Chapter 1: Struggle.
It was early in the morning Brandon lied in bed staring at the ceiling. He knew it was a big day for him. A promotion and a raise, he was the all time number one architect in New York. His wife Megan and his two children, Ronnie, and Bella, were already dressed for school. Brandon went down the narrow spiral staircase and found them both at the dining room table. Brandon rushed back upstairs to hurry his wife.
“Megan we need to get going, it is ten after seven. I have to get to work and we need to drop the kids off at school”. Megan replied through the bathroom door,
“Alright Brandon I am almost ready! Give me another five minutes I will be done”. Brandon left the room and went back downstairs to prepare breakfast for his two kids. He took out some cereal and two bowls from the cabinet and went to the fridge and got the milk. He poured the milk and cereal in both of the bowls and gave it to his kids. Ronnie started pickling at his cereal immediately while his sister Bella sat there with a gulty look on her face. Brandon looked at her nd wanted to know what was on her mind.
“Bella, what did you do, why do you have that look on your face? Bella tilted her head down and was afraid to say to her dad what was going on. Megan came strolling down the stairs, glowing with beauty; Brandon now knew why it took her so long to get ready. It was worth the wait. She went to the cabinet and pulled out a coffee mug and filled it up with hot perking coffee. She needed it for the car ride into work. The kids finished their breakfast and threw their dishes in the sink and grabbed their lunch boxes and headed out the door.
Brandon grabbed his keys and met everyone at the car. The kids and wife were already buckled in ready to start the day. Something caught Brandon’s eye. It looked like a spiked tail going around the corner. He ventured after it in his nice suit and tie and followed whatever it was. It must have disappeared, because when he went around the corner, it was nowhere to be found, Megan yelled for Brandon to get to the car and stop staling. Brandon came back to the car and hopped in the driver’s seat and had a shocked look on his face. Megan just stared angrly at Brandon.
“ Honey, I swore I thought I saw a dragon’s tail walk around the corner. It was a light blue spiked tail. When I tried to follow it, it had vanished or got away. I don’t know what this means, but I am curious to find out what it is.” Meg got inpatient and said rudely,
“Brandon Mason, you better get this car moving right this second before we are all late for school and work.” Brandon started the car and started backing out the driveway. He cruised down the highway and made his way to Ronnie’s school. Ronnie told everyone buy and wished a great day on everybody. Now the family had to drop Bella of at school. Brandon found a parking spot next to the front doors. Bella grabbed her bag and started walking to the doors. Megan told her to stop and wait for her and Brandon to walk her in. Brandon got out of the car and made his way to the front entrance of the school. They all went inside the school and came to a long narrow hallway.
“So let’s see why we are being called in young lady, it better not be bad or you will be punished”, said her dad strongly. Megan put her hand on Brandon’s shoulder and told him to start walking their daughter to the front desk. When they got their there were already other students waiting to be checked in for tarries.
“I hate this, my dauter is a walk in and we are walk in parents, just great Megan. Why don’t we just tell her to start skipping school, she would really love that”! Megan squeezed Brandon’s hand and said under her breath,
“shut the hell up Brandon! You are embarrassing me and I don’t appreciate your attitude, knock it off now!” Brandon stood there and just watched as the other kids started walking to their class. The principal came walking out from another door beside the front desk. She introduced herself and led the family to her office.
“Hi I am Patricia, I am the principal here at Globeston middle school, and I wanted to call you guys in for a meeting personally…..” Brandon cut her off by saying,
“Excuse me Mrs. Patricia I don’t mean to sound rude, but I have a meeting with my boss in N HOUR, SO COULD WE SPEED THIS UP, and THANK YOU”. Megan stared hardly at Brandon as he was sitting down.
“I am so sorry for my husband, he is under a lot of stress with his job and he is worried about his raise and promotion”. Megan replied.
“Oh, it is quite alright. Believe me I understand stress; I deal with it five days a week. So please don’t feel bad guys, if you have to leave, then by all means. I don’t want to keep you longer than I have too”. Megan told her husband t stay seated and listen to the principal. Brandon sat down and did so. Prinicipal Patricia continued,
“Well your daughter Bella is a very bright young individual. She is smart very sociable with the other students, but there lies a problem. Her studies, she is failing math and language arts, she has a D- and she must pull the grades up if she wishes to pass fourth grade. If Miss Bella does not get passing grades she will have to attend summer school this year in order to move on”. Megan and Brandon looked at their daughter with shock and vowed they would do whatever they have to do to help her succeed in school.
