Chapter 3
Zerrick sped through the forest jumping over the rugged terrain; Clisko was right behind him. His raced as fast as he was running. He looked up, the dragon was too fast.....he pushed his legs faster. He couldn't let the dragon win....he had to get to the village first......a picture formed in his mind....a memory? No...what was it?
"Mommy, what's happening?"
"Get the children out...."
A gush of wind washed Zerrick back to reality. What was that? The woman...the baby...the boy...the man....familiar voices....where were these coming from? He had never seen them in his life. Realizing where he was again, Zerrick looked up once more, the dragon was out of sight already, he couldn't catch up even if he tried his hardest, the dragon was fast. But he had to try.....
Zerrick stopped. He was too late. The once happy and peaceful village for as long as he could remember was in chaos. It was in flames, people were running and screaming while the dragon circled overhead breathing fire. Reality slipped away from him. The scene was some how familiar....the same smell of smoke and burning flesh....
"Hey Zee! Snap out of it!" Clisko's voice sounded distant.
"What?"
What was he doing? He was just standing there while the village was burning. The sky was now a dark gray as it began to pour. The fire died down as the heavy drops beated against it. By now, the village was empty and the dragon was out of sight.
"Clisko! Search for survivors!" Zerrick shouted. Clisko went off serching as Zerrick went on his own. All around him, smoldering bodies, twisted and cripple, layed everywhere, adult and children alike. Then he saw....
"Mom!" Zerrick rushed over to his mom lying on the ground. Her silky hair was fringed and her smooth tan skin was now covered with dirt and black soot. There was a great slash across her chest which bled heavily. "What happened?" He grabbed a blanket that was spared by the fired and wrapped it around her. He placed a hand under her head.
"People were putting out the fire....a few of us stood up against it....." his mother gasped.
"It's ok, mom," Zerrick whispered brushing away the hair from her face, "you can tell me later."
"Zerrick....there's something I have to tell you before...before I go...."
"Don't say that! Don't say like it's the end!"
"Zerrick....sometime's you just have to let things go...."
"No! You can't- -"
"Zerrick, please listen to me. I'm sorry I've kept this from you for such a long time...I told myself that I would tell you when you're older, when you were more mature. But I couldn't..."
"What? What was it?"
"Zerrick....Zerrick, you're not my really my son."
"What? What do you mean? I've lived here for as long as I could remember."
"One day, I was at the beach and I saw a woman lying on the beach. You saw a lot of this during the heavier times of the war....when we couldn't control the monsters...Well, I rush over to her and said to take care you. Since my husband died and I had always wanted children of my own, but I didn't want ot marry again, I took you in....she never told me her name...Zerrick, that was who your real mother was...
"When I took you in, you couldn't remember a thing except for your name."
"What? I'm not..."
"She also gave me this," Avlina unlatched her necklace and laid it in Zerrick's palm. "She told me to give to you when you were older, and I think it's time. She said you would know how to use it." She place her hand on his face as he place his own hand on hers. A tear slid down her cheek. "I'm so sorry for not telling you sooner....but I do love you and you are still a son to me..."
"I always knew that, Mom, I always knew that," The rain seemed to beat even harder.
"Zerrick, take care of yourself....You will always be my little boy...."
"No, Mom! You can't do this! We'll get you to the city hospital!"
She smiled weakly. "It's alright, Zerrick. I love you and I always will forever. Good-bye...." she gasped her last breath and closed her eyes.
"No, Mom! Wake up! Please wake up!" Zerrick begged as tears flowed down his cheek. He rested her head back down on the blanket. He noticed the dragon had returned, but this time it landed and a man glided off its back.
The man slowly walked over to Zerrick. His silvery white hair catching the wind and his pale face was cold. His icy eyes had a mad glint to them.
"Where is it!" he shouted. "Where did you put it?"
Zerrick stood up jerkily. Anger filled every inch of of his body.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Zerrick growled. Every word came out slowly.
"The key to the eternal fountain! It's here! I know it!" the man said madly.
"I said I don't know what you're talking about!" Zerrick yelled. He looked straight into the man's eyes. "You...you did this...."
The man changed expressions from madness to smirking at the remains around them. "This?" he scoffed, "they were mortal, they would've died sooner or later."
"They were my family and friends," Zerrick breathed heavily, "and you killed them all!!" He raised his sword and charged at the man with all his might.
"You think you can defeat me?" he laughed. He held up his hand and Zerrick was thrown back. "I've wasted my time here." He climbed back onto the dragon and flew out of sight. Zerrick got up and gripped his sword tighter. Anger was surging through his body.
"No!!" he yelled loudly and began swinging his sword blindly hacking at the remains. A hand pulled him back. It was Clisko. His face was filled with pain and sadness. Zerrick stopped and dropped to his knees.
"I know," Clisko whispered, "I know."
