by Katie Cherry
Nathan looks the man up and down. About two or three inches taller than him, he seems to be in his late twenties or early thirties. His piercing blue eyes have a look in them that tells you he knows more than he’s letting on. His black hair goes down to his ears. He looks built to fight, but is obviously also intelligent, judging from the glint in his ice-blue eyes. Nathan sighs, unable to deny the fact that he would probably make a great search partner. But still…
“I’m sorry. It’s just… I don’t think I can bear working with anyone other than Crystal. I’m sure I’ll be able to manage on my own.”
Bryce nods gravely, accepting this. “It’s your choice, Nathan. But just remember that I’ll be here for you whenever you change your mind.”
“…Okay. Thanks,” Nathan replies, turning and walking away. He sighs with relief as he steps back into the sunshine. Could this weekend get any weirder?
<<
Bryce lingers in the shadowy alleyway, watching Nathan’s back as he walks away. His finger taps thoughtfully on his whiskery chin. This boy will obviously take some convincing. However, I don’t think that anything I do now will speed this along. I’m sure eventually the boy will come to me, but I cannot wait forever. …It appears I may need Zarafa’s help after all.
He strides out and turns to face the way he came, walking once more towards Zarafa’s house. As he travels, he forces himself to avoid looking at any woman around him. They all looked like his lost wife, and he was tired of seeing her everywhere. He’s almost to his destination when he feels a sudden weight on his back, pushing him face-first to the ground. Someone pins his arms and legs down. Bryce recognizes the feeling of the Dragon Hunters’ leather gloves. “What are you doing?” he growls. “Who put you up to this?”
“Oh, this was all my idea,” a raspy voice replies in his ear. “I know where your loyalties truly lie.”
Growling, Bryce attempts to throw off the person on his back, but the man just laughs and hollers as if riding a bull. Bryce then cocks his head to the side, trying to catch sight of who was on his back, accusing him of being a traitor. Before he can, a huge shadow rolls over them. A giant talon appears before Bryce’s gaze, scooping up the man on his back before flinging him into the air, screaming. The man recovers and flies away, his thin hair tossed every which way in the wind. The last man jumps up and races away, becoming a blur.
Bryce sits up and surveys the giant eagle that saved him, which lands in front of him before shifting into a boy. He offers him a hand to help him up. “I’ve changed my mind,” Nathan says, smiling. “It appears you need me as much as I need you.”
Bryce chuckles and accepts the extended hand. “It appears so. I’m delighted you changed your mind.”
“So,” Nathan says, sticking his hands in his pockets. “Where do we start?”
<<
By the end of the day, they hadn’t found anything. As they walk back to Zarafa’s place, Nathan’s head hangs a little lower. Bryce seems to notice. “I would be astonished if we found him today. The Dragon Hunters have been searching for Rex for over a year now. They’ve actually searched enough of First Earth that they don’t think he’s in this realm- of course, he may have slipped through the cracks, but that’s why Zarafa came up with such an ingenious plan to make sure that doesn’t happen to us. …Although the possibility that he’s on First Earth…”
“Yeah, I get it,” Nathan says glumly. “It’s alright, I understand… it’s just still a little disappointing, you know?”
“Yes,” Bryce acknowledges. “Just try not to dwell on it too much.”
Nathan just nods. It isn’t just this that has him bogged down today. He can’t find Greg, he misses Crystal, everything that happened recently has him a little unbalanced… but mostly he misses Crystal. Somehow searching for Rex, though monotonous with Bryce, would be fun and adventurous with her. If there’s one thing Crystal’s good at, it’s keeping his life interesting… and while it also makes his life become more dangerous at times, her presence still was a comfort to him. He feels… almost more at home with her than with his own family, as crazy as that sounded.
Zarafa greets them when they reach the house. “Bryce! What a pleasant surprise. What are you doing here?” She asks, her eyes moving between him and Nathan, a clear question on her face.
Bryce smiles. “Nathan changed his mind about wanting a partner in his search.”
