachi's nose with satisfaction. He sat down until he hit the ground. He looked around the elegant forest. Although the sky made it seem gloomy, the forest was still quite beautiful. The dark clouds hinted there would be heavy rain tonight. Perhaps a storm. Dachi suggested to himself that he should set up camp for the night.
   Camp? Dachi lives in the richest city out of the nine of them. He rests in a large cabin, settled in the beautiful center of the city. A bed would be much more comfortable than torn grass or rusty rocks. Why would he want to settle down here for the night? His home wasn't far from here.
   As the master of an element, one of the most powerful elements, Dachi needed to connect with the world around him in any way he could. He kept his eyes on the sky. His prediction of the storm proved to be correct as he examined the clouds. The gloomy clouds covering the dark blue sky made it nearly impossible for Dachi to see now, but he didn't need to see that there was for sure going to be some kind of storm tonight. Not only did the slight sprinkle of common water touched his dark skin and shined his black hair, but his ear would twitch now and then when the sound of rumbling echoed from one cloud to another and another. A cave would be best for the night. Luckily, there was one nearby.
   Dachi reached for his left side and grabbed the handle of his weapon, pulling it out of its sheath to reveal a sword. The sword was handcrafted by himself, made from the material of a space meteorite that had crashed onto the planet a while back. It was common for the scorching space rocks to come down and replace mountains or fields of grass. The material from the unique rock fascinated Dachi when it had fallen, taking its spot into a mountain. Dachi held a creative mind. He often created things nobody had ever thought about before. Others in the village were impressed with his abilities but were often too quick to judge, whether they'd say good or bad things.
   A thick strike slid through the buffalo when Dachi swung his sword. Then another. Three perfect chunks of the buffalo. He wasn't going to eat the whole thing, of course. The buffalo was quite larger than the rest he had seen. Dachi took his share, taking the center of the buffalo, and left the rest to whoever would walk his path. He got up and headed for the nearby mountain.
   The mountain stretched up just under the dark clouds. This end of the mountain was often peaceful with no signs of life, luckily for Dachi. The Forbidden Hillslide, the humans called it. The hillside crawls with dark but glowing beasts, and it's heavily protected by those beasts. They called the protectors dragons. These fearful creatures took over every mountain on this planet. No human would dare to step up to a mountain with the knowledge of being torn to shreds by a dragon.
   Except, of course, Dachi.
   A cave was formed into the side of the mountain. It was a perfect place for Dachi to spend his night. He stepped inside the cave. It was small but perfect. A dragon couldn't fit inside a cave like this. Maybe a hatchling, but surely enough, no giant beast. At least not its whole body.
   Dachi sat down. He tossed down a bundle of sticks he acquired after he settled down in the cave. It was cold tonight, which Dachi didn't approve of. He held out his hands in front of himself and gently clapped them together. He began to rub his hands vigorously, a warm sensation burning in the cracks of his fingers and from the lines of his palms. He let out a soft breath and quickly separated his hands. The dark cave was immediately brightened by the blue glow of Dachi's powerful spirit. Blue fire swayed in Dachi's hands. He extended his arms and held his hands above the sticks. He slowly separated his hands, allowing the fire to escape and drift down to the sticks. The sticks attracted the fire and drew it in. The fire covered the sticks and lit up the cave further and brighter. Dachi sighed as he sat back, enjoying his own warmth. He could be laying in a comfortable king-sized bed right now, but this was better.
   Dachi sat back up and crawled over to the torn buffalo. He dragged it closer to the fire, allowing it to take in the warmth after it was taken out cold. Dachi slid out his knife from a pocket in his belt. The knife was covered in scratches from past fights, but it still lived to show the reflection of Dachi's eyes. For a moment, Dachi stared down at his lightning-blue eyes, a hint of purple lying deep within but still visible. It's like there was something alive in his own eyes. Like a lightning storm that snuck inside of him.
