Glare of the Dragon

Chapter I-Discovery of a Legend

What was that story again? I can't quite remember it, even though it's a story that my dad has told me so many times before. It's something that I like to do, look for old legends and myths to see if there might be some truth behind them. My name is Kylee by the way, an ordinary twenty-one year old girl from California, well I think I'm ordinary, everyone else thinks I'm a bit, oh what's the word? Ah, extra-ordinary, or strange. Oh, but I love what I do, bringing legends to life has always been a fasination of mine and now I finally think I'm on to something of a rather ancient legend that's pretty interesting, if only I could remember the full story.


"Kylee," yep that's my father.


"Yes, Daddy?" I called back to him.


"Isn't it about time you get going?"


I trot down stairs quickly and wrap my arms around his thin body, looking up at him, "It is, but I need a favor. Is it possible for you to tell me that story again? The on about the dragon's glare."


"Ha, you plan on going to find this legend when you barely know the story?" he chuckled at me. "Yes, I can tell you the story again. That is what I'm good at, I've been telling stories for a very long time."


"You're not even that old, Dad," he chuckled again as if it wasn't true, but he was only forty-five years old. He always did this though. My dad, also known as Cody, would always talk like he's older than what he really is, like he's been alive for far longer than my grandparents even, I don't get it really, he does tell great stories though. He had longer brown hair and these gray eyes that looked so gentle, which always conflicted with his hard, war-like face that he can't seem to get rid of, oh and did I mention it looks like he hasn't aged past twenty-five, which is really awkward for me. Especially when my girl friends can't stop telling me how sexy he is; ew.


"Well, anyway, the story is suppose to take place in ancient China about four thousand years ago.."


"But it wasn't in China at all, the evidence leads to the corners of Chad and Niger in Africa."


"Yes, I know this, Kylee, but the legend of it being a dragon carried the tale to China, now let me continue," Cody said and I nodded in return. "So as I was saying, four thousand years ago, the exsitance of dragons was much more than just a myth, they lived among the humans almost in peace. But as with people, there are always bad dragons and the one at the time was Karash. Everyone knows about how dragons were all fire breathers, well he was a dragon that was given a special ability besides that. One look will turn the person to dust, so he decided to use this power to his advantage and rose an army of dragons to cast away the humans from this planet," Cody paused for a bit as if remembering the events. "Well there was one human that was immune to the Glare of the Dragon, Codias, and he was the one to take Karash on in battle one on one and send him back to the underworld. But there was a prophet at the time who foretold the return of Karash in another few thousands years, but it hasn't happened yet as far as legends go. Now do you remember, Kylee?"


I just looked up at him with an intense look, "You left something out. Where the entrance to the underworld is suppose to be."


"No one knows that, hun. I'm guessing it's probably somewhere near Chad or something, where the story takes place."


"Well, according to ancient mythology, it probably lies somewhere in Greece."


"If you were to listen to the exact mythical locations of these places, you'd never find them. Go to Africa and see what you find, you're plane leaves in three hours. If you can't find anything just give me a call and I'll come out and help you."


"You never need to come help me, Dad. But I'll give you call if I need it," I turned and started to walk out of the house but he grabbed me quickly by the arm.


"Be careful, Kylee, this isn't just a normal legend you're following. It's old and hard to trace, and there may be evidence of an actual return of that dragon," he had a serious look on his face now. "Nothing needs to happen to you."


"I'll be fine, Dad, nothing is going to happen, especially the return of an ancient dragon," I said. He smiled at me, but his look was uncertain.