Chapter 2
The Choosing-Part 1
Dart awoke the next morning still feeling the jetlag of her journey to this new continent. Well…you can't really call it jetlag if you came by teleportation portal. Anyway, since she woke up early, she decided to step outside and practice her swordplay.
The foreign girl changed into a red tank top and blue jean shorts that went to her knees, wearing ankle-high boots and her bandana. As she placed on her fingerless gloves, she went over to her smallest bag and pulled something out.
It was a blood red pendent that composed of a golden chain and an unusual red stone. The stone wasn't a ruby, nor was it painted. It was in the shape and design of an eye. An eye with a slit pupil.
This was her greatest treasure. Not because of the pendent itself, but the meaning behind it. As Dart continued to look at it, she clenched her opposite fist.
"Mom. Dad." She whispered.
Shaking her head, Dart placed the pendent around her neck and grabbed her sword. This was not a time to mourn the dead, nor the time to crave vengeance. She was here, on the other side of the world. Now was not the time to be thinking of that night.
With those thoughts in her head, Dart went out to practice.
As she did, she found a clear space on the "grounds" and began to swing her blade. Unbeknownst to the warrior, Beau and Conner were both awake and caught sight of the girl.
Beau was fascinated by the unique girl, sensing a power that seemed to rival his. After meeting the girl the other day, the black and gold dragon took a liking to her.
Conner noticed this, and he too had been keeping an eye on Dart. Like Beau, Conner sensed an ancient power within her. A power that was thought to have been lost long ago.
Looking at Beau, Conner whispered. "If all goes well today, you might be able to choose two riders."
Conner then returned his thoughts to the day ahead, unaware that someone was plotting something sinister.
Meanwhile, on the other side of Dragon City…
"Three thousand years ago, a great Dragon-Human War threatened to rip apart the planet. But a single golden dragon, the last of its kind, chose two humans to be his heroes. One from the continent of Draconus, a Dragon Booster. The other from Endiness, a warrior who bore the power of the original dragons: a dragon knight. A Dragoon. This Dragon Booster, and the last gold dragon, along with the leader of the seven Dragoons, released the full power of the dragon and stopped the fight, by turning all dragons back to gold."
Inside a citadel that practically radiated darkness, a white haired man was facing a screen, while explaining the legend of the Dragon-Human war to his sixteen-year-old son.
"I have learned, Moordryd, that the ancient gold bone dragon has been bred back into existence. By my dear old friend: Conner Penn. He is holding secret auditions for riders. You will disguise yourself as an Elite-Class racer, and infiltrate Conner's racing stable. You will take the gold dragon."
The white-haired boy scoffed.
"Don't tell me how to steal dragons, father. My Down City crew and I have been stealing them for you all my life."
The man turned around, clearly informing his son not to be cocky.
"This dragon must not choose a Dragon Booster. The gold dragon is the only thing that can stop me. I will start a new Dragon-Human war. And when it's over…I will rule the world."
After the man had said that, Moordryd then asked a question. "And what about this…Dragoon leader?"
"Ah, yes. I have also learned that Conner is housing an Endiness girl for a student exchange program. I highly…suggest that you find this girl and capture her. I can't let the gold dragon choose a Dragoon as well, now can I?"
"And what do you want me to do once I capture this 'Westerner'?" Moordryd asked.
The man smiled sinisterly.
"Bring her to me. If she is a Dragoon, I might as well attempt to put her powers into good use."
Back at the stables…
After Dart had finished her practice rounds, she heard the sound of thundering footsteps walking behind her. Turning around, she spotted Beau, who was approaching her.
"Hey, Beau. Good morning."
The dragon growled and grinned in his greetings as he sniffed the sword. Seeing this, Dart pushed the dragon back by the snout.
"Careful. This sword's pretty sharp."
It was then that Dart heard a familiar voice asked, "Then why do you carry it?"
She turned around again to find that the voice belonged to Lance, who was still a bit groggy.