He looked away. Dachi held his knife tightly, and then he began to skin the buffalo, ripping off its coat until it became cold again. The skin withered away and crippled to ashes as Dachi threw it into the fire, causing the fire to react and get stronger, but Dachi made sure it remained calm.
   He cut half of his share. He didn't need to eat that much. He was already well-fed by himself back in his village. He figured he would save the rest for later. Dachi took one half and cut it into small pieces. He stacked the pieces on sticks and set them over the crackling fire. The flames were attracted to the buffalo and brought it warmth. The glowing blue fire sizzled through and inside the buffalo, browning it and bringing it flavor through the ashes. Dachi moved the sticks away and stuck his teeth on the top piece of buffalo on one of the sticks. He slid it off and chewed it, swallowing it. It wasn't the best, not quite flavourful, but it was a good source of protein.
Dachi finished his food. He had a bit more raw buffalo left over, but he decided to save it for later.
   He sat crisscrossed after he had his legs stretched out. He sighed, a warm breath escaping his lips. He sat up and held his hands in front of him under his chest. His middle fingers stood up, and the tips of them touched as the other fingers bent at the first joint. He closed his eyes and took back the warm breath that escaped. He inhaled through his mouth and proceeded to take deep breaths through his nose. He felt his heart rate soften and slow down with each breath he took.
   The sounds of cracking and rumbling echoed and stretched to Dachi's ears. He felt the energy in him shift as if the upcoming thunder passed from the clouds and to his body. He slowly relaxed his body, but he was still aware of his surroundings. He listened for the thunder in the clouds. He heard it shift to lightning as the clouds growled with aggression.
   Dachi counted. The lightning was nearby and it would be here soon. It was about twenty-five miles away. He could sense the lightning from here. The lightning was held above the Forbidden Hillslide, towards the center at the highest point. The hillslide is a fifty-mile-long mountain that stretches across the land. He listened closer, keeping his focus on the lightning. Dachi listened to the dragons roar and bellow in response to the lightning. It was their source of determination. It gave them life. Most importantly, control. Whenever it stormed, typically, every day, lightning dragons that stood upon the mountain roared with the lightning and fought it back. They needed the weather to be balanced. Lightning caused destruction, and the dragons were the keepers of it. As much as dragons hated humans, they knew that this was their world too, and they had to keep everything in balance for the world not to fall apart.
   Though, as Dachi listened to the mixed sounds of roaring and rumbling, he could tell something was off. The dragons calling roars were signs of aggression. That wasn't typical to hear. At least not during a storm. Lightning echoed through the mountain, crackling against the rocks that crumbled down the mountain. Dachi could barely hear the dragons roars over the lightning. It wasn't balanced out. The lightning stood more aggressive. How was that possible?
   Each night when a lightning storm happens, even when in his home, Dachi can hear the call of the Ara'dos, the leader of all dragons. The Ara'dos fought the lightning every night to keep the world in balance and reduce the destruction caused by the weather. The lightning continued to get more aggressive, and so were the dragons' calls. Dachi couldn't hear the Ara'dos.
   Then, with the next strike of lightning, Dachi gasped, and his eyes shot open. It was like he had been struck with lightning. He came to a shocking realization that he didn't know he was able to discover.
   The Ara'dos was missing.
   The lightning was unbalanced because the dragons didn't have their balance. They didn't have control over the lightning. Although lightning dragons had power over lightning, they couldn't stop this storm. Not without their balance.
   But perhaps the Ara'dos wasn't missing. The Ara'dos often went on adventures to assist other dragons during the war and would make a return to the Forbidden Hillslide during wars. But where was the Ara'dos now?
   It was nothing for Dachi to worry about. Well, perhaps it was. The Ara'dos and the other dragons could be planning a large attack on one of the major cities. No. The Ara'dos hadn't set any large attacks during the six-month-long war so far. Dachi was often aware of the Ara'dos' presence, especially when he sits and listens to the storms.
