Chapter Text
The spring breeze blew through the trees as a meadow sat hidden away in the middle of the forest, nearly an hour away from any civilization, a solitude home sat, well crafted but showed to be quite the aged display. Near the cabin-structured house, a river flowed silently, slowly, adding to the surprisingly serene way the trees rustled in the wind. Standing near the river, staring out over it with a gentle sigh, a black dragon man stood, wearing a simple dark grey button up shirt and black pants that somewhat blended with his scale colors. His hair was black as well with silver highlights, being short but not too much so. He blinked, his gray eyes reflecting the light well at the right angle. He seemed to be in a state of thought, not moving much as he stood there, sighing gently in turn. “It’s been four years now, and yet I still can’t shake that there’s something more to this.” He muttered to nobody in particular. “Luong, what haven’t you told me?”
The sound of wings flapping would get his attention, as if life had a way of listening in to what he had to say. Turning, he’d see a dove appearing from the leaves, something tied around its ankle. He immediately knew what it was, the man had very little connection to the outside world, and only those who knew such knew the best way to contact him. Holding out one claw, the bird would perch on it and tilt its head a little, curiosity in its mostly blank eyes as it looked at the dragon, unfazed by what it was looking at. The man began walking back towards the cabin, using his other claw to carefully untie the string holding the note in place. Upon entering, he gently raised his claw and the dove flew towards a small swinging perch near the kitchen area, relaxing with a gentle coo as the dragon shut the door, unraveling the note. “Oh… speak of the devil, as they say.” His voice was rather deep, nearly a rumble in tone, but something about it still came across softly.
‘Ronin,
I know it has been quite some time since we had last spoken, if I recall the last letter you would’ve received was about the fall of the dark dragons, and the threat to the family. I apologize for not staying in touch. As you might recall, Jake had excelled greatly in his efforts to learn what he can about his dragon powers. However, he had begun experiencing some ominous oddities in his day to day life.
He tells me that some days he can’t help but feel he’s being watched, and other days he finds himself struggling to maintain his dragon form. His training has slowed quite a bit as he prepares for college, but I fear that something might be amiss. I’m humbly requesting that you come by if you feel you can, and see if you can help Jake understand what he’s experiencing. I apologize again that this is the first you hear from me in nearly half a decade, but you’re the only option I know we have.
Signed,
Lao-shi’
The letter was a surprise, to say the least, the dragon nodding gently as he looked it over with a gentle sigh. He wasn’t upset about the fact this was what he heard after so long, but he couldn’t help but feel the urgency is oddly timed. “No wonder I’ve been having such a bad feeling… I suppose my hands are tied.” He chuckled faintly, shaking his head as he set the letter aside. He went to the bedroom that was down a hall beside the kitchen, and started to rummage through his things, pulling out some wrapping and a black hoodie. Taking the wrapping, he’d gently begin moving his claws carefully, putting the fabric around every part of his head that wasn’t his eyes or nose, concealing his dragon features more. The dove fluttered over to him seeing him doing such, and hopped a little on the bed. “Oh, Lua, my apologies, I’ll get you fed briefly. It seems I have to make a trip to town, and forgot to get your cage situated again.” He chuckled gently as he softly ran a claw over her head, the dove cooing softly.
Pulling the hoodie on, he looked relatively normal, albeit with a shadowed face. Like other dragons, he didn’t wish for his form to be revealed, but he seemed to be under specific circumstances at this moment. Taking Lua with him, he returned to the kitchen and walked the other way towards a simple living space, a couple chairs, a simple couch, and a few bookshelves with a table at the center. His life was a rather simple one, but he didn’t mind. Opening a cage by his chair, he gently placed her inside, watching her perch on a small fake tree he had put in there for her, shaking the feeder to see there was still plenty left. “Welcome home, girl.” He smiled softly. He would occasionally send her out to the town to find Luong if he needed to reach him, but every so often she returned with empty talons, but he never stopped trying. “I’ll be back soon.” He smiled as he locked her cage and started making his way for the door. He sighed and let himself out, locking the cabin behind him and started for the nearest path.
