Age of the Dragons: Shouken's restoration #1

Episode 2

The Outpost:

He hid behind the bushes but all he could see were red dragon patrols surrounding the area -could he be overthinking things? Maybe Mako didn't come here, the patrol here was tighter than Elder Sharman's robe lacing for a fact -he thought. Just then he felt a light tap on his back causing him to turn around very swiftly, his mouth was immediately covered by gloved arms just before he could release a gasp.

        "Shh! It's me" Mako replied and took off the Red Dragon helmet, yes he was in a Red Dragon soldier's attire to blend in, smart move right!

        "What are you. . ."

        "Shhh! Do want to get me caught?" Mako whispered aggressively.

        "No. . . What you're doing is risky" Choryrth whispered back.

       "Not if I look like one of them" He smiled "see that ship by the docks? That's where they're awaiting General Mao's vessel and the exchange will be made by sundown" he explained in an audible whisper

       "You're not even listening to me! I'm not here to help you, I'm here to stop you" Choryrth whispered.

       "You don't get it do you? If you're not here to help then you might as well stay out of my way" he retorted.

       "You there!" A soldier from the opposite side of the bush yelled 

       "Ah yes! Comrade?" Mako replaced his helmet swiftly before looking straight up, one hand suppressing Choryrth behind the bushes.

      "What do you think your doing over there?" The soldier yelled.

       "Just emptying my tank, can't be seen on party breaks when I'm supposed to be working" Mako replied nervously while Choryrth sat breathless behind the bushes.

       "Well hurry up, we have a meeting at the captains cabin before the General's arrival" 

       "Will do comrade!" Mako saluted just before the soldier marched off, both boys released a sigh of relief.

       "You're crazy" Choryrth retorted.

       "Aren't we all?" Mako retorted and shoved Choryrth aside "I'm stealing those plans" he said proudly before joining the team who were on their way inside the ship.

       "I was always the one who never listens, now I see how he feels being the responsible one all the time" Choryrth grumbled as he peeped over the bush again to get a clear picture.

Old Sidel market square:

        "These fruits don't look freshly picked" a customer yelled at the poor old trader.

       "I'm sorry, this is the best we can get. Less rotten fruits are more common at the Northern Jylis clan ever since the crystals became weak" the trader replied.

        

        "This is becoming a huge problem" the customer shook his head "Shouken will be doomed once those crystals loose their effects" he added pitifully.

        "This is our darkest times" the trader cried.

        "Have faith, the guardians will rise again" the customer assured the old trader "I'll take one bag of these Binapples" he pointed out.

        "Thank you very much!" The trader jubilated.

The Outpost: inside the Red Dragon vessel:

The Captain's cabin:

        "The general sent a message that he'll be here before sundown, we don't need any interference so I've posted guards to surround the port and outside the cabin, you" he pointed to Mako who was hidden in the Red Dragon suit.

        "Yes sir?" Mako replied nervously.

        "Pick two of your comrades who'll help guard the door, the rest of you post yourselves nearby!" The Captain ordered.

        "Yes sir!" The soldiers responded after which Mako hastily picked two soldiers with whom he guarded the doors with.

The Dallas camp: Elder Sharman's hut.

        "noitatsefinam seicehporp ruoy tai. . ."

        Slam~

        "Oh I'm sorry elder, did I interrupt your prayers?" Sareena asked softly as she set a clay pot of fresh food down.

        "No no my dear" his nostrils had caged the delicious fragrance as she wiped the tip of the pot clean with her apron.

        "There's something about Choryrth you need to know" she cut to the chase.

        "What is it?" The old man asked.

        "He told us about a nightmare he had three weeks ago and I think he's been having then constantly but refusing to tell anyone" she sat down opposite the old man who's eyes were nearly shut.

        "What was the nightmare about?" He replied and pulled the pot closer.

        "It wasn't quite explanatory but he mentioned a white dragon, six shadows and blood bath" she said to the Elder's surprised face, his eyes were wide opened now at the mention of what seemed to be key features.

       "The Awakening!" He blurted out. . .

The Outpost: inside the Red Dragons vessel;

Outside the captains cabin:

Mako stood guard waiting for the right moment and or opportunity to sneak back into the cabin, but it seemed highly impossible since the other two soldiers who were standing guard served as a hindrance to his plans. He looked around and it was just the three of them, but he had to maintain when he heard distant foot steps. Another soldier had joined them but bumped into Mako like it was a purposeful act.

        "Hey watch it!" Mako yelled and pushed the soldier back "are you blind?" He yelled.

        "Aren't we all?" The familiar voice hit like a rock on Mako's heart, that was Choryrth's voice.

        "Ah. . ." He grunted "the captain asked me to switch posts with one of the soldiers up here so who's it gonna be" he said.

        "You" Mako pointed to one of the soldiers on guard.

        "Aww fine!" The soldier grumbled and stormed off -perfect! Now it's two on one -Mako smiled, although his face was hidden behind the helmet he could also tell Choryrth had a smile on. Both boys immediately jabbed the soldier and knocked him out cold while Mako drew out his sword at alert.

        "I thought you wouldn't show up" Mako said.

        "I thought you were going to do this on your own?" Choryrth retorted.

        "How'd you get the suit?" Mako asked, curiously, he knew he had to knock one non elemental soldier out to get his but Choryrth wasn't much of a fighter like he was.

        "Same way you got yours" Choryrth retorted and kicked the cabin door open.

        "Never knew you had it in you" Mako laughed as they both rushed into the cabin

         "You're sure the plans are in here?" Choryrth asked.

