“What about it?” I feel a twinge of jealousy about not being able to go on the trip, but I don’t let it show. “How can that help?”
“There’s bound to be a computer there,” he explains. “I could go on it and take photos of the website.”
I shrug. The museum could have filters as well, but it’s worth a try. “Okay. When is the trip?”
“Next Tuesday,” Wes bites his lip. “But if it doesn’t work... We’re back to square one.”
Rocky nudges my shoulder. “How come you didn’t tell me about the trip?”
“I’m not allowed to go. No commoners.”
“What?” His face scrunches up in confusion.
“That’s a load of bull,” Marco cracks his knuckles, one by one. “All the commoners could go last year.”
I sigh deeply. “I don’t really care anyway; it means I can do some research here. I also get a private one-to-one lesson with you, Marco.”
My best friend shrugs and smiles. “Fine by me.”
10
Chapter Ten
“Have fun, okay? And don’t get lost!” I wave to Wes as he leaves with the rest of the Year, all of them piling on to the long silver coaches.
He rolls his eyes cheekily. “Yes, Mum.”
With that, he scampers off to join everyone else. He doesn’t mix in with the crowd; he kind of hangs around on the outskirts.
I hope all goes well for him. I also hope the museum haven’t filtered the website; currently it’s our only lead.
Over the past week, we’ve been trawling through books and websites for information, but there’s still nothing. The only book that really helped us was that old one. Wes keeps it safe in his bag until we need it.
Today, I decided to go to the library to catch up on my homework, seeing as I have no lessons because my entire Year has gone on the trip. Marco and I are meeting on the field at three for our lesson. He said he’d focus on teaching me how to control my element more, rather than trying to teach Aqueous.
Speaking of Aqueous, he’s sprung up in size recently. He’s too big to balance on my shoulder now, but I can just about carry him in my arms. More swirl markings are spreading on his face, and there’s even one on each of his front feet now. Normie has also grown, but he’s staying in the cabin today to sleep; he was up all night playing with his toys.
I finish off my short story for English, before moving on to collect dragon pictures for my Dragon Mythology class. I need to get pictures of dragons with each element, which shouldn’t be too hard. As I type, my companion jumps on my lap, staring at the screen in awe when pictures of different dragons come up. He growls each time I click on a picture and move it into a document to print it off. When I go to collect them, a book catches my eye. It is a shiny gold colour with white writing on the side. I pull it off the shelf to read the title: Common Dragons – Dangerous Beasts.
I don’t think I’m going to like this.
Despite a sense of foreboding, I flick through the book and land on a random page. A blurry picture of a black blob is in the corner, with the caption: ‘third sighting of the black common dragon’. I turn back a page, which reveals two other blurry photos, the first and second sightings. Underneath the first is a warning:
Common dragons are extremely dangerous. That is why they are given to the poor, to eradicate the ‘undesirables’. In total, 4,302 people are injured by common dragons each year, while uncommon dragon injuries are at below 3,000.
Do not approach these dragons with food; they will attack with no hesitation, and will kill if they feel threatened.
“What a load of complete and utter bull,” I mutter, closing the book and putting it back on the shelf.
Aqueous is too soft to hurt anyone! Plus, what sad person sat and counted every single accident with dragons? There’s bound to be accidents. Common dragons tend to be more over-excitable and friendly than other dragons; that’s what caused the accidents.
My companion looks at me with his head tilted to one side in confusion.
“You wouldn’t hurt anyone on purpose, would you?” I coo, scratching his chin, his weak spot.
He shakes his head vigorously, pawing at my hand. He growls something at me, opening his mouth in his unusual smile.
“Let’s not listen to that guy then, shall we?”
He shakes his head, growling again.
I take my homework from the printer and return to my seat, but I’m surprised to see Mr Reedman standing by the counter, eyeing me carefully. Eruption walks up behind him, baring his sharp teeth at Aqueous.
Fuck.
The short man approaches me slowly, dragging each step out for a painfully long time. He eventually reaches me, his eyes narrowed in an angry glare. “Why aren’t you on the school trip?” he asks.
“Commoners aren’t allowed to go,” I reply timidly. “I’m doing homework instead.”
“What about your dragon training?”
I swallow back my fear. “Marco’s giving me a one to one later.”
He stares hard at me for a few seconds, making my heart thump so loud I’m sure he can hear it. “Very well.” He looks at the printer. “Which book did you pull out? Common Dragons – Dangerous Beasts, I presume?”
“How did you-”
“I wrote that book, and I’ll have you know that common dragons are horrible creatures. Yours included. But, since the poor reforms, you’ve been cheated out of an uncommon dragon.”
The poor reforms was a law passed by Government to legally discriminate against commoners. It means that we now cannot have uncommon dragons, as they are considered too expensive for us. So common dragons were captured from the wild and given to us.
“Aqueous is perfect for me; I don’t want a higher one.” My tone is darker than I thought it would be.
He raises an eyebrow in disbelief, before flicking his hand in dismissal. “Think whatever you like, Miss Adams. But beware of your political beliefs; the Cindaraans are getting more and more popular by the day.” With that, he turns around and strolls off, Eruption lumbering after him.
