The Dragon's Eye

“During the days of old, the two companions who united our nations excavated a pair of brilliant red jewels within Dragora’s sub-island: Ulteria. They were transfixed by the jewel’s beauty, believing they were the perfect representation of companionship. After weeks of intense forging and crafting, the ruby jewels were offered to the rulers of their respective nations as a sign of peace and future prosperity.

“The first jewel – dubbed the ‘Dragon’s Left Eye’ – was presented to King Remoras of Humesa, who was overjoyed to receive such a marvellous item. The second jewel – dubbed the ‘Dragon’s Right Eye’ – was presented to Emperor Ikaro of Dragora, who was sceptical of the companions’ intentions. Regardless, the two rulers accepted the jewels in gratitude, displaying them to the public as a representation of respect and unity.”

Zaron, Veena, and Tobi sat around the kitchen table as they watched the pacing Lucas read out text from the Dragon’s Eye book. Tobi and Veena watched on with groggy eyes, struggling to concentrate as they were recuperating from the sleepless night previous. Alternatively, Zaron – now wearing a simple shirt on top of his bandages – sat forward as he listened in intrigue, conscious not to inflict any accidental pressure against his healed yet sensitive injuries. It was the mid-morning and plans were underway.

“For several generations, the Dragon Eyes continued to shine as the centrepieces of their respective nations.” Lucas described, announcing in a powerful, exaggerated voice. “However, during the era of Draiken Emperor Shenro’s reign, the Right Eye was lost to the ocean’s abyss. Sources suggest that one of the emperor’s personal guards was drunk and tossed it into the sea in blind rage … after losing a bet with a fellow colleague.”

The trio’s brows were raised simultaneously, baffled by the outlandish reason.

“The guard was soon beheaded as was the colleague who won the bet.” Lucas then admitted through his reading, feeling perplexed by the brutal conclusion. “Hoo-boy…! Shenro was pissed off that day. He followed up on a campaign to massacre an outlander camp just to blow off steam.”

The trio then winced instantaneously, expecting the outcome yet taken aback by the sheer brutality.

“So, that’s the reason why there’s only one ‘Dragon’s Eye’?” Veena wondered to Lucas, assuming the outcome. “Don’t interrupt the story.” Lucas then warned severely; his eyes sharpened as though insulted by her interruption. “Questions at the end.”

“Oh...! Right. Sorry.” Veena apologised awkwardly, not realising he had yet to finish. “A-as you were.”

Clearing his throat, Lucas proceeded with the text.

“Since that unfortunate day, the remaining jewel was renamed solely as the Dragon’s Eye and stood as a beacon of Dragora and Humesa’s unbreakable relationship – at the time.” He concluded in an emotional finale, holding his chest up high in pride.

Feeling the passion emulate from the older Cobalt’s stance, Zaron was set to clap in appreciation. Tobi halted him immediately, noticing the anticlimactic ending to the story.

“Is that it?” He confronted his father sternly, leaning forward on his seat. “What do you mean: ‘at the time’?”

In eerie silence, Lucas snapped the book shut, his emotions blank.

Wham!

“YEOWCH! What was that for?!”

“I’m not finished. Don’t interrupt me.” Lucas retorted bitterly as he slapped the hardback covered book around his son’s head.

Rubbing the fresh bump on his head, Tobi grumbled inaudibly. Zaron and Veena gazed at him in pity before returning focus to the satisfied Lucas.

Bang!

“The chapter goes into a lot of mumbo-jumbo crap about how the Dragon’s Eye survived countless skirmishes and catastrophes – so we can skip them for now.” Lucas shrugged carelessly, dropping the book on the table.

He then pulled a free chair and perched himself in front of the trio directly, arms crossed and leaned back on his seat in the process.

“The most important aspect is what wasn’t documented in the text.” He expressed with an informative tone. “I can’t recall the exact date, but – around thirty or forty years ago – the Dragon’s Eye was sealed away from the public.”

In that instant, all three straightened up on their seats as they listened carefully to Lucas’ tale. They all had the same question in their minds:

(...Why?)

