Chapter 5: Memory x Reunion
Over a lush expanse of mountains and rivers, the afternoon sun began to dip.
In a patch of cloudless sky, threads of azure light wove themselves in the air and created an intricate seal. The seal glowed with an intensity rivaling the sun, and from that grand structure two beings descended.
They hovered side by side, one taller than the other, one bearing a fiery countenance, the other a hazy calm.
"This..is Dragons Eden?"
Two pairs of dragon eyes, cerulean and silver respectively, looked down to survey the land that stretched in hues of emerald.
"Where are the corpses? The ruins? The stench?"
The pair of eyes widened, and their noses wrinkled.
There wasn't a single trace of the foul rot that once turned their stomachs here.
"Time works differently here, An. Hundreds of years have passed. Master must still be down there. How else could the land have changed so much?"
"I know. But.. he hasn't reached out to us even once since then.."
The dragon with cerulean eyes closed them to concentrate. The energy and scent of their target was obscure ..many wouldn't notice the existence that blended with nature seamlessly.
"..How he sent us off before losing his mind still pisses me off! He never trusted us, En!"
"Calm down. We weren't there for him. What he showed us was mercy. We would've died along with everything else.."
"..but still.."
Silence fell between the two dragons. Neither looked happy.
"W-well.."
Trying to disperse the mood, the dragon called An yelled at the sky, amethyst hair fluttering in the wind.
"The past sucked! So let's track down brother Tian.. and make it up to him!"
"It's not that easy to make it up to him.." The dragon called En gave a rueful smile. "We've screwed up too much...Everyone has..let him down.. " En looked over the tranquil beauty cascading below."..Master Tian may very well be a terror in these lands.."
"How can you say that.. this place is thriving, and the little master's lifeforce was detected!" An bulled ahead with optimism. "That means the master is in good shape..his body..and his mind! He definitely won't forgive us for the past…but....he won't kill us, right?"
.
.
"Interesting choice of words.."
Within a quiet neighborhood of Dragons Eden, in a red clay house enclosed in vines, Tian Ci gazed with a thoughtful expression at the human before him.
"A dragon will hold a human to their word even till the end of time. Even if they wish to take them back.."
His eyes narrowed, and he pointed a black claw towards the human wrapped up on the bed. "I will remember, Jinxing."
Jinxing looked up at the dragon curiously and then down at his chest. He closed his eyes and could feel the soft warmth of the sleeping being inside him. The reflection in his eyes was complex and belied parted lips that wished to say many more things.
In the end he could only sigh.
"Need..more words.."
Tian Ci nodded, understanding the human's dilemma, and moved to a dark wood chest to find some clothing for him.
"There is an academy that humans attend to learn the beast languages, and the way they should behave and fit into this world. I will send you there-"
A scent still clinging to the clothing in the chest startled the dragon into silence. He didn't speak for several minutes.
"Ci Ci?"
Jinxing watched as the dragon's countenance slowly hardened into something sinister, shadows emanating in a toxic haze that quickly filled the room.
"Foul witch."
In a breath, the chest went up in flames.
The silver inferno danced silently and stole all warmth from the room.
"COLD!"
Jinxing curled into a ball and turned his towel into a snug cocoon. Frost clung to the tip of his nose and it reddened. "Dumb dragon!" He seethed and stared daggers, shivering like a twig.
"Behave." The dragon only managed a cursory glance in response, more so to assess his child. He ignored all else after that and continued to watch the clothes burn in silence...
"..As it should be.."
When all was ashes, the deathly pallor of his complexion warmed. He looked at the trembling ball of fabric and the little face inside full of grievance and apprehension.
He smiled.
"It's very good that you're a first class mage. It won't be easy to end you even by mistake."
The dangerous glint in his eyes faded. "You'll need proper clothing and more than one set for the academy. Wait here until I return."
Though the chest was destroyed, dark mist still sparkled throughout the room and left a shadowy haze.
If he were anything but himself, Jinxing wouldn't survive this level of temperature in the room. Let alone the miasma.
Angry, he fumed and launched a pillow at the dragon's head. "GO!"
Tian Ci looked casually at his handiwork and opened the window. He put a leg up on it's ledge, and withdrew the remnants of his power. The room appeared unmarred save for the pile of ashes.
"Look after A-yun. If you need me, call."
"NOT need! NOT calling!"
The dragon leaped nimbly from the window, insults trailing after him.
Glistening under the sun, a black dragon flew lazily up and into the clouds..
"Hungry.."
Jinxing was alone now, retreating from his cocoon once the icy menace had departed along with his death and shadows. He looked from the window until he could see the dragon no more, then turned around at the empty room.
"Yun.."
