Chapter 2- Memories Lost in River
"Daddy don't leave me!" a much younger Jragon cried out frightened. The surrounding was dark, smokes emerge out in the horizon, blazing the grasses. The animal out of the open fields ran off, brushing dust in the air hazing his gaze over the other side of the river where he saw his parents and sister residing.
"Son stay with me! Hey! Leave him alone! No!" his father yelled from across the river. But who was he shouting leaving alone to? He turns around to stare at red deadly eyes with him reflecting like a mirror before blacking out completely ending the attack.
"NO!" Jragon shouted and shot his eyes open. Breathing heavily gasping for air, he checked his surroundings. The sandy oasis wasn't there just a hard flooring, sun disappeared by a small hall with poor lighting, chairs and a long desk lies in the middle of the room. Small portraits hanging with dusty building up moldy on the glass frames.
Slowly rising up he was still shaky but he kept his balance, no wounds were left on him infact all his status are normal after that encounterment with the stranger. He opens his inventory screen to find no weapons were left in the slots, near panic he slide to screen his friends and guild list. On the list it marks he's still absence of offline status. He hovers his finger onto the screen to change his status back to online.
"I wouldn't do that, it's still locked for this timing," Jragon turns around to face the stranger however this encounterment it's bewilderment. The stranger no longer dawn his mask with the hood covering. Now in front of him the stranger wore the same robe short red hair messy with bare of trims at the tips. His red eyes stared directly at his eyes but not frightening, he felt more calm around this man now. He knew very well he wouldn't be able to escape with the exit far away across behind the man. Sliding his screen once more to the right, Jragon saw his weapon is now held in the second slot weaponry of the stranger and obtaining it back wouldn't be easy.
"I'm hoping I'm not scaring you at all," he assures Jragon, as he closed the screening and replied with a small shake. "Right, well my name's Magian… It been years but I finally found you, I didn't want to attack you to begin with but I was afraid of you running off just like what you just did."
"I don't understand what you are telling me… years? I don't think I met you before," Jragon stepped back feeling unsure now leaving his gaze downwards hoping to avoid looking at the man's eyes.
The stranger saw he was making him very uncomfortable but stands his ground as he bit his lips and take a small inhale breath and breathe out with a small sigh. "I'm your father… whom you thought died many years before." Scratching the back of his head.
"No that can't be right... commander told me you and mom were gone, he wouldn't lie to me… he recruited me into the guild when he told me the news and I had no where to go…" his thoughts raced without knowing his body moves on its own. His back pressed roughly to the wall and slid down, face to knees as he's digesting what he just received.
"Son believe me, I know it's hard to find this reality but it's all true. We've lost you long ago and search endlessly for you, kept the search going even when we almost gave up hope," Magian voice quiver a bit, concerning of his son learning all these truths.
Jragon lifts his head and looks up to his father's eyes, "I...just don't know… Why did it took you so long to find me? Why am I trapped here? Why can't I talk to any of my guil-"
"You will get the answer in time. I don't want to push the matter any further."
Jragon bit his lips, was he really the son of this man? Can he trust him? He have so much questions now stirring with his worries.
Closing his eyes he put his face back down to his knees, but was quickly interrupted by a small knock on the door.
"Come in," Magian quickly reply as he looks at the door to see a blur blast past him in fastest speed. He blinked for a bit and heard a small squeak from Jragon. Turning back he saw his sister crush hugging him.
"Oh my gosh nephew it's been so long, you grown so much handsome young man now gasp your hair is still long but shorter by a few bit, I love it," Jragon's aunt pinches, squished, and constantly moving his hair from his eye. Not much memories are gaining back from his aunt but he was now sure to avoid this one.
"Did I heard that right? Otouto-san is here?" Jragon peaked over his aunt's shoulders to see a young girl likely older than him standing proudly at the entrance. Her long black hair flow elegantly in the air as her heel boots softly tapped against the cold hard floor. She placed her hands on her hips before looking squinting her eyes to look at Jragon closely,facing close their nose nearly touching. "Hmm yep you are otouto-san alright. You are still short as always, really need to grow that height," she laughed waving her hand back and forth in motion.
He wouldn't say he was short really. Maybe like two inches shorter not counting the heels making her an inch added. Can't say for sure why he's short for his age, but he doesn't like it as much as the times where he couldn't even get on a horse without a boost. A big one. Snapping out of being called small he sniffled the air and found a familiar scent wafting around. Looking at the door he saw a young lady; short shoulder length hair, small white hair pins clipping fringes from covering her eyes, her soft serene eyes mean no harm and the scent eases Jragon to a point he knows this is likely his mother.