“You’re all probably wondering: ‘But, Lucas! Why was the Dragon’s Eye sealed up?!’ Well, I’ll tell you.” Lucas then smirked as he echoed the question in their minds, amused by their reactions. “See, there were many rumours and theories floating around over the centuries – all revolved around the possibility that the Dragon Eyes were ‘enchanted’ ... ‘possessed’ ... ‘cursed’ … the lot, really. It even got to the point where cults were established, some worshiping and others lamenting the damn things like they were mystical. Honestly, it got very creepy…

“Funny enough, the cultists ended up being somewhat correct. Through extensive research on the remaining Eye, scientists from both nations discovered abnormalities with the jewel’s minerals. They realised these ‘abnormalities’ were found to herald mysterious spiritual essences. As you’d expect, the entirety of Humesa was ecstatic of the discovery. They believed the possibilities were endless with how they could best use the jewel. Advancements in technology, unlimited resources, enhanced humans: you name it.”

Tobi leaned over to Zaron, anticipating the next line.

“I hear a ‘but’ coming…” He whispered slyly.

There was a pause in the room, Lucas changing his tone mid-silence.

“But…” The older Cobalt murmured with a low sigh.

“HAH! Called it!”

Tobi chortled in the background, celebrating his prediction. Lucas continued, ignoring his son’s unwelcome outburst.

“There was a long, gruelling debate amongst politicians on how to utilize the jewel. Various suggestions sighted the Eye should be used to empower Humesa’s military – Nightshade included. Others argued it should be free for everyone to use, regardless of profession and stature. However, Dragora’s dynasty didn’t take kindly to such selfish resolves.

“The various sides continued to argue, reaching a level where fistfights would break out spontaneously. During that time, other options were thrown into the mix, such as: experimental purposes, environmental restoration, and … space travel.”

The trio eyed each other upon hearing the last suggestion.

(Space travel…?)

“Eventually, all parties had no choice but to accept a compromise.” Lucas murmured in disappointment. “With no ultimatum, they agreed to secure the Dragon’s Eye in a hidden location whilst all sides worked out their differences. That … was twenty-three years ago.”

(...They never found an ultimatum.)

The trio predicted the outcome subconsciously during the brief pause, as though predicting the conclusion.

“To this day, the Dragon’s Eye continues to stay hidden from the world – lost in memory.”

The atmosphere within the kitchen thickened as the trio heard Lucas’ concluding statement, all deep in thought as they processed the information. As Lucas expected, questions formed amongst the three, interest in the mysterious ruby jewel brewing.

Slam!

Tobi was the first to act, slamming both his palms on the table to express the importance of his question.

“So, what’s the plan?” He requested in a gritty tone, forcing the severity of the question. “We venture off into the far reaches of Humesa and locate this ‘Dragon’s Eye’, right? And then, once we claim the jewel, we storm Aeris and ... hand over the Eye to Queen Sera?”

His voice then trailed off in looming uncertainty, switching to the two Draiken briefly in hope of clarification.

“That’s our plan ... right, guys?” He questioned the two hesitantly.

The two responded with a shrug.

“Actually, you’re nearly spot on, Tobi.” Lucas admitted with a delighted grin.

Both Draiken switched back to the older Cobalt in that very instant, expressing genuine bafflement in the unexpected response.

“Tobi’s right? Damn, that’s rare.” Zaron blurted out, unable to contain his surprise.

“...Really appreciate the support, Zaron.” Tobi murmured back sarcastically, eyeing his friend with a half-open glare of dissatisfaction.

Lucas chuckled amusedly as he listened to the banter.

“I’m serious. In fact, that’s the plan I had in mind from the get-go ... although, I would’ve phrased it differently to Tobi.”

“Would you care to elaborate?” Zaron requested, expressing some doubt.

“Humesa’s current ruler – Queen Sera – has sought to retrieve the Eye after the war ended.” Lucas explained. “She believes that it holds the key to human evolution. She’s become so obsessed in the damn thing that she’s even requested the tabloids to remind the public of its existence on a weekly basis.”

