Image: Jonathan
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Megan woke with a jolt when the car came to a stop. "We're just getting gas." Xander said from the front seat, his feet propped up on the dash. Xaiver sat on the other side of a snoring Daniel stuffing his face with a burger from some fast food place.
"How much longer?" she muttered as she rubbed her face.
"Not long. Dellan didn't even want to stop, but we were running on fumes. He's just putting enough for us to make it to the gates. We're basically ditching the car. Sorry Megan."
Megan frowned and nodded, turning her attention to Daniel. "Has he woken up yet?"
"Yes," Xaiver muffled out around a bite of burger. "Ate then passed back out. Started snoring and made it impossible for anyone else to sleep. Well, except you." He added with a small snort.
She shot a look at Xaiver and frowned. "Yeah, so excited about hearing that I apparently sleep like the dead."
"You are looking pale. Do you need to feed while we're here?" Xander asked as he watched her.
Megan hesitated, frowning as she glanced out the window toward the gas station. "No...I'm fine." She shifted and pulled her hair over her shoulder. She glanced at Dellan when he came back and pulled out of the gas station without another word to any of them. They only drove another half hour when Dellan pulled off the road and turned off the car. "Where is it?" Megan asked as she looked around.
"We need to walk. It's up the mountain a bit." Dellan and Xander moved to help a frowning Daniel from the car when Megan had slipped out.
"Great, a morning stroll after a beating. Sounds perfect." Daniel grumbled as he started to take tentative steps between the dragons while they held his arms over their shoulders supporting him. Megan exchanged a glance with Xavier before they started after the dragons.
Megan felt herself draining the longer they walked. The sun rose ever higher and while it didn't burn her it still weakened her. But in her unfed state it only felt all the worse. She couldn't bring herself to say anything though. Not when the only person she'd have dared drink from was too weak to handle it. Xavier was still a child, one Daniel apparently didn't want her touching, and she doubted the dragons would willingly give up blood. They were very picky about that kind of thing after all.
When they stopped for a break Megan made sure she stood up wind and out of sight of Daniel. The scent of his blood, while not flowing any more, might have been too much of a temptation for her to handle. "Megan," Megan looked away from the sun to Dellan who now stood at her side. "A word?" hesitating, Megan glanced toward the others as she found herself following Dellan away an out of sight from them.
"What is it?" she asked when they were out of sight and hearing distance.
"I didn't think you wanted to do this in front of the others." when Dellan offered his wrist Megan was more than a little taken aback at the gesture. "I can't bring a hungry vamp to the dragon lands. It'll be on my hide if something happens. I know you can't feed from Daniel or the kid."
Megan hesitated as she stared at Dellan. He was usually the quiet one, even if he was as big a prankster as Xander. But to have him offered his blood wasn't something she'd have expected of him. Xander MAYBE, but not Dellan. "I...Are you sure?"
"As can be. Xander would have, but he's better at keeping Daniel distracted than I am," Dellan pulled out a knife and dragged it across his forearm, holding the recently cut arm back out to her. "My offer only stands for as long as it takes to heal."
Megan shifted a little closer, her body screaming for the blood being offered to her. She took a hold of Dellan's hand and arm, pulling it to her mouth. Her gaze went to Dellan's right before her mouth closed over the cut he'd made. A moan left her when the blood touched her tongue, eyes closing as her hands tightened on his arm. Dellan's blood felt like a combination of liquid fire and pure energy. After only two drags she felt as if her body were humming with unspent energy. She only took one more drag before jerking back with a gasp. The back of her hand pressed to her mouth as he body shook as if she'd downed three bags of caffeine.
Dellan moved his hand over his cut, the hum in the air letting Megan know he'd healed himself. "You just need another moment. The magic needs to work its way out of your system."
"That stuff is potent," she breathed out, feeling as if she wanted to run, needed to to expend the energy. Unable to hold back any longer she started to move around a little. "My gods, is this what people on crack feel like?" Megan continued to pace around while Dellan checked his arm. "Gods above no wonder people started hunting dragons. It's drugs without the side effects."
Dellan laughed, reaching out to grab her arm and stop her pacing. "Megan, look at me. Take a deep breath and let it out slowly."
Megan stilled and did as Della asked, only to smile when she let out her breath. "I don't actually HAVE to breath you know."
