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

Chapter 18 - Unbelievable Discoveries

   Ren led Dachi through the dense Misty Jungle, making sure they were far enough from the village to avoid any prying eyes. They arrived at the same field where Ren had transformed into a dragon before. Ren scanned the area, ensuring there were no humans nearby. Feeling somewhat safe, Ren cautiously walked towards the center of the field. Despite having transformed in front of Dachi before, Ren couldn't help but feel nervous.
   When Dachi shared the news about Soren, Ren's anxiety skyrocketed. The fact that Soren and Dachi knew each other only added to the tension. Ren knew that their impending confrontation would be dangerous, especially considering the immense power of a dragon like the Ancient Hydra.
   The thought made Ren tense up. A human turning into a dragon with unimaginable powers—it was a formidable combination. Who knew if Soren was already a dragon? And what were his intentions once he transformed? The uncertainty weighed heavily on Ren's mind.
   Ren glanced at Dachi, knowing that Dachi wouldn't have any knowledge about Soren's actions. Dachi had lost touch with Soren years ago, and he had no idea that Soren would go after the ancient gemstone in the Ancient Highlands.
   It was expected for Ren to feel anger and betrayal towards Dachi, but surprisingly, he didn't. However, Ren couldn't help but feel upset about the situation. Deep down, he couldn't shake the feeling that Dachi was somehow involved in the start of the war.
   Despite these doubts, Ren didn't want to lose Dachi. Dachi had already done so much for him. Even though Ren would have gone to safe Siveth without Dachi's help, Dachi had provided encouragement and brilliant ideas along the way. It was Dachi who had suggested that Soren might be in Belozersk, and he had been right.
   Most importantly, Ren couldn't abandon Dachi because Dachi had saved his life. If Dachi hadn't found Ren in the snow, given him hope, and treated his wounds, Ren would have been in serious trouble. Siveth and Sora would have been in danger too.
   Even if this was partially Dachi's fault, Dachi was trying to solve it.
   Ren had never encountered a human like Dachi before. He liked having Dachi around. He was... a great friend. Yeah. Dachi was his friend.
   "Ren?" Dachi muttered.
   "Huh?" Ren gasped. He lifted his head and looked at Dachi.
   "Are you okay?" Dachi frowned, worried for his friend. "You seem off. Did we forget something?"
   Ren shook his head. "No, we didn't. I'm sorry. I got lost in my thoughts."
   "Oh, that's okay." Dachi formed a reassuring smile. He knew Ren had a lot on his mind. "Take your time. I can look away again if you need me to."
   Ren hesitated and then slowly nodded. "Yes. Please do."
   Dachi turned around and covered his eyes, so Ren felt a bit relieved. Ren took a step back, took a deep breath, and let his body transform back into his true form. His wings unfolded and then folded neatly against his back, his horns grew tall on his head, and his scales replaced his skin. Ren stood proudly on all fours as his tail waved lightly. When he opened his eyes, he saw that Dachi was still turned away. Ren approached him and crouched down.
   "You can look now," Ren told him. "And you can get on."
   "Okay."
   Dachi uncovered his eyes and turned to Ren, but he flinched a bit. He wasn't used to seeing such a majestic dragon right in front of him, ready to embark on a world-saving adventure together. Dachi couldn't help but be captivated by Ren's presence, especially his mesmerizing eyes. The icy blue in Ren's right eye and the cosmic purple in his left eye were the most stunning colors Dachi had ever seen.
   Ren locked eyes with Dachi, and there was something about the way Dachi's eyes seemed to glow that intrigued him. Ren leaned in closer, wanting to discover the secret behind that glow. But before he could, reality interrupted their moment.
   "Get on," Ren grumbled.
   Dachi flinched again. His eyes widened when he snapped out of his thoughts. He rubbed his eyes and groaned, "right, right." He went around to Ren's side and climbed on top of him. He sighed and his body slumped as he sat on Ren's back.
   "Ready?" Ren asked.
   "I am," Dachi mumbled.
   Ren paused. He then looked up at the sky and frowned. "You do realize that our next stop is Belozersk."
   Dachi sat in silence for a long moment. He glanced up at the sky and sighed once more. "Yeah."
   "Huh..." Ren sighed. "I can't believe this. Just in a span of a few days, I met you, I'm— we're facing the guy who stole the ancient gemstone, and we're saving Siveth and Sora." He then smiled a little. "And we may actually put an end to this war... After years of violence throughout the entire world, we're going to stop it!" He quickly turned his head to look at Dachi. "We won't be at war with the humans anymore!"