As he stated, he swiped a newspaper from the corner of the table and placed it in the centre for all to see. The trio peered over the front page of the paper, realising immediately that Lucas was not exaggerating. The headline read:

‘Aeris Bulletin Exclusive! Her Majesty expresses New Retrieval Team is hard at work to Locate the Dragon’s Eye!’

“I swear, I’ve seen every variation of that title over the last decade.” Lucas added with a groan, expressing his boredom in the tabloid’s headline.

Zaron and Veena continued to read the front-page’s excerpt, their curiosity evident as their eyes fixated on the text.

‘“This project was a long and tiring journey for us all, but I can assure the people of Humesa that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.” Her Majesty Queen Sera assured as she sat with our lead journalist. “I’m aware that I sound like a broken record at this point, however my resolve remains true. I’ve vowed to return the Eye to its rightful home for many years, and I’ll stand by that vow until the end of my days as Humesa’s Queen.”’

“She certainly likes her speeches.” Zaron commented lightly.

“More like: she likes the sound of her own voice...” Tobi murmured in response, rolling his eyes.

Amongst the off-topic chatter, Veena noticed an anomaly to the Queen’s speech.

“Lucas, this article suggests that they have no idea where the Eye is.” She pointed out, tapping her finger on the page. “However, you said that the politicians secured the Eye in a safe place.”

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Lucas nodded.

“Right you are, Veena.”

Zaron and Tobi halted their idle chatter, also noticing the contradiction.

“After the agreement, Humesa’s government tasked a specific group of individuals to secure the Dragon’s Eye. They instructed these individuals to never disclose its location to anyone outside of their team – even the government itself. They were even instructed not to archive the location.”

Zaron and Veena’s eyes widened, wondering why the government resorted to such extremes.

“In their defence, if the Eye fell into the wrong hands, the consequences would be catastrophic.” Lucas then admitted as he noticed their reaction.

“So, who are these individuals?” Zaron wondered in response. “Are they people you know?”

“Well, just to put it out there … no. They have no relation to the Ultima nor the Nightshade.” Lucas denied bluntly. “They were an exclusive group of no affiliation, picked solely for the job. No one knows who they are, no one knows where they are … and no one knows if they’re even still alive.”

Zaron twitched bitterly, murmuring underneath his breath.

“Crap.”

“Do we have any leads whatsoever?” Veena followed up cautiously, casting a sliver of hope.

Lucas smirked upon hearing her question, his eyes veering up immediately as he answered, “We do now.”

Bang!

The trio leapt out in abrupt fright as a binder full of paperwork slammed on the table in front of them. They switched round as they found a dead-eyed Marc towering over them in silence.

“Is that everything, Marc?” Lucas questioned casually as he grabbed the binder, flipping through the pages.

“It took all night … but I’ve gathered as much as I could find – just as you asked.” He murmured in his typical monotone, drowsy from the all-night research.

The trio stared up at Marc in bewilderment, struggling to comprehend that the ‘other’ Cobalt twin volunteered to help. An irritable twitch emerged in Marc’s sleep-deprived eye, unappreciative of the judging gazes.

Pat!

“Good job.” Lucas complimented his moody son, patting him on the shoulder to express his gratitude.

Marc expressed no reaction, his mind set on returning to his room as soon as possible. All he could think about was his bed, believing he had been awake for over twenty-four hours at this point. However, just as he was about to turn in, he was thrown off guard by the next comment.

“Thanks, Marc.” Zaron acknowledged graciously, showing a genuine smile as he appreciated the help.

Marc stood in silence momentarily, glaring back at the young Draiken in disarray.

“...I’m going to bed.” He responded with a disgruntled sigh, leaving the kitchen in haste.

And with that, Marc’s brief appearance ended just as abrupt as it began. Zaron and Veena were puzzled by the awkward exit, watching on silently as the Cobalt twin disappeared through the bedroom door.

“What in the world did you say to him yesterday, dad?” Tobi questioned in bafflement.

Letting out a cunning grin, Lucas responded in a sly tone.

“You guys can figure that one out yourselves.”

