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

Chapter 5 - The Start of a New Path

   The purple trail cutting through the darkness of the Glacial Range was like a beacon of light, guiding Dachi back home. If it weren't for the dragon woman and her mystical powers, he would have been lost forever.
   Despite the biting cold seeping into his body, Dachi's mind was filled with newfound hope. It cleared the fog in his thoughts, allowing him to piece together the puzzle of what was happening.
   Yesterday morning, Dachi received a chilling message from a lightning dragon, a message of death. But instead of delivering the message, the dragon accepted Dachi's peaceful offering and disappeared without a trace. It was unlike any lightning dragon Dachi had ever encountered. They were known to be fierce and violent.
   He returned to his city and immediately sought out his father to discuss the escalating violence of the lightning storms and his suspicions about the Ara'dos's disappearance. His father, Takashi, dispatched soldiers, and Dachi, in his foolishness, decided to follow them. Little did he know, he was the biggest fool of them all, even more foolish than the soldiers themselves.
   The soldiers encountered a lightning dragon and attempted to attack. The dragon was unphased by the soldiers' shiny toys and nearly killed them all until Dachi showed off his puny magic against the powerful beast. The dragon seemed to have rather make fun of Dachi than to kill him when it swooped down and took Dachi across an icy biome, leaving him in the middle of nowhere. Dachi never knew what happened with that dragon.
   While he was dropped off in the frigid land, he experienced a numbing feeling he thought he never had to feel. He's never been lost before, even though he adventures a lot. He never had to worry about getting lost. This was the first time he was genuinely terrified of not making it back home. As awful as his living condition with his father being the High King is, he just wanted to feel warmth again.
   The next strange thing that happened was Dachi found a dragon in his human form buried in the snow. Now, he was carrying the dragon in his arms and following the visible path to his home. The path that an unknown dragon woman created for Dachi with a simple message.
   Thank you.
   Perhaps this dragon, the one laying frozen in Dachi's even colder arms, was connected to the other dragon somehow. Dachi knew whatever he saw wasn't real. Well, it was in a way. The dragon that appeared wasn't really there. Apart from Dachi's imagination. He's never seen anyone like her though. He still didn't understand the whole concept. Though, he finally understood his way back home.
   As Dachi followed the glowing purple trail through the darkness, a new color emerged in the distance: green. It was a sight that filled him with relief and excitement.
   And then, he heard it. The rumbling of thunder in the clouds. It was a sound that brought him comfort, knowing that he was not alone in this treacherous journey.
   Dachi's disbelief in ever finding his way back home began to fade as he clutched onto the dragon tightly. With renewed determination, he sprinted towards the open field ahead, his feet carrying him with newfound strength. The snow began to recede, melting away as he ran further. The once heavy blanket of snow transformed into scattered patches, revealing the damp grass beneath. Dachi brushed off the snow from his feet, almost stumbling as he adjusted to the lighter terrain. Although unfamiliar with this area, having never seen snow before, he quickly became acquainted with his surroundings. The Glacial Range was now behind him, and he felt a sense of familiarity in this new landscape.
   The rain continued to pour out from the clouds with a mix of snow from the biome behind them. Dachi still didn't appreciate the heavy raindrops soaking his clothes. Even worse, the dragon was getting soaked as well. Dachi adjusted his hold on the dragon, holding him closer and tighter. He looked down at the glistening dragon. His eyes were still shut, with no signs of him waking up anytime soon. Though, Dachi could still feel the dragon shaking in his arms. He was getting colder now. The heavy rain pour wasn't helping their freezing situation.
   Dachi looked around for hints of where exactly his home was. He was in a small field with tall trees blocking his view. His city is surrounded by a large forest, so seeing trees was kind of a good sign. Even though this entire biome was a forest.
   Though, with the purple trail still lighting its way to Dachi's city, looking like a trail of lightning in the ground, Dachi was sure of which way his home was. The purple trail zigzagged through the forest, giving it light of where exactly the tall, possibly endless trees were. Dachi followed the trail. He knew even in darkness, there was still light. He always stuck with that.
