[project: Legard] Chapter 3 - The Smudged Past: Enter Dragon (part I)

Volume: 1 | Enter 'Dragon' Chapter: III

John Voltron

Project: LEGARD The smudged past:

Enter Dragon Part I Dragon had just been tossed aside like scrap metal after being, gored by the 'S' class leader Amalgam. Phoenix had come rushed to his aid. Panicking at this scene was the only thing he could manage to do. The things he had seen his life, were like déjà vu; all over again, when he saw Dragon sliding down, blood all over his body, to his seemingly untimely grave, after that fatal blow he had suffered at the leader's hands all because he had wanted to protect the lonely wanderer Phoenix who was just like himself. Watching this was of utmost grief for Phoenix, and he tried desperately to check if Dragon was still with him. Still nothing, Phoenix was almost to tears. Dragon heard what seemed to him like a mild voice screaming out to him, but he had already drifted off to a place far away from the desert floor. This place was gorged with darkness. He couldn't see a thing in this place, the only thing that was visible to plain sight, however, was only his entire being. That was it, and the other four directions were nothing but an oblivion of darkness. Dragon was falling and fast, he could tell, as the wind was blowing against his light colored, slightly raised hair, faster and faster, he knew if this was indeed the real realm, earth would soon be approaching. There below him, he could see a plain white

dot of light. This dot was the only illuminating thing in this place full of darkness and despair. The dot like hope kept growing and growing until it was big enough for Dragon to pass right through it. When Dragon finally did pass through it, he couldn't make sense of anything, his brain started acting funny. The next thing he knew, he was standing on a street; a familiar one too at that, he could see that the ground that he could see, that his legs were standing on, were much lower then they were just moments ago before he had fainted; and that his height, he could clearly see that he was a few feet short of himself, there was also a football in his hand. He took another glance at it. He thought he had seen it before. He also felt like he had seen those kids that were hiding around a street corner dead scared of him. He seemed to remember this scene, but at the current instant he couldn't control his thoughts, actions or movements. It was like he could just observe things, but not really intervene. He felt like a zombie, someone else; being the master controlling him on. “Hey, do you guys want to play with me?”, asked a young Dragon hoping for a different answer this time round, “As if we'd play with a freak like you!”, answered one boy who was among the group, “My mother warned me that he's weird and that we should stay away from him.”, said another boy, “Besides, just by looking at his freakishly odd white hair and eyes, you can tell that he's a demon!”, added another boy shivering, “I also heard a rumor that he was the one that caused that fire in the town two months back.”, answered another boy, “Yea, I think you're right! He is a demon, that explains why he's always alone.”, said the last boy of the group. The group then decided to throw stones at Dragon to scare him away. Dragon was scared, and he was running, mostly not due to the fear that he could get himself hurt, but mostly because he didn't understand why people always hated him, for no apparent fault of his. But somehow this had always been his life, at least since after his mother had passed away. Before his mother had

passed away, people would still not talk, listen or play with him, but they also wouldn't try to kill him either. He would always try again to get kids to play with him, but this would always happen, yet he just couldn't help hoping for that one in a thousand possible change. Dragon after making sure, the boys were not chasing after him anymore, made his way to a riverside that was nearby to where he had arrived unwillingly on foot. He sat down at the riverside and started to stare at his reflection in the river. “I'm a demon, eh?”, he said, now observing carefully his unusual dark whitish hair and his light gray eyes. These features alone could classify him being unusual and being inhuman. “Maybe it is true. Maybe I am one. Maybe the reason mother died, two months ago was also my fault. Maybe I was the one that dropped her to that condition.”, saying so, thoughts of that fateful day came into his mind. “Goodbye my son, and may you always be happy, regardless the circumstances, Agnar Dragon Legard.”, were the final words of his mother. He could imagine that day. His mother was in her blanket lying on a bed, apparently in the final stages of a fatal sickness, she was bleeding, and he could also experience that his entire house had been on fire, so was the entire town. Dragon had panic stricken eyes, he just didn't know what to do. To run away and save himself, or to stay there and wait for his mother that had bid him goodbye. He didn't want to think about that night anymore and snapped himself into reality again, with some thoughts still managing to disturb him. “Dragon, eh?”, what a funny name he thought, or he wanted to think, he was almost in tears. Some minutes passed, now Dragon could hear the rustling of bushes. There came a man, who was tall, wearing a brownish leather jacket and a hat. “Oh, I see someone is not in a such a good mood today.”, the man said. Sniffing out Dragon replied, “Mister, who are you? Do you want to kill the demon too?”, the man chuckled, “And who might this demon be?”, “Aren't you looking at him??”, asked a confused Dragon, “No.”, replied the

