The Dragon's Scale (COMPLETE, EDITING)

16.1 || Rescue Mission

The Elder Dragon had probably thought he could never be bested before, but Josh heard the troubles of invoking Jodas' wrath. Ioana got sent a mile away from her group the other day.

Josh and Boomer proceeded forward in time to see Hisato step out of the portal.

"Thank you, Jodas," he said. "Could you—" Hisato paused when he spotted Josh and Boomer. "Nevermind. Just who I needed."

Frowning, Josh pointed at himself. "Me?"

Hisato nodded. "Were you headed to your quarters?"

"Yeah."

"Great. We can walk and talk then."

With a confused farewell to Boomer, Josh followed Hisato into the Sanctuary. Despite leaving him, Josh could still feel Boomer's presence, as curious about Hisato's reasons as he was.

"So, what did you need? Something about classes?" he asked.

"A new point of interest has popped up. Ioana is having me take you, Mara, and Cale to watch over it." Josh jolted at the news, but Hisato continued speaking, running a hand through his already disheveled hair. "If any more spots have energy surges, we will have to break up groups."

Josh's mind wheeled. He would be able to do more in the rescue besides sit around at the Sanctuary. Surveillance couldn't be fun, but it was something. No more sitting on the sidelines while others fixed the mess.

"Elisa already informed Cale and Mara. We will meet by Jodas at noon. Understood?" Hisato asked.

"Yes," Josh replied.

They lapsed into silence as they walked to the living quarters. Joshopened and closed his mouth a few times, but he finally pursed his lipstogether. During class, he could keep his questions down easily. Now, tiredfrom the lateness and the hours of training, it proved more difficult.

"Just say what you want to say," Hisato said, a small smile in his voice.

Josh glanced down at his hands and frowned. "You can't... You can't just tell me how to use my element, right?"

Hisato chuckled. "I'm surprised it has taken you this long to ask me, honestly. But, sadly, no, I cannot. Knowing and understanding are two very different things," he explained. "You need to understand why you're connected to your element by understanding yourself. Which can take years."

He added the last part hesitantly, an almost apologetic tone underlying his words. Josh deflated. Of course. If it was that simple, Hisato would have told him by now.

"That sucks. I thought it would make me more useful on the field."

"You aren't wrong," Hisato admitted. "It is better to have access to your element, and normally you wouldn't be sent on a big assignment until then. But surveillance missions aren't dangerous."

His last mission shouldn't have been dangerous either, but Josh kept that to himself.

Am I going to have to curl around you and not let you leave? Boomer grumbled.

I'll be fine. What's the worst that can happen?

I don't know, but you'll find a way to make it happen.

Okay, that's not entirely unfair, Josh said.

He and Hisato separated when they reached the hallways to the living quarters. His parents had gone to sleep, or at least they didn't come out of their bedroom as he crept toward his room.

He paused and stared at the door adjacent to his. Swallowing past the lump in his throat, he placed his hand on door. An empty room lay on the other side. No small body curled up on the covers, snoring as he awaited school the next day.