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

Chapter 11 - The Plan

   The door creaked open, revealing a room bathed in a soft, ethereal glow. Shelves lined the walls, adorned with glass jars filled with shimmering powders and vibrant herbs. The air was thick with the scent of exotic spices and delicate flowers. In the center of the room, a bubbling cauldron emitted wisps of colorful mist, swirling and dancing in the air. Ancient spellbooks, their pages worn and weathered, lay open on a wooden table, revealing intricate diagrams and arcane symbols. The room seemed to hum with an otherworldly energy, inviting those who entered to explore the secrets of enchantment and brewing.
   There was a magnificent map wall that adorned one side. The map was a tapestry of adventure, displaying intricate illustrations of fantastical lands and hidden areas. Each stroke of the artist's brush brought to life sprawling forests, treacherous mountains, and vast oceans teeming with mythical creatures. The map wall whispered tales of uncharted territories and ancient civilizations waiting to be discovered. It was a gateway to limitless possibilities, inspiring viewers to embark on epic quests and unravel the mysteries that lay beyond the edges of the known world.
   "So you need the map for the plan. Here it is," Dachi said.
   "Impressive," Ren mumbled as he examined the map. "This really shows everything about Sor'Zurn. It even has markings of the major cities, villages, temples..." Ren thought to himself as he stared at the map. They needed to find out where Siveth and their friend is. Ren had to think about where the humans would take the Ara'dos herself.
   "Also, I'd like to know about this friend of yours," Dachi added. Ren glanced at Dachi, making eye contact with him. Dachi looked away. "If you don't mind telling me about them."
   Ren paused, staring at Dachi. He didn't even realize he was staring until Dachi looked at him again.
   "What?" Dachi asked. He nervously glanced around. "Did I say something wrong?"
   "Oh." Ren cleared his throat. "No, you didn't. Sorry." He sighed and looked at the map again. "Our friend is named Sora. She's an air dragon. She's Siveth's guide."
   "Guide?" Dachi questioned.
   "Sora was the previous Ara'dos," Ren told him. "She gave her powers to Siveth and is now guiding her to be the Ara'dos."
   "Woah!" Dachi gasped. Ren flinched and looked at him. "The previous Ara'dos? There's multiple?"
   "No. There's one Ara'dos," Ren replied.
   Dachi groaned. "You know what I mean."
   Ren shrugged. "Sora was once the leader of dragons. As she got older, her powers began to fade and she had to pass them on."
   Dachi slowly nodded, still not understanding.
   "I'll explain later," Ren sighed. "We need to focus on this plan right now."
   Dachi nodded. "Right. So, what is it?"
   "First, we need to find out where they're located," Ren said. "I heard nothing from the humans any hints on where they're going. So it's all based on the biome and the major city they took them in."
  Dachi stared at the map. "How do you know they took them to a major city?"
   "Every major city has its leader, right?" Ren looked at Dachi.
   "Right," Dachi responded.
   "Someone was leading the humans. Every leader in the major cities plays a part in the war. I discovered a while ago that dragon hunters are capturing dragons and bringing them to major cities because they supposedly have some sort of base built to keep the dragons captive." Ren paused and then he slowly frowned. It hurt him as he said it out loud.
   Dachi could tell he was hurt. He frowned. He would put a hand on Ren's shoulder as a way to comfort him, but he didn't know if Ren would want a human to touch him. Dachi sighed.
   "I promise we'll find the dragons and we'll save them all," he told Ren.
   Ren stood silent until he looked at Dachi. "You really believe that, don't you?"
   "I do," Dachi said softly.
   Ren locked eyes with Dachi, the relentless lightning storm still raging outside. Rain hammered against the windows, its fury matching the thunderous roars that echoed through the clouds. The cacophony of the tempest drowned out Ren's lesser concerns, forcing him to focus on the immediate danger at hand. For now, those other thoughts could wait, pushed aside by the urgency of the storm.
   "I figured they brought Siveth and Sora to a place where they are most weak," Ren continued as he looked back at the map.
   "Huh?" Dachi tilted his head. "What do you mean?"
   "Different types of dragons live in different biomes. For example, ice dragons live in the tundra and glaciers. We wouldn't live in a marsh or a bright green forest," Ren explained.
   Dachi slowly nodded. "Right."
   "Siveth lives in the mountains. She's a cosmetic dragon so she likes to be in high places. She doesn't like being in savannas, rainforests, deserts, or anything like that." Ren paused to think. "Sora is a little complicated because her home is on one of the floating islands. All air dragons live on the floating islands away from civilization." He shrugged. "I guess that's why they're so peaceful."
   "Oh, I understand what you mean now," Dachi slowly nodded. "Well... our best bet would be a desert."
   Ren raised an eyebrow. "You really think so?"
   "Yes. Deserts are small and they only have fire and sand dragons. Sometimes lightning dragons," Dachi explained. "The dragons living in the deserts have most likely been captured because of their feral states."
