Chapter 29

The plan

 I woke up. It was quiet accept for a fire busy dying outside and a nearby stream.
            Lucian was fast asleep next to me and I gently lift his arm that was around me. He didn't wake up. I was starving and wonder if they made food tonight. Maybe Sammy will still have some fruit in her back pack. I crawled outside the tent trying my best not to make one sound. I needed time to think, to be alone and his constant worrying about me was the last thing I wanted right now
            The zip's noise sounds as if it would wake up the entire camp site. I crawled out gently while he just lay there.
            Everyone was fast asleep, accept for Blake that was guarding the entrance of the campsite. He was sitting and the moon light up his face making him look extra mysterious. I swallowed hard. He is so beautiful. I saw him writing into a small journal, only a couple of words and then he would look up as if he was searching for something in the sky.  I assume by the cloudless night, he's probably stargazing.
            I sulk as there was no left over's by the fire. My stomach was grumbling like crazy as I walk towards Blake. He didn't look at me as I reach him but put the book he was writing in under his a*s.
            "D'you mind?"
            "Sure, whatever" he mumbles. I got a feeling he doesn't like me that much, even if he did promise that he will give me his respect if I make it out alive, but I plunge myself down opposite of him resting my back against one of the trees.
            I don't think he likes anyone much, accept his precious Tabitha."It was really brave what you did tonight Elena" he said which surprised me.
            "I guess anyone in my position would have tried their best" I reply in a soft voice.
He huff while shaking his head softly.
            "How's the arm?" he change the subject.
            "Hurts like hell." He smiled softly looking at the sky again. It was quiet for a couple of minutes and I decide to go back to the tent when he spoke again.
            "You are wrong about everyone doing what you have done."
            "Blake, please. I did what I said I would do" I didn't want to talk about it. It might be his way of trying to find out what I saw inside the cave. I can't break my promise. I will never be able to let that dragon take my unborn child. It was hard not telling them anything because I was dying to know a couple myself. Like, who were those ladies playing in the dragons' garden.
            "That is exactly my point. What people say they will do and what they do is two different things Elena. Learned that the hard way."
            I felt sorry for him again but knows exactly what he meant. Dad also said things and did the opposite so many times. "I always do what I say I will."
            "You don’t get it” he chuckles. “You could have asked to see anything."
            "And your point is."
            "You have no idea why your dad died. You could have asked you why that dragon was after you, or who's your mom" and I look back at the tent where Lucian was sleeping. I only told him about my mom. Betrayal washed over me. "Don't worry your precious boyfriend didn't tell me" he says as he too was looking at our tent.
            "Then how do you know?"
            "Master Longwei did" he said and I frown. How did he knows and why would he shared something like that with Blake?
            "I still don't understand what you mean?"
            "You could have ask to see anything. It would have shown her to you, yet you pick a sword that absolutely means nothing to you Elena" he answers.  My throat closed up as I realize what he is saying. I could have ask to see who my mom was or why that dragon did kill my father, but what would that have done towards our mission.
            "It doesn’t matter, the past is not going to save us from any of this. I went in that cave to find out about the sword and I did" I answered back making it clear to him what type of a person I am and trying to hide the fact that I lost the only chance of ever knowing what my mom looked like. I can never go back inside, it was a onetime deal and it is something that I have to live with. Maybe I wouldn’t even like what it would’ve shown me and then what.
            No I am glad that I used it for the right purpose. As sad as it was, it felt like the right choice.
            "It was still brave of you to give up that opportunity."
            What ever, I want to say that out loud but knew if I did, I would have start to cry. I know that I made the right choice but it was still hard to let go of the only thing I ever wanted.
            I pushed it away from my mind and think about the hot guy sitting right in front of me.
            "You guys were brave for coming with" I said.
            "We are dragons Elena. What kind of a Rubicon would I be if I chickened out" he replies with a soft smile.
            "Still, it is very brave."
            "You have much to learn" he replies and sigh softly.
            "So everyone tells me. Thank you for asking that dragon to give me the gift to understand Latin. I would never be able to go through it if it was not for that."
            "Tell me about it” he mumbles and I gave him a sarcastic smile. I am trying for crying out loud.
            "So, you guys really don't understand English when you are in your other form" I ask. It sound stupid, why didn't I just say dragon.
            "No, dragon is what I am Elena. My true colors comes out when he does. I don't have to hide the way I feel."  He lifts up the left side of his bum and take out his packet of cigarettes. I started to cough as he lights one.