“Why, that’s wonderful!” she gushes, letting them inside and closing the door behind them. “Any luck today?”
“No,” Nathan sighs. “Not yet.”
“Ah. I’m sorry about that… but at least you still have tomorrow before you have to go back to school.”
“Should I even be going to school?” Nathan asks. “If finding Rex as quickly as possible is our number one priority, then I can skip school for a while, I’m sure.”
Zarafa shakes her head, though. “No, Nathan, that would not be the best idea. It may take years to find Rex- the Dragon Hunters have already been searching unsuccessfully for the boy for about a year. We need you to still get an education and have a life outside of the search.”
“What can I do to help during the week, then?” Nathan sighs in resignation.
“Well, you could study those pictures I gave you for what we believe Rex may look like,” she suggests.
“Yes, that would be best,” Bryce agrees. “Every member of the search team is asked to memorize at least the general idea of just who we’re looking for. You might as well get started on it when you’re not out searching.”
“…Alright,” Nathan agrees.
“Great!” Zarafa beams. “Now then. Who’s hungry?”
<<
Greg wanders the streets, sniffing the ground. Where did Nathan go?? Surely he couldn’t have gotten far… those two creatures are too small to carry him long distances… but then again, I can’t smell any tracks from him or the creatures. They all seem to have just disappeared… The dedicated Familiar trundles on, nose to the ground. Suddenly he catches the sour scent of the red creature that grabbed Nathan. Spinning around, he’s seized tightly around his chest and dumped into a rough sack, which is then tied off.
“Rosulkip! Come here!” Greg hears the red one call out. “I caughted the rat!”
“I’m a Familiar!” Greg protests. Both creatures ignore him.
“Oh, goody!” the pink creature squeals, clapping. “Now what we do with it? Eat it?”
Greg shivers in disgust and fear. “No, Rosulkip. This is boy Nathan’s rat. Zarafa wants to be taken far far away where Nathan won’t find it, and it won’t find him.”
“Oooh, I love playing the hide-and-seek-it! Can I hide it? Please?”
Greg’s stomach lurches as he suddenly flies through the air in the bag, landing with a hard thump, then lifted into the air once more. “Fine. I tell Zarafa we’d found it.”
“Okay!” The childish voice of the pink creature pipes, racing away.
If there was food in Greg’s stomach, he would have lost it.
<<
Angela stands impatiently in front of the door after she rang the doorbell. She can hear the slow steps of Nathan’s grandma as she shuffles to the door and finally unlocks it. She peers curiously up at her, but Angela doesn’t have time to go about this gently. “Where’s Nathan?”
“Why, he went to a friend’s house for the weekend,” the grandma says. “He’ll be back to school on Monday.”
Angela’s stomach clenches in worry. Had she already failed in her assignment? “…Okay. Thank you… um, if he gets back early, will you please tell him to call me back?”
A twinkle of understanding lights in the old lady’s eyes. “Of course, dear. And I presume you are the famous Angela Dove that my grandson’s been speaking so highly of?”
This throws her off track. Nathan had been thinking about her? And… telling his family about her?? “I… um, yes.”
The grandma’s smile widens. “I’ll be
sure to let him know you stopped by.”
“…Thanks,” Angela says. The grandma nods and shuts the door. Angela stands there frozen for a minute. Did Nathan Anderson… actually like her? She shakes it off. She didn’t have time for those thoughts. She had to report.
She heads back home and locks herself in her room before opening her laptop. Soon enough she logs into her account and the face of the ‘bus driver’ appears on her screen. “Ah, Angela. I was beginning to worry. Is everything alright?”
“I’m not sure,” she admits. “I don’t know where Nathan is. His grandma says that he’s at a friend’s house.”
“Then he’s probably at a friend’s house. Why are you so concerned?”
She sighs. “You know why, T! I was handpicked by the Queen to keep an eye on him! If I’ve failed her now… if the Dragon Hunters got to him already…”
T raises a hand to try and calm her. “Angela. I’m sure he’s fine. Just relax until Monday. If he doesn’t show up by then, we’ll search for him. There’s nothing we can do right now as it is.”
