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The Dawn of the New Golden Dragon

Flames of Starlight

Flames of Starlight

Feb 14, 2025

"Welcome back to Good Morning News. Today, we're reflecting on the memories of the incredible ballet dancer Serena Smith. She passed away three years ago from cancer, and her eldest son, Alexander Griffin, made a shocking announcement regarding his retirement from dancing. 

*On-screen images and old videos of their time together.* After graduating from high school, Alex has continued practicing martial arts. "From Dancer to Fighter" is what the articles refer to it as. Most fans of Serena's Lacey have been disappointed..."

"That's enough of that," Alex states, holding the remote.

As Alex turned off the TV in his room after getting out of the shower, the now nineteen-year-old displayed his lean muscle tone. Being a martial artist helps him protect his family and grow stronger.

Three years ago, after Serena's funeral and following her last will, she bequeathed everything to her sons, leaving Robert with nothing. The sole guardians of all three boys are their grandparents, Miranda and Benjamin Griffin. After all hope for his stepfather was lost, one night, Robert returned home drunk and threatened the kids until Benjamin stopped him, and a few minutes later, the police arrested him.

Maranda and Benjamin have lived in the mansion for years, and it has transformed into a warm and inviting home. Now, it exudes the comforting scents of a Swiss chalet and the sweetness of Hansel and Gretel's candy cottage. This place will always make you feel welcome.

As soon as Alex dresses completely, his outfit shifts to darker shades over the past three years. He wears sleeveless shirts and loose pants, ideal for his powerful kicks. Abruptly, he hears a knock on his bedroom door as it swings open.

"Alex, your grandma is eagerly waiting for you and your brother downstairs!" Benjamin says.

"Alright, Grandpa," Alex responds.

As Benjamin walked away, Alex took a moment to breathe before leaving his room. Walking downstairs, he saw his brother and grandparents sitting in different chairs.

"Grandma, Grandpa mentioned you wanted to see us?" Alex inquires.

"Yes, dear, we've been eagerly awaiting this moment..." Miranda begins.

"Hold on a second!" Alex interrupts, "You can't possibly mean what I think you do, grandma?"

"Oh no, no, no," Miranda panicked, "that's not what we meant. We never wanted your mother to pass. I just wanted to discuss something with you."

"Yes," Benjamin nods in agreement, "Your mother forbade us from telling you about your heritage from your father."

Alex gazes at both of them before leaning back in his chair.

"So, what exactly is our heritage?" Alex inquires.

"You know, it's so wonderful to share this with you! All three of you have magic powers," Miranda says with a warm smile.

Alex and his brothers are speechless; the news that they have magic powers bewilders them. When Alex looks back at them, he feels disoriented, as if he is in a state of mental shock.

"We... w-what?!" Alex stutters, his voice failing him in a moment like this.

"You have magic, dear. It comes from your father's side of the family, our side," Benjamin reassures Alex, attempting to soothe him.

Alex stood up, breathing heavily as thoughts of his mom raced. Did she know about all of this? Why hadn't she said anything? Alex's head spun with questions as he sat back down, trying to ease his headache.

"What led you to believe we possess magical powers?" Alex inquires, challenging her deceit.

"Didn't you have those visions in high school three years ago?" Miranda asks with a playful smile.

Alex's eyes open wide. "How does she know about that? I-I haven't told anyone." His body trembles in fear. He sits back down, trying not to show his fear but can't.

"Sweetheart, I possess a crystal ball that reveals insights, and I've observed that you had visions during your first year at that school," Miranda reassures him.

Alex pauses to collect his thoughts and relax as he has questions for his grandmother.

"So, what magical powers do we possess?" Alex inquires, eager for her response.

Both grandparents exchange glances before looking back at Alex, who appears like a boss in an office, addressing his employees. They can only say, "We don't know."

Frustrated and grappling with these lingering questions, Alex chose to seek another avenue.

