— So it's a good place – he remarked simply, imitating her and sitting on the end of the stage facing the tree, taking the place of a teacher. – This will not be different from a class, though I'm not your mentor.
— But I'd rather it were – she blurted out, then covered her mouth remorsefully.
Faced with her embarrassment, he laughed and said,
— Believe me, Garo. I could not be a good mentor, even to you.
Since she had opened her mouth once, she thought she could endure a second:
— I do not think you could be worse than the Fire Dragon...
— Even after of he though faced so many things to save you?
Garo-lin sank into her disgust and preferred to remain still. How could she now use the fact that, even prior to the Assignments, her mentor was one of the main reasons she hated the Institute and then became her daily torment? With only a single attitude, he had achieved something capable of overriding those facts in his righteous thought. And yet, it was not just once. Counting on that accident in the lake – which she preferred to forget – were two. And adding this to his disposition to teach her how to handle almaki... how could she continue to accuse him of being a dictator, when his motives were reduced to pure and shameful selfishness from the point of view of others?
— Do you remember that I once asked you why you did not give Krission a chance?
— Yes. I accepted him to teach me.
— Actually, that did not involve just driving... it seems like Kris had understood before.
— As well?
He took a deep breath, as if preparing to start a long story, and asked,
— Do you know why we are Dragons, Garo?
Had heard that question, from the Fire Dragon, on the Routes. Although she had given a generalized response that day – which everyone knew – she now had a broader view of the subject thanks to her history book. He had learned that the title even represented the powerful beings of ancient times, who no longer existed: the Dragons of the Legend of Gu-ren Tomatoes. They were scaly winged creatures, which in the engravings of his book looked like a strange mixture of mombelulas and bats. Large, powerful, and soul-like powers, they posed a danger to ancient peoples because they did not have the same capacity to think as humans. Although a human being could not be compared in size and strength, the advantage of handling almaki consciously, reaching such a high potential, placed them at the same level.
But the tone he used to ask her made her feel as if the question involved something much deeper than the origin of the title or the general knowledge of the almakins. Even so, he ventured:
— Why will you dictate the direction of Almakia?
— Yeah, that's the theory. Something we were told we should do and we were never sure what it was. For years there were people who stood out in the Institute, but there had never been five at one time. Even though everyone considers this an incredible coincidence, we know that was not exactly so.
Garo-Lin stared at him with a grimace of incomprehension, which was enough for him to understand that he should explain himself better:
— If there was to be a dragon in the Institute, it would be Kris or Vinshu. Either Benar or Sumerin or I did not compare to them. However, since we were little we lived together and were instructed so that our almakis could develop above the level. Even before we were old enough to enter the Institute, we were already guardians of a Family Secret – he gave her time, and then asked – Does this sound like a coincidence?
— Sounds more like... something planned.
— Exactly. But to get to that part, I first need you to know about things much greater than an Assignment, almaki levels, or the Table of Powers... – and at that moment it stopped, as if it came to a barrier that only he could see. – I wish I could give you a choice between listening or not, Garo-lin, but unfortunately I can not. Maybe from the moment you dared to confront Kris at the Institute, you were already involved without us noticing.
She thought for a moment. What if there really was a way to stay without knowing anything? To stop at that moment and no longer bury himself in what seemed something far beyond anything he imagined? But even with the possibility of living in ignorance, she felt with all her soul that he would not want it to be so. After all, a person had been buried with an explosion she had caused. Even if this had been the result of a gesture of defense, she could not simply forget. Then, very conscious of the band Aid that enveloped her wound in the head, now almost healed, she declared:
— I know.
Understanding everything she wanted to say with that simple statement, the dragon began to tell:
— Almakia is not just a Realm with its territorial limitations, Garo-lin. It's basically all the almaki concentration of the world. Here, in this land older than the almakins or any other people, there is a force that has not yet been explained. It may take years for someone to explain. Maybe you, me or any dragon does not live to know the truth. Predicting the future is not something simple or easy to be a resource we can always count on. But we can learn from the past, and standing still when a cycle repeats itself is not a wise choice.
— Because of the troubled history of the ancestor handlers, we have created a barrier that prevents us from accepting what is different. Even though they are not acting in an extreme way like the ancients, the almakins are cruel to other peoples and find themselves in the full right of it... maybe you know more than anyone.
— Too much... – She realized she had thought aloud. – Excuse me! Keep going.
As if he had not been interrupted, he went on:
— Ignoring and oppressing is a poisonous mixture, which can bring unexpected results. The attitudes of the Royal State are not looked upon favorably by the other Realms, and they fear that this may unleash those ancient times, in which the almakins were sovereign rulers. So each of them has one or two ideas about how he could act if that happened. Even so, they know they can not against Almakia, not as she is now, and they are friendly. However, if someone came up who would present them with a possible way to conquer our Realm, they would not think much. You can count on the fingers of one hand how many rulers of Realms are weighed to the point of not jeopardizing their people in exchange for making their territories and possessions greater.