Tobi returned with a pout, his aura oozing in dissatisfaction. After an amused chuckle, Lucas proceeded to scan through the first set of pages within Marc's binder, mouthing specific quotes that caught his attention. The two Draiken peered forward in curiosity, attempting to scan the details on the opened page.

“Mind ... sharing what you’re reading, Lucas?” Veena requested, feeling the older Cobalt was purposely holding crucial information from the trio.

“Last night, I left Marc with an important task.” Lucas divulged, flipping over to the next page. “His role was to gather every relevant resource, article, and reference to the Dragon's Eye. It didn’t matter how big or how small the information was: if he deemed the information important, then it was eligible for our forthcoming venture.”

As he explained, he swivelled the binder to face the trio, acting suave in his flawless transition.

“Within every theory and conspiracy lies a hint of truth.” He then informed them, pointing at the text highlighted in a specific article. “Just like puzzle pieces, all you need to do is link them together and you'll find the answer in no time.”

The article presented to the trio was dated fifteen years prior, bordered with a plethora of outdated advertisements and novelties. The title read: ‘Hot Topic – The Mysteries of the Western Hills: For the Curious and the Thrill-seekers!’

Zaron, Veena, and Tobi scanned over the text, their gazes scanning over the sections highlighted by marker-pen. The article detailed various abnormalities that occurred around an area of Humesa – known as the Sinnoe Beacons, a mountainous range popular amongst hikers and seasonal climbers. Based on the rumours, several members of the outdoor community had experienced intermittent quakes throughout the season. Others noticed strange lights within the cracks, illuminating almost entire routes up the cliff-face.

“Do you think the Eye is here?” Zaron wondered curiously, feeling hopeful.

Without saying a word, Lucas flipped the binder forward by a few pages. Along with the two beside him, Zaron inspected the new page presented to them. And then, his hope was dashed in an instant. The new title: ‘Legend of the Barron Caves – Mysteries of the Uncharted Abyss.’

Zaron flipped to another page automatically: ‘What lies in the Ol' Haunted Ruins of–’

He flipped to another page without bothering to finish the title.

‘Top 22 Dragon’s Eye Facts that prove its Location is at the bottom of the Great Southern Reef!’

And another page: ‘Sand or Snow – The Dragon’s Eye will soon surface in these likely areas!’

And another: ‘What would You Do if the Dragon’s Eye turned up in your basement?’

Fwip ... Slam!

Leaning back on his seat as he closed the binder, Zaron breathed out as realisation was set in his mind.

“Oh crap...”

“Hm-hmm...! ‘Oh crap’ indeed, Zaron.” Lucas echoed with a drawn-out sigh. “We have a lot to decipher in that binder.”

“Will we have enough time?” Zaron followed up, remembering that time was against them.

“Not a chance.” He declined firmly. “We'll have to crack it whilst we’re on the road.”

“That urgent?!” Tobi then blurted out, taken aback completely.

From the moment they awakened, both Tobi and Veena were informed that Mantis had them tracked to the house. Veena was understanding of the situation, assuming the assassin was aware of their location after their precious encounter. On the other hand, Tobi had not clocked the gravity of the situation, believing initially that the two Draiken had inflicted enough damage to delay her from another pursuit.

“Would you rather be sliced up by a cold-blooded assassin?” Lucas questioned back in a snarky tone, gazing dead-serious at his son.

Without even a blink, the wide-eyed Tobi shook his head hastily.

“How long do we have to prepare?” Veena then questioned.

Lucas paused as he pondered the question, taking all aspects into consideration. And then, he answered in a casual approach.

“I would say ... within the next hour.”

The trio shot up from their seats.

“““THE NEXT HOUR?!?!”””

***

Chaos.

That was best way to explain the next hour. Everyone in the Cobalt house was rushed off their feet, packing anything and everything they felt was necessary for the spontaneous trip. During the madness, Tobi raced down into Marc's room and threw his sleeping twin off the bed without warning.

Whomp!

“Marc, get up!” He yelled out as he flipped Marc over. “You need to pack!”