"Morning, Lance. It's become a habit that I carry a sword around."
"But why?" Lance asked, unknowingly asking the same question that Beau was thinking about.
"Because, Lance. There are creatures in Endiness that tend to hurt and eat humans. So, some humans take up arms to defend themselves not only from the monsters, but bad humans as well. I prefer the sword, but there are other weapons that a person can choose. But, it's nothing for you to worry about. I was just getting some exercise since I got up early."
After Dart had given her explanation, she returned to the house quickly and returned her broadsword to her scabbard. Once done, she returned to the grounds. As soon as she got back, Conner called out to his two sons and his new 'daughter'. Once the trio of youths assembled, Conner gave them their duties for the day.
"Today is an important day, you three. It's the day that Beau might be able to choose his rider. Now, Artha, I want you and Lance to clean the place up. Dart, I want you to come with me for a minute."
The last sentence confused the three. But none the less, the boys began to clean the stables, while Dart joined Conner a few stables down.
"You wanted to see me, Mr. Penn?" Dart asked.
"Please, call me Conner. Now, I called you here because I wanted to test something."
"Test?" The foreigner asked.
Conner didn't say a word, but lead Dart to a platform.
"Wait here."
Dart did as she was told as Conner left. He then returned with Beau. Once he got Beau into position, he returned to Dart.
"Dart. Before the other riders get here, I want to see if Beau can choose you as one of his riders."
This caused the girl's eyes to widen.
"But…Why me? Why now?"
Conner answered that question.
"Dart. Do you know of the Dragon-Human war?"
Dart shook her head.
"The closest things I could think of are the Dragon Campaign and the story of the Dragoons. Why?"
"Well, three thousand years ago, on this continent, a violent war between humans and dragons threatened to destroy the world. The last of the gold Star dragons, whose name was also Beaucephalis, chose two humans to help him stop the war. One was your namesake and ancestor, Dart Feld, who led the Dragoons into battle. He aided the Dragon Booster, a Draconian human chosen by Beaucephalis, in stopping the Dragon-Human war."
Conner then pointed to the pendent that Dart was wearing.
"That stone you wear was once his. It is proof that you are of his lineage. And so, I wish to test you. To see if Beau will choose you as one of his two riders."
After hearing the story, Dart could not find any words to speak. What if she was Beau's rider? Would that mean that she is a Dragoon like in the legends? With her curiosity peeked, Dart gulped.
"W-well. Alright."
Dart then waited until Conner steadied Beau, not that he needed to be. In fact, the dragon was excited about this test.
Ever since he was a pup, Beau was fascinated by the legend of the Dragoons. How five humans, a Giganto, and a Wingly were able to save the world from a creature known in legend as "The God of Destruction." So he really wanted to see if his new friend was indeed the next leader of the Dragoons.
However, before Dart could even get up the platform, the three heard Artha call out.
"Hey, Dad! We got a few early Drag-crows here!"
Sighing, Conner spoke to Dart. "Looks like this will have to wait. In the meantime, see if you can help out the boys. I'll have to test you later."
"Ok." Dart replied.
Then, she turned her head to Beau, stroking his muzzle.
"Sorry, Beau. Maybe later."
Beau was disappointed, but it couldn't be helped. Hopefully, the test will indeed come later.
Later, as Dart made her way to another part of the stables, she spotted Artha being held up by the collar by a boy with white hair.
"Hey! Hey! Knock it off." Dart called as she pulled the two boys apart.
The white-haired boy quickly dropped Artha and backed off. Artha, brushing himself off, began to protest.
"Argh! Dart! I have this."
Ignoring Artha, Dart turned to the white-haired boy.
"Look. I don't know who started this. But I am pretty sure fighting isn't allowed here. So if you are one of the racers that have an audience with Mr. Penn, you better head over to the meeting point."
The white-haired boy nodded.
"Understood. Although, you better speak to the Stable Brat here."
"I'll talk to him later. I've got other things to worry about."
