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

Chapter 17 - Reminiscence

   Ren stared at Dachi like Dachi lost his mind. Ren took a couple of seconds to finish his last bite of food before he gave Dachi his full attention.
   "What are you talking about?" Ren asked him. "What do you mean you know who stole the ancient gemstone?" He made sure to keep his tone at a low volume, careful not to attract attention to the humans around them.
   "I mean exactly what I said," Dachi mumbled. "I may or may not know the human who stole the ancient gemstone."
   "Well, you have to tell me more about it!" Ren whispered. "What the hell are you trying to get at here?"
   "Okay, language," Dachi muttered. "Look, I'm not sure if I'm right about this... It's just a theory."
   "Just get to the case!" Ren growled.
   "Okay, okay!" Dachi sighed.
   Dachi hesitated, his head hanging low. He felt a wave of nervousness wash over him as he prepared to explain. The thought of Ren hating him weighed heavily on his heart. Dachi couldn't help but think that Ren would blame him for everything.
   His heart sank as he considered the possibility that it was indeed his fault. If none of this had happened, the ancient gemstone wouldn't have been stolen, and the war between humans and dragons wouldn't exist. Maybe, just maybe, his mother would still be with him.
   Dachi frowned, looking away and shaking his head slightly. It was almost too difficult to find the words. He already knew Ren would be furious with him. He already accepted that this was his responsibility. None of them would be in this dire situation if Dachi hadn't met that human and put his trust in him.
   "Spit it out!" Ren hissed. Dachi flinched and quickly looked at Ren, his heart racing. "You can't just leave it at that. What exactly are you trying to tell me? Who is the human?"
   "I think his name is Soren!" Dachi spat out. "He's a human. A teenager. I think he's around eighteen by now..."
   Ren's eyes widened and his jaw dropped in disbelief. He stared at Dachi, unable to find the words to express his shock. Dachi couldn't decipher what had surprised Ren so much. He couldn't tell if Ren was angry with him. Nervously, Dachi frowned and felt his body sink with unease.
   "What?" Dachi asked. "What is it?"
   "A teenager?!" Ren gasped. "You're telling me a teenager—" he lowered his voice and continued, "stole the ancient gemstone?"
   Dachi nodded. "Yes."
   "And his name is... what?"
   "Soren."
   "Soren..." Ren repeated under his breath. "How are you so sure about this?"
   "I'm not," Dachi said. He paused and then sighed. "Well, maybe I am, but I don't want to be."
   "How do you know the stealer of the ancient gemstone is this Soren guy?" Ren asked.
   Dachi looked down. He hadn't even touched his food yet. He didn't plan on to anymore.
   "Soren has both fire and water powers. He also has the elements' counterparts too; lightning and ice."
   "What? That's such a rare thing to have. Those two are complete opposites!"
   "Well, you said the guy had fire and water powers."
   "I know," Ren sighed. "That's why I'm saying that. You might actually be right..."
   Dachi tensed. He kept his eyes away from Ren. He didn't want to know how Ren was feeling right now. Dachi knew he would probably be Ren's next meal.
   "Tell me more," Ren said.
   "What?" Dachi asked.
   "What do you mean 'what?'" Ren growled. "Tell me about this man!"
   Dachi flinched. "Okay!" He sighed. "Soren was... was once a student of mine."
   Ren was taken aback by Dachi's statement. He was hesitant to speak until he finally uttered the word, "what?"
   Dachi lowered his head. "It was five years ago." He closed his eyes as the memories took him back in time. "I was wandering through the major city when I ended up finding a child in the streets..."

* * *

   As Dachi strolled along the sidewalk, he couldn't help but notice the gloomy clouds hanging over Dhiashrir. The darkness within them hinted at an upcoming rainfall, the fifth night in a row. Thankfully, it seemed like there wouldn't be a storm tonight. The dragons on the Forbidden Hillslide had the power to keep the storms in check, led by their mighty leader.
   Carrying a bag of ingredients from the shop, Dachi made his way towards his house. He had just bought everything he needed to make shogayaki for dinner. Shogayaki was a delicious dish made with sliced pork, grated ginger, and grilled onions. The typical seasonings included soy sauce, cooking sake, and mirin. Dachi had never tried making it before, so he was excited to give it a shot.
   As he continued his walk, Dachi found himself whistling a familiar tune that his mother used to sing to him. The melody brought back fond memories and made him realize that he should cook for both his mother and father. Despite their disagreements on certain things, it would be nice to have a family gathering and share a meal together.
   Dachi came to a halt in front of the crosswalk, making sure to check both ways to avoid getting run over by a carriage. He glanced to the right and then to the left, and that's when he spotted something unusual.
   There was a small person sitting on the sidewalk, huddled up with their knees to their chest and arms resting on top. Their head was buried in their arms, as if they were hiding or upset. Dachi had never encountered something like this before. It didn't seem like the person was homeless or affected by any spell or fungus.
   Suddenly, the person lifted their head, revealing the face of a young boy in his early teens. Dachi couldn't help but wonder what the boy was doing outside in such a state. It sparked his curiosity. Maybe the boy needed help, and as the prince of Dhiashrir, it was Dachi's duty to assist those in need.
   Dachi crossed the street after making sure it was safe. He turned to the left and started to walk down the sidewalk, approaching the boy who happened to sit in front of the entrance to the garden. As Dachi got closer, he noticed the boy crying. Dachi frowned as he felt his heartache. He felt bad for this boy. He wanted to know what was wrong and try to help in any way he could.
   "Hello?" Dachi spoke as he walked up to the boy.
   "Huh?" the boy gasped. He wiped his eyes and then looked up at Dachi. "Hello," he stuttered.
   The first thing Dachi noticed was the boy's unique purple eyes. He's never seen a human have purple eyes before. Dachi was sure that this boy is human because of his ears. Otherwise, dragons in their human forms had pointy ears.
   "What's wrong?" Dachi asked the boy. "Are you okay?" He set his bags down on the ground and then sat next to the boy. Dachi looked around. He didn't see any other humans around. "Where are your parents?"
   "I don't have any anymore," the boy whimpered. "They were murdered."
   Dachi flinched. "Oh! I'm so sorry. I didn't know," he quickly said.
   The boy sniffled. "It's okay," he mumbled. "I've been wandering around for weeks. I heard this was a good place but everyone here is so rich. I don't have any money. I am poor." The boy hugged himself. "I'm cold and hungry." He then slowly loomed up at Dachi with pleading eyes. "Can you help me?"
   "Oh, of course, I can!" Dachi smiled. He was always willing to help anybody. "You can come to my place."
   "Really?" The boy's eyes sparkled with hope. "You'll help me?"
   "Yes," Dachi replied with a nod. "Come on. My house is just right across the street." He pointed to his house.
   The boy's face lit up with a smile. "Okay!" He jumped up onto his feet.
   Now that he wasn't curled up, Dachi could see the boy was skinny. He was right about not eating for days. Dachi paused and then smiled again. He got up, grabbing his bags.
   "Let's go," Dachi said. He made sure the street was safe enough to cross before he started to walk to his house. "What's your name?" he asked the boy.
   The boy looked up at Dachi. "My name is Soren."