Chapter 3: One Hell of a Party, Part 1
#3 of Bound by Love
**Once again I have returned after a DAMN LONG hiatus, LOL. This latest update features your favorite dragons going to a party. But what kind of party is it? Stay tuned!
Chapter 3: One Hell of a Party, Part 1 of 2**
The next couple of days served to prove the newest Knights how being in the highest class of nobility would be excellent. Now Jokon and Kest had access to areas previously refused to them, such as the Hot Springs up at the Academy. And it just so happens that was where they were relaxing. They had had some really nice days: They stopped a theft, protected innocent children from being tortured, and stopped a corrupt dragon from commiting incest on his own mother, which resulted in him being banished from the mountain and later executed by having his throat ripped out. They were rewarded with a day off by Nissak with an approving grin on his face, and now they could just forget about their troubles here.
"Aw, man, I SO needed this... Yo, Kest, you tired?" Jokon asked the other as he just lay on his back on a nearby chair, just laying there.
"Sorta. I'm not complaining, though."
"Me neither. This is just a small spot of rest. I'm always ready for anything. That is our purpose, after all."
"Agreed, but I still have a feeling we have bigger business ahead."
Jokon swam on his back as he spoke now, the warm water comforting his small wounds. "Yeah, that's true. But for now, all I want to do is rest. I'm really tired."
"Touché." They returned to their resting now, just sleeping. About two hours passed wit nothing to awake them. Jokon almost drowned because he was swimming and almost fell asleep. However, he just took another chair and slept again. On the remaining time, their minds were enraptured in expected dreams of heroic deeds, families saved, hope returning... And death.
Now Kest was in what looked like a battlefield. All he saw everywhere was a gigantic pool of blood emanating from the many corpses that lay in it. He looked around, desperate, for only dead bodies of all sorts of living beings lay all over the place. Jokon wasn't around, nor Nissak for that matter. In fact, he was alone, resentment building. He ran around, looking desperately for anyone alive, for a soul to give him hope. "Hello?! Is anyone here? Hello?!" He sprinted across the bloody nightmare, his vague eyes and mind searching for souls to explain to him what the Hell happened. His thoughts fought between running and keep looking. At first hesitant, he continued to search for anyone alive. But at once he stopped. "Wha...? Hold on! How did I get here?" But he had no time to ponder it: His objective was to hurry and search for any survivors. Soon, he came into what seemed to be a graveyard. He had completely lost count of how long and far he had run. Panting, he decided to shout, "Hello? Is anyone there?" No response.
He continued to look. He saw nothing in the many graves that stood silent and watching him as he looked. "Where is this...? The bodies extend to here. What happened?" The crimson pool was no longer a matter to him. In fact, he was completely oblivious to the blood. His walk seemed eternal and endless, because he saw no ending to this place. However, his most terrible fear arose as he approached the end of the graveyard. He saw two lonely graves at the very end of it. He slowly approached them, panting in exhaustion and read its inscription. Horror was the only feeling he knew as his lips pronounced the words carved into the tombstones.
"Here lay Adrian and Lindsay Fernandez, Heroes of the 'Great Demetrio's War.' R.I.P"
Kest gasped. "Fernandez...? Oh, Heavens, No... They're my parents. No, no this isn't true! It's a cruel lie! A lie!!!"
Suddenly a voice behind him made him shiver. "Adrian, Lindsay, I am sorry, I did not want to do this. I did not want murder you for becoming Dark Dragons by way of torture. However, I have kept my promise to you. I shall raise him just like you asked me to. I will protect him with my life if I must."
He knew the voice all too well. "...Benton?" But once he turned, he saw a hideous, living corpse with a cracked egg on one hand -the egg was completely rotten and severely cracked- along with an axe in the other. Fear paralyzed him as the axe was raised. It fell down with a fell cut. He wanted to speak, but Kest pronounced nothing as the axe slashed him. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
"Kest?! Kest, what's wrong? Answer me, what is it, pal, what's wrong?!" Kest was now sitting on the chair, his snout hidden in his talons, screaming and crying in agony as his own torments returned again and again.
"No, no, that's enough, stop it! Gah, enough, please!" Before Jokon had even seen it, Nissak was kneeling at their side, concerned.
"What's wrong, are you all right?!" He pleaded, but still realized this was something serious.
"I don't know what's happening to him, I've never seen him like this! He just started to turn and stuff, then next thing I know, he screams!"
"With good reason. Must be a bad dream. I know what to do." Nissak took a hand, curled it into a fist, and knocked Kest senseless on the face. Jokon met silence once again, and calmed down a little. Nissak looked down upon the knight. The dragon was sweaty and breathing fast and shallow. He had never been so scared in his life. "Are you all right?"
"Y-Yes... Thank you, sir." Kest got up with help of the two and looked more calm than before.
"What happened? You scared me!" Jokon pleaded with worry as Kest nodded.
"I'm sorry to have worried you. I... Had a horrible nightmare."
