The Son Of The Dragons

The Enemy

His companions started regaining consciousness the next day, one by one. Old Grey woke first, followed by Xiriya and Ivy, and then finally Eren. As he woke, he stretched and gave a gigantic yawn. "Ugh. Where am I? What happened?" He blinked twice, then recalled what happened the previous day. He leapt up, drawing two of his daggers in the process. "Where is that black lizard? I will skin him alive! Come at me!" He whipped his daggers around him, looking for an enemy. The others looked at him, and burst out laughing. "He's dead," Zulah said matter-of-factly. I killed him.

The others looked at him in astonishment. They all assumed the dragon flew off or something. He motioned towards where the body still lay. Old Grey walked up to it, greatsword unsheathed. He prodded its belly, checking for signs of life, and then started hacking away at its leg. Xiriya screamed at him in horror. "What the hell? Are you sick in the head or something! Stop that!" Zaakanin replied without pausing. "Dragon bone is extremely hard and dense. They make for extraordinary good weapons." He looked at Eren. "I was thinking that maybe I could make you a new pair of daggers." Then he looked at Zulah. "And maybe another sword for you." Zulah was about to decline when Zaakanin interrupted him. "Your sword is extremely well made, but there's two things you should know."

"Firstly, the magic you do, and we'll talk more about that after this, wears down the metal extremely fast. Or at least I think so. Secondly, dragon bone is more susceptible to magic, meaning your magic will be more potent through the bone." Zulah frowned at him. "How do you know all this. Zaakanin answered evasively. "I've fought dragons before." Before Zulah could pry further, Zaakanin continued. "I'll make you a sword to your liking, and a bow for Ivy, daggers for Eren and if there's any bone left I'll make myself a greatsword. Any complaints?"

Nobody complained. Except Zulah. "I'll make my own sword. I've passed the course to master blacksmithing a few months ago, so I'll do it myself." Zaakanin shrugged. "As you wish." He finished cutting the leg from the body, and left it on the floor while he cut off the other three legs. The flesh on the leg slowly started disintegrating into ash. When Zaakanin was done with the last leg, all that was left of the first was the bones. Then he started stripping scales off of the dragon's back. "Fire resistant," he called. "I'll make a cloak for each of us out of powdered dragonscale."

After he was done harvesting resources, he gathered every one of them around and then started asking Zulah questions. "What the hell was that wind you threw there?" He asked, first of all. Zulah wasn't sure. "I don't know. It felt like the others..." When he saw the questioning looks on their faces, he elaborated. "The other elements. I could feel them inside of me, but this one came along. I think it is the element of air." The others all laughed. Except Zaakanin. "There is no air element. People have tried, but nobody could prove the scriptures true. It's only a myth."

Zulah stood up, grabbed his sword, and swung it lightly. A breeze wafted over them, and the fires, which was still burning, flickered. "See? Air. I think I just rediscovered the element of air." Xiriya and Ivy sat staring at him with awe. Eren was playing with his daggers. Zaakanin was staring at him with intensity. Then he lay back and said, "Show me what you got." Zulah stood up, walked a bit away, and then set his sword on fire. He did a few moves, and then swung his sword in a downward arc so that a wave of flame spewed out and crashed against the wall, scorching it black. Then he did the same for ice and lightning and air. Then he combined the four, making his sword burn and crackle with electricity and mist rising out of it and a visible column of air surrounding it, and then threw a wave of the four elements into the wall. The cave shuddered.

He sat down again. "That was a bit of what I can do now. I don't know what else I can do yet, but I will find out soon."

Eren had, meanwhile, wandered off. Now he called out to his friends. He had found something. "Guys, come check this out!" He had discovered a door in the wall. Or rather, it looked like a door. There were weird signs and inscriptions on the door, but it was too hard to make out in the dim light the fires gave off. Zaakanin made a decision. "Xiriya, shield me. I'm gonna try open the door." Xiriya complied, casting a shield around him. He pushed against the door, but it wouldn't budge. He pushed harder. Suddenly, out of the walls on both sides, arrows whipped at him.

They shattered against Xiriya's shield. Zaakanin stepped back. 'That's enough." He said. Xiriya let down her shield. Zaakanin motioned for Zulah. "Light your sword on fire so I can see what is written on this door. Zulah complied. Zaakanin studied the markings intently for a few seconds, and then told Zulah, "Light your sword with all three elements, and then make a wave strike at the door.

Zulah didn't quite understand what was going on, but he did it anyway. As soon as the wave hit the door, a rumbling sounded from below. Slowly, the door sunk into the floor. Zulah and Eren looked at each other with astonishment. "After you," Zaakanin motioned. Zulah stepped into the dark hallway that the door revealed. As he took his first step, something shifted under his foot. He froze. All of a sudden, torches set in the walls started lighting up, one after the other, until the whole hallway was lit.

Slowly, he proceeded forward. The others followed him cautiously. They followed the hallway for about ten minutes, and then came to a brightly lit chamber. Natural light streamed from an opening in the roof, and the walls were filled with scrolls. On the far side of the cavern was a large black chest, covered with dust from the ages. Zulah went over to it and opened it. Inside the chest was only one item: a leather bound scroll.

He unbound the scroll and started reading.

At first, he struggled to understand what was written there, the flickering light not enough to illuminate the text. Then his eyes adjusted to the dark. He read the scroll, his eyes widening with every passing second. When he was done, his eyes were as wide as saucers. He beckoned Eren over, and Eren read the scroll as well. "Hey, Zaakanin, come over here for a minute." Eren called. He handed Zaakanin the scroll and commanded "Start reading. Loud." Zaakanin frowned, and started reading.

For days to come and to days past

a threat to man wanders the world.

A day shall come, when the spell that was cast

Shall shatter and wreak havoc upon the world.

Zul-Ah is the man you seek

The man who can end this being

This being of immense power

Its shell is white,

wandering amongst its people,

Unbeknownst to them, this monster

is their friend.

He can shift his shape

To any he wish

Its handle is The Grey of Old,

The White Dragon,

The Havoc,

Wreaker of it, appearing as Zaakanin

His name is Zu'in.

All eyes were on Zaakanin as he stopped reading. Zulah took the scroll from Zaakanin's shuddering hands. He went to stand in front of him, hands on his hips. "Explain." He demanded. Zaakanin took a deep breath, as if to start speaking, and then a white light enveloped them all.

They were back outside the cave again. Zaakanin was gone. In his place, a humanoid creatures stood. It had scales like a dragon, blazing red eyes. It was like a cross between man and lizard. Zaakanin opened his mouth and laughed. It was a deep, rolling, evil laugh, booming between the hills.

"I wondered when you would realize. All this time, I spent studying you, finding a way to destroy you. I knew this day would come. I hoped it would be later, but then again... I might as well end it here. Yes. I am here to kill you. I exist to kill. The old man's shape I took was a nice vessel, but his use had run out. Zaakanin was his name, Zu'in is my name."

Zulah and everyone around him was completely awed by this transformation. "What do you want with the world?" Zulah asked.

"To destroy every single human. Old and young. Everything. My draglings have already begun to infest all cities. You cannot stop me. It is too late. All I have to do now is kill you, and my plan is complete." He drew the greatsword on his back.

"Why?" Zulah asked simply. Zu'in paused. "I want to rule. Power for power's sake. And nobody will defile me." He attacked with a lightning thrust. Zulah dodged, the power that he gained from the elements augmenting his strength, reflexes and skills.

So the battle for their world began. It was not how they expected it to be, not how they thought they would fight. Abruptly, their world erupted in war and violence.