   Ren slowly nodded. "Huh. That does make sense." He glanced at Dachi. "You're smart."
   Dachi raised his eyebrows. He averted his gaze to Ren. "You think so?"
   "Yes, I just told you if you were listening," Ren grumbled. "Anyways, you have a good theory." He looked at the map once again. "Nobody lives in the Sorching Barrens. There's a village there, but it's abandoned. The volcano there erupts multiple times a day, so there's no way the humans could be there."
   "What about the Blooming Terrains?" Dachi pointed out.
   "They can't be there. That whole place is a grass plains, and the dragons rule that part of the land," Ren mentioned.
   "The Misty Jungle?" Dachi suggested.
   "There's too many humans and dragons living there. Chaos could easily be caused. Earth and water dragons live here and they are very powerful with the ocean near them," Ren said. "And didn't you just mention deserts? None of those are deserts."
   Dachi gasped. "Oh! The Golden Scantum?"
   Ren frowned.
   Dachi looked at Ren. Dachi tensed. "Are you okay?"
   "I'm fine," Ren growled. Dachi took a step back. "No, Siveth and Sora would not be at the Golden Sanctum. Those are dragon lands and the volcano is crawling with feral dragons. That's one of the regions where dragons are most dominant."
   Dachi nodded. "Okay." He stared back at the map. "What about..." He squinted his eyes. "The Glass Desert?"
   Ren's anticipation grew as he parted his lips to speak, only to halt himself in a moment of hesitation. With a quirked eyebrow, he fixated his gaze upon the map, his eyes drawn to the top left corner.
   A place devoid of volcanoes, and the dragons that inhabited it were known to possess a greater semblance of sanity compared to their counterparts in the Scorching Barrens. Within the vast expanse of the Glass Desert, a village and a watchtower stood as testaments to civilization's resilience. Better yet, a major city.
   The landscape boasted a scattering of diminutive mountains, while the presence of flora and flowing rivers added life to the arid terrain. Amongst the dunes lay ancient, weathered structures, shrouded in enigmatic tales of the past. The Glass Desert was an area both expansive and habitable that thrived with the bustling presence of numerous human settlements.
   Yet, the crown jewel of this desert domain was none other than the grand city of Belozersk. Alive with ceaseless activity, it served as a hub for travelers and once welcomed the majestic flight of dragons. In the face of its desert surroundings, Belozersk managed to exude an unexpected charm.
   "You know..." Ren started. "That's a great theory."
   Dachi perked up. "It is?"
   Ren sighed. "Yes, or you wouldn't be hearing me say it."
   Dachi cleared his throat. "Oh, right."
   Ren nodded. "Well, the Glass Desert is... all the way on the other side of the region."
   Dachi frowned. "That's far."
   Ren lowered his head. "Really far." He growled. "Ugh, but it would make sense!" He clenched his fists tightly and then scowled at himself as he turned away. "I can't believe this. The humans have my sister and our friend on the other side of the region! What cruel, and stupid human beings!" He kicked the floor. "I can't believe all of this is happening! It isn't our fault the war started. We aren't the ones causing harm. This was all because of a human. One human. And now everybody has to get involved!"
   Dachi's heart sank as he observed Ren's restless pacing, a heavy weight of sadness etched across his features. It pained him to witness the dragon's anguish, a stark reminder of why he firmly believed that the blame for the war did not lie with the dragons. No, it was the humans who were the true culprits. And Dachi, as the lone human who comprehended this truth, felt a deep sense of responsibility.
   The dragon before him was burdened with a myriad of negative emotions, having suffered the devastating loss of his family due to the ongoing conflict. Dachi understood, without a shadow of doubt, that Ren's kind was not to be held accountable for the war's outbreak.  
   Determination welled within Dachi's soul as he vowed to aid Ren in his quest to reunite with his loved ones and bring an end to this destructive war.
   "Ren," Dachi spoke. Ren crossed his arms, keeping his back turned to Dachi. Dachi sighed. "I may not relate to your emotions, but I know how you're feeling. All of these negative emotions are overwhelming you because of your separated family." Dachi lowered his head. "I too lost someone in my family due to the war, but it's not the dragons I'm blaming because I know they're not at fault for this war."
   Ren sniffled. He brought his arm up to his face and rubbed it against his nose. "You really think that?"
   Dachi smiled. "Of course I do. Otherwise, you wouldn't hear me saying it, would you?"
   Ren paused and then let out a small chuckle.
   Dachi smiled more when he heard Ren's laugh. He felt his heart flutter. It was a new feeling, but he liked it.
   Ren then sighed. "But you're a human. A human taking the dragons' side."
   "I am, but that's because I'm aware," Dachi said. "Everything I heard about the war and how it's the dragons' fault... I will never believe that. Dragons are such kind creatures that balance the world. Just a few years ago we all lived in peace. Dragons helped humans. I know something had to make you angry."
