Long Ago

Chapter Seven

After dinner and the cleaning of the dishes, Apollo and I went off to bed. The beds were in the main room with only a dresser separating them. I was just thankful that there were two. I picked the one farthest from the cave opening, I still had the fear of wild animals picking this luxurious cave to call home as well.

I lay in bed staring up at the roof of the cave. It had been hours since we went to bed, but I couldn't fall asleep. Every time I tried, I would wake up from a mysterious sound. I decided it best to just stay awake and... keep watch. The wind howling outside, other things howling along with it, different scratching sounds, and various bug noises. All of it kept me from my dreamland. That might be alright though, I could have a nightmare worse than whatever beasts were prowling outside.

I turned onto my side and closed my eyes. Thinking about all that I had been told today was also a factor in my not sleeping. All those things ran wild through my mind. I couldn't understand how or why I was a dragon. All my life I've been a human. All my life I've lived along side humans... and now? Now my world has flipped upside down. My grandfather had magic, and he had been about to tell me the secret of magic all the people around me want to know. But he died.

My grandfather had magic. He had a... dragon pearl as Apollo had called them. I don't remember ever seeing it. Maybe he had kept it locked away so that a certain child wouldn't get to it. If I would have found it, it could have been dangerous. He probably kept it in a safe secret place. If that pearl is so special... we should go find it before someone else does.

I heard the ruffling of blankets beside me, and I cracked open an eye. Apollo was tossing and turning. A lot. He would get settled on one side then flip, then flip again. Over and over like a ship at sea during a storm. I sat up in bed and walked the few steps over to him. I knelt down beside his bed and gently rested my hand on his shoulder.

"Apollo." I whispered.

He flipped out. He sent my hand flying as he squirmed, throwing his arms wide hitting me in the face. I fell over from the force of it, but quickly sat back up. His eyes were still closed. He's having a nightmare. What do I do? If I try to wake him up he could flip out again. I took a shallow breath before standing up. I just stood there watching him writhe in his bed. I didn't know what to do. I bit my bottom lip and slowly climbed onto his bed on top of him. Once I was sitting firmly on his stomach I shook his shoulders. He reached up to hit me again, but I dodged it. I leaned away from his fists flying around and decided the best way to wake him was water. I slowly climbed off of him and padded over to the ice box.

I picked up a few chucks of ice and held them in my warm grasp until water started leaking through my now freezing fingers. I walked back over to him and made sure no ice was left before opening my cupped hands above his face. A little bit of water fell down onto his scrunched face and he jolted up in his bed swinging his arms wide. I tried to dodge his clenched fist, but right as I jumped back, it hit my side sending me slamming into the dresser. I cried out as the sharp corner of the dresser slammed into my hip.

Apollo's gaze landed on me, his eyes filled with fear and fury, and his chest rising and falling in an uneven pattern. "Raven?" He rasped.

I winced as I stood back up straight, my face, hip, and side aching. "You were having a nightmare."

His eyes got wide as he took me in, looking me up and down he whispered, "Did... did I hurt you?"

I shook my head and mumbled, "I'm okay." Not a lie, but not the entire truth either.

He threw his covers from him and stood up. I noticed then that he wore only his boxers. I tried my best to keep my focus on his eyes. He put his hands gently on either side of my throbbing face and huffed out a short breath. "Where... where did I hit you?"