Brandon said, “Bella, how come you did not want to tell us that you are struggling with your classes? You know darn well we will help you out in any way we can. But you don’t say anything to us. You let your mom and I get a call from school and we have to come here and talk to your principal. You have got to tell us when you are having trouble in school, so for now on before you go to bed your mom and I want to see your homework. Don’t say you did it and pass the time thinking we are going to forget about it, because we will ask for it, understand me”?
“Yes daddy”, said Bella.
The principal sent Bella off to class and walked Brandon and Megan back to the front desk. She pulled out a piece of paper from her binder and handed it to the family.
“Here is a card with many tutors that would love to help miss Bella strive for and A-B grade level. These are very highly rated tutors, so do yourselves a favor and give them a call. Thank you both for coming in this morning you fine people have yourselves a great day.” The principal walked back behind the door next to the desk and went back to her office. Brandon and Megan walked out the front doors and into the bright lit morning. The sun was shining so bright in their faces; they had to put on their sun glasses. Brandon unlocked the car and both parents got in the car. Disappointed with the news they just heard, Megan broke the silence by saying,
“Honey, we need to give these peole a call today. I don’t know what else to do with Bella. It is almost like she is not applying herself like she is supposed to and the grades show it.” Brandon got to the street and was turning onto the main road. He drove in silence for 30 minutes then out of the blue said,
“Megan my sweet, did I fail as a father?”
“God no Brandon, what do you mean?”
“Well I feel like I have been working to much and it is affecting the entire family. I am so worried about my promotion and raise, when I should be worried about my family>” Megan put her hand in Brandon’s and said as calm as she could,
“Honey, you are a wonderful man, don’t ever say that you are a bad father. You are a great father, its just that work has been stressing you out that’s all. Bella and Ronnie adore you, you are their dad, they love you with all their hearts, I know they do. So please, don’t ever say that you are a bad father, every family has obstacles, no one is perfect in this world, NO ONE.” Brandon pulled off to the side of the street. Skyscrapers surrounded him as they were downtown, Manhattan morning rush. Brandon got out of the car, so did Megan. He had arrived at his workplace. Megan still had to drive to her workplace. He kissed her goodbye and Megan handed Brandon his lunch box. Then Megan hopped in the driver’s seat and drove off down the busy street. People were everywhere, just like Time Square people were on top of people and the madness was its own chaos theory. Brandon pushed his way through the people blocking the front door. He made his way into the big lobby of his building. He worked in the Empire state building. He made his way past the main desk and made his way to the elevators. He got inside and hit the button marked 17. He worked on the seventeenth floor. Once on his floor he walked past several cubicles that were still empty. Heck they were probably outside trying to fight their way in through the front door.
Brandon made his way to his office and set his briefcase down on his desk and sat in his office chair, trying to put his thoughts together. Then suddenly the phone rings, Brian picks it up and answers it. Megan was on the other line,
“Hey babe, I just made it to work myself, Cindy passed on my way to my desk and chatted with me for a bit, did you make it up to your office ok?”
“Yes I did, I had to push my way through the crowd of people but I made it here. So, babe guess what tonight is? I promise you I did not forget it, it is our anniversary. That’s right you and I have reserved seats at Moe’s Italian Garden.” Megan screamed through the receiver and was so happy. She could not believe her ears.
“Oh my God babe you did not! That must have cost you a fortune.”
“That does not matter to me babe, you deserve everything and not to mention I got you a little something as well.”
“Brandon Frasier Mason, you got yourself a date. Now what time should we be there for?”
“Our reservations are for 6:00pm tonight, so I will try to leave here by 4:30 this afternoon to beat the traffic.” Megan agreed and then said goodbye and hung up the phone. Suddenly a big man walked in the doorway of Brandon’s office.
“Boy get the hell off that phone, this isn’t playtime, I don’t pay you to sit on your ass all day! Get in the conference room now. We have been waiting for a half an hour for you. What the hell took you so long to get here?”
Brandon replied, “Um sir, I had to meet my daughter’s principal this morning and traffic was killer today.”
“Your ass should have called; we are in there waiting to talk about your big success on your latest project.”
“They approved it”, Brandon asked.
“Yes and the Vice president is in there along with HR to talk about a possible promotion and raise.” Brandon rushed inside the conference room and sat down at the crowded table. His boss came in and closed the door behind him and said everyone was accounted for. The CEO and vice president sat at the far end of the table to the right. Brandon sat on the corner seat next to the door and had a long eyeview down the table. The CEO began speaking first,
“Alright everyone, may I have your attention please? I have a very important announcement to make. I would like to congratulate our new head architect and vision officer Brandon Mason! Come on up here Brandon and tell everyone your plans for the future of this company with your new position as vision officer.” The entire room filled with claps and cheers from all the higher ups in the company. Brandon slowly made his way to the front of the room and said,
“Thank you for the opportunity of moving up in this wonderful company sir, my goal for the future, is to make more businesses and homes for more living opportunities and people being able to find more jobs. My vision is to build our community to be stronger and more efficient. I will strive everyday to find new areas to build on and expand our society even more, thank you.” The room cheered and Brandon went back to his spot and sat back down. The meeting continued, two hours later Brandon walked out with a promotion and a raise. He was so happy. It was now 11:45 he wanted to take a forty five minute lunch and go to Central park and relax for a bit. He grabbed his keys and made his way to the elevators. His boss stopped him right when he was getting in.
