Dragonheart: Desire and Freedom

(In this story, a decade has passed since Marc and his friends have been stripped of all the power first given to them by Marc’s father Satan, leaving them mortal, but Marc, through his absorption ability, has also drained me of both my empathic mimicry, and of all the powers I had gained through it, leaving me mortal as well, but Marc and his friends have long-since been killed, and have been gone for over five years now. I am still good friends with Lexi, and her friends Caroline and Gena, who live in my neighbourhood of Stony Mountain.)






I lay on my bed, enjoying the warm afternoon sun through my open window alongside the cool summer breeze. I wore my dark blue capris and my plain blue muscle shirt. My dad and Barb were both away at work, and Brandon had just left about half an hour ago to stay overnight at a friend’s house, so I was alone.

Getting up, I stretched, yawning, then went downstairs to grab a sandwich, before going downstairs to the basement to work out on my Bowflex Revolution XP machine. Afterwards, I grabbed some water, and went out for an afternoon run.

As I ran down the street, I could feel my heart beating strongly in my chest.

Th-thump, th-thump, th-thump, th-thump!

I recalled how I had almost always gotten winded after a long run, and only rarely did it not happen. Heading to the quarry, I stopped to rest a while, before heading home, and packing my black duffel bag, then jumping in my Jeep Rubicon and heading out to the Duck Mountains.

I headed to my usual camping spot on the shore of East Blue Lake. Luckily, I was all alone. By now it was late afternoon, so I unpacked my things and set up my campsite, before preparing and eating some minestrone soup and ice water.

Afterwards, I cleaned up, then slipped off my t-shirt and sandals, and ran, diving into the lake.

After about a half-hour, I swam back, and walked out of the water, grabbing my towel and drying off. By now, it was sunset, so I slipped into some dry shorts and a t-shirt, before setting up my field telescope, and pointing it toward the northern sky to search for the constellation Draco.

I was so intent on stargazing, that I failed to notice something had been swimming slowly toward the shore, and was now stalking slowly toward me!!

It was a creature somewhat like a mythical dragon, but had an elongated, low-slung body and flipper-like tail, with webbed feet and a draconic head with two graceful, back-curving horns.

Lexi smiled mischievously as she crept toward me up the beach, and luckily, her scaly dragon hide’s dark green-and-gray colouring helped her blend in perfectly to the shadows.

Meanwhile, both Caroline and Gena were flying low in the starlit sky, unnoticed by me.

Gena grinned as she soared down, and landed silently a ways behind me, before sneaking up…

”Charlie…!” I heard the low whisper behind me, and turned…

”YIPE!!” I literally jumped about a meter off the ground, before landing and scrambling back from the creature before me; my eyes big as saucers!

“A…d-dragon…!!” I stammered, just before it playfully pounced on me, licking my face, as I dissolved into helpless laughter!!

“Okay, okay, you…win!!” I gasped; my eyes watering from mirth.

The dragon chuckled, climbing off of me, as I sat up. The large, grinning snout of a blue-scaled dragon greeted me; its green eyes twinkling with mischief.

My eyes widened again. “Gena!!” I laughed, as she grinned toothily.

She chuckled, before giving me a big hug. “It’s so good to see you, Charlie!”

I smiled, before getting up, as the two other dragons walked up to stand beside her.

“That was one heck of a prank, Lexi!” I laughed. She winked at me, and chuckled.

Lexi, Gena, and Caroline all stepped back, and stood side-by-side, so I could get a better look at them.

All three of them were dragons: Gena had become a long, serpentine eastern dragon, with dazzling turquoise scales and a long, spade-tipped tail, two gracefully back-curving black horns, and a narrow draconic muzzle with the characteristic long twin ‘whiskers” found on all Chinese dragons, Caroline had become a dazzling blue dragon similar to Saphira from the movie ‘Eragon’, and Lexi had become the dragon I recognized from the movie “Enchanted”!!

