Chapter 3: The ten years journey
"DAMN YOU CARL !!!!!!"
Azar woke up and found himself back in the world of the living. It was like he was just having a nightmare, meeting a celestial being, getting dropped back to the world, and having to live the normal life of a human for 10 years. But when the vile smell of rotten flesh filled his nostrils, Azar got a harsh reality check. He was lying on top of a pile of dead human bodies. And even though the sky was swallowed by darkness, Azar could still see that all around him were piles and piles of dead humans. But that wasn't even the worst part. He scanned through his body. There were no injuries, no symptoms indicating that he was sick, unlike the rest of the dead humans, however…
"YOU PUT ME IN THE BODY OF A HUMAN CHILD !!!" Azar shouted at the sky. Azar pinched himself in the arm to make sure. And as he suspected, this human's pathetic soft skin could not defend against such a weak attack. Azar felt a sharp pain rushing through his body.
"DAMN YOU !!!!" Azar cried out. He knew he had to live 10 years as a human, but God never told him he had to live in a weak human child body. All of his strong and muscular physical presence was gone. There was no trace of his dragon heritage. Now, he was a dirty skinny little boy. With his mind filled with rage and frustration, Azar climbed down the dead body pile.
"You better make good with your promise !" Azar talked out loud.
Azar looked to the clear night sky once more and found the North Star. Thus his journey officially began. Azar started to walk toward the star, leaving the decomposing dead bodies behind, not knowing what God and the human world had in store for him.
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After two long days of constant walking, Azar came to a frustrating conclusion.
"Being a human SUCKKKKKKK !!!!!"
Azar was in the body of a young human child, no more than 8 years old, with raggy clothing, walking and climbing through the rough and unforgiving forest terrain. He experienced firsthand how hard it was being a young human. Though his mind was still as tough as iron, his body was exhausted, he was thirsty and starving all the time, his legs were shaking like a leaf in front of a storm, and his vision was getting hazy. Darkness was falling above his head. Azar did not know if his new vulnerable body could take it anymore. As a dragon, he could have fought continuously for days and gone without eating for a couple of weeks, but as a human, he couldn't even last three days at that point. Azar was far from getting used to his current condition.
Almost to the point of dragging his feet, Azar was gasping for every breath, and he thought out loud.
"Godlike Luck my ass !!!!!" Azar felt as though he was scammed by that celestial being. Two days of absolute torturing journey, Azar had not seen an ounce of luck. Apart from finding out that his face was still relatively the same, with his bright amber eyes as the most noticeable feature, except for being younger, of course. Everything else that Azar had to overcome was absolute Hell.
But when Azar thought that he had to spend another night in the forest, life finally gave him a glimpse of hope.
"A road !?". Never had Azar felt so low. Once, he was a proud dragon king, ruling over millions of subjects. But now, he felt overjoyed when he found an old dirt road. But unfortunately for him, it was nighttime, and there was no hope for anyone that would use that kind of road at this time. It was simply too dangerous. With little energy left in his weak legs, Azar tried to carry himself as far as possible along the road before going unconscious.
"Who's there !!??" an unexpected voice rang. Too weak to even answer at that point, Azar only got a vivid vision of someone or something not far away ahead of him.
"Please don't be an enemy! Please don't be an enemy !" Azar thought to himself. If it was a hostile enemy of any kind, he would surely be killed in that condition. But then Azar remembered where he was and who he was, he was walking in the land of humans. There was nothing here but his enemies.
Azar stopped right on his track and looked at the ominous shadowy figure approaching him. It was too dark to see what was ahead of him, but Azar could tell, it was at least twice his size.
"A child ??!!! What are you doing here at this time and place !!??" a weak and elderly voice talked to Azar..
The dark figure finally stepped out of the shadow and into the silvery moonlight. He was a much older human male. The thin gray hair and the wrinkles on his face gave it away.
"Kid are you ok ???!!!" The man easily noticed the look on Azar's pale face.
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"So this is what you call Godlike luck ??!!" Azar shouted in his head. After two days of almost starving to death, he found himself in the helping hand of an adult human. However, this one did not seem like a human that could help Azar much. The clothing that he was wearing was very similar to Azar's, dirty and raggy. He was a very old human, Azar concluded based on the man's skin and how his hand was shaking while he tried to light a fire for the both of them.
