PAOLO DRAGON 01

FIRST PRESENTATION:

CHAPTER 1 - PAOLO DRAGON

It was a humid and warm night in Metropolitan Manila.

It was just another typical day in this country.

But for others, it was the Chinese New Year of 2012.

The year of the Dragon.

Apparently, I was born in the year of the Dragon 24 years ago.

This year is supposed to be an auspicious time for me.

But I never put much stock in Horoscopes.

I'm also not particularly keen in keeping with Chinese Traditions.

So, little did I know that I was about to come across the 'great fortune' that was my birthright.


I worked really late into the night, until even the bright light of the city was reduced to the orange glare of street lamps and dim glimmers from nearby buildings.

I really don't remember what I was doing; maybe I was working on a small video game, or some kind of animation to be put on those little website banners.

Anyways, my work isn't really that interesting.

Soon I realized that it was way past midnight already, and I really had no reason to stay any longer.

After checking out with the security guard, I stepped out of my small office.

I was about to board the elevator, and was slightly surprised that someone else was inside at this time.

As the doors opened, I noticed a woman standing in the corner.

She was a foreigner of the western sort, with wavy auburn hair, fair skin, green eyes, and freckles.

She had an average build, and though she looked a bit older than me, she didn't leave a bad impression.

But she just had to almost beat me in terms of height, standing at about 5'10".

If she were any taller, I'd be quite annoyed. (I'm proud of being a big, in this case tall, fish in a small pond!)

The woman was wearing a blazer with the whole formal professional office-lady look in dark blue colors. 

Her overall 'look' was completed with one of those no-spill coffee tumblers in her right hand, and some files and folders under her left armpit.

I then soon realized that she was also looking at me intently.

Oh, how embarrassing.

I didn't want her thinking I was checking her out or anything.

So, I averted my gaze and went inside.

“Sorry, excuse me.”

It's one of my overused phrases.

Though considering where I live, it's probably seen just the right amount of use.

There was an awkward silence as the doors closed.

On the reflective metal of the shutters, I saw her still looking at me.

 Now she knew I was looking at her reflection as well.

“You work here?”

Right when the doors shut completely, she asked a question.

I was caught off-guard, surprised with her casual gesture.

“Uh... Err... Yeah,” I answer, unprepared.

“Hm. There were other offices still open at this time? I thought they'd be closed.”

She continued to press on with conversation.

It made me wonder if she was setting me up for something bad later. 

“Well, it's not the first time we got guys working till 12 midnight...” I half-lied.

Most of the time, my colleagues stay over late to play some Dungeons and Dragons or something.

Although this group was full of Elven G.I.R.L.s (Guys in real life), I would have considered sticking around with them at this hour if I had no other commitments.

Yes, I am a masochist like that.

“Oh, that explains the group of noisy guys I saw the other night!” She quickly interjected.

Then I remembered that before I left work today, those same guys were in our makeshift meeting room, playing Magic the Gathering.

Ah, I've played with magic once.

I just don't have the time or resources nowadays to deal with it's consequences.

“Also, If I remember correctly, there's an outsourced telemarketing agency on the 23rd floor,” I continued.

“Yeah! That's where I'm from. Usually this building's empty at around that time,” she said.

So she's here because of one of those 'call centers', most likely as a supervisor or the 'home' company's representative in this particular region.

I don't mind these foreign-generated professions - they help our country's needy economy anyway.

Some other people would argue this or that against the concept of a country's workforce conforming to outsider demand, but those guys'll be far behind by the time they figure out that this changing world doesn't give a damn about what they think.

“I usually get only security guards, janitors and our people in the car,” she continued, breaking me out of this train of thought.

“You're with them, right? Those noisy guys?” She finally asked.

“Erh, yeah, I think,” I answered.

Although I sometimes hang with them, I'd rather not be associated with them in things other than work.

I guess they're cool guys, though.

My boss (who also happens to be the dungeon master) offered to have me sleep over at the office today because he was worried about me going about at this time. 

He kept going on about how going out at this time was dangerous, even in the 'republic' of Makati City, with its strict policemen and absurd ordinances.

That's Filipino hospitality for you - though it is mixed with a bit of geeky, needy companionship.

Then she spoke up again. 

“You, I mean your organization, makes games, right? They were speaking in Filipino the entire time, but I could hear some English words like 'shooters', 'Starcraft' and 'platformers'. They probably also talked a bit about D&D. People still play that nowadays?”

I didn't expect a conversation like this.

It's not that I haven't spoken with westerners before, it's just that the ones I see in this building tend to just leave me alone.

