. : D R A G O N B O R N : . (a MCSM fanfic)

Chapter 4: Suspicion

"Something's up with Petra."

Jesse gave Lukas a curious look, raising her eyebrows.  "What do you mean?"

"Haven't you noticed?  She's acting... weird."  Lukas looked pensive, resting his chin on his hand.

"I mean, there was that weird incident in the treasure room," Jesse agreed, sitting down at the table.  "And we still never found that egg... what, you're not saying she stole it, are you?"

He blinked.  "No, no, of course not-- Petra would never.  She's a treasure hunter-- not a thief.  Besides, it's part hers anyway.  That egg has a mind of it's own... it probably just popped off to some forgotten corner or something.  It'll turn up..."

"True."  Jesse chewed her lip.  "She has been a bit... flighty?  Do you think she's getting sick or something?"

"I really don't know," he murmured, "But it's not like her... not at all.  I'm... worried."

Jesse let out her breath.  "It definitely is worrying..."

Lukas was quiet for a moment.  "She's my best friend, Jesse," he said softly at last.  "And now... it's like she won't even talk to me..."

"I'm sure she'll come around in time," Jesse murmured, looking down.  "She's... not always the most open person in the world, after all..."

"I know," Lukas sighed.  "I... just wish she'd at least tell me..."

Jesse bit her lip, but before she could reply the door creaked open and Petra poked her head in.  "Hey, you guys?  I think I'm gonna go see Soren... I'll be back later, okay?"

Lukas furrowed his brow, trying to keep his worry out of his voice.  "Oh, okay-- see you later, then..."

"See you."  Petra shut the door and her footsteps quickly faded away outside.

Jesse gazed thoughtfully at the door.  "You're right," she murmured, eyes narrowed slightly.  "Something is definitely up..."

***

"The Ender Dragon?" Soren seemed surprised.  "Whatever brought her to mind?"

Petra shook her head.  "Just random curiosity, I guess.  But what do you know about her?"

Soren rubbed at his chin.  "Well, back in the day, the Order and I did quite a bit of research on her... and the rest of the dragons, for that matter..."

Petra blinked.  "The rest of the dragons?  There are more??"

"Were more.  She was the last of her kind..."  Soren sighed.  "But yes... there once were others.  Many others.  Not just Ender dragons either-- dragons of all kinds!  Air dragons, fire dragons, ice dragons... you name it!  There was a dragon for every element, and dragons with no element at all..."

"Whoa..."  Petra shook her head in amazement.  "I... I never knew!"

"Most people don't," Soren said.  "But Ivor and I always had a penchant for old legends... we had some contacts who knew of some very old accounts... stories of when dragons still roamed the land.  But that was ages ago..."

"Then... what happened to them?"

"No one really knows for sure."  Soren moved toward the bookcase.  "They disappeared-- vanished, without a trace.  Most say they died off as our people spread... but some say they simply crept to the farthest reaches of the world, living on far from the prying eyes of man..."

"Were they... here before us, then?  Did they live here before we settled?"

"In some places, yes," Soren told her, smiling a bit as his eyes fell on a dusty old tome.  "But in others, man and dragon lived together.  They were a powerful alliance... some would say unstoppable."  He drew the leather-bound book from the shelf and laid it on the table with a soft thump.  "Once, there were not merely dragons... but dragon riders..."

Petra's eyes widened.  "Whoa..."

Soren blew the dust off the book's cover, revealing a gold embossed emblem of two dragons locked in combat.  "This is one of the last remaining records of the dragons... from the days when they still lived at peace with mankind.  Unfortunately, such an alliance was not made to last... both species grew hungry for power, and their greed drove the alliance apart.  Man and dragon went their separate ways, and the dragons were never seen again.  But not all were blinded by greed.  A few of each side retained their sense and met in secret as the alliance crumbled.  And most say it was there that the prophecy of the Dragonborn came to be."

"The... Dragonborn?"  Petra shook her head.  "What the heck is that?"

"According to legend, the Dragonborn is one destined to shape the fate of both species.  It is said that the Dragonborn will bring peace to the land, uniting the species once again in an unbreakable alliance... or drive them into a war that will ensure both their destruction.  Of course it's all merely a legend, and with the dragons all gone, it seems it was little more than a fable after all..."

"...Yeah, it seems that way..."  Petra stared into space, a little stunned.

Soren seemed to notice her thoughtfulness.  "What exactly are you thinking?"

Petra shook her head.  "Soren... what if the dragons aren't all gone?  How would we recognize the Dragonborn?"

Soren shrugged.  "To be perfectly honest, I think the legend's simply that-- a legend.  Born of wishful thinking by a few who hoped there might yet be hope to unite the species.  But I suppose you never know."

She nodded thoughtfully, and looked up.  "And the Ender Dragon... what of her?"

Soren seemed a little saddened.  "Ah yes... the Ender Dragon."  He sighed softly.  "I must confess, her aggression confused us... she had blocked off all access to the End-- unusual, since dragons were said to keep to their own and avoid humans.  But, as she posed a threat to travelers, we knew she needed to be removed... it was only afterwards that we realized the reason for her hostility..."

"The egg," Petra whispered.

Soren nodded, a distant look in his eyes.  "We found it after we... disappeared her.  She'd been so territorial because she'd been guarding her most precious treasure... her offspring.  But the egg was cold as stone... I fear her efforts would have been in vain anyway..."

Petra frowned.  "Do you even know what the Command Block did to her?"

Soren shook his head.  "I'm afraid not... it may have simply erased her from existence... or she could still be out there somewhere unknown to us.  I... I'm afraid that's the consequence of playing with powers you do not understand..." He sighed.  "It seems that's a lesson we've all learned far too well..."

Petra nodded, biting her lip.  "Thank you for your time... this has been... very enlightening."

He smiled a little.  "Not at all-- I'm so glad to see you taking an interest in learning."

"Yeah... learning is... important, even for a warrior."  She half-smiled, and then looked thoughtful.  "Soren, would it be possible for me to borrow your... dragon book?  I'd like to look through it a little more..."

He smiled.  "Of course!  Just bring it back safely when you're done with it-- it may be the last of its kind..."  He slid the tome across the table to her, and she picked it up and packed it away, rising.

"Thanks, Soren."  She smiled a bit.  "This really has helped a lot..."

"Not at all."  He smiled.  "Until we meet again."