Chapter 23 - The grand unveiling.
Jason.
We all sat on the floor sharing 3 platters of nachos, mostly eating in silence.
It was weird. We were all thinking it, but no one said anything.
Tarquin and Saskia were never coming back and it was weird.
Not to mention the fact that Laylan had been a no-show all day. Again weird.
"This is weird." I finally said.
Merredith, Hermit and Notorious all stared at me.
"We're missing 3 people. I find it strange." I mumbled.
"One of them was a traitor, one was obsessed with a bitchy vampire and the other is slightly crazy and is probably off searching for the perfect green tea." Merredith said, then shoveled nachos into her mouth.
"You've got a little..." I pointed to she side of her mouth.
She stuck her tongue out to get the salsa on her face, but couldn't reach.
Of course, she kept trying.
"Merry. Merredith. Me-" Notorious tried to stop her. "MERRY!"
"Yep?"
"Stop." Notorious handed her some tissue.
Hermit watched all of this with a small smirk on his face.
"Whats wrong with you?" Notorious poked him in the cheek.
"She's the one." Hermit said dreamily.
Notorious rolled her eyes.
"Notorious!" Laylan burst through the door dramatically, twigs and leaves stuck in his bushy hair poking out from under his top-hat.
"Laylan." Notorious got up and looked at him curiously. "You literally look like you've been dragged through a hedge backwards."
"Long story short i went on a key hunt in some shrubbery, but that's not the point." He panted.
"There's a point?" I asked.
"I always have a point, sometimes i just don't make it obvious."
"I'm going to have to disagree here." I looked at Laylan skeptically.
"And im going to ignore you." Laylan glared.
"Boys, boys. Claws away." Merredith mumbled, her mouth full of nachos.
"He started it." Laylan pouted.
"Now now, my dear, don't pull faces or your face will stay like that forever." Notorious said.
"My mother said that, and look at me now."
"Yep." I said. "It stayed like that."
Merredith hit me over the head. She was a lot stronger than she looked.
I rubbed the back of my head irritably.
"May i?" Laylan asked Notorious, motioning for her to go upstairs.
She nodded and followed him away, a look of mild curiosity on her face.
Notorious.
Notorious sat down on her bed while Laylan paced across the room, tapping his fingers on his cane.
He occasionally stopped and opened his mouth to speak, followed by him rapidly closing his mouth and walking again.
"Laylan. Sit. You're making me dizzy just watching you."
He nodded and sat down next to Notorious.
He sighed. "I know what you are."
Notorious' eyes widened. "You mean that you know what monster i am? Not something silly like you know I'm a female or something, don't get my hopes up, please Laylan."
"I know what monster you are. The ice water gave it away."
"You've known all day..." Notorious shook her head, lost for words. "Tell me."
"You're a dragon."
Notorious fell silent.
"Please say something." Laylan looked worried.
"But they're..."
"Extinct? I thought so too, but you're standing right here."
"No... They're horrible. They're cruel and cold and care for no one. They just... Kill." Notorious ran her fingers through her hair. "I cant be. Dragons are said to be direct creations of the devil. They were put on earth as a curse. I'm not like that... I care. I care, Laylan."
"I know you do, my dear. You're different. You're the first dragon ive heard of in the last 700 years, of course youre different."
"How can i be a dragon when i look like this? Dragons are huge and they have wings."
"You have wings. Now we know why you felt as if you could transform more. Wings and a tail."
Notorious back off slightly. "A tail? I'm okay thanks..."
"The tail is what will keep you balanced while you fly, my dear."
"You'll teach me?" Notorious held Laylans had, the way she had whenever she was worried or upset ever since she was little.
"I always do." He smiled and gave her hand a squeeze.
"Shall we go freak out the others?"
"You read my mind." His smile turned to a grin at the mention of mischief.
Jason.
"Why are we going to the training room, again?" I asked Merredith as we walked.
"God knows. Notorious just told us to meet her and Laylan there. And if Laylan is involved we have to assume its something odd."
I nodded thoughtfully. "Most likely."
We opened the door to see Notorious with her blue scales, fangs, claws and pointed ears out, as well as her shimmering black eyes that watched us as we walked in.
She smiled at me as i walked to stand in front of her, her fangs flashing in the dim lighting.
"I've got something to show you all." She clapped her hands together and then rubbed her palms. "Laylan?" She called.
Laylan apeared from in the closet, a full-length mirror floating behind him.
He placed it close to me, so that Notorious could see her reflection.
"Ready, my dear?" He asked.
She nodded and closed her eyes. "Total control..." She whispered.
Her back curved and she doubled over, coughing up a red liquid that sizzled as it hit the floor.
She looked up at me, alarm in her eyes, and then came a ripping sound as her top split open.
Small spikes protruded from her spine, and a tail grew from the small of her back. A thin tail that you might expect to see on a lion, expert this hers was blue and scaly.
Notorious screamed as the skin between her shoulder blades ripped open and blood dripped onto the floor.
Bones cracked and two long, blue bones grew outwards, bending half way down. A sort of webbing knitted itself down the bones, finishing a pair of huge blue bat-like wings.
Notorious fell to the floor, panting.
She looked up to the mirror and i saw her panicked look as she examined her tail and wings.
Then her expression softened as she slowly opened the wings to their full length, her tail swishing slightly across the floor, making sweeping noises.
"Wow..." I breathed. Notorious has never looked more beautiful as she did right now. "You're amazing." I whispered.
She smiled slightly, but then coughed some more, this time without orange liquid, but instead small wisps of fire and smoke.
Laylan helped her up from the floor, she stumbled slightly, getting used the the weight of her knew wings, but she quickly gained balance as she lifted her tail from the ground.
"I'd better try not to sneeze, huh?" She laughed weakly.
"At least give us a little warning, my dear." Laylan chuckled. "Looks like you wont need any more training, hmm? Just you now, Jason."
"Actually, i think i'll be okay." I shrugged. "After the first few changes is feels pretty easy." I brought out my claws and fangs, and then got rid of them almost immediately. "See."
"Fair enough, but that doesn't get you out of language lessons with Merredith or weapons training with Hermit."
"Language lessons can wait." Merredith rolled her eyes. "I'll teach him more about history and creatures."
I smiled gratefully at her.
"Ive got my work cut out for me..." Hermit said, looking at me.
I glared at him and he stuck his tongue out.
I turned back to Notorious, who was still staring at her wings and flapping them slightly.
"Can you fly?" I asked her quietly.
"I can try." She bit her lip and moved her wings more quickly. Her feet left the floor and she flew for a couple of seconds before falling back down.
She laughed. "That feels brilliant."
Notorious and i spent the rest of the night in the training hall, Notorious flying around, getting used to her new wings and tail while i climbed the walls, using my claws and practicing my fighting as an eximius.
"We should probably sleep," I said to Notorious. "You're big 142nd birthday tomorrow." I smiled.
She nodded and her wings and tail reatreated into her back.
Her skin, teeth nails and ears became normal again and she glanced at me for a moment while i became myself again as well.
"Shall we?" I put my arm out to her and she smiled as she looped her arm through mine.
"We shall." She laughed, and we walked back to her house.
That night i dreamt of dragons, vampires and were-wolves, and the oncoming war with Atera and his eximius. Yet, i didn't feel scared for myself, only for Notorious and the rest of my new-found friends.