“This is…just…WOW!!” I was near-speechless. “You all look beautiful!”

“Thanks, Charlie!” Caroline replied with a grin.

“Wait! You’re gonna forget me too?” I spun just in time to see Draco himself come flying towards us, landing and folding his wings.

I grinned upon noticing I could hear his heartbeat:

Thump, th-thump, thump! Thump, th-thump, thump!

“Ah, it is good to see you as well, Lance!” I said pleasantly, as Mr. Wintergreen smiled. “So, what brings such magnificent dragons to me at this time?”

Gena’s expression turned sombre, as she walked toward me, and lay down so we were face-to-muzzle.

“We have enjoyed such wonderful freedom after Lexi told us of your adventure with her, Charlie, but I am afraid that Marc may have done something very bad to you!”

I looked up at my friend, confused. “What do you mean, Gena?” I asked.

“Do you remember anything about what happened to Lexi after your children left to live on their own?”

I stopped, turned my head slightly, and closed my eyes; the faint sound of psychic static echoing around us as I focused my telepathy, trying to remember…

A few seconds later, the static faded as my eyes snapped open, and I turned to her.

“You started getting weak, Lexi!” I said with wide eyes. “Did it have anything to do with the empathic link you had to your children?”

She shook her head, as they all exchanged glances, then Mr. Wintergreen stepped forward, looking down at me.

“I think it's time you knew the truth, Charlie.” he said quietly, as I looked up at him, confused.

“What do you mean, Lance?”

They all sat down, as he motioned me close, so I could sit between his massive forearms.

“About three years after you and Lexi became parents, Charlie, something happened. Marc somehow survived the last encounter you had with him, and also discovered what became of both you and her.

He secretly stalked you for the next three years, and one day, while you were flying in the mountains, Marc returned there after stealing a vial of potion I had recently created. It turns a person into a dragon, based on their deepest longings, thoughts, and hopes.

Marc turned himself into a dragon somewhat like Smaug from ‘The Hobbit’, and set out to search for you and Lexi.

Upon finding you, he tried to engage both you and Lexi in a fight to the death, but you both fought against him well.

However, Marc somehow managed to transfer his only weakness, the single missing scale on his left breast, to you, Charlie, before driving his tail-spike into your heart, through that hollow scale!!

Lexi managed to drive Marc off, and she tried to save you, but you died in her arms, and turned back into a man!!”

I looked up at Mr. Wintergreen in shock, as Lexi, Gena, and Caroline felt tears well up in their eyes.

“You regained your life through human mortality, and let Lexi bring you back to the mountain cave. She healed you, but it was also clear to her that Marc, in addition to destroying your true dragon form, had also managed to erase your memory of the life you had lived as a dragon, which is why you couldn’t understand the question I asked you earlier!”

He finished, as I gradually digested all he had explained to me.

I looked up at Mr. Wintergreen in disbelief, then exchanged glances with Lexi, Gena, and Caroline.

I suddenly felt strong psychic static as my telepathy let all the memories come rushing back, exactly how Peter regained his memories of his mother Angela, as in the Heroes episode "Out of Time".

I slowly turned away from them, suddenly feeling sick.

“So Marc destroyed my true form, and erased my memory of my life; the very life I was meant to live?!”

I couldn’t fathom this possibility, but slowly came to realize that it was indeed the truth.

My right hand unconsciously came to rest on my heart, but I could feel no power within; my heart was now weak and ordinary, working only to sustain my human existence.

Lifting my shirt, I saw no special scar or mark, and listening brought only the normal sound of a human heart to me:

Th-thump, th-thump, th-thump, th-thump!

As I slowly came to terms with everything that had happened, a weight like nothing I’d ever felt before came down on me.

I collapsed to my knees, and started to sob.

I felt a warm, gentle touch all around me, then felt myself being held gently against smooth, warm scales.

Looking up, I saw through my tears that Lexi had embraced me. She lovingly nuzzled me, and softly wiped away my tears.

