— Why don't we go, huh?
— You want to leave? – he asked, without taking his eyes off the surrounding landscape. – Here is a nice place. The air is cool, we are in a good time of year, the lake is quiet.
— The problem isn't exactly the place... – she leaned over the wood protection.
— Don't you want to learn how to handle almaki with a dragon?
The question, even though it seemed very simple for her at that moment, suddenly became difficult. If she took away the fact that the dragon in question was the unbearable Dul'Maojin, how could she refuse?
Why would anyone refuse?
Receiving training from a dragon, a guardian of a Secret who for years improved his almaki with the direct teachings of the Fire Family, would be a privilege that not even his masters at the Institute would have... how could refuse such a thing?
— But... – she began, looking for an excuse that sounded acceptable. – He's not going to teach me anything – she absently nudged a hole in the wood, choosing the words to try not to offend hi.– Do you think the Fire Dragon Dul'Maojin is going to really demote and train a vilashi?
— Why not?
She stared at him as if the answer were obvious. But he just smiled and got up, saying:
— No matter who will teach you something. Not even the best teacher in all of Almakia can teach an apprentice who doesn't want to be taught... why don't you give Kris a chance, Garo-lin?
That question flickered in her head. The tone he had used, as if asking for a favor, made her unable to utter a word.
Seeing that he could do something to move inside her, the Royal Dragon rose and went down the stairs, leaving her alone with her thoughts.
— Unbelievable... – Garo-lin murmured, laying her head on the guard and wanting to stand there petrified forever.
***
Garo-lin had been thinking all day and trying to get her thoughts in order.
In a time before the Institute, when she was special in her village for owning an almaki, she had always thought that, from the moment she officially became an almakin, she could do anything. That beautiful dream in which she was a great person, a vilashi recognized in the society of Almakia, working to make things fairer and for her family to live better, had become only a memory when she had passed through the Black Gates. Over time, she had learned her place within the Institute, being quiet and being ignored.
This was the only way to pass quietly through the years of study and then return to the Inland Valley. Maybe she did not come back triumphant as she had imagined, but with the knowledge to apply for her village and somehow help her to develop... anyway, an encouraging thought after all.
She was able to endure the indifference of the students and the teachers, she fulfilled her obligations and obeyed without complaining, knew her place among the heirs almakins and was limited to her, respecting even when she was not respected. For someone who had been taught at an early age to know that her rights are tied to her duties, to endure those Dragons acting as if the world and all belonged to them and owed them unconditional worship was simply difficult. So she avoided them, so she did not end up saying everything she thought, and with that, definitively eliminating the chances of being able to use her almaki freely.
But with Kidari's arrival and the incident with Shion, which had resulted in that false assignment, never before had her resistance been put to prove. And as she had reached her limit, acting in the worst possible way by punching the Fire Dragon, attempting to flee and nearly drowned in the lake, she had reached the point where she was now.
The words of the Royal Dragon made her see things differently from what she had seen. For the first time, she thought of her situation from another perspective, where she would be the problem, and not exactly the Dragons. After all, it was obvious who the minority was. Could everything be solved if she let it? Had not she let herself be covered up by the excuse of being a victim, hiding behind a wall she had built for her own protection? If things could not get worse, why did not she try and turn that situation around for something profitable?
Being the one to whom the Fire Dragon himself would train put her above any student of the Institute. In this situation, Kidari and she would spend, from day to night, being the almakins of level closest to the Dragons, being ahead even of her masters. Could not that be considered a good thing? If she endured Dul'Maojin's arrogance for at least another time, she could have a trump card against the arrogance of all Almakia... would it be worth it?
But there was a problem: it did not depend only on her decision, she had to talk to Kidari and see if her friend would be willing to face.
And that's what he asked her when, late in the evening, she returned to her room.
After eating what the kodorin had hidden in the kitchen, Garo-lin explained what she had talked to Gillion and about the things she had thought.
— Kidari thinks it's a good idea to train almaki. Kidari want to learn, but...
— Afraid?
— Vinshu scary.
— I can't disagree – Garo-lin sighed. – But Dul'Maojin is also scary.
Kodorin stared at her for a while and then said:
— Sumerin and Benar are not scary. They took Kidari for a walk and Shion said no problem.
This Garo-lin could not disagree with either. Despite their comments, especially about their food and not accepting the fact that they were doing the Metal Dragon's wishes, she could not say anything heavy against those two during that time of Assignment.
— Gillion is not scary either – she agreed. – He even helped me... remember when you told me he was a good dragon? I have to admit that he is a good Dragon.
Kidari smiled and said, happy:
— Nu'lian talked to Shion!
— He talked to me – Garo-lin added. – He even served me a plate of food even at dawn. None of the other Dragons would do this. He doesn't look at us as if we were insignificant beings and he doesn't seem to have problems in having us around. Today he sat next to me and spoke to me as we are talking now... he's different, isn't he, Kidari?
