Tbou: Hopebreaker

Chapter Six

Trial and Error

William's Perspective

I ran to my home on the outskirts of the city walls. The sky was completely black as the city lit up with fireworks. I was panting hard as I tried to recuperate air into my lungs. The tracking spell my father sent out to track me hasn't connected with me. The home was still rundown, with a cobblestone wall surrounding the front.

I close the wooden door quickly as I lean my back against it. I was clenching the eggshell I carried here, feeling its heartbeat still beating.

Thump-Thump Thump-Thump

Its pull was almost intoxicating, alluring as if staring at the morning sun. I ran my fingers on its now smooth surface in my pocket. Pulling it out to check on its condition, its golden color seemed to pulsate in my hands as what appeared to be dust was pulled into the shell. That strange pull even came back again, making it feel like I was being sucked into the shell as well.

That's when I felt a sudden, warm presence on my back. My back felt a tender prickling sensation run up to my shoulders as the sudden warmth spread throughout my body. Then, it vanishes.

"Father!" I said it out loud. It was his tracking spell. He knew I was here now.

I was still harboring anger towards my father, but beneath it all, guilt and regret obscured my emotions. I wanted to be alone, yet the silent company of the egg and its mysterious pull kept me tethered.

Ẁ̸̬͈̖̹̯̥͓̓͆̽͝ë̴̡̳̳̞̥̻̠̩͔́̍ͅ ̶̫̭͍̖̼̒̐̅͑̈́͒̎͑͠h̴̭̹̤̱͊͂̏̽̌̂̽̊̚̚a̴͕͐̀́̕v̵̲̮̊̌̎͆̚ȩ̷̮̱̹̓̊̋̓͆͂͐̀ ̷̡̨̥̮͎̫̱͚̣̼͌̓̐̊̏̽͒̃͠e̷̡̫͆̀̏͆̒͠ą̵͈̟͙͖͙̝̲͌̓̕c̴̣̜̗̪̺̅̋͒͗̐͂͑̿̕ͅh̶͕͇̫̫̮̲̪̐ ̵̡̧̩͔̰͗͐̏̉́͝ó̷̡͔̻̙͉̠͈̏͊͊͑͒̈t̵̡̛̝̟̻̝̩̩͓̎̏̃̓̋͒ḩ̴̖̲̄͆̓̔́͒̊̎̌͘ͅe̴̛̥̦̬̖̯̲̯͋̀̀͐̿̈͛̚̕r̷͈̦͎̞͇̈́̔́̾͒̎͘͜ͅ.̵̈́͝

Wait. We? What is this? Who else is in my head?

Thump-Thump Thump-Thump

Looking down at the egg, I took it upstairs to my room. It was somehow still alive and speaking.

No, not speaking. Feeling. But it felt different. Like it wasn't just some feeling. It was like it was the truth, even the world knew it was the truth. That feeling was absolute.

Thinking about it made me remember my father's conversation with Lord Dimmon.

Is this how dragons bond with their riders? Is this their influence? If it's influencing me, does that make as its rider? How can this even be possible?

"William!"

Before I could think about it more, a loud bang came from downstairs. Apparently, my father opened the front door a little too hard. I could feel the floorboards underneath my feet quiver.

Rushing over to tuck the eggshell underneath the pillow, my father came into my room; his face was etched with worry and concern. But once he saw me, his face relaxed as his shoulders sank.

"Sorry for barging in like that," my father said, looking down regretfully. "My spell took a while to find you, and I was concerned that..."

Before he could speak, I hugged him, burying my face into his cotton shirt. "You don't have to say, Dad, I understand." I felt his hand on the back of my head and shoulder.

"There, there. There's nothing wrong with being upset." My father spoke as he guided me to sit on my bed, kneeling before me and lifting my chin. "It was wrong of me to keep the truth of the Blight from you. You aren't a little boy, and I must accept that. After losing your mother, I didn't want to lose you too. It was my job to protect her. Both of you."