“Hope is not lost for you, Charlie!” my friend said gently. “I give you my solemn word that I, that we, will use all our power to help you regain what you’ve lost, and it will never be taken from you again!!”

With those words, Lexi used her magic to ease and dispel my sadness, and fill me with happiness and hope, which I knew in my heart was what I had wanted to feel in these circumstances.

Helping me climb onto her back, Lexi rose to all fours, alongside Caroline, Mr. Wintergreen, and Gena, before we all took off, flying north over the mountains.

We had gone about five miles, when I suddenly felt something. Focusing, I felt intense psychic static as I clairvoyantly sensed Marc and his friends.

My eyes narrowed, as I clenched my fists; my knuckles cracking in anticipation.

“There, Lexi!” I shouted, as she glanced down, seeing the large, dark form of a castle nestled in the shadows beneath the mountains.

“He’s weakening our magic!!” Mr. Wintergreen yelled, and as if on cue, Gena, Lexi, and Caroline began to indeed feel weaker.

“Quick, down to the ground!” Gena shouted, as she spun and dived; all of them following suit.

Landing, I dismounted Lexi, then held out my left hand, as a sword they all recognized as Orcrist, the Goblin Cleaver, sword of Thorin Oakenshield, materialized in my hand in a silver flash; the black belt and scabbard already strapped around my waist!!

Mr. Wintergreen magically bestowed Lexi, Gena, and Caroline with swords: Glamdring, the Foe Hammer, sword of the wizard Gandalf, went to Lexi, Caroline was given Luciendar, the Sword of Light, and Gena was bestowed with Anduril, the Flame of the West, sword of Aragorn!!

I slowly lifted Orcrist; the soft, high ringing tone of the blade echoing around us as we all ventured forward toward the castle gates. Glancing up momentarily, I glimpsed the stars of the constellation Draco.

”If we are to win, and I am to regain my true form, I need your power, now!”

Suddenly a shock like lightning flashed across my body, quick enough that it wasn’t really painful, just surprising, but at the same time, I felt new power unlike anything I’d ever encountered surge through my veins!!

Then, a silver ring I instantly recognized as the Ring of Barahir, which had been worn by Aragorn, materialized on my right index finger!!

But due to the shadows, neither my friends nor Mr. Wintergreen noticed.

I hefted Orcrist, tightening my grip on the hilt, before we walked across the drawbridge with me leading my friends.

Then, so subtly that they didn’t catch it, I tilted my head, narrowing my eyes.

There was a loud whirring hum as a powerful magnetic force suddenly caused the steel gate to split down the middle; the halves twisting back on themselves as my magnetic power crushed them against the walls on either side!!

I was so intent on reaching the castle that I didn’t notice Mr. Wintergreen, Lexi, Caroline, and Gena were all staring at me in disbelief.

What none of them realized, and neither did I, for that matter, was that my ring had somehow absorbed some of Mr. Wintergreen’s magic, expanding it into a near-infinite ocean of power locked within the emerald set between the two silver serpents in my ring!!

We all entered the castle’s main hall, and at the moment, no alarm sounded to betray our presence, nor did any waiting guards attack.

But I wasn’t a fool. I knew that in some circumstances, the greatest threat reveals itself subtly, and not, as many people think, with thunderous power.

Through the power locked in my ring, I clairvoyantly pinpointed Marc’s exact location: in the dungeon beneath the castle foundation.

I turned to my friends. “We’ll have to split up. Lance, you go with Caroline, Gena, you stick with me, and Lexi, try to find another way down to the dungeons! We’ll try to meet later. We have a better chance at surviving if Marc can’t catch us together, but we must join forces to defeat him once and for all. Right now, splitting up is our best bet at neutralizing any hidden forces in this castle!!”

They all nodded, and separated as I had instructed them.

Readying our swords, Gena and I moved as one, side-by-side, down the main hallway, taking advantage of the shadows.