man, “I just see a boy that is trying hard to carry his own burdens despite his age, thats all.”, added the man, “But people..”, said Dragon, “Who cares what they think? For all they know is codswallop.”, interjected the man, “I heard that your house was burnt down a couple of months ago. Is that true?”, asked the man, “Yes, it was. By the people of the town, they wanted to exterminate the demon.”, replied Dragon, “Well if you'd like, you could stay with me, My house ain't very big, but its enough for a young'un like you.”. “Gee mister do you really mean it?” inquired Dragon, “You bet I do, and oh, call me Mr. Ford from now on.”, confirmed Mr. Ford, “Will do Mr. Ford.” “Now, one last thing, get a damn grin on your face, that expression looks really bad on a kid your age ya know?”, commanded Mr. Ford, “Will do Mr. Ford.”, Dragon said, his face shining with happiness that he hadn't experienced in a long while. ~~~~~ Two months had passed since Dragon had come to live with Mr. Ford. The house that Mr. Ford owned was nothing of the small estate sort. In fact his house was huge, filled with relics of the oddest sorts, scattered all over his estate. Most of the objects that could be found here were full body armors, and insignias that resembled a cross in a darker shade of red. Mr. Ford, hadn't really explained to Dragon about who he really was, Dragon couldn't seem to care less since he wasn't as interested in who Mr. Ford really was in contrast to the fact that he had actually found a place where he could fit in. Nothing beyond this fact mattered to Dragon anymore. Today, something was bound to happen though. Signs of something strange were all over this ordinary looking peaceful city. Today, someone announcing himself as a guest of Mr. Ford was going to arrive at that estate. Mr. Ford had already warned Dragon that although this person was going to announce himself as being a friend, the person was on another agenda altogether. Mr. Ford warned Dragon that whatever this person would ask him, he would bluntly refuse whatever he had to offer. The reason being that this organization was too filthy to be trusted, as well

as they didn't have a clear identity just to be on record. Apparently Dragon could comprehend, that Mr. Ford was signaling that this measly amount of information was enough for him to be aware. The time of this stranger's arrival was due in five minutes. Just as these five minutes were five seconds, there was a knock on the door. The person that could be seen entering the estate was a rather chubby looking tall man, that was a bit on the 'big bone' side of life. Wearing a gentleman's hat, one could clearly make out that this person was an aristocrat. He was also wearing a monocle on his left eye. This monocle though was tinted in a darker shade of brown. “Aha! Mr. Ford, how nice to see you again!”, said the chubby guest, “Pleasures all mine, Mr. Zealot. And how have you been doing in these past few months?”, inquired Mr. Ford with a raised eyebrow, to check Mr. Zealot's response. “Fine, a little under the weather, but not anything that could be enough to worry you nonetheless, Mr. Ford.”, said a slightly hesitant Mr. Zealot. “Thats good to hear.”, replied Mr. Ford calmly. “Now, if you would follow me.” Mr. Ford then proceeded to show Mr. Zealot to his room. Dragon had his eyes glued on this scene, and although at first glance it appeared to be a conversation between to acquaintances it was unusual to say the least. Mr. Zealot while speaking had an eerie tone, and also, Dragon had noticed. The scent that was coming off him, was different from anything he had ever smelt. If a normal flowers scent was sweet and full of life, then this man's scent was bitter and full of malice. It closely resembled Dragon of blood, there was once in life where he'd smelt blood before; that was at his mother's death bed. But that too was faint and not tainted to the degree which this scent was. This scent itself was beginning to scare Dragon now. He ran towards his room and covered himself in his blankets. He was scared, what else could he do, he was only a child after all. Meanwhile, Mr. Ford had escorted his guest to his room, to discuss about the things that were on Mr. Zealot's mind right now.

“So?”, asked Mr. Zealot, “So what?”, asked Mr. Ford, “I take it you know already?”, inquired Mr. Zealot, “If by that question you mean about the gate, yes I do.”, said Mr. Ford, “Good, then I won't have to spend unnecessary time on this matter. I'll go right ahead with the proposal. The higher ups have asked me to get you into this project..”, said a sweaty Mr. Zealot, “The project that involves the opening of the gate? I've heard about it. What makes your boss think that I would cooperate though?”, inquired an interested Mr. Ford, “Ha! My good man, do you honestly think we don't know who's staying with you this very instant?”, inquired Mr. Zealot with malice filled eyes, “I know you demons can sense us humans, but mark my words, you shall not do any such thing to him.”, commanded Mr. Ford, “What makes you think I won't?”, said Mr. Zealot coldly. There was nothing holding the two men back now, before Mr. Ford could manage to do anything, Mr. Zealot by luck scored a sucker punch on Mr. Ford enough to proceed with his plan, an unsuspecting Dragon lay in his room. The plan was shining a gleaming red in Mr. Zealots eyes, what was it that was making him so dementedly happy?

End of Chapter V To Be Continued...

Project: LEGARD by John Voltron is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/in/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA.

Project: Legard