Fire Bound Dragon

by Elizabeth Rain

  “A lot of you are here under the assumption that this is a class where you will learn about the history of shifting and what being one entails. But it is so much more. Here you will learn about the variety of shifters we have here at Rule 9, some others we don’t, and the unique traits of both. If you are here, you have shifting ability. You are Other. A select few of you are also Magicals. I would bet there are many of you in here who are as yet unsure of where you fall or just what you are capable of. Part of my goal for this class is to give you some of those answers.” As she spoke she used a toggle switch on her chair to steer it around the room so she didn’t remain in one place. Energy seemed to flow from her lithe athletic frame and I found it sad that someone so vibrant was confined to a wheelchair. I wondered, that with all the magic in Drae Hallow, someone couldn’t do something about her injury. But not even Magicals had the answers to everything, I realized. We were human. Just with certain abilities and genetics that made us something more.

  “There is one other thing that we have to give you here. It has to do with your first change and what leads up to it.” I sat up straighter. Wendy Seul’s tone had changed and grown serious.

  “You see. For some of you, you have been born into shifter families. You know what to expect and realize the dangers of a first time change and what leads up to it. But for a select few in here, you don’t. It’s not a case of just waking up a wolf or a ferret one day. Much like a menopausal change in an older woman, you will go through several months of bodily changes. Your moods will alter. The ability to control your tempers for some will fly right out the door. There will be hair growing where you don’t want it and loss of hair where you’ve always had it. Strange dreams and itchiness. Some have described it as feeling like ants are crawling beneath your skin. And pain. Your bodies will change, preparing you for what will someday become second nature. But the first time is the most dangerous. You have to become aware of the risks and that’s my job. To prepare you.

  A tingling sensation along my neck made me roll my shoulders and want to reach a hand back and scratch. It was almost as if I was experiencing a ghosting reaction. Someone talked about lice—everything itched.

  “For most of you, the change will occur sometime between your seventeenth and eighteenth birthday, so this class will give us the chance to educate you before it happens. There is one more thing.”

  I couldn’t help it; the sensation had grown to a rolling burn. I reached up and clawed at my shoulder, trying to look as unobtrusive as possible. I realized Wendy Seul was staring at me and I straightened, folding my hands in my lap.

  “One more thing is Dragon Shifters. They are a unique breed and depending on the bloodlines, dangerous. If you have the birthmark of the dragon, there will be a separate three-week session after hours for you. There is information you need that the rest of the class will find irrelevant.”

  The itching disappeared all of a sudden and I frowned. Now that was weird. What had she said? A special class? I looked around at the rest of the students. At least ninety percent of them seemed rather bored. But there were maybe five of us that were paying particular attention to this part of her speech. Others like me, maybe?

  I was sure it was all a bit of a farce, anyway. I still had a hard time believing that I had the ability to change into a real fire-breathing dragon. Besides, one interesting piece of information I had found out was that not all Others shifted. Some didn’t shift at all. Others could only shift certain parts of their bodies and never performed a complete transformation. I had heard that the chance of that occurring was particularly high in dragon shifters. Many had lost the ability through the centuries. I was sure I was more than Other by this point. Though I still had done nothing that anyone would consider spectacular. Still, I had abilities beyond the birthmark that claimed me as just Other, so that made me a Magical.

  A Magical had abilities that had nothing to do with shifting. Others were shifters—period. But some of us had the ability to do both. And the range and degree of those abilities ran the gauntlet to small and mundane like making a dead flower bloom to the spectacular like controlling the weather or other bits of sorcery that weren’t as pleasant.

  With what I’d seen so far. I was on the tamer end of the spectrum. And that was fine. I had no desire to be some super freak that could burn down a town with nothing but a thought. Simple when it came to magic seemed a much safer option.