Calling gently, he patted his chest to rouse the little dragon.
After a few moments, his body lit up, a golden mandala turning counter-clockwise on his chest. From that symbol over his heart, a snow colored mound of fluff slowly emerged.
"Ao?"
"Yun yun!"
Taking the dragon pup in his hands, Jinxing held him up in praise, glad to have some company.
"Ao!"
Yinyun bounced a few times in the human's palm, eventually floating down to look at him closely.
"Ao?"
Patting his flat stomach, the human looked pitifully into the amethyst eyes that were bright and attentive.
"Hungry."
With a conversational cadence, Yinyun replied to his vessel easily.
"Ao ao ao ao.."
"..kit..chen?" Repeating the words he intuitively understood, Jinxing looked hopeful.
"Ao."
"To kitchen!"
Pointing at the door, he gathered a cotton blanket around himself securely, and headed for the stairs with companion in tow.
Jinxing and Yinyun approached the kitchenette of white marble, Yinyun leaving his perch and floating around with purpose..
"Ao!"
It seemed the location of the dragon's stockpile was in a tall cabinet embedded in the wall. Once opened, spheres of ice surrounded various glass containers filled with delicacies.
"Eats!"
"Ao!"
Jinxing reached for a few glass spheres and brought them to the table. The copper lids were screwed off easily, and he nabbed a wooden spoon and scooped a handful of something chilled, sweet, and refreshing.
"Yinyun eat.."
Extending the spoon, Yinyun got to lap at the iced fruits but quickly fled at the taste.
"Ao.."
Dragons weren't herbivores, after all.
"No?"
"Ao!"
Seeing that his friend couldn't eat, Jinxing rummaged in his host's ice box some more. A chilled square slab with a light fleshy color was discovered in a transparent wrapper laden with gold string. Jinxing took note of the strange scent but noticed his companion's interest and unwrapped it.
"Ao! Ao!" Yinyun grew jubilant, floating around the glistening meat and looking expectantly at his vessel. Jinxing was no chef, but he at least knew the meat had to be held in fire until it looked golden and gave off smoke. To that end, he put the meat on a slab and extended his left palm. The gold diamond mark above his brows shined... a flame of the same color ignited his flesh and veins..
"Stop right there!"
Jinxing paused, and looked around, brown eyes settling on two heads that had stuck themselves in through the window. One had silky amethyst locs, and eyes with a clear pale gleam. The other had blood red tresses, spiked and cascading with silver eyes. Jinxing took note of their dragon pupils and frowned.
"...."
He took his hand to bring the small ball of fluff to his chest. Yinyun smelled the scent of other dragons and let out a cautious 'Ao' that caused the two males to grow alarmed.
"Let him go! Aberrant!" The dragon called An thrust himself through the window and fell to the floor, clamoring to his feet to stab an accusatory finger. The garb that clothed him was white silk and fluttered with the breeze. Gold bangles adorned his wrists and ankles.
"Not Aberrant. Jinxing." Not heeding the command, the human took a step back behind the counter, cautious. The dove skinned youth with a wanton face didn't seem to be much of a threat, but the bigger spike-haired dragon entering after him did. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up.
"Go!"
"Huh! We aren't going anywhere Aberrant! Let go of the little master and give him here! Don't make me call the Disciplinary Council!"
Jinxing only understood part of the dragon's language, but knew enough to shout back while clutching Yinyun protectively.
"MINE!"
"This crazy.."
"Calm yourself, An. It's clear he has no intention on giving away the young master." The intruder called En swept his eyes around the open concept room and sniffed. "Master was here..so my guess is this Aberrant was hired to perform the kidnapping once he left. Using a human..this has the celestial lords written all over it.."
Having said so, the dragon extended his hand and sneered. "Whatever they gave you, we'll triple it. Just let the little master go."
Jinxing felt his heart race, and he fired back with ferocity. "NO!" Veins glowing iridescent gold spread throughout the blanketed body; Eyes glass clear shined in the same shade. His muscles tensed, and energy surged around the room.
"You really think you can take us on? We won't let you have what belongs to brother Tian!"
Yinyun floated smartly from the human's palm and went under the soft white fabric to hide. Feeling that comfortable warmth and hearing a gentle 'Ao', Jinxing faced the two beings with a frigid expression, unyielding and ready for blood.
"Now!"
Rushing the human from left and right respectively, En and An brandished their claws to swipe the clothing from the human and reveal the dragon child. Unexpectedly, the human leaped up, knees to his chest, spinning once mid air, and nimbly landing on his feet by the window.
"What the hell?" An gaped "..this human's reflexes.."
"Don't be distracted, he's getting away!" En dashed after the human who leaped out of the window and took off with lightning speed.
