The Dragon Within

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THE DRAGON WITHIN

BY JESUS NIEVES

CHAPTER 1

THERE WEREN'T ALWAYS

DRAGONS IN THE VALLEY

“There weren't always dragons in the valley. The days of marveling at the skies are long gone. The dragons birthed from evil are said to be the offspring of the devil. A new breed of dragons has infested our existence. Death is the smell you wake up to; the rotted burnt flesh and the fear that suffocates us all. The dragons rule all the land and sky. The humans have gone hiding below ground. To walk the land is to accept death. The ones who are still alive are hunted by them”. Felix “the Death hand” Griffin.

This is a story before anyone could remember, of a 17-year-old boy named Felix Griffin. Felix was the son of a blacksmith; Tristan “The Iron Hand” Griffin, a former knight in the high castle where the goddess of truth resides. Felix would forge swords with his dad, without his father knowing, Felix would bring swords out in the woods. Everyone in the village would sleep while he would train; as if going to war, perfecting his skills. Felix always wanted to slay dragons more than anything but his father would completely object to it. The two would make swords for the knights and warriors who carry coin.

One night, a stranger who appears to be a wounded knight; lays on his horse lifeless. The villagers are startled as they watch the horse carry its owner, one of the neighbors yells out “ we got a wounded stranger! Someone wake Miriam!. The yelling wakes everyone in the village. Tristan and his wife Elisa wake startled; Felix rushes in his parent’s room, he yells “ father, we have a wounded knight. Should I get your sword and bag?”. Tristan groggy says “no son, no need for the sword. Just probably a man in need. Come, a stranger needs our help”.

Miriam and the neighbors approach the wounded man. Miriam, the village's healer asks the man “sir, are you able to come down, so that I can tend to any wounds?”. The man is not responsive, blabbering gibberish. The villagers lower the man off his horse; holding him up when he says “hi-hide underneath…hi-hide everyone underneath!” The man begins screaming in agony; he falls to the ground, revealing his back to Miriam. She could see his back was burnt raw like a medium-well wild boar, she gasps to see red hot particles all over the wound. She touches the particle with her finger.

Miriam pulls her hand, in pain; the tip of her finger black with red hot particles growing like vines as if it continues to burn, eating away what's left. She knew in her heart there was no way to survive that, so she wraps her finger quickly. The stranger winces as he lifts himself, the men grab hold of him. Tristan and Felix arrive; Felix gasps to see the man's back, raw burnt flesh and bone exposed.

The man's eyes train on Felix, “you can't save me. Take your children and hide in holes”. Tristan the town leader and most skilled fighter cuts through the crowd, and Felix follows. Tristan says to the man “where are the rest? Why are you alone?. The stranger trains his beady eyes on Felix as he says to the crowd “the queen is in hiding, we were attacked by a red dragon who walks, I am what's left and no one knows where the queen is”. The crowd is now confused by the man's words. Felix scans the man's armor and notices he has a rip in his chainmail, underneath his skin looked reptilian, scaly. He quickly covers his arm as if feeling the stare of Felix.

The stranger continues “ the red dragon spared me to warn you all… he will burn everything and everyone until he is satisfied that you tasted hell-Aaah!”. The stranger screeches in pain. Miriam tells Tristan “ I need you and your son to bring him in; he’s morbidly hurt”. Tristan nods his head and then looks at Felix “quit staring boy, you'll burn ya eyes”. Felix snaps out “ is that real father?, can I burn my eyes?”. Tristan sighs, he says “come, boy”.

An explosion erupts; villagers frantically run from the blaze. Tristan sees far in the sky a dragon burning down homes. Tristan says to Felix “ take your mother, the stranger, and the families to the river”. Tristan says “Miriam, make sure the wounded are looked after”. Miriam stares at the growing carnage. Tristan yells at Miriam “Miriam! Act fast, breathe slow…now move!”. She joins the group.

