In Part 1 (Ch. 1-5), we met our Static bookworm narrator Emilie and her friends: the active Mage Jess, the shy Wizard Shannon, and the enthusiastic and Dynamic Alex. But when Emilie was set to research her favorite true dragons, she read a mysterious note saying that she was a true dragon herself.
“Emilie!” Mom calls before knocking on my door. “Time to get up!” Right, research day!
For a moment I think last night might’ve just been a bad dream before I realize I can see my mom through my door, highlighted in red and orange. Instead of answering her, I flip over and bury my face in my pillow.
I watch her heat as she opens the door and walks over to my side, without myself budging an inch. “You need to get up so we can catch the bus!”
“No!” I defy her. I can’t be seen like this!
“Didn’t you ask me yesterday to take you to the university?
I don’t answer. I watch as she leaves the room. For a few minutes I think I’m safe before she comes back with Al.
“Come on, Em!” he prompts me. My previous fits of defiance seem really childish compared to this time. I don’t answer. “I thought you loved learning about Dragons!”
“I don’t want to learn!” I cry into my pillow. This would all be so much better if I just didn’t know!
I can’t read facial expressions with heat, but Al hesitates before forcefully flipping me over, pillow and all. I grip the pillow tighter. They can’t see my eyes!
“You’ll need to know something for your project,” Al prompts again.
“I don’t want to know!” I cry again. Even though my eyes are tightly shut, I can feel the pillow wetting with my tears.
Finally, my family leaves me alone while I cry into my pillow. My life is over. What am I supposed to do?
«History of New Dragons or What to do as a New Dragon (this article is locked by Akiko).»
Wait, what? Two articles? And only the second is locked. Is there a fight in the library? I focus on the first one.
«Since the awakening of Frederick, Dragons traditionally leave home to be trained by other Dragons.» For some reason, “Frederick” seems to indicate a noble title to it. Like he’s a king or something. «There, they learn the necessary skills to rule areas until they prove their worth. Most new Dragons are born to Dragon couples, although another Dragon will awaken on their own every century. Such Dragons are encouraged to contact the rest.»
I know my parents aren’t Dragons. Gold isn’t a valid eye color: it’s too dark to match with yellow Dragons. I have seen records of those, after all. So that leaves the other type, which means… well, at least I’m not the first. But I wonder why I haven’t heard about the others?
Oh, right, once a century. And only one person, around my age. It’s… kind of morbid, but if I wandered into the woods and didn’t come back, people would probably just assume I was eaten by wolves or a wild gryphon. I know Dragons appear from time to time, but since nobody knows where they come from—and I know why, now—there’s no way I’d have heard anything about that sort of thing.
I go back to the locked article. «New Dragons will awaken on their own every century. Since they could be nearly anywhere, they are encouraged to read the Mymoir before announcing themselves as the new teachers and protectors of their location.»
Um. Wow. That’s quite a different tone from the other article. And completely fails to mention Dragon couples? Is this an older article, and Akiko is trying to preserve history?
«Akiko is a light Dragon born around 600 B.C.» Again, the name feels like it has a further meaning behind it. In this case, one of secrecy. «Since Frederick triumphed over James, she has proceeded to thwart our efforts to assert the right path, locking introductory and history pages.» And “James” indicates that he was, uh, first? at… something. «If you find her, you should report her location and do your best to kill her.»
Um.
I think I found something important.
From reading more of the locked and unlocked articles, I think I have a good picture of what new Dragons usually do. After Frederick did… whatever he did, they’ve started to train in the beast-infested wilds until they can fight pretty well, then they do just about what people expect of Dragons. It certainly seems like the easy thing to do. But the older articles say that Dragons would stay in town and fight off strong threats and generally do what the Defense Force and its town guard does: make people safe, and make them feel safe. I can’t think of any beast stronger than a Dragon, and it takes huge teams to have a hope of driving one off like they did in New York a few years before I was born. Which is why Dragons did the defense thing, I guess. Those older articles don’t say anything about defying expectations, and in fact treat that way as expected, so I don’t think even Akiko can edit them. Or maybe she doesn’t want to.
Between the two “options,” I don’t think either is really one I can pick. The older one is out before it begins, because if I just announced myself to Blacksburg, the whole university and Defense Force would be on me immediately and drive me away. Or kill me. And for the newer one, well, I like my friends. And people in general. I’m not going to be a disaster to an area just because it might make a place safer eventually. I don’t think I even want to know why Frederick thought that was a good idea.
Well, I’m a Dragon. Just as powerful as any other, even if I don’t have any experience. I think it’s time to make a third path.