"What did you see?"
"I... I..." Kest was missing for words. He did not know how to proceed, since he most certainly did not want to relive this nightmare again. Silver tears were falling from his eyes as they washed down his cheeks and into his already wet chest.
"It's all right now. It's over, and you are you. Here..." Nissak offered him a hand. "Why don't we go to my study and talk about it over a cup of coffee?"
"Um, yes, sir... Thank you," he turned and started to leave the hot springs with a blank face. "I'll go on ahead then."
"Sorry, Jokon, but I'm afraid I'll ask you to let him calm down at the least. I know how to do this, we've had similar cases before," the elder dragon requested as Jokon simply shrugged.
"Um, yes, of course, sir. Thank you for helping him..."
"We're here just for that, so no need to worry. You'll see, give him some time."
All said and done, Nissak followed him, and sooner than he expected, Jokon was alone on the spring. "What... Happened to you?"
The rest of the week proceeded with unusual peace, and the Draconic Knight had almost no cases of robberies and such. He only had three thefts, one murder, and several peace disturbances. Other than that, Jokon's days were only spent with worry over his partner. He had no clues of his whereabouts, nor of where his only family were. The only man he knew that meant family to Kest was none other than Benton. He had been a Draconic Knight before them and Nissak, but now he spent his days hunting and training the two.
Now he stood on the porch of his home back at that solitary mountain. A fresh, inviting smell to roasted deer surrounded him as he made his intentions clear: his resolve was to stand even closer to his friend than ever. Seeing as to how this hadn't happened to him, it was now in his best interests to help. However, he had no clue about their whereabouts, and didn't even know if Benton knew-- Or did he?
Maybe I should pay old man Benton a visit... He spread his wings and left without further notice. "HEY! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU GOING?" His father Shinrai pleaded to deaf ears. His son was already far ahead. "What is up with him?! What a stupid son of mine! If he's so worried about... Wait, he must've gone for Benton's, so that means..." He stood silent for a moment. "..." What was Jokon trying to do?
Then he confirmed what Jokon was trying to do: Worm out the truth about the dream. And that meant he had to know the truth about the events Kest saw in his dream: One that only Nissak, Benton, and Shinrai himself were all too aware about. "NO! HE CAN'T!" Leaving his cooking unattended, he spread his wings and left for the sky, attempting to confirm his worst fear. "THE IDIOTIC BASTARD! HE'LL RUIN EVERYTHING!...And I'm getting too old for even flying... Either that or... Bah, no time to think! I need to get to that annoying kid!" Certain uncomfort surrounded his body as he felt the same cold sky Jokon was feeling miles ahead. An odd thing about his flying was that he was a thousand times slower than his son, though he was trying to fly his fastest.
What happened to him? Why was Lord Nissak being so secretive about this? Where are they? My only hope is that Benton is there... Jokon's eyes traveled all over the countryside as he surveyed mountains, huts, and forests to find Benton's hut. It lay inside of the well-visited Lume Forest, right at its center in a treetop. Jokon fondly remembered how they played annoying and dangerous jokes on Benton. There was a time when they actually placed a live rat under his sheets. He was almost bitten and his scream of horror was so loud even Nissak noticed. They were in big trouble for that and they weren't allowed to keep a pet again. Compared to Nissak, Benton was a bit older, roughly six years older.
A grin drew in Jokon's muzzle as he spotted the Lume Forest, which was the longest tree in the district. At once he spotted the lonely hut, velvet in its entirety and with several flower pots around it. He descended into the calm and yet creepily silent forest. There sat Benton, in the balcony and in an extremely old armchair. There rocked a yellow-and-teal dragon, fuchsia eyes scanning his newest visitor. The old, well-built muscles shone with the sunlight as the wings suddenly opened and he got up. Benton wore at the time a green loincloth with a black leather harness to support it. A goatee-style beard sat in its place as he walked over to him.
"Well, look who it is! Long time no see, kid" He greeted as Jokon descended with a bow: They both knew of his past as a Draconic Knight all too well, and they always bowed to him in respect. "and you're still with your politeness, I see!"
"Hello, sir, it is good to see you again..." Jokon rose as old Benton came up to pat him on his shoulder.
"Well, my boy, I heard the news before, haven't had the chance to drop by and say congrats for the feat."
"No need to do so, sir, I know you and I understand your intentions. I thank you for your wishes."
"So, kid, what can I do for you?"
"Um, sir, I do not know if it is in my place to ask this, but I wish to know of Kest's whereabouts and his condition. I must know, I do not want to be left behind without any way of helping him!"
Benton's face changed into a serious one as he looked at Jokon into his eyes. He knew he meant to know. "I... See. Well, how about you come in first? I'll tell you in time."
I'm particularly proud of this chapter because of a dramatic change: I had originally meant for Jokon to be the focal point of this, but it turns out Kest was the one chosen in the end. How do ya like THEM apples, LOL? I hope you enjoyed this! Comments, if any, are accepted.