The group of men, women, and children carry torches, Walking through the pitch-black woods. Felix, the stranger, and Miriam catch up to them. The stranger stops; his beady eyes in a panic looking around “something is wrong” he says. A black flash zooms past, decapitating one of the villagers. They gasp in panic and begin scattering from the threat. The black flash slaughtered the ones who were visible while others hid in the bushes. Felix notices the black flash is a woman dressed in all black. The woman's hands morphed into black dragon talons/ claws with two fingers and a thumb all with razor-sharp black nails.

Felix watches the woman rip through everyone, even children. Felix says to Miriam “ go! hide, forget me”. Miriam stuck not wanting to leave Felix behind. Felix says again “Go now, go!”. Miriam quickly hides in the bushes. Felix attempts to run to their aid but feels the powerful grip of the stranger; the same exposed arm with scaly skin. Felix can see the fingers ripping through the gloves; looking like the woman's claw but green. Felix says to the stranger “what are you?”. The stranger says “ I am sir Elliott, a knight who was made a bearer of the Jade Dragon. These Dragons are different, not like the others, they are from the womb of a black dragon queen. Dragon living in man, evolving to join with man as one. The dragon joins and lives in the heart of its carrier. When the carrier dies, the dragon needs another heart to live in”. Felix scoffs “ I've seen dragons but a dragon in the form of a man, how is that possible?” he says.

Tristan searches his burning home. In his bedroom, Tristan pulls his bed from the wall, hidden in the wall is a sword specially made with the claw of a dragon. The sword is wrapped with chain mail made from dragon scales. Only the bearer can touch the blade; the rule is “ if not chosen, never cross paths with the blade or it will sever and devour”. Tristan grabs the sword. Tristan came to be the bearer of the black dragon sword when he slayed the black dragon queen and then forged her talon into a sword. With that sword, he slayed many dragons but never a red one. No one ever did. Tristan walks, battle-ready with his old knight armor. The whole village is in flames. Tristan notices the dragon flying by. He pulls out his bow then cocks back an arrow, he aims at the dragon's heart. He says “steady, steady it flies then fires!”. Felix releases the arrow and shoots. The arrow hits the dragon, knocking it from the sky into a home. Tristan runs into the home to make sure the dragon is dead.

The stranger winces in pain, he says to tell Felix “ listen carefully, we're being hunted by three dragons. Three other dragon bearers, cold and vicious. Stephen, the red one is the worst of them”. The two then hear the loud laughter of a woman close to them, again the laughs jumping from location, rapidly. The two scan where the laugh is coming from and Then the black flash appears in front of them. Felix notices the woman dressed in all black leather. Her hair is very long and black with black lips. Her nails were black, sharp, and thick enough to cut a jugular.

Another appears from the bushes. Felix notices that this one was a big man hybrid with reptilian skin, his eyes slit like a snake. A face full of rage drooling to kill. Felix notices that the beast is slow from his massive size, so he runs to a nearby tree. He steps his way up like a ninja and grabs a sword he hid away then drops down light like a cat. Felix gives the beast a look, he says “what?, there just in case I get to slay a dragon, you never know”. The reptilian gives a chuckling evil growl, hungry to rip the boy's head off. The reptilian says to the woman “can I take my time with this one?” The woman in black says “now, now boys I wanted to introduce ourselves before we rip everyone's heart out. I am Jeanna and this is my handsome brother, Creature”. She gives a bow as if on stage.

Tristan searches the rubble; no sign of the dragon. He continues until he hears a cracking sound behind him. He swiftly and tightly grips his sword, pivoting to swing the sword around. Tristan notices that it wasn't a dragon but a man holding the blade; his hand was not severed. Tristan was caught by surprise with a full fist to his chest, blasting him back a few feet. Tristan falls hard on the rubble and notices a man with good looks, his hair red, short with some hanging locks. His eyes were bloody red. Fairly tall, in athletic shape wearing high-quality black leather with a red trench coat. The man wipes the dirt off his coat while holding the sword by its blade. The man says “ the infamous black dragon sword, made with the claw of a dragon and only the bearer can wield it. Let's change that”.