For about fifty feet, all was quiet, until I picked up the distant sound of running footsteps, headed our way. I could tell by the sound that it wasn’t one of our friends.

I stopped, holding out my hand to stop Gena.

“What is it, Charlie?” she whispered.

“Someone’s coming, Gena!” I replied. “Quick, stand against the other wall, and stay quiet!”

She did so, as I stood opposite her, and we both held our swords straight up and sideways, so no light would reflect off the blades and betray our positions.

Sure enough, two armoured guards came walking down the corridor, talking to one another.

“…but I was sure Marc had taken care of Charlie and his friends! They’re dead!” one was saying.

“Apparently not!” the second replied. “Marc said that that wizard Wintergreen and his friends, Gena, Lexi, and Caroline were on a mission to stop our master’s plan to destroy his enemy!”

My eyes narrowed dangerously, as I tightened my grip on Orcrist’s hilt.

“Then we’ll have to help Marc any way we can!”

I stepped silently out of the shadows.

“That is, if you live to return to him!” I replied venomously.

The guards spun; anger twisting their faces as they rushed me. “Kill him and sound the alarm!”

The other guard ran toward a lever on the wall, but I thrust my right hand at him, telekinetically throwing the guard back into the other wall, then dragging him upward and pinning him just beneath the ceiling, ten feet off the ground!!

I easily deflected the second guard’s sword with my own blade, before grabbing his left arm.

Suddenly smoke began to seep out from under my hand where I held him, and as Gena watched, breathless, and terrified, the guard began screaming as the gem in my ring shimmered; bright green flames suddenly licking across the man’s arm and swiftly down over his body, engulfing him and burning him alive!!

Releasing the burning man, I let him collapse to the ground; the green flames engulfing him completely, yet not touching anything else, nor spreading from his body!!!

I finally spun, thrusting my fist up toward the man on the wall, as he gasped; eyes going wide as he jolted violently, then I dropped my arm to my side, as he fell dead to the ground; his heart having burst inside his ribcage!!!

Turning to my friend, I grinned and winked at her. Gena followed me through the hall before she was grabbed from behind by another guard, but I spun, thrusting my hand at him, as he jolted, and Gena escaped his grip, but when she spun toward him, she saw a large king cobra where the guard had been standing just seconds before!!

It hissed viciously, as my friend’s eyes widened, but as it reared up, I swiftly tossed my sword from one hand to the other, thrust my right hand down to my side, and opened it flat.

The cobra suddenly jerked and hissed in agony, and as my friend watched, it began to turn to stone, and in just three seconds, a perfect statue of the cobra was in the serpent’s place!!

Then, so fast that all Gena saw was a blur, I swung Orcrist; the high ringing tone of the silver blade echoing faintly through the hall as I effortlessly sliced and shattered the stone statue within the space of a single heartbeat!!!

Turning, I continued down the hall with Gena beside me, until we finally came to a tall stone door.

It was so thick that trying to open it by any conventional means would prove impossible.

I tried to pull the door open with my telekinesis, just like how Peter Petrelli did to the steel vault in the 'Heroes' episode 'Powerless', but even that failed to open it, despite how powerful my telekinesis was.

I stepped back, now knowing I'd have to blast it down instead, and glanced at Gena. “You’re gonna want to stand back, Gena!” I said with a grin.

She smiled, and did so. Stepping forward, I placed my right hand flat on the very centre of the door, as the gem in the Ring of Barahir began to glow diffusely, shimmering like a light seen deep underwater!!

I squeezed my eyes shut, and focused as hard as I could.

Gena’s eyes widened as the stone began to crack, lightly at first, but then the cracks deepened, before I lifted my hand off the stone, stepped back, and thrust both my hands forward hard while clenching my fists…

BOOM!

The stone door completely shattered like glass; chunks and pieces flying violently forward, vanishing into the darkness of a stairway leading down into what I surmised was a dungeon.

Before we ventured, I used my power to change the stone’s molecular structure so it wouldn’t transfer sound, thus making echoes impossible.

