Emerald Flames Burn in the Blood

James sat up in the middle of his large bed as he looked at the alarm clock that sat on a desk across the room; even in the middle of the night he could make out almost every detail of the clock, but it really wasn't necessary as the face was clearly illuminated.  2:27 A.M.  With a heavy sigh James swung his feet over the side of the bed and sat up placing his head in his hands, it had been nearly a week since the last time he had gotten a restful slumber and even with his natural stamina he was wearing thin.  Why is it lately I am so restless?  Is it the increased number of these so called 'Fullbring' that are popping up?

Getting up James silently padded towards the big double doors that opened out into his garden, deciding that maybe a bit of meditation would help him settle the matters on his mind.  Walking out to a small koi pond James hopped over to a rather large and flat rock out in the center and sat down.  Closing his eyes he allowed his mind to wander hoping that whatever was troubling him would surface, but still after an hour of meditation nothing had come to him.   What is it that haunts my mind so that sleeps only comes after a fight?  James thought to himself. It is the idea that we are alone in this world, that we are the last of a proud and noble race.  You are the last of your kind and even now your true form, your true power, your memories, everything that defines a dragon is locked away from you behind that thrice cursed seal of the exile.  James frowned, it was not him thinking those thoughts, but that same voice that tried to tempt him to give up control to him so that he can survive.

I won't ever give up control to you, so why are you here now? James growled a bit, but the he could feel whatever it was becoming amused at the gesture; You think you can scare me away with a growl dragon?  I am the reason you know how to growl...that you know how to fight...that you know how to SURVIVE!  James winced at the mental stab at his consciousness.  You want to know the reason you can't rest?  I am the reason...every decade this seal weakens and more and more of your power is released; but without the knowledge to control you will either die or go on a rampage.  You know this deep down to be true; even if they erased everything you knew of being a dragon they made sure that you knew that the seal would kill you if you ever lost control.

The voice was right, James did know he would die if he lost control, but he couldn't explain how he knew.  When did I learn of this seal?  Where did I learn of its properties?  If I know how it works then why for the life of me can I not figure out how to remove it? Suddenly James's eyes clouded over and he felt as if he were falling into a bottomless pit of tar, he couldn't move his arms, legs, wings, tail or even raise his head.  Right then and there he knew something wasn't right.  As he looked around and took in what he could see from this vantage point he knew everything to be correct yet his conscious mind told him it was impossible.  He was in his True dragon form once more, he could just see the tip of his bright red snout in the corner of his vision and looking to his right he could see one of his massive wings chained to a stone floor and immobilized.

“ Rise now Drake and receive judgment for your heinous c rime.”  A guttural voice growled at him and his body moved of its own accord.  Pain came from his back where his wings strained against their chains but they did not rise with him the way he was held to this stone block left his chest and abdomen exposed.  He faced a tribunal of 3 Ancient dragons each big enough to empty a pasture full of cattle and still be hungry for more; facing the center dragon James showed no fear.  

“You have been charged with murder of the general of the 2nd Wing, as well as, conspiring  to give our secrets to humans who would hunt and kill us for our blood, bones and scales.”  The center dragon spoke with an aura of authority, it was obvious this was the leader of this council.  “Being of noble blood yourself we cannot condemn you to death as one of a lesser line would face so instead we have decided that upon the conclusion of this council you will have everything you have known and loved stripped from you and you will be marked an exile with no knowledge of your race, home or family.”  The old dragon looked to his compatriots and nodded as they all left and a smaller red dragon lumbered up to the block.

“What have you done hatchling? I cannot save you from this punishment, in fact, I must be the one to carry it out upon you, but I want you to know what is going to happen once I do and the price you will have to live with.”  The red dragon laid down on its side as it looked at James with sorrow filled eyes.  “You won't really have everything taken from you, your bloodline is too powerful for that to be done, but they have asked me to put your memories, power and even your mighty dragon form behind a seal from the old magic.  You will still be a dragon on the inside and even be able to feel your scales; you will still remember that you are a dragon out of pure instinct and the need to survive, however those memories that define you will be locked away forever as well as your true dragon form.”  The red dragon shifted his body as he swept his tail across the dust on the stone ground.  “You will be a clean slate, passing as human, but never aging for as long as you live. Even as you mature mentally your body both dragon and human will never age or change.  You will be forced to be an outcast among the humans as well. And if your power ever threatens to loose itself the magic of the seal will kill you long before that happens...I am sorry little one but that is the way it is meant to be.”  The old dragon let his words settle as James soaked them all in.  

“I won't ever give up trying to find you all, you are my family and I stand by what I said, I did what I did to protect our race....” James growled as he lowered his head; he was ready to accept his fate.  

“Good I wouldn't want to think that an offspring of my line and heir to the Green flame would give up on his convictions so soon.” The red dragon chuckled,  “Life is going to be hard for you, I wont lie, but just remember one thing little one,  dragon's of our line have wielded the Emerald Flames for a millennia and even though you will be stripped of your name and right you still have the power in your blood.  It will always be there when you need it.”  The old dragon got to his feet and looked towards the sun which had moved closed to the horizon...Sleep now little one when you awake you will know nothing of our life or world.”

Suddenly everything went black as James felt a searing pain over his chest, and James let out a massive roar that wasn’t a roar.  Opening his eyes James found himself sitting upon his perch in the koi pond and his shoulder know burned having moved up from his chest.  “Make...it...STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”  James roared as the pain was starting to force him to take his hybrid form.  He ripped off his shirt and inspected the shoulder in question and realized it was not a physical wound that was burning but the four scars on his shoulder were burning bright red.   “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR”  James roared again.

That's right James feed the anger let out the anger, the stronger it becomes...the stronger I become.  You will rely on me in your battles to come for I can save you...I can save you from this seal.  I can keep it from killing you and from protecting those you care about. Just let me out...let me have my freedom.  The voice asked one last time for it knew that if James didn't release him this time that it would be over the seal would kill him and thus kill off the last of a mighty line.  

Fine...be free...do what you have too just make the pain stop....make it stop.  James closed his eyes the pain was going to kill him; this is how life for James Cadwallader was going to end.  And just as suddenly as it started the pain stopped...James opened his eyes ready to see a shinigami standing before him ready to perform konso to send him off to the Soul Society.  However what he found was his arms and legs engulfed in emerald flames.  “What...what is this?”  But James already knew, the voice he heard was not his need to survive speaking to him because of some mental illness but it was his minds way of coping with manifesting the green flames that normally would of come to him in his 5 cycle as a fledged dragon.  How do I know that? It must be the seal weakening...he looked on his shoulder and frowned, where their had once been four long jagged scars now three only rested on his shoulder.

-1,675 words