Cordayl wakes up and wipes his face to see Tavis and his mother in the living room. Stretching, he asks how long he has been sleeping.
"A little over 10 hours." The mother answers.
"Well needed, I am sure." A man who Cordayl doesn't recognize comments as he walks into the living room carrying a tea tray.
"Oh, Cordayl, this is Mr. Haku. He came to the house while you were sleeping. He says he has business with you, but he didn't want to wake you," Tavis tells him.
"How very kind of you," Cordayl responds, sizing up the man, who calmly pours the room a cup of tea before taking a seat.
"Of course. One's rest should be respected. Crankiness is a feeling parallel with anger," Haku states, staring at Cordayl.
"This tea is amazing!" Ma states.
"Thank you. My home is very proud of the herbs we produce. We've grown quite selfish with sharing them lately, so I am happy that a foreigner enjoys them," Haku smiles.
"So what business do we have?" Cordayl cuts to the chase.
Putting his cup down, the man simply answers, "I am going to take you to the Youtound Kingdom. You have done well to avoid capture, but this is where the running stops."
After locking eyes for so long, Cordayl finally realizes who he is talking to. "You're a dragon?"
"I am," Haku admits proudly.
Tavis starts to choke on his tea upon hearing this, and both Cordayl and Haku reach over and pat him on the back.
Tavis calms down, and they sit back. "I am impressed with you, though. It's not very often you find a warrior capable of not only escaping but being able to defeat my children." Haku compliments while pouring himself some more tea.
"A creature backed against a wall can be just as dangerous as someone whose sleep was disturbed," Cordayl replies.
"Very true. Which is why I offer you the chance to remove the wall. I put myself in your shoes and realized that if a bunch of random people started chasing and attacking me, I would respond violently as well.
"So I came to give you a more peaceful option. I bet no one has even considered just asking you to come along, have they?" Haku asks.
Cordayl's silence is enough of an answer for the dragon. "Figured. So we can walk out the door, and I can deliver you as promised, or we can walk out the door, and I deliver you as promised unconscious. That is my offer."
"Dragons speak with so much confidence. I love it," Cordayl says in unison with the voice.
"As do you. I can see it in your eyes that going willingly was never a possibility. So, whenever you are ready." The dragon points to the door.
Cordayl stands up, and Ma has a worried look on her face. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. It was good seeing both of you again," Cordayl smiles as he walks out the door.
The dragon stands and says his good-bye as well. "Thank you for your hospitality. It is not my nature to simply take something without giving, so please accept the rest of the tea and china as gifts." He bows before following Cordayl.
Once outside, the two quickly disappear, leaving Tavis and Ma at the open front door.
Now, far from the house, Cordayl and the dragon stand opposite each other. "Are you going to transform?" Cordayl ask.
"I prefer fighting like this. I feel it makes flying home afterward more enjoyable," Haku states, putting a hand up.
Cordayl can see this man's aura glowing off of him so clearly that he can't help himself as he bursts across the field, throwing a single punch.
The dragon matches the strength of the punch, and the shockwave shakes the natural environment around them.
Cordayl smiles as he backs up. Tying his hair up, he gives praise. "It's been a while since I've been this excited for a fight."
"Likewise. There was another reason I let you sleep uninterrupted, though." The dragon says.
"And why is that?" Cordayl says, striking his stance.
"So I could see you at your best." Haku says, blurring across the field as he charges Cordayl.
Cordayl is put on the defensive at the pure speed of the dragon. The dragon smiles as he notices Cordayl struggling to keep up with him. Blitzing him, the dragon delivers a nice combo that sends Cordayl skidding away.
Cordayl quickly shakes the hit off and dives back into action, trying to put pressure on the dragon, but Haku smoothly dodges Cordayl's attack, quickly flipping the script and putting Cordayl back on defense.
Cordayl is starting to wake up, though, as his anticipation of the dragon's strikes becomes easier to predict. After a nice counter, Cordayl smacks the dragon away, only for him to return a second later, claws showing they are ready to rip through Cordayl as he inches closer.