            "So you know every time when you end up hurting someone, especially during a claim" and he nods his head. "You don't care."
            "It is not who we are." and he sigh. "I don't know how to explain it to you. A part of this form doesn't want to be a dragon and it clashes with who I am when I am one. It's hard to explain."
            "Dr Jackal and Mr. Hyde" I whisper softly and he huffs.
            "Exactly. The only thing that we ever agreed on  is this mission."
            "Is it why you and Lucian are no longer friends” I ask without thinking. It was his  turn to glare at the tent where Lucian was fast asleep.
            His jaw muscles appeared and I should have kept my big mouth shut.
            "I knew he would tell you about us" he grunts.
            "You didn't answer my question."
            "Yes Elena. The older I get the more I want to be a dragon. The more I am a dragon the less I will stay human, which means I will end up losing this" and he gesture at his human form. Believe me I did him a big favor" he was leaning against the tree and puffing out small circles of smoke.
            “How can you say that Blake. It is selfish of you to make that kind of a decision on his behalf.” I was starting to get upset with him.
            “Elena, it is not that easy” he growls. “I know Cheng gave you the breakdown of what I will turned into if I am not claimed by a certain date. That part of me grows stronger every single day. My human form can't fight this. It is just too much to bear and you have no idea how much it hurts when I am forcing myself to do the opposite of what my true form wants.” He sound defeated, like the dragon in him already won.
            "Will it change if Lucian claims you?" 
            He starts to laugh.
            "He will never claim me."
            "He could Blake" I reply back wishing that I could just carry half of his burden so that he can hold out a little bit longer.
            "You live in a dream world. I will become evil and it is something I struggle to make peace, but sooner or later I will have no choice."
            "You don't have to" I said. "You have to fight Blake don't give up."
            "You think I'm not trying. Elena, I am seeing the Seer on a daily basis just for one ounce of hope. Just so you know I haven't found it yet and to be honest every time I leave that f*****g tower, I become more happy. It is not normal" he snaps softly.
            "She did predict your true Dragonian Blake, being born" I said.
            "Believe me my Dragonian did not get a chance to take a single breath. Goran made sure of it the night he killed them."
            “You don’t know that” I said softly hoping that somehow he was wrong.
            "Yes, I do."
            "What if he is born and no one knows about it. Like maybe not with queen Catherine" I ask.
            He looks at me with disgust.
            "Are you implying that the king committed adultery. The king loved the queen, he would never do that."
            "How do you know" I was adamant ignoring his reply.
            "Because his dragon would have known.”
            He was starting to get annoyed with me but I don’t care.
            "Oh and you know Sir Robert" I sounded sarcastic.
            "Yes, he is my father." I stare at him for a short while. I didn't bargain on that.
            "Your father is the Night Villain he claimed" and he had this angry look on his face but nods his head.
            "My dad knew everything about them. He would have told me if hope like that existed. There is none Elena. I got no Dragonian." 
            For a second I felt his pain, taste his defeat. There was no hope and Blake will become evil.
            "Just try to give Lucian a chance to claim you Blake" and his jaw muscles tightened again.
            "I can't Elena. I am already giving it my everything not to kill him" he grunts and got up while flicking his cigarette bud away.
            I listened to him zipping down the zip of his tent with force. He was angry and it’s my fault.
            I started to feel bad. It was insulting and not only to him, but to his father and the king. I sigh and admit that he is right, there is not hope.  If the dragon is already stronger than him he will kill Lucian at the end.
            My eyes sting thinking how this mission might be worthless. If Blake becomes evil, we don't have to worry about Goran destroying Paegeia. He will.
            I sigh and got up decided that I should try to sleep again. My stomach was growling but I unzipped the tent slowly, trying not to make one sound and crawl back inside next to Lucian.

            I struggled to fall asleep and wish that Constance was here to heal my shoulder. Heck I will even welcome Julia with her drip. My mind dwell towards Sir Robert and can't believe that he is Blake’s father. How did he escape that night, leaving his Dragonian alone?
            Night Villains were not known as the cowardly type. All sort of scenarios played off in my head. Some of them did see the Night Villain escaping, leaving the king and queen to fight for themselves. Dying unprotected because both their dragons were cowards. One not there, the other never returned. Maybe the Royal Council was right, maybe they were with Goran and his evil plan to destroy the king and queen.
            Then an opposite scenario jumps in my mind.