  The rest of class we spent passing out books, going over the class syllabus and getting to know everyone we’d be spending the next several months with. I made a note to jot down the dates and times for the extra three weeks. Great, as if I didn’t have enough to worry about, now I’d have an extra class that came with a few quizzes and one major test that the rest of the class didn’t have to worry about. It surprised me that the three weeks were spread out over the course of the semester and not lumped all together to get it over with. I thought it an odd thing, but who was I to judge?

  Students shuffling books and jackets around me caught my attention and I stood up with everyone else. I caught Thomas’ eye from across the room and we met at the door. My next class was Sorcery and Enchantment with Feather Hodges, a continuation of the same class from last semester. This class and Dark Beasts and How to Survive Them were the only two new classes. Everything else was a repeat.

  Thomas and I walked out together. A thought occurred to me. “Hey. That secret room that Jerry Waverly is staying in while his house is being built? Is that what it’s for? For when you first go through your changes so you don’t wreck the furniture in the main house?” I asked it half joking. It surprised me when he nodded, face grim.

  “That’s exactly what it’s for. The first change is dangerous not just to the young werewolf going through it, but also to anyone around them. Certain shifters are more dangerous than others the first time they shift. The room isn’t designed for just us either. There are several homesteads on the Mountain with hidden rooms like that. They are open to anyone that needs them. None of my sisters and brothers have changed just yet. We aren’t old enough. But we’ve hosted others from time to time. It’s a safe house of sorts. Right now it’s a safe house for Jerry.”

  Thomas looked more worried than I liked. “How dangerous is it?” I couldn’t help asking.

  “Well, it’s not unheard of for something to go wrong. Some even die. And then those that do make it through the physical change? There’s the mental transformation as well. We have to learn to control the beast. When we change, everything changes, including our minds. Our instincts and capacity to determine right from wrong are skewed. We still have to maintain the ability to restrain our wolves from the instinct to kill and hunt unchecked. Those that can’t? We have to put them down so they don’t turn into lone-wolf serial killers and turn on their families and others in the valley. That hasn’t happened often, but it has happened.”

  I stared at him in horror. He spoke like he was discussing the weather and it was no big deal.

  I let it drop. We parted ways and I headed for building B. “I’ll see you at lunch,” I added in parting.

  Thomas nodded but didn’t answer. His mind seemed elsewhere and I didn’t have to be a genius to figure out on what.

  As I walked, I thought about the need for extra training for those of us with dragon blood. Was that because for us the change was even worse? What happened to a dragon that ran amuck and started toasting the neighbors? I didn’t want to find out, and I didn’t want that to be me.

  CHAPTER THREE

  I missed the Thomas I knew. Never the light-hearted free spirit that Sirris was, he nonetheless possessed a droll sense of humor that charmed. This quiet, introspective Thomas worried me. And Sirris too was just as frightened. We both knew that Thomas and his family still mourned the disappearance of the Tuttle Cousins that had disappeared on the mountain in the middle of last semester along with the subsequent small group that had went to check on them. Later in the Semester, Thomas’ brother Todd had taken
off with a few of his buddies from school and they too had vanished somewhere on the mountains, bringing the count to eleven missing.

  I knew that there were still at least three demon wolves at large as well. After the trans-dimensional portal had been closed and they had sealed Will Bennett on the other side, we’d expected the demon wolves to attack us. We’d all been shocked when instead they’d simply turned heel and vanished into the woods and surrounding mountains. Unfortunately, we also lost our chance to question them. Most of us assumed the worst. That the missing Tuttles had been attacked and killed and, some speculated—eaten. I wasn’t so sure of the last. We’d all witnessed the demon wolves cruelty first hand. But we’d seen no evidence of them eating anyone. Livestock yes, other people, no.

  So instead, the atmosphere at the Tuttles had been anything but jovial as everyone there struggled to come to grips with their loss. I knew part of it was that it was difficult to move on when you didn’t know what had happened. It was hard to mourn a mystery.