As Artha walked off, Dart was about to follow when the boy spoke again.
"You're from Endiness, aren't you?"
Dart turned to the boy, cautious.
"How do you know?"
The boy then replied.
"There have been rumors of someone from Endiness coming here. Although, I never expected that they would send someone as lovely as you here."
Dart rolled her eyes.
"Well, I am from the west. But I think it's best that no one knows about it right now, Mr. ~"
The boy gave a smirk.
"Moordryd Paynn. I race dragons, unlike the Stable Brat. Perhaps sometime, I can show you how a true Draconian rides. (A/N: Boy, doesn't that sound kinky. lol) Also, I am interested in the west from the eyes of a local."
Dart raised an eyebrow, but was still on edge.
"Maybe some other time. I busy right now, Mr. Paynn."
"Call me Moordryd. Otherwise, people will confuse me for my father." Moordryd half-joked.
But Dart ignored that joke, mental eye-rolling.
"My apologizes. I have to go now. But, thank you for not strangling anyone…Moordryd."
Moordryd nodded in acknowledgement. As Dart left, he thought to himself.
"So that's the Westerner that father told me about. Even if she isn't a Dragoon, she is kind of cute."
Realizing what he thought, Moordryd shook his head and headed for the front gates of the stable.
Several riders, including Moordryd, lined up in front of the gates of Penn Stables. Once every one was here, Conner approached the group.
"Thank you all for coming today. You are the best Street and Elite-Class racers in Dragon City, and I want you all to meet my new dragon."
Conner then gestured to the gate, which opened, revealing Beau. He had on multiple colored gears he had magged earlier.
"I believe he will be the most powerful dragon in on the planet."
Moordryd's eyes widened at the sight of the dragon.
"The black and gold dragon of legend!"
It was then one of the racer noticed the gear.
"What is that, Conner? Level 6 White Aero gear? 5 Blue Balance? 5 Red Speed Burst?"
Conner continued to speak.
"He can fully magnetize and use all gear types and levels."
Another racer spoke in disbelief.
"A dragon that uses all gear colors? No dragon does that."
"See for yourself." Conner spoke as he nodded to Beau.
With the stable master's approval, Beau magged on some nearby gear that two of the racers had brought with them and magged them at their appropriate places. Thus, amazing the riders.
But then, Conner noticed something. Or should I say 'someone'.
"I know you." He spoke as he walked up to Moordryd, who tried and failed in hiding from Conner's gaze. "You're Word Paynn's son, Moordryd."
Moordryd smirked.
"What are you going to do about it, old man?"
Conner then spotted an eye symbol on Moordryd's shirt.
"The mark of the Dragon Eye crew, huh? My stable is off limits to Down City crew members. Go home, Moordryd."
As Moordryd began to walk off, Conner spoke again.
"Tell your father, my old friend Word, I said…hello."
"Oh, I'll give him your message." Moordryd muttered sinisterly.
He then took a glance into the stable and found Dart reading a book. He kept walking, but Beau snarled, both in defensive for Dart, and sensing something dark about this boy.
As soon as Moordryd was gone, Conner then thought to himself.
"So. Word Paynn knows about the black and gold dragon. Could it be possible that he knows about the Dragoons as well?"
"Excuse me." Conner then spoke to the riders.
With that said, the riders began to converse amongst themselves as Conner spoke to Artha. Dart, seeing this, decided to put down the book she was reading and see how Beau was doing.
"You doing alright, big guy?" She asked as she approached the black and gold dragon.
Beau, happy to see the golden haired girl, responded by nuzzling her face. This caused the girl to chuckle in amusement.
"Heh-heh. You're just a big softy, aren't you?"
The riders were impressed by how this strange girl somehow had a natural talent for befriending a riderless dragon. This did not go unnoticed by the Penn's, nor by Moordryd, who was watching nearby.
Artha, watching his sister, spoke to his father.
"You think Dart is this 'Dragoon' the Dragon Priests told you about?"