Jinxing ran with bare feet that merely skimmed the light sandy paths. Seamlessly he slipped into a different state of mind, gauging the terrain, the speed of his adversaries, and thinking of several scenarios where he might have an advantage. For starters, he needed plenty of space; eventually he stopped in a clearing with a lake at it's center and waited.
"There you are!" The dragon An barreled towards the human and went straight for it's head. Jinxing leaped back as before, eclipsed by the dragon En waiting to grab him from behind..
"Watch out!"
Waves of pressure struck them both suddenly. The forces pressing them back were reminiscent of gravity's pull. En and An were thrust back several miles and blinded by a fierce light..
Now hovering above them, was a golden merkaba; The sacred geometric shape of a human at the pinnacle of mage craft. A master of the occult and commander of many arcane beings.
"You're..a remnant of the Human Empire?"
Seeing this domineering shape like a star falling from heaven, the dragons couldn't help but relive their own traumas, from the endless ruin of 900 years past..
"You sapien bastards!" An transformed with an angry howl, now a pale yellow dragon with stalagmite scales. He charged the human with pent up fury, fangs and claws bared, having forgotten the original purpose.
"..An! Calm down!" En had no choice but to transform himself, a blood red dragon trailing after to stop the fight.
For Jinxing's part, compared to fighting with the dark behemoth of a dragon that was Tian Ci, this smaller yellow being was only a slight annoyance. He spun in arcs to evade the dragon's fangs, ramming the sharp protrusions of his merkaba against the other's body. Just like this, two dangerous creations attacked one another viciously, colliding with thunderous noise, generating lightning with each contact.
The wind howled in response and many trees fell from the shock. En searched frantically for an opening, knowing violent interference would hurt the small life hiding somewhere on the human. He watched carefully until the moment presented itself, burrowing underground when the merkaba was thrown to it and rising up to clamp the thing in his jaws. "An! CATCH!"
A rough shake flung a white ball of fluff out and into the air. An immediately returned to his senses, instinctively reaching for the small being whose birth he had celebrated and whose death he'd mourned for centuries. "Little Yin.."
Jinxing watched in horror, seeing the dragon child drifting away from him."YUN!"
Yinyun yelped, startled at the sudden thrust, big amethyst eyes fixed on his vessel being torn from him..
"..Ama.."
Faint, Yinyun called out..his first word in the beast tongue. Both dragons paused, shocked to hear the sound.
"What did he say?"
"..I think he said, 'Ama'."
"..Ama..!"
"Little Yin..why do call the human.."
"..Watch out!"
Jinxing surged with an indescribable sensation, feeling profound warmth in his chest, blood rushing to his head. Bursting out of his merkaba, the human formed Jinxing leaped onto the dragon An and launched his fist straight into it's nose. An spun and thrashed, howling in rage at this being that used such a cheap but effective blow. Spurred by the dragon infant's call, the human continued to rain blows on the dragon's vital spots, unyielding even as it's tail swung up and lashed at his flesh.
"STOP!" En bellowed, watching as the juvenile dragon was losing. Regulated humans were not supposed to be this strong. Something was clearly wrong. When the smell of blood from both human and dragon permeated the air, En did the only thing he could do, and cursed in his heart that he had to.
"..listen well human! If you continue to fight, we'll..we'll..we'll..hurt this little!..this...THIS!" For emphasis he held up his capture and gave the faintest squeeze.
To An, the poor acting and gentle hold on the baby dragon made him scoff.
"You idiot! Do you really think h-
"Yun Yun!"
All at once, and to the dragon's relief, the power receded from the human and he returned to the ground, frantic and helpless. An gaped, not believing his eyes, but used the chance to return to the ground and lick his wounds. Battered and bloody, Jinxing took shaky steps forward. He had still not recovered from his week long foray with the big dragon, and now he had further damage..and was about to lose a special thing.
"Ci Ci.."
Faint, the words left the human's lips quietly, a subtle whisper. "Ci Ci.."
A plea filled with all of his pain, and all his frustrations, following them.
"Ci Ci!!!"
The dragons with their impeccable senses, didn't miss the name, and all at once the color drained from their faces.
"En, I think..we made a mistake.."
"What mistake! I told you how many times to calm down and don't make any rash decisions!"
"When did you ever say that?! Is your lizard brain broken?!!!"
As the dragons nervously bickered, pushing the blame one to another, a dark and scaled behemoth, eclipsed the sun and blotted out the sky.
"Big Dragon!"
"Ao!"
The air was sapped of all warmth... and silver mist descended. Tian Ci had come as promised, and was more than a little pissed.
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
-- Power
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