Age of the Dragons

A new planet has been created with harsh weathers that a normal organism wouldn't be able to survive. This is the time where the guardians of the world and creators of the natural laws; the dragons were placed by the universal being. The ancient dragons who were the only ones that could survive on the harsh planet, Draconem. The ancient dragon race is the reason for the planet's stabilization to allow it to flourish. Their society was a hierarchy where the strongest ruled, which ended in a tie between four dragons as there natural laws were on par with each other. Each with their own respective skills split Draconem in four territories and ruled their separate Kingdoms. Air ruled the skies, water ruled the oceans, Earth ruled the mountains and underground, and fire ruled the rest of the land.

Soon, all the kingdoms were in equal orders and prospering. Until, an epidemic broke out and caused the offspring to be lesser versions of dragons, known as spirit beasts. The parents of those spirit beasts would die within a few years. Which caused fear to spread out through the world.

So, the Four Lords held a meeting to seal themselves and 40 of their strongest clansmen till the epidemic passed. That would leave each clan with their 10 strongest dragons to keep the balance of nature. The plan was agreed to and put into motion. They had the Draconian competitions to decide the 10 clansmen. Those who won the Draconian Festival would be sealed with the 4 lords.

Once sealed, they would be shackled in time and space until the natures power runs out and sends them back into the real world.

"Now do you understand, Ethan. The reason why you were the chosen one?"

"But Grandpa Miyamoto, What do you mean why I was chosen? You only explained how the world began."

"You are now 17 and soon to awaken into something still yet unknown to me. But when I found you in your capsule under this temple I have known that the legends were true. They will explain it to you when the time is right."

"Wait Grandpa Miyamoto, what do you mean? Who are you talking about?"

"Look Ethan they are inside of you, so you must be careful of who you can trust to know your secrets and always hide that power. For you are the keeper of balance and a ---"

"Uh is there something wrong?" -Why does Grandpa look so worried?-

"Ethan, you have to go! Go get all your things in order and don't forget the temple's sword. There should have been more time. I'm sorry Ethar."

Why did Grandpa call me Ethar. I don't understand what is going on. He was always so calm, and not rushed. Who could cause him to feel like this.

"Ethan snap out of it! You have to go, NOW. I will see you where your capsule is. So go now you have 3 minutes. Time waits for no one, remember that."

AH I've got 3 minutes, I guess there is no choice and just follow what Grandpa Miyamoto says.

"Okay Grandpa Miyamoto."

I have to use tech arts to get everything ready.

Ethan murmured in his heart "Dragonic step"

By shifting and moving his body with the earth allows him to move three times faster than normal. Its peak could rival a wind element user's agility. Saving him a lot of time and causing the area around to feel slower. The only things that were put into the bag were the necessities, a few pairs of clothes, a compass, and the things for his pet lizard. The Temple's sword, aptum fulmen, is right next to the entrance to enter under the temple.

"Boom, boom, boom" Several explosions vibrated through the temple. One of them was inside and the several others seemed to come from the outside. This caused Ethan to feel worried. No one visited this temple in the past thousand years so there shouldn't be anyone who knows its location.

The entrance to enter underground is rigid and seems as its been blasted. It is just a fall straight down going for hundreds of meters. A person who doesn't know how to descend or not a martial artist would die if they fell in it. Apparently, I was the one who created the hole in the ground and that's when Grandpa discovered me in a broken egg capsule. What was blown off just now was the titanium hatch.

Heh, leaping downward was an easy task since I had to jump off Mountain Makaru peak which is thousands of feet in the air just to see how much my body could handle. After falling for a few hundred feet and reached the bottom there was Grandpa Miyamoto in front of this broken relic that looked like a golden bronze egg.

There seemed to be sadness in his voice as he spoke. "Ethan, did you bring the sword?"

"Yes Grandpa Miyamoto."

"Now listen to your grandpa's final words. I have a disciple who lives in the United States and is willing to take care of you. He has learned all of the temple arts and will help you achieve the last steps. Where you are able to cultivate natures power is in your hands. As a warning do not fight with those at rank 2. Your body might be rank 9 level 4 but it will brake with the condensed natures power from them. Here is this envelope with everything that you will need is in it. Now pass me the sword Ethan." There was tears rolling down his old wrinkly cheeks as he instructed Ethan.

