Chapter 2: Year of the Dragon

Trying to be a hero is more difficult than you realize. I realize I could join the police force, and lay my life on the line everyday to protect both the weak and strong I could also become a firefighter and save peoples' lives everyday while putting mine at risk to put out fires. It requires sacrifice to be a real hero. I thought I knew about sacrifice. You literally have to put yourself at risk sometimes to protect or save someone. Knowing that sobers a person up quickly, at least it did me. I had no basis on how to do things, at those jobs at least they have an idea of how to do things. I had to basically start from scratch. I had no real contacts with the magic world.

That isn't to say that I might not know anyone in the magic world. One thing I wished I would have done was to ask for some contacts names during my training. I knew a girl I dated once that was a practicing wicca. Then there was also the Ancient One. I didn't really know if they had any contacts or not, but it was at least a place to start. I also had money, so I could use some of that to grease some palms.

Apparently that is not the way to make contacts in the magic world. I guess I can see why. If people actually found out about that world of which I just found out about, I could see Salem Witch Trials happening again. Along with burning vampires and Goth's while they were at it. A person is a ration being, people are stupid, irrational and don't make any sense.

My search came up with mostly frauds. It also added ammunition for those seeking to wrest control of my company from me. They tried to make my search of magic a sign I was losing my sanity. To be honest, if I hadn't seen and experienced it for myself I would think I was crazy too. Magic kept itself hidden for a reason. I did find a few that might be promising, but I decided to see what was on the net. You can find everything on the net, why not magic. I called up a search on magic. I got a lot of results for some kind of card game, the basketball team in Orlando, sleight of hand trick, crystals, some computer programs and some college department or company... I decided on unexplained phenomenon. I should try narrowing down the search more.

I started down another path since I came up with too many results on my net search. You know when they say you can find anything on the net, they are right. What they don't say is you find too much stuff and a lot of it is porn. I called up some of my contacts in the FBI, top level mainly since I had the money, although they were originally my parents contacts. I told them to run a search of missing persons in one location, or "flu" deaths and the like. They actually had some in a little city a couple of states over. Not too much, just one every couple of years or so. I figured this was more of some sort of roving band, so I kept notes on it but didn't really go into more detail on it. Well I got some news on a couple of different cases. Nothing popped out at me. Well great back to square one, but at least it was better than square zero.

I knew I had to make a contact in the magical world. The only thing I could think of was the east again. The Ancient One was dead now and I had no other contacts. Well I could at least see if his apprentice would help me. I made travel arrangements and set off to see his apprentice(not the one's that Donald Trump has either.)

I headed for the little herb shop he owned

(The following conversations are translated for your convenience from the original language)

*"Hello, is anyone home"

*"What do you want. There is nothing here for you now. Why did you come back? Do you want to try to kill me as well?"

*"I need help, I need to know if you know anything about the attack on the Ancient One. The same people responsible killed my family and friends and took my girlfriend. I want revenge. I need to do something about it. These people took away everybody important to me. I need to do something."

*"What, help you so I can end up the same way? After all he did for you, what did you do to repay him. You got him killed. Why do you think anyone will help you. You are an egotistical jerk. Did you ever think about the people that were close to those that were murdered. Their families were as affected as you were. But this is all about you. Let's see if the American can bring more trouble to those that have suffered."

*"I would like to go after those people, and make them pay for what they did. I will hunt them down and kill them. I do not know what your problem is, I cared for the Ancient One too. I cared for all the people that died. I can't just sit here and do nothing while those responsible are free."

*"You still don't get it do you rich boy. You are still just thinking of yourself. This is bigger than you. I will tell you what I will give you the name and place of a creature. If you survive the encounter, I will help. But I really don't expect to see you again. Goodbye and good riddance."

What he did give me was an old map with some directions on it. Well at least a photocopy of an old map with directions written on it. I couldn't place the original language on it. There were notes in the margins and on the map I could follow though. As I followed the map I realized it was a distance away. I would have to stop at a village close to the mountain I would be going up. I picked up a ride to the village. The roads weren't really good enough for me to drive and I didn't think I would have enough gas to get there and back.

I rested at the village and stored a bag with some essentials in it clothes, personal grooming items and some food and water in it. I waited until morning to start out. It didn't really have a scale on the map and older ones like this one appeared to be were notoriously not drawn to scale. I really didn't know how much longer the trip would be, so I brought along some rations and water with me as well and stored them in my suit. I packed my suit in a back and carried it with me.

I traveled all day and by the by the time it was getting to be duck I arrived at the base of the mountain. I changed into my suit and packed my clothes in the bag. Good thing it was equipped with climbing gear. The suit was a little stiff and I couldn't really flex to grab a hold to climb freestyle at the places where it got too steep to walk. As I started up the mountain, I began to get an uneasy feeling. As I climbed the mountain, I could see a great big opening that looked like a cave. The hairs on the back of my neck began to stand up. As I approached my knees started to get a little weak. I looked around the front of the cave peering in apprehensively. I didn't really have a good feeling about this.

I didn't know what I really was looking for. I wondered what situation the apprentice was sending me into. I started to explore a little bit. I got out the flashlight that was in on of the pouches. I was cautiously checking around each corner. As I went around the next corner in this huge cave, I had to stop in my tracks. I saw a creature so huge that it shouldn't exist. I could feel the bile rise in my stomach as a feeling of dread washed over me. I saw a dragon. Oh my god, what the hell, no wonder he didn't think I would be coming back. Hell, I don't think I would be coming back at this point either. I thought to myself, in for a penny in for a pound. I walked up to the dragon. As I approached the mystical beast, I wondered if I could keep getting closer. I felt my throat go dry. My hands were getting clammy, and I broke out in a nervous sweat.

*Foolish mortal, what are you doing here*

I heard the words he spoke to me. It wasn't as if he spoke the words, it was more like the words were rattling around in my head. I could feel the power behind the words. The feeling of power from the beast seemed to wash over me.