The mother silent walked her footstep lightly makes no noise like she's walking on clouds. Smiling, he moves a hand to Jragon's face sliding down to his cheek, caressing it. "Blu J, its been so long, I assure you sweetie we mean you no harm, we are your family and we care for you. It's unbelieveable that Magian finally found you, we search constantly and when we nearly thought it's over, you are such a rascal." She lightly slapped him but not because she's mad just wanting him to understand they worked hard to find him.
"We will leave you alone now, the system to your friend and guild list will remain locked and you're not allow to leave this room," Magian ushers the others out and closed the door with a loud click.
Jragon in disbelief looks back at the door, there's no exit for him now. The guild stone lying at the corner of the guildhall warp was locked up and wouldn't allow him to access an escape, there's never windows in the dimmed room. Alone and quiet he decided it's better to just agree to follow what his father told him and stay in the silent room. Remembering his pet, he opens up his inventory taking out the small whistle and gently blew to summon Eclipse.
The mare emerge without a sound, lying hurt on the ground just like yesterday when attacked unconscious with just her silent breathing in and out like sleeping but in pain. He searched into his inventory again and pulls out one phoenix feather and a few bandages for revival and mending. He used the phoenix feather and revived the horse to her stance, and pats her head and told the mare to lie down as he takes small portions of the white bandages and mends the pain away. With his magic he used his Healing to heal the unwounded health, the mare was with glee stands up to lick his face to show much appreciation.
"You're especially welcomed," Jragon said as he scuffles into his inventory and search for food and hands his pet an apple whom claimed happily with crunches the apples. "Sigh you're probably the only being I can even talk to at all right now, being alone here isn't feeling to well towards me." He presses his face to the mare's as she blinked and snort while rubbing her nose into his white gloves slightly staining it with her apple drools. He didn't care for now, he really wanted to be out of the claustrophobic room.
He looks down at a chair nearby and took a small seat with the mare resting closely. He checked the screening once more to check the time and saw it was already late he really wanted to head to bed, however now knowing about the sudden event would he still have the nightmares? He looks back at his mare who was now asleep with her eyes closed tail lying mostly still but moves a bit to the left before right in slowness. He closed his eyes to seek his slumber or a nightmare.
The sky was dimmed at sunset, the smelled of fresh wild grass was aroma to the child. Looking down to his hands he didn't see his gloved hands anymore, his hands were tiny too. He heard a small growl and turns his head to see a giant Hippo just lingering around munching on the grass. He blinks for a few second and realized he was replaying his lost memory again, the exact same one over years but however this time he saw more clearly before the attack he usually see.
A small shout was heard in a distance he quickly turns and saw his parents. Both are young, very young and wearing more outdoor clothes he wasn't all too familiar with in his encounter with them just a while ago. His sister was yelling across something about saying she wants to ride the hippo too. He cupped his mouth to call out but was cut off by a loud explosion. All the hippos and animals nearby him frantically all stampeded almost trampling little Jragon as he ran off to the sides to avoid. Smokes emerges in the sky, cascading the colors to darkness and dust mixed the air from the rampage blurring his way of seeing.
He slowed his running to walking with less effort and throwing cough fits from his lungs drowning in dirt air, eyes shut to prevent dust on blinding him. Eventually he bumped into something and knocked back a slight. He couldn't see anything and was afraid he was getting himself more lost in the storm.
"Son! Run! Get Away from him!" he heard his father shouting, him? He quickly opens his eyes ignoring getting dust into his eyes. The vision was all blur and slowly comes to a focus that it was a man and was more into trouble than he is now. The man's red eyes were deep bloody and the smile was frightening. Panicking, he took some steps back away from the man but tripped to the burnt grass and eyes widen to face his possible nightmare. The man smiles wickedly and reach out at him before blacking out completely.
Opening his eyes he looks up at the ceiling deadly. His eyes were still drowsy and felt something wet on his cheeks. He closed his eyes and realized he was crying again. Even after the encounterment with his parents he was still tearing in his sleeps. He opens his eyes again and open the screening seeing it was only at 2 A.M in the morning. He looks down at his mare who was still sleeping peacefully lying perfectly the same before. He exits his window and quietly gets up sliding next to his pet and leans to his mare's side. He lays his head to the metal saddle of the steel mare providing not much comfort to many but Jragon believes it's enough for him. He takes a huge inhale and exhale before drifting to sleep at this mare. Hoping he can continue sleeping anymore without the nightmares.