Conner, watching Dart interact with Beau, answered his son.
"I strongly believe that she is one of them, Artha. I can clearly see the fire glowing brightly within her."
Artha couldn't understand what his father meant by fire, but even his own gut instinct told him that something about Dart was unnatural.
After the father-son discussion, the Penn family continued with the day's event. They watched as another rider climb up the platform and settle himself on Beau's saddle.
"Mags his own gear? Right. Let's take him for a spin around…"
But before the rider could even finish the sentence, Beau's eyes widen as the golden glow of his mag energy shoots the rider off of him. A sign of rejection. Beau snickered at the result.
Lance, Artha, and Dart watched from the side as riders continue to try and fail.
"He can mag his own gear..." Artha replied as another rider was rejected into the Penn Stables sign.
Lance finished the sentence. "…but not the rider."
As they watch the rider slide off the sign, Dart asked the boys, "Is it like this for all dragons?"
Artha, cooled off from the Moordryd event, answered. "Not really. This audition apparently is for Beau only."
Conner, recovering from a flinch he gave off, muttered in disappointment.
"It looks like Beau won't choose anybody."
But any sounds were cut off at the sound of thundering footsteps approaching the stables. A red, bipedal dragon skid to a stop, causing a dust cloud to temporarily blind the group. When the dust cleared, the dragon's rider walked forward.
It was a girl about Dart and Artha's age. She was wearing a yellow, teal, and pink racing outfit with a matching helmet. From what Dart could see, the girl had shoulder-length blue hair. And a smug look on her face.
"Ok. The rest of you can all go home." She spoke.
One of the riders spoke to another in annoyance. "Oh, great. Kitt Wonn. She thinks she's the best dragon racer anywhere."
Kitt walked past them, speaking, "I beat most of you last week in the Fire Cave, didn't I?"
She then walked up the platform before turning to the small crowd.
"Now, pay attention."
Dart gave a physical eye roll.
"She who boasts gets her foot shoved into her mouth. That's what I say." She thought.
But she then looked at Artha, who instead of agreeing with her, was seemingly attracted to the newcomer. Dart scoffed.
"For crying out, Artha. Get a grip."
But her attention changed when she heard the riders speak in astonishment.
"She's on!"
As Dart turned her head, she saw that the girl was indeed on Beau's back.
"Give it a minute." She thought.
"That's… how it's done." But Kitt spoke too soon as she was magged off of Beau and landed on Artha, causing both Dart and the dragon to snicker.
"Nice shot, Beau." Dart whispered to the dragon, which earned her another snicker from Beau.
"Gah. So…that's how it's done." Artha replied amusingly.
Narrowing her eyes, Kitt got off the boy, growling in frustration. Conner then looked to the riders.
"Anyone else?" But the remaining riders backed out, for fear of the unpredictable rejections of the gold dragon. Kitt, however, decided that it was time for a bit of revenge.
"What about your son, Conner? The Stable Boy?"
Lance, seeing this, took this as a time to tease Artha.
"Yeah~. What about the Stable Boy?"
"You know, this Stable Boy thing is really beginning to scrape my scales." Artha replied, becoming irritated.
Conner approaches him and hands him a white and blue jacket with a golden spinning star on the back.
"Here. You'll need my old racing jacket. You do race in your dragon vid-game really well."
But Artha countered. "Exactly. It's just a game."
But, in Dart's eyes, Conner was determined to prove to Artha that he could race as well as his vid-game. That he can race real-life dragons.
"Listen. The dragon is just like the great power within you. Relax. Open your mind and your heart. And release that power. Release the dragon."
From the look on Artha's face, Dart could clearly see that Conner's pep talk was working.
But then Kitt opened her mouth.
"Come on, Stable Boy. Let's see what you got."
She then tossed the boy a white and blue helmet to him. As Artha's mood changed from confident to nervous as he readied himself to climb on, Dart turned her attention to Kitt.