“I could always fly, and make this quick. But it’s still too bright in the day… it’s never that easy.” He muttered to himself as he started walking at a rather brisk pace, not moving terribly quick but just quick enough to make some headway on his endeavor. The forest seemed to shift around him as he walked, the meadow almost immediately vanishing from sight as he left the clearing, a hint of magical energy swarming him subtly, before dispersing only seconds later. An energy barrier of stuff could be sensed behind him, invisible to the human eye, but just visible enough through that of a dragon's eye to know where they were. He nodded softly, glad to see it still worked as intended before taking off down the path once more. ‘Let’s hope your suspicion is only that…’
-
Somewhere in the middle of town, a young man sighed as he sat on his bed. He looked around seeing boxes strewn about as he just finished packing up his bedroom. “College… I can't believe it’s already here.” He chuckled a little as he spoke, a phone up to his ear as he was heard talking to someone. On the other side, a young woman’s voice spoke in return. “With everything that happened? It’s nice to see us both getting what we wanted out of this… just, remember to actually answer my calls, Jake.” She joked as the young man rolled his eyes, smirking some as he looked in a mirror. His head was full on spiky, with the color being a midnight black, with very dark green ends that blended quite well, the eighteen year old chuckled a bit as he adjusted his hair gently.
“You’re one to talk, Rose. But…” he sighed a little as he looked out the window, there was that feeling again. He tried to shake it off but he couldn’t help but feel as if there were eyes prying on him, even now. “It’s a shame we couldn’t go to the same school. But I know how much this means to you, so I’m ready to make it work.” He chuckled a bit, playing off what he sighed about, but he didn’t want her worrying about him, especially so far away. Rose noticed the way his tone shifted, making a face as she sat in her own dorm room. It was barren for now, but it was only her second day here, she wasn’t worried about it. “Good. Listen, I gotta finish unpacking the last of my things, but I’ll call you soon. Love you.” She smiled gently, Jake nodding as he returned the sentiment, the pair hanging up.
Jake let his phone fall to his bed as he sat back down and leaned forward, putting his hands to his head and groaning softly. “Jake?” A woman’s voice called, standing in the doorway was his mother, shoulder length black hair resting on her shoulders as her soft eyes looked at him. She was wearing a simple purple blouse and jeans. Walking over, she sat beside him gently, resting a hand on his shoulder. “What’s wrong…?” Her tone was soft, the same motherly approach she always tried to have with her son. She wouldn’t admit it, but knowing he was slated for college was baffling to her, but she couldn’t be more proud despite being nervous. Jake gasped as he came to his senses and realized it was just his mom. “O-oh, mom… sorry. I was just…” he tried to form the words, but they just weren’t coming to him, and he always hated that when it happened. “Just… again…” he managed to say that much, revealing it wasn’t the first time she had seen this happen.
“The feeling…” she sighed, understanding almost immediately. The woman looked down at the floor with a somber expression. She felt pained knowing she wasn’t able to do much for Jake right now, everything she thought she knew being rather hard to understand as of late. “Your grandfather said it’ll be okay. He’s currently working on getting something figured out, you just have to be a little more patient.” She tried, but her tone betrayed her, she didn’t believe her own words. Jake knew that, but he appreciated the sentiment either way. “Y-yeah. Right. He said he’d contact someone that might understand this better. But…” he looked at his hands, the boy's claws appearing briefly, a crimson red color on the scales as his claws were long, sharp and dark as could be. They vanished again as quickly as they came.
“That one is easily chalked up to being out of practice. He did say you haven’t needed as much practice now that everything had settled down… granted you were only fourteen at the time, so being an adult now, your body probably isn’t responding properly either. Just look at me.” She tried to find a silver lining despite her ramblings, but Jake wasn’t buying it. “You’re not wrong, entirely. But come on Mom… you never had them to begin with. It doesn’t make sense that something I spent months trying to master suddenly loses all sense of self, and becomes impossible to control. Something's wrong.” He leaned back and looked at the ceiling longingly. If he had said this a few years back, one might suspect that he was just bummed about it because he thought his power was cool. But this was something new, something genuinely frustrated within him, and his mother knew that.