“Hey Brandon, good job kid, you deserve it. I have never met a twenty fie year old like you, who is willing to work as hard as you do. I am grateful to have found you kid, keep up the good work.” The elevator door opened, Brandon walked inside and hit the button marked 1. The elevator ride down, Brandon rubbed his hand through his thick red hair and made his way to the main lobby again. He walked through the big open lobby, there were groups of people on lunch break chatting away and hanging out. Brandon made his way to his car. He fought through the crowd of people once again and made it to his car.
“oh crap, Megan has the car I totally forgot. Luckily I don’t have to walk very far.” Brandon saw an individual walking funny. It looked like he was following something. Brandon followed him to the park. There were hundreds of New Yorkers in this park playing sports, hanging out, and socializing. Brandon made his way through a football game, and had teenagers telling him to hurry up. He ignored them and continued following the man. The man walked through an ally way. Brandon snuck around the corner and had his back to the wall. He peaked around the corner and saw a portal open! A paw came through it, then a face. Brandon could not believe his eyes, it was a dragon! The dragon spoke to the man and begged him to walk through the portal.
“Human, please, come be a member of Dragon Valley. With the proper spell I can turn you into a beautiful dragon and the dragon ladies will adore you. They will absorb you and make you more powerful, and with the growth cycle you will become bigger and stronger than ever, what do you say, are you in?” The dragon held out its paw and offered it to the man. The man responded,
“I am a wanted criminal in this world, the cops are after me and I need to escape. If I come with you, I will be a powerful dragon?”
The dragon came back and said, “Yes human I will turn you into a dragon and make you powerful.” Brandon stepped in and said stop and tried to persuade the man to change his mind.
“Sir, I don’t know who you are, or what you have done, but you don’t know this creature. He is manipulating you to draw you in his world and kill you. Look I have studied dragons and these creatures you do not want to mess with.” The dragon stepped through the portal and came before Brandon.
“Have you faced a dragon in this world human?”
“No, I have not, dragons do not exsidt in this world, but we carryout the mythology of it.”
“Then shut the hell up, you don’t know the first thing about being a dragon. You are a pathetic human being and weak. You could never face a dragon like me. So if I was you, I retreat now before I blow my fire breath on you.” Brandon refused and remained where he was at. The dragon grew angry and was getting ready to blow his fire breath on Brandon, when the man interrupted.
“Alright, enough, just stop! Dragon I will come with you, I have made up my mind and I am going with the dragon.” The dragon smiled at Brandon and said to watch his back. The dragon shot a beam of light at Brandon throwing him against the wall.
“You want to talk like you are tuff human you got it. I will be seeing you later human. I will make you a dragon yet. You will have a quest of your own that you probably will lose your mind over. I will come for you when I am ready.” The big black dragon walked over to the man and with his white glowing eyes looked at the man then walked back through the portal. The man approached the portal and looked back at Brandn, then back at the dragon.
“Dragon what is your name?”
The dragon answered back, “I am Lord Roello King of all the dragons in my world. Do want to step through, yes or no?” The man said yes and stepped through, and then the portal just disappeared in thin air and all Brandon could see was the rest of the ally. Brandon looked at his watch and saw the time,
“Crap, it is 1:15! I got to get my ass back to the office or Bobby will kill me! I swear to god, I make a promotion and I be darned if I am late getting back to the office”. Brandon left the ally and made his way back to the main streets. Lunch hour was rapping up and everyone was heading back to work. The high school kids were walking back to school in groups of six or more, making all kinds of obnoxious noise. Brandon made his way to the outdoor parking lot of the Empire State Building and went up the steps to the side entrance. He went inside and made his way to the lobby once again, this time no one was standing in the lobby. Lunch time was over for most of the people he saw earlier. He made his way back up to his office and when the elevator doors opened, Bobby was standing there, Brandon’s boss had a very angry look on his face.
“Kid where the hell have you been, you have been gone since noon, what kept you”? Brandon did not know what to say he had seen and witnessed something that nobody would believe. He did feel bad for the man who stepped through the portal. He could have already been transformed into a dragon and corrupted with evil power.