"You know, you're only making yourself an even bigger loser. No need to drag everyone else down."
Kitt scoffed at her. "And what exactly do you propose, Miss Westerner?"
This caught the attention of the other riders.
"She's a Westerner?"
"I thought she was from out of town before. But from Endiness?"
Seeing this, Kitt spoke to the other riders.
"Oh come on. Haven't you noticed her clothing? The way she asks questions one would know at a young age? Only people from Endiness are clueless about our dragons."
The last sentence sent Dart's temper to the edge.
"What did you just say?"
Kitt looked back at her, smugly.
"You heard me. Your people are clueless when it comes to dragons."
That sent Dart over the edge.
"Look here, Miss Arrogant! My people know more about dragons than whatever you can comprehend. In fact, if it wasn't for my country, there wouldn't be any dragons, would there?"
"Oh. You mean those old fairy tales about the beginning of the world and dragons and humans working together to obtain freedom from a bunch of non-existent flying beings? Give me a break. Your country is full of…"
"That's enough!" Conner intervened, breaking up the catfight the girls were having.
He looked to Kitt.
"Dart here is an ambassador from Endiness. If something should happen to her, it could ignite our two countries into war. Think what you want of Endiness and its people, but keep your opinions to yourself."
He then turned to Dart.
"And Dart. The last thing we need right now is a fight. I suggest you two cool down before something else happens."
Despite Conner's warning, the two girls glared at each other before walking in separate directions.
After the unsuccessful attempt for Artha to ride Beau, (thanks to Lance and a draconi-yum bar), Kitt, wanting to get back at Dart for earlier, spoke up.
"Why don't you try Miss Westerner? That is, of course, if she is allowed."
Dart glared at Kitt but managed to keep her temper in check.
"I don't need to prove anything to you."
"But, she does have a point." Conner replied to the surprised Dart. "If Beau won't choose anyone from here, then maybe someone from outside our borders would be suited for him."
Taking Conner aside, Dart whispered to him.
"Conner, please. I don't want to do this for the wrong reasons. What would happen if I'm not chosen to be Beau's rider?"
"Have faith in yourself, Dart." Conner replied. "From what I have seen, Beau responds to you well and it's obvious you two have already forged a strong friendship. One needed to protect and unify this planet. And what's better is that you know when not to do something if the reasons are all wrong. This is why I want you to try and test yourself now instead of later."
Despite her protests, Dart knew even then that Conner was right. No use fighting about it if it's going to happen anyway. Besides, there was the Dragoon matter at hand. So, ignoring her better judgment, Dart accepted the task.
Once Conner announced that Dart was going to try, the other riders, including Kitt were eager to watch and see what happens. As Conner returned Beau to the platform's edge, Dart began to walk up the steps. Each step she took, her heart beat faster and faster. But she knew she had to do this.
Once she got the top of the platform, Dart turned her attention to Beau. The black and gold dragon, who was looking back at the girl in anticipation, listened as Dart whispered to him.
"Hey. If I'm not one of your riders, could you reject me gently?"
Beau nodded in agreement, secretly hoping that he wouldn't reject her.
Looking at the pair, Conner then asked the girl, "Are you ready, Dart?"
Taking a deep breath, Dart gave her answer.
"Yes."
With that said, Dart turned till she faced the riders, sat on Beau's back, and swung her leg over.
"She's on."
One of the riders replied. But they waited for the response. This didn't take long as the golden markings on Beau's body began to shimmer like sun-kissed water. The riders covered their eyes as the light glowed brighter and brighter.
This went on for a few seconds before the light and shine faded. Understanding what this meant, Conner gave out the response.
"It seems that Beau has accepted Dart Feld of Endiness as his rider!"
After the announcement, Conner had seen the riders out. Reactions for Beau's choice were various amongst the crowd.
