Draco

Drako wasn’t always a calculating, careful mentor nor as responsible as he was now. In fact, his story has a strange, dark part to it. He was a martial artist, a teacher to a group of disciples which he taught and grew to know and love. He was an avid leader of a school of martial arts he created, the Draconic Arts. His goal was to reach the fluid yet indescribably powerful movement that are the staples of Dragons. He would always strive to achieve the form and the strength of a Dragon in his human form. His techniques were quick, powerful. He would often incapacitate his opponents within seconds, dealing heavy blows to the weak points of his enemies before they would even register that he had moved.

    His livelihood was soon tarnished and broken however, when Catastrophe hit and suddenly, normal humans were given the powers which were thought to only be received by gods. He was "Chosen", in a rather unceremoniously and mundane way. Basking in the light and meditating near a lovely waterfall, he was just calmly sitting when a searing light exploded across his vision, despite his eyes being closed. In a moment, he could suddenly *feel* the water around him, as it gained form and started surrounding him, taking the form of a Dragon. A nearby Temple Master saw what happened, and was shocked, proclaiming that "Drako" had been blessed.

    He gained the power to control water, he controlled the vapor around him to create a frosty coat around him. This and more he would find out as he explored his powers. While his powers seemed weak to him, he had not seen them empowered by his own rage. That would soon change.

    The Temple of the Dragon Form, was where he lived, in a small community that lived from its own produce and had little interaction with the rest of the world. There soon came however, the first they heard from the outside in a while. 3 figures appeared in front of Drako and his disciples one morning; One bathed in a flaming aura, another in a near divine aura, and the last in a dark, sinister aura. Everyone but Drako stood in shock at the 3 figures, as he recognized the innate power they all had, dim but seeming to come from the same source. He instantly recognized that they were the same.

   That assumption was quickly discarded, when one of them spoke up; the one with the Flaming Aura.

    “Gifted, I come here to tell you something.” She stated in a matter-of-factly tone.

    Draco had been sitting in front of the temple, meditating there while whispering, enchanting trails of water energy almost orbiting around him, shards of near invisible stature as well seeming to slowly move around him. Around him, where a couple of transfixed, awed onlookers who watched as he meditated. It was said Drako sat there, hours on end, with a majestic, God-like aura surrounding him. Draco did not heed her words, nor pay attention to her.

     The Flaming One seemed impatient, the fire that surrounded her seemed to become agitated.  The one with the Heavenly Aura, stepped forward, putting an arm in front of the flaming one, as if in warning. The Flaming one stepped back, the flame already having receded back into her form. Then he spoke, “Gifted, I believe that you were addressed, and should respond accordingly.” He spoke with a deep, resonating tone that radiated with menacing intent. The area around him started to become slightly brighter, as if in a show of power.

     Draco finally opened his eyes. He looked up at those who spoke to him. He closed his eyes again, as he spoke. “I have no wishes to speak to you. You waste your time if you think I have any interest in you, or what you come to say to me.”

    In a moment, Draco summoned what seemed like a Dragon, made of his own energy. This was his signature attack, or the only one he knew to control. He could not yet fully control his powers. The dragon surrounded the temple, massive in form and seeming to be alive. The area around the temple darkened, as storm clouds appeared nearly instantly. Draco raised his voice only a bit. “Consider this your final warning. Leave now by choice, or have the choice be made for you.”

    The Heavenly One smiled a crude, nasty smile. He shot a ball of light energy at Drako. Draco didn’t even move, as the Disciples who had sat around him scrambled for safety. The ball continued, till it finally fizzed out, having hit and been absorbed by Drako’s near invisible barrier.

     “My name is Heaven's Wrath.” He said, smirking. “We were here to ask… no, *tell* you to join us.” Heavens Wrath raised both arms in the air as lightning struck down on him, his body now actively pulsating, an electric field cascading around his body. He spoke, his voice now booming out for miles in every direction, clear but not loud, as though he was everywhere at once. “I see though, that your choice has already been made.”

     Heavens Wrath flew forwards, holding in both hands balls of light. The Flaming One also followed, fire in both hands, coming at Drako from the right. The Dark One, who had been quiet the entire time held a dark, fizzing energy in both hands, and came from the left. Draco, still did not move.

     Draco smiled, as the 3 powerful beings got dangerously close. Then, his shield exploded in a magnificent shower of energy mist and shards, as the 3 gifted instinctively gasped and moved out of the way, blocking the incoming projectiles. Heavens Wrath put his shield up; the only one not to stop dead at his tracks, and met Draco head on. At this point Draco floated up to his feet, and surrounded his hands in fizzing, light blue energy with enigmatic darker blue energy swirling, and white energy shards that seemed to orbit around his fists, his legs, and criss-crossing his entire body in long bands. He was out of his body; he let his instinct guide him.

     Heavens Wrath clapped his hands together, and the energy seemed to grow in power, electricity now actively running from hand to hand. He closed his hands into fists, and punched forward, right into Draco’s face.

     A powerful freezing effect took place for many meters away from Draco, completely encapsulating the entire temple area. Heavens Wrath seemed nearly frozen in place, his fist ever so slowly moving towards Draco. The fire one and dark one seemed to be forever frozen in their blocking stances. Everyone, but Draco, who moved freely up to Heavens Wrath and started with a beautiful string of attacks, as though perfectly choreographed by the most skilled of martial artists, paired with the power only Gods could ever hope to match.

     Uppercut, left hook, stomach punch, then once more. Kicks and jabs, perfectly placed attacks that took advantage of Heavens Wrath blind spots in his shield, obvious to a seasoned fighter such as Draco, but unnoticed to anyone else. When the flurry of attacks was over, when Heavens Wrath began slowly coughing up blood and began his slow descent towards the ground, Draco called upon the Dragon Spirit he had summoned, which obediently awaited around the temple. The Dragon Spirit understood immediately, splitting into 3 seperate dragons of smaller strength, and crashed into the ground below as Draco once again sat down where he had in the beginning. His freezing effect subsided, and all the Gifted fell to the ground, all 3 of them defeated. Heavens Wrath was a mess, his body covered in freezing points and his entire body twitching. The other two were in a simple comatose state, and would likely wake up soon.

     Draco asked the bodies of the defeated intruders be thrown into the local Ajikali River, which was said to purify the spirits of those who entered it. Draco did not have the anger or resentment to kill the intruders, as their purpose was cloudy, and he did not wish to kill anyone. He simply wanted the stream to carry the strong fighters far away, and the water cleanse their souls. He hoped this would be enough to stop them from ever returning.

    What Draco did not realize, however, was the class of fighters he had so easily defeated were not just ordinary Gifted, which he eventually found out he was one of. Eliza, classified as a True Gifted. Heavens Wrath, widely acknowledged as a low Legendary True Gifted, and Incognita, a formidable True Gifted. All of them were defeated in less than a minute. Draco was unknown to the brewing war that had started to enter the world theater, and yet he had defeated 3 of the strongest well known Gifted, as a mere True Gifted.

    Draco, however, would leave his home in search of answers. As soon as a week had passed and no sign of the intruders was found, Draco and his two closest Gifted disciples left to find out what was happening outside of their cut off, peaceful island. A small part was due to his undying curiosity to know more about his power, at the strange connection he felt at the intruders, despite their immediate aggression. For one second, it felt as though a bond as strong as family united them. Yet, a bigger part knew something large was brewing.

     Yes, his subconscious told him that something was going on. And he decided to face it head on, rather than let the fight come to those he had grown to love.