True Dragon Pt. 01

All characters in this story are over the age of eighteen.

***

"Battle commence!" Jeffrey, the commentator, bellowed loudly to incite the crowded stands that filled The Dome. They responded eagerly to the prodding, but they were, somewhat, subdued. They must have thought that I stood no chance of winning.

'Well,' I thought to myself, 'I guess they're in for a major surprise.'

I didn't even flinch as I stared across the blistering hot expanse of sandy ground between my opponent and I. Without a moment's hesitation though, Gavin, my opponent gathered his' Animus into his legs and lept the length of the arena and swung his fist directly for my head; more precisely my temple hoping for a quick knockout. His' confused expression was priceless, and crystal clear as he saw me smile coldly.

My reaction was nigh instantaneous; so quick his face never had a opportunity to change. Both of my hands locked around his wrist and spun 180 degrees, which catapulted him into a vicious shoulder throw that smashed him into the ground with every ounce of force I could muster. Then I slung him single-handed back across the arena, but just prior to him having impacted with the wall he summoned his' animus to shield himself although it didn't stop all of the force as he smashed into the wall.

He coughed up a small puddle of blood as he fell from the wall, his hair a sandy colored mess, to the arena floor. He pushed himself up slightly and sneered, but my hardened stone of an expression was all he was returned.

"There's no way you're human. Your too strong and freakishly fast," he groaned as he climbed to shaking knees, "so, just which are you; orc, elf, demi?"

"Draconis," I growled with a heavy sibilance, it felt weird to talk in my native tongue after so long.

The entire crowd quieted nearly immediately after I had finished speaking. It was a general understanding that no Cryp normally was allowed to fight in The Dome, but it wasn't necessarily against the rules; the main reason being that 'Cryps', Cryptids, could use both Animus and Mana as well as a natural power, similar to a specialized form of Mana unique to each species called Alium, something few humans could use.

"Let's start again," a slight smirk cracked his face, but a determined look filled his rocky grey eyes, "and this time I'm not going to underestimate you."

I felt a change in the air that almost shocked me. A large quantity of Animus built-up in Gavin's chest, so densely that it began to manifest physically. It surged out slightly and expanded to his arms and legs until it covered him in a Sandy colored armor.

"So this," I gestured loosely towards him, " is how you really use your Animus? Interesting, it might prove to be a challenge."

For the first time in the duel I smiled and it made almost all of the women in the first few rows of the stands blush deeply. Others fidgeted slightly in their seats.

'maybe one or two will be game after the match is over,' the thought was there and gone in an instant. I had no chance now that everyone knew what I really was, 'might as well end this now.'

I was across the intervening ground in an instant as my Mana and Animus rose in unison and mixed together into Alium, but wasn't enough for what I wanted. It coated; my fist, my arm, an my legs. It split through Gavin's Animus like it was rice paper. My fist made contact with his solar plexus and he flopped over my shoulder, while his sick stained my back, as I carried him from the arena to find a nurse. As I walked across the sandy ground the crowd began to slowly cheer; which was puzzling in itself, but what they were they were cheering was what really amazed me.

"In a frightening turn of events, the Challenger, Alec light, has managed to pull the underdog victory!" The commentator cheered with the rest of the crowd.

"Respect!" Cheered one.

"Great fight!" Shouted another.

"Give us a roar!" Chanted a whole group, "we want a roar!"

'Might as well indulge them,' a small part of my true personality shining through my carefully crafted facade.

Swinging my head back, I unleashed a savagely loud roar that seemed to shake the air and caused Gavin to flinch. The arena quieted much quicker than the previous time, but surged back with a hundred and ten percent intensity.

"Find him a nurse" I told two of the waiting guardsmen as I passed Gavin off to a third, who staggered under his weight. One more perk of being subhuman. Then, I felt a trickle of blood drop down my face. I knew then that I had used to much and that was going to cost me.

"Are you okay?" Asked a nurse with solid black hair that covered her eyes. She seemed to have appear from thin air along with the smell of flowers, "your nose is bleeding."

"No," I smiled as I looked into the bluest pair of eyes, even as a knife of pain twisted in my gut, "I'm perfect. Must've been from the wind. That Gavin has got a pretty strong punch. Do you, by chance plant flowers?"

"Y-y-yes, how did you know that?" She stuttered nervously.

"You smell like lilac," I replied as I turned and walked away.

As normally as I could, I wiped the blood from my face and made my way from The Dome. Just outside the front gate I was swamped by people. I excused myself as politely as I could, then I was running through the crowd as fast as I could. With every step I took the pain in my stomach grew more intense, until it felt as though I was being stabbed repeatedly to the point I almost couldn't take it anymore.