The riders were stunned beyond words; Kitt narrowed her eyes at Dart, clearly not forgiving her for humiliating her; Lance was heavily impressed and Conner was relieved that Dart was the chosen Dragoon. That meant all that was left to do is to locate the Dragon Booster. Artha, though still sore about what had happened to him earlier, surprisingly felt proud of his foster sister.
This left Moordryd, who contacted his father once the choosing was over.
"Father. It's just as you suspected. The dragon of legend chose the Westerner as his first rider. She is the head of the Dragoons."
Word was not pleased.
"What! I thought I had told you not to let her try."
"Apparently, Kitt Wonn provoked her and Penn allowed her to try. But that means I can capture both dragon and Dragoon at the same time."
Word thought about what about what his son had said. If the black and gold dragon had just picked the Endiness rider, chances are she was still unaware of the power that dwelled within her.
"Very well. But make sure you capture the girl immediately. We don't want her to fully awaken now, do we?"
Moordryd nodded. "Understood, Father."
Later that night, Dart was lying on the couch in the den of the house. Lance was playing his vid-game and Artha was looking over the golden star amulet he got from his father. After looking long enough, Artha decided to place the amulet away and pester his foster sister. He got up from his chair and walked over to a seat across from the couch.
Smirking, he spoke. "So…how does it feel to be known throughout the city as the first Endiness person to have a Draconian dragon?"
Dart sighed.
"If you're trying to tease me, choose another time. I'm still in shock about this."
"I'll say. Beau choosing you as his rider? That's drac! And Dad did say that he will give you lessons. Who knows? Maybe you'll be the first Westerner to compete in the All-City Races." Lance told her, not taking his eyes off of his game.
"Yeah. But what about after the year is up. I mean, how I can handle Beau when I…"
But her words were cut off when she heard noises outside. Sitting up, Dart looked to the source of the sounds, which was coming from outside the door.
Grabbing her sword, Dart whispered to the boys.
"Stay here."
Artha was about to protest when he thought about Lance. Deciding to stay with him, Artha whispered to Dart.
"Be careful."
Dart nodded as she headed out of the door.
Once she was out of the door, Dart snuck her way out to the stables, where the noise was the loudest. She peeked around the corner to find three unknown riders with black dragon eye markings on their clothing surrounding Beau. He was being held back by some sort of green trapping gear.
"Quickly! Place the black control gear!"
One of the riders, a helmeted Moordryd, whispered. As soon as the black gear was on, Dart decided to take action. She stepped out into the open and readied her sword.
"Hey you! What are you doing to my dragon?" She demanded.
Turning around to face the foreigner, Moordryd smirked as he thought to himself.
"So, she did come. Perfect."
"Dragon Eyes! Surround and capture her!" He called out.
Cain and the other Dragon Eye riders grinned as they obeyed Moordryd's order. However, as they circled her, Dart smirked back.
"So, six of you and one of me. What's a poor girl to do?" She spoke mockingly.
As they lunged at her, Dart stabbed her sword into the ground and perform some martial arts to send her attackers back. This wasn't any ordinary style. This was a style that was unique to the southwestern islands of Endiness.
"Note to self: Thank Troy for teaching me the basics."
But as she was ready to kick Cain in the face, a whip-like weapon quickly wrapped around her, immobilizing her.
"Wha-what the?"
Moordryd approached her, reeling in the whip.
"Now, now. Why don't you be a good girl and come with us. Our…superior is looking forward to meeting you."
"Yeah? Well I'd rather not meet him." Dart told him off. "Now tell me. What are you doing to my dragon?"
Under his helmet, Moordryd smirked. He liked this girl's guts. But before he could tell her, an explosion went off at the house. This caught the girl's attention.
"What the?"
"Well, well, well. Looks like the Stable Brats won't be able to join the party." Moordryd replied.
But, unbeknownst to Moordryd, the sound of Lance and Artha's cries set something off in Dart. Her smug look faded into a paralyzing fear as the memory of a similar fire roared through her mind.
"No. Not again!"
