Draco Oculo Part 3

he boy in the flowered shirt was not prepared for such a sudden mission, not to mention one that's off the books. The hidden Dragonscale village was a good day's trek so, given no time to pack, Atsuo would have to call upon all of his wilderness survival skills that he learned while training with his Hermit sensei in the years before he came to Heartshrine. Before leaving the mikokage's office, the brunette Kobiru tried to gain permission to at least tell his girlfriend why he would not be there for her on their anniversary, but seeing as he wasn't officially going anywhere he couldn't speak to anyone until after the mission was complete. On any other day he would welcome an important mission such as this, but his anniversary was not one of those days.
With a heavy heart, Atsuo traveled along the road that led to Dragonscale's main gate. It was relatively a straight shot between the two villages, but it was a long shot none the less. He soared through the treetops, gracefully navigating from branch to branch. Heartshrine village was far behind him now. The freezing air and falling snow bit at the brunette's face, so he pulled the scarf that his older step-brother had gifted him earlier up over his mouth and nose.
"That's my bro, always looking out for me." Atsuo thought to himself as he continued on.
The sun was starting to set, the air was getting even colder. The speedy Kobiru slowed his pace to look for a lower, sturdier branch to sleep on for the night. When he did, he brushed the snow off and sat down, leaning against the sturdy trunk. The flowery Kobiru crossed his arms and yawned, and settled in for a deep, cold sleep.
~~~~~
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Oculus Draconis omnibus
tutatur amor omnibus
adprehendent te cadent
et vincunt malo.
"Mom?"
Dormiens
parvulus cum vigilare
calefactae amores cum
suis ardorem perpetuum
"Mom!"
Atsuo jolted awake. He was still perched in the tall oak he had taken residence in earlier that night. The snow had stopped and the clouds had cleared. The blanket of night had yet to lift, and the barren trees were illuminated by the countless number of stars that filled the sky. The soft voice of his mother still rang in the ears of the confused Kobiru boy. He pulled the scarf away from his mouth and stood up. Morning would soon arrive, so Atsuo gathered himself and set off once again for the Dragonscale village.
The air grew more and more dry, and the trees began to feel more and more arid as the Flowery boy approached Dragonscale village's main gates. Dead trees and permanent scorch marks increased, and signs of destruction were evident. Then he saw it. The Hidden Dragonscale Village. Once a thriving village, home to wise scholars and strong warriors, it now stood before the awestruck boy burnt and decimated. Houses were flattened, monuments crumbled, shrines ravaged, and the earth itself was charred. Outside the village gate, where once an open grassy field occupied the space, lay thousands of unmarked burial mounds. Each one containing the remains of the victims claimed by the Crimson Order.
The former Dragonscale warrior kneeled at the village gate and said a silent prayer. Memories of village life flooded Atsuo's head. It astounded him to think that the sunny village that the Dragonscale boy once called home, was now gone forever. He stood, and with grave reverence, entered the village.
The scroll he was given with the translated message on it instructed him to go to the village's center, where supposedly, the passage is located. Atsuo crept along the cold, lifeless streets, passing the shells of what used to be the market, the ramen shop, and the kage's office. Rumor has it, that the kage led a camp of survivors away from the village, and it was under her leadership that the victims received a proper burial.
The sun began to rise.
The former Dragonscale warrior arrived at the broken monument that once marked the center of the village. He traced his fingers along the carvings around the base of the monument. The ancient carvings were drawings that recounted moments in Dragonscale's history. The monks that comprised the original population, the first dragon ever slain, the pact made between the monks and the dragons, and the first ninjutsu taught to the monks by the dragons. One of the carvings caught Atsuo's attention though, and he pulled out the jade canister in his satchell to see why it was so familiar. Immediately, the Kobiru realized that the gold-flaked carving on the canister matched the carving on the monument. It showed a monk standing atop a downed dragon, holding in his hand high above his head was a brick-sized object. Flowers and wind circled around the object. Atsuo touched the little image on the monument and a small, sharp rock in the groove pricked his finger. It drew a single drop of blood that dripped down and outlined the little image of the brick.
The blood outline turned green and the remains of the monument shifted. The entire center of town shifted and spun, revealing a long spiral staircase that began at the monument and spiraled away from the center like a pillar. Suddenly the air in the village changed, and Atsuo felt as if he was no longer alone. A distant thud notified the flowery boy that the stairway had ceased its transformation and he descended the pathway into the darkness.
There was no light down the staircase, but on the walls hung unlit torches. "Too bad I can't do fire style." Atsuo mumbled. "Guess I'll have to improvise." He proceeded to draw his machete, and struck it against the stone wall above one of the torches. The sparks were enough to light the fuel infused in the torch, and it lit up with a golden fire. The excited Kobiru boy sheathed his machete and collected the lit torch, which he used to guide his way through the extensive stairway into the dark catacombs beneath the village.