The girl stared at her, blinking.
— What's it?
— Different Garo eyes.
— Different how? – she worried. Could it be that her cold was getting worse again?
— They shine talking Nu'lian. Garo smiles!
— I wasn’t smiling! – she defended herself, being embarrassed and unable to show herself totally certain that she was not doing it.
— Garo smiling! – Kidari exclaimed contentedly, as if it was the best thing that had happened that day, jumping off her bed and sitting down beside her, forcing a smile on her friend's face as she pulled her cheeks.
— Kidari! – Garo-lin moved away, getting rid of her claws..
— Garo likes to stay near Royal Dragon? – asked curiously, seeming to have fun.
— It's not that! – Garo-lin began to pay attention to a fold in her covers, looking for an answer. – I just...
— Garo without an answer! Be true!
— It's not true, Kidari! And you want to know? Let's go to sleep! If we're going to start this training with the Dragons, we better get a good night's sleep tonight! Tomorrow I'll talk to them and say that we accept – she pulled her covers, almost causing her friend to fall to the floor in the process, and slipped beneath them, covering her head.
— Sleep! – Kidari hummed, still looking content, blowing out the flame that lit the room and also nestled in her bed.
Garo took a deep breath and let out the air all at once. She would never smile for a dragon and it did not make a difference if he was a good dragon or if he was helping her in some way.
Chapter 8 – The heiress who rejected the title and Princess
The next morning, Garo-lin searched for the Lighting Dragon and reported her decision.
When all the Dragons gathered for lunch, in the outdoor area overlooking the lake, he was her spokesman, announcing:
— Vilashi has decided that she will do the training with good will.
Garo-lin wondered if they would have plotted against her in case she insisted on saying no, but she thought it best to keep her opinions to herself and continued to pay attention to what Lighting Dragon said.
— So the first thing we should do is-
— Let's eat first! – Dul'Maojin cut him off, tapping his hand on the table impatiently.
— I'm hungry – Gran'Otto helped, showing her opinion on the subject by throwing to her friend a sweet, pleading look.
— But we need-
— Food! – the Fire Dragon ordered a servant, who left quickly and went to get what his lord asked for.
— Kris! – Zawhart demanded the attention of the leader.
— We can talk while we have lunch – Sfairul suggested, meeting his friends and wisely interfering before it became serious discussion.
With no alternative, the Lighting Dragon sat in his place and began to say what he had planned, even if he was not heard by the others. Garo-lin, however, listened attentively, since she knew that whatever he said now would be of fundamental importance for her life from then on.
— Vilashi has the third order, which means that she has been trained basically and can use her almaki for small tasks. Krission only needs to teach her how to handle fire on Monday. The most important thing is to teach her to control, do you understand, Kris?
— Hum – he did, showing a minimum of attention and more concerned in verifying that the servants were already coming back with what he would require.
With a sigh of irritation, Zawhart decided to set aside the other party and speak directly to the protégés, the only ones who were listening:
— The kodorin is in Almakia not long ago. What does she know about Almaki?
Garo-lin was surprised that the dragon asked her, not directly to Kidari. It was true that she needed to be careful when speaking, not using very complicated words and checking if she had really understood. But it was not as if the foreigner were a child who needed a caretaker to take care of their interests.
— Tell me what you know, Kidari – Garo-lin asked, not taking her eyes off him, making it clear that her friend had full capacity to respond.
But Kodorin stared at her uncertainly. She thought for a while and then answered, simply:
— Kidari studied about almaki in Kodo.
— Kodo? – the dragon repeated, in a tone that indicated that it was not a satisfactory answer. – So I guess we'll start with the books before the practice. Knowledge of almaki outside of Almakia is very superficial.
Just as he seemed to enter into a silent meditation, as if formulating a didactic to use with kodorin, the servants burst forth from the house bringing the platters to the Metal Dragon's delight, and nothing more was said.
***
When the Dul'Maojin had run her down the length of the lake and the main house, through the walls of the fortress and then back to him, Garo-lin began to regret her decision.
It was obvious he would not miss this opportunity to torment her any more. But as she had accepted on her own, she would rather obey and exceed his expectations than admit that it might be too much.
Then she stretched out her arms and legs with intent to skillfully carry out the course and return triumphantly there. After all, she had grown up in the Inland Valley, and what else was there were places to run at ease. It could be very, but not impossible.
But in the middle of the way, she realized how the years inside the Institute had degraded her disposition and had to work harder than she imagined.
— Tsc, tsc – did the dragon, when she stopped in front of him with footsteps in uncertain directions, panting, her face red and needing to rest on her knees to recover the air. – Breath! – he declared, turning around for her, using his usual superior tone. – How will you control your sneezing if you can't even keep your breath? From now on, you will wake up early and run until you can do ten laps keeping your breath!
— Ten laps?! – she almost choked and fell on the grass.
