Chapter 3: The Dragon Council's Decision

"Come on." Jade pleaded. "We're missing out all the fun. Jackie probably needs our help."

"Getting Jackie's family in danger is the only thing that makes me regret asking for his help with the Dark Hand." Capt. Black replied. "I owe it to him to keep you safe."

"Trixie! Spud! Say something!" Jade pleaded.

"We need to keep the shop safe." Trixie replied. "You have no idea of the secrets a dragon keeps at home."

"And you'd better remain oblivious." They heard Lao Shi reply as they returned to Canal Street Electronics.

"Is everything okay, Capt. Black?" Jackie asked.

"We've kept your niece out of trouble, Jackie." Capt. Black replied.

"It's a miracle!" Jackie happily exclaimed.

"I didn't know where you went." She moaned. "How were things with that Huntsclan thing?"

"Things were fine until that Wong character showed up." Jake answered. "I've never been so humiliated before."

"I wouldn't say that, kid." Fu argued. "Remember when…"

"Shut up, Fu."

Their conversation was then interrupted by three people entering the shop. "Welcome to my shop, Dragon Council."

"Are they also dragons?" Jackie asked in worry.

"Can they be trusted with the existence of dragons, Lao Shi?" The dragon wearing African clothes asked.

"There's no need to worry, noble dragons." Uncle humbly said while bowing to them. "I am a Chi Wizard, Tohru is my apprentice and Jackie and Jade are relatives of mine."

"Are they also wizards?"

"No/Yes." Jackie/Jade answered.

"She likes to fiddle with my books but I don't trust her with magic." Uncle explained.

"I'm the African Dragon."

"I'm the European Dragon."

"And I am the Dragon of Central America."

"Uncle is honored to meet you all."

"Chi Master Chan, we are aware of how you once offered sacred Monks help in their search for the Chosen One." The European Dragon commented. "You honor your Chi Master Fong."

"Uncle is grateful for this compliment, honorable dragons."

"And who is the other human with you, Chi Master Chan?" The African Dragon asked.

Capt. Black then showed his badge. "I am Captain Augustus Black, of Section 13."

"What's this Section 13 you speak of, Captain Black?" The Dragon of Central America asked.

"A Government branch designed to stop large-scale crimes." He explained.

"Government?" The European Dragon asked in shock and anger. "Are you letting the Government learn about us, Lao Shi?"

"Captain Black's awareness of magic long predates my awareness of his involvement, Councillors." Lao Shi explained as an apology.

"And how did you become aware of magic, Captain Black?" The African Dragon asked while glaring at him.

"My efforts to stop the Dark Hand's crimes lead me to the Magical World when they reclaimed the Talismans on Shendu's behalf." Capt. Black explained.

"Is Shendu involved?" The European Dragon asked in worry.

"Not anymore." Capt. Black answered hoping to calm down the other dragons. "He's currently a spirit suffering eternal torment from his siblings for failing to release them back into our dimension."

"How is that possible?" The Dragon of Central America asked. "Shendu is a demon and demons cannot be slain."

"Without the Dog Talisman, Shendu isn't immortal." Uncle added. "And not everyone understood slaying an evil creates void to be filled by stronger evil."

"And which stronger evil has appeared so far, besides Daolon Wong, I mean?" The African Dragon asked.

"Shendu's brothers and sisters, Councillors." Uncle answered. "As a spirit, Shendu possessed Valmont's body and used it to force the Dark Hand to reclaim the Pan Ku Box and open their portals." He then noticed the dragons' worried faces. "Fear not, noble dragons. All of them have already been rebanished and their portals have been sealed so they couldn't be re-opened ever again."

"Who's this Valmont you speak of?" The European Dragon asked.

"The former head of the Dark Hand." Capt. Black answered.

"Former?"

"He spent so much money helping Shendu he couldn't afford to keep it from disbanding." Capt. Black replied with a happy tone but still maintaining his serious façade. "The only ones left are those working for Wong."

One of the dragons noticed Tohru lowering his head like he was ashamed of something. "What's with him?" Jake asked.

"Tohru was in the Dark Hand until he turned himself in and told us Shendu was the demon they were working for." Uncle explained.

The African Dragon then gave Tohru a serious warning. "You're lucky you turned yourself in to human authorities before we caught you otherwise you'd be rotting at one of our magical prisons."

"Azkaban?" Jade asked.

"Despite one of us here having the surname Black, this is not a Harry Potter book." The European Dragon replied.

"That's right, Jade." Capt. Black added. "It's not as if creatures like Dementors existed for real." However, he was starting to fear they might exist. He's still trying to get over the fact dragons are real and he's talking to some of them.

"No, they don't." The African Dragon said to Capt. Black's relief. "Now, about the Talisman power, we all know what to do." He, the other two Councillors and Lao Shi readied themselves to suck the Talisman power from Jake like the Dragon Council did with Jake's own powers during Halloween. The power was then contained within a magical orb showing an image of what the Dragon Talisman used to look like before being destroyed. It was, however, a short-lived victory as the orb quickly dissolved and the power returned to Jake.

"That's like I feared." The European Dragon commented. "We'll need to find out how to create new Talismans and that might take a lot of time researching the ancient magic used to create the original ones. Until then, Haley Long will be the new American Dragon."

"What?" Jake asked in shock and outrage. "No fair. It's not my fault."

"That doesn't change the fact you cannot go anywhere to perform your duties without Dark Wizard Wong chasing you for the Talisman power." The African Dragon replied. "I'm sorry, Dragon Long."

"We'll get back to Uncle's shop for rea-search." Uncle explained.

"And where is this shop, Wizard Chan?" The Dragon of Central America asked.

"Chinatown."

"I've never seen you around here before." Lao Shi replied.

"San Francisco's Chinatown to be precise." Uncle added. The Dragon Council was now discussing the eventual need to have a dragon living at the West Coast. After they exchanged goodbyes, Capt. Black, Tohru and the Chans left Canal Street Electronics. "Uncle, how will we get the Talisman-Powered Dragon to Section 13?" Jackie asked.

"We won't." Uncle and Capt. Black replied in unison, surprising each other.

"It'd be an insult to Order of Dragon if we claimed to be able to offer better protection." Uncle argued. "And what's your reason, Captain Black?"

"American underage citizens cannot be forced to accept Government protection by anyone other than their parents or guardians." Capt. Black answered. "And I don't think we'd be able to keep him contained there even if he didn't use his powers to escape."

The next morning, Haley Long and her dragon master Sun Park a.k.a. the Korean Dragon joined Jake and Lao Shi at Canal Street Electronics. "Don't worry, Jake." Haley said. "I'll be a great American Dragon. In fact, I might be so good at this the Dragon Council might want me to keep the title even after you become available again so might need to worry anyway. That's probably why the Talisman power chose you instead of me."

"Haley, if not for having to stay hidden from that Wong guy, I'd be enjoying having a day off." Jake commented. "You won't last two weeks."

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