#thetruedragonslayer

[thetruedragonslayer]

The True Dragon Slayer Chapter 1

Hwan, the true dragon slayer… or is he?

Today was a rainy day and I was working till 8 PM since Erin had to go to the hospital to see her grandma.

I sent a voice memo to my sister that she could order the food already.

We wanted to try these new chicken wings, from a BBQ shop that had recently opened. 

And where my father wanted me to apply for a delivery job since it would’ve paid so much better.

I was still sitting in front of my locker, with my phone in my hand. I checked the time and went back to the aisle, we had so much stuff to put on the shelves.

The store owner had accidentally ordered more products than we could put out and now Doyoon and I had to be very careful and smart about it.

“Hey, do you know where this goes?” I showed a new noodle cup to my co-worker, “because it all looks the same to me.”

Doyoon, who had to keep an eye on the checkout as well, shrugged and took out his phone.

"Man, I don't know it either," he replied, "do you know when Erin will be back?"

"Nope, and you can ask that yourself," I pointed at his phone, "you're obsessed with her, you know. Erin this, Erin that."

Doyoon put his hand on his chest and gasped. 

"I am not!" 

"You kinda are."

"Excuse me, where can I find chicken wings?" a girl appeared next to us. 

She was glued to her phone and didn't seem to care, at all. 

"We don't sell them," Doyoon replied, "but-"

"But you can find them down the street, a new restaurant has just opened," I interrupted him and smiled. 

"Ok," said the girl and left the store, still on her phone.

"Oh my god, she's just like you!" I sarcastically add and go back to sorting the products. 

Suddenly, I felt something brush against my legs and looked down, just to see a brown cat run towards the boxes I'd gotten earlier. 

He knocked them over then jumped on the candy shelf, knocking those over too. 

"Hey, asshole!" I shouted and ran after the cat, "you can't be here!"

The cat grabbed a potato chip bag and winked at me. I shook my head. 

I must've been really tired, there's no way he actually did that. 

"Doyoon, help me!" I ran after the cat, who was zig-zagging across the store, knocking over everything which made it harder for me to catch him, "Doyoon!" 

I jumped over the boxes and the cat had dropped the chip bag and was heading towards the entrance. 

"You are dead, you hear me? Dead!" I yelled and nearly ran into a customer. 

Fuck Doyoon, he really didn't care about anything besides Erin. 

The cat was running down the street, towards a market and I picked up my speed, I wasn't gonna let him get away, I wasn't gonna give up. 

Oh great, a festival! 

There were many people celebrating on the street. They were dancing and laughing and singing. 

It felt like the cat had picked the worst route on purpose, just for me to give up. 

I bumped into a man as I was following the stupid animal. He dropped his boxes and started cursing at me. 

I apologized and quickly helped him pick them up. 

Then I looked around and realized I'd completely lost him.

He could've ran to the station or even up the hill. 

I scanned the place and then sat on a bench, next to a hot dog booth. 

I put my head in my hands and started laughing. This whole thing was just so ridiculous!

I was chasing a stray cat! And for what? 

A bag of chips? It was just a cat, not a person.

I probably looked like a maniac laughing hysterically, but I didn't care. 

At this point, I didn't care anymore. 

I shook my head and started walking back to work, which was two blocks away. 

I had run two blocks- what a workout. 

Doyoon was probably still on his phone. 

The things were probably still on the ground. 

The store had maybe looked like someone had robbed us. 

I was probably the one to clean it up.

I wanted to check the time but had forgotten my phone. 

I checked my apron's pocket just in case but it wasn't there. 

All of a sudden I was knocked out and everything turned black.

"Hwan, over here!" I heard my sister call me but it wasn't my sister, it was a small girl. 

"Coming!" I shouted back and ran towards the girl and a woman, who looked like my mother. 

When I reached them I had realized it was indeed my sister and my mother. 

But my mother was dead. She died 10 years ago. 

They were both smiling at me and the woman had her hand out.

"Let's go, dear," the woman said, "your father is waiting."

