"Cuz I'm free... Friiijooolleees!" I heard someone sing on top of their lungs "FREE FAWWWLINNG!" The annoying person continued to holler. "-and I'm sexy and I know it!" He finished before I realized something. I knew that voice.
"Justin! Get off before you're mauled!"
I knew that voice too.
"GETTOFFBEFOREIBITEYOURHEADOFF!" Uh... I didn't know that voice but it didn't seem too friendly.
"Fly dragon! I believe I can fly!" I heard my voice again. Before a sharp zap through my finger stung me back to reality. I gasped as my gaze sharpened and I found myself whiteknuckled.. Hanging onto an ivory spike which jutted out from golden scales.. My gaze drifted up to a long neck leading to a thick yet feminine horned head. And glaring golden eyes. I gulped. This was a Zap dragon. And not just any Zap dragon.
She was Avery's dragon!
A small crowd gathered around to watch the spectacle. Some were laughing while I could see Song, her face taught in fear, one hand extended as if she could force me off the dragon's back safely.
"Oh- I'm sorry!" I squeaked but not before the devil's princess herself marched out, her eyes narrowed.
"Just why are you sticking your butt on my dragon, mister?" Avery growled, her fists clenching.
I tried to slide off before another horrible electric pulse sent me flying to the ground and I inhaled some dust and flies, choking. I could feel some of the rocks had lodged into my palms painfully. And it smelled like... My pants were burnt..
Then I gasped again as I was jerked painfully backwards by Avery grabbing my collar and yanking me up. "Listen kid," her pale white finger jabbed my nose, making me go crosseyed. "I don't care if General Rubius changes your diapers! You harass my dragon and you get a butt whipping!"
I tried to say that I was definitely not harrassing her dragon but all that came out were a few pathetic wheezes.
The dragon peered over Avery's shoulder with a look like 'get 'im Avery.' I was afraid she would sneeze and blow fire at me except of course- she couldn't breathe fire.
Song pushed through the small crowd. "He was hypnotized!" She said. "I could see it in his eyes- he wasn't in his right mind!"
"Yeah..." I managed before I wheezed again. Hypnotized! What?
Avery's eyes narrowed but her grip on me didn't loosen. "No one told you not to look a dragon in the eyes?"
"N-no," I managed.
She sighed, obviously upset she didn't get to whip my butt. "Don't get me wrong shadow boy. If I ever catch you doing that again I'll have your hide."
I sighed in relief and Song put a hand on my shoulder before handing a very concerned Caedmon into my arms.
"What happened?" I asked, trying to calm the small dragon as he whined and nuzzled me, crying softly. His tail wiggled slowly in his distress.
"Well you just jumped on Tiana without a warning and started singing... You don't sing that bad." She couldn't help but giggle a little before she retained her concerned face as I blushed a little. "Who did you see last?"
"Well uh..." I just couldn't imagine why she thought I sang good. Ok here's my big secret: I'm not really Justin Timberlake! I don't really sing worth jack. But then I remembered her question and nodded. "Uh... A Zap kid with uh... Black hair and gold eyes."
"That doesn't narrow it down much," she sighed. "Next time you see him- point him out so I can report him. Hypnotizing is an offense here at camp."
I suddenly pretended to be very interested in taking the gravel out of my red hands. Which I actually was. "Nah.. I mean I already have enough kids wanting me to choke on my marshmallows."
"Yeah well you're lucky you only got a zap." She said, patting my back awkwardly. "Got to go help in the dungeon. And... Might want to change your pants." She giggled before fast walking down the hall.
I felt a shock chill me as I looked around to make sure no one was looking before my hands crept to my pants. I could feel frayed fabric and.. A brush of skin! Oh crap- I've been mooning everyone! No wonder they were laughing so hard! I groaned and quickly pulled off my jacket to wrap around my waist. As I tied the sleeves and shuffled deeper into the halls I made a resolution. I may not let Song report him but I wouldn't let him go without a good punch or two for doing this to me. I burned as I imagined him having a good chuckle in his room. He was going to get it.
Caedmon peeped on my shoulder, holding up a small slip of paper in his mouth.
"What you got there, bud?" I asked as I nabbed the paper. He let it go and I turned it over in my hands. It was a badge! Seeing from the smirking kid's face his name was Oliver Butte. I snorted. No wonder he was mean to have a name like that. By the big fire dragon badge I could tell he was in the third rank. "He's going to be in big trouble without this badge eh, buddy?" I winked at Caedmon who purred and nuzzled my hand happily.