Angela slowly lets out her breath. “Yes, of course, you’re right… I’m sorry, T. Don’t tell the Queen about this until we can be completely sure, alright?”
“Of course,” the bus driver assures, a twinkle in his blue-grey eyes. “I won’t breathe a word about it. Besides, I’m sure the Queen has other things on her plate at the moment.”
“Why? What’s happening in Zilferia?”
T just shakes his head. “It doesn’t concern you, and there’s nothing you can do about it anyway.”
“Please, just tell me!” Angela begs. “I hate being out of the loop!”
“I’m sorry, I’m afraid I can’t tell you. By order of the King and Queen. …It concerns Crystal, you see. And if you knew anything about Crystal, Nathan would find out. You would be acting differently, and he is intuitive enough to pick up on it. He would get it out of you, too.”
“No, I’m a much better actress than that!” Angela protests. “He still thinks I’m just an average girl from this realm.”
“Good. Keep it that way. I’ll see you Monday.”
Angela sighs. “Right. See you, T.” He then signs off and Angela is left alone with her swirling thoughts.
CHAPTER TEN
The Gathering
“So,” Chet says as we walk. “Your friends are Dragons, wild people who live with dragons, and man-eating mermaids. …Do your parents know about this?”
“Yes,” I reply, leading the way up the hill to where I first encountered Tatiana and Victor. “…Although they don’t know that I’m risking my life to go and see them.”
“Risking your life?”
“Yeah... The Dragon Hunters are still out there, aren’t they? And they’re out for blood. I can only imagine what they would do to me if they captured me again…” I shiver, trying to force the memories of what happened last time from my mind. No way is that happening again. Nothing could convince me to go back, and if they try to take me back with force, I will fight with all my might against it. No holding back. I would rather die than end up back in Patrick’s clutches.
Chet comes up beside me and puts an arm around my shoulders, drawing me into a hug. I hide my face in his neck, trying not to cry. “Hey. It’s okay… I’m here, remember? I won’t let them take you back. I promise. Okay?”
I stay in his arms for a few more seconds before pulling away, sniffling. “…Yeah. Thanks. …I’m really glad you’re here.”
“Me too,” he replies. We reach the top of the hill. I climb onto one of the big rocks that little Eric used to climb up when he was little in order to scan the skies for dragons. I feel a pang in my heart. Oh, how I miss that little guy- although he’s probably not so little anymore. When I gave him up for the dragons to take care of, I didn’t ever imagine all of these things happening… the dragons nearly being wiped out, me losing my Gifts…
I take a deep breath and shove those thoughts out of my head. I must become better at managing my emotions. Losing my Gifts and my dragon part can’t destroy me. I won’t let it.
“What are you doing up there?” Chet asks, peering up at me, one gloved hand shading his eyes.
“Hoping that a dragon will see me.”
He laughs and climbs up to stand beside me. “You know, for most people, that would be considered a death wish.”
“I’m not most people,” I say, turning back to survey the sky.
“…Yes… you sure aren’t,” he says. Somehow, I get goosebumps when he says this. I try to ignore him and just keep a sharp eye out for dragons, but I’m aware of his every miniscule movement. My skin feels gradually warmer. “…What if there aren’t any dragons around here today?” He asks.
“Then we wait.”
“What if they don’t come by here tomorrow either?”
“…Then we walk to Dragon Mountain… unless you would rather head back to the Village, of course,” I add.
“No, I want to stay out here and help you,” he says. “Although there is something we could do while we’re waiting.”
“What?” I ask, dreading his answer. I don’t really want to read more of Patrick’s journal.
Unfortunately, that’s just what he suggests. “Read the next entry of the journal. …We could learn something valuable,” he adds as if he can tell what I’m thinking. I sigh. He’s right, of course. It contains valuable information that would be wasted if I don’t ever read it. Plus, the sooner I read it, the better off I’ll probably be in the long run.
I sigh and sit down on the boulder, pulling the journal out of my backpack as Chet sits down beside me. With trembling hands, I open it and flip to the second entry.