“Just test your grandfather, Jake. Why don’t you go and see him before you head out? The college isn’t terribly far, only a couple hours, so we can spare some time before we leave to go and see what he found out.” She urged him, gently standing from his bed as Jake kept staring at the ceiling above him, the boy's shoulders raising and falling slowly to match his tempo’d breathing. “You know…” he leaned forward again, before pushing himself up from the bed, adjusting his red hoodie carefully as he managed to force somewhat of a gentle smile. “That’s a good idea. Besides, I wanna say goodbye to him before we go. I doubt he’ll want to make such a trip daily.” He joked a little as Susan found it rather amusing, this was the son she always saw. Jake grabbed a small backpack and slung it over his shoulder, before giving his mom a side hug.
“Alright mom, I’ll be back. If dad asks, just let him know I’ll be back before it’s too late!” He started rushing out the door of his bedroom, making his way downstairs and out the front door in a hurry. He checked his watch, it was only two in the afternoon, plenty of time left. Making a turn down the sidewalk, he began his walk towards the electronics shop on Canal St., trying to remain positive. He just couldn’t shake what he felt deep down.
-
The bell chimed through the shop as the afternoon rush seemed to have died off, Ronin looking around silently as he entered, letting the door close behind him. “I’ll be with you in a second.” An elderly man’s voice called out from somewhere within the shop, indicating to Ronin that the man in question was here.
Ronin looked around at some of the items littered around the shop, making a face beneath his wrappings as he processed what he was looking at, his thoughts a bit mixed. ‘I know it’s been a while since I’ve really delved into technology but some of this seems to be a bit outlandish even for me.’ He thought as he walked around, he figured it best not to shout out loud to the other voice in case someone else might be nearby. ‘The presence I felt upon entering town seems to have died off the closer I got to the shop, I wonder why that is?’ His eyes drifted around as he took in more of the sights, but in reality was also looking to see if he could find traces of anything magical on display, he knew the type of man Lao-Shi was.
After a moment of searching, Ronin crossed his arms and decided to stand by the counter before finally seeing movement nearby. An elderly man made his way out from the back room, looking towards the imposing dragon in his shop. Gently stroking his white beard, the small human individual chuckled silently. “Well, you’re one for good timing.” He walked over to one side of the counter, hopping up onto a stool as he looked him over. “And I see you’re as cautious as ever… good.”
“Good day, Lao-Shi. It has surely been quite a while.” Ronin mused a little as he adjusted the wrapping around his mouth and neck, lowering it some as he looked at him. “When Lua brought me the letter from you, I had departed almost instantly to come and see what was wrong.” he muttered a little, explaining himself in a bit of a hushed voice as he continued to hold that same level of caution, getting a nod of understanding from the old man. “I’m glad you made haste on the matter, I know I said it already in the letter but I apologize that our first connection in so long has to be in dire need of help. But it’s urgent, I assure you.”
“You need not apologize, I’m used to it given my rather… distant approach to things, and I know that if you’re the one calling out, it truly matters. Tell me, is the boy here?” Ronin asked, dismissing the need for apology, showing a sense of closeness to Lao-Shi in doing so. The elderly man shook his head softly and looked towards the door in thought. “No, he’s still at home I believe. I suppose he wouldn’t leave without giving me a word of warning but he has been stretched rather thin preparing for college. But if worse comes to worse, we can make the trip to his campus… that is to say, if it is okay with you, of course.” Lao-Shi showed he was clearly disheveled in his own thoughts, the letter only scratching the surface.
“I do wonder about his unprecedented paranoia, so if we must, I’ll go with you. I can’t wrap my head around why he’d feel that way though, from what your letter had said. The dark dragons were sealed away, and that…” Ronin shifted his head back and forth in silent thought, slowly but contemplatively as he did. “The Huntsman, I believe he was called. He was bested by the American Dragon. Did he have more enemies than what was let on?” Robin questioned, he wasn’t the type to linger or slack on his work, so he was getting rather blunt and to the point, not that Lao-Shi minded.
“Your memory continues to serve you well, old friend. But no, as far as I could glean from everything we went through, only those threats truly put Jake’s life at risk. That’s why I’ve been tirelessly looking for an answer.” The old man let out a soft sigh, gently tapping his fingers on the counter before him, he clearly seemed upset, worried. Before either of them could say anything else, the door opened again and the bell rang above it, cuing Ronin to subtly but swiftly adjust his face covering to conceal his identity once more. “Gramps, I’m here to say goodbye.” Jake’s voice called as he walked over, glancing briefly at the man before his grandfather, a bit wary as he did.
