Return To Water Dragon Isle

Chapter 1

"Why did Serge come here?"

"To determine thine fate."

The old man remained sitting, glancing upward in confoundment. "What did he mean..."

A handful of water splashed near him, coating the back of his neck. "The fish are down there, mister!"

"You kids better behave yourselves while Leena is gone, ya hear!"

"Yeah, whatever!"

"Don't be smart, now!" The old man raised his eyebrows, "And don't swim too far out! Last time I'll say it!"

While Leena was out gallivanting with Serge, the old man was left to play babysitter. They behaved for the most part, every now and then acting as children do. Often they would drape seaweed on unsuspecting townsfolk as a harmless rib. Granted, the eldest inhabitants of Arni Village weren't particularly tickled by such a thing. Sometimes spending entire days rubbing their eyes due to saltwater buildup.

Even so, the old man's mind couldn't help but wander toward Serge's involvement with the Water Dragon. Why was it so imperative that a boy requested ferry to such an island if, in fact, the mighty beast was still alive? His friends didn't appear dangerous, nor did they give off the impression of a thrill-seeker. Though the dragon spoke almost in riddles, he made it abundantly clear that Serge wasn't responsible for the Fairy viscera so omnipresent throughout the island. At least not entirely.

"Did he...do this?"

"Nay. Thou cometh with honest intention. It is I who challenged him."

"You...fought him?"

"My respect was earned on that day."

"I still can't believe he survived...that little boy from Arni bested a Dragon..." The old man removed his sun hat, letting his fishing rod prop up against it. His mind wandered to various tales the more adventurous citizens of Arni had regaled him with over the years. Some swore they fought birds with wingspans reaching across the entire El Nido archipelago, another claimed witness to a monster ten stories high burrowing itself into the planet in a whole big enough to be a crater. However, Serge had actually engaged in combat with a monstrous demon and lived to tell the tale! The nerve of the boy.

Suddenly, his fishing rod jostled to the point of nearly falling out of his lap. "Whoa! Easy now!" He ferociously gripped it once more, then pulling back as he walked further on the pier. "This is something wild, I'll say!" He nearly lost his balance, almost tripping over the hat he had removed earlier.

"Can't get shaken now, it's coming up!" Reeling in a bit further, something familiar surfaced to the top. "Blast it! I told you kids to behave!" The child pointed and laughed, evoking the same reaction from the others watching.

The trio of children regrouped to plot their next scheme, barely able to communicate due to the laughing fits they were experiencing. The old man simply shook his head, plopping down at the edge of the pier once more. What a coincidence it would've been to have caught something as vicious as a Sawfish while meandering about unbelievable monstrosities. Though he may have been unable to net such a thing in his old age, it would have played off the high he experienced standing in awe of the Water Dragon.

"Kids, come here!" The old man rallied. After all, if they were going to act out anyway, he preferred they do so where he could see them.

"No way! We aren't that dumb!" One of them yelled, implying they were in trouble

"I'm not going to harm any of you, I just wanna tell you about the time I met a dragon." He tilted his head back, glancing over in expectance of their curiosity.

"You didn't see a dragon! Did...you?" The group began to fall into the palm of his hand.

"Sure did. But I guess if you don't wanna hear about it," he turned his head, facing forward once more, "I'll just..."

"I wanna hear this!" One of them chimed in, swimming closer to his proximity as the others gave chase.

With his fishing rod now fully reeled in, he let it rest on the pier. "Have you kids heard of Water Dragon Isle?" He questioned, then glancing down to see them congregating.

"My dad said something about that place," The older one spoke up. "He said there were fairies or something there, but that can't be true...wouldn't the dragon just eat em'?" Each of their eyes widened with intrigue at the idea of such a feat.

They managed a slight chuckle out of the old timer. "No no, they live in harmony...at least, what's left of them."

"Did YOU eat them?!"

"No!" He nearly fell over with laughter this time.

"Then who did?!" They continued, still concerned about the fate of the Fairies.

"They weren't eaten at all! But they were indeed slain in battle." He morosed, then somberly gripping his hat.

"Then...who killed them?" Two of them questioned unison.

"The Dwarves."

"But...why?"

"Because of man. Thine species hath overgrown El Nido, encroaching upon their territory – forcing them away."

"It was...our fault?" Their voices now timbered with angst and displeasure, but their attention wasn't fixated elsewhere.

"It would appear so, children. But don't worry! Plenty of them remain to this day." He exchanged glances with each of them, serious in his demeanor but allowing a smile to creep upon his face as he finished.

"So what about the dragon?" One of them piped in. "Yeah! How big was it?!" A chatter amongst them broke out, for mere seconds then forgetting about the old man entirely.

"Children! One at a time, please." His arms were crossed, but that same smile was cemented in place. "The creature was indeed mighty, make no mistake. But he was beautiful at the same time...with skin as blue as the ocean, and a tail like a mermaid." He could picture it now, such a sight was impossible to forget.

"This thing sounds dumb...why does it look like a mermaid?!" They began to get rowdy once more. "Yeah, that's lame!"

The angler, with his hands now placed firmly on his head in frustration, raised his voice to match their own. "Silence! You wouldn't say such a thing to his face, I promise you that. His teeth were as big as each of you. Heck, he could even swallow me whole!"

Their attitudes changed promptly, each of them envisioning squaring off against it. What a lopsided encounter that would be.

Serge was almost ten years their senior...but he was barely a teenager.

Yet still...he won.