Confessions of a Dragon Emperor

11

Entry 1: An Unwilling Pawn

Wali Miata's P.O.V.

For one thing, I never thought my life could get any more cynical than it has been these past few years. I mean, I get up, get dressed, go to school (I'm a second-year) and hang with my friends as we all do the school thing, then come home to deal with my insane family. My mom's a hotel worker and my dad works at a manufacturing plant so I never see him. I mostly keep to myself buried in my books in my room with my computer constantly opened to Spotify listening to the music my friends keep pointing to.

Before you ask, no I don't have a girlfriend and that's been a problem regarding my friends. Everyone has tried to set me up to no avail – partially because I'm somewhat of a prune but my friends are perverts who keep trying to hook me up with the biggest pair of jugs they can find and I'm not attracted to that. Being black, I am interested in white girls but I'm more partial to the so-called Latina with their long, black hair and deep Mexican accent – good thing I'm not that interested in dating right now; not enough good choices because most of girls at my school, Ichiro Academy, are crazy.

Anyway, I walk on campus seeing everyone section off in their numerous groups. I adjust the red flannel shirt I wear over my black dragon shirt (I have a thing for dragons) and black jeans and walk to the back of the alley where my friends, who get here much earlier than I do, are already gathered. "What up bitches?" I greet the three guys and four girls that I hang with. I sit down next to this white girl, Mara Dames, who always wears these tight pants and shirts showing off her goods. For some reason, I find this type of thing pervasive. "Come on Mara, you're going to put somebody's eye out."

Turning to me, Mara squeezes her boobs together trying to tease me. "Oh, come on Wali, I know you think about this at night." Usually she's right most of the time (I am a guy after all) but lately my schoolwork and music (all of us are in a band together) have occupied most of my time.

I slam my head on the picnic table we're sitting at. "Not today Mara, I'm not feeling so hot."

"Damn man," Kitara Gonzales, this chick I'm crushing on, stares at me with these gorgeous green eyes. Her wavy, black hair flows just below her shoulders and over her red shirt. "You should've stayed home if you're feeling bad."

"No way, we have that concert we're doing at the end of the day – remember?" We've only been talking about this concert for over a month and with record execs there, it could be the break we've been working towards. "With the possibility of getting signed, we have to give it all we've got whether we're sick or not."

"You said that right Wali," smirks Alex Turpin, my best friend in the world. "This will be the day we get signed."

I fist-bump the rest of my friends with this confident smile. "Now we still need to decide on the set list we're going to perform."

"We're definitely doing TFK's "Phenomenon" and this song "Soul on Fire" but we still need one more," this black girl, Danielle Haggard, who loves her braided hair gives me a thumbs-up. "As soon as we can decide on a song, we can practice it right after school."

The bell rings starting the day. "I guess it'll come to one of us sometime today. Whoever comes up with a good one, text the rest of us at your lunch." We grab our things and walk into the main building. Entering my homeroom, my eyes catch these two white girls I haven't seen until today. One has blue hair tied in a ponytail with a pair of forest green eyes and the other has red hair with these deep brown eyes. "Who are they?" I question Aaron Langston, my classmate who's in the same group I am, as we sit at our desks next to these girls.

"I wouldn't mess with them man," Aaron points to the blue haired girl. "They're best friends and from what I've been hearing, they're into some crazy shit."

"Like what?"

"Hell, if I know but I did hear something about the occult or some shit like that. The blue haired girl is called Raya Lumia and the other girl is her best friend Medea Lancaster. Those two are strange man. They just transferred into our homeroom today."

"Avoid them, got it." But I can't keep my eyes off Raya for some strange reason. I can't explain it but there's something about her that I can't seem to shake. She turns in my direction causing me to turn around just as the bell rings starting the homeroom period. Our teacher takes roll before leaving us to our conversations. I turn back to Aaron buried in his math notebook. "Any idea on the third song for our concert?"

Aaron shrugs his shoulders checking his phone. "I haven't the slightest clue. I mean, we mostly do Christian songs but we should mix it up with something out-of-the-blue."

"The only question is . . . what?" Raya walks up to me and Aaron overhearing our discussion. "Yes Raya?"

Raya stares at me with those big, green eyes causing the hair on my arms to stand on end. "You know, you really should try something more edgy," she keeps her eyes on me the entire time creeping me out, "so consider that for a thought." She returns to her desk leaving us dumbfounded over what she said.

"That was . . . weird."

Aaron cracks a smile staring straight through me. "Man, she's into you."

"No way man; I'm not into people like her."

