Through Smoke and Ashes

Thirty Six||Trust in Friendship

The night continued on, oblivious to my inner conflicting thoughts. People were conversing amongst groups, happily laughing at jokes made or memories shared. I watched this from afar, taking in this moment of careless serenity as I could only think of the chaos that would soon plague this place like a fog. I wasn't ready to ruin my friend's moods or this atmosphere, but either way, this night would eventually be ruined. It would be better to let them know about it sooner rather than later.

I excused myself from my family and made my way towards Fin, who was at the snack bar picking off a few appetizers for himself. Having his back turned to me, I thought of stopping where I was before making a mistake, but he turned his eyes to me as if he knew I was coming. "Navi?" His voice sounded full of concern as he looked me over.

My facial expression must've given away my mood. I was experiencing anxious and confused emotions. It felt like my nerve endings were playing a game of tug of war. "Fin," My words felt weak as they left my tongue, "There's something I need to tell you, but I need to round up a few others first. There's something you all need to hear."

Fin's eyes worked their way over my face as he analyzed the situation in deep thought. He was silent for a moment, the appetizers in his hand not meeting his mouth. "I'll find Tomi. You gather who you need to." He said as he placed the food he held onto a table. "We'll meet at the caves."

Nodding my head in thanks, we went our separate ways. I was glad he didn't bombard me with questions right then and there.

I tracked down Baylen and Kayne, telling them the same thing I told Fin. They tried asking me questions right there, but I insisted I needed to find more people first. Reluctantly and with hesitation, they made their way towards the caves, where I told them Tomi and Fin would be. I watched as they left through the crowd but couldn't help but feel someone else's eyes were watching me. Turning to the group I pulled the two away from, I came to find everyone had ignored my intrusion and continued on with their conversation.

Shrugging away my paranoid feelings, I went in search of the remaining people I needed to find. I rounded the four riders up like a bunch of cattle and herded them to our destination, where the others were most likely squirming in suspense.

"Something is wrong, isn't it?" Sige asked as he fell back to walk beside me. From the first day I met him on the dragon island, I could tell he was a worry-wart. He was so much different from his dragon, who had a calming aura but was determined to be involved in everyone's business. Maybe this was the reason the two of them were paired together so Sige could come out of his comfort zone.

I nodded my head in confirmation. "I will explain everything when we are with the others."

He hesitantly nodded his head but didn't push the matter further as he knew he would get his answers soon enough. He walked a few steps faster than me until he was standing beside Roland. The Airis rider was quiet in nature, just as his dragon was. The two of them always stood back in silence as they watched the instructor demonstrate something for them to carry out, only speaking if needed. While Roland was quiet, the other Airis rider, Ton, was the opposite. He was talkative and very social, sometimes talking too loud as his excitement would take over his rational thinking. The others would often tell him to quiet down when he was talking too loud, but, amazingly, he would push their buttons by talking even louder.

Shaking my head as I watched Aelric punch Ton's shoulder, I couldn't believe how he never took things seriously. I thought my voice had been dead serious enough, but it didn't matter to Aelric as he was always the least bit concerned about serious situations. It would get him into trouble one of these days.

Even though these first-year riders were less experienced than the others, I trusted them due to the bond we had formed over the course of our time together. We trained, worked, and studied with one another, forming a mutual bond that I didn't take unnoticed. They treated me with the same respect as anyone else, if not more so. I found this part highly annoying, as I didn't want any special treatment.