“Boy I am waitng for a freakon answer from you, what have you been doing for the last hour”? Brandon lied and came back with this,
“Sir, if you must know, I was trying to figure out what to get my wife tonight. It is our anniversary sir and I want to surprise her with a nice gift”. Bobby’s angry expression suddenly faded away to a awe like expression. He apologized to Brandon and sent him off to his office. Brandon opened a new project he was building close to the New York harbor. It was going to be a burger joint with a pool wrapped around the bar. It was a very nice looking floor plan. He did some modifications and worked hard on it until 4:00 rolled around. His desk phone ringed and it was Megan,
“Hey honey, I am on my way home right now, I am trying to beat the traffic now so I don’t get held up”.
Brandon answered, “Alright babe, I am rapping up my work here at the office now. I will be ready by 4:30. I will get a cab home. You just worry about getting ready and I will see you soon love”. Brandon hung up the phone and started putting away all his tools. He put his floor plans on the top of his cabinet so he could resume where he left off tomorrow. He shut down his computer and turned off his office light and grabbed his jacket and put it on over his dress shirt and tie. He walked in the hallway and made his way to the cubicles. A few of his co workers were still working at their desks. He waved goodbye and said he would see them all in the morning. One of the co workers said,
“Brandon, don’t forget tomorrow, is our big office party to celebrate your hard work and promotion, congratulations”. Brandon walked to the elevator and waited for it to come. He walked in and hit the button for the first floor. He walked through the lobby and made his way to the front entrance. He made his way outside to the sidewalk and started walking down the side street. It was now 4:30 he called for a cab and waited. He waited for fifteen minutes for his cab, and it never came. He had no time for waiting. He got up and started walking down the sidewalk. Suddenly, a gush of wind knocked him on the ground and a portal appeared! Brandon sat up and saw the glowing blue and white strobes going through the portal. He stared at it and got up and started walking the other way. But a scaled paw came through the portal and shoved Brandon to the ground and dragged him through the portal!! Brandon was tossed and turned threw the strobes of light and dropped hard on his face. He sat up and looked around, he had no idea what the heck had happened.
Brandon stood up and looked all around the open world surrounded by mountains. Then he saw hundreds of dragons flying all around the location. He ran inside a nearby cave. It was dark and cold. Brandon slowly made his way through the narrow walkway of the cave. When he got to the end, on the wall in front of him was a purple glowing object. To Brandon it looked like a dragon’s badge. Unfortunately, this was no ordinary badge; next to it on the wall was a plague. Brandon ignored it and ripped the purple glowing object off the wall. He examined it, then without thinking, he took off his work jacket and put what he thought was a dragon’s badge on his shirt. Immediately, the purple object started absorbing his skin and disappeared inside him. Brandon started feeling terrible. His vision was getting blury, he started feeling the dragon coming out of him. Brandon started growing spikes on his body, he ripped his nice work shirt off and his pants, he was now naked in underwear. He started turning into a brown scaled dragon! His skin turned scaled and rough, his hands turned into clawed paws, his face turned into a brown maw, he opened his new giant mouth and his teeth turned into big sharp dragon teeth, the transformation completed and Brandon was now a full blooded dragon now! He fell to the ground unconscious, un aware of what happened. He was now a cursed dragon, in the wrong place at the wrong time! A shadow appeared on the wall. It was a shape of a dragon. It picked up Brandon’s dragon body and carried him off into the dragon world bellow!
Back in our world, however, Things were not going so well for the family. Megan was pulling up in the driveway with the two kids. Bella and Ronnie had to stay after school, so Megan could get ready for her anniversary dinner. She was wearing a black glitter dress, with black high heels, big silver ear rings and her dark blond hair was long and wavy going down her back. Megan was so breath taking she was so gorgeous for being twenty seven years old, she was doing well. The time was 6:30, she had not heard from Brandon. She got up and searched the four thousand square foot house and could not find him. She was getting mad. She picked up the phone and tried calling Brandon, there was no answer. Now the time was 6:45pm. Megan just suddenly thought maybe he got a ride to the restaurant to surprise her. She called for her sister to come watch the kids. The sitter arrived and Megan ran out the door, the time was now 6:55pm.
“Crap, I am going to be late, I sure hope Brandon is at the restaurant with a nice glass of wine waiting for me”. She turned the corner hard and made her way down the street. It took her ten minutes to get to the restaurant. The time was now 7:05pm She parked the car and ran inside the building in her nice shoes. It was a metrical she didn’t trip on her high heels. She ran and side and scanned the dining room. She could not see Brandon anywhere. She walked up to the host and got a table for two. The host seated her down. Megan looked all around the restaurant. All she could see were couples young and old having a wonderful time. She sat there and waited, hoping that Brandon would show up soon. For the moment she drank some wine and read a book.