"I'm sorry man but you've got to take a chance." Aaron turns to Raya who's still watching us. "Hey Raya, you want to come to a concert after school?"

Raya Lumia's P.O.V.

I'm flattered that I got an invite to this concert. "Uh, sure," I shrug watching Aaron hand me a flyer detailing his band Devil's Night. "Devil's Night huh?" I question him with this gracious smile. The name resonates with me.

"Uh, yeah," Wali answers his friend's question with this sweet, innocent voice I've come to know from our history class. "It's supposed to be ironic because we play these Christian songs but every so often we change it up."

"How cute," my best friend Medea leans on my shoulder. "We'll definitely be there."

"Thanks ladies," the guys nod before returning to their conversation.

I turn to Medea cracking a smile. "Tell the club to come to the concert early after school. If what the report we got this morning bears fruit, we might be needed."

"Or you want to watch Wali perform," Medea hums a tune in my ear trying to get me worked up. "You've been crushing on him for a while now."

I stare into Medea's eyes growing serious. "The fallen ones have their eye on Wali for something and we need to find out what it is. You're right, I'm interested in him and if push comes to shove, we'll bring him into the fold."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that but I have a feeling you've already decided to bring him in, haven't you?"

"Let's wait and see what happens after school." I hold up a blue pawn chess piece to the light as the bell rings ending the period. "Soon Wali Miata, you will belong to me." I think to myself putting the piece into my purse and follow Wali out of the room since we have the same first class.

Downtown Ravenswood (After School) – Wali's P.O.V.

I plug in my guitar ahead of our concert for the school and Ravenswood in general. Seeing this might be our best chance to get signed by somebody, we're going all out to give ourselves the best chance. "Are you guys ready for the sound check?" I turn to Mara and Aaron, our lead singers, setting up the microphones.

"Not yet," Mara tells me looking across the space where we're playing, "Jeremy isn't here yet."

"You've got to be kidding me," I look to the door in disgust. Jeremy Albertson is one of our two lead singers but he's always late to our rehearsals. I pull my cell phone from my pocket dialing a number. "Come on man," I hear it ring several times before his voicemail message. "Damn," I hang up turning to the rest of my friends. "He's not answering."

"Oh well," Kitara's best friend Tess Weldon shrugs her shoulders. "I say forget him and let's get this sound check over with. We still have two hours before our show begins anyway."

"Let's do it," I suggest plugging in my guitar to the amplifier. Turning to the empty room, I see two guys standing in front of the stage with these menacing looks. "Sorry guys but the show doesn't start for another hour."

The two guys stare at each other with this smirk. "We're not here for the show," the guy to my left jumps up while the guy on the right pulls this gun from his waist. "We're here for the guitarist."

"Gun!" Tess yells causing us to scatter off the stage. The guy with the gun shoots his gun in their direction hitting all of them in one round.

"Guys!" I run after them only to be tripped up by the guy with the gun. He flips me over causing me to see the guy that jumped up having these huge, black wings. "What the . . ." I struggle to get free to no avail.

"Sorry kid," the guy in the air lowers toward me with this weird light spear, "but the blue sky dragon can't live."

I let out this huge scream feeling the spear go straight through my chest. I feel this jolt feeling the spear being pulled out of me. I struggle to my feet only for the one with the spear to push me down. I can't . . ." I watch them leave as I slowly fall out of consciousness. My thoughts drift to something Raya said about our concert. Next, I hear this voice: "From this day forward, you will live for my sake . . ."

Wali's Bedroom – The Next Morning:

My alarm goes off at 5:30 signaling the start of a new day. I slam my alarm's snooze button before rolling out of bed. Dragging myself into my bathroom, the weight of the events yesterday hit me harder than a ton of bricks. "Oh shit," I stare at my chest seeing no signs of what happened, "was that a dream?" I check my phone seeing several dozen missed calls from my friends' parents. "That wasn't a dream?"

"Wali," my mom calls to me from the hallway, "breakfast is ready."

I'm extremely confused. The last thing I remember is being at our concert . . . the concert! I rush to my phone seeing that my battery is completely dead. I plug in my portable recharger before getting dressed. Rushing downstairs, I see my mom prepped her typical breakfast of pancakes (my favorite) along with a pile of bacon on a side plate. "Morning, Mom," I announce sitting at the table.

My mom peeks her head out the kitchen seeing me dig into a pile of pancakes. "I'm glad to see you up so early," she winks at me with this smile. "You were passed out when your friends brought you home last night." Brought me home last night? I don't remember much of anything after my band started the sound check for our concert. One minute, I'm on stage tuning my guitar, the next thing I know it's the next morning. "By the way," my mom interrupts my train of thought, "there's a note for you on the stand next to the TV. Grab it on your way out."