"Why now Grandpa, and why are you crying. What is the matter?"

"-sigh- Ethan this is our parting as I have to stall the Dragonslayer Company who are after you because of what you are. I will try my best to stop them so give me the sword to send you away. Don't forget grandpa's teachings and reach to the mastery rank to awaken."

I can't believe this is happening. Why me, there is nothing special about me and I don't feel any thing different. -ugh- He is always so vague.

"Here Grandpa." The aptum fulmen has a white handle with black wrapping with 4 different colored gems. Red, blue, green, and white. The blade is a golden bronze color.

Grandpa Miyamoto received the sword and placed it into a socket where the blade of the sword fit leaving the handle sticking out. This caused the whole capsule to buzz and shook the ground. A mysterious black and silvery oval panel appeared within half of the capsule showing a forest and an airport in the background.

"Ethan, this is a teleportation that will bring you near an airport. Now step half-way through the panel and take the sword handle. The handle is the true legendary weapon of the temple, aptum fulmen (adaptable lightning) and the key you will need in the future, so bind it to your blood and store it within you. This world is cruel so do not show compassion to those who are ruthless. Also, you are 11 years behind everyone else with cultivation so it will be tough to catch up."

Ethan did as he was told and before he walked through, Grandpa Miyamoto shared the blood binding skill and experience telepathically using spiritual power.

"Good bye, my grandson Ethan." Despite his mental fortitude, there were tears going down his face.

As I walked through and grabbed the handle it popped right off of the blade and pushed me through the teleport panel. The instance I went through it shut behind me leaving only a forest and the second half of the egg capsule.

A telepathic message was sent by my Grandpa Miyamoto and it sounded as he was talking with in my head. "Don't forget anything and do as I have told."

The spiritual message was cut off and looking at the nature surrounding me, seemed as it has lost its soul. Is it possible that, no it can't be. I put the handle on the capsule activating it and saw people standing around my grandpa with a sword through his heart looking back at me with teary eyes. He was mouthing some words at me.

"Survive and get stronger."

I pulled away with the handle just as a man in a suit was going to go through the portal. Only a leg came through as it was closing, when the man noticed it was too late and the portal cut his leg off. It popped on the floor marking the grass with the color of blood. I couldn't hold back the tears from flowing down my face as I ran with Drac on my shoulder and my book-bag. The rage and sorrow is as if the waters are in turmoils, the Earth is erupting with magma and raging winds in the sky. I will get stronger no matter what and kill that man with golden hair and in a suit. He also had a tattoo on his hand that is a blood red dragon. That tattoo is the symbol of being a part of the DragonSlayer Company.

A few hundred feet behind the capsule I heard the dogs barking after catching my scent. Those dogs are a special wolf spirit beast. Most of them are of the wind element and can run quickly. I kept running faster and faster towards the airport. I will be safe as long as I would be able to reach it. The airport has quite a bit of people there who are also cultivators. They wouldn't dare to cause a scene. As of now I am going 10 times faster than someone who is sprinting, so about 80 mph. My agility skill was already mastered but comprehending Dragonic step seemed to have a lock broken and my comprehension is increasing to the peak level which allows the person to run at 100 mph and increased agility. The max level, rank 12 is twice as strong as the peak rank 10. It took a few minuets to have the airport in sight.

15 minuets to noon, I was calmly walking into the airport, which was very appealing to the eye with many colors and it was about two stories tall. The main colors are of the four base elements. The four main elements are fire, water, earth, and air. There are rarer elements that have to deal with other factors. I opened the envelope that grandpa gave me and inside had a golden plane ticket, instructions, a letter, a token with a golden-green dragon, a bank card, and a smartphone.

First I glanced over the instructions which had everything planned out:

1. Reach the airport

2. Ask for the bathroom to do Blood binding

3. Show the ticket and token to the help center

4. Contact disciple John Wayne

I'm already here at the airport, so I'll head towards the bathroom after asking a worker where it is. They gave a strange reply and everyone was staring awkwardly at me. I realized that my training clothes were dusty, and torn making it look like rags. Well, I did just depart right after training and running through the forest caused me look as I look now.