Elisa and the rest of the villagers hide in the bushes. She watches as Felix and the stranger speak to the woman and the beast. Elisa couldn't leave her son to die. She comes out from the bushes and moves closer to check on her son. She says to Jeanna “please let my boy go, and take me”. Felix, in fear for his mother's life, tries to run past Creature, but Creature swings his massive arm causing Felix to fly back into a tree. Felix groggy notices Jeanna smirking, hinting at Elisa. She says “ a mother's love is never-ending and death comes with a first sacrifice… your mother”. Jeanna swiftly gets to Elisa as fast as a blink.

Jeanna stands in front of Elisa and slits her throat with her nails. Elisa gargles and chokes on her blood as her life leaves her, staring at her son one last time. Felix screams in rage, he tries to stand but is barely up. Jeanna then rips Elisa's heart with her right hand, morphed into a sable dragon talon/claw. The palm of the claw glowed red, pumping and alive. The claw absorbs the heart like a sponge. Felix in tears, watches his mother's heart be ripped out. Felix attempts to rush Creature but is stopped by the stranger. The stranger rips off the rest of his sleeve, exposing his arm. Felix notices the stranger's arm morphed into a green dragon claw, razor-sharp like the talons of an eagle.

Tristan was baffled by the man gripping the sword as if it were a regular blade. The black dragon sword should have severed his hand. Tristan gets back on his feet. He says to the man in red “I have no issues with you stranger”. The man in red stares at Tristan with a sinister grin. The man in red says “Tristan “The Iron Hand, right?. Well Tristan you do”. Tristan is confused “mister, we never cross paths”. The man interrupts Tristan “oh yes we have, you see dragon slayer you killed my mother to be able to make this sword…my mother, as an object to collect ” he said. Tristan notices the man, emotional over the sword. Tristan says “ dragons have massacred hundreds of my people. Just a knight killing them so that I can protect anyone in danger. Simply mister, your mother had to die”. Tristan notices the man's face go from rage then grinning, kissing the blade.

The man in red says “ you wonder why it didn't cut me, well this sword is my blood, a living piece of my mother, my birthright. you will watch all that you love, die”. The man throws the sword back to Tristan. Tristan snatches it from the air with a puzzled look. He says “ you arm me with what can kill you?”. The man chuckles “ You can try Iron hand. I'm simply gonna show that you are nothing without the sword”. Tristan, angry and annoyed, lifts his shield to guard and sword to destroy. The man raises his hand to pause Tristan, “give me a sec to get battle-ready”. Tristan notices the man's eyes glowing red, his teeth had fangs growing like a vampire. His left arm begins ripping from within, his hand morphing from the elbow down, bones cracking into a red dragon claw with red veins coursing all around it, shooting up his arm. The man growls in a demonic tone. He says “ Iron hand the dragon slayer, I'm going to show you a real fight with a dragon,” he said.

Felix stares at the dragon claw. The stranger waves to snap Felix out of his trance. He says “ we don't have much time”. They both look at Jeanna sucking the blood from Elisa. Felix, in tears, wants to stop her but the stranger pulls him back. He says “ she's gone boy, everyone will die but if you become a bearer. There's a chance you can save someone”. Felix confused, says “bearer? My mother is gone and you want me to become a monster?”. The stranger with a somber look, says “ I'm sorry boy, but I have no choice”.

The stranger with his left-hand grabs Felix by the throat and pulls Felix closer. Creature notices that the stranger is performing a transfer. The beast rushes towards them. The stranger notices and gives the reptilian a powerful sidekick, hurdling the beast into the bushes. He raises his right arm with the dragon claw and opens the palm. It begins pumping and pulsing, glowing red. The stranger then plants the palm of the claw on Felix's chest. Felix tries to fight his way out but the stranger carries supernatural strength, restraining him from escaping. Jeanna slaughters all visible villagers, ripping them to shreds. She mocked the corpses, The smell of fear aroused her.