— And someone like that came? – she asked.
— Not only does it exist, but this person has already been acting for some years. Her plan is very simple: to promise power in exchange for help and in the end to keep everything to yourself.
— But how does this happen and nobody says anything?!
— It's not someone who plans without thinking about every detail. She is able to see strategies at all, and has cleverly made a proposal for each important Realm, without them knowing that they are actually being manipulated against each other.
— How do you know that?
— Kidari Chanboni.
— What does she have to do with it?!
— Kodo is the greatest Overseas Realm. An alliance between him and Almakia may be essential if the other Realms give up helping. The fact that she is here indicates that this alliance has already been made.
— But she no...
— She's not aware of that. Benar has a means of discovering a person's intentions. He used all of his manipulation strategies to try to get her to say something, but she did not really know anything.
That made Garo-lin feel somehow relieved. For a single moment, she thought her friend might not really be who she was.
— She hid the fact that she was a princess – the dragon continued. – But that does not make you a suspect. Probably she was told to do it so there would not be so much fanfare in the Realms, not until everything was settled. The fact was only publicly reported after we left for the Assignment.
— But who is this person who is acting like that?
— First, about the Dark Stones.
"Even if all the Realms joined to attack, there would be no chance again
st the almakins trained at the Institute. And even if that does not happen, only the idea scares them. Now, if there was a way to go against our powers, they would not hesitate to break good relations with us and attack. And that form was finally unearthed. For hundreds of years, the Dark Stones were considered legends, from a time when Almakia was still young and one did not have the almaki knowledge we have today. And yet, it is a legend that few know, since it is much better that it be kept secret. But for some time now there is evidence that they could be real and that someone had discovered them. Now, we know it's true and where it's being manipulated. The mines you saw are working on it. Probably not being extracted from there, since for countless years those stones were stirred and everything that was already taken. But that chain shows how people without soulki and without knowledge are working on them, which leaves much clear to us. We can not yet calculate how much of that matter exists and who is with it.
— Pirates? – She asked, putting the only suspicion that came into her head.
— Pirates do not have that knowledge – he explained. – From what you've just told them, they know it's something that can lessen our almaki, not something that can kill. Even they know that the consequences of eliminating the Fire Dragon from Almakia could not be predicted. Maybe I had him incapacitated and kept him as a permanent hostage, but I do not think they were capable of anything worse. Benar was already with the pirate groups and he checked.
Garo-lin thought of the clear intention of those pirates, but kept his opinions to herself, since she was obviously the least informed.
— What happened to you yesterday is one of the most precious information we have ever received. She clarified several facts and leaves us one step ahead: the person behind it plans to use the Dark Stones against the almakins.
With that last sentence, something was confused in Garo-lin's mind:
— But... if this person is someone from within Almakia and can act between the State and the Realms, it can only be...
— Almakin.
Several other questions unfolded at the same time inside her head and ended up joining in one:
— What?!
— How does an almakin want to destroy almakins? Do you think this is impossible to do?
— No – she said honestly.
— Like I said, that person sees strategies at all. She was able to easily create a web that involves everyone: the Realms, the Royal State, the Dragons... unfortunately, we could only realize this after a time inside the Institute, when we officially received our titles and when, for the first time, we had authority to act for ourselves. Vinshu was the first to realize that there was something greater going on. When Kandara came close to us and revealed things we could not even imagine were happening around us, we made our decision.
— What decision?
— Indeed, we are to be the ones who will dictate the future of Almakia.
The effect that phrase brought to the reality of Garo-lin was the same as when she used her almaki to attack the pirate who was about to mortally wound Dul'Maojin. At that moment she was aware that she had done something greater than she could have imagined, and now she had just heard something that went beyond everything she knew and that knocked over much of what she thought was right.
As if she knew exactly what she was thinking, the dragon said:
— Do you understand why I could not be your mentor, Garo? While on one side there is a force trying to impose a destination for Almakia and on the other one that tries to stop them, in the middle is Krission Dul'Maojin, someone fundamental. But without either side realizing, an insignificant vilashi had emerged and she alone could decide the future of the Fire Dragon... the great thing that happened is not in the Fire Dragon save an insignificant vilashi of the pirates. But from this same insignificant vilashi save him with his own almaki and bring him back safely.
Faced with her silent astonishment, he added in a final tone:
— It may not be easy to accept, but you may be sure of one thing, Garo-lin: even if you do not want to, you can change the future of the one who will dictate Almakia's course.