So I don't mind them, either.

I just say "Excuse me" or "Sorry" if I ever inconvenience them, and that's that.

“Oh yeah! How rude and silly of me to have taken up your time without introducing myself.”

She held out her opened right hand.

Subconsciously, I searched her outreached hand for a ring, but there was none.

I surmised that she was single.

Then I quickly realized that this was an indicator of my age, and I was saddened by this fact.

“I'm Heather Andrea McDougall, a Consultant for Annette-Qeptis Telecommunications. My nickname is Heather. You are?”

I reluctantly reached out my right hand, then I realized I hadn't clipped my nails.

Also, it was dry, with skin peeling off, yet it was sweaty at the same time! 

I stopped reaching it out halfway out of shame, but she took it before I could react, and gave me a firm handshake.

“Er, I'm Paolo Cavanza. Artist and Programmer. I go by Paolo,” I said nervously.

“Nice to meet you, Paolo!” She replied with a smile.

I tried to smile too, but it's not something I can pull off if it's not natural.

“I like your hairstyle by the way,” she commented.

Oh yeah, I have this pompadour thing going on, since my hair is so thick and I keep forgetting to visit a barber.

I don’t use hairspray or anything, I just kinda stroke and comb it into place every few minutes.

Otherwise my hair is a disaster.

“It reminds me of Elvis,” she continued.

All those Gakuran-wearing juveniles from the 70s and 80s were going for that look.

Their adventures were the secret guilty pleasures of my childhood.

“Oh, yeah. Thanks,” I reply, smiling to myself.

Ding!

The elevator doors opened right at that moment.

Ground Floor.

“Yeah... Uh, This is my stop,” I said, snapped out of her flattery earlier.

“Oh, don't let me stop you. My car's in the basement,” she said.

A car, huh.

That's something I can have only in my dreams.

“Okay. Good bye,” I said, quickly, walking out of the elevator.

“Bye, Paolo!” She said in that cheerful singsong voice of hers.

It's probably because they have to sound nice and friendly all the time at work.

...But it's weird to see strangers in real life use it on you for inane conversation.

She wasn't trying to sell me anything, was she?

Just in case, I checked my wallet.

Nothing new here. 

Nothing lost either.

That puts all my unfounded worries of hypnotism, subconscious manipulation and scamming to rest.

“Hm.”

I walked out of the building's front door, and into the bright orange lights of the city.

Immediately the humid, polluted air of the city greeted my senses, slightly alleviated by the rush of a cold breeze.

Summer was coming up though, so that coldness would change very soon.

I started walking briskly, hoping that the wind would cool me off the entire trip.

The streets, once bustling with people, were now sparsely populated, save for the usual night crowd at the Seven-Elevens and rival convenience stores. 

Something at the back of my head nagged me to stay over at the office and not go home. 

There were delicious, grease-filled fastfood joints nearby to make the Dragonslaying session more bearable anyway!

While tempting, I instead stared down at my sinful belly and reminded myself of my penitence.

After I rounded the corner, leaving the familiarity of my building's avenue, the roads became even more quiet.

It felt like I had entered a ghost town.

Sure, I encountered a few workers on the road; both blue and white collar types.

But the underpasses made for pedestrian crossing were eerily empty.

It’s like a ripe set-up for a monster to pop out from the empty glass billboards and their faded posters.

I was eyeing the janitor rooms and the corners of the hallways, but both were too well lighted for any hidden threats.

Well, I gotta admit that the underpasses were unnaturally a sterile white without human traffic.

That could have contributed to my tension.

Or it was probably my unneeded attempt to spice things up in my dull, dreary lifestyle.

Really, I should have known better.

I silently commended the effort of the janitors as I walked up each flight of stairs leading back to the roads.

Then, I eventually found myself in a dimly lit section of road devoid of traffic – human and automobile.

I found this a little strange, but for some reason I paid it no heed.

I just walked along this road absentmindedly, since it was the quickest way for me to get to the bus terminal.

Again, a poor decision.


Then I saw her.


Walking towards me was a lithe young girl, with fair skin and long, silky black hair.

She looked like a Mestiza, particularly one with Chinese blood…

- Which I inferred from her red Cheongsam dress, with a shiny golden Dragon emblazoned in front.

Also, her eyes were small, but not as proportionally small when compared to mine.

Only an eighth of my ancestry is Chinese.

… And I have a wide face.

Despite this, her dark brown eyes were attention-grabbing, and her lashes were long and black.

Though that could be attributed to her make-up, particularly that oriental red dash at the corners of her eyes.


