The Dragon Clan - Mini Story Draft

Draft by: Riyuki-Silverfury

The Dragon Clan by: Fluffycawwot

I sat up in bed, bedazzled by how beautiful the day had become.  The sun was shining.  The air was refreshing against my skin. The dewdrops from the large sunflowers outside of my window glistened as they fell freely from the air.  The morning sun along with the perches and the town's subtle voices always woke me up in such a wonderful fashion.  It felt like another beautiful day.  I entered the next room and saw that no one was around.  It was odd because I was always happy to hear my mother's humming as she made breakfast.  I looked into my brother's room and saw that he wasn't there either, nor were my parents…  I ran to my room and grabbed my axe that was hidden in my closet, not knowing what to expect yet always on guard.  As I ran outside, it felt like it was harder and harder to reach the door.  I never remembered my house being so large but I finally reached the door.  When I opened the door, I saw my family outside on the low cut grass.  The wind blew gently against my mother's dress.  She turned her head and called out in confusion, "Riyuki! What's wrong?  Put that axe down and get something to eat!"  My father belched in his disorderly fashion and joined in saying, "Yes, Riyu! You've been sleeping so nicely your mother says so she never woke you up!"  My mother responded, "Yes, I was going to leave you some of this food for when you woke up." I smiled quietly and walked over to my family after laying my axe on the ground in front of the azalea bushes.  As I began to sit down, my brother coyly looked at me and said, "I would have helped you finished your share, bro!"  He patted me on the head and I struck his hand away furiously.  "Stop treating me like I am a child!" I muttered.  My older brother...He frustrated me to no end but I know that he means well.  He is so strong and I still have yet to best him a dueling.  We made a promise as brothers that if I was to best him at close combat, then he would  put an end to his jokes and treat me as an equal, but only if I bested him.  Never the less, we finished our meal and it was time for practice.  

Under father's supervision, we dueled for many hours.  The only time we stopped was to relieve ourselves or to replenish our energy.  We continued to practice until the evening came.  My brother was still untouchable throughout all of my attempts and I was annoyed.  As our father stopped the duel, my brother came over to me and held out his hand.  His eyes shined as the sweat ran down his face as he said, "Better luck next time, eh bro?"   I was already furious.  Not with him but with myself.  My father commanded, "Riyu, it is good sportsmanship to shake his hand.  Now do so."  I tossed my dueling staff on the ground just as the wind suddenly picked up.  During that time, it felt as if the wind just took my practice weapon out of my hands for me due to my exhaustion and I shouted, "I hate this! I hate losing to you! ONE DAY I WILL BEST YOU AND WILL EARN A LITTLE RESPECT AROUND HERE!"  I stormed off into the woods.  My brother called out to me but I let the wind block his voice as I ran off.  My father stopped him and said "Let him be…"  I ran through the forest, gaining more cuts and bruises as I tripped on almost anything on the ground and ran into almost anything.  My fury drowned out the bits of pain anyway; it is what we are taught.  To channel our anger, our fury and use it as a weapon against those who are unjust and go against me.  I coincidently, I found myself staring into the sky.  There was a storm that had already snuck over my head, coming from the direction of where Raidenal was located.  

I took a deep breath and shook away my pride and began to return home.  Perhaps it was karma to be so far away from home or maybe it was a blessing.  Bright lights were showing against the cloud formations around the town and my instincts told me to hurry on home.  When I got out of the woods near my house, it was no longer totally there.  I saw a shadow sprawled out against the ground and saw that the figure resembled my old man.  I rushed only to see my father was badly injured in the front of what used to be our home.  I ran over to my father while trying to take in the bright red and orange scenery.  He was coughing and I moved him away from the house. I felt no other presence nearby so I can tell that it was remotely safe yet lonely.  I cradled his head in my arms and he stared up to me with half dead eyes and said, "Riyu...Your mother and brother are gone from this plain as well as…I soon" He coughed up blood and some of it splattered against my face.  My eyes seemed to become heavy and filled with pain as the rainwater that poured on my head masked the shame and the weakness that crawled down my face to my chin.   I shook my head several times and replied with a foolish, "W-w…HUH?"  I had clearly heard him but…I didn't want to because I was not ready to lose the last member of the only family I had.  His weak pale brown hand reached up to my face and he weakly gripped the back of my head and pulled me closer. "Riyuki, my son...r-remember this…" he faintly whispered.  I looked him into his eyes, but his gaze was far gone.  I closed my eyes as he took in a long deep breath to calm himself.  The rain began to pour even heavier but the sound stopped and time felt as if it stood still.  I opened my eyes and looked at his lips as he spoke, "Your strength lies not in the power of your muscles and anger, but it lies in…the…po...wer...to...Pr…Pr...P...pro...t.." …………………His body lay lifeless, as if his soul mourned the chance to continue the word.  His eyes were wide open as well as his mouth as well as shut his two eyelids.  I laid him down and looked back at not only my house but at the town and all of the dead bodies that were laying in many different positions, in many different conditions…all with the same burning smell of death.  I saw my axe lay in front of my house and I walked over slowly to grab it. My half of my mother's dress flew by my face and laid next to my father as if he was reunited with her in death.  I knelt down and next to the axe was my brother's sparring staff.  I glanced at it and lowered my head in respect to my brother.  I lowered my hand to grab my axe which I had forgotten to put back inside, however my hand was mysteriously moving slow and things began to disappear slowly.  By this time, I was surrounded by strange warmth that was similar to my mother's but I never saw her.

I closed my eyes once again and opened them, to find a strange blue haired girl sitting by my bedside with a strange looking sandwich in her hand and drinking some brown substance.  The room seemed majestic, even for my tastes.  As I sat up, I felt a sharp pain surge through my torso and I grabbed it tightly.  As I weakly struggled to get out of the bed, the blue girl had a subtle yet beautiful aura of blue surround her being and stopped me by pinning my arms down with…ice?  The aura around her body dissipated yet I felt neither frostbite nor pain from her spell.  It was then that all of the disturbing events came rushing back into my mind and I calmed down.  Her hand fanned over to my chest as she pressed down gently against it and I felt a chilling sensation around the area.  I looked at her slender pale hands and followed her arm up to her face where our eyes met.  She stared back quietly and her face turned slightly red.  I chuckled in my thoughts and closed my eyes, listening to the blue girl's mouth crunch on that sandwich that she was eating.  It was peaceful—at least for the time being.  This kingdom was in danger and I felt that I needed to give my services to the Kingdom of Raidenal for the approaching danger.  I know that the little bit of peace would not last but I longed for the peace and longed for some good company.  Besides, who would complain about being under the watchful eye of such a pretty young woman…Surely not I.