Dragonborne - 10. Chapter 10

“You must not let fear drive you. You must not let anger control you. Your mind must be your own. Your will must be absolute.”

Levi opened his eyes startled at the sight before him tripping over his tail. Two large dragons stood before him. One of brilliant green and imposing dominating aura, the other a regal blue whose presence was both calming and inspiring. Levi was afraid, but something about them was familiar yet sad as tears fell from his eyes.

“You must not let fear drive you. You must not let anger control you. Your mind must be your own. Your will must be absolute.” the voices echoed again before fading in a flash of light.

“I see you are awake young master” Merlin smiled down on him.

“Where am I? The last thing I remember was your voice. Did you release me? I am not sure.”

“We are home, you’ve had us all quite worried it has been a rather busy few days” Merlin responded as he walked across the room.

Getting his bearings Levi noticed they were indeed back in Merlin’s home. However, when he tried to get out of bed pain raced through his body.

“The first change is always the hardest, but I think in your case it may have been a bit more taxing. You will rest until you are fully capable once again.” Merlin stated

“Sleeping beauty finally awake I see.”

Levi looked across the room shocked to see Jin there as well leaning against the door frame with his left arm wrapped in bandages. “Hell of a right hook you got runt” he smirked.

“I am not sure I get what you are one about, what on earth happened to your arm? What kind of crazy stunts are you trying to pull for this knight’s challenge?” Levi looked over at the red with concern, he knew Jin was proud of his strength, but this seemed a bit excessive.

Jin locked eyes with him, not saying a word for several minutes before shrugging. “You don’t remember? I guess I should not be surprised. This” pointing at his wounded arm “is your doing, like I said you have a hell of a right hook, or maybe better yet claw.”

“But when did I, how could I have?”

“Never mind that for now, more importantly, can we take this thing off already Merlin?”

“Of course, young drake it should be about time for them to be removed. Come sit here and while I remove these why don’t you bring Levi here up to speed on what transpired.”

Merlin watched the two interact as he tended to the wyvern, from what Thade had said Jin changed after the war and the death of the royal family. He was a fierce hatchling who put duty and the lives of his loved ones at the top of his list, a prime example to follow in his family lineage. However, Jin suffered like the rest he had lost the royal connection but, he lost more that day. His mother, his brother, and his first love. Merlin knew, the secrets and his obligation. The magic that sealed that connection was one that not even he could break.

*****  

“What have you done?” Navix exclaimed breaking his desk in half. “Do you realize the position you have now placed us in?” His face was red with anger as he stared down at the group of knights. “My court gave explicit instructions to not cause a situation until we had all of the facts and could make a move efficiently.”

“With all due respect master, I felt this was the best course of action. Those creatures look down on us and we need to redeem ourselves and show them who the true rulers are” Gillian announced with a smirk on his face.

“And how would you propose we do that? This situation is one of your makings. You who could barely handle the hatchling want to start a full-on conflict with them”

Navix sat back in his chair in disgust, the murmurs amongst the rest of the council continued to grow. He knew where Gillain’s newfound confidence and ego were coming from, there was nothing he could do about it.

“What of Merlin’s apprentice and the rest of the candidates said to be taking part in this trial you have forced our hand in?” Hendrix leaned forward awaiting an answer.

“If I may be so bold, Gillian and his band of merry men will dishonor the knights. There can be no doubt they are skilled in various means; however, they are far removed from being a threat to the drakes. I question why Gillian would even make such a bold challenge after being soundly defeated with little effort” Bastion scowled at his comrades.

“I take it you have a plan to make sure you all succeed Bastion?” Navix spoke up.

“I have no such ideas as I do not plan to engage in this conflict. Not only is it against the council's wishes, but I also believe it is unwise to provoke an enemy we are not ready to face. Excuse me masters I will be taking my leave.”

“Unfortunately, young knight, both you and Sage will have to take part. We could not entrust this foolish task to Gillian alone, while both you and Sage have faced them in battle before. Your previous experience is needed now.”

“With all due respect Master Navix, we have been permitted by the council to act independently of your court and are not required to accept your task. If this were a council sanctioned action, we would of course fulfill our obligation, however, this is a personal vendetta we will have no part in.”

Navix’s expression steeled as he looked around the chamber as other council members nodded in agreement with Bastion. Hendrix could not help but smile as he had already taken precautions to keep his court from being wrapped in Navix’s schemes.

****  

“Well look who is finally out of bed! I see you see you finally decided to do away with your questionable choice of fashion as well” Sune danced around the two.