***
Garo-lin did not know whether it was her shocked reaction or whether it was all that was necessary Kandara Dul'Maojin had said before they left, but the fact was that the Royal Dragon had thought he had said enough for her. Just commenting that it might be best to go back, but that she could stay if she thought it was necessary, he looked around in that seemingly purposeless way and stood up, just leaving.
Even if the dragon had said she could not stay there, she did not know if she could muster enough reasoning to do anything beyond that. Her whole mind was now filled and working only what she had heard, and so she had stayed even after realizing that the dragon had disappeared and was completely alone. Nor could she say how much she had sat in that lost shape, as the passage of time seemed not to matter much at the moment.
How could she change the future of the one who will dictate Almakia's direction?! No matter how she thought, she could not see herself doing anything great. All right, in a way, he had saved the Fire Dragon. Had he not acted recklessly with those pirates and simply followed his mentor's order to flee, could he have contributed to something worse? In the face of all this new panorama that she now knew existed, in view of the importance that the Fire Dragon's decision seemed to have in this context, she realized that she had done something of immense proportion.
But not everything had been clarified. Who was the person behind it? Why did the Fire Dragon not know who it was? She had clearly heard him say that when she was listening through the bedroom door. Hiding this fact from him, the heiress Dul'Maojin was not, in a way, controlling it? After all, she had influence over him and could use the fact of being his sister to get the Dragon to stand by her side and support her in her decisions.
Finding more questions than answers, she collapsed on the platform.
She could not help but blame the Royal Dragon for causing this state of complete disorientation. Why had he made her see something like that and just left without telling her everything?
Then something entered her focus of vision and it took her a few seconds to recognize the sphere she had gained from her mentor on fire night.
— You should not leave it anywhere.
Frightened, Garo-lin jumped up and met Kandara Dul'Maojin, staring at her like someone who never tired of provoking that kind of reaction in others:
— Did I scared you? – She sat beside her on the platform, taking her hand and placing the ball inside her. – Never forget that again! Kris was about to set fire to his friend's house because you didn’t heed his call.
— He didn’t...
— Don’t worry. If Kris fulfilled half his threats, probably half of Almakia would be permanently on fire... when Nu'lian returned without you, he wanted to come here, but Vinshu was smarter and said it was time to check his conditions for travel. So I suggest you use this time now to stay with your family before we leave... – She seemed to realize that there was something different about her. – What's it?
Seeing an opportunity to ask the questions she needed to get out of that labyrinth of information in which she had fallen, she began:
— The Water Dragon spoke about various things, but...
— He did not say it all.
— No.
— Actually, he said everything he needed to say – she explained – I know he does not always look, but Nu'lian has a Family Secret that influences everything he does. It may not be as powerful as Kris's or as useful as anyone else's, but it's very important and difficult to control, which requires to act in a vague way at times. There will come a time when he can decide whether to tell you about it or not, but one thing I can do without guilt: the Royal Dragon always knows exactly what to say. If you did not tell me everything, it was because I already knew about my intention to talk to you. And, from his point of view, that would be better... so if I told you about my role in everything that's going
on, would you listen to me?
The question, made in a tone of fair demand for the one who would never have imagined going down to ask her something, left Garo-lin not knowing what to answer. But seeing that the heiress would only speak if she accepted, she nodded.
— Nu'lian must have told you that someone is plotting to change Almakia's situation. He must have also told, that the Dragons are part of all this, right?
— Right – she managed to say.
— I was the one who discovered these plans. And for you to understand the reasons why I, an absolute Dul'Maojin, behave sneakily, I need to talk about a part of my life that once they wanted me to forget.
"It happened some time ago, in my senior year at the Institute, when I was about the age Kris now has. I had the title Fire Dragon, I was respected and feared and I loved it. Believe me, a Dul'Maojin can not live without knowing that is above the others, it is in our blood... and it was someone very similar to you that made me realize that I was not the center of the world. "
— An Vilashi?
— No – she laughed – You are the first case of a vilashi in the Institute ... It was a wind almakin, of those with an almaki so weak, that it could simply be inconsiderate. He was half-blooded like Nu'lian, but not as lucky as to be part of the Royal Family and part of the Family of Water. He was simply insignificant!
Finding all resemblance, Garo-lin simply kept listening.
He had a way of acting that irritated me. He seemed not to care what I said, however cruel, and no matter how intent it was to reduce him to a grain of dust. Instead of understanding the place I should have in my presence, he just smiled and followed the path, ignoring me. One day when I could not handle this situation, I found him alone in a place of the Institute and I threatened him, saying that if he did not say something, I would burn him there immediately.
Garo-lin could imagine the scene perfectly, without needing details.
— Even under this threat, he smiled again, and for the first time he spoke to me. In a way that he had nothing to lose, he said: okay; I was so angry that I blew up a whole ward of the Institute. Do you know that place that is still destroyed?
Almakia_The vilashi and the Dragons Page 24