A Light in the Dark of the World

Thunder boomed through the dark clouded sky, flashes and arcs of yellow piercing through the heavens as they illuminated the clouds around them. The rain that accompanied it hammered down hard against the roof, threatening to shatter the glass and drench your form. There was only a single thing that you had to be grateful for; the tavern which allowed you to stay. With a small groan leaving you, fingers curled tightly around the flask of some beverage, your aching legs forced you from that stiff chair. You could have sworn that it left an imprint on your form with its stiffness- like who in their right mind decided to create such a solid wooden chair? If you didn't know better, one would easily be able to assume it was chiseled stone over felled wood.

Clutching your life-giving beverage, your spare hand moved swiftly to press against the small of your back to lightly stretch it out. A few cracks later and a rather thankful sigh came from your mouth. "Man that was good..." You breathed quietly, a rueful grin tugging onto your face. You could easily hear the bartender's hearty chuckle from his post, the cloth stuck awkwardly into the ale glass he polished. The building rumbled as another thunderous clap cried over the sky.

People began to whisper, by their tone alone you could tell the scattered beings were anxious. Something that rocked the walls of the tavern? Their oh so precious bar with ridiculously stiff chairs? That was almost blasphemy!

Of course, you didn't particularly want to dwell on what their ridiculous reasons could be for their behaviour. Right now, with the rain partnered perfectly by the thunderous roars of lightning like a bride and groom saying their wedding vows... your life couldn't be more perfect.

At this moment was when your life would change. Without your will, thrust into action. Forever.


Footsteps slammed against the wood, the few people scattered in the tavern practically threw themselves to their feet as the few participants gathered themselves beside the windows on the wall opposite you. Their voices raised, horrified noises coming from them as they began to back away from the glass. Frustrated that your evening was being ruined by their cries and idiocies, you turned to face them. Glass shattered, the building exploding in front of you as a fist came through. The monster acted fast, stepping forward as it tore the building almost clean from its foundations, throwing it away from where it was. Before you knew it, a heavy wooden beam had knocked you to the floor and pinned you down to the cold, hard ground.

...Sheesh...
Was anything in the tavern at least comfortable?

Throwing the thought aside, your eyes moved towards what was coming towards you. For a few moments, you were hoping that something was coming to help you. But no. It was anything but help. Your hands moved, vainly trying to thrust the beam from your chest, your voice shouting out in terror. Before you knew it, the form's shadow was over your own. Lightning cracked again, the rain slowing from its pelting as if to give you a clearer view of just what it was. From the unsympathetic lighting, you could see the blood that already coated the monsters claws as it stood over you, its mutilated face twisted in anger.

No.

Your blood wanted to freeze in your veins as you recognised the illuminated wound over its cheek. Where a blade once broke through, a vain attempt to avenge the fallen.  

YOUR blade.

Had it really followed you? All this way?

The snarl that formed on its face, you could tell that it was hellbent on tearing off your head as its hand moved. That at the very least would have been merciful. But once more you had been far too hopeful as to what it was going to do. Deliberately slow, the hand curled into a fist. Time seemed to slow as the mass of flesh slowly began its decent to you. Vivid images flashed into your mind, presenting them like a gift as to what would happen in the next few moments. You'd seen it before. Many times.

Your eyes slid shut. You knew what to expect. You knew what was going to happen. You could feel your shaking form tensing underneath the wood that you couldn't move.

And slowly, you accepted your fate.

---

A roar of fury made them snap open, your heart skipping a beat from the quaking of the ground. A black form arched over your head. A meaty smack sounded, the monster letting off a blood curdling cry of pain that left your ears ringing. You drank in the sight of a creature bigger than what attacked you forced the other away. A large, plated tail of sorts

Could that have been...?

Was it...?

A dragon of the Tales of Old? That Mother Astral had governed, they still lived?

The sound of destroyed buildings and the cries of the townsfolk filled the air, but you, from your trapped area desperately looked towards the fight. You needed to know. You HAD to know if one of those legends truly was wondering by such a remote area... And had truly saved you. Cries and the sounds of what you could only assume were the sounds of falling buildings arced high into the night. Five minutes? Ten minutes? You had no idea how long had passed until something drastic happened.