Pulling what little Alium I had left, jumped out of the street and into the sky. I flew through the air for a few seconds, then I crashed down onto the balcony of my house. I had only managed to crawl my way into my room when the pain reached a pinnacle. A gush of blood spewed from my mouth across the floor, then I second. Finally the pain receded and I managed to stumble to my bed. I curled into the fetal position and slept fitfully until the next day.

'How much longer am I going to have to go through this?' but like always, I couldn't answer myself.

The dream was mirky and blurred. I was surrounded by a crowd as I normally was, but something about it was different. The key tattooed on my chest inched across my skin towards the lock over my heart. I was shocked; the key hadn't moved in years. I spun this way and that looking for a new face, someone, anyone I hadn't seen before. Then, like a bolt from the sky, I saw her.

Her face was the only one that was completely clear. With hair like a Raven's wing and eyes like ice; I couldn't believe that I recognized her. It was the nurse from the arena. She sat calmly on a discarded barrel, then three men brushed past me and surrounded her and my anger nearly burst as one laid a hand on her breast.

I roared as leapt from my bad and out my side door onto the balcony; my blood was literally boiling. I didn't bother with the door because with the Alium coursing through me I could've went through a brick wall. Steam bellowed off my skin as I stood in the cold morning air. I pulled in enormous drafts of air so that my nose could work overtime, then I had it a faint scent of lilac that I had smelt from her at the arena.

Without hesitation, which wasn't normal for me, I gathered as much Animas as I could hold and mixed it with my Mana into Alium. And for the first time in many years, I had enough to change. And change I did. The lock was finally undone.

Instead of holding it outside of my body, I let it seep into myself. Deeper than the skin or muscle, right down to the my very bones. Then, I was flying through the air on vigorous wings. My body was on autopilot as my senses worked overtime following the faint scent, her scent. Then I had it, that faint scent of lilac.

My steady flight became a steep dive. I shot down like a bullet towards the alleyway I had seen in my dream. In my sight I had my prey. In my sight, I had my mate.

They had me cornered, but I knew better than to resist them. It was a all too common occurrence in back alleys. Especially if it were night out.

'Why didn't I leave when I was supposed to?" I chided myself, "why'd I have to wait for him.'

"Hey there," the smell of alcohol oozed from him as crowded me into a wall and force a knee between my legs, "how bout havin' some fun with ole Alec, little miss."

He rubbed a hand up my thigh and I spat in his face. His response was fast and sudden; a hard slap across my face caused hot tears to fall down my face.

"Now that's no way," something large and dark dropped from the sky and landed on the ground between the other two men and bashed their heads together without a sound, "treat a gentleman."

"And that is no way to treat a lady," a heavy rasping voice spoke as a scaled hand wrapped around Alec's neck and lifted him off of me.

"Oy, what do you think you're doing you bastard!" Alec choked under the oppressive grip, "Crowley, Benard, where are you, you rat bastards!"

My savior pulled the poor man closer to him, until a reptilian about protruded over his shoulder. In the torchlights it was solid blue. Then, the lips pulled back to reveal fangs.

"They're not going to help you Alec, because they're dead," he turned and showed Alec the bodies of his friends, "just like you are."

My taloned fingers dug into the weaker man's neck like it was soft cheese. Too much force and it might just pop off.

'Stop!' screamed what little bit of my humanity was left, 'this is too much even for you!'

'I care not for what you want,' the dragon replied with fervor, 'this man harmed our mate and now he dies!'

"Please, no m-m-more," she cried and the dragon lost control in the wake of her sadness.

"Get out of here!" I roared at Alec as I dropped him.

Without looking back he ran from that alley and out into the square. I could only hope we never met again, because if we did I wouldn't be able to stop the dragon from killing him.

"Please, don't hurt me," she whimpered as I knelt in front of her.

"Fear not," I tried my best to sound calming, "I would never hurt you. I will only hurt those that would hurt you."

With my rage fading, the Alium that kept me changed loosened it's hold over me and I changed back into a human shape. The key wiggled as my forms settled, but stayed firmly in the lock because I was so close to my mate. That was the curse of my species; we are unable to use our full power until we find our mate. And I had finally found mine.

"Don't worry, you're safe now," I repeated as I picked her up and carried her all the way back to my apartment.

By the time we arrived she was dead asleep in my arms. I laid her down in my bed and found my way to the couch into darkness of my living room, then fell into my first dreamless sleep of my life.