I scooped him up and headed quickly back to the barracks before anyone could ask why I had my jacket off.
As I quickly changed I set my little buddy on the bed. "Can you hypnotize too, bud? And.. And shift into a human?"
I wondered what Caedmon would look like if he was a human. I smiled as I thought of a little boy with messy black hair, large purple eyes and the biggest smile. He would be.. Not very scary looking.
Caedmon tilted his head and I could feel a headache coming on again. He blinked owlishly before meeping furiously and putting his paw down.
"Sorry bud. Don't understand you," I sighed as I put on my belt and gathered him up in my arms before walking back outside to line up in my rank.
~~~~~~~~~
By the next day I had forgotten that Stonehenge had said to punish me. But by lunch time I felt like I had been stampeded by a bunch of teenage girls going to a Justin Bieber concert.
When he said train me I think he meant to push me until my heart blew up.
Push ups, curl ups, even Caedmon was forced to run on a teeny treadmill. I managed to shoot glanced at him as I did crunches, my body reeking of sweat and BO. I smirked as I saw him racing along on the treadmill before -whoosh- he was gone. Caedmon could disappear like an open bag of M&Ms. My muscles shook mightily as I performed another crunch. My trainer yelled so loud her spray of spittle dotted my cheeks. If only I could disappear like my dragon.
When I started fantasizing about an ice cold shower and reappearing by a Dairy Queen, she made me run. Oh the pain. I felt like I could hardly breathe and a sharp pain was starting below my heart. But when I tried to explain that I thought I was about to have a heart sprain she told me not only that I was a lazy bum but that if I spoke again she was going to freeze my socks off. And that's when I realized why she had blue eyes. She was an Ice Rider.
I decided it best not to mess with her. Even if I might die of a heart sprain.
Once I was sweating enough to fill the Nile and rasping like one of the walkers on the Walking Dead, she finally dismissed me and I stumbled out before leaning against the wall to regain my breath. I looked at the wall. Twelve. Five hours of nonstop training... I pinched my biceps as if I expected them to come bulging out like Popeye's. Nothing but jello I could seem to feel. I sighed. Three weeks of this would kill me.
I was so exhausted I could hardly speak to my friends at lunch. I just dumbly shoved food in my face with a shaking hand.
"I don't envy you," Merman said, watching me and for the first time out of the water I saw his gills open and close. "All I had to do was rigorous swimming routines. But you're as freshie as it gets."
"I'm not out of shape," I mumbled.
"But you're not in shape either," Dustin pointed out helpfully. I glared at him.
Song looked at me with sympathy. "It was pretty tough for me too when I first came." Her? I could hardly believe it. She was so toned I bet I could break my fingers poking her shoulder.
She giggled because my expression must have been funny. "I was so upset at having to be here I cried myself to sleep every night."
"How old were you?" I asked. She couldn't be more than two years older than me...
"Not telling," she waved a finger at me, still holding back giggles.
"She's just saying that to make you feel better," Dustin elbowed her with a grin. "I would sooner cry than she would."
I laughed at the thought of big old Dustin crying before falling into silence as I finished my food.
"Meep?" An inquisitive voice asked and I looked down on my lap to find a familiar little face grinning up at me.
"Hey buddy," I said, running a hand down his spine. "Wish I could disappear like you can. That was rough wasn't it?"
He arched his body under my touch, nodding as if he understood my question. His dazzling purple eyes half closed with pleasure at my touch.
"Ah hem, no disappearing for you." Oh great. Was Avery talking to me? Please don’t be talking to me please don’t be talking to me I thought as I swiveled slowly in my chair to face her.
She looked like she was going to barf all over me. "Justin," she managed. "Now that General Landin is gone teaching third and fourth years about wilderness training I will be your trainer for the week."
It doesn't sound like she was exactly happy about that change of plans.
Welp, I'm dead.
But, in fact, it wasn’t so bad. I found myself sitting in a small, domed room that was painted a dull blue. It kind of looked like a nursery without all the toys. She put out two bean bags and plopped them on the floor before sitting on the green one, leaving me with the pink.
She sat down on one facing me and waited for me to follow suit.
I grumbled and lowered myself. Caedmon scampered into my lap before setting his paws on my knees and his head under my chin, his back curled against my chest.
And something crazy happened.
Avery looked at my little man. And she smiled. “He’s cute,” she said in a breathy voice. A voice I didn’t think she was capable of having.
“Er yeah,” I smiled proudly as he rubbed his smooth, scaly head under my chin with a happy cheep. I wondered if we were sitting here on these bean bags just to talk about how cute Caedmon was or something. Frankly, being alone with this scary woman in a small room was scaring me.
