Finished product, I think, Short chapter Dragon's eye

[Damiynn]

Chapter 1
‘In service to all.’

The golden words had flashed across the face of the redstone medallion his father had always called the Dragon’s eye. Micah had never seen it do anything like that before.

Sitting alone at the table, staring at it, he delved into his past, trying to remember the forgotten stories from his father about why he always wore it, something that mentioned words.

Long ago, when he had been twelve, in their shoddy little trailer outside of Chicago, his father had told him that they were men of the blood. That he was a Man of the Blood and served as the protector of a land called Illanor on a different world called Allryss and that possibly, he could someday be called to fulfill his duty. According to his father, none had in several generations.

Micah remembered his father’s fanciful stories about the Dragonworld and had searched a world atlas from top to bottom. He hadn’t found any place called Illanor.

Hard lines creased his forehead. He had laughed when he had been twelve. Now, twenty six years later, he wasn’t laughing.

At eighteen, he had sworn to his father to always wear the medallion, but had stopped after he had died. Until today, he couldn’t remember the last time he had seen the silly thing.

Warily he stared at the golden medallion with its redstone, why is this happening. Turning, he looked at the box he had found it in. A bitter laugh parted his lips, his ex wife, Mariynn must have put it there. Shaking his head dubiously, she didn’t believe my father’s stories either.

The worn out box had been warm. He had felt it. With what was left of his police severance pay he knew he couldn’t afford a new efficiency and had opened it.

The Dragon’s eye had filled the bottom. He hadn’t seen it since his father’s death, then it hadn’t been glowing. Not thinking, he had reached out.

The words, ‘In service to all’, had filled his head coming from everywhere, sounding as if a hundred different throats were all speaking at once. Images had come after. Visions of long white teeth and red scales. Feelings of armor wrapped about him, a massive battle, and flying high in the sky had crashed into his head. Wind had filled his ears and he had felt the hilt of a sword filling his hand. The sensation of flying stole away everything else and in the distance he had heard the roar of a giant beast. Then it was gone. For a brief moment it seemed as if he had been doing something he remembered.

Using a pencil, he had picked up the medallion and placed it on the table. Now it wasn’t glowing and looked perfectly ordinary.

Glancing out his small greasy window, he saw snow and skyscrapers in the distance. I’m still in Chicago. Did I imagine it? Must be the divorce, or lack of sleep. Turning his thoughts inward he tried dredging up more memories from his father.

Nothing that mentioned glowing, but he remembered several about having a duty to one’s people and being to be there to protect them. According to his father, every time the medallion had been passed on, the wearer before had died, as the story went, ‘In service to all’.

Tentatively, Micah reached out, flicking the gold chain with a fingernail. Nothing happened. Heart pounding, he flicked the stone and jerked his hand back as if stung. Nothing happened.

The jerk was reflexive adrenaline pumping through his veins. There was no pulse, no warmth, no flickering letters, and no sense of flying. The amulet just lay there.

Feeling silly, Micah reached out and traced the top of the cold stone with his fingertips. Nothing. Taking a chance, he rested his palm on it.

Looking at his hand, I must have dozed off. He didn’t remember falling asleep, although his mind had seemed murky for a few moments. In his head, he saw the spidery words form again. Not thinking, palm still on the stone he mumbled what he had learned from his father who had learned it from his, “In bservice to all.”

In his head white light exploded as the golden words faded and the dragon’s eye began pulsing. It took him a moment before he realized, It’s not cold now, it feels like a beating heart. Light shot out of the medallion in a myriad of swirling colors and wrapped about his body like a glowing blanket.
Covered in the glowing nimbus, Micah felt pressure on his skin, like a caress.
Suddenly it changed, fear flooded through him. It was like a thousand hands grabbed him all at the same time. Desperately, eyes wide he tried removing his hand but found he couldn’t. Watching in fascinated horror, he saw the dragon’s eye grow larger and the light grow brighter. The redstone filling his vision changed. Everything became indistinct and his surroundings faded into gray.