         "Why else would we be here?" Mako replied looking around the room for where the plans could be possibly hidden.

         "We'll find it quickly before we get caught" Choryrth retorted.

         "Hey" Mako barked "I didn't force you to be here, you can just go out the same way you came in"

        "Yeah like that's gonna happen" Choryrth retorted "find anything yet?"

        "No. . . maybe if you'd help it'd be a lot faster"

        "Have you tried checking that metal safe over there?" Choryrth pointed out with sarcasm.

        "Oh!" Mako exclaimed with a cheesy smile "you could have said so" he chuckled.

        "We don't know the combination" 

        "Let's carry it then"

        "No way, It looks way too heavy" Choryrth disagreed.

        "We'll have to break it then" Mako replied and began jabbing the handle with the blunt end of his sword.

         "You're making the hell of a noise!" Choryrth whispered aggressively.

The Dallas camp: Elder Sharman's hut.

        "The boy has to know who he is and what he's destined for" Elder Sharman said.

        "He's not ready yet, Chory is just sixteen"

        "No one is too young for their destiny Sareena, you will tell Choryrth who he is" Elder Sharman replied softly.

        "What if he's not ready?"

        "Sareena the crystals loose strength every passing day, I'm afraid it'll be too late when he's finally ready"

The Outpost: inside the Red Dragons vessel;

Inside the captains cabin:

         Clank! Clank! Clank!

        "Got it!' Mako yelled just before the alarm went off.

        "Uh oh" both boys exclaimed.

        "This is it! Let's go!" Mako yelled and grabbed clean the safe as they both ran off.

        "This was a bad idea!" Mako yelled as they maneuvered their way to the lower deck, they could hear footsteps all over the place.

        "Ya think!" Choryrth retorted, pulling Mako back to the edge of the wall as three soldiers ran past.

        "There's only one exit" Mako said as he spotted some weapons neatly arranged inside a small room opposite him.

        "I can't wield a sword!" Choryrth whispered.

        "You don't have to" he swung the sword around skillfully "let's go!" He said and led the way.

  

       "I should've stayed behind" Choryrth grumbled.

       "Check down there!" A distant voice yelled.

       "Aww jeez!" Choryrth yelled and ran after Mako.

Getting out of the ship was quite easy, luckily for the boys it was only guarded by non elemental soldiers who were of the lowest tier and easily taken on by Mako while Choryrth ducked and delivered final blows. What they didn't know about was the surprise that awaited them outside the ship.

        "Stop!" The captain yelled, his fists directed at both boys as he took a fight stance, all around were other fire Elemental soldiers waiting for the Captain's order to strike.

         "We are gonna die" Choryrth said in sarcasm.

         "No w. . ."

         "Keep your hands were I can see them or we'll fire" the captain yelled again, slowly both boys had their hands suspended just before the rest of the soldiers from the ship joined the crew.

        "We're surrounded" Mako whispered.

        "Kill them!" The captain ordered, which was followed by a simultaneous fireblast at both boys, Choryrth panicked but in split seconds he projected an Earth wall around themselves, high and strong enough to resist the blast.

        "An Earth elemental!" A voice came from one of the soldiers.

        "Do not let them escape!" The captain ordered.

Meanwhile Choryrth was stuck at the center of the wall with Mako who was dumbstruck.

        "That was close" Choryrth sighed.

        "Y. . .you. . .your an Earth elemental!" Mako yelled.

        "Umm, honestly now is not the time f. . ."

        "You knew? Yet you kept this from me!" Mako retorted.

        "Mako. . ." He made to touch Mako but Mako resisted.

        "Fire!" The captain yelled as the soldiers kept on blasting the walls with their strongest fire blast. 

        "We have to figure out how to get out of here, remember you dragged me into this" Choryrth said to Mako who had his hands on the red dragon sword in his shealth, ready to attack.

        "Put the walls down"

        "Not like that, it's t. . ."

        "Put. . .the. . . walls. . . down!" He grunted, just before Choryrth sighed and send the corners of the walls flying towards the soldiers knocking out a reasonable number of them, Mako charged immediately at the non elementals who fought back with their swords while Choryrth focused on taking down the fire Elementals.

He projected three boulders and struck all at once, successfully knocking out the captain and the three soldiers beside him. Mako was barely holding up, he had two soldiers coming from both sides and had successfully engaged one with his foreswing and immediately followed by a backswing. Choryrth couldn't stand by, Mako was well off the edge of the woods already so he drew an Earth wall around the edges, separating himself and the soldiers from Mako.

         "What!" Mako exclaimed "hey Chory! Chory!" He yelled from the other side while Choryrth surrendered himself to the soldiers.

         "Who do you think you are!" The captain yelled and pulled off Choryrth's helmet "you'll have the General to answer to, lock him up!" He ordered just before Choryrth was pinned down by the soldiers who were still agile "an Earth elemental, you'll fetch a better price in the blackmarket" a soldier walked up to him and whispered into his ear.

        "Let me go and we'll all forget this happened" Choryrth negotiated.

        "Be quiet!" A soldier yelled and shoved him in the stomach, luckily his armour took most of the hit.

        "Lock him up! The General will be happy we caught a bigger fish" the captain ordered.

        "Bigger f. . ." He could barely complete his statement before he was knocked out with a rod and at the same time the walls had retracted themselves but Mako wasn't there -he ran away. . .that was the plan right? But why do I feel hurt? -Choryrth thought several seconds before everything became pitch black.

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