“Today was yet another success. Crystal Dragon and Nathan Anderson have left Zilferia. Now my plans may be able to speed forward. I had the ingenious idea of having Crystal Dragon finish building my Gift Stealer in order to destroy her from the inside. She is dying of guilt, I am sure of it. Not only that, but Hunter now controls her Gifts. Making the enemy less powerful and strengthening my ranks all in one swoop… perhaps I will begin kidnapping certain Villagers and taking their Gifts and giving them to my men and myself.
“Hunter was my experiment. So far, the Gifts have taken to him well. Better than just well, in fact. He has been able to twist his sister’s Gifts to take new form… rather than just befriending animals, he is able to control them. I very much look forward to what other developments happen in Hunter’s case. If he is able to twist her other Gifts just as splendidly, then perhaps I will give him the rest of the possible Gifts to obtain. I’m sure he could force them to obey him just as he did the rest. He is strong-willed. He is like me. I have chosen the next leader of the Dragon Hunters well.”
<<
Hunter only half-listens as Crystal reads the entry out loud. His mind is occupied doing other things. “Vincent the Proud, heed my call.”
The reply is prompt in his mind. The broken voice of the once proud dragon echoes through his brain. “What do you want?”
“Come to me. Pretend you do not know me. Pretend to be who you once were. Do not let Crystal Dragon see into your mind and do not let her see anything that happened since she left. Tell her whatever you wish that keeps her on the dragon’s side and on mine as well. Remember, I am not Hunter, I am Chet. You do not know me.”
“…Yes… master,” Vincent hesitantly replies. Hunter then feels him leap into the air and begin flying towards them. With a satisfied smile, Hunter returns his attention to his body.
Crystal is staring at the journal. Hunter peers over her shoulder to see what has her so wound up this time. He catches the last few lines that are praising him. No, that’s not it… ah. The part about Hunter’s abilities with Crystal’s Gifts. That’s probably the part she finds distressing. It makes sense, though. She nearly bursts into tears at any mention of any Gifts whatsoever. Reading about how he was ‘twisting’ her Gifts to better serve him… she’s probably in pain.
&
nbsp; Why would Patrick include that in his fake journal? The point wasn’t to make her hurt, it was to change her mind about them. …Right?
He puts an arm around her shoulders. “Are you okay?”
She’s shaking from the effort to not cry. “…I’m not sure. Hunter’s… controlling animals?? Why would he do that? Taking away their free will? There’s probably nothing worse… not being able to control their own body… just imagine how much pain they would be in because of it…” Despite himself, Hunter feels a pang of remorse. He’d never thought about what the animals thought or felt. They were just… animals. They existed to further his purposes. No, they don’t have any real thoughts. They just existed to be used to further their agenda. Hunter feels comforted in this thought.
<<
Chet gently takes the journal from me before my shaking hands drop it to the earth. He unzips my backpack and sets it inside before zipping it back up. I slide down off the boulder and stand on the earth, pulling my arms in close to my sides in an effort to comfort myself. But I cannot be comforted. The more I learn about my poor, brainwashed brother, the more saddened I get. Can he ever be saved? Or will he forever be a slave to Patrick’s words and lies? How much longer will this go on? Torturing animals and people, killing dragons, stealing Gifts? Has Hunter gone too far off the deep end to be pulled back?
Chet walks toward me and opens his mouth to say something, but I’m distracted by a black speck on the horizon. “Chet! Look!” I say, pointing to the dot as it grows steadily larger. “It’s a dragon! And it’s coming this way!” I could feel like dancing. At least one dragon was still alive. Surely this means that others are alive as well?
I recognize the dragon as it arrives. “Vincent?” I gasp. The once proud black dragon lands before me. He holds his head high, as always, but his scales have lost their luster. They are more grey than black. His wings droop and his tail remains still. He doesn’t seem to feel any emotion seeing me again. This surprises me. I would think that he would be frustrated or something, but instead, he seems… defeated. “Vincent, what happened?”