            What if the king ordered Sir Robert away because he was Blake's father?  It sounds like something he would do. I force myself to stop thinking about it and decided that I will ask Cheng, if I see him again.
            My eye lids start to feel heavy and I drift away just to wake up smelling fish roasting over fire. Lucian’s place was empty and I crawl out of the tent.
            "Good morning sleeping Beauty" his voice comes from the fire and I smiled.
            "You know that story too?"
            "We know all kinds of fairy tales. They have been told for centuries" he jokes. "How is your arm?"
            "Much better" I lied. I will get it sorted out once we are back at Dragonia.
            "I am glad to hear it. Are you hungry?" he asks and I nod without taking my eyes of the fish. "It is almost done."
            "I never have fish for breakfast but I don't care, that smells so good."
            "Fish for breakfast" Becky sings as she just got out of her tent too.
            "Hey, I can only do so much" he teases back.
            "Where is Blake" she asks. My heart tightened up as Becky says his name.
            "Is he gone?"
            "He will be back. He just need some time alone" Lucian answers tasting a piece of fish. I almost burst out laughing when he discovered that it's too hot.
            "He better be because I am not waiting for his brawny a*s" Becky replies in her famous tone and disappeared back into her tent again. "Wake up George."
            We chuckle softly and I imagine her kicking a sleeping George that shared a tent with her. She crawls back out and had two bottles of water in her hand. "The food supply is getting low" she says towards Lucian.
            "It is only tonight then we will go home, right Elena" and I nod my head. The dragon said that I was allowed to only tell them what I saw.
            "Where is it we have to go" she asks me.
            "The mountains of Ekwador. You guys know where it is?"
            "The volcano" Arianna shrieks and I jump a little. I didn't even see her.
            "Yes, it is where he is going to take the sword to destroy it."
            "Who is it?”
            "I don't know Lucian. He was old with dark brown hair that started to turn grey. He was on the back of a Sun-blast" I said.
            "You saw him destroying the sword tonight" Becky asks and I nod my head. "We need to hurry up. Ekwador is a push from here."
            "Which way" I wanted to know.
            "It is North West of Areeth" he said. "Brian, see if you can't find Blake we have to pack up soon."
            "Got it" and Brian yank his jeans off and exploded into his dragon form. His wings made such a loud noise that we all covered our ears with our hands. I could only use one hand because of my shoulder.
            It is weird how normal it is for them to go back to what they were doing, pretending that  they did not witness a human transforming into a dragon. My eyes were still watching him disappeared. I guess I still have to get use to the idea that it's normal for them seeing dragons changing and soaring the sky like birds. Master Longwei is right about how easy it is for someone like me to lose our minds. 
            We all dig in as the fish was done. Lucian must have wake up early to catch all of them. I didn't know if I should tell him about my conversation with Blake last night or not. I left it when I think too much about it. I made enough decisions already.
            Brian came back and morph the minute he landed with Blake not far behind him. They both pulled on their clothes and took the plates Tabitha dished up for them. He glares over into my direction and our eyes met for only a second.
            I felt bad about last night. I should not have said those horrible things. He was right, I have a lot to learn and hope that he could forgive me for what I said.
            We finish breaking down the campsite after breakfast.
            "So where do we go" Blake asks.
            "Ekwador, he is going to destroy the sword tonight in the volcano" Lucian gives him the breakdown while folding our tent.
            "Who is it" he wants to know too.
            "Don't know Blake, Elena never seen him before" his answer sounds as if he was irritated.
            "Let me guess, we "wing" this one too." I rolled my eyes behind Lucian’s back.
            "Yeah, you got a problem. You are free to leave" he bites back.
            "Lucian" I came up for Blake and he just look at me for a short while. I beg him with my eyes. They were best friends for crying out loud.
            "I hope you are right about this Elena" Blake snaps at me and close the bag which he carries with him. The five dragons start stripping again. I looked away, scared of blushing by the shape of Blake’s body and listen to them changing. They flew away except Sammy and George. When the four of us got on top of them I left out a huge breath.
            I really don’t like flying and hold on to Lucian again as if my life depended on it. I shut my eyes and shriek a bit as Sammy takes off.
            I didn't open them but concentrate instead on her breathing and feel it expanding her body every three seconds. The sound coming from her wings, made me wish that I had an iPod, like Becky.
            The trip wasn't as far as the one coming to the Sacred Cavern, but it was a far stretch, like Becky said.
            Lucian taps my leg and I finally open my eyes slowly.  In front of us was the picture I saw in the millpond. It was Ekwador.