The stranger says “ I release myself as the bearer of the heart. Felix, you now will bear the heart of the dragon until you carry it no more”. A red charge shoots from the stranger's chest traveling through the claw, then through the palm, landing in Felix's chest. Felix jolts back almost levitating. The stranger falls back, crying out in agony as his flesh begins to burn and melt as if the fire of the dragon is burning its former host from within. Felix too in agony as bulging veins travel from his neck down to his left arm. Felix watches his flesh rip open pushing out the dragon claw. Felix tumbles to the ground, falling by the stranger's side. They both stare at each other as the stranger slowly becomes ash, Felix's transformation is done.

Miriam panting in fear manages to sneak past Jeanna. Miriam reaches the survivors who are hidden in the bushes. She says “ be quiet, if we make a ”. Jeanna peaks in the bushes where they hide, she says “sound! my dear, I'm fortunate to hear incredibly”. She snatches Miriam from the bushes. Miriam tries hard to kick and punch her way out. Miriam swings slapping Jeanna in the face, Jeanna unmoved slams Miriam on the ground then grabs her by the hair, throwing her into a tree. Jeanna grabs Miriam by the throat lifting her off the floor. The remaining people in the bushes run to Miriam's aid. Jeanna snickers at the two men and three women wanting to help Miriam. Miriam was beaten to the point of wheezing. She says to the group “please run, save yourselves”. Jeanna chuckles “ my dear, you all are dead”.

Tristan readies himself to face a half-man/half-dragon. He thinks to himself “ a man with dragon abilities, then he will be super fast and strong. Wait for my attack”. The man in red chuckles and says “may you forgive me Iron Hand, I did not properly introduce myself. They call me Stephen Dement and that sword; I Will make new”. Tristan gets in his battle stance. Stephen roars and charges Tristan. Tristan waits not moving, keeping his body still to sense Stephen's steps. Stephen swings the dragon claw. Tristan ducks, and spins burying his blade in Stephen's rib cage. Tristan stares into Stephen's wide, shocked eyes. Stephen, with his dragon claw, grabs the sword. He drops down to his knees and then falls to the floor, gurgling in his blood. Tristan exits the demolished house. He says “ this old man, still has fight in him”. Tristan continues to walk then he stops. He can sense someone, someone behind him. It's Stephen breathing and growling on Tristan's neck, he says “ we're just getting started, old man”.

Jeanna, aroused by the fear in the air, says “Well, I guess I'll give you a chance, huh? ”. The group circles Jeanna as if to flank her. She glides in her footsteps, preparing her next and final attack. Miriam crawls away from Jeanna. She notices in the distance, Felix passed out, and no sign of the stranger. Miriam was unexpectedly hit with a pain she never felt, gasping for air. As she looks behind her, Creature stomps her back again, crushing her spine. Jeanna and the group pause to watch Creature crush Miriam. Jeanna cackles excited by the cruelty. She says to the group “well are you gonna die already or do I have to make the first move”. One of the women swings an ax at Jeanna, she sidesteps, and in a split second her nails rip the woman's eyes out. The woman screamed in agony, pleading to the group “ my eyes! she ripped my eyes!”. Jeanna swings with her arm decapitating the woman's head. The group screams in rage, Jeanna chuckles and says “well now you are motivated”.

Felix awakens to his chest glowing red. He could hear the cries of his people. He looks over to see Creature crushing Miriam. The dragon claw boosts him up off the floor, fast and agile. He also notices he feels different, his muscles felt like fire, supernatural strength in his veins. Felix's senses were heightened to see everything, even in the dark. Felix's glowing green eyes can zoom and see through the damage Miriam is suffering. Felix cuts through the bushes, running towards Creature like an animal. Felix growling and roaring. Creature lifts Miriam's body like it weighs nothing then tosses it towards Felix. Miriam flops on top, knocking Felix back. Felix notices Miriam wheezing, barely breathing, she whispers “Save yourself before all is lost”. Creature snatches Miriam and then buries his hand in her chest, pulling the heart out to feed. Felix roars in a rage, he charges Creature with a swing of his dragon claw but Creature catches it in mid-air then kicks Felix back a few feet. Jeanna yells to Creature “make him an example, brother”. Creature growls smirking, he then approaches Felix, to finish him off.