* * *
“That’s weird, even for him.” Marco scratches the back of his head in thought.
“So, what does it mean? Is he trying to imply that I should become a Cindaraan?”
He shrugs. “I guess. I heard that Krystalan supporters in higher Years are getting beaten up and abused until they give in to the Cindaraans.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to join the Cindaraans, and I suggest you do too.” He cuts me off as my mouth opens to protest. “For safety, Haze. I don’t agree with their views.”
With a loud sigh, I reluctantly nod. I really don’t want to join Raymond’s group, but I will if it will put Marco’s mind at ease. “Okay. Can we do the lesson now?”
A nod accompanied with an eye roll is my answer. “Try not to drench me this time.”
“Sorry about that,” I apologise sweetly.
“Today, you’re going to learn to conjure water without using natural water.”
“Huh?”
He rolls his eyes again. “You’re going to make water out of thin air.”
“That’s a thing?”
“Yeah.” He clicks his fingers and a short burst of flame burns in the air for a second, before vanishing.
Cool! I can throw water at people when they annoy me now!
“How do I do it?” I bounce excitedly.
“Just think about water rising from your hand. It’ll get easier the more you practise.”
Water rising from my hand?
I think hard about a small ball of crystal-clear water rising from my empty hand, but when I open my eyes, I only see a tiny drop.
“It’s a start,” I shrug.
At this moment, Aqueous shrieks and zooms towards me as Drea chases him, shooting a bright purple beam from her mouth.
“Drea, stop!” Marco commands, instantly freezing the terrifying creature in her tracks.
; She shoots Aqueous a venomous glare before laying down in the grass, looking extremely sulky and not in the mood for talking. My companion clings to my legs, not keen on approaching the white dragon again.
Marco looks at me expectantly, so I try again. This time, there’s a small puddle in my palms, which slips between my fingers and onto the grassy ground.
“Better,” Marco comments. “Not perfect, but better.”
After a few more tries, I manage to get the water in the air for a split second, before it splashes onto my shoes. I try one more time, and I’m astonished to see a perfect sphere of water float above my hand for a second, before dissolving into thin air.
“Well done!” Marco claps sarcastically. “Took you a while.”
I roll my eyes. “Thanks. Is the lesson over?”
“Thankfully, yes,” he sighs and sits on the ground, staring at the cloudy sky. “When is the sun gonna come out?”
I settle down next to him, sitting cross-legged so Aqueous can sit in my lap. “It’s supposed to rain tomorrow.”
“Fantastic, but at least you’ll be dry.”
“I guess.”
He pushes my shoulder teasingly. “You’re not upset about the trip, are you?”
I shrug and lean against him, resting my head on his shoulder. “No. I’m just upset about being discriminated against.”
He snorts. “Don’t be. I know you haven’t had a great start over the past month, but I’m glad you’re here. Rocky is too, so please try to ignore what people are saying.”
“I know. But it’s not just the insults, Marco. People are posting things in my locker. I’m scared to open it sometimes.”
“What kind of things?”
“People calling me names and guys posting pictures of their you-know-what.”
He scrunches his face up in disgust. “Do you have a spare locker key?”
“Yeah, why?”
“I’ll clean out your locker every morning. You shouldn’t be seeing that stuff.”
“Thanks. I’ll make it up to you, promise.”
* * *
Wes paces up and down the room, his face contorted in anger. “And then, the stupid guy threw me off the computer! I was so close!”
“It’s okay, Wes. We’ll pick up another lead.” I try to reassure him, grabbing his arm as he storms past to pull him onto the bed.
He kicks the floor childishly, his eyes burning with fury. “This is so important! We have nothing to go on now!”
“Look,” I say. He raises an eyebrow suspiciously when I squeeze his hand. “There will be more opportunities, better ones.”
He goes silent, which I’m partially thankful for. Yes, he’s stressed and worried, but I’m worried too. If anyone finds out about this, we could be in real danger. The school won’t hesitate to contact the government; I realize that.
Asteroid noses Wes affectionately, patting his face with her foot. The brown-haired boy lifts her on his lap with obvious difficulty.
Plus, it won’t just be us who are affected. The connection would have to be broken between Aqueous and I, and that can only be done with one of us dying. I don’t want my companion to die because of some stupid markings on my back; I’d rather take the blow.
What’s worrying me most is that the markings are spreading, like Rocky said they would. The more I learn, the more they spread.
“If another trip comes up, will you go on it?” My friend asks suddenly, his eyes pleading.
“I don’t know,” I admit. “If I’m allowed to go, and it’s not expensive...”
He sits there in silence once more, stroking Asteroid’s head, careful not to let his fingers catch on her stubby horns.
Do I really want to go on a trip, though? Even if I had permission and the money, I don’t think I could bring myself to. The people outside are obviously discriminatory, and I don’t want to get caught up in all that crap.
Still, it would be nice to go on just one trip, to see if I’m missing out.