Gena and I swiftly ventured down the steps into the dungeon, a long cavern with several large cells on either side obscured by iron bars.

Seeing that no one was here, we returned to the hall, and headed toward the main corridor to reach the other side of the castle.

Suddenly voices reached Gena and I. Listening hard, we were shocked upon hearing both Caroline and Lexi, followed by Marc’s laughter!!

Exchanging glances and nods, we swiftly headed through the hall, encountering several armed guards, but by my magic, I immobilized some by liquefying the stone floor and causing it to pull them down like quicksand up to their chests, trapping them. Others I turned into serpents which were then sliced in half by my sword, and I also burned some of them alive just like I’d done to the one guard we’d encountered earlier.

Reaching the other side, I kicked the door down to come face-to-face with Marc, his friends, and our friends as well, in a gigantic courtyard open to the sky, surrounded on four sides by stone steps to a large veranda with one entrance at the far end, leading back into the dungeon from which Gena and I had come earlier, by way of another passage.

Marc stepped forward, grinning sadistically.

“Well, what a surprise!” he sneered. I suddenly noticed Caroline, Lexi, and Lance had all been captured, and were held fast by strong steel manacles attached to chains that were in turn joined to the stone pillars supporting the roof of the courtyard veranda.

I stepped forward, raising Orcrist, as the soft ringing tone of the silver blade echoed throughout the courtyard.

Marc grinned, drawing and raising Kilgorin, the Sword of Darkness.

We stood about ten to twelve feet apart; eyes locked on each other.
Gena knew that this final battle was mine alone, and so had silently moved toward the veranda in order to make her way toward her friends.

By now, it was night; a full moon shining down from a star-filled sky.

“You’re always the fool, Marc,” I said coldly. “wanting to believe that you will always defeat me and let your evil rise.”

I stepped toward him, stopping about nine feet from my enemy.

“Well, guess what? You’re wrong!”

Suddenly he unleashed an unearthly demonic roar and shot toward me in a blur, but thanks to the power in the Ring of Barahir, I was just as quick, blasting forward and clotheslining him, before slashing Orcrist down and attempting to gut him, but at the last second, I felt Orcrist’s blade slide harmlessly over what felt like oil; an invisible barrier preventing Marc from being slashed!!

He grinned maliciously, then thrust his left hand at me, using his own telekinesis to send me blasting up into the sky!!

The occurrence was so sudden that I lost my grip on Orcrist’s hilt, as I spun and flipped uncontrollably, but clenching my fists, I willed the power in my ring to slow me down, and stop me about four thousand feet in the sky!

I instantly saw Marc leave the ground as he shot up toward me, but my eyes narrowed defiantly.

Flying down toward my enemy, I used my telekinesis to retrieve Orcrist, pulling the sword up toward me and grabbing the hilt.

”You won’t win this time, Marc!!”

I readied my sword, and just as Marc closed in, I suddenly spun, and smashed him in the chest with the flat edge of my blade; the force sending him careening violently up into the sky!!

“Here I come, scumbag!!” I shouted. Thrusting my blade forward, I blasted toward him like a bullet.

By my magic, I increased my speed until I was literally a blur, and Marc couldn’t see, or react fast enough, to me in order to counter the force of my impact as I drop kicked him; the momentum sending Marc literally blasting across the sky like a bullet from a gun!!

I watched him fly back so far away from me that he disappeared from my view!!

However, I pondered the very distinct possibility that Marc would return with just as much force.

Knowing that the balance of power could shift at any moment, I chose to rely on my ultimate weapon.

Looking down, I clenched my right hand into a fist, as the stone in my ring began to glow once more, before I slowly reached down to place my fist to my chest so that the gem in my ring was directly on my heart.

Instantly, a blinding green glow flashed from the stone in my ring; the power swiftly surrounding me and transforming me into an anthropomorphic form of the dragon from ‘Black Dragon Stock Two’, by ‘lorddarkwolf’ on deviant art!!