A small snort left the dragon as he pulled his hand away. "Still has the calming effect."
Apparently it did because she was already starting to feel herself calm. "Thanks." She muttered as she shifted a little.
"You already look better." He said as he started away from her. "Lets get back before Daniel realizes we aren't actually scouting."
Megan gave a nod as she started after him, a frown in place as she rubbed her arms. "How much longer?"
"Twenty minutes. There's a mine that serves as an entrance in this area. The gate is inside. Some miners converted the original cave to get at the gold there. We managed to scare them off and get the mine condemned. But you still get the occasional teenager."
"Bet that was scary, having someone dig so close to home."
"Yes and no." Dellan fell silent when they reached the others, giving a nod to Xander. "Let's go." He said as he helped Daniel stand. "We'll heal you more once we pass through the gate." Daniel just grunted and glanced at Megan who flashed him a smile.
Dellan wasn't far off in time. A little over twenty minutes passed when they reached the boarded off mine entrance. Xander stepped up, easily pulling away a board which turned out to be the whole boarded "door". Megan stepped inside at Xander's urging, followed by Xavier, Daniel and Dellan and finally Xander who closed up the entrance after them. Dellan leaned Daniel against a wall as Xander stepped further into the passage, hands cupping as he started to whisper into them. It wasn't long before a ball of light formed in his hands, Megan realizing he'd been whispering a spell. Xander lifted his hands until the ball moved to float above their heads. "Nifty." Xavier muttered as he stared at the ball of light hovering over them. Xander chuckled, ruffling the teen's hair as he moved toward Daniel to help support him again. Moving through the passages was slow going with Daniel's injuries. When they finally made a turn, Megan raised a brow at the giant cavern they'd entered. Before them stood two large double stone doors. They stood just as tall and just as wide as the cavern, more than big enough to fit two dragons side-by-side. Two dragons had been carved into the doors, both standing on their backs legs with their front paws 'holding' where the two doors met.
"Is now the part when we say 'Open Sesame'?" Megan couldn't stop the giggle that escaped her at Xavier's smart-assed comment. The dragons stopped mid-step to glare at the teen. "Right," Xavier turned away with a small snort. "Gods, no sense of humor at all." He whispered to Megan as he stepped away from them. Megan smiled at Xavier, shrugging as she turned her attention back to the dragons, watching as they sat Daniel on a rock. She stepped in closer, hand slipping into Daniel's when he was settled and gave a light squeeze. Daniel returned the gesture, frowning as the dragons stepped up to the doors. They took a moment before their forms started to shimmer. Mega gasped out a little when their dragon forms filled the cavern. Dellan had become a dragon of at least a dozen shades of red. Xander, who stood next to him, was just as breathtaking in blues. The dragons exchanged a look before they stepped up to the doors. Rising on their back legs, their front feet pressed against the doors. There was a moment of silence before the grinding of stone filled the cavern, the doors slowly starting to open.
Megan blinked against the brightness that enveloped the cavern, hand instinctively rising. It took a moment before she could lower it, sucking in a breath at the sight that greeted her. Rolling hills, emerald green splashed with bright colorful flowers stretched for miles beyond the doors. Stepping closer Megan spotted a forested area to the far left of the doors. To the right a lake stretched beyond sight. She heard Xavier gasp at the sight of dragons resting in and by the lake. Some at play while others flew overhead. There had to be thousands of them. And more still seemed to appear and go by the minute. Dragons of all colors, shapes and sizes lay before them. More than Megan ever believe existed.
It didn't take long for them to be noticed and not much longer after that for five large dragons to land before them. From the slight graying that tinted their scales, Megan could only assume they had to be part of the Elder Council that oversaw the dragons and their rulers. "Xander, Dellan. What isss the meaning of thisss?" the largest of the five spoke, his voice holding a slight hiss to it as he stared at Megan and Xavier.
"They are sssafe. The sssorcerer isss not however." Xander said as he turned back, a rumbling laugh leaving him when Daniel stood and flinched away from the dragon who'd tried to lift him in his clawed hand. Megan strode over, taking up the space next to Daniel to help him step forward to greet the elders.
