Dawn of The Dragon

Chapter 13: Awakening

A dragon brings mystery and awe, but also strength and amazement. Hearing the stories cannot compare to what Jessup has just seen. Seeing is believing for King Ager, who expects Shereen and his hand to walk in with a shackled Dawn.

"Alon has doubted your loyalty for some time now. Fail me and he shall be the new hand of the king," were Ager's last words to Jessup.

"Good luck explaining your loss to the king," Alon says.

"I followed orders," Jessup replies.

"You listened to a traitor after her own desire."

"Her words led us here, did they not?"

"So what? Your tactics were lacking for a devoted hand."

While bickering back and forth, arrows fly over the two men. Turning to his right, Jessup watches as chaos erupts as Enforcers quickly engage armed Kales, the Kale King Maliki, Shelleeann, Genna, and the guardsmen.

"Swords! Take the Kale King alive!" Jessup yells.

By some miracle, they remain unharmed, forcing their way through the Enforcers' ranks. Shereen has taught Jessup to take down Kales, so he engages Maliki.

Beating Jessup's sword with a strong thrust knocking him to the ashes, Maliki pounds. He raises his body to the air with the intent of crushing Jessup's ribs with a single blow of his hooves. Playing as a slideshow, memories of Jessup's time as Dubull's apprentice—or SG, as Dubull called him—enters his mind.

Slap!

Jessup falls to the ground as his eyes swell.

"Focus!" Duball orders him, while tucking his long silver braid into his white cloak. "See the light. Gaze into its eyes. Never let darkness overpower your treasure. SGs are good, always. No matter the adversity or the odds, follow your heart."

Duball used to be the leader of the secret Order of Gifts Society. In secret he trained those naturally born with gifts—the SGs, or Specially Gifted. For hundreds of moons it was believed that those with such power had been purged from the realm. But the truth is, they still exist.

The Order of the Gifts Society runs as a home for abandoned younglings on the surface. Once parents realize their sons or daughters are gifted, they bring them to the order for protection and training. Without it, the younglings can do great harm, which is why the order is kept secret.

Today is graduation day for Torry, Vinegard, and Jessup, so earlier they sat in the circle of resurrects, extinct beasts. Apprentices must face them to prove they are ready to lead. Each beast represents a different individual trial. The one who completes and emerges first is no longer an apprentice, but a gifted trainer.

Jessup was tired of being told what to do and when to do it. He wanted to stand alongside the old man training future SG leaders, for it will be up to them to rid the realm of evil— but not before they all have control, for without it is the advent of chaos of which Duball often speaks. This chaos rules Shellions and Dreds, fueling their magical powers.

Jessup finds his focus as his resurrect lures him into the light. There, standing before him, are four large monstrous beasts of old.

Dragons, he thinks to himself. My trial is to best dragons. Duball could have done better when choosing my resurrect.

Jessup's power is the light itself, so he calls out to it from the depths within the burrows of his soul. Taking a breath, he lifts his arms, palms facing the dragons. Locking both hands together, creating a triangle with his pinky fingers, he blows. Turning his palms inward, he holds the light. Closing his eyes, he shouts, "Tis Neeus," the incantation releasing the dragons' energy.