"I'm sorry kid. This old man is not what he used to be". The elder human told Azar that his shaky hands prevented him from creating enough friction between the wooden stick and the base to create embers. Azar sighed in disappointment, "Another cold night for me it is then," he told himself. Seeing how Azar responded, the man decided to go for one last try. And miraculously, even though this time the old man only managed to create even less friction than before, smoke appeared. He quickly put some dead grass and leaves on top, and within seconds, a comfortable campfire was made.
"Huh ? Wow, I guess it's all about technique and experience" the old man laughed and smiled at his achievement. But Azar looked at it with deep doubt,
"There was no way what he did was enough to create some ember," Azar thought. However, before Azar could give it a second thought, his stomach growled. Even though the old man was at least a few meters away from Azar, it was so loud that he could still hear it clearly. He reached inside his bag and gave Azar something.
"Here, eat, you must be starving" Azar looked at what the man had given him. A small, old and hard piece of bread. If it was Azar Polaris, the dragon king, then he would never even think of touching that thing. But as Azar, the human child who had not had anything to eat for two days, he took a bite of the bread like it was a fine piece of steak. It took him only seconds to devour the old bread. After he finished, Azar looked at the old man. He was just sitting next to the fire, seemingly watching Azar finishing his meal with a slight smile.
"Aren't you going to eat too ?"
"No, I'm not hungry, little one." At that moment, the man's stomach also growled. Azar heard it loud and clear and raised his eyebrow at him afterward.
"Did you just give me your last sort of food ?"
"Don't worry about it kid. You look like you need it more than me."
"But you're obviously hungry and in need of food yourself. Why give it to me, a complete stranger ?!"
"Do you think that I am that cold-hearted? What kind of man would let a small child starve while he just sits there and watches !?"
"A hungry man ?"
"Who taught you that !? As a matter of fact, where are your parents ?"
Azar gave it a deep thought. He did not even think about it before as he was too busy trying to survive, but he had no memory of the previous owner of this body. All Azar could remember was the first thing he woke up to was a pile of dead bodies. So Azar just told the old man what he thought had happened.
"I think they are dead," he said bluntly. His face showed no emotion whatsoever. Azar had no real relationship with them after all.
"What !??" the old man responded in absolute shock.
"I said, I think they are dead. When I woke up, I was on top of a pile of dead bodies in the middle of the forest. I assumed that my birth parents would be among those as well."
The old man looked at Azar with tears crawling up his eyes.
"You poor child …" he told Azar. "What's your name, and where do you come from ?"
"My name is Azar, just Azar. And to be honest, I don't know where I come from."
The old man shook his head, saddened by Azar's story and circumstances.
"So you have been walking aimlessly all this time ?"
"No, of course not, I am not a fool." Azar replied instantly, "I'm following the North Star. It will lead me to where I am meant to be."
"Which is !?"
"I don't know yet," Azar replied casually. But the old man did not understand Azar's true condition. All he thought was that this little boy had just lost his whole family, probably due to the disease running through this land at the time, and due to the trauma, he started to go a little crazy. The old man felt a tightness in his chest. His eyes were getting watery. Finally, he gave Azar a warm hug and told him.
"I know it's hard, child. But trust me, it will get better, you can get through this." A tear ran down his eyes. "May God forever look after you !"
Azar looked up into the night sky and replied, "He better be !"
Azar broke the man's hug and told him, "Ok, enough of your pity. What about you? You don't seem like you're doing any better than me !"
The old man laughed a little bit.
"Tough little boy, you are. That's good" then he answered Azar's questions.
"My name is Bruce Lampard. And yes, I suppose I'm not in any better condition as you are."
"Why are you here alone, hungry and cold. Don't you have a family of your own ?"
The faint smile on Bruce's face completely washed away after Azar asked that question.
"I had a family …."
"Had ?"
"Yes, had. You see, I'm a lot like you Azar. I'm alone in this world. My wife died while giving birth to my only son. Who also died while fighting the war against the demon's kingdom a few years ago ... "
Azar could see it within the old man's dark brown eyes, the tiredness and sorrow of a man that lost everything.
