Chapter 4 – Meet Jake Long

Alden's new home in New York City, was a three story building surrounded by other houses. The house was located on the edge of the city. The front yard was a busy street with lots of cars; the back yard, a 20 by 20 foot patch of grass. Alden's room was on the third floor; it was a loft next to the attic with a fire pole to the second floor or stairs with a trap door. John and Abigail's room was on the second floor with the family room. On the first floor was the kitchen and dining room with an office and big entry way. The whole house was decorated with expensive furniture and paintings from different places of the world. His new parents were obviously paid a good salary to afford all this nice stuff.

This morning was August 22, 2005, Alden's first day of school; it was Alden's first time going to school. All the children at the orphanage were home schooled by volunteer retired teachers. Alden was extremely nervous and scared since once again, he was being thrown into the unknown and was totally exposed to things beyond his experience. Yet, a fire of bravery, courage and hope burned deep within him. He was prepared and alert for anything out of the unexpected, open to learning new things. An inner force from his soul rushed out, he was ready and could do anything he wanted; nothing was going to stop him. Alden was completely fearless; he wasn't sure where this force had come from and didn't exactly know what it was. However this force was an ancient force that had been part of his family forever as part of their being as nature had intended. It was more powerful than Alden could have guessed. I wonder where that came from? he asked himself, but completely forgot the thought as Abigail called him.

"Are you ready Alden?" she called over the speaker system from the kitchen to his room.

"Yeah, I'll be down in a minute!" Alden answered back.

Alden ate breakfast that Abigail had made for him. He brushed his teeth and packed his lunch in his backpack, and then Abigail and Alden both walked a block down to the bus stop. John had to go to work early for a conference in the morning and couldn't see Alden off to his first day of school.

"Goodbye!" called Abigail from the sidewalk, waving to Alden as he got on board. The bus drove off with Alden and some other students from his new school.

Alden stepped off the bus at school and looked up to the sky. Why sit inside all day when I could be out here playing? he wondered. So far today was a beautiful sunny day with no sign of any clouds. Just as Alden was looking down, he saw a red blur pass in the sky but when he looked up again there was nothing but blue sky. I must be seeing things he concluded.

Alden was about to take a step when a kid on a skateboard rode up and stopped next to Alden, almost colliding with him.

"Sorry," said the kid looking up to see what Alden had been looking at.

"That's OK." Alden was still thinking about the red blur.

"Are you new here?"

"Yeah, I just moved from London."

"Cool."

"The name is Alden Pendragon."

"My name is Jake Long."

"Nice to meet you," Alden said politely.

"What classes do you have?"

Alden handed his schedule to Jake to compare. After a minute Jake had finished.

"Wow," exclaimed Jake, "we have all the same classes."

"Neat."

"Come on, I'll introduce you to my friends."

"OK." Alden couldn't believe how lucky he was to have made a friend already.

"This is Spud and Trixie," Jake said as he introduced them. "Guys this is Alden Pendragon."

"Hey, Alden!" hollered Trixie.

"What's up man!" greeted Spud.

"Nothing," answered Alden, "I just moved here from London."

Just then the five minute bell rang, time to go to class.

"Well, guys," Jake said, "Alden and me have English."

"OK," said Trixie and Spud together.

"We'll see you later in Professor Rotwood's class!" Jake yelled over the crowd.

"OK Jakey!" Trixie yelled back.

"Dudes, see you later!" Spud stuttered at Jake and Alden.

The rest of the school day went by fairly quickly and with nothing interesting happening. Alden had to agree with Jake, Trixie and Spud, that Professor Rotwood was a freak.

"Hey Alden," asked Jake hopefully after school, "do you skateboard?"

"No, I don't skateboard and I've never tried."

"Oh."

"Sorry Jake."

"We could teach you another day."

"Sure," said Alden, quickly adding, "nice dragon on your skateboard!"

"Thanks!"

"See you guys later!" Alden ran to catch the bus before it left without him.

On the ride home, Alden couldn't shake the feeling that somehow he knew Jake even thought he had just met him. Why do I feel like I know him? he wondered.

That night Alden's dreams were troubling and kept him up most of the night. Alden had one very peculiar dream though.

Alden was standing there thinking about dragons. He imagined himself as a dragon. He thought about turning into a dragon and then his appearance changed into a huge dragon. Alden the dragon was then running on the top of a building. He jumped off the building then panicked so he changed back and fell to his death below on the street.

Alden awoke with a start when he dreamed he was falling. That was a really weird dream he thought. I was a dragon in my dream he couldn't believe it. He had never had any dream like that before. Alden fell back to sleep and didn't have anymore dreams.