She inhaled sharply, realizing she was freaking me out. “Well what we’re trying to help you do in this hour of training is to become one with our dragon. Open our bonds. Read the other’s thoughts, emotions, and spirits.”
“Hold up here. This sounds like a whole bunch of snake turds. Is this hippie stuff?” I asked, raising a hand. “Because one of my foster parents tried to convert me into a hippie.”
Caedmon burped loudly in agreement.
I hated those foster parents. Whenever I got upset they would told me to meditate. Once I threw my cereal at her plump, pale little face and told her to meditate on that.
Avery just blew a loud sigh. “No. I know it sounds weird but it’s not hippie stuff. Now stop interrupting before I zap you!” her golden eyes flashed dangerously.
“Alright alright,” I mumbled as Caedmon hissed at her and stamped a paw on my knee.
She smiled at him before clearing her throat. “Alright. Now- clear your mind.” She saw the look on my face. “Do it!”
I sighed and closed my eyes after she told me to. It’s kind of hard to think of nothing when you’ve got half a billion thoughts banging around your skull. For a second I sat there thinking about how I wasn’t thinking about anything before I opened one eye.
I swear Avery’s eyes were closed and she looked as relaxed as my hippie foster parents had when they meditated. It was kind of weird to see her without a scowl on her face. I never knew that her soft pink lips actually curled up slightly when resting, how her long lashes…
Hold up! I was thinking about her lips! I felt the urge to gag and suddenly she zapped me with a quick jab of her finger. “I told you to close your eyes, dweeb.” She growled between gritted teeth.
I quickly closed them again and tried to think nothing but it was hard when Caedmon was humming a little dragon song and trying to bite off the shiny button on my pants. His silly little song sounded kind of like ‘Mary had a little lamb.’ I poked him with a finger, trying to make him stop. I could hardly hold in a laugh as I felt a small, warm tongue slide over my finger.
“Stop messing with the dragon!” I jumped at another zap. Yeesh! Her voice was weary like she was a mother talking to her three year old son. “Would you rather do strength training?”
That shut me up. I could hear an angry squeak as she picked Caedmon up by his tubby black belly. I inhaled slowly, trying not to get ticked off. Somehow the thought of her grabbing Caedmon just made me feel angry and protective. I imagined myself taking her by her big braid and yanking her down hard before I realized I was supposed to be thinking of nothing and took deep breaths to calm my brain.
After about a minute of angry squeaking I could hear a small curse and knew that Caedmon had slipped out of Avery’s hands. A brush of my shirt on my back made my little buddy’s presence known to me. He was hiding behind my back.
She sighed. “Alright. Now listen carefully. You’re going to have to concentrate on imaging Caedmon doing something. Not flying or anything. But doing something he actually can do at this age. Got it?”
Well that’s a strange request. But I complied anyway, thinking of Caedmon biting and hanging onto Avery’s braid. I almost snorted at the mental picture.
“You did it? Now concentrate very hard on that picture. Nod if you are ready to go on,” she said dryly and I could hear her sigh.
I nodded, thinking of dragon spit being all in her hair and I couldn’t hide a smirk.
“Now think of him, try to reach out for Caedmon. It may be hard at first- it’s like a muscle you have to flex. I’m sure he’s already tried to reach out to you. That’s where the headaches come from. He’s trying to talk to you.” She explained patiently.
I nodded, amazed at the realization. Then my eyebrows pinched so hard I knew I was going to have a headache if I did it for too long. I thought about connecting my mind to Caedmon’s so hard I could swear a big ugly vein was popping out of my forehead. Caedmon’s breathing got a bit faster as he hid behind my back- or maybe I was just imagining it.
Suddenly I felt like I broke through something in my mind and I could feel something like a television when it’s lost reception and gets all crackly-screened going on in my head. I gasped.
Avery sounded amazed and her next words rushed at me. “Now concentrate on what you were imaging Caedmon to do- push it into the connection. You feel it?” she asked, her voice rising as she talked until her last word was a squeak.
I nodded, tongue in teeth as I thought with all my might. I could feel the cracklyness in my mind sharpen for a millisecond and I could.. I swear I could feel Caedmon in my mind. I held on to it as hard as I could before it collapsed and I realized I hadn’t been breathing. I panted hard, putting a hand on my forehead as a wicked headache bloomed behind my eyes.
“I know it’s hard at first. The headaches suck. But after a while it will be so easy you’ll have your connection going and not even realize it,” she said.
