1
TJ awoke to the smell of smoke and the sounds of fire eating at the small shacks of the village and the screams of the injured and dying. Before he realized what he was doing, TJ had his katana and was out the door. What he saw nearly stopped his heart.
People he had known since his birth, eighteen years ago were lying slain in the streets. Others, friend and family alike; were being lead, carried, or dragged into waiting wagons. Some stood as stone statues after being petrified. Many more lay as charred corpses and piles of ash.
Why weren't they fighting back? TJ had no clue. He couldn't move. He couldn't do anything to help, as he saw a small boy, not even ten yet, get struck by a lightning bolt. Why was this happening? What did we ever do to anyone? TJ shook the thoughts off and concentrated on a spell he had only days ago learned. Blizzard.
He pushed everything out of his mind and called on the magic.
Nothing happened.
Of course! A Silence spell had been cast on the village. No wonder there wasn't anyone fighting back. TJ's people were peaceful. Very few had weapons other than their magic. He had his katana only because it had been a gift. The katana! He could use that to defend his people. TJ cursed himself for hesitating. How many people had died in the few seconds he had frozen up? No time to worry about that, he thought.
TJ glanced around for the closest attacker. There! After spotting him, TJ broke into a run. In one motion, he leapt, drew his sword, and slashed. Steel cut into the man's unprotected side. With a cry, the man went down. With one more slash, TJ made sure that he would stay down.
The first had been a lucky shot. He'd caught the man off guard, and hit an unprotected spot. Good for now, but it wouldn't work every time. TJ knelt down next to the fallen soldier and gave him a quick examination. A chest plate over simple, leather armor. Many places where they could be attacked. Obviously they had thought that they weren't going to get in close to anyone. For the most part, they were right. What was it now? One of them to.a hundred of us? There was no way for TJ to know.
"Well, what do we have here?" TJ had spotted a pouch hanging from under the dead man's armor. After opening it, He couldn't help but grin. Cornucopia. The pouch was filled with Cornucopia! Without wasting time, TJ used one on himself and felt his magic flow back to him. "Now, it's our turn."
Just a few dozen feet away, a group of villagers had taken up farming tools and were trying to defend themselves. One had a short sword. TJ headed over there as fast as he could. He was coming up behind the soldier, but this time, luck was not with him. The soldier drew his sword, a rip sword, and slashed at TJ. TJ brought his katana up and just barely blocked the slash, but that was enough. The man thought he would just cut him down, but was very disappointed.
While the man was distracted, one of the other villagers, the one with the short sword, came in and attacked.
Two of them down now.
"TJ! Thank god you're still here. These are no good against people using magic!" The villager threw down the shovel he had been using.
"I know. Thanks for finishing him off." TJ tossed the pouch to the others. "Cornucopia. Let's do some damage."
"Damn right! We're being slaughtered like sheep. We're dragons! I say we use our power and get them out of our home!"
Some agreed with him, others didn't seem quite sure.
"But Drake, you know that goes against the teachings! If we did that, then we would just prove everyone right. They fear us and hate us because of the lies spread around that because of our power, we're bloodthirsty monsters."
"Our families are dieing, TJ! We don't have time to care about all that now!" Drake used a Cornucopia on himself and headed off toward a group of soldiers, alone.
To himself, TJ shook his head. "If that's what he thinks, why didn't he just change before? IDIOT! You don't need your magic to change!" It's one thing that the Silence spell couldn't take away.
"But, TJ, he is right, you know.we have to do something."
TJ sighed. "I know, Jahken. I know."
One of the other villagers spoke up. "Well, come on! Let's quit wasting time and do something!"
"All right. Everyone follow me. Look, see over there? That seems to be their strong point. Let's attack that. Everyone with your strongest spells. Now!" Each having dispelled the Silence affect now began to call on their strongest attacks. Fire erupted from the now-shaking ground under the enemies. Lightning bolts shot down from the heavens and incinerated soldiers. Huge stones fell from the sky and crust the intruders. That's when it happened.
A deafening roar brought people to their knees on both sides. Overhead, a shadow. Black on black. Huge. A symbol of defeat for the enemy and an awe- inspiring relief for the villagers. A Kaiser Dragon. Drake.
The most powerful Dragon form any of the Brood could assume. Drake's wasn't the biggest Kaiser form, but no matter how you looked at it, it was still Overkill.
Now where there were screams, there were cheers. The villagers knew they had been saved. Though, very few of them had ever been able to become a Kaiser, everyone around the world knew how powerful it was. Absolutely nothing short of another Kaiser or a god could stand against one.