"Sure Mom," I wave stuffing my face with two pancakes. "What the hell happened yesterday?" I think to myself finishing my breakfast, grab my backpack, note, and phone on the way out. "I'm gone Mom; see you later."

"Have a good day and be careful."

I finally check my phone listening to the many messages left by my friends' parents. "So, something did happen yesterday." I listen to the messages causing me to pause on the sidewalk. "I better go the hospital and visit my friends." I change direction feeling something in my jacket pocket. "Oh yeah," I take out this mysterious note. "who sent me this?" I open the note reading the message:

You now serve me. I'm the one who saved you yesterday and took you home. We will meet soon but be careful and stay away from your church.

This is one cryptic message. I see the bulge in the note as this strange pawn chess piece (I am in the chess club) suddenly glows entering my body. I cringe for a bit letting this strange feeling subside before rushing to the hospital. I text Kitara to see what room everyone is in so I can check in with them before classes start.

Ichiro Academy – Medea's P.O.V.

I rush on campus seeing everyone go about their morning routines. Walking to the back of the alley between the buildings, I see my group soaking in the morning sunshine. "Morning," I speak to my friends handing everyone a sausage-biscuit for breakfast (I like to cook for everyone). "Everyone ready for today?"

The white guy next to me tilts his head to me with this scowl. "Did we have to meet so early?" Avis Barrow, this third-year who joined this group last year, snaps at me. He's not much of a morning person since his first class isn't until second period. "You know I have first period free."

"I know Avis but Raya insisted we meet this morning," I explain knowing the actual truth. I glance to my right noticing Wali, who's in my homeroom with Raya and me, walk toward an empty table buried in his phone. I turn back to Avis and the three other girls in the group. "Raya will explain everything when she gets here." I turn back to Wali cracking a smile. "It won't be much longer Wali; soon you'll realize what you've become."

"Who are you looking at?" Tris Whyte, a blonde-haired bombshell who's the envy of boys in our school. She glances behind me staring at Wali. "Why are you looking at Wali Miata? He's nothing more than a mediocre guitar player."

"He's much more than that Tris," I give off a hint only I know about. I watch Wali put away his phone staring at the note Raya left him yesterday. I crack a smile before turning around. "So, has anyone heard from Devin since he left?"

"Not a thing," Avis answers with this slight shrug. "He's been out of town for two weeks. Do you know how much class time he's missing?"

"We know Avis but he's doing important work for the House. We'll know everything going on overseas when he returns." A glint of blue hair catches my eye. "And now our lady is now here."

Raya sits next to me setting her history book in front of her. "Sorry I'm late," she glances behind her seeing Wali opening a different book. "I see he's here."

"Yep," I peek behind me at Wali working on something for one of his classes. "He got here right after I did."

"Good," she turns around with this confident smile, "I called this morning meeting because yesterday left a bad taste in my mouth."

"You mean when we got to that concert?" Tris questions the previous day. "Why were we there anyway?"

Raya points behind her directly at Wali unaware of our presence or our eyes on him. "I want you and Avis to watch that guy over there."

"Why?"

"He's a target of the fallen ones and I don't know why, and he's our newest club member."

The table lets out a loud groan. "Oh, come on Raya," Clary Davies, a redhead with a fiery attitude, speaks up for the group, "how can that guy be one of us?"

"Because I made it so," Raya answers with this serious look. She turns to Wali as the bell rings. "As I said, he has something the fallen ones in this town are scared shitless about."

"If the lady wants it, then it shall be done," Avis stares at Wali. "You haven't told him yet – have you?"

Tris gets her books and walks toward. "At least we should introduce ourselves to him."

Raya stops Tris from taking another step and so do I. "Not yet," I warn her, "he has to come to us on his own."

Homeroom – Wali's P.O.V.

My friends are okay, which eases me, but my memory about yesterday afternoon is still fuzzy regarding what happened after my band started the sound check ahead of what was supposed to be our concert. As worried as I am, I can't let myself become consumed with grief; that's not my style. I feel a bit empty without Aaron to talk to but hey, I have my classes to keep me occupied.

I don't notice Raya and Medea enter the room sitting in front and behind me respectively. "Hey ladies," I wave to Raya getting this familiar feeling deep in my soul. "What's on your mind?"

"We're seeing how you're doing silly," Medea massages my shoulders letting me relax a bit. "Sorry about your concert last night."