After that, Tobi stumbled back out the room in haste, leaving a bewildered Marc to stare off into the abyss.

Elsewhere, Zaron and Veena grabbed whatever attire and necessary equipment the felt were necessary for the trip. Given the nature of the task, they expected to enter extreme conditions that would test they resilience and patience. Zaron then stopped by the Artoria blade, gazing at the weapon as it sat against the corner of Tobi’s bedroom. He reflected to his previous encounter with Mantis, feeling that no matter where he travelled, the assassin was always a close step behind him. There was also the likelihood of encountering other opposing forces throughout their journey, predicting possible obstacles between him and the Dragon's Eye. With all that in mind, it made sense include the blade in his travels. However, its notoriety was an underlying risk, knowing that any random human would raise suspicion upon recognising its design. Not only would his identity be compromised, but it would also set serious ramifications on Veena and the entire Cobalt family. The risk alone sent Zaron in turmoil.

“Are you done packing, Zaron?”

Zaron then noticed Veena step into the room, a large bag dragged behind her.

“Yeah ... almost.” He murmured in uncertainty, continuing to stare at the Artoria blade.

Veena stepped up beside him, connecting the dots as she noticed his gaze set warily on his trusted blade.

“If you need some convincing: I’ll be bringing Kurama on the trip.” Veena admitted in clarity, certain in her decision. “You never know what we’ll be facing during the journey. And, even if we don't … I'm sure Mantis will be waiting for us on our return.”

Zaron turned to her, “Easy for you to say. I can't exactly hide Artoria like you can with Kurama. Plus, imagine the uproar if someone spotted the blade. I just ... can't take that chance, you know.”

“Fair point.” Veena shrugged casually in response. “Maybe it’s worth keeping Artoria inside the truck whilst we’re on the road. If you think about it: the only time we might need it is once we’ve reached one of our destinations. Any other time, we have basic hand-to-hand combat training, and the other wooden katana is still intact at least.”

“True, but … I just feel restricted without Artoria.” Zaron commented hesitantly, deep in thought. “If I could hide it whilst we’re in public, I wouldn’t need to worry about raising suspicion.”

The two Draiken stood in silence, both considering potential solutions to the inconvenient problem. Eventually, Zaron hoisted the Artoria blade from its corner and attached it with the magnetic harness on his back. Whilst it was impossible for him to carry it in public freely, he felt confident knowing the weapon was easily accessible. Throughout the entire commotion, Lucas sat relaxed on the lounge sofa, sipping away on his mug of tea as he was engrossed on reading the contents of the binder. With his luggage already packed the previous night and impending role as the designated driver for the trip, the older Cobalt was using every remaining second to rest up. In that moment, he overheard Zaron and Veena chatting away as they descended the stairs.

“Maybe you could use a really long suitcase, or a snowboard bag ... or a guitar case.” Veena suggested as she lugged her large bag down the steps.

“I don't think it'll fit in a guitar case.” Zaron declined as he followed her from behind. “It'll rip through a snowboard bag, for sure. And ... where will I find a suitcase big enough to fit Artoria's size?”

(A case for the Artoria blade...?)

As an idea emerged, Lucas rose from his seat.

(Now, if I remember correctly...)

***

“Remind me again why I’m included in all of this?” Marc moaned groggily, chucking his bag in the boot of the family pickup truck.

“Oh, don’t get me wrong: I’d love you to stay and meet the woman planning to murder us in cold blood.” Tobi answered sarcastically, throwing his own bag into the trunk. “Unfortunately, dad wants you alive and to get along with the two Draiken … and so do I.”

“Right...” Marc then murmured. “You do realise this whole mess validates my argument?”

“I don't give a damn about your piss-y argument. You're joining us whether you like it or not.” Tobi assured bluntly, already riled up on the matter. “And don’t you dare even think about bringing up the ‘Mum' card again. The last thing she needs is to be hassled by a bloodthirsty assassin.”

Marc furrowed his brow, “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

The tension between the two increased, acting as though they were ready for a squabble.