   The Ara'dos lived on the Forbidden Hillslide, where most lightning dragons also claimed their land. They were attracted to the lightning storm. Dachi could feel the Ara'dos' presence because the Ara'dos would use lightning during lightning storms. It was a rare and complicated feature. Dachi detects the usage of lightning because of the power of it that he holds. Though, there had to be more to that. He was only a teenage human. He couldn't be that powerful. 
   It was best to get some rest. The storm was going to stretch out through the morning. He would go home after the storm. If it would ever stop.
   Dachi laid down, his body relaxing against the cold, rocky ground. No one would believe him if he said this was better than his king-sized bed. He closed his eyes once again and let sleep choose what was next for him. 

* * *

   Dachi's peaceful slumber was abruptly shattered by a deep growl that reverberated through the cave. Startled, he groggily rose from his sleep, planting his hands firmly on the rocky ground. As he sat upright, he knew that it wasn't the lightning that had disturbed him. Something else had awoken him from his peaceful dreams.
   Another menacing growl echoed in Dachi's ears, instantly snapping him out of his groggy state. His eyes widened in alarm as he swiftly turned his gaze towards the source of the growl. There, just outside the small cave, stood a formidable creature. It was a massive, black and blue beast, its snarling face at eye level with Dachi. The sound of thunder perfectly synchronized with the dragon's growl, intensifying the already tense atmosphere. Dachi's heart sank as he realized that the dragon had somehow detected his presence. Otherwise, it wouldn't have found him in this remote location.
   Dachi's breath became heavy, and his body felt paralyzed with fear. A dragon. He repeated the words in his mind, trying to comprehend the gravity of the situation. This was no ordinary encounter. The dragon's indigo eyes pierced through him, revealing its aggressive nature. Its menacing fangs were bared, and its snarling expression sent shivers down Dachi's spine. The crackling lightning behind the dragon illuminated its dangerous aura, causing Dachi's heart to race even faster. He couldn't predict the dragon's next move, nor did he understand why it hadn't attacked him yet.
   In that moment, Dachi knew he had to find a way to deal with the dragon and create an opportunity to escape. The urgency of the situation fueled his determination. He had to summon every ounce of courage and resourcefulness within him to confront this formidable creature and secure his freedom.
   Dachi's heart pounded in his chest as he desperately searched for a way to survive the encounter with the dragon. His eyes darted around, seeking any possible solution to avoid a fatal outcome. And then, he spotted it - the leftover buffalo. With a glimmer of hope, Dachi focused the dragon's attention on the buffalo, hoping it would choose the meal over him.
   As the dragon locked eyes with Dachi, he held his gaze, then glanced down at the buffalo. The dragon's snarling expression softened as it recognized the source of food. In a swift motion, the dragon swooped into the cave, snatching the buffalo with its massive snout. Dachi flinched, feeling a sense of relief mixed with a strange emptiness as he watched the dragon devour the buffalo in a single gulp.
   Satisfied with its meal, the dragon backed away, leaving Dachi unharmed. It turned, crouched low to the ground, and with a powerful flap of its dark indigo wings, took off into the sky. Dachi cautiously emerged from the cave, his eyes fixed on the retreating dragon. A mix of awe and confusion filled his mind. Why did the dragon spare him? He pondered this question, his thoughts swirling like the wind that accompanied the dragon's departure.
   Dachi's heart raced as he realized the true nature of the dragon that stood before him - a lightning dragon. Its black scales, indigo eyes, and wings were unmistakable signs of its electrifying power. The dragon also had short horns, indicating it was a female lightning dragon, which were rare enough to be considered as a phenomenon Lightning dragons were notorious for their ferocity, especially in the mountainous regions where they roamed. It was said that encountering a lightning dragon meant certain death.
   Yet, against all odds, Dachi had managed to survive. He extended his arm in front of him, marveling at the energy coursing through his veins. With a focused intention, he channeled his inner power, allowing sparks to dance across his fingertips. It was a small manifestation of the connection he felt to the dragon, despite the ongoing war between humans and dragons. In that moment, Dachi couldn't help but recognize the shared similarities between the two species.