"I'm sorry to hear that." Azar honestly felt sad for the old human. "At least you can be proud of your son, right. I mean from what I heard, the human… I mean WE have just slain the Demon King, correct. Your son was a part of that great achievement, no doubt."
"Killing the Demon King ?" The man responded in surprise. "Child, what are you talking about. The Demon King had risen from his death a long time ago."
"WHAT !!??"
"If I remember the story correctly, our mightiest heroes had managed to slay the Demon King once, about 50 years ago. Back then, that monster took the form of a vicious black dragon. But not long after, he crawled himself back to the living world, took the form of an even stronger monster, and continued to wage war against us once more."
Azar looked at the old man with his ember eyes wide open, and his jaw almost dropped to the ground. That story sounded extremely familiar.
"Fuck me, it has already been 50 years since I got killed !" Azar shouted in his head.
"Kid, are you alright !?" the man gave Azar a concerning look.
"Oh no, nothing, I'm all good." Azar must have spaced out for a few seconds. "Again, I'm sorry for your loss."
Bruce chuckled a little "You're a strange kid, you know that? How can you still feel compassion for this old man while you are in a situation such as yourself !?"
"Same for you, Bruce. Why did you still give your hand and help me when you're the one in need too ?"
"Because, … looking at you … all injured and lifeless,... I can not stop but imagine my son in the same circumstance… You reminded me a little bit of him, when he was younger… I had this strange urge to help you. As if I was helping my son …."
Azar looked into Bruce's warm eyes and listened to his sincere voice.
"What a strange human…." Azar thought.
"But I am not your son."
"I know. And I understand that whatever I do know can't change the past. I can't bring him back… But helping you, makes me feel better. At least, I can help someone. And maybe, when you all grow up, you will help someone else in need like you once were. For me, that's enough."
"You did all that. Burning all your energy to provide warmth for a stranger, giving me your last piece of food when you obviously need it as well. All of that, because of basically nothing …."
"Saving a life of another is never anything, Azar. Life is the most precious thing in the world, and you need to protect yours at all costs. Remember that."
Azar never thought he would hear those words out of a human's mouth. Back then, all Azar's encounters with humans ended in bloodshed. As a king, the only thing he could see was that humans were sending waves and waves of their people to the battlefields, regardless of the consequences. To him, it looked as though they did not treasure those humans' lives at all. They all died a meaningless death, trying to slaughter his people.
"Then what about your son. Did he not die in the frontline, while taking lives as well ?"
Bruce looked at Azar with curiosity filling his eyes,
"You know, I have never met a child who is so interested in philosophy and wars like you, Azar." He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "It's funny Azar, when you become a man, and have a son of your own. I pray that you don't have to suffer as I have. They said that I should be proud that my son had died trying to protect his kingdom…. But how could I … ?" Bruce tried to conceal it, but Azar could see his teary red eyes. Bruce looked up into the night sky, hoping to prevent tears from falling down his face.
"He is my son! … How can I feel the slightest ounce of joy, knowing he had died in a wasteland? All I wish for is to have my son back. I don't care how it happens, I just want my son back. All he did was follow orders, to fight for peace. WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE HIM !!??? ..." Bruce was tearing himself apart.
Azar never had offspring. He could not truly understand what this human was truly going through. But he had lost many friends and subjects. He also felt this enormous amount of pain each time he heard the news that one of them had passed. Even though Azar and this human were different in every way, Azar found himself having a strong feeling of sympathy for this particular human.
After a while, Bruce finally managed to control his emotions.
"Sorry you have to see that …" Bruce apologized to Azar
"No need to apologize to me. It looks like you needed it …."
Under the crackling sound of the flickering campfire, Azar found himself very tired already. His eyes grew heavy and he could not stop himself from yawning. It was a good while since he got a good night's sleep next to a warm fire camp.
"Rest, child. Your journey has been hard …" Bruce gave a yawn, "... I shall rest as well. This old man can't stay up as late as he used to anymore …" he chuckled and lay down.
"You too Bruce." Azar also lay on the ground, near the fire. He looked up at the night sky, and again he saw the North Star, still shining as bright as ever. The life of a human was more complicated than he thought, and it only had been two days.