Slowly I opened my eyes and was shocked to find Caedmon on her shoulder, his jaws open and hovering right over her braid which was flopped over her shoulder. He was looking at me questioningly.
I gasped in surprise and put two thumbs up.
He bit down and started tearing at her braid like it was a tug of war rope, just like I imagined he would.
Avery screamed and grabbed him, tugging on his hind legs and jerking him off her braid. He peeped cutely in her hands before sneezing out some hair and curling his stubby paws over her hands, his pupils all huge like a kitten. “Aw I can’t stay mad at you for long…” then her eyes drifted up to me. “Did you.. did you ask him to do that?”
I looked down and fiddled with my thumbs trying to look sheepish but failed because I had a big smirk on my face.
I almost jumped when she set Caedmon down and her pale white hands grabbed my shoulders. “Shadow boy- you connected with… with him? Now?”
“Uh.. I guess so.. seems like we did…” I mumbled as I looked into her blaring yellow eyes.
She brushed some hair behind her face before managing a quick smile and squelching it with a poker face. “You- no one ever does it on their first time- how long did you have it open?”
“Like.. two seconds,” I whispered breathlessly, caught up in the excitement of having connected to my little partner.
She raised a brow. “You’re not as bad as I thought pipsqueak. Keep on working on your connection,” she gave me a white pill. “This will help with the headache. Now you can go. You have twenty minutes before dinner. I suggest you go to the mess hall and sign up for lazer tag.” She said as she got up and marched out.. but in the opposite direction, towards General Landin’s office.
I scooped up Caedmon. “You really did hear me didn’t you, buddy?”
He bobbed his head and let out a peep, his purple eyes gazing at me adoringly. I kissed his scaly black forehead, hugging him tight. I never felt this close to him before. I felt like we were- we were real partners. We could do anything together. I sighed happy as I headed for the mess hall.
At the mess hall there was about twenty first and second years gathered around a bulletin board. I got into line, Caedmon wrapped around my neck like a little scarf. He looked kind of like a chibi with his big, adorable blue eyes and stubby snout. I got on my tiptoes to look at the sheets of paper. Seemed like there was five teams: Firehawk, VentusRex, QuickDeath, Bloodhounds, and the Avengers. I laughed at the last one. Below each bold name there was a list that looked something like this.
The Avengers
Water: Merman Miller
Wyvern: Sharon Dyxon
Fire (3) : Noelle Gonzales
_____________
_____________
Electric (3): Jeremy Fischer
Hannah Demetry
_________________
Ice: _____________
Sand (2): Brandon Levitt
____________
Forest (3): Rihanna Jackman
Jesse Lewis
James Smith
Metal:___________
Earth:______________
Exotic (Other): ______________
I guess I’m in the exotic category. Which is pretty cool. VentusRex must be pretty popular because it was almost all the way full. Bloodhound was almost empty while the last three only had a few spots open. I thought about it for a while. I would hate to be in the same team as Rihanna but I really wanted to be on Merman’s team and I liked the name. So when I got up I scribbled Justin Timberlake onto the Exotic space.
“Figures,” said a guy behind me and when I turned around I found myself gazing into the silver eyes of a beefy metalhead. “You guys are going to get crushed. VentusRex wins every time.”
“Ventus Rex? It sounds like some sort of Air conditioning dinosaur,” I snorted.
Everyone froze.
The metalhead jabbed a meaty finger on my chest, making Caedmon hiss. “Ventus Rex is the greatest dragon ever hatched. Basically the god of dragonkind.” His eyes slid over the room as if he expected this goliath of a dragon to jump out of nowhere. “Some say one still exists..”
“They say that the Ventus Rex can make hurricanes at an angry thought,” a stubby girl said. She had a silver wyvern clinging to the front of her shirt like a baby bat.
“Or strike you down with a lightning bolt from a thousand miles away,” A fire said, wiggling his fingers like a lightning strike.
“Yeah yeah stop with the ghost stories,” Brandon said, licking his fingers. “I doubt he’s real at all.”
“You keep saying that and you’re going to be struck by lightning one of these days,” the stubby wyvern girl said sassily, snapping her fingers in z formation.
I blew air hard between my lips. I didn’t believe that at all. But then again, a few weeks ago I didn’t believe dragons existed. Maybe there was a dragon who could control storms- who knows.
Then I looked at the other papers and thought about it. Maybe I had made a bad decision. Most of the fires, metalheads and zaps that I had ratted out were on the other teams. They all had a reason to beat me to pulp and what better place to do it than a dark room where no one could see them beat you up?
I gulped.