Let Go

There's a point where there is no more to do than saying goodbye... finishing a chapter of one's life to start another.

It was a clear afternoon without clouds in the sky. The birds sang as a fine breeze adorned the melody with the shaking of leaves and branches of the trees. It was the perfect environment for dragons to hunt for lunch while their riders worked. And so it was perfect for all plans to go rotten.

 

David Bowman and his blue male dragon, Icy, were almost completing their bi-daily training session going at top speed above the buildings of Hays, Kansas. In his late thirties, the rider wore flying goggles and an air friction resistant white suit and was strapped to a weird looking and not very aerodynamic saddle, when suddenly; Icy began to drop his speed… David noticed and asked his dragon through their mind link…

 

What’s wrong Icy? We’ll be late for our time mark.

 

My chest… David, I’ve got to stop… it hurts.

 

Alright bud, land in the first clearing.

 

Icy glided down to a cleared section of a parking lot. The dragon, a proud Racer, was panting, head low and hissing in pain. While David, a talented wielder of Vital Energy for sportive purposes, strapped off from his training saddle and headed towards the chest of his suffering friend. With both hands he transmitted Vital Energy to his dragon, his arms covered in blue smoke that flowed off him and into his dragon. Icy’s respiration went back to normal as he could now at least raise his head.

 

Feeling any better, Icy?

 

Yeah, but not at whole… I still feel weird on the chest. S**t, I don’t think I might complete today’s session.

 

Don’t mind the training, idiot; with the Kansas Selections just five months away, we can’t afford ourselves to any kind of injury. Tomorrow we’ll meet Dr. Johnson.

 

The two speedsters then flew home at a very soft pace. Both really worried about what might be wrong with Icy. Their home was a big house in the outskirts. David called Dr. Johnson and told him about what just happened to Icy.

 

The next morning arrived and they woke up to get ready for the day. David went to the kitchen to make himself some breakfast while Icy went to hunt. When they were back together, in front of their big house in the outskirts of the town, it didn’t last very long before Dr. Johnson arrived and landed outside on his pink colored dragon.

The man was wearing a yellow shirt, grey pants, a laboratory coat and a monocle. He was bald, on his fifties and had a full grown beard that fell to his chest.

 

The looks of the unorthodox individual astounded both David and Icy.

 

-Dr. Johnson? Stan Johnson?

 

-You guessed well, too bad there was no money on it though. This is my dragon, Liss.

 

-Well… thanks for coming.

 

David said as he approached the Dr. and offered him a handshake. The Dr. walked past David without even answering the handshake, got in front of Icy and said…

 

-Open your wings.

 

Icy reluctantly obeyed, slowly opening his wings, and suddenly, the doctor was arms open, pressing the side of his head and his own chest against the dragon. Icy got startled and looked at David, who as well was speechless.

 

What the f**k!?  Icy said while looking at David with surprised eyes.

 

I don’t know!

 

After a couple of seconds, the Dr. said…

 

-Aaahhh yes… I know where the problem is.

 

-Is it serious?

 

-No.

 

-Well… what is it then?

 

-What Icy experienced yesterday was a Cardiac Arrest. His heart is awfully worn out and needs to rest.

 

-Rest?

 

-Yup… Nothing that requires effort must be executed by Icy for nine months and three weeks.

 

David looked at the Dr. with skeptical eyes and said…

 

-You must be kidding… Are you sure you are the man my sponsors told me you were?

 

-You are right.  -Answered the Dr.-  I should be kidding. I enjoy it more to make people laugh, even though my pay check in the bar I make most of my acts always comes thinner than the one as a medic. But right now I am not getting paid to make jokes, but to annoy individuals with bad news they can do nothing about instead.

 

So he is actually serious with those numbers?   Said Icy.

 

-And what do you mean about stuff that requires effort?

 

-If you are thinking about the Kansas Selections… you may as well forget about it and all the training related. That… or you can become the first Sports Rider to lose his dragon for the sake of a sport.