Jeanna fully entertained by her brother's savage ways forgets that she has people circling her. She says “it's been fun but let's make it better”. Jeanna moves fast, and gracefully, all the group can see is a black blur. The two men attack first, swinging their swords. Jeanna, a very old and skillful warrior, dodged every attack, playing with her opponents. The men were enraged and frustrated, not able to hit her. She moves like a blur and all they hear is her cackles and snickering. The remaining two women grab torches to wave, hoping to hit the dragon witch. Jeanna says to Felix “hey boy! Watch me finish them off, one by one!”. Felix is groggy and busy with Creature at the moment. One of the men scoops oil with his blade to sprinkle into the path where Jeanna continues to zip through them. She grabs the other man, pushing him into the oil that the other man sprinkles into the air. Jeanna then kicks the man into one of the women waving a torch, igniting flames on the man and woman. Jeanna grabs the burning man's hatchet and then tosses it, knocking out the second woman with the torch. She falls igniting the remaining wet sprinkles of oil. Flames surround them, Jeanna taking her time with the prey.

Creature searches for Felix, but no sign until Felix ferociously dashes in and out of bushes, each time slashing Creature’s legs and upper torso. The beast falls to his knees, open gashes all over. Felix stops right behind Creature. Creature notices but turns around slowly. Felix tears Creature’s throat. The beast grabs his throat, giving his sister Jeanna one last look. Jeanna is completely shocked by Felix defeating her brother with ease. Her cries, high pitched, like shrieking, mourning for her brother. Felix stares down at Creature and Jeanna, he rushes Creature burying his fist in his chest and then pulling it out. The palm of the dragon claw, pulses absorbing Creature’s heart. Jeanna could see Felix obtaining more muscle after the feed, growing stronger at an abnormal rate. Felix roars and drools, feeling the power boost, more savage, more lethal. He could feel the hunger for more.

Jeanna wipes her tears, her face more sinister. The flesh on her right arm split apart, pushing out her black dragon claw. Jeanna too, growing in physique, faster and stronger. Jeanna watches as her brother's body rapidly turns to ash. She stares at Felix a moment then switches to a grin. She says “ok boy, you defeated my brother proving your abilities, maybe there's something to you”. Jeanna rushes through the flames in and out, roaring, cackling, tearing the remaining people apart. Jeanna as if appearing out of nowhere, stopping in front of each person, ripping out all their hearts. Felix tries to stop her but is too late, Jeanna pulls out all the hearts of the villagers, absorbing them at a rapid rate. Felix watches Jeanna's body transforming as if absorbing strength from each kill. Felix says to her “you will die slowly, witch. My mother, these people didn't deserve this''. Felix cuts through bushes and trees to get to Jeanna but stops to growl alone. Jeanna vanished, but she says as a whisper in the air “we will have our chance at vengeance, take care boy” her laughs drifting away.

Felix wanted more than anything to consume her heart. He roars loud as a fire-breathing dragon would. He snaps out his rage when he realizes he forgot about Tristan, he says “father!”. Felix sprints through the woods, making his way back to the village, hoping to at least find his father alive. He could see in the distance, his father facing another with a dragon claw. He says “hang on father!”. Stephen chuckles and says to Tristan “I see your boy is one of us now, family”. Tristan, enraged, yells to Felix “ stay back boy, just stay back!”. Tristan says to Stephen “ people claim dragons as magical creatures but I see flying demon rats, rats I executed like your mother!” He spits on Stephen's feet. Stephen drops down to one knee and wipes the spit from his shoe. He then licks it off his hand, he says “you taste expired, old man”. They attack each other, swings and ducks, skillful warriors til death. Felix is almost there, he notices the eyes of the man with the claw, glowing a brighter red. Felix realizes that the man is analyzing his father's attacks, using his dragon wisdom. Tristan swinging, panting from old age, Stephen ducks to slice the back of Tristan's knees. Tristan falls to his knees with only his sword to hold him up. Felix yells “father!”.

