The Spirits of Old/School Trips

In the late 15th century, a human stole the Dragon Stone from my people. For thousands of years, we lived alongside humans. We protected them from the dangers of this world: vampires, demons, werewolves, and other blood-thirsty creatures that would take too long to name.

What did they do to thank us for our protection?

They stole the source of our power and turned on us.

Without the dragon stone, we lost the ability to transform, the ability to wield magic, and our ability to reproduce. The stone was a gift to the first dragon. The story is so old that it is unclear what the sorcerer's name was, but he cursed his former lover after she had an affair. He transformed her into a dragon. It said that she was so heartbroken that she jumped into the water, hoping to drown, but instead found peace in the water.

Years later, she surfaced, desperate for human interaction, but found everyone feared her. After trying to kill herself, the sorcerer gifted her with a stone that would allow her to transform back and forth between beast and human. There was one catch, the stone needed to be recharged by human energy. The energy could only be obtained one-way, through physical contact.

She gladly accepted the stone. After walking from town to town for two decades, she fell in love and had two children. A millennium later, the dragon population was on the rise. We built castles near oceans so we could quickly shift in the water or the sky. The main palace was no longer big enough to support our numbers, so we spread out across the world, taking smaller stones that would hold energy. Once a year, the families' matriarch would return and give the energy collected to the Dragon Stone. The stone converted the energy into magic for all dragons, regardless of distance.

Some dragons were more powerful than others. Some could control the elements. Others were faster, and some could even control the thoughts of animals and humans. Dragons were feared and respected. When the humans discovered us, we offered them protection in exchange for their energy. They accepted.

Then centuries later, human greed took control. They gained our trust only to turn against us. Brehm McDonald Graham, the man I thought was my best friend, took the stone during an ambush. The humans allied with those cursed by the Night. The number of vampires, wolves, and manticore were no match for us. But the ambush was a distraction for Brehm to take the stone.

The battle didn’t last long. Brehm had just enough time to take the stone and disappear. We only lost six dragons in the fight, but the loss was enough to preoccupy us. It wasn’t until hours later that we discovered the stone was missing. Our human companions were all dead.

We knew right away what happened. For the next several decades, we searched for the stone without success. Our numbers began to dwindle. Without the stone, we couldn’t reproduce, recharge our magic, or shift to our human forms. Humans knew we were weak and took advantage by hunting us. In hopes of safety, some hid in caves, underwater, and even in high mountains. But it wasn’t enough to stop the humans or the other creatures from hunting us.

Without much choice, my mother and her court came to a decision. Use the little magic left to encase someone in stone and awaken them when the world has forgotten us. Then the chosen dragon will find the stone and rebuild the dragon empire.

They chose me. At first, I refused. I begged to stay. Being put in stone would mean I leave behind my love, Jonat.

It took convincing, but when Jonat said it was for the greater good. I told her goodbye, and we shared one last kiss before I stepped back onto an altar. That’s where the council cast me into stone. Before turning me to stone, my mother gave me a small green gem shard. It would hold just enough magic to shift from dragon to human form and use minor spells. The only downside is it too is powered by human energy. Now when I wake, I must find a human to get energy for the gem. I will force them to help me find the stone and rebuild my kingdom. If they try to betray me, they will watch while I destroy everything they hold dear.

I don’t know how long I will sleep, but I know when I wake, no one I once knew is alive. Jonat will be gone. The magic that lets us live for hundreds of years will be gone. It’s going to be a new world. A world that doesn’t remember the reign of dragons. A world I am going to take back and rule. I will avenge my people, I will take back my birthright, and I will make the humans pay for their betrayal. Never will they be given the same freedoms they once had. The punishment for betraying us will be far worse than anything the vampires or wolves could ever do.