I wondered what would prompt a young girl to walk alone, wearing such attention grabbing clothing in the middle of the night.

Was there a Cosplay Convention I wasn’t informed about!?

That would be disappointing if it was near the place I worked.

I would have definitely gone out earlier if there was such an event.

- But considering the time, it would most likely be over!

Of course, I kept these inane thoughts to myself as I nonchalantly walked past her.

Then in that moment, I realized something was wrong.

I blinked.

Then I saw ‘her’.

… Or more specifically, the pair of strange, forking, twisted light that suggested horns upon her head.

They rested upon her long, radiant golden hair.

She shone brightly, with all the warm colors of the sky.

Her small eyes had long golden eyelashes, and dazzling yellow irises.

The pupils in each eye were vertical sharp-ended slits, giving the mental suggestion of her being of a serpentine nature. 

I shouldn’t be able to see spirits.

I’m not that special yet.

I shouldn’t be able to see ghosts either.

Of that much I was sure.

Then what the hell was she?


If I turned to look a second time, I was certain that I would see the same things I saw earlier.

I was frozen by fear, but I forced myself to continue walking.

With a supreme effort, my face remained as it was before, betraying nothing of my realization.

I didn’t want her to know.

I’ll leave her alone, and she’ll leave me be.

That’s the way it has always been.

“Hey, old man.”

But this time, it was different.


“You can see them, can’t you?”

I stopped, frozen by her words.


“You can see me, can’t you?”

... And with that, all the masks fell off.

GRAPHIC LINEART BY PAOROU-SAMA AND DIGITALLY TREATED BY ANANAGI

THANK YOU TO ANANAGI FOR THE SITE LAYOUT AND OPENING GRAPHICS THUS FAR!

Introduction

Albedo Act 1

HIKARIMONOGATARI

You may be wondering who I am, and what this story is about.

At this part of the story, My name really isn't important,

and while I could go nameless from here on out, it would be rude for you readers.

You may call me Paolo.

It's really quite a generic name, especially here in the Philippines.

Who am I? 

I am just a mundane artist one with various talents and skills. (It's one of the few aspects of my persona that I am proud of)

I work for a small advertising company, and sometimes I am hired by other smaller studios and workshops.

My line of work requires me to stay out late and commute home, since I don't have much of an income.

One of the routines I go through every day is a long walk from my office to a specific bus stop.

That long walk from work had always been peaceful for me, until recently.

Not that it was uneventful; the city's nightlife and the bustling rush of the commuters consistently kept one company in Manila.

It was this sense of normalcy and the presence of other ordinary folk that gave me peace of mind.

The presence of other people...

There was a sense of certainty in the complete and utter chaos of strangers and their indifference to everyone around them.

I could truly say I was alone, isolated from the rest of the world. 

I was safe.

No one was out for me.

For in that nameless crowd, I knew that I didn't matter to anyone.

That worked for me.

That's the way it has always been since I began my work, and I intended to keep it that way.

Yet, one night, I made a foolish mistake.

I divorced myself from that crowd, the shroud of anonymity created by the modern world.

I broke from the norm, the calculated chaos to which I had subjected myself.

Working late, and traveling home at night, is really a dangerous practice.

Even in a cosmopolitan place like Makati, roads can get dark. 

Really, really dark.

The streets at this time have much less activity than people expect.

Even a cosmopolitan place like Makati can become a ghost town. 

The presence of 'other' people has a different meaning in such circumstances.

It's the first lesson I was taught when I entered this hidden world.

It's the first lesson taught to children about the night.

"Stay away from the night and its denizens."

Though mankind seems to have overcome the 'night', many have forgotten the true meaning of that warning.

Our primal fear of the primordial darkness.

The shadow of the unknown.

Enemy predators in the dark.

 "Them". 

On that fated night, a dark fear long hidden within myself was reawakened.

On that fated night, the world conspired to set a series of events in motion.

On that fated night, I had to face the light of truth once more.

I use the word 'fated' here, with a begrudging acceptance, for I am someone opposed to the very notion of destiny.

This story is about darkness, fate, and light.

Upcoming Attraction

It was a humid, warm and bright night in Makati.

It was just another typical day in this country.

But for others, it was the Chinese New Year of 2012.

The year of the Dragon.

Apparently, I was born in the year of the Dragon 24 years prior.

This year is supposed to be an auspicious time for me.

... But I never put much stock in Horoscopes.

So, little did I know of the 'great fortune' I was about to come across.

She shone brightly, with all the warm colors of the sky.

