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

Chapter 15 - The Truth

   "Come on, Siveth..." Ren sighed softly. "I want to find you. I want to help you." He paused for a moment. Then he lowered his head and his eyebrows arched up. "We want to help you."
   Ren had tried everything. Even if all he was doing was sitting on an uncomfortable bed and closing his eyes, he was trying his hardest to find Siveth.
   "Just give me a sign. Anything!" Ren whined. "Just a sign to know you're around here somewhere."
   Ren's determination burned bright as he refused to give up. He couldn't rest until he connected with Siveth and Sora. With unwavering focus, he continued his meditation without breaks, even if it meant staying like this all night.
   Suddenly, a brilliant light pierced through Ren's closed eyes. The light grew brighter by the second, revealing an image. It was a view of a small city nestled in the desert. Then, another image flashed before him. It depicted an underground chamber, constructed from metal and containing multiple rooms. Ren noticed human guards stationed at the doors of the chamber.
   And then it all went dark. Ren hesitated and then he slowly opened his eyes. He looked down at the wooden floor and the uncomfortable bed. He was still inside the inn. That means...
   Ren's excitement was palpable as he realized that his meditation had indeed worked. Even though he didn't see much, he had a strong feeling that they were on the right track. The small city he glimpsed, Belozersk, was familiar to him. Knowing where Siveth and Sora were located brought him a sense of relief, and he let out a shaky breath, feeling a bit better about their upcoming journey.
   However, the image of the underground chamber puzzled Ren. He had never encountered anything like it before. It seemed that the city had a hidden chamber where captured dragons were held. The presence of metal in the chamber was concerning, as it deprived dragons of their powers and caused them distress. Ren couldn't bear to imagine what the humans were doing to the dragons. Determined, he let out a sighed, vowing to save not only Siveth and Sora but also the other imprisoned dragons. Together with Dachi, they would embark on a mission to rescue them all.
   But the only thing he could do right now was rest. The two of them had a long day ahead of them. By the time they would get to Belozersk, it would be almost night-time, as Ren calculated. It would be best to get up early in the morning. That also means going to bed early.
   Ren laid down on the bed, his body curling up like a ball. He huffed. He already missed the Glacial Range. It felt too hot in here. But he knew laying on the floor would be more uncomfortable than the bed. He sighed and closed his eyes. The sooner he slept, the faster the day would come. He let his body relax and he slowly fell asleep.