“Ah, good afternoon Jake, you have great timing. Please, come say hello to someone.” Lao-Shi smiled at the young man as he walked over to the counter. “Jake, this is Ronin, an old friend of mine.” He introduced Ronin, the dragon relaxing his shoulders as he looked at Jake, his eyes almost piercing. Jake looked him in the eyes and recognized the way they looked, but didn’t say anything as he extended a hand. “Oh, hey there. It’s nice to meet you.” Jake casually responded, putting on a smile, but the larger dragon could tell he was suspicious.
“The American Dragon, it’s an understatement to say it’s an honor.” He extended his claw, his sleeve sliding back to reveal it to Jake. Ronin carefully took his hand in claw and shook it. Jake gasped in slight surprise, pulling it back as soon as he was released. “W-woah. You’re a dragon too?!” He exclaimed in mild surprise, it wasn’t the first time he had met other dragons outside of his family, but it was still a bit of a surprise to him when he did so.
Ronin didn’t change his expression, his eyes locked on Jake’s as he showed surprise, before shaking his head and putting a claw up to silence him. “Please, refrain from shouting. I know you know better.” He lightly scolded, much to Jake’s surprise. Ronin seemed a tad stiff as he spoke with Jake, but it wasn’t anything he was unfamiliar with despite that. “Oh, heh, s-sorry. It’s just… you know… why are you wearing that and not taking a human form like gramps and I?” He had stumbled across his thoughts in an attempt to get his surprise out, but only wound up asking a rather dumbfounded and blunt question in turn, not even realizing how to the point he sounded.
Ronin smirked softly underneath his facial wrapping, finding the boy's mannerisms at least slightly amusing, even if it was stemming from a place of surprise. He could tell that Jake was rather naive to the way things worked for people like them, granted how much of an odd case Ronin might seem. “Because this is my only form. I am incapable of switching to another form as you can.” Ronin explained it simply, not delving too far into the specific talk about it, but wanted Jake to at least receive a satisfying answer. The boy listened, a bit awestruck when he heard the answer, and tilted his head.
“Your only form? But…?” He trailed off as he looked towards Lao-Shi, the elderly man having given them the moment to get to know one another as he let Ronin establish an idea of what they were dealing with. “It’s a rather complicated story, grandson. But know that Ronin is still like us, a warrior given dragon form. There’s a lot of intricate details behind what’s going on with him I’m sure he’ll gladly divulge in time.” Lao-Shi gave what he felt was a good answer for the time being, as he hopped down from his stool and circled around the counter. Ronin nodded gently showing what the man said was true.
‘Fascinating… his eyes don’t betray how he feels, yet he’s face to face with an unknown factor. I suppose this is something to expect from one holding such a gift, and trained by one of the best.’ Ronin thought to himself, his internal thoughts analyzing the boy curiously as he remained unreadable himself. “Your grandfather had actually requested my aid, saying you’ve been dealing with some issues. Sounds like it could be coming from your dragon side, if I’m to be called upon.” Ronin revealed, much to Jake’s surprise as he wasn’t quite sure how to process that reveal, but he nodded regardless.
“Oh…” Jake softly responded, his gaze shifting away briefly as he didn’t want to meet Ronin’s eyes. “Yeah, it’s a bit of a complicated mess. I can’t seem to control my transformation like I used to, ever since we sealed away the dark dragons. I used to have it seamlessly under control, and now…” he raised his hands showing one had briefly shifted to a claw before transforming back, Ronin listening to him intently as he gave the young man his entire focus.
“Peculiar, but not unheard of. Tell me, have you noticed any major shifts in your energy, or are you unfamiliar with such a practice?” Ronin asked, sincerity in his tone showing he was genuinely curious and not mocking the young man for what he might or might not know. Jake would softly shake his head when he heard that, Lao-Shi sighing softly. “I had wished to train him more thoroughly on the matter, but with the threat looming over him defeated, it was ideal that he focused more on his school work, and we haven’t had the time. As much as I begrudgingly must admit.” The old man explained as Ronin nodded, the dragon taking the hand that transformed gently into his claw, examining it slowly.