   "And we won't be at war with the dragons," Dachi added. His smile was as bright as Ren's smile. "We're going to save Siveth and Sora. And I promise you, I will take on Soren and get the ancient gemstone back for you. And the other dragons."
   Ren's eyes softened as he stared at Dachi's hopeful ones. "I've never met a human like you. I didn't think I ever would. All of these years I hated how humans reacted to the war. All they thought was that the dragons were the ones who went rogue and destroyed everything." Ren tilted his head and then he looked away. "There's something special about you, Dachi."
   Ren crouched down, looking up at the cloudy sky. It seemed like rain was about to pour down here too. Ren saw this as a sign that they couldn't waste any more time. Siveth and Sora were close, and Ren and Dachi just had to make one final push to reach them.
   With determination, Ren leaped into the air and flapped his wings hard against his sides, propelling himself higher into the sky. Dachi held on tight, but soon relaxed as Ren spread his wings and let the sky carry them.
   "I'm going to fly faster than last time," Ren warned Dachi. "The only reason I didn't when we were crossing the ocean is that I didn't want to risk having you fall off my back."
   "But now you do?" Dachi gasped.
   "No!" Ren groaned. "I assumed that you're used to flying with me. So, going fast won't be a problem."
   "I don't blame you for flying fast but I don't want to fall off," Dachi grunted.
   "Well then don't," Ren said.
   He flapped his wings strongly against his body, boosting himself. Dachi tensed and held onto Ren tightly. He sighed and lowered his body against Ren, not risking falling off of him. Ren's flying made him anxious.
   Dachi's anxiety grew as he tried to make sense of everything. He couldn't understand why he was feeling this way, even though Soren was just a kid. Well, not anymore. Soren was seventeen now, and Dachi couldn't help but wonder how much he had grown with his powers. It was hard to believe that Soren had become powerful enough to obtain the ancient gemstone. Dachi felt like he was in a dream, like none of this was real. The fact that a former student of his was now causing this war weighed heavily on Dachi.
   Dachi still had no clue about Soren's plans. He tried to come up with theories, but they all seemed unbelievable. Initially, Dachi thought Soren might be seeking revenge, but why would he anger the dragons? And why would he steal the ancient gemstone if he was already powerful enough?
   As Dachi pondered the dragons, he couldn't help but think about the conversation he had with Ren earlier. Ren mentioned having a theory about Dachi's mother, but Dachi didn't fully understand what that meant. He wasn't sure if it was the right time to ask, but his curiosity was getting the best of him. Ren, as a dragon, seemed to know something about his mother.
   "Ren?" Dachi spoke.
   "What?" Ren asked.
   "Remember that theory you had earlier?" Dachi frowned. "About my mother?"
   Ren gasped. "Oh, right." He sighed. "I'm sorry, Dachi. I should've told you earlier."
   "No, you don't have to apologize," Dachi reassured him. "We were focusing on the main conflict and that's a good thing."
   Ren nodded. "Right."
   "Are you able to tell me?" Dachi wondered. "Or does this have to wait until after the war?"
   Ren paused, flapping his wings lightly to stay afloat. Looking down at the changing scenery, Ren noticed the trees thinning out as they flew away from the village towards the Golden Sanctum. The grass lost its vibrant green color as the biomes shifted, and there was a chill in the air. Feeling Dachi shiver and hold onto him tighter, Ren's heart fluttered like his wings.
   Ren sniffed, realizing he had gotten lost in his thoughts when a gust of wind blew through them. Balancing himself with a flap of his wings, Ren frowned and lowered his head. There was something special about Dachi that Ren couldn't ignore since the first time they made eye contact. Ren wanted to discover what that was, especially since Dachi was just a human and yet a dragon saw something extraordinary in him.
   "I can tell you," Ren said.
   "Okay." Dachi nodded. "Go on then."
   Ren sighed. He figured he would just spit it out. Dachi had been waiting long enough to hear this anyway. Ren shouldn't have told him he had a theory about Dachi and his mother and left it at that. But this had also been bothering him too. He wanted to tell Dachi.
   "I figured I would tell you before we save Siveth and Sora because this could have a lot of potential," Ren began. "The moment I laid eyes on you, I knew there was something special about you."
   Dachi raised his eyebrows, his cheeks turning hot. "Really?"
   "Yes," Ren said. "Dachi, when I first saw you, I thought you were a dragon."
   Dachi's eyes widened in shock. His head spun, and he felt like he might pass out. Ren's thoughts raced through his mind, like a whirlwind of memories. Dachi quickly sat up, leaning over to get a closer look at Ren's face.
