This story is my story. The story of how my life became what it is today. I guess it makes sense that I write it down eventually, after all, being the first American Dragon isn't something to take lightly. My name is Jacob Luke Long. I am 44 years old and this is my life so far.
Most of my early childhood was remarkably average. Mom never told me of my powers, and Dad never knew to let me know. By the time my sister Haley was born I had figured we were just another average family. Mom, Dad, two kids. Normal.
I went to school, made friends with Trixie and Spud, did my homework (albeit often poorly), and had fun whenever I could. When I turned thirteen my dragon side started to become apparent and my mother confessed my heritage. With my grandfather training me I had much success in my early battles, but often struggled keeping everything together. The first year was difficult, but the second was hell. Eighth grade was the worst year of my life. If it wasn't for Trixie and Spud at school, and Fu and Grandpa at home, I don't know what would have happened.
Defeating the Huntsclan only to lose the love of my life, then to have to face the dark dragon all within a few months-coupled with the stress of adolescent hormones and my insane principal, it sucked. By the time we had finally finished the insanity that was the battle with the dark dragon I was on the verge of collapse.
I knew I had been trained and prepared for greatness, but I honestly never wanted to fight again after that night. All I wanted to do was curl into a ball and sleep until I graduated high school, then flee to the middle of nowhere where I could live without having to protect everyone-let someone else do the saving for once. But I knew that wouldn't work, and besides, despite the exhaustion, I did actually like saving people.
After the temple vanished and Rose confessed how she remembered, I managed to pull her aside for a few minutes and get her phone number and email. Even though I wasn't going to be in Hong Kong forever, I could at least try to enjoy a few days with her before we had to go back. Plus, I figured, maybe I could keep in touch with her-my parents still kept in touch while they were in college, and they lived in different states, why couldn't it work when Rose and I lived in different countries?
The next morning after the battle my Mom explained in more detail how the magic world worked and how dragons fit into everything for my Dad. For a minute he was silent, then he seemed to burst into a million questions all at once.
"So, let me get this straight. You all are magical, fire breathing dragons-and you protect the magical world-which has basically every creature and monster from folklore-from evil."
"Pretty much, only not me specifically, because it skipped my generation." Mom replied.
"Right, I forgot about that." He paused, "So, this is why you kids seem to sneak out all the time on school nights. And why Jake's nutso principal thought there was a dragon at his school. You were the dragon, weren't you?"
I smiled, "Guilty as charged."
"Well you could have told me this sooner! I love all that magic and medieval stuff. For pity's sakes, Susan I was dungeonmastering three different D&D groups when we were going out!" Dad stammered, a bit offended.
"Yes, but knowing that your girlfriend is one of the monsters in that doorstop of a compendium-and that your future kids would be-might not have been something to guarantee us staying together."
"Sue, I love you for who you are. Not for what you look like-or what our kids would end up as. Regardless of this, I still love you all. But you better fill me in on some details, because I really need to know about how the whole 'secret magical world' thing works! Is it like Harry Potter?"
It probably took us an hour to explain everything, during which time he never seemed prouder of Haley and I.
He knows pretty much everything now, having inherited Grandpa's vast store of magical books after he moved in with them. Most of the time he's in the basement reading and compiling data onto yet another terabyte hard drive, Fu helping translate and explain as much as he can. It's kind of funny, actually, my Dad never knew about the magic world growing up, but he knows more than me now about most things.