"Can't you tell me about magic powers? For example, what are yours and Dad's?" Alex asked, bluffing again.

Alex's grandmother is astonished that he is posing these inquiries, as she fears no such developments.

"To start, you need to learn the names of the different types of magic we users possess," Miranda replies, "and to understand where we live."

"We live in a magical world known as Etheria," Benjamin says.

"Etheria?" the twins ask, their faces showing surprise.

"Absolutely, boys! It's such a wonderful world brimming with magic, monsters, and exciting mysteries," Benjamin replies with a twinkle in his eye.

"Etheria was created by the powerful and mighty wizard named Xikad Bilzrag," Miranda adds, her smile beaming as her cheeks glow with joy. 

"So, um, who is Xikad Bilzrag?" Nate asks, intrigued by his grandparents' story.

"Xikad Bilzrag is regarded as the greatest sorcerer of all time in Arceno, and because of this, he is also recognized as the first Golden Dragon," Benjamin replies.

With eyes wide in disbelief, Alex absorbed the phrase "Golden Dragon" and the revelation that dragons genuinely exist. Shaking off the astonishment, Alex turned back to his grandparents, eager to ask more questions.

"What is "Arceno'?" Alex inquires, eager to learn more.

"Arceno refers to a type of magic and also translates to 'Magic,'" Miranda replies with a smile.

"The names for other types of wizards are Infernus (Fire), Hydran (Water), Terrance (Earth), Aeris (Air), Avalan (Snow), Elec (Lightning), Nighe (Shadow), Lux (Light), Extos (Life), Mortus (Death), and Plasm (Blood)," Miranda adds, listing each name as it piques Alex's interest.

"That's an impressive list!" Alex replies.

"Absolutely, it is," Benjamin replies with a warm smile.

"Does that imply Grandpa is a mage of sorts?" Kevin inquires.

"No, sweetheart, Grandpa is not a spellcaster; he's more of a warrior type, like a hunter," Miranda responds.

"I thought Etheria was exclusively for magic users?" Alex inquires.

"If we relied solely on wizards, we wouldn't last long against monsters. We need warriors for protection, and of course, there are healers too, as they frequently utilize Extos magic," Miranda replies.

The boys seem happy as they discover more about their world, Etheria. Their grandma is proud of them but suddenly remembers something crucial.

"Oh, and before I forget, remember this, boys: magic itself isn't good or evil. It all depends on how one uses it in their actions," Miranda says.

"What do you mean?" Alex inquires.

"Despite the magical creatures I mentioned before, humans can also harm us like bandits or Diabolites," Miranda responds.

"Diabolite?" the boys inquire simultaneously.

"They belong to a group of Dark Wizards, and by dark, I mean truly evil," Miranda replies.

After learning more about Etheria, Alex feels anxious regarding the bandits and Diabolites, while the twins are thrilled to visit and experience Etheria firsthand.


The next day, Alex and the twins go on an outing with their grandpa to a nearby park. As they venture deeper into the park, they suddenly hear someone screaming.

"What was that?" Alex asks, his heart pounding as he worries about what is happening.

"I'm not sure, but you three should be careful from now on," Benjamin says, worrying about his grandsons' safety.

As they move toward the origin of the screams, Alex and his family come across a group of menacing figures surrounding another family. These figures wear black leather adorned with silver trims, and the symbol they display, a dagger entwined with a skull, makes Alex shudder.

"How did the Order of the Daggers arrive from Etheria?" Benjamin exclaims in surprise.

"The Order of Daggers?" Alex inquires, glancing at his grandfather.

"A group of baddies who like to kidnap children will either train them in their ways or sell them as slaves," Benjamin replies.

"But how did they arrive here? They don't have anyone else who uses magic unless they paid someone to bring them here or..." Benjamin adds, pondering his theory about them.

"What should we do?" Alex asks, clenching his fist in preparation to confront them.