I was scared to move.

"Who are you?" I asked, nearly tearing up.

"C'mon, let's go," the woman wanted to take my hand but I pulled it back.

"I asked, who are you?" 

"Hwan, dad's waiting in the car," the girl pulled me. 

Why was I taller than her? And why did the woman look like she was sick?

"How was school?" she asked. 

"School? I graduated last year!" I stopped, "where are you taking me?"

"Did you talk to your teacher about your idea?" she continued, "I really hope she likes it!"

Then I realized what was going on.

It wasn't a dream, it was a nightmare. 

It was just the day before my mother was taken to the hospital.

The day before the doctors actually diagnosed her with lung cancer. 

What was my mother doing, pushing herself to come and pick me up? 

She could've stayed at home or had dad drive her to the hospital. 

Only now I'd noticed how weak she looked. 

"I'll help, c'mon," I felt someone lifting me and it was my dad. 

My old dad threw me over his shoulder and was carrying me like I was nothing.

My mother, my sister were walking behind us.

I had no idea where we were going.

"He's light as a feather, for a tall fae," my dad spoke in English.

"He's not a faerie, you know," my sister replied, "he's a human!"

My parents started laughing. 

"A human? And I'm the queen!" my mother, who was now wearing a tavern worker's dress, had replied. 

"What's he really? Is he a wolf?" my dad asked.

"No, he's not a wolf either," my sister looked down. She seemed sad for some reason.

"He's a maple tree sprite!" she then put her hands on her hips and stuck out her tongue.

"Oh, really, a sprite?" my dad sarcastically replied, "I heard they can get drunk quite easily. Where did you find him?"

"He's a friend of my brother," my sister quickly replied.

"What… the…hell," I slowly opened my eyes, just to see a boy with cat ears staring at me. 

I slowly blinked, still wondering if I was dreaming or not. 

"You're awake!" the boy lit up with joy, "I'm sorry for knocking you out. I didn't mean it," he spoke in English.

I squinted and then noticed who was driving the carriage with two white horses.

It was a small woman with pointy ears and a tavern worker's dress. 

Her blonde hair was in two braids and she had light blue eyes. 

I scoffed. "What kind of fucked up dream is this?"

"Oh, I haven't noticed this language before! Are you far from here, lad?" the woman asked. 

"Lad?" I switched to English as well, "who are you calling a lad? 

"You, of course, silly!" the boy nudged me, "I wanted to take you home but accidentally hit your head while helping you out of the bar."

"Bar?" I still wasn't following.

"Oh, poor boy. You have to be careful next time, Alex," the woman said and made a left turn on the street. 

The buildings looked like the ones next to our home but had a medieval touch to them. 

I slapped myself, hoping I'd wake up from this weird dream. 

"Hey, have an apple!" Alex gave me a green one, "these are really good."

"I'm good, thanks," I pushed his hand away, "where are you taking me?"

"Home," Alex smiled. But he also seemed to feel guilty about something.

Just like my sister before when she was walking behind me. 

There was something so similar between these two, but I couldn't figure it out yet. 

"We're almost there," said the woman, "make sure to make him soup for the headache."

"I will," Alex looked away, "thank you so much."

I pinched my arm and still nothing. I tried to think of other ways to wake up. Like maybe having someone else to knock me out just like before. 

And was Alex the one who tackled me? 

Or was it someone else? 

The carriage stopped in front of a brown, mansion-like house made out of bricks.

There was no way I was going there. 

"Let me help your friend," the woman hopped off and turned to me. 

"I can help myself," I got off the carriage and wiped the dust off my pants. 

"Again, thank you so much!" Alex said to the woman and waved. 

"No problem, kiddo," she waved back and took off. 

I was eyeing him and he took a step back. 

"I-I can explain!" he hid his face behind his brown tail, "i-if you let me!"

"I'm waiting," I tried not to start yelling at him and crossed my arms instead. 

"Well, you're in Aveldon," Alex mumbled. 

"Ave what?" I frowned, "speak up, I can't hear you."

