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

Chapter 26 - Changing Paths

   Takashi's gaze pierced through the window, his eyes locked on the delicate snowflakes drifting down. He balled up his fists, a low growl escaping his lips as he fought the temptation to shatter the glass like the tiny snowflakes. Sniffling, he turned away from the window and returned to his throne, slumping down heavily. With crossed arms, he scowled at himself, lost in his thoughts.
   "Is something troubling you, sir?" Mateo began to ask.
   "Obviously," Takashi grumbled. "The gates outside have been stuck frozen for over a day. This winter storm isn't helping my situation at this moment."
   "If you want, I can try to melt it down," Mateo suggested.
   "I don't need you to use your shameful powers!" Takashi yelled. "Your powers are useless. They won't help my situation either."
   Mateo nodded. "I understand, sir."
   Mateo pondered for a while, desperately searching for a way to bring happiness to Takashi and avoid his wrath. His gaze fixated on the door, contemplating the absence of Dachi since Takashi confined him to his house. It wasn't normal. Mateo knew Dachi wouldn't simply obey his father's commands. Though it wasn't his place to interfere, Mateo couldn't help but wonder if Dachi was truly at home.
   Dachi could potentially assist Takashi in opening the gates. Mateo understood that Dachi would never aid his father in releasing and harming dragons, but it was worth a shot. Mateo despised witnessing the king's anger and wanted to help alleviate it.
   "May I suggest another solution?" Mateo asked.
   Takashi sighed heavily. "Fine."
   "Perhaps ask your son," Mateo says. "He has fire powers with his lightning powers. I'm sure if you order him to do so, he will be able to open the gates."
   Takashi paused for a long moment. Mateo hoped Takashi wouldn't lash out again and say that's a terrible idea. But instead, Takashi let out another sigh and sat up.
   "Fine," he said again. "I will order him to open the gates for me after you go get him from his house and bring him here."
   "Yes, sir," Mateo responded.
   "And do not tell him why I called him here," Takashi added.
   Mateo nodded. "Of course not, sir." He then bowed to Takashi and walked away from his king's throne.
   Mateo descended the stairs and made his way through the lengthy corridor. As he neared the grand double doors, the guards graciously opened them for him. Expressing his gratitude, Mateo stepped outside, the doors closing behind him.
   He strolled down the stairs, venturing away from the temple and into the bustling streets adorned with homes, shops, and various buildings. Passing several houses, he traversed almost the entire city until he arrived at Dachi's residence.
   Approaching the steps of Dachi's house, Mateo stood in front of the door and lightly knocked. Silence ensued. No footsteps echoed, the doorknob remained still, and no curious eyes peered out from behind the curtains.
   Mateo gazed at the door for a few moments, considering the possibility that Dachi hadn't heard him. Deciding to give it another try, Mateo knocked once more. Yet, once again, there was no response. No voices instructing him to wait or leave, no stomping of feet, and no sounds of the door being unlocked or locked.
   Mateo let out a sigh, leaning to the left in an attempt to peek through the closed curtains. Unfortunately, his view was blocked, leaving him in the dark about what was happening inside the house. Standing upright again, Mateo couldn't help but wonder if Dachi had defied his father once more and ventured out of his home.
   As he knocked on the door for the third time, Mateo's suspicions grew stronger. Dachi would usually get irritated after the second knock, but there was no sign of annoyance this time. Mateo felt the need to confirm his theory about Dachi's absence.
   Glancing down at the doorknob, Mateo reached out and attempted to turn it, only to find that the door was locked. His attention shifted to the window, and he walked over to examine it. Perhaps he could find a way inside by climbing through it, if he was lucky enough that it wasn't frozen or locked.
   Placing his hands firmly on the window, Mateo pushed, hearing a cracking noise as it opened. He slid the window open as far as it would go, sticking his head inside and inadvertently moving the curtains in the process. Now, he found himself in the kitchen.
   "Dachi?" Mateo called out as he looked around.
   He looked into the living room. No one was there. The rest of the rooms remained closed. Mateo hesitated before he climbed through the window and stepped inside Dachi's house. He brushed the snow off of himself and walked out of the small kitchen.
   "Dachi, are you here?" Mateo called out once more.
   Mateo approached Dachi's bedroom door and knocked, but there was no response. Feeling a sense of urgency, Mateo threw the door open and looked inside, only to find that Dachi wasn't there. His bed was left unmade, adding to Mateo's concern. With a sigh, Mateo walked out of the bedroom and closed the door.
   Next on his search was Dachi's brewery and enchantment room. Mateo knocked on the door once more, but once again, there was no response. Pausing for a moment, Mateo decided to open the door and take a look around. To his disappointment, the room was empty. Mateo was about to give up, close the door, and leave the house when something caught his eye. Opening the door wide, Mateo stepped inside the room and noticed a map sitting on the enchantment table. It was one of Dachi's map copies.
   Curiosity piqued, Mateo went over to the map and decided to examine it. He was eager to see what the world looked like on a map, as he had been confined to Dhiashrir's temple for most of his life. He wondered what lay beyond Dhiashrir and the Forbidden Hillslide. Were there more than just wealthy people and harsh weather out there?
   Mateo leaned forward, captivated by the colorful biomes on the map. He noticed a color label in the bottom left corner, explaining each biome's color. The blue edges represented the vast ocean, which surprised Mateo with its size. He didn't know what jungles or beaches were, but found it all fascinating. It made him realize how much he had been kept away from.
   Despite his curiosity, Mateo knew he couldn't get too distracted. There were consequences to face.