Another King

Once upon a time, a young man lived with his peasant parents in a small farm bordering the kingdom and the wilderness. The young man was restless and clever, but he had bouts of laziness. He saw no future in endlessly tilling the fields.

One day, he told his parents, "Father, Mother, I am tired of working every day just to give the fruits of my work as a tithe for the kingdom. I want to seek my fortune elsewhere."

"The king is a good man, and we live a good life." Said the mother. "We are able to eat our own share, which is no meager amount. When our enemies appear, we can hide in his walls and his soldiers serve to protect us. The world beyond the wilderness is a lawless and scary place."

"Then there must be another king like him, or one even better out there. Surely the world is not as small a place as you make it to be." The son answered.

"Yes, there is another king." The father replied. "In the wilderness just outside the king's castle, there is a great and terrible monster. The legends call him the king of the dead kings, for all his riches come from dead men. He lives in a cave at the mouth of the river of souls. It's said that to gaze into the river is to lose your soul, and that is why no one has ever travelled upon it and lived."

"However, the very same legends say that the king of the dead is a gracious host, and that his kingdom is a paradise." The father continued.

"Then I shall seek this king and his paradise of a kingdom." The son said, sensing adventure and excitement.

His parents tried their best to dissuade him from this foolish quest, but the son was adamant. No matter how much they plead for him to stay and keep the things he had, he packed up his things and left.With him, he took a hand mirror, a knife, a torch along with some flint and tinder, some food, and a cloak with a cowl.

As he entered the wilderness, he realized too late that the sky was getting dark. The young man decided to rest for the night, and made a fire to warm himself. However, he was not used to camping, and the fire made a lot of smoke. As the young man worked to put out the fire, a brown rabbit came out from the underbrush to escape the choking fumes.

"I'm sorry, little one, for almost killing you." The young man said. "Here, have some of my food and be on your way."

As soon as he gave the food, the rabbit spoke, "You are a fool, but you have a good heart."

"Listen well, young man. By some twist of fate, you have brought everything you need to reach the kingdom of the dead kings. Tonight, you will find a boatman who will ferry you across the river of souls. Do not look into his eyes, but take the key on the rope tied around his neck. Open the gate, then wear the cloak and cover your head with the cowl. Then, your cleverness and foolish bravery will be your guide."

With that, the brown rabbit ran away and disappeared. The young man, still flustered at the notion of a talking rabbit, pondered its meaning.

He decided to look for a river. Soon, he found a dock on a riverbank shrouded in mist. The young man passed by an old beggar along the path going there. Curious as to why a beggar would be all the way out here, he slowly approached the wretched figure.

To the boy's horror, the pitiful old man had empty eye sockets. As the boy scrambled away from the horrendous sight, he bumped into a similarly eye-less woman with dirty dress, and messy hair. she screamed at him to turn back and run away. The old beggar realized that someone was there, and began to plead for help.

The boy ran away from them both, heading for the dock. There he found a simple looking but elegant black boat, which seemed to float upon the fog that obscured the river. Upon it was a boatman dressed in white, whose back was turned to the young man.

"I will bring you to the kingdom of the dead kings. However, do know that my price is steep." The boatman made a beckoning gesture to the young man. "Get aboard, boy, whether you pay it now or later has no bearing - I will claim it all the same."

The young man hopped aboard the boat, and they travelled down the river. The boy noticed that he could not see the waters of the river through the thick fog. It was then the youth remembered the rabbit's words, so he pulled out his hand mirror and looked at the reflection of the boatman's visage. He saw empty black holes where the man's eyes should have been. The boy realized that the boatman had no eyes, and that the boatman's holes were probably related to the blind people earlier. When he looked a little lower, he saw a golden key dangling around his neck, hanging from a straw rope.

Then, the boat stopped at another dock, where a great, ashen gate overlooked the river. "We are here, boy. Now look here so I can claim my dues." The boatman beckoned blindly, not realizing that the boy was looking at him through the mirror. The boy pulled out his knife and cut the boatman's neck, severing the key from the hangman's noose.

The boatman screamed, and fell into the river, grasping at his open throat. the boy took the key from the boat's wooden flooring, and ran towards the ashen gate. A great wailing echoed from the river, and the boy knew he was being pursued. He never once turned back.

When he got to the gate, he jammed the key into the slot, and shook it wildly. He felt the cold hands of death as an approaching breeze. In the nick of time, he heard a click, and the gates swung open. He ran into the darkness, no longer thinking of what dangers may lie ahead.

The gate shut close behind him, and he could hear a great many voices cursing his name. They began to grow fainter as he ran farther away from the gate. Then there was silence, and the lonely winding path that led deeper into the earth.

