DRAGONS

CHAPTER 1: HOW IT BEGAN

(Picture of Daric's eyes in human form)

"Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed."― G.K. Chesterton

  There was once an old legend of dragons that lived for over a hundred years. Mighty beasts that roamed the Earth and breathed flames so hot that mountains melted. However, as time went by the dragons slowly started to disappear, leaving only their legends behind. No one really knew why the dragons started disappearing. It was as if they all just vanished or so the human's thought. 

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The Saltford Manor, in Saltford, Somerset, near Bath, England.

Wednesday, 19 January 1994.

07:43 PM

Drayke coughed as he breathed in the dust-filled air and wiped his face to rid it of sweat as he threw his body against the door to force it open. Once Liara and Nico limped through the door, he slammed it shut and shift the bookcase to hinder the door. Loud thuds were heard. Hands pounded behind the bookcase. The group of friends looked for a large enough windowpane to climb through. Moonlight shone brightly through the windows. Drayke's eyes glowed as the light from the largest windowpane reflected off his eyes revealing emerald coloured iris and black slitted pupils. No words were spoken as they hastened over to the oversized window. Nico and Drayke pulled at the windowpane struggling to the window open, yet it wouldn't budge.

The hindered door scraped across the floor as Conquestum Draconum slowly forced their way into the room. Drayke hastily picked up a small table and smashed it against the windows glass. Shattered glass fell to the floor as Drayke climbed through the window first. He landed with a thump as his feet hit the ground. He caught Liara as she climbed out the window after him. Nico leaped out the window as the bookcase fell to the floor.

They bolted for the entrance of the property. Drayke glanced back as Conquestum Draconum yelled at them through the window, "Halt Bestia!" He panicked as he noted the guns in their hands. He made a split second decision as he noticed them taking aim. He tackled Nico and Liara to ground to take cover behind one of the many boulders littered around the manor's property. He commanded, "Keep your heads down and keep close to me." Loud, resounding bangs echoed as his eyes frankly search for an escape route. Hugging his friends close to his body, he came to the resolution that he would have to distract Conquestum Draconum in order for his friends to escape unharmed. The gunfire abruptly stopped.

Drayke risked a glance around the boulder to see an imposing figure in an armoured suit step forward. The figure lifted the visor of his armour to reveal a blond middle-aged man with a sneer on his face. The figure bellowed, "If you surrender now Bestia, we will not kill your friends. However, if you refuse to comply, they will die a slow and painful as we drag your broken body to Roma." Drayke narrowed his eyes in determination as he glanced at his friends scared but brave faces. He whispered harshly with emotion, "Nico, Liara. I need you guys to trust me. While I distract them, you need to sprint as fast as you can to the entrance and get away from here. I will come to find you when it is safe." Both Liara and Nico frankly shock their heads, they opened their mouths to argue. Drayke interrupted before they could protest, "We can't defeat them, especially on our own. No matter what, don't look back!" They lowered their heads in defeat.

As they all stood up behind the boulder, he pushed his friends towards the entrance of the manor's property as he closed his eyes to focus. As they ran into the distance, he reached deep inside his soul to the white flame that burned brightly. He grasped it and whispered, "Flamma evigilare faciatis." His body was instantaneously covered in white fire as white scales covered parts of his body. Scaled wings erupted from his back. His eyes snapped open as his transformation was complete. Drayke stood and faced Conquestum Draconum. He raised his hand and roar, "Alba ignis." The guns abruptly burst into white-hot flames and exploded.

The imposing figure twisted around to his comrades' as they shouted in pain. While the imposing figure was distracted, Drayke snapped his wings out and flew into the sky. He flew towards the entrance of the property, hoping his friends made it there safely. He landed just before the entrance and transformed back. He rushed through the entrance and shouted, "Liara! Nico! Where are you guys?" His head whipped around to his left. He saw a tree and some bushes. Liara and Nico came sprinting out and checked Drayke over for any injuries. Having seen none, they waited for Drayke's next course of action.

Drayke looked around and spotted a silver-gray Lada Riva parked by the entrance of the properties driveway. Drayke attempted to open the door. However, the doors were all locked. Nico asked, "Do you even know how to drive?" Drayke sheepishly shook his head and said, "No, I don't." Liara stepped forward and asked the two boys to step aside. She took out a pocket knife from a jacket pocket and jammed it into the lock of the car door. She twisted it, forcing the door to unlock. With sighs of relief, Nico and Drayke climbed into the car. Nico climbed into the drivers' side of the car and hotwired it.

As the engine roared to life, Nico drove them down the driveway and onto the highway. Nico looked at Drayke in the rearview mirror and asked the question on the forefront of their minds, "I think it's time you told us the full story Drayke."

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