While in the bathroom Ethan freshened up fixing his ruffled hair, put new cloths on which was a pair of jean pants and a belt with a fitted black t-shirt that showed his defined muscles and black converse shoes. His appearance was looking as a normal muscular teen with black hair and pitch black eyes that seemed to be an abyss. He seemed to be a Hispanic tourist. Those who knew him understood that while his grandpa was Japanese, he still wasn't his real grandpa but his master with the same closeness as family.

"Argh- Finally done. I can do the blood binding and get on with the boarding procedures."

To do the blood binding all it needed was to poke the tip of the finger with sharp part of the handle which, was where the tail of the dragon symbol poked out. Then just direct natures power into it which I have no idea what it is. I know what it is but, grandpa said everyone has their own unique natures power like finger prints, and it will flow naturally so I would only have to focus on the little bit of what was there. Each person would have to find it and how it flowed to be able to cultivate. Those who are known as geniuses started their cultivation lives usually is when they are four years old or when they have some cognitive ability.

"Wow it actually worked." The handle started to turn liquid and seep into my body. The blood binding would be successful when the handle would merge with my body and be stored inside. That is what happened after I focused on it. Also, grandpa told me to make Drac my familiar if he was willing to do so. That way I don't lose him and have a partner. On the plus side if familiars are small people can keep them out in the open and the security staff can't do anything.

"Hey Drac come out, little buddy."

Drac is a weird type of lizard who's kind is apparently extinct and was in the capsule with me as well. His species is a dark lightning type spirit beast who is known for its speed and viciousness. His lineage comes from some type of extinct dragon that is the cause for the abnormality of its bloodline and element. So, for me to have a bond with it, we would both have to agree to do it, for it to work.

Drac walked out of Ethan's bag with a yawn as it was taking a quiet nap to make sure no one would notice especially the other cultivators.

Drac jumped onto the floor and and signaled to Ethan that it wanted to be pet on the head. It had friendly eyes and a gleeful face towards Ethan as it has grown up with him ever since he was young.

"Alright I'll pet you on the head but can we make a familiar pact afterwards? Grandpa mentioned you know how to do it."

I reached over and touched the glossy smooth obsidian scales on Drac's head. What's this electrifying shock coming from Drac. I can't remove my hand from his head and what's this magic circle coming from? Wait that can't be possible can it. Drac is a spirit beast, but how is it possible for him to accept me to be his master so easily. No wonder grandpa told me to always be nice to Drac, so that one day I could make a pact with him. This time it was a rare occurrence, where a spirit beast would initiate a pact with a human out of their free will without fighting for dominance.

During the pact, depending on the spirit beast causes different sensations due to their element. The pact is an almost instantaneous process if both parties are willing and the if title of master is easily given to the human from the spirit beast.

"Master, I'm so happy that I can finally talk with you."

"Wait You can directly speak with me? What kind of spirit beast are you really?"

"Master, I was born a level 6 spirit beast and started to understand the human language ever since we got out of the egg thingy. I am different from others who need to be at level 12 in order to speak, well I can only talk with you mentally, though. There might be others who are smart enough I guess to mentally speak but that is rare and they are a mutant."

I can't believe that Drac is a level 6 while I am not even at level 1 or at a rank, yet. That is a little depressing for my familiar to be stronger than me :,( . Grandpa said I needed to have a stronger body to start cultivating natures power or else I'll be ripped apart.

Its about time to get going to the help desk. "wait master, put on your jacket, too. You need to cover that tattoo on your right shoulder."

"EEEhhhh, I have a tattoo? How is that even possible. Hey isn't it normal or acceptable to have a tattoo."

"Not at your age Master, and especially that golden-green dragon clan tattoo. All Dragon Clan heads have a tattoo that represents their clan once the coin is given to them. You will cause to much attention to your self. I'm guessing you touched the token when you were looking through the envelope."

"Uuuhhhh, I guess I accidentally touched it while I was looking around in the envelope. Alright, I'll cover up. How do you know so much?"

"Hehe, well Miyamoto trusts me to watch over you. Plus, he told me everything. -smirk-"

I can't believe my familiar is bossing me around already and whats with that mocking smile. Damn, so annoying I didn't know he had this attitude. But, I guess the tattoo would attract unwanted attention. Earlier Drac was black scales, now his scales are a void like it is consuming the light after the pact.