Leo dragged his feet for the better part of the rest of his walk home. His mind was racing with adrenaline even though the fight took place a long while prior.
He trudged along till he found the walk to his house.
He slowly made his way to the door.
The door opened and another young elf stood in the doorway, the light of the chandelier brightly contrasted against his silhouette. It was Leo's older brother Kenjō. He had a heavier set body from the farming he would do during the days. Kenjō was a hard worker. And he was strong bodied.
"Oi, Leo!", He called out.
"You're late for supper! What the hell? What's with the blood?!"
Leo walked in past him, his brother's eyes bulging in shock.
"The fuck happened mate?"
"I dealt with another Minotaur", Leo mumbled.
Kenjō sat in a chair beside him, sliding a place over for him to eat.
Leo had no appetite but he knew better than to complain. He looked at the contents of the porcelain. It consisted of a large beef steak, mashed potatoes and some peas.
The typical homemade supper. He began with the potatoes and dug in. Kenjō put his head in his hands.
"That's two that you killed, Leo," He began.
"Before we know it word is gonna spread throughout the town and beyond. You know you're lucky to be alive after doing that."
Leo swallowed the bite of potatoes he had been chewing.
"Am I?" He inquired.
"The freak had a box with some weird stone in it.
Yet as soon as I grabbed the stone some massive force of magic started spreading up my arms and into my body. Then, this thing happened!"
He stood up and pulled his shirt open. Kenjō's eyes widened and he stared.
"Leo...", He said, a worried tone in his voice.
"You know what that is, right?"
Leo looked at him in a confused frown.
"No? Some weird tattoo is all I can assume."
"That's no normal tattoo, Leo. That's the mark of the Dragon Symbiote!"
Leo started laughing hysterically because he couldn't fully grasp the idea with his head. He stopped laughing with his head cocked back and staired at the ceiling in the shock and disbelief that began to set in.
The stories of the Symbiotes were always bloody and horrific. Though they were few in numbers, only amounting to nine, three being women, they always went down dark paths. Every person in history that became a Symbiote met a tragic end. But on top of that, Leo only thought that the legends were just stories told at gatherings and around the town fires. He didn't think that they were real. And he'd never hoped to become one if it was in fact a true thing that could happen.
The weight of knowing how dangerous his life was going to be filled him with a fear he never had. For the first time, Leo was afraid.
The stories often told of hunters that would seek out the Symbiotes. Some were murdered in their sleep.
Others were executed publicly. Some were destroyed in battles. The main reason behind their dark ends was that they were so powerful people feared them.
It was centuries ago that they last existed. But due to people being filled with resentment of their powers and strength, their stories were often twisted into propaganda and horror stories to increase the hatred for them.
Leo stared off into silence....
All in all, society didn't look to them highly.
His father came downstairs in his robe. He looked at Leo, his bearded face with it's youthful majesty twisted in concern.
He stopped short as he noticed Leo's exposed torso. The silvery figure caught the light of the lanterns and the chandelier and glittered with the flicker of the flames. His father rested the blade against the cupboard and gestured for Leo to give him a hug.
Because of his studying of the dragons in history, he knew more about what that symbol meant.
And it was clear, through his voice as he tried to sooth his son, he feared for his boy.
"You are now the host of a deceased dragon's soul," He said as he took a seat.
"The Symbiotic Dragon within you is capable of amazing things. It will help you throughout your lifetime. But how did it get to you?"
Leo began the story of the minotaur and its suddenness in popping out of the night, to the fight that ensued. When he got to the box with the strangely carved stone, his father leaned forward lacing his fingers together as he folded his hands in his lap.
Leo explained the burning sensation of the stone throwing its energy onto him. He also made sure to note how after the fact the stone was gone... almost as if it vanished. Then he fell silent.
His father leaned back in the deep leather chair he sat in and seemed to go deep into thought as he stared at the wall opposite from him. He nodded and looked at Leo.
"Don't speak a word of this experience, son,"he said under his breath.
"It's dangerous as it is that you have it inside of you.
Also", he fiddled his thumbs," You have an egg in your room. You would be the first Symbiotic Dragon rider in existance. That's a lot of responsibility. "
"I know," Leo said
He stood up. And started for the stairs. His mind was roiling like the Jeribean Sea in a storm. He felt he needed some rest. He stopped in the door jam and turned back to his father and Matthew.
"Good night".
He got to his room and opened the door.
He stepped inside and lit the lantern that stood on his nightstand with a match. He turned back to the door and closed it to prep for bed.
He looked at the shelf where the egg was and froze.
The egg was cracked and unoccupied. He blinked dumbfounded and started scanning around the room.
On his bed there was a little ball of blue scales close to his pillow. He crept closer to get a better look.
It didn't move. He poked it gently with his finger.
The little thing snapped itself open and crowed before looking up at him with its blinking blue eyes.
It stood up and stretched its tiny body, flapping its wings.
The skin stretched so thin on its wings, Leo could see the veins. Any light from above went through it so clear, it was almost like that of blue stained glass.
It looked up at him as he sat beside it. The little hatchling sniffed his hand as he extended it, its little tongue flickering in and out. It nuzzled into his palm after a moment, its rough scales brushing along his skin feeling like sand paper.
Leo sat in awe. His dragon had finally been born.
'Names are always the hardest,' he thought.
'I don't even know if it's a boy or a girl.' He slipped off his clothes, hung his sword sheath on the know to his door and crawled into his bed. The hatchling crawled up beside him and curled up on the blankets.
Leo lay there, while the dragon purred like a cat.
He ran a hand down its back softly as he dozed off into a fitful rest.