"Aveldon! It's… it's a kingdom in Richelworth," Alex was trying to keep eye contact, "and it's ruled by Queen Herbivia, she's a demon and-"

"You have got to be shitting me," I interrupted because I've had enough,"look, whatever prank you're playing, please stop. I'm tired and I wanna go home." 

"Alex? Alex, is that you?" a woman came running towards us. She had the same cat ears and tail, brown hair and was wearing a blue dress with a white apron. 

She hugged him tightly. "Oh, what trouble have you gotten into now?" 

"Mom, I'm fine!" Alex tried to push himself away but she was squeezing him.

"I've brought the True Dragon slayer here, look!" he gestured to me, "I know it's him!"

"Oh, stop it already!" she spoke in a language I've never heard before, "you know it's a tall tale!" 

It sounded like English but not quite.

The woman eyed me up and down. 

"He does look a lot like Adam,but I'm sure he's just as confused as you are."

"I can understand you," I said to my surprise, "wait, how can I understand you?" 

The woman gasped. 

"Alexander!" she took off running towards the house, "Alexander!" 

"You can understand it because it's your true language,"Alex's eyes lit up, again, "you are home! This is your true home!" he clapped. 

My head started pounding and I looked around, not listening to his babbling. 

I saw an old green car which looked like it was from the 1920s, but that wasn't enough. 

I needed to find a taxi or a bus or even a train- anything that could've taken me home. 

Then, a brown horse caught my eye. 

It can't be that hard to ride a horse, right? 

Right? Now's the only time to learn. 

I ran to the horse as fast as I could, hoping I was much faster than some weird cat boy. 

"Wait!" Alex shouted after me but I didn't look back.

"Please, wait!"

"Fuck you!" I shouted and almost reached the horse.

Suddenly, I heard a deafening screech above me and looked up in confusion. 

It was a black dragon with blood red eyes. 

Then, I felt blood dripping from my nose and before I knew it, everything went black.

Again.

I woke up in a strange room which looked like a hospital but I wasn't sure anymore. 

But like a medieval type of hospital room, as I've seen in movies.

The drapes were white, the windows were tall, the walls were brown and the bedsheets were gray. 

There was a water glass next to me and my apron was on the brown chair. 

I was surprised I still had my own clothes. 

When I reached for the glass, my ears started ringing and I covered them. 

I tried to take deep breaths but the ringing got worse. 

"Young master?" I heard someone say. 

The ringing stopped. 

"Are you feeling better?" I saw a girl in front of me, holding a wet towel, "I'll put this on your forehead now." 

She had one of those old hospital worker's uniforms and a white headpiece to cover her orange hair, but still, I did notice her pointy ears. 

Did everyone here have pointy ears?

I pushed her hand away and she flinched. 

"Sorry," I threw the blanket off me, "I think I have to go now."

"A-are you sure?" her eyes widened, "you have to rest!" 

I stood up and she took a step back. 

"I'm feeling better," I replied and headed for  the wooden door, "goodbye."

The door closed on its own.

There was a dark, long hallway in front of me.

There were torches and old paintings.

The first painting that caught my attention was a woman with long curly blue hair and a violet, crystal crown. And dark blue horns. 

I was starting to think that maybe I traveled back to the 12th century. At this point, anything was possible. 

But then again, the horns were so out of place. 

I recalled all the fantasy games I've played and guessed she might have been a demon. 

Or a goat. 

Or a goat-demon? Satan?

No, that was too obvious.

Maybe I was in a coma? 

But Alex said he knocked me out, so what was really happening?

I saw two guards, both dressed in red uniforms,  walking towards me and I turned around to look at a painting of a man with long dark blue hair. 

He had a crown as well but no horns. He didn't have anything unusual, at all.

I waited for the guards to pass and then ran for the door. 

The first thing that I noticed was a tall brick building with a white car in front of it.

The car looked like it could've been from the 50s. 

"Great," I said out loud. I still must be dreaming.

I looked around and saw several old English style buildings, most of these could've been straight out of a movie. 