At the bottom of the staircase Atsuo found that the passageway before him was no labyrinth, but a mausoleum that followed one long straight corridor. There was no treasure, there were only tombs. One every one hundred yards. Only after passing three of the caskets did the Brunette realize who these people were. They were Dragonscale's founding monks of ancient times. Atsuo could feel their spirits around him and nostalgia crept in. Flashes of his parents tucking him in to bed and smiling at him filled his head. It had been a long time since the former Dragonscale warrior experienced thoughts like these. Normally he could do so without tears. Something about this place, this energy, made it far more difficult for him to fight the memories.
The brunette Kobiru came to when he reached the end of the hall. It was a dead end. There was no artifact. There was no key. The mikokage had mentioned somewhere along the line that this was a legend…
"And not all legends are true." Atsuo breathed aloud. The defeated Kobiru sat down with his back to one of the tombs. He looked up at the barren stone wall next to him where he believed the passage should have continued.
"What am I missing?"
Then her voice resounded again.
Oculus Draconis omnibus
Atsuo began to hum along to the lullaby, and the grout in between each stone in the wall began to glow bright green. Atsuo began to sing.
"Oculus Draconis omnibus"
His mother's soft soprano voice joined in.
" tutatur amor omnibus
adprehendent te cadent
et vincunt malo."
Then a smooth male tenor voice joined in with harmony… Atsuo's father.
"Dormiens
parvulus cum vigilare
calefactae amores cum
suis ardorem perpetuum"
All of the sudden, the green glow intensified to a near blinding level, and the stones unfolded themselves like an unraveling puzzle. Behind the wall was one final tomb, the word 'Draco' carved in the side. Perched atop this tomb, was a brick-sized crystal. It glowed green, glowing brighter towards the center, and radiated a comforting warmth unlike anything the former Dragonscale warrior had ever felt before. It illuminated the tomb beneath it and the wall behind it. revealing carvings that told the jade crystal's story.
The carvings showed a Dragon fighting a man. Or alongside a man. Alongside, Atsuo had determined. They grew from small boy and dragon, to man and full fledged drake. They trained together, learned together, lived together… And died… Separately. Upon the dragon's passing, the man removed it's heart and entombed the dragon's body. The rest of his life was spent guarding the tomb. Devoting his life to the protection of the dragon's heart and soul, which was depicted as… The brick-shaped object.
The bewildered Kobiru turned around and looked once more at the crystal. It not only radiated the warmth, it also seemed to pulsate. He looked back at the carvings and saw at the very end of the sequence a crypt that contained the words 'Cor Draco.'
"This is the Draco Oculo… Or rather, 'Cor' Draco. This is no dragon's eye, this is a dragon's heart!" Atsuo's voice echoed through the mausoleum's silent halls. "It's identity must've gotten lost in translation over the years."
The former Dragonscale warrior reached out and touched the jade heart. The light faded, but he filled with warmth, the same warmth he feels every time he's with his beloved Yukiko.
"The warmth of love… The love between a man and his dragon." Atsuo grinned, but was interrupted by an echo off towards the stairwell at the beginning of the hall. He wrapped the heart in a cloth and collected it in his satchel with the scrolls he already had. Someday he would bring Yukiko here, she would love nothing more than to record this information, but for now Atsuo had to high tail it out of there and return home. He had already missed out on his anniversary dinner, he didn't want to keep his beloved waiting any longer. The jounin secured his things and took off down the hall, only turning to see the dragon's tomb close behind him.
Atsuo ran along the single hall, passing once again by every stone casket, and came to the base of the enormous spiral staircase. He stopped and all that sounded was his echoing footsteps. Above him, stood nearly one hundred men. lining the entire staircase. They were all dressed in black, head to toe. Their weapons varied, from short swords to axes, shuriken to kunai, hammers to scythes, and one man brandished a silver katana. He looked down at the Heartshrine Jounin and spoke with a booming, resonant voice.
"I believe you have something that I want boy!" The large man stepped forward and held out a jade canister that matched the one in Atsuo's possession. The clouds above him cleared and Atsuo could see his face. A grizzly man he was, a scraggly grey beard and long curly black hair. He had a big scar at the corner of his mouth that pulled his lips up in a perpetual smirk. He looked down upon the Heartshrine warrior with green eyes, but one had an opaque white film over it.
There were more enemies than Atsuo had ever faced before. The lullaby began to sound once again in the back of his mind, and he pictured the face of his beloved. Her smile, her rosy cheeks, her soft touch… He had to get home at all cost.