Settling In.

Settling In; Chapter 2.

Jake opened his eyes. His head hurt and his mouth was dry. He tried to sit up, a stab of pain ripped through him. His side was still hurting. Badly. He looked down, there was a bandage across his chest. He could still see the scaly rash on his stomach and legs though. But at least the most threatening wound was bandaged. Jake lay back, he was in a bedroom in someone else’s house, that much he knew to be true. Maybe it was that girl’s… Raven. He shut his eyes again.

~

Raven opened the door, Jake was asleep still. 

“Look at him.” She whispered. “So young… How did it happen to him?” 

“Blood.” Came her answer. 

Raven turned around, surprised. “You mean, he wasn’t infected by a cut?” 

“No, Jacob’s father was one of us. He was a lying coward, he must have been to leave Jacob’s mother with a child of his blood.” 

“Do you know who Jake’s father is?” Raven asked. 

“No, but I have my suspicions.” 

~

“Hey Jake.” Raven said, walking in to his bedroom with a tray in hand. Jake sat up, he was getting better.

“Hey Raven.” 

“Lunch is served.” She said whilst placing the tray on his lap. “Tomato soup, bread and a bacon sandwich because you love bacon.” 

“Too right!” Jake grinned. “Bacon is amazing.” He picked up the sandwich and took a huge bite.

The salty bacon and ketchup filled his mouth. He tasted the bread and butter. The melted butter dripped down his chin. He licked his lips and used the back of his hand to wipe his chin. 

“Raven…” He said uncertainly. 

“Mhmm?” She asked, sitting at the end of his bed. 

“Who else is here? I mean… I hear talking. There’s more then just you and me in this house. I mean, I looked out the window. I’m four or five stories up.”

Raven sighed. “Well, it’ll take a while. But I’ll find everyone. We’ll all come and say hello. And maybe I’ll tell you why you’re here.” 

“Oh… Okay.” Jake said, not sure if he’d offended Raven. He looked down at the bacon sandwich and took another bite, this one smaller then the last. 

Raven stood up. She looked at Jake. He looked a million times better then he did when they first met. His black hair was growing long though, maybe she should offer to cut it. His bandages probably needed changing again soon. He was physically fit, she could see muscle definition under the rash on his skin. 

His rash was by far the worst she’d seen. He’d have an interesting transformation. He’d already started to transform, he’d had wings when he ran from Them. 

She looked at his face, a small scar above his left eye was all that remained of the night that he got the large wound on his side. He was looking at the food in front of him. His eyes were a beautiful green. She shook her head and walked out of the door, leaving Jake to eat. 

~ 

Jake looked down at his food. He could hear Raven’s breathing and was determined to get her to leave. He raised his head, she was already at the door. She walked out. 

“Good.” He muttered to himself. “Getting annoying anyway.” 

He looked down at the sandwich in his hands, the melted butter was dripping down to his wrist. He put the sandwich down and licked the butter off of his hands. He picked up a spoon and began to slurp the soup. 

Once he was finished he decided he’d like to get out of bed. Jake pushed against the wooden frame of the bed, he lifted his upper body into the right position with barely any pain from his side. He swung his legs off the edge of his bed. The carpet felt soft under his toes.

The rash was spreading! He could see it on his legs. He ran his hands over it, the rough skin felt dry and cold, almost like scales. 

He stood up. For a second it felt utterly normal. Suddenly his knees collapsed, he fell to the floor. 

“Ouch!” He muttered to himself, clambering back into the bed. He put the tray on the floor and sat up, leaning against the wall. 

“No luck with standing up yet?” A voice asked from the door. 

“No, not yet.” He said, looking up. 

The voice came from one of two girls. He didn’t know which one spoke, they were identical. Both had long, waist length blonde hair and perfect rosy cheeks. One stepped forwards, her eyes sparkled as she spoke.

“Well, maybe we could help you.” 

The other stepped forwards, she blushed as she spoke. “Although, you may need some more clothes on before we do.” 

“Yeah, I might need to get dressed.” Jake said, fully aware he was only dressed in a vest and boxers. “I’m Jake by the way.” 

The first girl nodded and smiled, “I’m Melody and this is Harmony. We’re twins.” 

“Identical twins, that includes our transformations.” Harmony said cheerily. 

“Could one of you find Raven for me? She’ll probably know where my clothes are.” Jake said. 

“I know where they are any way.” Harmony, at least Jake thought she was Harmony, smiled. She spun on her heel and skipped out of the room. 