The enemy turned and fled. They dropped their sword. Left the wagons full of villagers. They got out as quickly as possible. They weren't fast enough. Drake cut them down. Hatred made his eyes burn a deep red, like looking into a volcano.
He let out another roar and then came in for a landing. As Drake was about to touch down, he began to glow in an ugly green light. His Kaiser wings gave out and he crashed the last fifty feet to the ground.
TJ was pinned. He couldn't move. His lungs were burning. No air! TJ opened his eyes and saw what was holding him down. Drake. Dead in his Kaiser form. Death had come so sudden for him that he hadn't even had a chance to return to his human form. TJ tried to move, but he couldn't. The Dragon was just too heavy. Only one thing to do.
TJ abandoned his human form.
At first, he didn't feel the changes. His body was still mostly the same. He had two arms, and legs. Two hands and feet. Ten fingers and toes, though a bit different. His flesh was a light blue, and tougher, but not as tough as leather. TJ now also had a set of wings that spanned around twenty feet fully extended; and a long, whip-like tail. The flesh on his wings was a darker shade of blue, as was the end of his tail.
Most of his magic was unavailable to him, but he did have a few attacks left.
TJ used Aura.
A huge, faded out image of himself appeared above the fallen Kaiser. Instead of commanding the Aura to attack, TJ called on it to move the dead Dragon.
TJ breathed in deeply as he returned to his human form. He was free, now but about then, he wished he had died.
Nothing was left of the village. Not the shops or houses. Not the people. Nothing. Everyone lay dead. Both friend and foe. Their mangled bodies were scattered everywhere, like seeds in a field. Was everyone really dead? No! Not everyone! TJ breathed a sigh of relief. His little sister had left hours before the attack came.
Aloura and no one else. She had tried to get people to leave with her. No one had listened to her. Except for her brother. TJ had told her to go, but he wouldn't come with.
"If there is an attack, " TJ had said, "then I have to be here to help defend the village." Aloura hadn't wanted to go without taking people with her, but she had to leave empty handed.
TJ looked around what had been his home only.how long ago? It had been turned into a graveyard. Dead bodies were everywhere. Out in the open. TJ sent to work burying the dead.
Hours passed and TJ worked on. He brushed a strand of his long, blue hair out of his sweat-soaked eyes. How many had died? TJ had lost count a long time ago.
TJ awoke to the smell of smoke and the sounds of fire eating at the small shacks of the village and the screams of the injured and dying. Before he realized what he was doing, TJ had his katana and was out the door. What he saw nearly stopped his heart.
People he had known since his birth, eighteen years ago were lying slain in the streets. Others, friend and family alike; were being lead, carried, or dragged into waiting wagons. Some stood as stone statues after being petrified. Many more lay as charred corpses and piles of ash.
Why weren't they fighting back? TJ had no clue. He couldn't move. He couldn't do anything to help, as he saw a small boy, not even ten yet, get struck by a lightning bolt. Why was this happening? What did we ever do to anyone? TJ shook the thoughts off and concentrated on a spell he had only days ago learned. Blizzard.
He pushed everything out of his mind and called on the magic.
Nothing happened.
Of course! A Silence spell had been cast on the village. No wonder there wasn't anyone fighting back. TJ's people were peaceful. Very few had weapons other than their magic. He had his katana only because it had been a gift. The katana! He could use that to defend his people. TJ cursed himself for hesitating. How many people had died in the few seconds he had frozen up? No time to worry about that, he thought.
TJ glanced around for the closest attacker. There! After spotting him, TJ broke into a run. In one motion, he leapt, drew his sword, and slashed. Steel cut into the man's unprotected side. With a cry, the man went down. With one more slash, TJ made sure that he would stay down.
The first had been a lucky shot. He'd caught the man off guard, and hit an unprotected spot. Good for now, but it wouldn't work every time. TJ knelt down next to the fallen soldier and gave him a quick examination. A chest plate over simple, leather armor. Many places where they could be attacked. Obviously they had thought that they weren't going to get in close to anyone. For the most part, they were right. What was it now? One of them to.a hundred of us? There was no way for TJ to know.
"Well, what do we have here?" TJ had spotted a pouch hanging from under the dead man's armor. After opening it, He couldn't help but grin. Cornucopia. The pouch was filled with Cornucopia! Without wasting time, TJ used one on himself and felt his magic flow back to him. "Now, it's our turn."
Just a few dozen feet away, a group of villagers had taken up farming tools and were trying to defend themselves. One had a short sword. TJ headed over there as fast as he could. He was coming up behind the soldier, but this time, luck was not with him. The soldier drew his sword, a rip sword, and slashed at TJ. TJ brought his katana up and just barely blocked the slash, but that was enough. The man thought he would just cut him down, but was very disappointed.