I'm still bummed that our chance to get signed got canceled after the place was wrecked but my memory about what happened is still shaky. "I know but I'm still unsure as to what that was about. I mean, I know what I saw after my friends were shot."

"What did you see?"

I shake my head refusing to go any further. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Raya leans on my desk drowning out the morning announcements coming across the intercom. "Humor us. You might be surprised."

"Don't say I didn't warn you," I take a deep breath before continuing. "There were these two guys and one had his gun that wouldn't' let him miss for nothing. He hit all six of my friends in one go. Then," I cringe not wanting to go any further, "I can't say."

"Come on," Medea nudges me, "tell us. You have us curious."

I shake my head refusing to remember the details of me almost dying. "I don't know how to describe what happened next because everything went down so fast."

"Take your time. You have to learn to trust people you know."

She's right. My trust with most people is not that good mostly because I've been burned in the past. "All right. What happened next was that both these goons flashed these black wings before the one who jumped stabs me with this strange spear of light. Then I heard this voice right as I'm losing consciousness."

"What did this voice say?" Raya questions me growing more curious. These girls are overly curious about what happened yesterday.

I shrug off the suggestion. "The first part of what this voice said plays in my mind like thunder: "From here on, you'll live for my sake." That's all I can remember."

Raya and Medea look at one another giving this strange nod. Raya pulls a piece of paper from her jacket pocket. "Meet me at my house tomorrow after school." She hands me the note with her address on it. "I want to help you find some answers."

"Uh, thanks," I take the note growing in curiosity. From what Aaron told me, these girls are into some crazy stuff but I need answers to what happened and why my friends are in the hospital. "I'll be there."

The bell rings ending the period. We walk out of our homeroom in the direction of our history class. "I guess this is going to be one of those days." Walking into class, I take my seat in the back of the room but Raya sits next to me. "What?" I watch her watching me.

Raya cracks this smile turning in her desk. "Oh, nothing," she sing-songs making me even more nervous. As I said, I'm not into girls like her so every time she stares at me, she creeps me out.

The bell rings starting class ending our discussion. The lights go out as the projector is turned on but I see a plume of purple, red, and orange causing me to cringe. I rub my eyes trying to clear my eyes to no avail. My head begins to hurt from the constant red tint growing in my eyes causing me to bolt to the restroom. "That's better," I let my eyes relax for a few seconds.

Two guys enter the restroom as I walk out. One of them gives me this look I saw the other day when I was attacked. "I'm surprised you're still alive," the white guy with the black hair whispers to his friend. I manage to hear this for some reason. I rush back to class to continue taking notes.

Eight Hours Later:

I exit the store with a few things my mom sent me out for. Being out at night isn't much of a fright like it used to be; easier on the eyes with the redness that ensues. I turn down a side street leading to the address Raya gave me to meet her at so I know where to go tomorrow. I get this growing feeling I'm being watched for some reason. Looking around, I see nothing of interest allowing me to continue down toward Raya's but this feeling won't subside. "What's going on?" I look around seeing two guys standing about a hundred meters from me. I recognize one of them from school but the taller one is a total mystery.

"See," the one I'm familiar with points me out, "I told you he's still alive."

The taller guy holds out his hand generating this lance of pure light. I bolt back down the street for my life but I'm quickly cut off. "Where you going?" the one from school snaps at me. "Today, you die!" he flings a light lance in my direction.

I watch the lance hurl in my direction. Out of instinct, I step to my right causing the lance to miss me by a mile. I stare in amazement watching the lance fade into the night. "How did I dodge that?" I question myself watching several more lances hurl in my direction. "Uh-oh," I side-step them all without any effort. "How am I doing this?"

The two guys standing across sprout the same black wings I saw yesterday. "Oh no," I start running from the street into the park that parallels my neighborhood. The one from my school catches me tackling me to the ground. "Get off!" I force him off me allowing me to quickly get up but he grabs my ankle. "Let me go!"

"Sorry Wali," the guy tightens his grip on my ankle pulling himself to his feet. "We can't let you live man – get him Theo!" he calls to his friend. This guy flies toward me with a much brighter lance than before.

"Today, you die stupid kid," this Theo person calls out lunging for me. I put my hands up to defend myself and shut my eyes. I open my eyes again seeing this strange blue shield in front of me. I free myself and continue toward my house. I don't get far as my feet stop seeing two more individuals standing in my way.

"Don't tell me you two haven't killed this kid yet," this blonde-haired girl speaks to her friends.

Right at that moment, two people jump from the trees in front of me. The girl to my right frees my legs before turning to the ones behind me. "You ok Wali?" the girl speaks to me in a voice I recognize as Tris Whyte, one of Raya's friends.