"'We' will do nothing; you three should stay hidden while I handle them," Benjamin instructs, commanding his grandsons to remain in place.

Alex watches him rise from a crouch, his ring shining brightly. Suddenly, words emerge from his grandpa's mouth.

"Come forth, Silence, the boon of wizardry," Benjamin summons. 

Grandpa's ring contains a spear-like weapon reminiscent of those in medieval films. The spear's tip features a jagged edge akin to a shark's tooth, and the shaft is made of redwood. Alex notices wings at the spear's tip, resembling those found on bows.

Suddenly, Grandpa vanishes before their very eyes. Hearing screaming, Alex and his brothers see Grandpa reappear between the family and the thugs who are ordering them around. They watch as he uses every inch of his spear to defend the family and attack the enemies.

While Alex observes his grandpa's battle, the twins notice sounds coming from behind. When they turn around, they see several bandits behind them.

"ALEX!" Kevin and Nate scream in fear.

Alex turned around to see the bandits charging toward his twin brothers. He quickly got up and positioned himself between his brothers and the bandits, performing a spin kick that knocked the attackers off balance.

"What?" gasps one of the dagger bandits in disbelief.

"Pursuing my brothers was your greatest error; now you'll face me," Alex cautions them.

Alex adopts a Dragon-style martial arts stance as he notices the bandits hesitating. He charges forward, striking like an iron fist and sending them flying three feet away. He counters their advance with powerful kicks, leaving the bandits in shock. However...

"ALEX!" the twins shout.

Alex glanced at his fear and noticed two bandits behind his brothers. He quickly turned and charged at them.

"LEAVE THEM ALONE!" Alex shouts, ready to strike at them.

Out of nowhere, a formidable bandit emerged and attacked Alex. As he shielded his face, the bandit swung his hammer, sending Alex sprawling several feet away and inflicting severe injuries to his arms and back from the blow.

"*cough* D-damn it," Alex muttered as he attempted to rise again.

From behind, the same bandit retaliates against Alex by kicking him in the stomach. The blow forces Alex to spit out blood, knocking him back to the ground beside his brothers. Kevin and Nate are in tears, witnessing their brother's trouble while their grandpa is preoccupied with his struggles. The bandit that assaulted Alex returns and brings him down to the ground by stepping on him.

"Now, be a good boy and remain still," the bandit instructs, shifting to face Alex.

Upon hearing his brothers' cries for help, Alex opened his eyes. Filled with anger, the bandit on top quaked in fear as he noticed Alex's eyes morph into golden orbs with slit-like pupils resembling lizards or dragons. Suddenly, flames ignited around Alex's hands, glimmering like starlight.

"Get...off...of...ME!!!" Alex shouts.

Alex unleashes a wave of fire from his hand, engulfing the bandit in flames. His screams fill the air as he turns to ashes, prompting the remaining bandits to flee in terror. Meanwhile, Alex's Grandpa confronts the other bandits from a distance but notices the fire where his grandson is. Rushing over, he sees Alex with his hand on fire. Once the flames subside, Alex begins to lose consciousness. Grandpa hurries to grab him, and they make their way home together.

Meanwhile, a Sapphire Blue Dragon was swimming through the ocean in the tropical island paradise when she sensed a powerful magic in the air. Once she finished swimming, she began writing a letter using her finger and magic.

"Dear Mr. Alexander Griffin,"
goldenreddragon
Fairy_Dragon32

Creator

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you have a wonderful time filled with joy and laughter alongside your loved ones.

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The Dawn of the New Golden Dragon
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After losing his mother to Cancer, Alexander "Alex" Griffin's life was turned upside down. At age 19, he retired from dancing and was accepted to a magical college nestled in the enchanting world of Etheria.

Yet, with unwavering courage, Alex and his newfound companions bravely confront dark wizards, magical monsters, and the everyday trials of college life.

Will Alex be able to navigate this unfamiliar world, or will the sinister forces overpower him and exploit his magic before it's too late?
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