Cordayl activates his gravity to immobilize the dragon as he jumps back. Keeping the pressure on him, Cordayl is shocked to see the dragon crack his neck under all the pressure.
"This is what I've been waiting for. Only a Melatonin warrior has ever been able to help me crack my neck correctly," Haku smiles.
Cordayl can't believe the strength of this dragon. Increasing the weight even more to the point the ground is cracking, Cordayl's eyes widen when he sees the dragon disappear entirely.
He quickly throws his guard up as the dragon delivers a massive hook that sends Cordayl flying through the field. The dragon is awake now as he punches Cordayl around the field, giving him no opportunity to break his defense.
The dragon dives low, and Cordayl activates his gravity upon both of them to try and give him a chance to break away from the onslaught, but the dragon kicks through the extra weight and sends Cordayl flying straight into the air.
Within a second, the dragon is above Cordayl, and Cordayl can only brace himself as the dragon hits him with a mean ass kick that sends Cordayl crashing back into the ground.
Haku knows the fight isn't over yet and dives in to deliver the knockout punch.
Descending like a meteor into the ground, the dragon crashes into Cordayl, only to get blown away as Cordayl aggressively reverses gravity.
Haku spins through the air and lands across the field, smirking. Cordayl, now fully awake, walks out of the crater with his hair back in his face as the ass-whooping undid his knot. The dragon stares at him, excited to see the fire in his eyes as he strikes his stance.
"That's it, Cordayl. Show me the warrior Cordon died for," he thinks to himself as he and Cordayl charge each other.
The moon is high as both warriors stand across from each other. Both of their clothes are torn, but Cordayl has clearly taken more damage, but he shows no sign of defeat.
Charging back in, Haku holds his hand up. "That is enough."
Shocked, Cordayl has to shove his heels into the earth to stop himself. "Enough like you're about to transform and end this?" Cordayl asks, hands still up.
"No, enough, as in I have seen enough. You have won my approval. Your father has taught you well," Haku says, brushing himself off.
"You knew my father?" Cordayl ask.
"Every real warrior knew who Cordon was. I'm the only one who can say they didn't lose to him," Haku states.
Seeing that this makes Cordayl's blood start to boil Haku quickly throws in "It was a draw. We fought for a week and decided to end it and get dinner."
Cordayl relaxes a lot. "So what was all of this about?"
"Just a test. While I still have to honor my agreement, that doesn't mean I don't have my ulterior motives for doing so," Haku says
"Which is what?" Cordayl asks, dropping his guard.
The dragon puts his hand on Cordayl's shoulder. "I know what happened that day. It sickened me to my core. I was about to lay waste to Juulian myself, but the rumor of your survival stopped me. His injustice isn't mine to correct, but yours," He tells him.
Cordayl's head drops some, remembering the events of that day.
"Head up, now is not the time for sorrow. Upon delivering you, you will have a decision to make, and you need to be strong enough to either make it or to walk away. But I know now that they have foolishly captured a dragon," Haku winks.
"I had a feeling it was them who had been chasing me this whole time," Cordayl comments.
"Yes, but worry not, Cordayl. If you can challenge me individually, that kingdom doesn't stand a chance," Haku smiles.
"Now witness a privilege only the greatest of warriors have gotten, and get a good nap before you get there." The dragon tells him.
"Nap? I just wok-" Cordayl's sentence is cut short when Haku jumps high into the sky and transforms into a beautiful silver dragon. Cordayl has to block the light at the initial emergence of the dragon, but as the light dims some, Cordayl gets to see it in all its glory.
"Farewell Cordayl. I await to see the path you choose." Haku says as he unleashes a thick pink mist onto the field.
Cordayl coughs at first but realizes too late that it is a knockout gas as he starts to fall asleep.
Falling unconscious onto the earth, the dragon dives down and scoops up the earth underneath Cordayl, flying off to complete his contract.