Another ground shaking impact arced through the night, the thunder and lightning clapping together to illuminate the area once more. Craning your neck, you could see it. Three sets of blood, one form over another. A giant blackened dragon with cyan and yellow patterns standing over the monster; its cyan blood dripping from its hide.

Slowly it moved away from the dead ogre, its thick plated scales torn and damaged as it dragged itself away. You couldn't believe your eyes.

A dragon, one that belonged to Mother Astral was here... They lived.

A last bolt of lightning form the sky would signal to you the whereabouts of the dragon... Moments before its form fell. You didn't know if it was still alive. But you knew that you were going to find out if it was.

---

It felt like an eternity in the dark spitting rain before people managed to find it in their good hearts to FINALLY actually come over and help. You would have thought that being trapped and screaming your voice hoarse would have gotten more attention, but apparently not. As a group, they managed to help lift the beam high enough for you to squeeze out.

But as soon as courtesies were exchanged, thank you's passed, you were already bolting towards a few of the toppled buildings. Thankful for the lack of rain, you rummaged through the wreckage, searching for something vital to your goals.

After gathering the supplies that you could from the ruined town, it being destroyed from the dragon and the ogres conflict, you made a beeline towards where you had seen the dragon topple. It could be hurt, borderline dead. But who were you to decide if they should die for ruining a few homes? The people were still there, they could rebuild, but the hearts and souls couldn't ever be replaced.

Something that you knew all too well.

The supplies slapped against your leg. Although you had to admit, finding the dragon was easier said than done. It took you almost an hour to find any traces of it. But when you came closer and saw what was settled in the crater, you couldn't believe it. You found a child there. A child, clothed in a simple black gown, torn, tattered. You frowned. What was this creature before you? Slowly you began to approach them, their form unconscious and curled a little into the dip. You could see the trio of blood, but also their own red wounds. As you came within just a few feet of them, you knelt down. What was wrong with this young one? Reaching into the bag, you noticed that he was awake, watching you. Shivering. Shaking.

Terrified.

"My name is Joseph," You spoke so gently, rough voice trying to sound sympathetic. "I'm going to help you, you're going to be safe, now let me tend to your wounds..."

Once more, you moved forward with the jar in hand.

"Dracaios! Dracaios! Ann-Ann, eclip nek!" The boy almost screamed, scooting further away from you as the salve within the pot you held came close. That language was foreign to you, but you were absolutely sure that you'd heard something like that. A long time ago, you almost could recall, two dragons speaking to one another, the same rusty tone to their voice. Maybe, just maybe, the boy wasn't who he really was meant to be- just like you.

The scared child moved your soul and you could feel the empathy for him forcing your shoulders to sink. Instead of doing what you were going to do and apply the salve to his wounds, you took up a knife. The boy pulled back a little further, blue eyes madly glancing left and right, as if trying to find an escape from you. Taking to a soft tune, you turned the blade and lightly pressed it against your own arm- the back of it. Hairy, but already lathered in a thick layer of scars, you didn't see the harm in adding one more. You moved the knife swiftly, feeling it slice through your skin as you put it back down in the bag housing the medical equipment you managed to salvage.

Taking the salve you smeared it over the wound, ensuring they could see it very, very clearly. "Nak nad hark?" They said, sounding a small amount amazed as you didn't flinch at all from the salve. Curiously, they pushed themselves to their feet and you watched in awe as they reached over, dipping their fingers into the salve to sloppily apply it to their wounds.

But what and who they were didn't matter. You knew they were older than they seemed, you knew they were the dragon that stopped that ogre in is tracks and you could see the that their eyes gleamed intelligence. But that didn't matter. For once, you, the veteran soldier, the husband who failed to protect your original home, who lost absolutely everything, had someone to look after since the very same monster had taken your family from you.

Even though fate had taken everything from you; you were given something else to look after. Arguably, something much more valuable and precious.

"Elric... You'll be safe with me."