Jake didn’t react, not making eye contact with him as he let it happen, but it was clear whatever it was bugged him deep inside. Ronin let out a gentle sigh as he stood there and let his thoughts roam briefly, gently releasing Jake’s claw before he shook his head. “Inner energy is a very crucial aspect of transformation, while not necessarily a key piece of you know how to physically work it into everything, it can help for matters like this. I’ll have to get a better idea of what this means before I can make any proper assessment.” Ronin admitted, but it was clear in his tone that he wasn’t exactly thrilled about that, Jake piecing that together almost immediately with a sigh. “Oh…” he seemed a bit disappointed, he didn’t even need to answer the man for him to figure it out, his grandfather wasn’t wrong after all.
Ronin noticed the dejected feeling coming off of Jake’s mannerisms, in his attempts to help him he had indirectly made it harder on the human, before letting out his own sigh. “I know it’s not the answer you were hoping, but it’s better to have a longer observation period to get a much clearer result. As it stands, I’d much rather find an answer suitable for you rather than try and brute force a trial and error formula. Don’t let this drive away your hope.” Ronin tried to level with Jake, if only briefly. His words were a bit rough, showing the man was more of a logic over emotion person, but Jake could sense he had good intention behind his meaning. Adjusting his bag slightly, he managed the smallest of smiles before giving a slight nod.
“Y-yeah, that makes sense. But we don’t really have a lot of time, I’m supposed to be leaving for my campus soon. It’s a couple hours away but how will you be able to observe if I’m all the way out there?” Jake asked the single most important question about this, realizing he didn’t exactly know where Ronin came from, let alone what he knew about their location. Ronin nodded seeing the boy had a point, and chuckled slightly, it was stiff as could be, but there was something gentle beneath it. “Well, where are you going? Depending on the direction, this might not be such a rough idea. I live only an hour or so from this shop, so there’s a chance I’ll be closer than you realize.” He revealed, not immediately giving away his exact home position to Jake, but that did give him some hope.
“Well, I’m going to be heading eastbound, if that helps. I don’t remember the exact address or anything but maybe that will help?” Jake questioned, feeling rather confident in himself for that even if the info was about as vague as one might have expected from him. His grandfather stared in slight disbelief at his grandson, but remained quiet for the time being as they both looked over to Ronin. “Eastbound…” he looked outside, it wasn’t particularly easy to tell which direction he was looking from just the shop window, but it was a start as he recalled where he had come from. Fate was a bit too friendly right now, as he noted to himself that he had traveled westward to meet up with the two.
Ronin didn’t acknowledge it immediately as he looked toward Lao-Shi, beginning to consider some things. “Lao, I might be able to put forth an effort befitting your expectations, but I may need to return to my home first. If you can, could you get the necessary info of where your grandson will be staying? I’ll send Lua out your way to retrieve the letter in time.” Ronin’s mind immediately got to work, much to the surprise of the American Dragon. Jake looked between the two as they discussed the present matter. “Hmm… very well, but what do you expect to uncover by watching him on his college campus?” Lao-Shi questioned rather abruptly, not leaving room for uncertainty behind his words. Jake nodded as if seconding the man’s words, realizing the shift in his demeanor.
“A change of scenery may be what we need to figure out his current predicament. I wasn’t quite sure from the get go if what I was feeling was correct, but there’s something lingering that hasn’t felt quite right since I had stepped foot into town.” Ronin finally revealed, his eyes drifting towards the window again as he started thinking, Jake’s gaze following gently as he did so. The man had quite the insistence on being vague, but to hear that he wasn’t alone in such a feeling was reassuring, even if slightly. “You feel it too, then…? Like…” Jake started, his tone dropping a bit as he seemed almost… scared, unsure. Lao-Shi’s expression softened as he heard the change, but listened to what Jake had to say. “Like you’re always being watched from somewhere, something unseen staring at you…” Jake managed to say it, looking at Ronin as he finished his thought.
“Somewhat, yes. It’s not as oppressive for me as it seems to be for you. But I don’t wish to disregard the possibility that something out there is causing your mind to wander to the worst possible situation. In doing so, your thoughts being misaligned could very well be why you’re struggling to retain your transformation understanding.” Ronin speculated, his heart had sunk a little hearing the way Jake answered his question, and hoped that there was at least some way he could make him feel better. Jake listened to him, his gaze shifting to the floor for a brief moment, but he was able to muster up enough of a thought to nod, showing he heard what was said.