"Hey Carl, I mean God …" Azar whispered to the North Star. "If what you promised me was true. If you are really up there watching over me. Then give me a sign, will you? Just let me know that this is not a cruel game you're making to participate in for your amusement. Tell me that this is all a part of your big plan, whatever it is…."
Azar quickly fell into a deep sleep. His second day as a human had come to an end.
When the first lantern of the morning sun touched the ground, Azar woke up from his slumber. Though he was far from his best physical condition, it was the best he had felt since becoming a human. And it was thanks to the elder human, Bruce, who was still sleeping not too far from him. Though he was grateful for what he just got, Azar's will wavered a bit. It had only been 2 days, and he only barely made it as a human. Alone in a land that was completely strange to him, Azar did not know if he could make it. The ten years journey, following the North Star, to whatever destination he was supposed to reach. Azar had never felt so powerless and ashamed in his life. Dragons were known for their undying will to move forward, to fight until their last breath. Azar now had an unusual feeling of uncertainty about himself. A feeling that he had never felt before.
"Is this the effect of being a human ?" Azar asked himself.
When the birds started to hum their songs, Bruce also woke up from his sleep. Both of their stomachs were rumbling in hunger.
"So kid, how about it? I am heading West, to my hometown, Littleville. Want to come with me? It will definitely be better than going on your journey to no man land."
"Sorry, Bruce, you're a good huma… I mean you're a good man! But I have my own destination, a mission to fulfill, a promise to be kept. Though I don't know where it will lead me, or where I might end up. I know that it lies at the end of the North Star."
With that, they both share an understanding smile. Then, Azar and Bruce both head back to the main road together. Perhaps it would be the last time they would see each other. However, they were both caught off guard when they stepped foot out onto the dirt road.
"Watch out !!!" A man on horseback was racing through the road like a mad man. He nearly ran both Azar and the old man over.
"Watch where you're going !!! You almost killed us both !" Bruce shouted at the man.
"I'm sorry, I did not see you coming. Are you two ok ?" The man on horseback stopped and went back on foot to check on both of them. But the moment Bruce and the man saw each other, they both stood still like stone statues. Azar looked at Bruce's face. He got that weird, scared, and shocked look on his face like he just saw a ghost.
"How can this be … that face … those eyes … William… is that you ?..."
"Father !??"
"WILLIAM !"
"FATHER !"
The two immediately raced to each other and embraced within each other's arms. Tears running down their eyes like fountains. Azar quickly realized what was going on. That man was Bruce's son.
"How can … I thought you were dead William …."
"No father, I just got badly injured and got lost in the monster's kingdom. It took me years to find a way back."
Watching over the scene, Azar found himself in a mix of emotions. On the one hand, he felt sort of happy for the old human he had just met. Bruce was a good human, a surprisingly kind one in such circumstances. Seeing him reunited with his long-lost son did make Azar feel a bit of happiness. However, based on their story, his son, William, was one of the human soldiers who attacked his kingdom and killed his people. Even though Azar could find within himself to understand where their action came from, he was far from Forgiving. Seeing William still made him feel uneasy. His blood boiled, his muscles tensed up. Deep down, Azar wished that William would just stay dead instead.
"I came back but you were gone. I immediately thought that you would head back to your hometown so I followed the quickest route there !"
"Thank the Gods ! Thank you for bringing my son back !"
It did not take much for Azar to understand what this was. Last night he asked God for a sign, and then a miracle happened. Saying that the odds of a soldier who got injured during battle, got left behind, then somehow survived, found a way back, and stumbled to his father on the way, was extremely slim, to say the least.
"Who is this father ?" William looked at Azar.
"I'm no one," Azar bluntly replied, "Just someone that your father once helped." Azar gave a faint smile and turned his back on them, continuing on his journey.
"Hey kid, wait a moment !" The son quickly called out to Azar. "You are going out there on your own !?"
"Don't worry about me," Azar talked coldly to William. "Just take good care of your father, he is … a good man…."
The man gave him a small sack. There was some bread, an apple, and three silver coins.
"Take this" William smiled kindly to Azar. It seemed like he did take after his father. Azar understood that he should thank the human for what he gave him. But saying thanks to a human that directly killed his people, Azar would not cross that line. So Azar just nodded his head and told him.
"Take care, William."
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