   As Dachi pressed on, the trees gradually thinned out, revealing what they had been guarding. Stretching for about a mile, stone walls stood as a barrier. Despite his exhaustion, Dachi pushed through, his knees feeling as if they could collapse like the weakened walls in the wake of the lightning storm. He knew he had to keep going, for he was so close to home and the trail still guided him.
   The thunderous growls of the lightning in the clouds kept Dachi from succumbing to his fatigue. He couldn't help but notice that the lightning was becoming more intense and violent. In the distance, he could hear the haunting cries of the lightning dragons atop the Forbidden Hillslide.
   The storm showed slight signs of subsiding, but the violence persisted. The sound of Dachi's pounding heartbeat was drowned out by the crackling lightning that scattered across the clouds, occasionally striking the ground in the distance. Though the frequency had lessened, it still posed a constant threat.
   Dachi approached the stone walls. He walked along the walls, staying close to them. He slowed his speed from walking as fast as a rabbit to as slow as a turtle. He knew guards were watching from the top of the walls. He couldn't attract attention at all. Especially what happened at the mountain. Those soldiers saw Dachi and they saw him attack the dragon. Without any other option, of course. The soldiers probably ran back to the major city and told the High King what happened. They had to. Plus, they couldn't see Dachi with the dragon in his arms. If they did, they would question him, take the dragon away and...the list goes on.
   Dachi's heart raced as he approached the towering guard tower at the front corner of the city. He couldn't help but feel a wave of worry wash over him. How would he and the dragon in his arms get past this obstacle? Even with the dragon's hood concealing his ears, a guard might still become suspicious if they saw Dachi carrying what appeared to be a "human" after the recent dragon attack.
   But then, a memory sparked in Dachi's mind. He recalled that there were two ways the guards opened the gates. One was a rope at the top of the tower that they would pull on. The other was a hidden lever at the bottom of the stairs. There was a stone that needed to be pushed in on the side of the stairs, revealing the lever. It was meant for emergencies, but the guards often forgot about it. Instead, they would have to rush back upstairs to use the rope when something happened, instead of simply pressing a button and flipping a switch on the stairs.
   With this knowledge, Dachi felt a glimmer of hope. He knew he had a way to bypass the guard tower and continue on his journey.
   Dachi practically scraped his whole body as he slid across the stone wall, back pressed against it. He flinched when he touched the corner of the guard tower, where it stretched out in an arch at the end of the wall. Dachi took a deep breath and then held it. Even though the guard was at the top of the tower, Dachi feared that the guard would feel his breathing against the walls. Impossible, but Dachi kept his breath in any way. He almost killed himself as he continued to slowly creep against the walls. His lungs begged for oxygen just one-half of the way there. He stretched out for the third fourth, Now he was coming around on the wall. He was facing the same direction as the gates. He was about to take another step until his heart took that step as it dropped when he realized another worry. He let go of his breath at the same time, letting his lungs take in oxygen.
   There could be another guard inside the tower at the bottom of the stairs. What if there was? That was usually common since most guards would get scared of the lightning storm and hide away on the stairs.
   Now, what was he going to do? He looked down at the trail on the ground. He paused. The trail had stopped, but it was still glowing underneath his feet. What did this mean? Why wasn't it leading anywhere else? He looked behind him. The purple trail was glowing behind him too. He looked back in front of him. He didn't know what to do. He already relied too much on this strange map.
   Suddenly, the purple glow flickered underneath Dachi's feet. Dachi flinched at the action and immediately looked around in a panic like he was looking for answers. He looked behind him to see the solid glow showing where he had come from. He looked back down. Then, Dachi gasped in awe as the trail stopped flickering and stretched into the tower.
   Did this mean he was safe? Was this a sign of having a chance to hit that lever? He decided to trust his instincts for once. If he could trust dragons, then he could at least try to trust himself.
   Dachi held his breath, cautiously peering inside the guard tower. To his relief, there was no one in sight. He could hear faint footsteps in the distance, but they were growing fainter. The glow that guided him still persisted, assuring him that he was on the right path. Dachi decided to worry about the confusion later and hurried to the side of the stairs. He pressed a mossy stone into the stairs, followed by another, which revealed a short lever.