“Listen, Jake.” Ronin leveled with him somewhat, resting a claw on his shoulder as he did so, his tone lightening up for the first time since he had arrived. Now that he was able to drag out the truthful feeling from the source himself, he had a place he could start, as abrupt as he might’ve come off in that moment. “You’re worried, there’s a lot changing in your life it sounds like. That… truthfully is to be expected. But, at the same time, you still trust things will be okay, correct?” Ronin asked, as if he saw right through the young man’s facade, even briefly. Jake wasn’t sure how to respond to that, taken a bit by surprise despite knowing he should know what the answer was.
Before he could say anything more, Jake felt something vibrate, glancing at his pocket before pulling out his phone, quickly looking at it and seeing it was his mom trying to contact him, he realized he didn’t have much time to socialize anymore right now. “O-oh, that’s mom. I think we’re about to get going. If…” he paused as he went and gave his grandfather a hug, but the pause seemed directed at Ronin. Breaking the hug, he quickly grabbed a small square of paper, his grandfather always keeping spare scratch paper for whenever he needed to make a note of some kind. Scribbling down, he quickly slid it over. “If you’re serious, I remember the name of the school, at least. From there I’m sure you can find the address. Sorry…” he muttered out the apology as he realized it really wasn’t that helpful but he wanted to believe that if the man was as serious as Lao-Shi made it sound, then he’d go to the extra length.
“See ya gramps, I’ll be sure to stay in touch!” Jake exclaimed as he quickly brought the phone to his ear, answering his moms call as he rushed for the door. “Coming, coming. Sorry. Was just saying goodbye to gramps… yes mom, I-“ his voice could be heard responding as he rushed down the sidewalk back where he had originally come from, the door closing and completely blocking out any sound that might’ve come after. The two were left alone once Jake departed, Lao-Shi sighing gently as he saw his grandson fade from sight. It wasn’t a sad or a longing sigh, but Ronin could tell that for a moment, the man was just content and happy. “He’s an odd one. But he’s got quite the good heart, I can tell.” Ronin would shatter the silence as he turned his attention towards the older man, who gently nodded when he heard that.
“Jake’s an excitable young boy, always the energetic one. But I know he’s ready for whatever endeavors college holds for him.” Jake’s grandfather smiled softly as he answered, before sliding the paper with the school name over to Ronin, knowing it was much better in his possession. “So, what are you suspecting?” He finally asked, he didn’t really want an answer while Jake was present and thus decided it was best to ask now of all times. The large dragon sighed gently as he pocketed the paper for now, not really needing the name yet.
“Well, I understand where, particularly, he’s coming from. But…” Ronin’s eyes shifted towards the building across the street, slightly aimed towards the top of said building as he inspected something. “But honestly, I didn’t want to say anything that might alarm him further. I had uncovered more than I dared hope to find.”
Lao-Shi looked where he had focused and for just the faintest moment, felt a rather unsettling presence, but it was very short lived, akin to a shiver down one’s spine. For someone unaware, that could easily be passed as an oddity, but Lao-Shi refused to believe that it was something so simple. “You feel it too. Something is watching, but it seems to be focused on Jake specifically, and only alert to me because, I assume, they’re aware of what I’m trying to do. We can’t be too cautious, so I plan to head towards the campus shortly after him and investigate the area.”
“What do you expect to learn by doing that? Or do you just hope to be cognizant of the surrounding area and are hoping for the best?” The old man gently stroked his beard as he spoke, letting his mind briefly wander to his daughter and family. Jake was very important to him, but the boy was skilled and trained thoroughly, it was those unprepared he worried about. Ronin adjusted the wrapping around his face carefully, having felt it slipping slightly as he muttered to himself, but didn’t want to say anything out loud yet, and shook his head. “I don’t know if exploring the campus will give me much to consider, but if anything I can find peace of mind for my own thoughts. I don’t wish to tell Jake anything about what you just felt until I know for sure what it is… as sad as it is to say such.” Ronin spoke more casually once they were alone again, he wasn’t thinking about every possible outcome or what to do, he had his own fears just like Jake and Lao-Shi did. He just understood how to hide it better.