— Do you want twenty?
She swallowed the answer. She knew that she would easily reach fifty if she was stubborn.
— Come on, stand! – he ordered. – I want to see your almaki with your hands, not your nose!
She rose, not bothering to show good will.
— On the lake – he indicated. – As far as you can.
Garo-lin looked at the lake and hesitated.
She'd never used her almaki that way. She had been trained in the third order, in which things like attacks were not allowed and much less encouraged. In short, she did not know how to handle her almaki on fire for something bigger than lighting a fire. Although she accidentally managed to wreak havoc like that of the kitchen, she could not go beyond the minimum when she knew what she was doing.
— What are you waiting for, vilashi? – he inquired with his arrogant tone.
— I don't know how to do it – she had to admit, unwillingly.
— I can’t believe... – the dragon complained and realized that there was no other way. – Pay close attention, I'll only show it once! – then stood facing the lake, raising his hand in the gesture she had seen on that fateful day when he had threatened Kidari's Shion. – People think the most important thing is a firm gesture, the movement of hands. But, in fact, the force of an almaki attack is here – he painfully nudged the top of her head with his other hand. – First thing: if you don't visualize whatever happens, it will not happen. Second important thing: believe. It's simple, if you think you will not succeed, you will not.
She processed all the information, without interrupting his reasoning, and declared:
— It’s easy.
He laughed in mockery:
— Do you think it's easy? – the dragon gave up on continuing the demonstration and made room for her. – Feel free and try, vilashi!
Garo-lin accepted the challenge. She thought that if it were really simple for someone like the heir Dul'Maojin, who only had the fame and wealth factor in his favor, completely ignoring his cleverness, it would not be so complicated. Then she mimicked his position on the bank of the lake, holding out her hand forward. She concentrated and tried to visualize how she would release her almaki, the way she already knew how to do it...
But nothing happened.
— I’m waiting.
Undeterred by his comment and his satisfied smile, she took a deep breath and tried back...
And again, nothing.
— I can wait all day – he folded his arms patiently.
Determined to make the greatest demonstration of almaki the dragon had ever witnessed in life, one that would exceed the power of her sneeze, Garo-lin lifted both hands and concentrated all her strength on them. She closed her eyes and followed the same steps as before.
She felt the unmistakable itch at the tips of her fingers and knew that it had worked. But when she opened her eyes, all she saw was a small flame, the size and color of an orange, which danced for a few moments in front of her and then disappeared, as if carried by a light breeze.
— That’s all? – the dragon laughed, thinking it was something very funny.
— It's much more than I've ever done! – she declared, having the feeling that she was red with embarrassment to the roots of her hair and could not help it.
— And the kitchen explosion? – he remembered.
— The most I've ever done consciously – she rectified herself, folding her arms and breathing loudly, annoyed.
— For in a week you will have to do this!
Garo-Lin stared at him for some time in silence, wondering if it was better to keep quiet. But she did not decide. To illustrate what he had said, he raised his hand to the lake and threw a fireball, immensely incomparable with hers, into the middle of the water, where it fell with a crash and went out, forming steam. And really everything seemed to be very easy and simple for him. It was just a gesture.
Ev
en though she did not want to give the dragon this satisfaction, Garo-lin could not stop her mouth from opening in a mute exclamation.
She had never seen anyone use almaki in this way, and for the first time had a sense of what it meant to be a dragon. The impression that the title came primarily from the position he occupied in society collapsed in its entirety.
— Will you still be drooling a long time, vilashi? Why don't you admit that I'm awesome?
Faced with his arrogance, she was not far:
— I doubt if you can blow up a wall!
— Yes, with all the style a sneeze can have! Not just power, you must have authority than you do! Is someone like you capable?
Garo-lin wanted to shout yes and prove to that stupid dragon that he could. But there was only one way to do that and depended exclusively on his training.
Seeing that she would not reply and that she had finally come to the conclusion that she should follow what he said, Dul'Maojin ordered:
— Once again. Visualize and believe.
Without complaining, again Garo-lin took a deep breath and concentrated.
***
— Do you think she'll make it? – the Wind Dragon asked Gillion and Gran'Otto as the three of them peered into what was happening outside one of the windows of the main house.
— Hum... – the girl thought. – I think I'd be more worried about Vinshu and Kodorin. He doesn't have much patience and she doesn't have much ease in expressing herself – she laughed with something. – Imagine him speaking with difficult words and she trying to keep up with him?! Those two – she indicated Dul'Maojin and Garo-lin at the edge of the pond – growl in the same way... what do you think, Nu'lian?
The Royal Dragon just smiled at her.
— I don't even know why I'm asking... – she shrugged and leaned over the edge of the window. – Is anyone else going to enjoy the day by doing something other than attending trainings?
***
— Almaki... is... a... capa... capaci... ci... ty...
Almakia_The vilashi and the Dragons Page 10