   But then, a dilemma struck Dachi. How was he going to operate the lever with the dragon in his arms? He stood there, deep in thought, determined not to let go of the dragon. He held the shivering creature tightly, hoping his warmth would provide some comfort. Surprisingly, the dragon remained still, not a single movement in Dachi's arms. The thought of the dragon suddenly stirring made Dachi nervous, fearing he might drop him in his startled state.
   Dachi stared at the lever. He didn't have a lot of time. The glow underneath his feet was flickering again with the sound of quick footsteps at the top of the stairs, slowly becoming louder. He could hear the steps through the violent lightning. Dachi tensed and without thinking, kicked his leg up and hit the lever with his foot. He struck his leg back down when he heard the gates immediately rumble in response. Dachi spun around and bolted as fast as lightning out of the tower.
   Dachi approached the gates. The large gate doors were forced open and Dachi retreated into the city. He held the dragon tight, internally begging for him not to wake up from Dachi's quick and staggering steps. Thankfully, there wasn't a lot of people roaming in the soaking, cold city. But unfortunately, there were guards standing at the front of houses and scattering across the sidewalks. For a moment, Dachi squeezed his eyes shut, his heart pounding all over again. He was definitely caught for sure.
   "Hey!" a guard screamed. "Dachi!"
   And he knew his name? Dachi sighed. Of course.
   Dachi wasn't going to stop for some low-ranked guard. That guard should have other things to worry about. But why was he calling for Dachi? Did his father already want to talk to him and he wasn't at his house like he should've been? That wasn't any of that guard's business. And Dachi didn't care at this point. He was finally back home. He could lock himself in his warm house and take care of this dragon.
   Dachi rushed along the sidewalk, the escaped water from the river soaking through the weak spot in his boots and soaking his socks and the bottom of his jeans. An uncomfortable feeling, but he stuck with it anyway.
   Dachi suddenly realized that the glowing trail was still leading him back to his own house. He wondered if anyone else could see him following this mysterious light, but he figured probably not. Strange things tended to happen to him, whether they were real or just figments of his imagination.
   Despite not needing to, Dachi continued to follow the trail. It guided him up the steps of his house and through the door. With a burst of energy, Dachi dashed along the stone path and bounded up the porch steps, his wet boots making a patter against the dry wood. But as he reached the top step, he faced another problem. Seriously? How was he going to open the door?
   Dachi tilted his body and pressed his side against the door, reaching his hand out from underneath the dragon still cradled in his arms. He grabbed the door handle and twisted it with all his might. The weight of his body forced the door open, and Dachi stumbled inside. His soaked boots squeaked against the hard floor as he slipped and fell onto the ground. With a grunt, he hugged the dragon tightly like a stuffed animal, feeling the impact on his back. He groaned and kicked his foot forward, managing to close the door. Lying on his back, he took a moment to recover from the chaotic journey, waiting for the dragon in his arms to make a move.
   Nothing. Though, the dragon was still breathing and shivering of course. Dachi sighed as if he had been holding another breath the whole time he ran through the city and into his house. He sat up and pushed himself back onto his feet.
   Dachi let out another sigh of relief as he saw that the dragon was still breathing and shivering. It felt like he had been holding his breath the whole time he ran through the city and into his house. Slowly, he sat up and pushed himself back onto his feet.
   Turning towards the living area, Dachi made his way over to the large, soft black couch. Finally, he carefully released his grip on the dragon, allowing it to slide out of his arms. Dachi stepped back and gazed down at the creature.
   The dragon appeared skinny, with pale skin now visible in the light. It looked quite young, maybe in its teen-human-years. As a dragon, it was slightly older than a hatchling. Its human form seemed to be around Dachi's age.
   Dachi couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness and anger at what humans were doing to these young dragons. He was determined to help them. He had his own reasons for feeling differently about dragons than others did. Dragons were magnificent creatures who deserved the life they had before everything changed. Dachi believed that he couldn't be the only human in the world who thought this way. The war had only started a few years ago, and he knew there were others out there who shared his perspective.
   This time, he was making his own path to destiny. The dragons guiding him only got him started.