“While you were catching up on your beauty rest I was being worked to the bone, these brutes just don’t understand my delicate composition” Sune dramatically threw himself at Jin. He just looked down at the drake and sighed.

“Delicate my ass, if I remember correctly you tried to drown me a few months ago” Jin dropped Sune and blew smoke in his face.

“And you tried to squash me to death, so we are even big boy” Sune stroked his cheek, then knocked Jin’s feet from under him with his tail. “You are forgiven as you seem to have found reason to relax here recently.”

“If you two are done with your mating dance, can we get on with preparing for this trial I was dragged into” Levi scowled as he made his way to Thade shaking off his irritation?

“Young Master good to see you up and well” Thade bowed as the young drake approached.

Levi bowed to his elder before appearing above him spear in hand, Thade swiftly took hold of the spear and tossed the young drake aside. “I see someone is quite eager, let us continue” Thade smirked summoning his blade.

Levi stopped himself in mid-air nodding in the direction of Jin and Sune. He conjured spears made of Ice and hurled them towards Thade.

The icicles were easily blocked by the black dragon’s wings causing them to shatter around him. Sune took notice and altered the shattered shards into blades of water making them rain down on Thade. He let out a roar, his wings spread wide blowing the attack away.

Thade took firm hold of his blade and charged Levi, shocked to find his way blocked by Jin who had formed a blade from his wing spins protruding from his arm, a new trick he had learned recently. He smirked as he clashed blades several times with the black dragon.

Sune ran at the two clashing dragonborne, leaping into the air as he began to spin surrounding himself with water which took on an ethereal form reminiscent of his dragon. Thade knocked Jin back with a fierce blow then turned to face Sune. Stabbing his blade into the ground several pillars of earth surrounded him and blocked Sune’s advance. Levi unleashed a flurry of lightning strikes from above, turning Thade’s defense into a prison as he had no means to avoid the attack. The three drakes waited anxiously for the smoke to clear.

The black dragon’s roar cleared the area, standing in the rubble was Thade now in his shifted draconic form. He roared once again his eyes a yellow hue. Before they could react all three drakes found themselves encased in prisons of earth unable to escape.

“You three fought well, coordinating actions taking advantage of failed attacks and missed opportunities. You’ve still much to learn but this old dragon is impressed.” his voice echoed.

Each of the earth prisons began to tremble before they shattered, a blaze of fire revealed the red wyvern had freed himself and Sune erupted from a cascading waterspout.

****  

“You must not let fear drive you. You must not let anger control you. Your mind must be your own. Your will must be absolute.” The voices continued to echo in throughout his mind, this time two dragonborne stood before him. A male, large in stature his large emerald wings curling around the female as her brilliant blue tail wrapped around his leg. It was an intimate embrace one that was familiar yet distant to Levi.

“There is nothing to fear, though we wished to live a long and happy life together we are still always with you.” Her voice was calm and soothing as she approached Levi. She kneeled before him pulling him in a tight embrace. Flashes of memories, of a time, long forgotten, returning all at once. She smiled down at him placing a kiss upon his forehead before she vanished.

“Your will is strong our blood flows through you and Merlin is there to guide you. Embrace who you are and take command of the power you wield. You are our son, you inherit your mother’s beauty, her gracefulness yet deadly foresight. You inherit my dragon’s heart; he is not new to you but has been dormant for the last five years. Set him free for he is you and you are he.” The father looked upon his son, he smiled as his wings closed in around him and vanished into the light to once again be with his mate.

Levi focused on himself, memories flooding through him, his time as a hatchling, and his life before the war. He knew them, he knew them all. Merlin his faithful attendant and Thade of the royal guard. He even had memories of Sune playing in the royal courtyard. His heart jumped, he remembered across the flames of war the wyverns who had given their lives for them, to protect the royal family and the silhouette of a young drake who held the fire of his heart.

*****  

The final earth prison shattered the shimmering dragon came forth from a warped like space, his eyes clear and focused. He slowly approached the dragons letting his wingtips glide gently over Jin and Sune

He brushed his snout against Sune as crystal tears slowly fell from his eyes, how he had missed him like a part of himself felt whole again. Turning his attention to the great black dragon before him he let out a roar, “Let’s show this old dragon some new tricks.” Levi’s voice calmly echoed throughout their minds. Jin let out a plume of smoke and Sune slammed his tail along the ground, they both felt invigorated and empowered by the dragon between them as if a sudden clarity were bestowed upon them. Jin shook off feelings and memories focusing on the task at hand, he would not let a sadness long-forgotten consume him again.

Merlin smiled to himself watching from a distance, that which was lost would soon return.