As the path widened, he was met with an awesome sight.Golden coins, jewels, thrones, crowns and intricately decorated arms of all types greeted him. The youth was looking at a large cavern, with treasures as far as the eye could see. It was like a golden kingdom underneath the earth; a city of gold and wealth. In the distance, he spied a large fortress made of jewels and golden bricks. He decided to explore that first.

As the young man walked through the impossibly gargantuan underground city, he realized that he was the only person there. It was then he remembered the rabbit's words, and he quickly donned his cloak and his cowl. He made sure that his face was covered by shadow.

Then the boy entered the golden palace. He immediately caught sight of a massive golden dragon, sleeping upon a pile of countless treasures in what seemed to be a throne room. He quietly came closer to inspect the creature, when it's reptilian eyes suddenly burst open.

"This is my kingdom, where the dead have their place! I have devoured those arrogant enough to show me their face!" It roared at him.

The boy was frozen in fear.

The dragon examined the human, as if pondering the taste of its next meal. It stopped when it noticed the cowl, and the fact that it couldn't see the interloper's face. It grinned a toothy dragon grin.

"It seems you have interesting circumstances, stranger." It then eyed the young man. "Of all the places you could be, why here, I wonder?"

The youth looked at the dragon, who went back to lazing on its treasures. He noted that its eyes were still stuck intently on him. "Are you the king of this place?" The young man mustered the courage to ask.

The dragon laughed, then spoke once more. "I might as well be. No one else is alive to say otherwise." It continued,"You must be a human, asking about kings. Only your kind is concerned about that sort of thing."

The young man then realized he had no further instruction from the rabbit, and was puzzled by this turn of events. He looked around and thought hard about why he had come here. After a short pause, the youth came to a decision.

"So no one really owns this place, right?" The boy said, sitting on a discarded throne. "I'm sure you wouldn't mind another king living here."

"And who would this king be? You?" The dragon was amused. "Very well, for someone so clever, how about a wager?"

"I've been living quite contently for some time now, and frankly, you should be thankful I let you live long enough to leave this place." It explained. "The wager is simple: I want you to complete one task in front of me. If you fail, I will eat you. If you succeed, I will recognize you as 'another' king. Do you accept these conditions?"

The young man nodded.

The dragon invited the traveller to ride upon his back, and he was brought all over the empty kingdom. "As you can see, I own every single thing here. I want you to pick one thing in this kingdom that I am not willing to give you. If you pick something I am willing to give away, then I will eat you."

Then the dragon thought for a bit. "But since you are amusing to watch, I will give you three chances. You maykeep and own anything I give you as a result of this wager. It would be pointless, though, since you'll be in my stomach by then."

The young man thought for a while and looked around. He pointed at a beautiful set of armor. "Ah, that armor is magical. It is said to protect the user from a single deadly blow. I killed its original owner while he was not wearing it. Thus, it is useless to me. You may keep it."

The boy wore the armor and asked to be brought to an armory he had seen on the way to the dragon's fortress. The Dragon assented and brought him there. Swords and weapons of all shapes and sizes hung on trophy racks, and some were scattered on the ground.

The young man saw a large sword encrusted in red crystal. He asked the dragon if he could take that. "That sword was used by a knight to slay various monsters, that their blood crusted over the blade and the collection became an enchantment in its own right. I killed the wielder by dropping some large stones on him, though, so he never got the chance to use it."

So the young man took the sword and he faced the dragon.

"This is your last chance, boy."

The young man exclaimed, "Then, dragon, I shall claim your life. If you are willing to give it to me, then yield! If not, then I have won the wager, and I am willing to enforce the terms of our deal!"

The boy brandished his newfound sword. It reflected the crimson light emitting from his magical breastplate.

The dragon grinned and laughed. "Clever as I expected! But boy, I never planned to let you have anything from here. I will allow no such thing as another King!" The dragon flew upward and buffeted the boy with the wind from his wings.

"You may take my life, provided I don't devour you first!"

The dragon flew in circles above the young man. The boy turned to look for a shield, and he hid behind it as the dragon swooped past. The boy swung at the dragon's wings, and caused a light wound.

The dragon roared and snapped at him, catching the boy's arm in his mouth.The boy was dragged upwards, his arm nearly severed at the shoulder.However, the armor's enchantments saved him from a quick death.

The man yelled with all his might and stabbed the dragon in the eye. The enchantment of the sword killed the dragon instantly. As the boy emerged from the crash, he looked over his new Kingdom.

"There was Another King. Now, he is the only King."

And no one was there to oppose him.