The next morning Alden woke up and immediately remembered his dream. He still couldn't find any explanation for it. Humans can't change into dragons he told himself and dragons don't even exist in the first place.

Alden got out of bed and made his way to the window to see what the weather was doing. He almost fainted from what he thought he saw. He had just seen a fairy go by his window. I must be sick he decided. I am seeing things or I have lost my mind or maybe both he thought as he searched for an answer.

"Mom, I think I may be sick." Alden was dressed and just came downstairs.

"You don't have a fever," Abigail said as she felt his forehead, "and you look fine to me."

"I must be tired."

"Then you must get to bed early tonight."

"OK," groaned Alden at the thought of going to school.

Jake, Trixie, Spud and him had to do a pointless essay for Professor Rotwood on dragons. Professor Rotwood had obviously never heard any of the stories about dragons. He was totally clueless. He thought dragon's brains were no bigger than a peanut! Yeah right! All the stories told of dragons being very observant, cunning, intelligent and wise and unpredictable with their actions. They were heroes of the stories along with knights in shining armor. One dragon of legend, Draco, befriended a knight named Bowen.

In Professor Rotwood's class they went down to the library to work on their essay. Jake, Trixie, Spud and him were sitting around a table, each reading a book on dragons. When Jake had had enough of this pointless reading he looked up to see that Trixie was finishing her essay, Spud dozing in the chair next to him and Alden reading his dragon book still. But wait, something had caught Jake's attention. He almost couldn't believe what he was seeing! Alden's arm was shimmering from skin to scales! But that would mean that there was another dragon here in America. The Dragon Council would have informed either him or his grandpa though. He must be an unknown dragon he came to realize. The Dragon Council rarely misses a dragon. After school, Jake raced to his grandpa's shop to ask him about Alden being a dragon.

Later that night, Alden got a phone call from Jake. He told Alden that what he had to say was very important but had to remain a secret. But what would be important enough that I have to keep it a secret? he wondered. Nothing ever important has to do with me. But that would all change as Jake proceeded to tell Alden his news.

"Alden you're a dragon." Jake had just decided to go ahead and flat out tell him the truth.

"W…What?" asked Alden shocked.

"You're a dragon," repeated Jake.

"But there are no such things as real dragons!" exclaimed Alden.

"Yes there are dragons; and every kind of magical creature you could name."

"But how do you know?"

"I am the American Dragon," Jake confessed.

"What do you mean the American Dragon?" asked Alden more confused.

"I am a dragon just like you, but I am the first dragon to protect the United States of American so the Dragon Council calls me the American Dragon," Jake explained.

"Oh." Things were starting to fall into place in Alden's head. That explains the fairy I saw he realized and my dream last night! He laughed at the thought that he had thought he was crazy.

"Are you still there?" Jake's voice came from the receiver by Alden's ear.

"Yes. Sorry Jake." Alden was pulled back to reality. "But I don't look like a dragon."

"No, you don't look like one; but you are one."

"What? How do I become a dragon?" Alden asked, thinking of the dream he had the other night.

"Well you control your appearance with your mind."

"So if I think about being a dragon then I will change my form?"

"Yes, something along that line, but it takes a lot of discipline."

"But how am I a dragon?"

"Your parents must have been dragons or at least one parent was a dragon. I am from an ancient family of dragons too."

"OK." Alden was just more confused since he knew nothing about his parents. "Were you the red blur that flew over me the other day?"

"Yes, I hadn't expected someone to be looking up then."

"Oh, you mean that nobody else knows about the magical creatures but they live in New York City without being noticed."

"Yes, that is true, but they use to live side by side peacefully. That is how the stories and legends were thought of."

Jake was trying his best to explain but he didn't know as much as his grandpa. That's it! he thought. "Alden, come with me to my grandpa's shop tomorrow and he can help train you to master your dragon powers with me."

"OK Jake, I'll do that," said Alden. "But why did my powers start to show now?"

"My grandpa said that it was because you had been near just people your whole life with no training that your mind never knew it and remained dormant. Then you moved here and were exposed to me, another dragon, that your powers were then activated."

"OK, well that answers my questions for now."

"Good. See you tomorrow then."

"Bye Jake." Alden hung up, his mind full of new things to think about.

This is so cool! I had always wished that dragons were real, but to be one myself! he couldn't believe it. Then that must mean my parents were dragons too he realized and they had never left any clues for me!

Alden was too excited and couldn't stop thinking about dragons. He was up till midnight, his mind whirling with ideas. He couldn't wait until after school to find the truth about his past. I could have lived in London the rest of my life and never found my destiny he thought. As sleep claimed him he visited the dream world. His dreams were full of questions and ideas about his past and his parents. He had to find out more about them.