Instead of being calm or quiet, the sight of the fire caused the girl to go off in a rage. Looking to her masked captor, venom dripped from her words as she spoke.
"No. I will not let this happen. Not again!"
She began to struggle so violently that Moordryd was beginning to worry that he was not going to contain her.
"Quick! Tie her up and round up that dragon!"
Beau, hearing the Penn boys' voices and the sight of Dart's reaction to the fire caused a reaction as well. His thoughts on the three youths, Beau struggled to get out of his bonds. His newfound strength caused him to strain the control gear. Moordryd, seeing this, widened his eyes.
"Impossible! He's breaking free! Stop him! I want that dragon!"
But it was too late. Beau, with all his might, broke the control gear. He then straightened himself out before roaring at Moordryd and began to glow gold.
"Hold on. Another Mag Burst!"
Before the other riders could act, streams of light shot from Beau's body, picking up the riders and tossing them aside.
With the riders temporarily out of the way, Beau made his way to Dart, who was breaking free from the whips. He helped her out by biting into the loose rope.
"Thanks, Big Guy." Dart told him as she got on Beau's back. "Now. Let's go and get the others."
With that said, the pair made their way to the house, Dart grabbing her sword on the way. Once they reached the house, Beau burst through, creating a large hole in the wall. Dart then spotted Artha, who was racing up to them.
"Oh. Am I glad to see you two."
"Where are Lance and Conner?" Dart asked, worried about the remaining Penn's.
"Lance made it outside and I don't know where Dad is." Artha replied, his tone changing to worry at the last bit.
"Well. Let's get out of here. This place is going to collapse!" Dart told him as he grabbed her arm as she hoisted him onto Beau's back.
However, Beau jerked, as if feeling a shock throughout his body. He then raised his head, growling a strained growl.
"What's happening?" Artha asked.
But before Dart could answer, a golden star mark appeared on Beau's forehead, a bright light illuminating the area. As both he and Dart covered their eyes, Artha remembered what his Dad told him earlier that day.
"The ones Beau chooses will be the Dragon Booster and the leader of the Dragoons."
As the light faded, Beau burst through another wall, which held Lance on the other side. Artha whooped in excitement while Dart was trying to keep steady. When they reached him, Lance spoke in shock to his brother.
"Beau chose…you?"
"Well…yeah. I…"
But before Artha could finish, they heard the voices of the crew members calling nearby. As Lance got on, Beau ran over to the edge of the Penn Stables platform.
Once they reached the edge, Beau allowed the three humans to slide off his tail and onto the railing of the platform before turning back to bid some time. When he returned, he used his Mag energy to cause the Stable sign to fall, blocking Moordryd from one of the desired prizes. In frustration, Moordryd burst through on his dragon, Decepshun, but found no trace of the black and gold dragon. That is…until he saw a tail slide off the platform.
On the rail, Artha whispered as he, Dart, and Lance got back on Beau.
"No way out. No what out."
Lance then pointed ahead.
"What about that building?"
"That's too far for…"
But Dart's words were cut off as Beau took off. As they reached the end of the railing, both Dart and Artha remembered another thing that Conner had taught them.
"The dragon is just like the great power within you. Release the dragon."
As if on cue, a sort of a shield appeared around the front of Beau. The shield glowed brighter as he went faster on the raw power of both of his riders. It was enough to allow him to jump and made the leap to the distant building, despite the rough landing as he slide to a sign, causing the three humans to fly off him and over the sign.
Sitting up, Artha beamed.
"We made it!"
"Speak for yourself." Lance called from his trashcan landing spot.
Dart, who landed on her stomach, coughed for some air.
"That sure takes the wind out of you."
Looking back to find that the attackers were not going to follow them, Dart asked Artha.
"What do we do now?" Artha, helping Lance out of the trash, spoke.
"Simple. We find a good hiding place for the night. Once we do, I'll call a friend of mine and he can contact us."
With that said, the three youths got back on Beau and rode off.
