Pure Element

Chapter 1: Old Memory In a Dream

A red dragon stood surrounded by cowering humans as one brave... One foolish human stood her ground. Unlike the other humans in his site, she had a face though he could not make it out. She was screaming something at him, but he could not hear the words pouring from her. Then she was grabbed by his claw.

All of a sudden treacherous memories belong to the unpleasant human female. He tossed her and growled as smoke billowed from his snarling maw. Before the female could get her feet she was bathed in flames. Only a short scream of pain was heard and shortly after the fire stopped. The dragon looked curiously at the spot where there should be a burned corpse. Nothing, but a trace of mana.

Did she survive? He doubted it thoroughly as he was treated as a God to be feared by the rest of the humans that lived. He transformed into a human, to indulge himself more. Though the liquor never got him drunk and no female could withstand his energy for long. But he was having fun.

His entire world went gloomy as he was now back in his dragon form standing in a shallow puddle. No light reflected anywhere. No stars nor moon within his sight. But a cry, a plead for help reached his ears. He wanted it to stop but could not move from his place to eliminate the annoying creature that cried. Moving his head looking for anything and then with a calm breath he blew out the fire.

He regretted this as the crying creature soon went to screaming. It lasted only a short time, but his ears rang making him shake his head. Then he froze as something hit his front right leg. Carefully, he turns to look at what had touched him.

There floated a charred body with no definitive markings on what or who it was. But what was obvious, this burnt creature was the one making the crying sounds that annoyed him. He couldn't move his foot to squash the annoying thing.

The voice started to change as it called for help all the while saying "Fix me." In a secondary voice. Its appenage reached out as cracking sounds echoed in the emptiness.

The pain started to work it was up the dragon's leg. He glared at the creature and dug at his scales as if trying to rip them off. He risked screaming again as he lit the darkness with his fire. The scream that poured from its mouth felt as if it could damage his ears as the ringing started over again.

A man jolted awake as his cell phone rang. His body still felt as if it was being held in place as his hands gripped the sheets. He looked around the room he saw nothing but the normal space that he had gotten used to over the past century. A modern room with clean lines and neatly organized, but richly decorated. He finally could move and slowly set up. His dark red hair clung to his face as his eyes darted to his arm.

There was a scratch mark where that thing had clawed at him. He checked it over as it was not healing as fast as it normally would. He let out a snarl as he grabbed his phone and answered it.

"What is it?!" He hissed at the man on the other end as his dark brown eyes focused on the clock.

"Sir, we have a problem in the lab... Well, more with the staff."

"Fuck." He cursed. "Why did you call me then? Why not talk with that brat from HR?"

"Sir, as much as I would like to." He pauses for a bit. "Those that have come in contact with the samples have marks on their bodies and some spoke of horrendous nightmares."

The man listened and sighed. "How consistent are these claims?" He asked.

"The crew that collected the sample has had them since two months ago. Others claim for a few days after coming in contact with the samples that were gathered."

"Anything consistent with these "dreams" or are they just random?" He pulled himself out of his bed and stretched out his free arm.

"They see a burned body and hear a cry for help."

He stopped before he opened his closet door. "A dark space with water?" He asked.

"A small hand full have reported that." He asked outright. "Sir, did you come in contact with any of the samples?"

"Yes, and I'll be there soon. Gather everyone who has had these "dreams" and get Author Wishbone to come in as well."

"Yes, sir Zurden. See you soon sir." The call was dropped as this bare, fit man started to get dressed.

"Damn it, mana this pure is hard to come by. Now, I may have to leave its source with these kinds of side effects." He grumbled as he buttoned up his shirt. "Maybe I can find a purifier to remove whatever this is." He sat down in a chair after picking up his shoes and thought as he slowly put them on. This means that those thin fibers are not a plant, but belong to a living creature. It could not be an air breather. No one has ever seen anything come up for air in that dead place. Hm. The researchers said that the lake has been like that since the dark ages. He rubbed the back of his neck. I had to be close to 2000... No one was over 2000 years old during those times. He let out a groan and got to his feet and exited the room.

He got his coat and his keys and headed out into the modern magic-driven world. Humans were short-lived, but they were inventive. In a span of less than a few hundred years, they have made advancements with more long-term practical uses for the mana the earth produces. Even though many humans now can't wield magic. Those that do are the most costly commodities anywhere. Even "magical creatures" jumped at the chance to help the humans just for the monetary pay or to protect the mana that flows through the earth.

"The man called Cassius Zurden that took the market by storm twenty years ago when he found a way to make the magic battery smaller, hold more, and rechargeable. Has been labeled the sexiest man on earth."

A newsreel played over the radio system of the four-seater, self-driving ship. This was possible by the mana following through wires under the street that couldn't be any more than six inches thick.

Cass looked over what was sent directly to him by his secretary. "I should give Mr. Gorn a raise." He looked at all the extra information Gorn had sent. "It is not just my people but many since the lake turned its waters black." He started to wonder how he even dug up these events that far back. It clicked. "He asked Mrs. Khaleesi. I am glad I hired that elf." He smirked as he started to think about how to handle this. His suggestion earlier was modest. He started to think in the long term. If we could bring the creature back with us after purifying it. We could, potentially, make the batteries the size of a fingernail and be just as powerful. He smiled to himself. But then how does it contain such pure mana? He thought it over. Not many creatures had access or could produce such mana. Earth was the main producer to his knowledge. The ship came to a stop allowing him to exit. And then it left leaving him standing in front of a ten-story glass building.