  We were only a few weeks into the new year. February had come in with a roar and the mountain was snow covered and slippery with a good six inches of fresh powder. Not that it slowed us down much. Our winter gear was patterned in white camouflage to blend in with our surroundings and our boots were spiked with heavy tread for better traction on the slippery slopes.

  It was coming up on the weekend and I had a test to study for in Elemental Magic on Monday, but other than that the weekend stretched out long before us.

  I stared at Thomas’ dour face and couldn’t take it any longer. I leaned in and snagged his shoulder with my hand. He’d been listening to Sirris on his other side, though I’m not sure how much of what she’d said he had heard.

  “I think we should make a trip up the mountain ourselves and see if we can figure out what happened. Maybe we won’t like what we find. But closure is still better than not knowing. Sides, I think our experience in fighting the demon wolves is better than anyone else that’s gone up there. No Macu left and just a few demon wolves if we run into them. I think it’s safer than it was before, at least.” I had Thomas’ full attention and Sirris too was staring at me with a mixture of hope and horror. The last few times we’d tangled with the demon wolves, we’d nearly died. I was hoping this time wouldn’t be like that, but I couldn’t guarantee it. We assumed there were only three demon wolves left. Nobody knew for sure.

  “We’ve already lost eleven people. The family, the search party, and my idiotic brother and his friends. All of that has about killed my dad. I’m not sure what he would do if we didn’t make it back either. Don’t you think if they thought there was something to find that they wouldn’t have been running up the mountain to find it? Stupid is what that is, Sadie.” I nodded. I couldn’t blame him for worrying.

  “But none of them were us, Thomas. We have experience dealing with the demon wolves. I can’t think of anything worse we’ll encounter up there, can you? But whatever, if you don’t want to go, I won’t push the issue.”

  He scowled in my direction and stood up abruptly and went to take care of his tray without another word.

  Sirris hissed in my direction. “What was that, Sadie? You’ve only pissed him off more than he already was. That was a real help.” I watched his broad back storm out the door. He hadn’t even finished half his lunch and for him that was unheard of.

  “He’s not mad at me, Sirris. He’s mad at himself.” Sirris lips firmed and she glanced away, shoving her own half-finished tray back. She knew I was right. It was who Thomas was. He’d always been the boy with the weight of the world on his shoulders. He was the responsible one with all the answers. Only this time, he didn’t have them and he felt helpless to fix things. It wasn’t a good feel for Thomas Tuttle.

  IT WAS FRIDAY GAME night and I looked at my cards. I picked up a king from the discard pile and laid it down with my other two and discarded a two. I was out. Sirris threw hers down in disgust and started counting up her cards. I was winning, but rummy wasn’t much fun with two when you worried about the missing third. Neither of us had heard from Thomas since lunch. For the first time, he’d missed his afternoon classes. We’d both tried to reach him but wherever he’d gone, he wasn’t in the mood to be found.

  We both jerked when the door flew open and he stormed in. His face was dour and determined and his strides long as he tracked in our direction. We didn’t know what to say when he looked around to make sure we were alone and sat down across from us and leaned in.

  “Get your stuff together tonight. If you want to go, meet me by the pit in Sutter’s field in the morning at 7:00. I’m tired of wondering and I think we can handle the wolves if we’re careful. I still have a bit of that poison for tipping our knives and weapons left from before. I’m ready to find some answers. The not knowing is killing me.” He looked at us both, unsmiling. His eyes lingered on Sirris earnest face with what might have been regret. “Don’t be late,” he finished. And then he was up and gone.

  I stared at Sirris and reached over to grab her hands; the card game forgotten. “He’ll be okay, Sirris. He’s just having a hard time right now. Finding some answers will go a long way, I think. Even if they aren’t the answers we want.” We both knew fully that the chances of finding anything living on that mountain were slim. Too much time had passed.

  They were dead; we were just running up the mountain to try and find the bodies.