Daniel stopped a good yard from them, with Megan's help, and gave a slight bow. "It's an honor to greet one such as yourself. I humbly ask for aid from your people." Megan raised a brow at Daniel's words, glancing up at the Elder. She was a little surprised to find a look of satisfaction and acceptance on his face.
"Your human sssorcerer knows ressspect. He isss welcome." Megan straightened when yellowed eyes turned on her and Xavier. "and by default hisss dead creature and Fae."
Megan frowned at the dead creature comment, opening her mouth to reply only to get cut off by Daniel starting to collapse. Xander reached out, lifting him easily away after Megan caught him. "We ssshall take him to the healersss and report to the council after." The dragon Elder gave a nod, wings snapping open. All five were gone in under a second, leaving Megan a little windblown and stunned speechless.
"Are all of you that...almighty, better than thou?" she asked as she turned her eyes to the two dragons that remained. The two exchanged a glance before their rumbled laughter started. Megan watched Xander lower himself, nodding toward his back.
"You'll have to ride to reach our chambersss before nightfall."
"What?"
"Jussst get on." Megan hesitated, glancing over to see Xavier pulling himself onto Dellan's back. She inched forward, finally scrambling to sit at the space at the base of his neck where the spikes hadn't grown. She clutched at the aqua mane that ran along the back of his neck. They'd only taken two large steps away from the cavern doors when Megan was jerked back hard. If she hadn't death gripped the fine hairs she held she was sure she would have been left behind on the ground. When she'd gotten her bearings again she took in the new sights. The dragons had launched into the air and climbed steadily higher. Looking down and to her left Megan found that the cavern doors had opened at the base of a giant cliff filled mountain. It seemed the only way to reach the caves that honeycombed the mountain was to be able to fly. Or have amazing climbing skills.
Looking higher, Megan lost the peak of the mountains within the clouds. Turning her eyes down again, she looked out over the land the dragons called home. It went on for as far as she could see; plains, forest and far off in the distances beyond the lake a desert. Squinting she leaned a little when she spotted movement at the far end of the lake, only to jerk back. "What..."
"Death dragonsss. They call the Inferno desserts their home." Xander said as he followed her gaze. "Mossst of the dragonsss with thossse darker powersss ssstay there unlessss there isss a council meeting."
Megan sat staring at the dragons who seemed to be made fully of bone and leather bits. "I see." She mumbled out, hand tightening as Xander banked. A jolt rocketed through her body when they hit down on a ledge. "Smooth landing." She muttered as she slid to the ground.
"I'd like to sssee you do better." Xander snapped back as he moved forward into the cave they'd landed in front of. Megan trailed in after him, blinking as her eyes adjusted to a dimmer lighting. She was a little surprised to find the cavern housed furniture for humans and nothing dragon sized. "Yvette!" Megan winced at the bellow Xander let out.
"Xander, stop that caterwauling. The whole mountain probably hears you." Megan turned at the voice that replied, brow rising as an attractive woman in what looked to be her thirties stepped in from another cave off to the left of the main cavern. "What is all the yelling about anyway?" her dirty blonde hair was loose, pulled over her shoulder lying in soft waves. She turned her blue-grey eyes to Xander when he moved, starting toward him when he started to set Daniel on one of the cots set up against one of the cavern walls.
"I brought you a presssent." He said, pulling his hand from Daniel.
The minute Daniel was in view the woman stilled, a gasp leaving her, hands going to her mouth. She stood silent, turning to hurry back into the 'room' she'd come from yelling as she went. "Aaron!"
Megan winced a little as the yell echoed through the main room. "What the hell." She muttered as she hurried to Daniel's side, looking up when the sounds of footsteps hurrying toward them reached her. Megan straightened when she saw Yvette back with a man. His dark hair was spiked up a bit. His hazel eyes landed on her for a moment and then moved to Daniel. He stilled when he took in the sight, sucking in a breath.
"See. I told you." Yvette breathed as she stepped up, hand slipping into Daniels and gave a light squeeze. "Xander, you weren't supposed to bring him here."
"I didn't have a choice Yvette. Sssullivan made hisss move."
Yvette opened her mouth to reply, eyes widening a little when Megan threw up her hands and cut her off. "Whoa, whoa. What the hell is going on?" she snapped out, looking from Xander to Yvette and who she assumed had to be Aaron. "I'm missing something here, what is it?"
