Elementals | Volume I: The Awakening

Scars - Chapter 2

     Drako woke up panting and sweating in the areas where he still had some skin, getting up and scanning his surroundings. He was in a stone house, the only things visible being the bed and the door. He lay back down and tried to remember what had occurred. He remembered working on the ship, going for his water break, then seeing those Solites and then it hit him. He stared at the ceiling, lost in his thoughts yet again. He tried to remember what happened after the spell was fired but came up empty. He looked under the sheets at his body and winced, letting the sheets cover him again. He looked horrible, he was covered with burns and giant welts, but the areas where his muscles used to show without skin covering them were bandaged up.

     He closes his eyes for a bit before hearing the door creak open. He quickly sits up and opens his eyes to see a middle-aged woman walk towards an unlit candle and mutter a small incantation, igniting the candle and revealing the rest of the room. There was an armchair in the corner of the room and a painting. The woman sits on the armchair and clears her throat, "Welcome back to the land of the living, Drako." His head gets flooded with questions to ask this lady, but eventually asks the most logical one, "Who are you?" She smiles, her emerald green eyes starting to glow slightly, and replies, "Your liberator."

     Drako followed the woman outside the room, his mind still processing the conversation. She had claimed that she had sent her soldiers to save them, and send them to the city that they were in, Carvalen. She ran the rebellion force that was trying to liberate Revalia from its current ruler, King Oberon. King Oberon supported, funded, and encouraged the slavery of Solites. This was all new to him as he never knew politics or had much knowledge in general because slaves weren't allowed to learn. 

     Drako looked at the blacksmith as they forged the mask, wondering why he had to wear a mask to swear allegiance to the lady, whose name he had learned was Harriet. He had been told that he would have to fight for the rebellion and reach the rank of Corporal to repay his debt before choosing between staying in the rebellion or leaving. The mask would be sealed onto his face, becoming impossible to remove and a reminder that he was indebted to the rebellion. He would also have pieces of iron seared onto him to cover up the burns and act as extra armor.

     Drako gulped as the red hot mask got closer to his face, clenching his jaw and fists to hold back his screams when it finally touched him. The feeling of pain, however, was quickly washed away by the searing magic which numbed the pain, making the mask feel like it was his skin. They did the same process for the metal plates, painting dragon scales on them as Drako requested. After they finish, they bring a mirror in front of Drako, revealing his new body. The scaled mask covered his face and a flexible metal covered most of his body, all painted over with scales. Harriet comes back and scans him, nodding approvingly, "Are you satisfied with your new body?" She asks, slightly smiling as she observes his scale design, "Yeah, I am. Thanks a lot for this." He says as he stretches, trying to test the flexibility of the materials, "Don't thank me just yet, we still have to get you proper armor and a weapon." She says, already turned around and walking away. Drako sighs and follows.

Side Note: Sorry if this chapter seems boring or bad, I was really lacking ideas and the willpower to stay awake while writing this. Thanks a lot for reading this! Chapter 3 will be better quality and will come soon (hopefully).

(Edited x2)