 

-Hey!  -David exclaimed with an angry tone.-  I care for Icy! And also you must understand what this means to both of us. We have worked very hard for this. Also our contracts for the Selections have been already signed. We can’t…

 

Then Dr. Johnson interrupted David and said as he pointed at the racer with a pointer finger…

-See, that’s the problem actually. You train, sign contracts, celebrate victories to then repeat. Where are the recesses? In terms of maturity, Icy is the same as you, David; a thirty seven years old married adrenaline addicted racer. But in terms of age, Icy is barely an infant. In his short life, ever since he was able to be ridden, his heart has had it hard and now it can’t give out anymore. Fortunately, dragons can recover from everything, so in nine months and three weeks he should be as new. Just keep in mind to reduce the frequency of your training sessions. And add some vacations for f**k’s sake!

 

Now David was beginning to understand why his sponsors always said that this man understood dragons more than Patrick Darst himself. But still the matter stung in his head and nor him or Icy knew how to answer the Dr. Then Dr. Johnson retook the word and said…

 

-I have direct contact with your sponsors. I can inform this to them and leave the negotiations to you. It would be the best right now for your situation with the contract and is also all I can do about it as far as I know.

 

-Yeah… We’ll roll that way then… So, nothing that requires effort?

 

-Bullseye! You can ride Icy, but at a very exaggeratedly soft pace. Yet I recommend not doing so until one week and three days.

 

-Alright… Thanks Dr.

 

Dr. Johnson then walked towards his dragon, who just seated on the ground and watched the whole drama without making a single intervention, and then they flew away.

F**k… now what?... David told Icy using his thoughts… You can’t compete and I’m useless on my own. No matter how the Dr. puts it to our sponsors, they’ll turn on us if I can’t assure our participation. F**k!!

Wait a second… you just said it!!  Joyfully exclaimed Icy as he let out a short roar.

What did I say?

You said you. Go get our contract for the Selections, hurry!

 

There’s nothing we can get from the contract, Icy.

 

Glitches, you a*****e!

 

Then everything made sense for David. He went to his room and brought the copy of their contract he had in a safe. David climbed to his dragon’s back, as Icy told him…

 

Read it very slowly.

 

David proceeded to read the contract as he was told; tasting every word. It was a four paged contract that took him forty minutes to read. When he finished, Icy said…

 

Did you notice?... My name is not in the contract. You can compete with any other dragon!

 

Filled with doubt, David answered…

 

Yeah… but it says “my dragon” every time they refer to you. It’s clear who they are expecting to compete when they say “my dragon”.

 

Come on, David! What the f**k is wrong with you!? This is a young event, still with gaps within its constitution. We can take it to our advantage… Jackass.

 

David was beginning to approve the idea at hand. As he scratched his chin, he thought…

 

This issue would be taken care by the heads and organizers of the Kansas Selections… who personally like us… they would like to see us representing Kansas in the first National Dragon Sports Cup… Then it’s fixed. But the important thing now is who?

 

What do you mean by who? Any dragon who can fly as fast as me.

 

-Pfft… In this one you’ll listen to me, dumbass… David leaned back and looked up to the sky… People just have this instinct for getting involved, they just love it. What if the rider wants a contract or if our sponsors decide to change us with the new dragon and his rider? We need to find a dragon who just wouldn’t go any further… who can make decisions regardless of his rider… some dragon we can in the end express our gratitude and end it there…

 

Icy turned his head to David and said… Furia “Wings of Liberty”.

 

David quickly pushed himself up and looked at Icy’s eyes, then said…

 

No way, Icy…

 

Who if not her, David? The pointless set of requirements you just assembled has her name written all over it.

 

David sighed and let himself fall back, taking his sights back to the sky.

 

You are right, Icy… Yet I don’t have the slightest idea of how to even approach her… After the massacres and all the s**t that went down with the Russian guy… I haven’t heard anything else from her… And about Patrick Darst’s coma, the media has just that… a coma he fell in after the fight against the responsible of all the fuzz… David sighed heavily… Then Furia will be the one…

 

That’s why you gotta listen to me…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That afternoon, in the country side of Lubbock, Texas… I was flying back home accompanied by a small group of dragons and their riders. As my destiny appeared in my sight, I said…

 

See ya tomorrow guys!

 

My friends bid farewell to me as I flew away from them and dived towards the house where Patrick and his father, John, lived. Elvis, Patrick’s older brother, no longer lived there; he managed to get his own home, in Texas as well, after the mission in Miami.

