DRAGONHEART: Dawn of A New Beginning

Chapter 23

It was a beautiful day that afternoon, Liane and Geoff were taking a peaceful stroll across the bridge. Down below the brooke rippled flawlessly over the rocks and the sound of birds filled the air with song. But as serene as it was Liane was troubled, she had not spoken to Geoff the entire time they've been walking. Geoff started to take notice and looked at her with concern.

"Whats wrong?"

Liane looked out over the water from the bridge before turning to her companion.

"Drake is pretty disappointed."

Geoff shook his head. "Well, he shouldn't be, didn't Kwan say that most dragons can't breathe ice?"

"Geoff." Liane's voice rose making Geoff stop in his trek. "Geoff, he is disappointed in you."

"In me?" The teen scoffed, rolling his eyes, "Why? Cause I didn't go flying with him this morning? I have more important things to do if I-"

"Don't you know what a miracle it is Drake even exists?!" The young woman shouted. She sighed, not sure how to continue, Geoff was silent as Liane slowly lifted her red bag off her shoulder.

"Years ago, a dragon named Griffin, led a rebellion against our Imperial City, when virtuous dragons captured Griffin, they took his heart as punishment-and placed it in here..."

She slowly lifted up on the red and gold container, opening the folded top in a circular motion, revealing a dark red and black colored wrinkled organ.

"This is the withered heart, of the Betrayer of the Dragon Pledge."

Geoff gaped for a moment, then composed himself, "That's...a dragon's heart?"

Liane nodded sadly, "The virtuous dragons brought this amulet to the Emperor Quo Fang...as proof that the evil had been destroyed, but by then the emperor was too fearful...he killed every dragon in the east. Drake and Draco are the only dragons left.”

Geoff looked at her with very little expression on that last part.

Liane had to swallow heavily, "Draco is his father and thats an entirely different relationship than what he has with you. You're his friend Geoff...I've seen how you've been acting with him lately and its not right. All he wants is to spend time with you Geoff. When Draco isn't around he turns to you, and you've been dismissing him. He must feel more alone than you could possibly imagine..."

And on that note Liane kept walking, leaving Geoff standing there silently on the bridge.

To neither of their knowledge, Draco and Bowen had been watching from the nearby woods, they heard everything.

The old dragon rumbled in his throat and turned to the knight who was sitting on a rotted log stroking his stallion, looking thoughtfully at his dragon companion.

"Did you know anything about what she was referring to?" Bowen asked.

"Unfortunately..."

"Care to elaborate friend?"

Draco let out a humph before explaining. "Griffin is a dragon that very few dragons ever spoke of. He was tyrannical, believed humans were a disgrace to the world and thought dragons as the superior beings...remember a long time ago when I told you how the wisest of the dragon race made us vow to watch over man?"

"Yes I remember."

"I was there and so was Griffin..."

Bowen was in utter disbelief for a short moment. It made him rethink on how old Draco really was, there have been many tellings that dragons can live over one thousand years if they were lucky to live that long without being hunted, but the old knight had always thought it was a myth. If what his friend says is true, Draco would have to be at least over five hundred, but he wouldn't dare ask the old dragon his age. He merely stared at the dragon giving him the mental note to continue on with his story.