“I understand. Now, if you’re going to be following some form of dark energy, I implore you to at least let me help you in some capacity. At my age I may not be the fighter I once was, but I know there’s something here that can be of use to you.” The man started to ramble a little, a familiarity to Jake that would make him glad he wasn’t present to hear. “I recall having found this object sometime during our trials against the dark dragon, and I’ve yet to really find a use for it, but we were able to at least discover it reacts adversely to heavy magic traces. What that reaction is is still a mystery, but I feel it is better to have and not need than to need and not have.” He rummaged through some boxes, muttering to himself about recalling its last placement, Ronin making a bit of a face when he heard that as he didn’t like chances, but right now he didn’t have much choice.
“Very well. However, if it can be avoided, unknown factors are not particularly something I enjoy witnessing, I’ll take it in case it does become a necessary factor, but I implore you not to feel offended if it doesn’t find any use.” Ronin relented on the idea of taking the object in question with him, but he still had his beliefs to hold onto. The old man nodded in understanding, pulling out a small red amulet, the center possessing a faint, ghostly green gem, the colors similar to Jake’s dragon form. An oddity for sure, but Ronin examined it with thought of coincidence, knowing that magic to the mortal eye had such a color scheme. Gently closing his claw around it once placed, he nodded as Lao-Shi returned to behind the counter. “I don’t expect you to go to any length just to humor me, but again, I’d find greater peace if it’s at least in your possession. A gift, if you will, for going so far to humor worries for my grandson. Thank you, old friend.”
Ronin nodded in silence, having nothing more to say as he bid the old man a farewell and made his way out of the shop, the presence he had felt returning slightly as he carefully slipped the amulet, hanging from a small thread, around his head and gently sat it around his neck, letting it slip inside his shirt so it didn’t even look like he was wearing it. “It’s at least concealable, that’s good.” He muttered silently to himself as he began making his way towards the east, it was at least a helpful clue even if Jake couldn’t give him a direct answer.
Unbeknownst to Ronin, he had caught the attention of a rather ghostly individual. Where he had once looked with Lao-Shi, a spectral form appeared and watched where the dragon walked. His form made it seem as if he didn’t have any legs, at least from the knee down to his feet, his motions and movements being like that of a ghost as he turned to watch him, wearing a heavy brown cloak to conceal what his face might look like, surrounded in a heavy black mist despite it all. Walking up behind him, another cloaked figure emerged from the emergency stairwell, and made their way over. “So, you’ve got eyes on the so-called ‘American Dragon’, I presume?” The second individual spoke, their voice robotic, static-like, it was almost as if they were speaking through a megaphone. The ghostly individual remained focused on where Ronin had gone, but verbally didn’t say anything. “Another dragon, you say? That can’t be right. The specifications said that we’d have The American Dragon, two lesser dragons, and the old man. Why is there another one?” The robotic voice seemed annoyed, there wasn’t any concern or consideration behind their tone, it was indifference. They seemed rather cold, even to the point the ghostly figure didn’t wish to look towards them.
There was a silence between them, the second figure looking out towards where the first was looking and seeing the form of Ronin. Disregarding him for now, they focused on searching for Jake, the young man being the direct target they wished to find. “Very well, I’ll consider what issue this newcomer might pose. For now, follow the American Dragon, there is no reason for us to lose sight of our main goal. Now that I’ve seen this oddity myself, I’ll keep tabs on him just in case.” The second figure remarked as they made their way back to the emergency stairwell. “Also, let’s meet somewhere a little less out of the way. You may be able to roam as you please, but I’d prefer that we don’t waste meaningful time on such meaningless efforts, such as climbing.” They didn’t leave room for argument or discussion as they began descending, the surprisingly subtle sound of metal clinking only barely audible, before leaving the spectral form alone once more.
Ronin was oblivious to the fact that he had been scoped out by the two, a bad feeling beginning to fester within his stomach as he tried his best to ignore it. The spectral form adjusted its hood and faded from sight, deciding to do as asked as it started to silently move through the shadows of the alleyway, heading towards Jake’s location to begin following him to the school, curious as to where the young man may go.