“Oi! How about you two stop with the arguments and help load everything onto the truck!” Lucas yelled out in swift interruption, hauling a bundle of bags and equipment into the garage.

The two glared at one another in spite, before breaking away as they returned to their requested task. Tobi assisted with handling the other luggage, organizing the trunk efficiently to utilize the limited space. At the same time, Marc expressed no interest in assisting, instead preferring to sit at the front passenger seat of the truck whilst he waited for the others to finish with their errands.

“Useless asshole...” Tobi muttered underneath his breath, shaking his head.

In that moment, Zaron and Veena entered the garage, bundled with several bags and equipment each as they aimed directly for the truck’s trunk. Finally, with all other luggage loaded for the trip, it was only the Artoria blade left to include on the pile. Zaron had prepared to chuck the weapon carelessly into the trunk with the rest of the luggage – until Lucas halted him at the last second.

“No-no-no-no! Wait, Zaron! Don’t put it in yet!” Lucas yelled to him hastily, rushing over whilst carrying a large, heavy case.

Zaron switched to the older Cobalt in sudden alert, wondering if he had made a mistake during his packing.

“If you throw Artoria into the trunk, it’ll wreck the pickup.” Lucas explained in a bewildered huff. “Thankfully, I had one of these stashed in the attic.”

As he spoke, he dropped the heavy-duty case in front of the young Draiken.

“This weapon case was designed specifically for transporting unique equipment like Artoria.” He continued as he unclipped the case. “When I overheard your conversation with Veena earlier, I remembered I had one of these stashed in the house. I was unsure at first, but it should be big enough to fit the blade.”

“That's ... convenient.” Zaron commented in vacant surprise, staring at the case curiously.

Lucas then opened the case, showing a large, empty husk. He then ushered Zaron to place his weapon inside.

The young Draiken complied.

Whirr...!

As the Artoria blade was laid, a mechanical noise echoed as a green light flickered at the top corner of the case.

Click!

In that instant, the weapon was locked in place via a magnetic base like Zaron’s holster.

“Now then, all you need to do is place both hands on top of the case.” Lucas then directed as he closed the case. Zaron nodded as he knelt, setting his hands firmly on the case.

Bzzt...! ZAP!

“WHOA!” Zaron abruptly yelped out, jolting in abrupt shock as a sharp, needle-like pain shot through both his palms. “What was that?!”

“The case requires a small dose fingerprints and blood samples for it to recognise the owner.” Lucas informed casually, smirking away as he witnessed Zaron's reaction. “And now, we can load the weapon onto the pickup without hassle.”

Grabbing the heavy-duty case by its handle, Lucas loaded it into the vehicle’s trunk with ease, acting as though the Artoria blade was barely a fraction of its typical weight.

“You could’ve warned me about that before I followed through!” Zaron complained as he soothed his hands, noticing a miniscule red dot on each palm.

“Where would the fun be in that?” Lucas retorted cheekily, expressing his amusement. “Anyway, all that matters now is that the case is easy to transport on the road, but you – as the owner – are the only one who’s registered to open it.”

“That seems a bit … extreme.” Veena expressed warily as she approached the two, watching the event initially from a safe distance.

“It served its purpose back in the day. There was a lot of mistrust over ownership and security of equipment. Additionally, other items were impossible to transport by normal conveniences. So, this case was invented to rectify those issues.” Lucas explained as he patted the case. “I’m sure I can have one manufactured for Kurama, if you want.”

“Ah-ha-haa...! No, thanks. Kurama is fine on its own.” Veena laughed off anxiously, stepping away from the scene. “Anyway, I'll ... be back in a moment.”

Zaron and Lucas watched as she exited the garage in an awkward stride.

“Is there something wrong with the case?” Lucas wondered innocently, confused by Veena's adamant decline. “If the design’s a problem, I'm sure I can request for a style tweak.”

“Somehow, I have a feeling that isn't the reason.” Zaron answered with a nervous grin, glancing back down to his palms.

Slam!

With the trunk stuffed to the brim, the group finally set off on their journey, watching solemnly as the comfort of their home-life drifted from view.