* * *

   Dachi slowly opened his eyes, blinking a few times as he woke up. He wasn't sure what time it was since there were no windows to tell if it was day or night. The heat remained the same, making it even harder to guess. It felt like he had gotten some sleep, but not a lot.
   Sitting up, Dachi swung his legs off the side of the bed and stood up. He raised his hands over his head, stretching his body and letting out a groan before sighing in relaxation.
   The thought of checking if Ren was awake crossed his mind instantly. Knowing Ren, he was probably already up and being his usual paranoid self. Dachi had learned a few things about ice dragons from books, like their living conditions, personality, and size. They were said to be sarcastic, sassy, and sometimes mean, but also kindhearted. Dachi could definitely see those traits in Ren.
   Dachi stepped out of his room, glancing around to get a sense of the time. The guy from yesterday was behind the counter, busy cleaning glasses. A woman nearby was softly singing to a small group of people gathered around the cozy fire. A few more folks were sitting at tables, enjoying their breakfast and sipping on coffee. It definitely seemed like morning now.
   Deciding it was time to check on Ren, Dachi made his way to Ren's room. He paused at the doorway, peering inside. As expected, Ren was already awake. He was sitting up in bed, his hands pressed together, eyes closed, and taking deep breaths. Dachi observed Ren, watching him meditate. He wasn't sure if he should disturb Ren while he was in this state, but they needed to leave soon. Maybe they should grab a bite to eat before heading out.
   "Good morning to you too," Ren suddenly spoke, his eyes opening.
   Dachi jumped up. He gasped sharply as he felt his heart skip a beat. He cleared his throat and focused his gaze on Ren's eyes. His heart fluttered when they made eye contact. Dachi swallowed nervously.
   "Good morning," he said. "I'm sorry. I didn't know if bothering you during your meditation would've been a good idea."
   "It's fine," Ren sighed. "I was just waiting for you to wake up. I was meditating to see if Siveth would be able to tell me more about where she and Sora are."
   "Did you try meditating last night too?" Dachi asked.
   Ren nodded. He smiled a little. "Yes. And it worked. I saw that Siveth and Sora are in fact in Belozersk. We're on the right track."
   Dachi smiled. He was relieved to hear that. Perhaps he did something to help after all.
   "That's great to hear!" He then motioned for Ren to come out. "Let's eat some food real quick and head out."
   Ren nodded. "Sounds good to me." He stood up and stretched. He sighed and followed Dachi out of the room.
   Dachi went back up to the man behind the counter. The man glanced at Dachi. "Ah, good morning. Nice to see you again," he greeted the two of them, like he didn't try to rob Dachi last night. "What can I help you with today?"
   "Could we take a look at the menu again, please?" Dachi requested.
   "Sure thing." The man crouched down behind the counter. After a couple of seconds, he came back up. He handed Dachi the menu. "Breakfast items are at the top."
   "Thank you," Dachi said as he took the menu.
   He and Ren went over it for a moment. Dachi decided what he wanted. He waited for Ren to point at what he wanted. After a minute, Ren pointed to what he wanted.
   "Tamago Gohan and Skyr with blueberries and cream," Dachi told the man.
   "Okay. That'll be out momentarily," the man told them as he took the menu from Dachi. He walked away.
   Dachi nodded and took a seat at a nearby table, motioning for Ren to join him. As Ren sat down, Dachi couldn't help but notice a hint of unease in his expression. It made Dachi frown slightly, concerned for his friend.
   "Are you okay?" he asked Ren.
   Ren flinched. He looked at Dachi and then lowered his head. "I'm fine." He looked back down at the table.
   "What exactly did you see when you were meditating?" Dachi asked.
   Ren sighed, "I saw a view of a small major city in the desert. It was Belozersk."
   Ren's expression grew pained as he paused, lost in his thoughts. Dachi could see the weight of the situation weighing heavily on his friend. The uncertainty about what was happening in Belozersk and the dragons' well-being was taking its toll on Ren. Dachi reached out and gently placed a hand on Ren's shoulder.
   "Ren?" Dachi gently shook him.
   Ren flinched, snapping out of his thoughts. He looked at Dachi again. "I saw some sort of underground chamber. I think they're holding Siveth and Sora there." Ren frowned. "Along with several other dragons."
   "Oh, no..."
   Dachi couldn't help but feel a deep sense of frustration and anger towards how humans treated dragons. It baffled him why humans had become so cruel towards these magnificent creatures. He shared Ren's desire to understand the reasons behind this mistreatment. It's important to seek answers and shed light on this issue.
   So, he asked, "How did the war start?"
   Ren's eyes widened a little. Dachi tensed at Ren's reaction to his question. But then, Ren slowly relaxed.
   "Oh, right. You don't know how the war started," he mumbled.
   "No, I don't." Dachi shook his head. "My father has just been telling me these lies."
   Ren looked away. "Well, I might as well give you the truth then, huh?" He cleared his throat and began.
   "There's an ancient gemstone that belongs to us dragons. This gemstone is protected by lightning dragons on the Ancient Highlands. Even before the war, no human has ever dared to take a step onto the Ancient Highlands. The Ancient Highlands is a very sacred place for dragons only."
   Dachi nodded. "I've heard about that place. My mother had told me all about it." He raised an eyebrow. "I've heard about some dragon called the Ancient Hydra living up there. Is that true?"
   "I cannot tell you anything about the Ancient Hydra," Ren merely said.
   Dachi frowned. "I understand."
   Though, Dachi didn't understand. But he figured he wouldn't press on with the question, as he should not ask for such secrets.
   "Anyways," Ren continued. "The ancient gemstone has the power of the Ancient Hydra. They were the one who created the gemstone. This gemstone has the ability to turn a human who holds more than one power into a dragon."
   Dachi's eyes widened. "What? Why would the Ancient Hydra create something like that?"
   "Once again, I can't say," Ren responded. "But only a master of their own elements can withstand the power of the gemstone."
   Dachi's mind whirled as he processed the newfound knowledge. It seemed that a human with multiple powers could harness the ancient gemstone's immense power. But there was a catch - they would need to possess more than one element. For instance, someone who wielded both fire and water, or perhaps earth and air.
   However, having fire and lightning wouldn't suffice, as they were counterparts, intricately linked. Dachi himself possessed lightning powers and occasional mastery of fire, hinting at the possibility of dual elemental abilities. But it would be the possibilities of a human possessing two distinct elements, like fire and water.
   As Ren explained the ancient gemstone, Dachi slowly started to realize how the war began. He had a theory. "So the humans stole the ancient gemstone?" he asked, almost confident with his theory.
   "Yes!" Ren gasped. "There was one human—" He paused when the man from before came over and set their food down in front of them. When the man walked away, Ren continued. "There was one human who managed to travel upon the Ancient Highlands and steal the ancient gemstone."
   Dachi gasped. "Woah, what? I can't believe this..." He frowned. "Why would someone do that?"
   Ren sighed, "I wish I knew."
   "What kind of powers does that human have to hold the ancient gemstone?" Dachi queried.
   "I think I've heard some say that the human holds the fire and water element," Ren said. He then started to eat his food.
   Dachi stared at Ren for a long moment. Ren didn't notice because he was too busy eating his food to care. Dachi slowly frowned when Ren's response echoed in his head.
   Fire and water.
   Dachi tensed at that thought. Fire and water. Those two powers together. The human with those two powers had to be strong and dangerous. But Dachi knew that. He knew from experience.
   "I think I know who you're talking about..." Dachi whispered.
   "Huh?" Ren glanced over. He swallowed his food. "What do you mean?"
   Dachi slowly frowned. He lowered his head and glanced away.
   "I think I know who stole the ancient gemstone."