   Ren's gaze fell to the ground, lost in contemplation. It dawned on him that Dachi remained unaware of the war's origins, yet his unwavering support for the dragons touched Ren deeply. Dachi's kindness and compassion set him apart as the most remarkable human Ren had encountered, even amidst the chaos of war.
   "You don't seem to have a clue about how the war started," Ren said to Dachi.
   Dachi shook his head. "No, I don't. My father keeps on telling me these lies I refuse to believe." Dachi paused and then he smiled again. "Maybe you can tell me on the way to the Glass Desert."
   Ren lifted his head and turned to Dachi. He smiled a little. "Yeah, I can."
   "Alright!" Dachi cheered. "So the Glass Desert it is!" He paused and then lowered his head. "How are we going to get there?"
   Ren stared at Dachi as his smile slowly faded. They stared at each other with blank looks. After a couple seconds, Ren lowered his eyebrows.
   "Are you serious?" he asked Dachi.
   "Um, yeah," Dachi mumbled.
   "I'm a dragon."
   Dachi gasped, "oh, right!"
   Ren growled and face palmed himself. He sighed and took his hand off of his face. "Okay, let's do this."
   Dachi frowned. "There's a problem."
   Ren flinched. "And you're telling me this now?"
   "Well, this is the only time I really got to mention this problem," Dachi protested.
   Ren huffed. "Fine. What is it?"
   "My father," Dachi said. "He forbid me from leaving my house. Not like I'm going to listen to him, but my father is the High King of this major city." Dachi fiddled with fingers. "So the whole major city knows me and if I dare to take one step out of this house and someone sees me, I'm dead."
   Ren frowned. "Oh, I guess that's a problem. It's even more of a problem when I'm visibly part dragon." He pointed to his ears. "I don't know if my hood is going to stay on my head without the wind blowing it off."
   Dachi shrugged. "I can give you a hat."
   Ren shook his head. "No. Hats hurt my ears."
   "Okay, um..." Dachi scratched his head. "We'll figure it out."
   "We'll figure it out?!" Ren furrowed his eyebrows.
   "Well, yeah! Because there's another problem," Dachi mentioned.
   Ren gasped, "another?"
   "My father wants to climb the Forbidden Hillslide and kill lightning dragons until he has evidence that the Ara'dos is truly missing," Dachi quickly said.
   Ren flinched. "What?!"
   "I may have told my father that the Ara'dos is gone," Dachi mumbled.
   Ren scowled, "why would you do that?!"
   Dachi winced at Ren's harsh response. "I-I wasn't thinking!"
   Ren sighed heavily. "Whatever. We're running out of time, but we have to make sure your father doesn't go to the Forbidden Hillslide."
   Dachi thought for a long moment. His eyebrows shot up when he came up with a solution. "We can trap him inside of the city. The only way out of the city is through the gates."
   "Okay..." Ren nodded. "What about the gates?"
   "Do you think you can use your ice powers to freeze the gate and make it stuck so no one will be able to open it?" Dachi suggested.
   Ren raised his eyebrows. "I actually can do that. That's not a bad idea."
   "Great!" Dachi smiled. "Okay, let's not waste anymore time than we already have."
   "That's what I said several times," Ren groaned. "Come on."
   "Let me just grab a couple of things for our adventure," Dachi said as he quickly exited the room. Ren followed him.
   Dachi went to the living room and grabbed his backpack. He went back to the map room and grabbed a few potions and threw them in his bag. He went to the enchantment table and grabbed a few colorful crystals, tossing them in his bag.
   He fled the room and went to his bedroom next. He opened his closet and grabbed an extra coat, gloves, and a scarf, stuffing them in his bag. He grabbed some rope and put it in his bag. He closed his bag and threw it over his shoulders. He then went back to the map room and grabbed his sword that hung on the wall. He attached the sheath to his belt. He then grabbed his dagger off of the enchantment table and attached the sheath to his belt as well. He then turned to Ren who already looked exhausted just from chasing Dachi around the house.
   "Are you ready?" Dachi asked him.
   Ren growled, "I've been ready."
   "Right." Dachi nodded. He took a deep breath and let it out. "Okay. Let's do this."
   Ren let out a shaky sigh. He shook his hands and nodded. "Okay."
   Dachi's expression turned into a frown, mirroring Ren's evident nervousness. He couldn't help but feel a similar sense of unease, unsure if his own jitters matched Ren's. Leaving his home behind to aid a dragon in the midst of a war, all for the sake of rescuing his sister, who happened to be the Ara'dos, and their guide, was an immense undertaking.
   Now, Ren was on the brink of confronting the leader of the group responsible for taking his sister and their friend. The anticipation was overwhelming for both of them. However, Dachi found solace in the fact that as long as they stuck together, they would find the strength to overcome these challenges and bring an end to the war once and for all.