  I PACKED CAREFULLY. I stuffed my pack with extra socks and added my quiver packed with enough bolts to fell a herd of stampeding elephants. I believed in being prepared. Several packs of granola bars, and as many bottles of water, rounded out my supplies. I grunted as I swung the pack onto my shoulders, groaning under the additional weight. But winter packing required more forethought. We weren’t just fighting the tough terrain of hiking in the mountains; we had to be cautious of the weather as well. Winter storms in the mountain could be vicious and unpredictable. We didn’t want to be caught in one unprepared.

  I turned to look beneath the bunk. Fern was there, two slim legs peeking out. One purple sock hung off her foot, half on. The other foot wore a green sock with black and red stripes. I loved her fashion sense. It was actually more terrifying than mine. I looked down at my own faded jeans and camouflage Carhart’s. I slapped a pair of gloves against my leg and reached for the door.

  “I’ll be out most of the day.” I said. Fern didn’t answer, but I knew she’d heard me fine. Fern didn’t say much unless it was important. But she was always paying attention in her own quirky little way.

  Sirris was waiting for me in the lobby. We were going to look like two gigantic snow shoe rabbits on the trail. Sirris hair was back in a long braid that fell down her back, a White knit cap covering her head for extra warmth, similar to mine. Maybe because we’d shopped together at the Shephard’s Mountain sporting Goods Store in Breathless over Christmas break. I grinned. Most girls our age shopped for new purses or hats. Instead, we were in the boot and backpack sections two rows over from hunting and fishing. We were a pair.

  THOMAS WAS WAITING for us by the fire pit, impatiently stamping his feet to keep them warm. The early morning sun hadn’t penetrated the thick wood to warm up the trails yet and I guessed it was maybe twenty degrees. I pulled a pair of sunglasses out of my pocket and perched them on my nose to cut down on the brightness, though. The sunlight reflecting off the new-fallen snow from last night was sharp.

  “How long you been waiting. I know we aren’t late.” I added, looking at his scowling face.

  “Not long. I want to get going. Get this over with.” He added, turning away to lead. My eyes met Sirris.

  Thomas couldn’t fool us. What he didn’t say was that he was terrified of what we might find. He didn’t want to be the one to discover his brother’s body. Or that of the three-year-old little boy, one of the homesteaders and a second cousin. They’d been part of the original three to go missing.

  We made quick work of the path to the portal, and Thomas never eve
n paused as he traced the pattern and we waited for the side of the mountain to fade away and revealed the corridor running the around the inside of Shephard’s Mountain. The mountains themselves were crisscrossed with trails and paths, some of them ATV accessible, many of them not.

  We walked the corridor in near silence, each of us lost in our own thoughts. We emerged into daylight so bright that both Sirris and Thomas put their own sunglasses on and I was glad of my own. Thomas was on a mission and never paused. Along the way, I snagged a drink from the bottle I had stored in a side pocket. As the day warmed and our exertion took its toll I unzipped the front of my jacket and removed my hat, swiping at the sweat beading my forehead. I finally could take it no more.

  “Okay. Uncle. Thomas can we stop for like, five minutes?” He swung in my direction, stopping dead in the middle of the trail with a caustic reply on his lips I knew I wasn’t going to like. But one glance at Sirris pinched expression and pale cheeks had him changing his mind.

  “Sure. Let’s take ten.” He took his pack off and leaned it up against a tree and moved to help Sirris with hers. I shook my head and did the same. He wouldn’t have stopped for me. He’d have expected me to suck it up and keep up. And I would have, just because I was stubborn like that. But for Sirris he was patient, always. I wondered if she realized the depth of his feelings for her.

  Sirris sat her pack next to mine and took a long drink from her water bottle.

  “Wow, I forgot how much fun this climb was. The Snow isn’t helping either. I wonder how much we’ll even find with it all covering everything.” Several long wheat colored strands of hair had pulled loose and fluttered about her face. But she was getting color back in her cheeks. I glanced at Thomas. He was frowning, thinking about what Sirris had said I knew. The snow wouldn’t be making anything easier.