 

I landed near the house and walked to a corner, then, standing on my rear legs, I was able to look inside through a window. There was Patrick, my Rider, on the bed, sleeping with a calmed expression on his face, as if he was going to wake up at any moment. But the scene as a whole wasn’t so nice… There were machines in the room, beeping and making other digital not very loud sounds. John was there too, pushing some paste through a tube that went into Patrick’s nose. The tube reached my rider’s stomach and the paste John was pushing through it was food. It was disheartening to see Patrick, my best friend and the strongest rider in the world, reduced to a f*****g tomato who couldn’t even feed himself. Still… I was yet to lose hope on him waking up at any second.

 

Hello, Patrick… Today Jake, and Sythe… well, the whole gang... they asked me about you… It has been a lot of time since the last time they did. And I hated to be forced to give them the same answer after so long. Your absence can be noticed from a mile… A lot of people and dragons still miss you, Patrick. I miss you… If you would just wake up, Pat.

 

I lowered my sights and took a deep breath to then let out a long, disappointed sigh. Suddenly, a grave voice said…

 

-He’s awake with you, Furia.

 

I looked back inside and saw John standing at the window as our sights connected. I got my head nearer and allowed Patrick’s old man place a hand on the tip of my mouth. I sheltered in his contact as if he was my own father. I wanted to speak to John, but wasn’t capable of making my words get to him without his dragon, Sahara, to channel my words to him. In the end I just nodded and flew far into the lands to hunt some dinner.

 

John stood still for a couple of seconds, watching me getting further and further in the distance. He knew me since I was just a hatchling and cared for me as if I was his own daughter. Yet he could not do a thing to help me, or his son. With an impotent sigh, he turned around and left Patrick’s room.

 

 

Chronicles of The Rising: End of Chains

 

Lost… that’s how are called those who have been deprived of what they care the most for… those who have been left alone without a purpose in a world that continues regardless.

 

As the result of revenge filled desire from a surviving Rider from the Battle of the Bermuda Triangle, whose dragon was killed by the hands of one of my comrades… Patrick ended up in a coma. Because he was the responsible one… the one who started a revolution that would change the whole world and who ignited the fire dragons breathed at each other, the blades that cut through flesh, and the death that reigned in a corpse filled yard where there was not even talking afterwards.

 

And I became Lost… left alone in this world without a purpose… hoping only for Patrick’s wake up and willing to wait as long as I would live for it. Alone in a world where time stays still on the waiting, but without stopping. Only making the waiting eternal and deepening emotional injuries.

 

Yet my life wasn’t over… though I was lost, the world opened itself to me with new challenges, new adventures… new purposes.

 

I was alone in a world where they are many the forces that rule the big scheme of the melody of events that occur in it with the precision of a puppeteer.… Money, Fear, War… And among them there is… Sports. With the purpose of discovering who among the humans deserved to sit by the Gods, Sports were born. Humans trained for special events to prove their strength and agility; slowly developing an instinct for competition that would be inherited to the future generations.

 

The Fastest, the Strongest… The Best… these are the titles humans search and compete for in their selected events, whether they are Racing, Wrestling or Riding.

 

Ever since dragons solidly became part of the world, they encouraged a new step in the history of Sports. Friends raced against each other and their dragons… Soon towns hosted Dragon Riding competitions with a prize… and so on until the world found itself getting ready for a World Dragon Sports Cup, where a Dragon and a Rider from each participant country around the world would prove to be the very best.

 

That was a dream that belonged to millions of Riders and Dragons around the world. Among them were David Bowman and his dragon, Icy “Speed Demon”. Being a former car racer, David discovered a new way of going fast when he found his dragon egg. He and his dragon slowly became celebrities when making their names reach the top tier in the seasonal events.

 

But now their whole career was in jeopardy… Icy is in no condition of participating in the Kansas Selections before the Estate Selections. All they have worked for… all they have achieved… was in the claws of one dragon.

 

New challenges… New adventures… New purposes.

 

 

Let Go

 

It was a hot early afternoon in Texas. Elvis, a tall man who wore cargo pants, military boots and a shirt that had three letters on the back: “D.D.I.” and his dragon, Pyro, of dark gray hide, were visiting their former home. They landed near Elvis’s father and his dragon, who were having lunch in the highest spot of their lands. The man sat on a camping chair and held a plate of food while his dragon ate a cow.