“Is she always so… Cheery?” Jake asked.

“Yes. She is always like this, especially when we transform. It’s so annoying.” The other one, Melody, said. 

“Oh, well… She’s a moral booster indeed.” He joked. 

“She is.” Melody said, focusing on Jake. He could feel her stare. 

“Sorry, is something wrong?” He asked.

Melody shook her head. “No, nothing’s wrong… But you are the first male dragon I’ve ever met. And that wound… It looks like something I - we - might be able to help with.” 

“Help with?”

“Yeah, each dragon has a special ability. Mine and Harmony’s power is healing. Raven’s is that she can track others of our type. Sami can make people think that she’s not there, not like she’s invisible or anything, she’s just not there.”

“Sammy?” 

“S-a-m-i. Um… She’s - You’ll know when you meet Sami.” 

“Nice introduction squirt.” A deeper female voice said. 

“Hello Sami.” The little blonde girl blushed. 

“Hey. I guess you’re the Jake that Ven told me about.” Sami said, looking Jake in the eyes. 

“Ven.. Oh, Raven. Yeah, I’m Jake.” 

“And you’re undressed.” 

“Yup.” He grimaced.

“Cool.” Sami said turning around to Melody. “Mel, where’s Monny?” ”Finding his clothes.” 

“Good, he need them. I’m taking him training first thing tomorrow.” 

Raven walked into the room. Jake was sitting on the bed, fully dressed. Melody sat on the floor across the room from him, Sami was leaning on the chest of draws at the end of the bed and Harmony sat cross legged in the middle of the floor. 

“Well, nice to see that you’ve all met each other.” She said. 

“Most of us had met before.” Sami said sarcastically. 

“I know that.” Raven sighed. Jake looked up, he smiled as Raven turned to face him. ”Jake,” She said. “Tomorrow Sami is going to start training you. Physical training. You’re bound to be weak, you haven’t moved in almost a month.” 

“He couldn’t even stand on his own earlier. How’s he meant to train?” Harmony asked innocently. 

Jake flushed a deep red, it was true which made it worse. 

“Then I’ll just have to start from basics.” Sami said confidently. “We’ll start with walking and then get you up to the assault course.”

“And I’ll teach him about his transformation.” Raven said firmly. “Mother said I was the only one strong enough to do so.”

The other girls nodded. Jake sat on the bed, feeling weak and tired.

“Wake up Jake.” Sami said.

Jake’s eyes shot open. He sat up. His side no longer hurt at all. He beamed at Sami. She was dressed in a pair of black combat trousers and a navy blue tank top. Her short purple hair stuck up in tufts. 

Jake sat at the edge of the bed. He pushed against the wood and stood up. Sami, not expecting this, rushed forwards and grabbed him. Jake pushed her away and tried taking a step. It felt weird but he was walking. 

A couple of hours later he began running again.

They went outside and began jogging. Jake and Sami were soon being followed by Melody and Harmony. 

“Okay girls. You want to play?” Sami said, the smirk on her face meant she was teasing them.

Both girls nodded eagerly. ”Sure. We’ll play. Jake’s it!”

Sami ran away from the group. Jake sped after her, his legs getting a grip on running again. He was soon chasing and catching all the girls. Their laughter echoed in the garden of the large house. 

Raven stuck her head out of the window to watch. She was clearly impressed as she came out of her room and joined in. Sami and Raven talked while Jake chased the two little girls. 

“Jake!” Raven called. “We need to talk.” 

Sami ushered the girls away from Raven and Jake, who were now sat on the grass.

“Jake, I need to ask some questions.” 

“Ask away.” He joked, a hint of a smile ruining his serious expression. 

“First things first, when did you realize your power?”

“My power? Um… About three weeks before you found me.” 

“Later then I expected.” She murmured. “Have you ever made a full exchange?” 

“Full exchange?” Jake asked, confused by the way Raven was talking. 

“Have you ever become a full -“ 

“No, I can grow wings and claws. The rash is growing more scale like day by day.” 

“Is it painful?” 

“Moving or transforming?” He asked.

“Either.”

“Moving is fine. It doesn’t hurt to walk or run any more.”

“Transforming?”

“I don’t remember much… My side was so painful. I don’t think it hurt too much.” 

“Good.” Raven said blushing slightly “Can I ask you to show me?” 

“I’ll try… I don’t know how to exactly.” 