An hour later, the three humans and the dragon of legend were resting in an undercroft in Squire's End when a dark-skinned boy with maroon hair riding a green bull-class dragon approached them. Beau growled while Dart was on the defensive. Artha calmed them down.
"Relax guys. It's my friend Parmon and his dragon, Cyrano."
The new dragon, Cyrano, magged down Parmon, who began to speak to Artha in a serious, yet nervous tone.
"I've got your call. What are you doing in Squire's End? This is Down City Crew territory. Dragon City Security doesn't even come down here."
Artha answered him. "Somebody tried to kidnap Dart and steal Beau. And this is where Beau stopped running."
Artha looked back to see Dart and Lance petting Beau's muzzle, calming him down. He then looked back to Parm, a look of worry on his face.
"Hey. Did you see my father? He's not answering my calls."
Parm gave him the grave news.
"I checked the stables. All I found…was this."
He then held up Conner's old racing jacket. The same one he tried to give to Artha that same day. Covering his grief-filled eyes, Artha spoke again.
"Dart saw the symbol of the crew that attacked the stable. A black dragon eye." His eyes then flashed with anger and vengeance. "They're responsible for what happened."
Parm spoke again, trying to prevent the recklessness from Artha.
"Down City crews have spies everywhere. If they want your dragon and foster sister, they can track you down. They pay people to talk. They can…"
But then he was interrupted by Lance.
"I'm hungry."
"And what about food! Do you realize how much a dragon like Beau needs to eat?"
It was then that Artha got an idea.
"Parm. I'm gonna street race."
This baffled his long-time friend as he continued.
"The best defense is a good offense. We need money. We need to eat. And Down City crews race in the All-City Races. I'm going after them."
"If it's any consolation, I would like to help." Dart replied. "I just know that if I had done something sooner, this wouldn't have happened."
"You cannot! No offense, Miss Feld, but you have no experience in riding dragons and they'll identify Beau and come after you again."
Artha countered.
"We-well. Then Beau will have to stay here with Dart. I can race another dragon."
Both Beau and Dart shook their heads at the idea.
"Sorry guys." Artha told them.
But before Dart could speak, another golden glow formed around Beau again. This time, when it flashed, Beau's colors changed from black and gold to red and dark blue with white stripes.
This amazed the group.
"Did you see that? He changed color!" Lance exclaimed.
"I see it. I just don't believe it. Artha. What does this mean?" Parm asked.
"It means you can race Beau!" Lance answered.
Looking at the amulet again, Artha spoke. "It means…I can do a lot more than that."
After Parm went home for the night and Lance was asleep with his dragon, Fracshun, who had caught up with the family earlier, Dart pulled Artha aside until they were next to Beau.
"Hey. I'm helping you, whether you like it or not."
Artha protested. "But Dart. Even if Beau has a disguise, everyone knows that you are the black and gold dragon's rider."
"But Artha, do you remember what your Dad said? The black and god dragon is to choose two riders. One from the West, who will become the leader of the new generations of Dragoons; and one from the East, who will become the Dragon Booster."
"So?"
"So…if anyone asks, I'll say we had found the Dragon Booster and I entrusted our dragon to him."
"And what about the part of being a dragoon?" Artha asked.
"Now that I know what we're up against, if they tried to take me again, I won't waste time in using my sword."
Artha looked at Beau, who "shrugged" at Dart's answer.
Sighing, Dart spoke again.
"Look. It means we'll be partners in this. When the time comes, we'll figure it out. But right now, let's rest and ready ourselves for tomorrow. OK?"
Despite Dart's unclear logic, Artha agreed to that last part as he shook Dart's hand while Beau placed his paw on their joined hands in agreement.
"Ok…partner."
And with that, the two foster siblings sat down against Beau and the three of them fell asleep, Artha wearing the amulet and Dart's red pendent shining in the faint light.
Sorry for the long wait. Chapter 2 is finally up. Troy is an oc of mine that will be coming later in the fic.
Read and review, please. No flames, please.
