Rise of the Darkness

Son of Jheecu

Jacob

    Dad's car does not have all the features many new cars have. No sensors, no cameras, not even an outdoor thermometer like my grandparents' older SUV has. The car does not even have much of a color. It is white. But white reflects a lot of heat in the summer and the car needs little more than an oil change here and there to keep on running. And the economy is great, allowing us to make trips like this one to Daytona without having to fill up, even if the tank is nowhere near full.

    Just like when heading to Osteen, we take the same road to Daytona. No one wants to deal with the traffic on I-4 when there are better options. Besides, lots of people will be heading here today and tomorrow for the summer races, if they are not here already. We are sadly here only for the beach.

    "You know we are close when you can spot I-95" Arthur said.

    "I would have thought you to already know this road better than that," I reply. "We've been close for a while, close at least to 92. Do you look at landmarks?"

    "Yeah, but I do not remember everything... whoa, Dad, look up."

    "What?" Dad says. He does not look up, but does look for a place to stop, just before the bridge above the interstate.

    "That dragon almost hit a plane."

    "Oh crap," Dad almost yells. By now he has stopped us and is looking where Arthur is pointing. All I see is a small single engine descending towards the nearby airport. Nothing seems wrong with it.

    "That dragon is in distress. We need to find it."

    "Where is it going?" I ask. I wish I had the seer gift. All of this I have gone through these last couple of months might have been a little easier with it.

    "Towards the field on this side of the bridge. I assume it came from the coast and was already heading this way. Arthur?"

    "Yeah. It almost collided head on with the plane. Should have, really."

    "Stronger dragons can, for a short period as far as I am aware, create a shield bubble. I do not know its properties but that might be what happened here," Mom said.

    "There is another dragon behind it. The first is landing." Dad said. He opens his door and gets out.

    Something must be wrong. I would assume the second dragon knows the first and would help it. For Dad to think his help is needed, who knows what is going on.

    "Jacob, come with me. It is about time you meet another dragon."

    "Ok." So much for my assumptions. I follow him over the wired fence and through overgrown bushes, probably trespassing on someone's property. The field is not large and soon enough we reach a line of trees.

    "Banikoh," Dad says a formal Draconian greeting to thin air. I know someone is here, but they are invisible.

    In the blink of an eye two people appear, an older man holding the arms of a girl near my age. "Banikoh. Tagu baira yosi?" the older dragon asked. Who are you? At least I can understand simple things.

    "Gregory Derikson. English, if you please. This is my adopted dragon son Jacob Derikson. I saw this young dragon in distress and thought to help if needed."

    "I see. My name is Bakal son of Sareenga, Elder of... who is he again?"

    The older dragon let go of the younger one, who kneeled, grasping her arm. His eyes bored through me. Brown eyes like mine, but full of more wisdom than mine. Makes sense as he said he is an Elder.