The Tenth Dragon: Death Of A Youngling

Chapter 12: A Whirlpool of Lost Memories

Nicholas rolled around the mountains and landed at the edge of a crystal clear lake hidden by the tall cliff sides.  This lake was technically his and Jesse’s birthplace, the birthplace of the dragons.  On the other side of this lake, inside a large cave, was the the accurately named Tree of Life, Yggdrasil.  The true creator of all the dragons, guarded by Apollyon.  Sitting at the bottom of the lake were large gems that held embryos.  Embryos of pure blood, powerful dragons.  Each one just waiting for an Aura strong enough to awake them.  Jesse’s Aura.  Well Zenkro’s, but with his soul being fused to Jesse’s they shared one.

“‘Ere we go,” said Nicholas and he flung Jesse off his shoulder and onto the ground.  He extended his claws and peeled away the skin over Jesse’s heart.  When he reached the bone, he pulled out his knife and carved out a piece.  Underneath the breast plate he saw the silver diamond that encased his heart.  It was proof that he was dragon.  All dragons had the casing, it was basically what made them almost immortal.  It stopped their aging after twenty one years, allowed for excessive healing by channeling their Aura’s to any part of the body, and of course made their hearts almost impossible to get to.  The two ways to get the heart was by depleting the Aura flow, or with a very special kind of blade.  The Spear of Destiny was the only known blade.  Which in the hands its in now, put all the dragons at risk.

Nicholas grabbed Jesse by his wrist and tossed him into the water.  He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes.  He flicked up one and put it in his mouth.  Focusing on the end, he twitched his eye and it lit.  He took a drag and sat down on the dirt.  A few quiet seconds passed before the lake lit up with a bright blue light.  There was a faint silver light glowing from underneath the water.  It grew bright and brighter with each passing second.  Nicholas watched in awe and the spectacle in front of him.  He flicked the ash from his cigarette and blew out smoke rings towards the light.

Jesse’s body lifted out of the water, now radiating silver light as brightly as the lake’s blue.  The cuts on his body healed and closed without scars.  He shifted into his dragon form then back to his human.  His hair was now silver as were his pupils.  The silver Aura gathered and twirled around his body, creating a silhouette of his full dragon body.  A silver line ran down from his chest to the silver jewel in his left arm.  He opened his eyes and let out a powerful roar, shaking the mountains around them.  Nicholas let out a giddy shout and tossed his cigarette to the side.

“Now that’s a show!” he shouted clapping his hands together.

Jesse’s body fell limp and he plunged into the water.  He thrashed and twisted in the water, unable to figure out where he was.  His mind was racing and everything was blurry, made worse by him being in water.

“Swim over here, you silly bastard!” yelled Nicholas from the bank.  He waved his arms and then tossed a rock at him.  It hit Jesse in the head when he bobbed up for air.  He finally calmed down and was able to focus on the person sitting by the waters edge.  Nicholas waved him over and then held up a cigarette.  Jesse swam over and pulled himself out of the water.  He rolled onto the dirt and gasped for air.  Laughing, Nicholas walked over to Jesse and knelt beside him.

“Come on big brother, now’s not the time to be looking like a silly child.  You’re a bad influence,” he said patting his chest.

Jesse blinked a few times then focused on the man kneeling over him.  In a moment of shock Jesse swore he was looking at himself.  He shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them slowly, yet he was still staring at himself.

“Why do you look like me?”

“I didn’t think you’d end up recognizing me.  Come on then, get up.”