 

-Elvis, Pyro… -He stood up and put his plate on the chair, greeting his son with a hug-… I’m glad to see two here. How is the bureau going? You better be onto something big regarding how long you take to pay your old man a visit.

 

-No big deals so far… though criminals are beginning to get very crafty when it comes to Vital Energy. Apart from that, I bring interesting news for Furia…

 

-What is it about?

 

Elvis then told his father about what he heard the news speak about in his pocket radio. That Icy “Speed Demon” wouldn’t participate in the Kansas Selections, yet David Bowman got the permission from the organizers of said event to participate with another dragon whose identity was still unknown.

 

-… I think they are going to come here to talk with Furia. I know it’s a very assertive bet but, putting it simply, what other dragon do they know to be strong and fast who’s not already a competing Sports Dragon?

 

The old man tasted the idea while rubbing his short beard. Many thoughts ran through his mind, but went directly to the point…

 

-You know Furia just won’t get any far from Texas… not even by accident, like that one time she was just mindlessly traveling forward and disappeared for two months.

 

-I know it’s not something of a big deal, but at least this allows her to actually do something other than just waiting for Patrick to wake up… Even when he’s simply (Elvis sighed hardly; his next words were hard to articulate.)… Not going to. Furia has to let go.

 

Elvis knew that would be the end of that conversation and drifted toward small talk with his father while they waited for Furia to arrive home.

 

I was arriving from hanging out with my friends, as usual. The surprise of the day, I had it when Elvis and Pyro were waiting for me near the house. They usually were on duty at this time of the day and it was long the last time I met them here in the Darst family’s lands, so I went ahead, skipped greetings and asked…

 

Elvis, Pyro… What’s wrong?

 

Through his dragon, Elvis was able to hear my words and answered me directly.

 

-Hi, Furia. Don’t worry, nothing’s wrong… just had something to talk out with you. Want to walk ‘n talk?

 

Elvis began to slowly walk away from the house as Pyro stayed behind, following us from far. I then understood the personal character of the situation and decided to follow Elvis before saying my daily words to Patrick.

 

-Do you know David Bowman and his dragon, Icy?

 

Yeah… what a dilemma they are facing.

 

-Pretty deep, huh? How did you got to know? Just asking…

 

Jake’s into the Dragon Sports, he always is up to date and told me it would be great if I helped them out with the Kansas Selections.

 

-And what did you answer him?

 

I told him “No”.

 

-Why?

 

I am not leaving Texas until Patrick wakes up.

 

Elvis used a couple of seconds to get ready… he knew this was it. With a solid, yet soft tone, he said…

 

-Furia… I think you should…

 

My answer is still “No”, Elvis.

 

Elvis stopped so my head would reach his side and he could look at my eyes, and then he said…

 

-Furia… It’s been a year since the Mind Poison was healed from Patrick. I myself hoped for him to wake up, but at this height… I’m afraid he won’t.

 

Patrick will wake up, Elvis. At any moment he’s going to wake up.

 

-And what do you plan to do until then?

 

Wait.

 

-What about Helios, Tyranis, Alan and Oliver? Your friends… You haven’t visited them a single time; you only see them when THEY come here and you know how hard it is to get from Miami to here by dragon. That’s very selfish from your part despite the fact that you are going to see your life slipping away on the nothing you are doing, Furia.

 

It would have slipped away long time ago if it wasn’t for Patrick.

 

-And then what, Furia? You are going to waste what Patrick did? This is how you are going to remember him? As some kind of host you owe rent?

 

I tried to remain unexpressive of my anger, but I couldn’t prevent myself from lightly showing my curved fangs, nor my voice from getting harsher…

 

What’s your point, Elvis?

 

-You can do better than just waiting, Furia. But you have to accept the fact that…

 

Shut up, Elvis…

 

-Listen, Furia…

 

I am warning you… I said as I began to hiss and to look at Elvis straight into his eyes.

 

-Goddammit, Furia! Patrick is done!

 

SHUT UP!!

 

I then bashed my head to the side and hit Elvis with the strength of a truck, lifting him from the ground and sending him through the air five meters away. As Pyro saw the occurred from far behind, he roared and called my attention; making me look back at him.