While the man was distracted, one of the other villagers, the one with the short sword, came in and attacked.
Two of them down now.
"TJ! Thank god you're still here. These are no good against people using magic!" The villager threw down the shovel he had been using.
"I know. Thanks for finishing him off." TJ tossed the pouch to the others. "Cornucopia. Let's do some damage."
"Damn right! We're being slaughtered like sheep. We're dragons! I say we use our power and get them out of our home!"
Some agreed with him, others didn't seem quite sure.
"But Drake, you know that goes against the teachings! If we did that, then we would just prove everyone right. They fear us and hate us because of the lies spread around that because of our power, we're bloodthirsty monsters."
"Our families are dieing, TJ! We don't have time to care about all that now!" Drake used a Cornucopia on himself and headed off toward a group of soldiers, alone.
To himself, TJ shook his head. "If that's what he thinks, why didn't he just change before? IDIOT! You don't need your magic to change!" It's one thing that the Silence spell couldn't take away.
"But, TJ, he is right, you know.we have to do something."
TJ sighed. "I know, Jahken. I know."
One of the other villagers spoke up. "Well, come on! Let's quit wasting time and do something!"
"All right. Everyone follow me. Look, see over there? That seems to be their strong point. Let's attack that. Everyone with your strongest spells. Now!" Each having dispelled the Silence affect now began to call on their strongest attacks. Fire erupted from the now-shaking ground under the enemies. Lightning bolts shot down from the heavens and incinerated soldiers. Huge stones fell from the sky and crust the intruders. That's when it happened.
A deafening roar brought people to their knees on both sides. Overhead, a shadow. Black on black. Huge. A symbol of defeat for the enemy and an awe- inspiring relief for the villagers. A Kaiser Dragon. Drake.
The most powerful Dragon form any of the Brood could assume. Drake's wasn't the biggest Kaiser form, but no matter how you looked at it, it was still Overkill.
Now where there were screams, there were cheers. The villagers knew they had been saved. Though, very few of them had ever been able to become a Kaiser, everyone around the world knew how powerful it was. Absolutely nothing short of another Kaiser or a god could stand against one.
The enemy turned and fled. They dropped their sword. Left the wagons full of villagers. They got out as quickly as possible. They weren't fast enough. Drake cut them down. Hatred made his eyes burn a deep red, like looking into a volcano.
He let out another roar and then came in for a landing. As Drake was about to touch down, he began to glow in an ugly green light. His Kaiser wings gave out and he crashed the last fifty feet to the ground.
TJ was pinned. He couldn't move. His lungs were burning. No air! TJ opened his eyes and saw what was holding him down. Drake. Dead in his Kaiser form. Death had come so sudden for him that he hadn't even had a chance to return to his human form. TJ tried to move, but he couldn't. The Dragon was just too heavy. Only one thing to do.
TJ abandoned his human form.
At first, he didn't feel the changes. His body was still mostly the same. He had two arms, and legs. Two hands and feet. Ten fingers and toes, though a bit different. His flesh was a light blue, and tougher, but not as tough as leather. TJ now also had a set of wings that spanned around twenty feet fully extended; and a long, whip-like tail. The flesh on his wings was a darker shade of blue, as was the end of his tail.
Most of his magic was unavailable to him, but he did have a few attacks left.
TJ used Aura.
A huge, faded out image of himself appeared above the fallen Kaiser. Instead of commanding the Aura to attack, TJ called on it to move the dead Dragon.
TJ breathed in deeply as he returned to his human form. He was free, now but about then, he wished he had died.
Nothing was left of the village. Not the shops or houses. Not the people. Nothing. Everyone lay dead. Both friend and foe. Their mangled bodies were scattered everywhere, like seeds in a field. Was everyone really dead? No! Not everyone! TJ breathed a sigh of relief. His little sister had left hours before the attack came.
Aloura and no one else. She had tried to get people to leave with her. No one had listened to her. Except for her brother. TJ had told her to go, but he wouldn't come with.
"If there is an attack, " TJ had said, "then I have to be here to help defend the village." Aloura hadn't wanted to go without taking people with her, but she had to leave empty handed.
TJ looked around what had been his home only.how long ago? It had been turned into a graveyard. Dead bodies were everywhere. Out in the open. TJ sent to work burying the dead.
Hours passed and TJ worked on. He brushed a strand of his long, blue hair out of his sweat-soaked eyes. How many had died? TJ had lost count a long time ago.