Lowering my fist from my breast, I spread my massive black wings to their full span, and raised Orcrist, before taking off, shooting across the sky toward Marc, who had recovered and was headed straight for me!!

His eyes widened in disbelief as he saw the black dragon flying at him like a torpedo!!

WHAM!

The force of our impact blasted us back away from each other once again, but thanks to my massive wings, I easily deflected much of the momentum, slowing myself down.

”Impossible…!!” Marc shouted; his eyes wide with shock.

“No, it isn’t, Marc, if you can plainly SEE me here before you!!” I laughed.

He then saw the Ring of Barahir on my right forefinger, as his eyes widened in dismay.

“Turns out you didn’t completely drain my powers after all, Marc!” I laughed.

His face twisted in rage. “Then let me break that power and reduce you to a pitiful human mortal!!”

I actually threw back my head and half-laughed, half-roared with mirth; the sound making Marc blanch with a momentary twinge of fear, and making him hesitate.

“You, Marc de Manthaeus, think that you’ll conquer me?" I roared. “I think your vanity will ultimately be your downfall!!”

His face twisted in rage, as he thrust his sword forward, blasting toward me, but at the last second, a blinding flash sent him reeling.

Upon regaining his senses, Marc saw Caroline, Gena, Lexi, Lance and I, in our dragon forms, all hovering, spread in a star formation so Marc was completely surrounded!

I raised Orcrist, as my friends followed suit, raising their swords.

Suddenly noticing a shadow being cast upon the courtyard below, we all glanced up at the night sky to see the 17 stars of the constellation Draco gleaming like diamonds in the night sky, outshining all the others, as the star Eltanin, in the dragon’s eye, shone like a beacon!!

Then, the silver blades of our swords all began glowing, dimly at first, but then increasing luminosity until they were like dazzling white spears of light!!

“Ready?” Mr. Wintergreen shouted.

“NOW!!” I shouted back. Then, before Marc could react, we thrust our blades down to point directly toward him; Marc’s defiant expression turning to horror as he saw, and felt, five brilliant spears of light and pure power slice through his body!!

Throwing back his head, Marc unleashed an unearthly demonic howl that would’ve woken the dead.

He began to convulse violently as he attempted to withstand the power, but to no avail!!

Suddenly his eyes vanished, replaced by the same blinding light which now sliced through him; two thin but blindingly bright cords of light blasting into the night sky, then the light blasted from his mouth, hitting and ricocheting off the stone pillars until the courtyard was filled with light!!

Abruptly, it blasted skyward in a thin pillar, vanishing into the stars, and when the light finally faded, nothing at all was left of the greatest enemy that not just we, but the world, had ever known!!

Sheathing our swords, my friends and I flew down into the courtyard, exchanging hugs and handshakes as we congratulated each other on our combined efforts to forever rid the world of Marc’s evil.

And we knew that with Marc gone, all the evil and corrupted people were gone as well, leaving the good people to live in peace, forever!!

And in just a few hours, the most beautiful sunrise any of us had ever seen did indeed signify the beginning of eternal peace!

Mr. Wintergreen offered to take our swords for safekeeping to which my friends and I happily obliged.

Now free of our duty to keep humanity safe, as now it had been saved, my friends and I bade each other warm farewells, and took off from the courtyard, flying away from the castle and leaving it behind forever.

As I flew east toward the rising sun, I occasionally glimpsed my friends flying in the distance, now on their own journeys to wherever they chose to go, and exchanged waves of farewell with them.

With the burden of the greatest challenge I had ever faced, or would ever face, now lifted from my shoulders, I looked forward to a relaxing life of freedom.

I headed east toward the mountains, and as I ventured there to find a new home, I looked down at the Ring of Barahir, smiling as the silver gleamed, and the fiery green crystal shimmered in the sunrise’s light.

A new life that was better than anything I’d ever imagined now awaited me in those mountains, and I knew that I would enjoy it forever!!


         The End!