   However, something else caught his attention on the map. There were markings drawn by Dachi, indicating a path. Mateo saw a red circle around Dhiashrir, followed by a dashed line that crossed the ocean and led to a jungle. The line continued across the jungle until it reached a circle around a village. Then it continued past a volcano and finally arrived at a desert near the ocean, where an even bigger circle was drawn. It seemed like Dachi had marked out a significant journey.
   Mateo stared at the map, trying to piece together where Dachi might have gone. He wondered if Dachi had already reached his destination, considering he was a lightning dragon and lightning dragons were fast. Mateo knew he had to tell Takashi that his son was missing, even though he was hesitant. If Takashi found out on his own, Mateo would be in trouble for lying.
   With the map rolled up in his jacket, Mateo left the room, closing the door behind him. He returned to the kitchen and crawled out of the window, just as he had done before. After closing the curtains and securing the window, Mateo sighed and turned away from Dachi's house. He walked down the stairs and started heading back to the temple.
   As Mateo walked back to the temple, he couldn't help but feel amazed by the vastness of the world. He had always been sheltered in Dhiashrir and the Forbidden Hillslide, unaware of what lay beyond. The map opened his eyes to the possibilities. Maybe one day Takashi would allow him to explore.
   But Mateo couldn't ignore the weight of the evidence he now possessed. Dachi was across the world, and Mateo wondered how Takashi would react. Would he do anything about it? Probably not. Takashi would likely wait for Dachi to return and then give him more pointless punishments.
   Mateo paused, contemplating the map once again. He realized that Takashi would be shocked to learn that Mateo knew about the outside world. The thought made Mateo's heart race, a feeling he had never experienced before.
   Mateo pushed open the doors to the temple. He walked inside and the doors closed behind him. He then walked down the main room, approaching the throne of the angry High King.
   Takashi crossed his arms, staring down at Mateo as he walked up the stairs. Takashi glanced around. Then he looked back at Mateo and glared at him.
   "Where is Dachi?" Takashi demanded.
   Mateo stared at Takashi for a second before he bowed down to him. "I'm afraid Dachi isn't home, sir."
   Takashi's eyes widened as his blood immediately boiled in his body. "What?!"
   "I knocked on his door three times. There was no answer and the door was locked," Mateo explained as he stood upright. "But Dachi's window was left unlocked so I crawled inside his house. I looked everywhere and he wasn't there."
   "I can't believe this!" Takashi growled. He clenched the armrests on his throne as tight as he could. "He can't just disappear like that!"
   "He didn't," Mateo told him.
   Takashi lifted his head, still glaring down at Mateo. "Excuse me?"
   "I found out where he went," Mateo said. "I found evidence."
   Mateo dug into his jacket and pulled out the map with no hesitation. He handed it to Takashi. Takashi took it. He raised an eyebrow and then unrolled the map. Immediately, Takashi's eyes widened. He flinched and looked at Mateo again.
   "Where did you get this?!" Takashi scowled.
   "From Dachi's house," Mateo merely said.
   "Ugh," Takashi groaned.
   Takashi's gaze locked onto Mateo, their eyes locked in an intense stare-down. Mateo's expression remained blank, as if his eyes held nothing but emptiness. With a glare, Takashi lifted the map, holding it tightly in his fingertips. His eyes scanned the map, his focus unwavering, until they gradually widened in realization. A wave of tension washed over Takashi as he clenched the map, his mind racing to decipher the meaning behind the mysterious red markings.
   "Dachi is going to Belozersk?!" Takashi exclaimed. He quickly rolled up the map and shoved it in his coat. "This can't be. He's across the world by now! Why would he be stupid enough to do this?"
   Mateo stared at Takashi, not knowing what to say. He just cleared his throat and stood in silence.
   Takashi scowled as he put his hands on his head and pulled at his hair. "Stubborn boy! He's getting himself killed and over what?!"
   Takashi's frustration boiled over as he slammed his hands down, his fists clenched tightly. His glare shifted from the floor, as if blaming it for some wrongdoing. In that moment, a pang of guilt washed over Takashi, feeling terrible for Dachi. How could his own child defy him and end up on the other side of the world? Takashi didn't question how Dachi managed to traverse the globe; he knew his resourceful son always found unconventional solutions. Solutions that never even crossed Takashi's mind.
   His head throbbed with a pounding headache, and his heart raced with worry. He couldn't leave Dachi out there alone. He had to bring him back, personally. But going alone wouldn't be feasible, not in time. Takashi stood motionless for a few seconds, his gaze fixated on Mateo. As their eyes met, Mateo visibly tensed, sensing the weight of Takashi's intent.
   "Mateo," Takashi mumbled. "You are going to take me to Belozersk."
   Mateo's heart sank, his eyes widening in disbelief. His very essence shattered, crashing down to the floor and sinking even deeper. He blinked rapidly, trying to regain composure, and cleared his throat nervously. His hands grew clammy, and he instinctively hid them behind his back.
   "You want me to take you to Belozersk?" he asked, making sure he heard his King correctly.
   "Yes!" Takashi scowled. "You will take me to Belozersk! And we will get there in less than a day."
   Mateo's body flinched involuntarily, his fists clenching tightly. He swallowed hard, feeling a knot of emotions swirling inside him. It was an unfamiliar sensation, one he couldn't quite put into words. The uncertainty weighed heavily on him, unsure if he would ever unravel the complexity of his feelings.
   "Did you hear me?!" Takashi yelled at him.
   Mateo's heart leaped, causing him to flinch once more. He took a shaky breath, his head bowing down. After a brief pause, he nodded slightly.
   "Yes, sir."