A Warrior Made Of Dragon's Blood

Chapter 9

9 YEARS LATER...

"Sora, wake up!"

Slowly I open my eyes, yawn and stretch. Soft furs rustle as I get up from my bed. I walk outside to meet Nagaraja.

"Do you know what day it is?" he asks.

"No, I don't."

"Oh, come on. It's your birthday."

"Really. So do you know how old I am?" I ask.

"Well, you just turned 7 when we first met and 9 years have passed, so you're 16," Nagaraja concludes.

I look up at him quickly and ask, "Am I that old already?"

"If my memory isn't failing, you are."

"Alright, so what are we going to do today?" I ask.

"Well, I thought that you are now adult enough to investigate your parents' disappearance," he responds calmly.

I turn and stare at him. "How do you know that they were taken away?" I ask.

"Well, I find it extremely unlikely that they just left without taking you and not just your parents, but your entire village. Just think about it. This is entirely your choice. If you would rather not look into this situation, it's okay. We can just have our usual battle training."

I nod and sit down on my pile of furs, deep in thought. I do want to know what happened to my parents and the villagers. If needs be, I will help, them, but I never want to live that life again. Being stuck in the same routine day after day. I also never felt at home with my parents. If anything I preferred staying in the woods with the animals. In addition to all this, Nagaraja has always treated me with more kindness than my parents. I never thought that they liked me much. During our recent battle training I notice that I have gotten much better with using my chosen weapon. The katana has always served me well. I also notice that my senses are sharper and I am able to dodge more of Nagaraja attacks. Although I know that this entire time he has never used his full strength or I would be dead. Even though I have lived with Nagaraja for 9 years, I can only scratch him in battle.

While we are eating lunch, he asks, "So, have you figured out what you are going to do?"

Slowly, I nod and respond, "I am going to figure out what happened and if needed I will save the villagers."

"You seem so calm about this. After all, if we fail to find any evidence, you might never see your parents again," he says.

"Do I even want to see them again?" I ponder. "That's the real question."

There is a long moment of silence and then I look at Nagaraja with resolution: "Yes, let's go, however, after I bring them to safety, I want to continue living with you in the Akan Volcano Complex."

Looking stunned, Nagaraja asks, "Are you sure about that?"

"I am absolutely positive," I respond.

Nagaraja argues, "But this isn't your rightful home. If your parents are alive, you should go back to live with them."

"I never felt true affection from my parents. My true home is with you."

Nagaraja wraps the tip of his tail around replies, and me "And, mine is with you."