   "Your theory is that I'm a dragon?!" he gasped.
   "I haven't got there yet!" Ren hissed. "I thought you were a dragon because I just saw something in your eyes that told me you're a dragon."
   "That doesn't make any sense," Dachi grumbled as he leaned back.
   "You can see the power within someone by looking into their eyes," Ren explained. "That may sound like some dumb quote but it's actually a fact."
   Dachi lifted his head. "Wait, what?"
   "I already knew you had lightning powers because of your eyes," Ren told him. "They look like storms."
   "Are you trying to flirt with me?" Dachi suddenly asked.
   Ren gasped. "What?! No!" he snarled. Though, he could feel his cheeks turn red. He groaned. "Either take this seriously or I won't tell you at all."
   Dachi shot his hands up. "Okay, okay, I will!"
   Ren sighed. He paused and then took a moment to look back at Dachi. Dachi was looking up at the sky like he was lost in his thoughts. Ren stared at Dachi for a couple of seconds before looking away. Now that he realized it, he may actually be right.
   "Dachi, do you understand the origin of elemental powers?" Ren asked.
   "What do you mean?" Dachi asked as he looked at Ren. "I'm afraid I don't exactly understand what you're asking."
   "Do you know where elemental powers came from?" Ren asked again.
   Dachi paused. He never thought of that. Here he was with one of the strongest powers to ever exist and he never wondered about the origin of his lightning.
   "I don't," Dachi told Ren.
   "I guess that's why," Ren mumbled.
   "Why, what?" Dachi asked.
   "Elemental powers came from us dragons," Ren started. "I mean, think about it, Dachi. Fire dragons have fire powers, water dragons have water powers, earth dragons have earth powers, air dragons have air powers, and so on."
   Dachi nodded. "I see. That does make sense. I get what you mean."
   "So, how do you think humans have elemental powers?" Ren questioned Dachi.
   Dachi shrugged. "Mutation between humans and dragons?"
   Ren flinched. "What?" He groaned and then sighed. "The only way for a human to have elemental powers is from a dragon, yes," he explained. "Dragons can give their powers to others. When there was peace, dragons would give their powers to humans."
   Dachi slowly nodded as he processed what Ren said. So, humans did get their powers from the dragons. This was possible because dragons gave their powers to humans.
   Dachi's eyes widened. "Wait. You're saying..."
   "You got your power from a dragon," Ren told him. "Trust me, Dachi. There is no other way for a human to have elemental powers."
   Dachi tensed. "But there are people in my village with elemental powers!"
   "Then they must've got their powers from dragons," Ren said.
   Dachi looked down. "But I had my powers all my life."
   "Your mother had lightning powers too, didn't she?"
   Dachi felt himself freeze. He stared down wide-eyed as he tried to process all of this. This couldn't be right. But Ren's a dragon. Ren knows what he's talking about. Of course, he would be right.
   "How long has your mother been gone?" Ren asked.
   "Ever since the war started..." Dachi mumbled, mostly to himself. "She's been gone ever since the war started." Dachi's eyebrows angled up. His body shook as he clenched his fists tightly, gripping his jeans. "My father told me she was taken by a dragon!" He furrowed his eyebrows and felt them twitch. He gritted his teeth and turned his head away. "Why would he tell me that? Why would he lie to me about all of this?" Dachi threw his hands up. "Why is he even hurting the dragons?"
   Ren glanced back down, observing the small patch of snow in the frigid desert below. His gaze then shifted to the distant volcano on his left. Although passing by the volcano evoked a sense of sadness, Ren knew he couldn't let that feeling overshadow the present situation.
   "I'm sorry, Dachi," Ren muttered. Maybe telling Dachi this when the both of them already had enough things to be stressed about wasn't a good idea. "I should've told you later so you didn't have to stress about it."
   Dachi opened his mouth to say something but his thoughts interrupted him. He remember what Ren told him before; why he was telling Dachi before they went to fight Soren and save Siveth and Sora.
   This could have a lot of potential.
   Dachi started to realize that he was a lot more powerful than he originally thought. All of this was starting to make sense now. That's why he's able to hear the dragons during the storms, why the previous encounters with dragons left him alive, and how he knew Siveth, the Ara'dos was missing.
   "It really does make sense," Dachi whispered. "I'm—I'm part dragon, aren't I?"
   "That's my theory," Ren whispered back.
   "My mother. I got my powers from her. She's..." Dachi raised his eyebrows. He looked up at the sky as he set his palms against Ren's scales.
   "My mother is a dragon," Dachi told himself. "I'm...a dragon."