Zerrick sped through the forest jumping over the rugged terrain; Clisko was right behind him. His raced as fast as he was running. He looked up, the dragon was too fast.....he pushed his legs faster. He couldn't let the dragon win....he had to get to the village first......a picture formed in his mind....a memory? No...what was it?
"Mommy, what's happening?"
"Get the children out...."
A gush of wind washed Zerrick back to reality. What was that? The woman...the baby...the boy...the man....familiar voices....where were these coming from? He had never seen them in his life. Realizing where he was again, Zerrick looked up once more, the dragon was out of sight already, he couldn't catch up even if he tried his hardest, the dragon was fast. But he had to try.....
Zerrick stopped. He was too late. The once happy and peaceful village for as long as he could remember was in chaos. It was in flames, people were running and screaming while the dragon circled overhead breathing fire. Reality slipped away from him. The scene was some how familiar....the same smell of smoke and burning flesh....
"Hey Zee! Snap out of it!" Clisko's voice sounded distant.
"What?"
What was he doing? He was just standing there while the village was burning. The sky was now a dark gray as it began to pour. The fire died down as the heavy drops beated against it. By now, the village was empty and the dragon was out of sight.
"Clisko! Search for survivors!" Zerrick shouted. Clisko went off serching as Zerrick went on his own. All around him, smoldering bodies, twisted and cripple, layed everywhere, adult and children alike. Then he saw....
"Mom!" Zerrick rushed over to his mom lying on the ground. Her silky hair was fringed and her smooth tan skin was now covered with dirt and black soot. There was a great slash across her chest which bled heavily. "What happened?" He grabbed a blanket that was spared by the fired and wrapped it around her. He placed a hand under her head.
"People were putting out the fire....a few of us stood up against it....." his mother gasped.
"It's ok, mom," Zerrick whispered brushing away the hair from her face, "you can tell me later."
"Zerrick....there's something I have to tell you before...before I go...."
"Don't say that! Don't say like it's the end!"
"Zerrick....sometime's you just have to let things go...."
"No! You can't- -"
"Zerrick, please listen to me. I'm sorry I've kept this from you for such a long time...I told myself that I would tell you when you're older, when you were more mature. But I couldn't..."
"What? What was it?"
"Zerrick....Zerrick, you're not my really my son."
"What? What do you mean? I've lived here for as long as I could remember."
"One day, I was at the beach and I saw a woman lying on the beach. You saw a lot of this during the heavier times of the war....when we couldn't control the monsters...Well, I rush over to her and said to take care you. Since my husband died and I had always wanted children of my own, but I didn't want ot marry again, I took you in....she never told me her name...Zerrick, that was who your real mother was...
"When I took you in, you couldn't remember a thing except for your name."
"What? I'm not..."
"She also gave me this," Avlina unlatched her necklace and laid it in Zerrick's palm. "She told me to give to you when you were older, and I think it's time. She said you would know how to use it." She place her hand on his face as he place his own hand on hers. A tear slid down her cheek. "I'm so sorry for not telling you sooner....but I do love you and you are still a son to me..."
"I always knew that, Mom, I always knew that," The rain seemed to beat even harder.
"Zerrick, take care of yourself....You will always be my little boy...."
"No, Mom! You can't do this! We'll get you to the city hospital!"
She smiled weakly. "It's alright, Zerrick. I love you and I always will forever. Good-bye...." she gasped her last breath and closed her eyes.
"No, Mom! Wake up! Please wake up!" Zerrick begged as tears flowed down his cheek. He rested her head back down on the blanket. He noticed the dragon had returned, but this time it landed and a man glided off its back.
The man slowly walked over to Zerrick. His silvery white hair catching the wind and his pale face was cold. His icy eyes had a mad glint to them.
"Where is it!" he shouted. "Where did you put it?"
Zerrick stood up jerkily. Anger filled every inch of of his body.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Zerrick growled. Every word came out slowly.
"The key to the eternal fountain! It's here! I know it!" the man said madly.
"I said I don't know what you're talking about!" Zerrick yelled. He looked straight into the man's eyes. "You...you did this...."
The man changed expressions from madness to smirking at the remains around them. "This?" he scoffed, "they were mortal, they would've died sooner or later."
"They were my family and friends," Zerrick breathed heavily, "and you killed them all!!" He raised his sword and charged at the man with all his might.
"You think you can defeat me?" he laughed. He held up his hand and Zerrick was thrown back. "I've wasted my time here." He climbed back onto the dragon and flew out of sight. Zerrick got up and gripped his sword tighter. Anger was surging through his body.
"No!!" he yelled loudly and began swinging his sword blindly hacking at the remains. A hand pulled him back. It was Clisko. His face was filled with pain and sadness. Zerrick stopped and dropped to his knees.
"I know," Clisko whispered, "I know."