As the dragon prince, I had additional magical abilities. My special gift is controlling the elements: fire, water, wind, and earth. My gift is something I can naturally do in both my human and dragon forms. I also can use spells, but it takes additional magic. I always took my magical abilities for granted. Never did I believe there would come the time where I needed to limit myself. Once I find the stone and take my rightful place on the throne, I will show the world my true limitless power. All will bow, and those that refuse will not have mercy. The night creatures we once allowed to exist will become extinct. Humans will only be around to serve the dragons. It will never be a thought in their mind to betray us again.

Chapter 1 School Trips

Trudy

“Trudy Valcoas?” The guide continues to call out names making sure we are all here.

I raise my hand. My best friend, Britany, nudges me. “Tru, don’t let what Bryan did ruin our trip. We both know the best way to get over one man is to get under another.”

I roll my eyes, “It has more to do with the fact I only came on this trip because he wanted me to come. I don’t care about history. I’m studying to be a physician assistant.”

“Oh, come on, you can’t say that nothing has interested you so far. We are in Europe visiting historical places all over, seeing castles, learning about how people lived long ago before cellphones and the internet.” I stare at her with an annoyed look. Britany shakes her head, “This generation.”

“We’re both twenty-two.”

“Yeah, but I’m way more cultured than most twenty-two-year-olds.”

I roll my eyes, “Whatever, Brit.”

The bus stops for fuel and to allow everyone a chance to stretch. Britany stays on the bus to read, but I need a moment to move around. Taking out my phone, I check my account balance, $378.36. That has to last me the next two weeks here in Europe. Luckily most of this trip is paid for, and I only need to cover food. Any activities outside of what’s provided by the school, I will need to turn down. Now that Bryan and I aren’t together, my finances are much different.

I should’ve known better than to trust anyone. Bryan and I dated for two years. He comes from money, and I come from a lower-middle-class family. My mother was an elementary school teacher, and my father was a truant officer. I am the youngest of three. My two older brothers are married and raising kids. One lives in Orogen and the other in Maine. They moved to the opposite sides of the U.S. for school while I stayed close to my parents in Colorado. I moved from Walden to Fort Collins, just over an hour's drive away. My mother was recently diagnosed with stage three breast cancer. We thought she recovered well from surgery and finished her chemo. Then they found another mass on her spine and under her arm. We are starting a new cycle of radiation, and the doctors have hope.

With her ailing health, my mother could no longer teach. Since she quit, money is tight for them. Bryan sweetly offered to help. He paid for some of my mother’s treatments without telling me and even took care of my bills so I could see her more. I work for a pediatrician as a nurse’s aide, but I will be hired as a P.A. once I finish school. The course work for my program ends in December then I start doing clinical hours. I’m lucky that I already work with a doctor willing to help me.

Bryan’s family owns different businesses: restaurants, shops, and even a hotel or two. He’s loaded and doesn’t work that hard in school, but his parents require him to go. He majors in business and has a minor in humanities. This trip is supposed to give him the last few credits for his minor. The university offers this tour across different parts of Europe. It goes through Finland, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Iceland, United Kingdom, Ireland, and Scotland.

Since it’s through the university, it isn’t as expensive as going by yourself, but it was still more than I could afford. Bryan refused to let me stay home. He said spending the summer away from me was too long and paid for me to go without telling me.

Of course, since it wasn’t refundable, I accepted. Never did I think Bryan would dump me as he did. We have pretty much shared a room this trip until last night. I got a text saying he wanted a break. Then he went out with some other guys on the trip, and I stayed at the hotel to study. I’m taking six hours online this summer to complete the program early.

When I walked down to the hotel's lobby this morning, I found Bryan walking a girl out to a taxi. It broke my heart. It feels like a waste of two years. Now, I’m going to have to pay the last two weeks of a trip I couldn’t afford to begin with and figure out how to cover my bills when I get back. Since I was missing two months of work, Bryan offered to cover them. Now I don’t know what I will do. I guess I will lose my perfect payment record, but hopefully, I won’t lose my apartment.