* * *
We were all surprised to get a letter the next day. The envelopes were bright white, with our names handwritten on them. When I open mine, my nostrils are assaulted by the smell of ash and dry leaves. Two necklaces lay inside, which I tipped out. One had a gold chain with an orange flame-shaped pendant. The other had a silver chain with a green leaf-shaped pendant. Intrigued by these items, I read the letter quietly to myself.
Dear Miss Adams,
Due to a communication error, the school has been asked to send pupils this letter as an apology. It is required for all students to pick their political sympathies immediately.
If you are still unsure, we have provided a short biography of each party and what they wish to accomplish. Please take time to read it, and choose wisely: there are no second chances.
The Cindaraans
This group was recently founded by Sabrina, Kyle, Cameron and Sophie Williams. The Williams family are extremely wealthy, and their businesses prosperous. They have never tried to hide their hatred for the Krystalans and always voiced their opinions on Krystalan decisions.
They believe that all dragons should be put to work, as humans are. They believe dragons are lazy and take life for granted. They want dragons to do hard labour, such as building, mining and stopping crime. Dragons will work until they die, or are too injured to continue.
The flame is their symbol; this recognizes that determination and hard work are key to training a dragon to live in our society.
The Krystalans
They are the ‘softer’ party. They were formed one hundred years ago by Robert Brown. His goal was to run the country in a fair way, and to treat everyone equally.
He wanted children to learn to be responsible, respectable people from a young age, so he set up the towns we know today. There are now thousands of Primary and Secondary Towns across the country, and we must thank him for that. It was also his idea to give children dragons at the age of fifteen, so they would be more responsive and focused while in education.
The leaf is their symbol, as it symbolizes growth in society.
By the end of the week, you will be expected to pick which party you want to join. There will be two stalls set up in school in the main hall. Wear your party’s necklace and register at the correct stall.
After joining the party, there will be regular meetings and events for you to attend, so be sure not to miss out.
If there are any problems, talk to your base tutor.
We hope to hear from you at the end of the week.
Choose wisely.
11
Chapter Eleven
Three months have passed since I received the letter, and life hasn’t been any easier. The teasing has died down, but people are looking to find something else to bully me about. I can’t wait for that day.
Rocky and Marco have joined the Cindaraans, along with quite a few others. Since then, a political war has sprung up between the Cindaraans and the Krystalans, which led to one dragon getting killed. The owner was immediately thrown out of school for allowing his companion to be killed, although I think his Krystalan sympathies were the real reason. Many Krystalans are now facing abuse; physical, emotional and even sexual in one case. After hearing about this, many students in our Year joined the Cindaraans for protection. I wear the Cindaraan necklace, but Marco and I don’t agree with their views.
Wes convinced me to join; Raymond is his mentor. Despite him sharing a surname with his father, I didn’t make the connection until he mentioned it. Among the Cindaraans he goes by Ray, probably to try and make himself more likeable and approachable. I still don’t like him, although he was very pleased when I joined the Cindaraans. I guess he wants everyone to see how ‘pathetic’ I am.
My markings have spread along my back. I have to wear my hair down now, as they have also crept up my neck. Rocky was as confused as I was; his markings go no higher than his shoulders.
Aqueous is too big to carry now; he has to walk beside me or fly above m
y head. His horns are becoming a problem; they’re starting to curl, so his head keeps getting stuck in railings or ladders. Normie is also growing, but he isn’t talking to anyone right now. He had to be neutered a few days ago and hasn’t got over it yet. He’s been sleeping a lot, and his taste in food is starting to get expensive, as Wes keeps fussing over him like a baby. The silly thing doesn’t need five different flavours of treats; they probably all taste the same anyway.
At the moment, Mr Knight is giving us a tutorial on how to create a bubble of air so we can breathe underwater. Marco hasn’t been excited; he keeps fidgeting and pulling at his swimming trunks uncomfortably.
“My penis is too big!” he complains jokingly. “It won’t fit in properly!”
After ten minutes of that I just ignored him, I don’t want to listen to his perverted jokes. Plus, I have other problems.
I have to wear a swimming costume.
It’s not just that I’m insecure about my body, it’s that someone might spot my markings. Then what the hell am I supposed to do?
“Before you dive underwater, think of a large bubble around your head. Don’t forget about your mentor though, they need a bubble too!” Mr Knight pops the clear bubble around his head with his finger, then folds his arms. “Any questions?” No-one responds, so he claps his hands together. “Great! Off you go!”
“Alright, Haze. Let’s get in the river already, I want to get these stupid things off as soon as possible.” The girls in the group turn to stare as Marco takes his shirt off and leaves it crumpled on the ground.
My face burns as people start glancing at me from the river. While they were getting in, I’m still fully clothed.
“Haze? Come on,” Marco whines.
“I can’t,” I mutter. “They’ll see the markings!”
“What? Your tattoos? It’s no longer a tramp stamp, you should be fine.”
To get on my nerves, Marco’s recently decided to call my markings tattoos, and is constantly asking when I’ll get a sleeve.
“Marco!”
“Okay, okay. Just keep your back to me, and you’ll be fine.”
Elemental Dragons Book 1: Blood and Water Page 9