“I’ll show you. You just focus on your fingers. Try to make claws. It’s easy enough.” Raven blinked and clenched her hand into a fist. As she un-clenched Jake saw her nails grow. They turned a dark green. The skin around her nails turned scaly and hardened. Suddenly, in the space of a couple of seconds, Raven’s hand had turned into a dragon’s paw. She shook her hand and the colour faded. Her hand was human again. 

“Wow.” Jake said, stunned. 

“It’s awesome, no?” Raven said excitedly. 

“No. Um, yes. Um… It’s amazing.” Jake stammered. 

Raven looked him in the eyes. There was utter silence as her grey eyes met his green eyes. ”Jake. Breathe slowly. Now, concentrate on your hand. Imagine all your energy travelling to it.” 

Jake did as he was told. Nothing happened. 

“Hmm…” Raven paused. “Nothing. Well, it’s only to be expected. You’ll pick it up.”

“I - I don’t understand… I mean, I did it before. I could use the claws and I made wings grow… I don’t understand.” He said.

Jake was aware that he probably sounded pathetic, but he was utterly disappointed that he couldn’t do it. He’d done it when he was running for his life. He’d done it when he was running from the men with guns. So why couldn’t he do it now? 

“Jake, calm down.” Raven said, placing her hand on his shaking fist. “You’ll do it eventually, just remember you’re weak right now. You need to get back to your full strength.” Jake nodded.

He felt pathetic, even though he knew what Raven said was true. He felt like a failure. Raven stood up. She pulled Jake to his feet and they walked to the house in silence.

Both consumed with thoughts.

Jake lay on his bed. He looked at his hand. Maybe he was just weak. It was probably just the fact he’d been laying down for a month and had lost a lot of blood…

Or maybe he’d lost his powers. What if they were only temporary? 

He sat up.

What if they were just temporary? Would he be allowed to stay? Where would he go? What would he do without those powers? 

~ 

Raven sat cross legged in her room. She looked up at the ceiling, a collection of stars where painted on it. Only two were named, Dragon’s Head and Dragons Tail. She leaned back, finding a balance.

Raven’s eyes lit up as she thought of the stars in the sky. On the one night they aligned, the dragons where at their most powerful. She uncrossed her legs and stood up, dinner soon.

She walked around her room to check everything was as she’d left it. It dawned on her that Jake had never met Rain, and that it would be their first meeting today.

At dinner. 

Suddenly she wasn’t hungry. What if her mother decided that Jake wasn’t the person Raven thought he was? What if he wasn’t strong enough? What if… What if it was all a fluke? And he didn’t have the powers, he’d just tapped into his DNA out of fear. 

She shook her head to rid it of such silly thoughts. Jake and Rain would be fine with each other.

~

Jake walked into the room, it’s high ceiling and open french windows made it the perfect dining room in the summer. He smiled as he saw the friendly faces of the twins. Sami’s cold glare lightened when he sat down next to her. Raven sat across the table.

Rain walked in. 

She was youngish, thirty five at the most. Her hair was brown and her eyes a sparkling green. She looked just like Raven, even their eyes moved in the same mischievous way. 

“Hello.” She said softly to Jake. 

“Hello.” 

“I don’t think we’ve met before, I’m Rain. Although some people here just call me Mother, or mum if you want to get a smack around the head.” 

Jake nodded and offered his hand, ”I’m Jake, I… I think I should thank you for your hospitality to me.” 

Rain laughed softly, her eyes crinkled as she did. Everything about her seemed understated and soft. Her voice was barely a whisper and her grip on his hand was feather like. He didn’t try and shake her hand in case he shook her arm out it’s socket. 

“It’s my pleasure.” She said. “I do rather like to keep my kindred alive. Even if they are over grown young men.” 

Jake stood still in shock, here she was - a tiny woman - telling him he was an over grown teenager. He could have torn her to bits several times over in the time they’d been talking. 

Sami snorted and Raven began laughing. Rain laughed again. Suddenly everyone but Jake was laughing. Jake felt his face flush, which only encouraged the laughter. 

“Okay… Okay. Girls and boy, what do you want to eat?” The girls stopped laughing, they kept snorting though. 

~

Jake lay in bed. He was aching all over. It hurt to walk again, Raven said that it was just his muscles growing stronger. He rolled over. His cheek pressed into the cold pillow. Bliss. His eyelids fell like shutters over his eyes. He was asleep instantly.