"I'm fine Tris but how did you know I was here?" I question her thankful that she and the other guy saved my life.

"Let's just say someone's looking out for you," the guy to my left steps up with this sword I only see in those Japanese manga shows via Hulu and YouTube. I recognize his voice as Avis Barrow, the student-body treasurer. "Why don't you go home and let us deal with these fools?"

"You know about them?"

"Sort of," Tris tells me fending off an attack. Looking up, I see this blast coming in my direction. Out of instinct, I hold my hand out generating the same shield I did before blocking the attack. Tris stares at me with these wide-eyes freaking me out a bit. "Since when can you do that?"

I shrug my shoulders unsure of what's going on myself. "How should I know? I just want to go home and forget this whole thing ever happened."

The guy across from us growls over our discussion. "You devils are done for," he shouts at the three of us. "You can't save this stray from his fate."

Stray? What is he talking about? I barely know what's going on other than my life is being threatened. "Do either of you know what this fool is talking about?"

Avis turns to me unaware of these black-winged freaks circling us. "I think they're talking about you," he draws a pause from me. He stares into my eyes noticing something and I see a bluish tint in his eyes. "I see it all right," he turns to Tris nodding, "he's definitely one of us now."

"Do you mind clarifying?"

"Well . . ."

"It's quite simple really," a third voice from behind me gets my attention. Turning around, this magic circle appears before a black guy about my height walks out of it. He looks around at the unfolding scene as Tris and Avis defend me. "Oh brother, what a mess," he speaks to the unusual gathering. I recognize him as our school's student-body president Devin Burgess, one of the kindest people I've ever met next to my late grandparents.

"Devin," Avis and Tris walk to him allowing me to catch my breath. "Man, you're a sight for sure."

"I can see that." He walks from them and to me. "Hey Wali," he shakes my hand. "Sorry for the rude introduction to our world but things are . . . complicated. Why don't you take a breath while I handle these fools?"

I stand there agape at his demeanor. Devin has always had this calm look about him that I could never figure out. "Are you one of these devils they keep talking about?"

"We'll explain more when you see Raya tomorrow."

Raya? What does she have to do with this? I knew from homeroom earlier today that she understands this stuff but . . . I don't know. "Sure," is all I can say.

I stand with Tris and Avis as he walks to the black-winged guys in front of us. "Ramon, tell your friends here to back off. This fight is over."

"Like hell I'm doing anything you say Devin," I finally recognize the one Devin speaks to as Ramon Thompson, a well-known troublemaker at school. He was the one who said that I'm lucky to be alive when I went to the restroom earlier in the day. "That devil you're trying to protect must die at once!"

Devin shakes his head holding out his right hand. "Then we have a problem then," he generates this sphere of swirling water. "Correction, we have two problems: one, my House master told me that if any harm comes to our newest member, then you're dealing with me; and two, your master issued an edict that all sides are adhering to saying stand down until further notice."

"Huh?" Tris walks to Devin unsure of what he just said. "When did you hear this?"

"Why do you think Raya sent me out of town?" Devin answers in the form of a question. "Things are screwed up now because of something that happened in Japan. All I'll say is that a leader class fallen angel spilled a dark truth about something few people know about and now the entire system is in chaos."

All of us stand in amazement over what Devin said. What could he have found out that was so devastating he can't tell us now? I may be associated with the church but whatever this is has me intrigued. "How bad is this thing Devin?" I ask him wanting to know something more. I walk to him growing in curiosity.

Devin pays no attention to me keeping his eyes on Ramon and his friends. "Stand down Ramon because if you and your friends decide to advance on us, my next move will be your last breath."

Ramon waves his friends back. "Fine Devin; we'll back off but keep your master's new plaything on a short leash," he warns staring directly at me. They fly off in a flash of darkness as the sky above us returns to normal.

Devin turns to me seeing the questions swirling in my head. "What I ended up learning is going to change everything for all of us going forward. Why don't you go home and get some sleep?"

Devin's right; whatever's going on will be sorted out tomorrow when I find Raya's place. "Fine, my head is on overload anyway." I walk home and straight to bed.

Devin's P.O.V.

I watch Wali exit the park before turning to Tris and Avis. "Good thing I showed up when I did," I tell them with my easing smile.

We all walk in the direction of Raya's house. "We're just lucky you came," Tris motions us across the street leading to a store. "I'm surprised you've been gone for so long."

"Yeah, I would've come back yesterday but I learned more about what I mentioned during the fight that's going to change everything."

"I guess," Avis mentions walking next to me. "I can't wait to hear this crazy story."