 

Elvis, who just finished rolling on the ground, was covered in dirt as he ordered his dragon…

 

Stay back, Pyro!!

 

Pyro reluctantly nodded and stayed put.

 

Then Elvis began to push himself up from the ground and grunted with every movement. At a moment he even coughed blood. And he said…

 

-You broke half of my ribs...

 

Don’t push me any further, Elvis.

 

-Or what, eh? Are you going to hurt me worse? Go ahead and make Gedeon’s plan successful! That’s what you want? Patrick cared for you, always looked for you and all he wanted, even right before getting into the coma, was to see you again. That’s what you want to tell him when he wakes up? That you murdered his brother? That you never did a damn, just for the sake of waiting for him? That’s exactly how you’ll waste everything that Patrick has done!!

 

I slowly hid my fangs in shame, and looked away. Then said…

 

He is my best friend, Elvis… my Rider. I can’t just move on.

 

-You are wrong, Furia. Let me tell you something about Patrick…(Elvis coughed while covering his mouth and saw blood on his hand) F**k… His life was worth a flying f**k until he found you, Furia…

 

I turned my head and looked at Elvis as he continued saying…

 

-… It was you who turned him to who he is now. Patrick is who owes you his life, not otherwise. But now Patrick is gone… and you are who is left. You now carry both yours and his life. Please don’t waste them both, Furia. Please don’t waste my brother’s life waiting for a useless carcass.

 

I then looked up to the sky and remembered that day I let out my “Last Roar”. The feelings I had that day coming back again as I tasted the idea of never seeing Patrick again... the idea of becoming the first ever completely independent dragon. I knew there was no escape from this… After a year of waiting, talking to Patrick, trying if it would bring him back somehow… there came the day I had to definitely let go of Patrick.

 

I got my sights down to the ground and sighed as I said…

 

Why now? Why for this sports thing?

 

-This is something one would just say “meh, I’ ma help these guys”. But for you, this is an opportunity to do something. An opportunity for you to go on another take against life…

 

Elvis got closer to me and pet my shoulder while saying…

 

-I just wanted to tell you this… (Then he turned and started to walk back to Pyro) the rest is up to you. Till later, Furia.

 

I then found myself alone with a drifting mind… just staring away to the furthest the trees and hills allowed me. Meanwhile, Elvis reached Pyro’s side as he told his rider…

 

That was dangerous, Elvis. She could have killed you with just that one hit.

 

I think she actually did… I can’t stop coughing blood. But it had to be done… at some time… it had to be done. Now let’s just hope this all turns well.

 

I think it will. Hop on; let’s get your father. Maybe he’s strong enough to heal you.

 

Elvis then awkwardly climbed to Pyro’s saddle and then they took off back to the house to find his father.

 

I slowly lifted my head from the ground and looked around, just to find darkness around me. I yawned and remembered my last thoughts before falling asleep in the very same spot Elvis and Pyro left me. I let out a tired sigh as I thought…

 

Maybe Elvis is right… Out of this whole year I can’t remember a thing; just as if it was actually a couple of weeks without Patrick… talking to him and waiting for him to wake up. Patrick is not going to wake up…

 

I then took off towards the house and landed in front of Patrick’s room’s window. I stood on my hind legs, and stabilized with my claws on the wall that was scratched from my custom. As I looked inside, I saw Patrick on his bed; the same machines with their beeping around him, the same expression on his face that now meant my worst nightmares were actually true the whole time.

 

With destroyed hopes and a now weak will, I prepared to say my last words to Patrick.

 

Hello Patrick… It’s been long since we actually heard each other’s voices. I always hoped we would do again at some moment but… I am no longer sure if that’s ever going to happen… I don’t know how to or if I want to do this but… This is Goodbye, my friend. I’ll always remember you, our adventures, our lives… See you in Hell… My Double Scarred Rider.

 

I then turned around and took off; wishing I hadn’t said those words… but at the same time, feeling a strange weight being taken from my back. Like a shadow in the night sky I flew straight with a troubled mind. From that moment on… I was completely on my own. As Patrick would have said… A whole new world was in front of me… a world with its own rules and challenges for me to bear and surpass.