Felix is then knocked sideways by a powerful kick from Jeanna. Felix flies back into a wagon, groggy, realizing it was her. He growls then roars, veins pumping, muscles full of blood. He leaps off the wagon towards Jeanna. She sidesteps then grabs Felix by the throat in mid-air slamming him to the ground. Felix then gets pummeled by Jeanna, she then hits him with several dragon blows to his face. Felix is badly beaten, with open gashes all over his face. He stares at Tristan, tears flowing, not able to reach his father. Jeanna chuckles “ you let your rage control you but the pain will teach you”. Jeanna motions Felix to look at his father facing Stephen and says “it's your father’s time to go”. Felix's eyes were wide and helpless to save Tristan. Stephen moving around Tristan. Tristan says “why the taunting? make it quick already demon, ah!”. Tristan is barely able to stay up. Stephen grabs the black dragon sword with his claw hand. His claw begins pumping then the sword begins to reveal veins throughout the blade. The black blade glowing red like Stephen, he says to Tristan “ my mother lives again in the blade. Through me, the blade will kill your kind”. Stephen says to Felix “welcome to the family boy, I am Stephen your new father” he chuckles then drives the blade into Tristan.

Tristan cries out in agony as Stephen pulls the blade upward. Felix screams with tears, beaten and useless to save anyone. Stephen pulls out the blade then stabs Tristan in the heart. The blade pulls itself into his chest absorbing his heart. Felix screams “nooooo!”. Stephen pulls the blade out. Tristan gurgled in his blood, tears of pain running down his cheeks. Stephen lowers to look Tristan in the eyes. He says “ and this is for my mother, the rat as you say”. Stephen moves back, swiftly swinging the sword and decapitating Tristan. Tristan's head tumbles back, then Stephen kicks it towards Felix. Tristan's head rolls close to the boy, his father's face blank, lifeless, staring back at him. Stephen tosses the body to the side, further showing his lack of respect. Stephen approaches Jeanna and Felix. Stephen struts towards Jeanna, giving her a passionate kiss. Felix notices that they are intimate with each other. Stephen looks over to Felix and says “ come back stronger and maybe you won't be weak like your old man, The Iron Hand!” taunting Felix. Stephen and Jeanna chuckle like maniacs. Felix not moving left barely alive. He can only catch a glimpse of his surroundings, dazing in and out but can hear every word. Stephen says “until next time”. Stephen violently boots Felix in the face, knocking him out. It all went black.

Felix wakes, slowly barely able to see from the slashes given by Jeanna. He sits, holding the corpses of his parents. Felix gripping them tightly, mourning, giving his last goodbye. The village was destroyed, men, women, and children all gone. Days have gone by, and Felix sits unmoved in his mourning. Flashes of the murders, the mocking, the faces of Stephen and Jeanna killing with no prejudice. Felix’s heart now filled with vengeance, snaps out, crying out in rage. He begins cleaning up, cutting wood to make wooden dummies. Felix begins training; wielding his dragon claw as an extension, adapting to move as one. He grows stronger by the days, conditioning his body for war. Felix ties an ax with rope hanging it off a tree as a device to duck, slip, and weave. Felix spends days then weeks training. His face fully healed with no scars.

Three years later, Felix is feared by all; annihilating several flying dragons. Felix continues to kill until one day he is given the pleasure to face off against Jeanna and Stephen. Felix travels to Dragon's Belly, a place said to have birthed the very first dragons. After years of searching, Felix stops his horse, far ahead is Dragon's Belly. He says “There weren't always dragons in the valley. The days of marveling at the skies are long gone. The dragons would destroy but we could bear it. A new breed of dragons has infested our existence. Death is the smell you wake up to; the rotted burnt flesh and the fear that suffocates us all. The dragons rule all the land and sky. The humans have gone hiding below ground. To walk the land is to accept death. The ones who are still alive are hunted by them. A threat to their existence lives in me. I live to protect the dragon in me so that I possess the ability to rip their hearts out. I became something else and now I hunt them”. Felix “The Death Hand” Griffin.