Where the hell was I? England? 

I tried to read the signs but they were all in this weird language which for some reason I could understand. 

The first English sign I saw was "Town Hall 1km".

Wasn't the brick building a town hall? It sure looked like it.

But where was the train station? Or bus station? Did they even have buses here?

My ears started ringing again and I covered them, trying to stay calm. 

The next thing I saw was a half eagle half lion heading towards me, making the loudest noise I've heard in my life. 

I was ready to shit my pants at this point, but I wasn't going to do that. 

Then I noticed an open market and ran towards the selling booths, only to climb under an empty table and pray for my life. 

I really hoped that the beast couldn't reach its claws at me. 

And I really hoped that it belonged to someone like a pet and they would come after them. 

The beast screeched and hissed, trying to reach me like I was its last meal. 

Was I ready to become bird food? Is this how my life was going to end? 

It hissed again and nearly caught me but I pushed myself up against the wall, holding back tears. 

"Hey, buddy," I spoke softly, hoping it would understand me, "I'm not going to hurt you. You have to trust me, okay?"

The beast huffed and continued. 

"Look, I'm your friend," I smiled.

He didn't like that and let out a loud shriek again. 

"Listen, you dumb bird, I am literally not gonna do shit, because I am very scared of you, so please, leave me alone," I had lost my patience. 

His brown eyes turned darker and he took a few steps back. 

Then, he ran straight into the table and pushed it off me. 

Yup, I was gonna die. 

"Pippin!" I heard a woman shout.

"Pippin!" 

The eagle-lion turned around and ran to a brunette woman, dressed in the same red uniform as the guards earlier. 

"Pippin, leave him!" She was stern. 

Pippin followed the woman and I closed my eyes, trying to pinch myself awake again. 

I wondered if anyone had gone looking for me.

Probably my sister but then again, she didn't care enough. 

And my dad, he couldn't walk very far because of his legs. 

"Excuse me, are you alright?" a soft voice spoke. 

I opened my eyes and saw a blonde girl with blueish scales on her neck. What the hell was she? 

"Y-your eyes! They are yellow!" she gasped and wanted to say something but a boy similar to her, pulled her away. 

"What?" I frowned and crawled out under the table. 

I looked around and noticed a shop. 

It seemed like a jewelry shop and headed straight for it. 

"Hello, welcome to-" the man paused, "you-"

"Uh, yeah, hello. I'd like to see a mirror," I looked around. 

There were many different crystals, jewelry. These people really loved their jewelry.

"A mirror? What kind? The all-seeing, past tales?" the man coughed, "fortune mirror?"

"Uh, a regular one? I just need to check something."

The man had crystal blue eyes and a few tattoos on his neck. His red hair was in a ponytail and he was wearing a black vest, a white shirt and black pants. 

"I'm sorry, but are you Adam?" the man asked and handed me a mirror with a silver frame, "you just," he sniffled, "you look just like my old friend."

"I'm not. Sorry," I took the mirror and nearly dropped it after I saw my eyes. 

They were yellow.

"Are you sure?" He was holding back tears. 

"Yup," I gave him the mirror, "thank you." 

I left the shop. 

Why the hell were my eyes yellow? 

There seemed to be a festival here too. Was everyone celebrating? 

Colorful ribbons and confetti was everywhere. I saw many people drinking and dancing.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" a girl apologized as she bumped into me.

She had pointy ears and violet hair with a lily in it. And a long white dress.

"It's nothing," I tried to smile, not to freak out about my new eye color.

"Here, have this," she put the lily in my hair, "you're gonna need it more than me," and ran to her friends who were in the same dress as her.

I looked at the flower. It was much smaller than the lilies I've seen. 

It had a blue glow and a greenish undertone. 

Suddenly, three girls ran towards me and one of them put a blue flower crown on my head.

It was made of the same lilies. 

They were singing a song in that weird language. 

I clapped with them, playing along.

As they closed their eyes to sing their hearts out I threw the crown on the ground and ran away from them. 

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