Dragon's Gate

Chapter 1: New Roots

Jelly was a bit of a strange name for a town. Devon thought with a name like that,  they should have just called it Waffle, or Coffee. Someone's decision to name a town after food was almost as questionable as his parent's decision to move here.

Growing up, the flat plains of the Midwest didn't offer much. Devon was left to his imagination and creativity which sometimes was a struggle when the landscape was so level you could watch your dog run away for 5 days straight.

His mom and dad owned a modest house out in the country a little ways from the closest town. It was nice and relaxed, some days he'd have several of his friends from school come over to play video games, build pallet forts, and help ease the boredom of such a place. As Devon grew up, he planned on graduating from the local High School, then moving a little ways to Kansas City to attend college to get a degree in a field he hadn't yet decided on. If all else failed, a trade like welding or a job in agriculture was the way to go.

One day, Devon came home from school with news that his dad had received a job offer in North Carolina being a Senior Project Director for another division of the company he was already working for. His parents told him that it was worth it, the pay was nicer, and their new house would be twice as big as their current one. Devon felt like they didn't care about him, he was being uprooted without a second thought.

These thoughts continued to rampage through Devon's head before his dad broke the train.

"Devon? Devon! Hey!" he said looking into the mirror.

Devon shot his head up, reorienting himself from the daze, "What?"

He was sure his dad heard the lack of enthusiasm in his response, but he didn't care. "We're almost to our house, about 5 minutes, you ready?"

Devon looked out the window, mulling his dad's question around in his head, "I guess."

His dad sighed, "Look, Devon, your mom and I are sorry we had to move. It wasn't our first option either, but this is a good opportunity for all of us. You'll find your reason to like it here, every kid does when they move."

"Like you did?" Devon retorted.

"Hey, moving to Kansas was the worst thing that happened to me as a teen. Then I grew up, made friends, met your mother, got a secure and supportive job, then life looked good for us after that."

His mom chimed in afterward, "We love you Devon, and we believe in you. You'll find a way to power through this."

She smiled slightly, causing Devon to return the faint smile. He'd always been more fond of his mother, she always knew what to say and was always there for him whenever he needed her. Looking down at his carpenter-style pants with two patches on the side left leg, she had fixed them for him after he caught them on a fence playing tag with his friends. They were his favorite pair, and she had them fixed the next day, just for him.

Devon knew he would miss his three closest friends, David, Chase, and Rick. His parents hadn't got him a phone of any kind yet, so Devon wondered if he'd ever hear from them again. They knew each other from back in elementary, and they grew up together, spending many afternoons doing whatever their mind could conjure. The old thoughts of home once again started to flood Devon's mind, almost bringing him to tears.

The car slowed to a stop in front of a single-story, red brick house, with a basement. It was outside of the little town nearby, and all the trees around seemed to be calling out to him in silence.

"We're here!" his dad said, "The movers already came and I was told everything is in the living room."

Devon reluctantly got out of the car, walking around to stand next to his mom and dad on the porch. His dad fiddled with his key chain, picking the new shiny brass one and inserting it into the door lock. A quarter turn of the key allowed the door to open revealing a large pile of belongings in all sorts of boxes and packing, right in the middle of the living room.