Xander cleared his throat and looked away. Yvette and Aaron exchanged a glance. "Who's this Xander?" Megan frowned as Yvette all but ignored her questions.
"Megan. Ssshe'sss Daniel'sss sssweetie." Xander said with a slight purr to his voice, followed by his rumbling laughter.
"Oh? But..." Yvette fell silent at the glare Megan shot her. "I'm sorry. I'm Yvette and this is my husband Aaron. We try and call ourselves healers, but in all honesty the dragons don't ever seem to need our help."
"Then why are you here?"
"Well..." Yvette looked at Daniel when he groaned, stepping a little closer to the bed, Megan stepping up on the other side.
"Megan?" Daniel whispered when his landed on her. A frown formed, turning to the hand that held his. They moved up, his body going ridged at the sight of Yvette and Aaron standing there. "M-mom...Dad?" Megan jerked her gaze to the couple, eyes wide as her mouth dropped open a little.
Shaking her head, Megan took Daniel's free hand. "Daniel, no. Your parents passed years ago. I think he's delirious from blood loss or something."
"No," Yvette said, giving his hand another squeeze. "He's not." She said, pain flashing across her face when Daniel yanked his hand from hers. "Daniel." She whispered as she shifted closer to Aaron.
"Why...are you alive?" he whispered. "You died when..." Daniel fell silent as he struggled to sit up.
"I..." she paused when Aaron nudged her. "We wanted to tell you. I wanted...We wanted to bring you here, but..." she turned her eyes to Xander, causing Daniel and Megan to as well.
Xander huffed a little, wings giving a little snap. "Don't blame me. The dragon Eldersss sssaid...You tell him. I'll get in trouble if I do."
Yvette rolled her eyes. "Coward," she muttered, hesitating before looking back at Daniel. "The day you came into your powers, we knew it was supposed to happen soon we just didn't expect you to be so powerful." She whispered.
"This isn't telling me anything." Daniel muttered with a slight hiss.
Aaron took Yvette's hand and gave a light squeeze. "Your mother and I are sorcerers, just like you. There aren't many of our kind left. We happened across each other by accident honestly. We went to Sullivan thinking he could help us, keep us protected since many people don't like our kind. But it didn't take us long to realize he didn't want to help us so much as use our powers to become more powerful. We'd just found out your mother was pregnant. We ran because we didn't want Sullivan getting his hands on you."
Yvette nodded. "He'd started to lose it by then. Always worrying someone was after his position. Someone out to kill him."
Megan let out a small snort. "I can see that."
Aaron shook his head. "We thought we were finally safe. Large city suburbs, normal family We'd hoped we would be safe there. Sorcerers and dragons have always had close relations. We were the only ones to step up and protect the dragons when people started hunting them for their powers. In fact, we'd gone to them hoping they would bring all of us here. We were in the middle of talking with them about just that when you came into your powers. The dragons who'd come tried to protect us from the worst of the explosion, but by the time they were able to come back Sullivan was already there. We couldn't get to you without causing problems. Sullivan thought we were dead and the dragons couldn't have taken you without starting an all out war. Sullivan...he'd already put the spell in place as well. It was like he was ready and just waiting."
Daniel shifted a little. "You know about it?"
"Yes. We had contacts inside the compound. We didn't know the specifics, just that he had found a way to control and bind your powers to him." Yvette said as she shifted a little. "He could've taken them from you at any time but had put it off waiting until you fully came into them."
Daniel shifted as well, glancing at Megan. "Well, we did come here to find a way to get the spell off." She muttered to him.
Xander cleared his throat. "I love how all of you ssskipped over hisss parentsss being alive." The dragon had stretched out on the floor, chin resting on his clawed hand. Megan frowned, having to glare at the dragon who acted like he was watching a soap opera.
Daniel frowned at them and looked away. "Because as far as I'm concerned, they died when I was 13." He said as he started to stand, Megan reaching out to help him stand. "So as healers, and probably the last sorcerers alive who can help me, do you know how to remove the spell on my back?"
Yvette looked ready to break down as she clutched her hands together. She looked up at Aaron, exchanging a look with him. Aaron cleared his throat. "I'd need to see it." He said, voice sounding a little thick as he watched Daniel.
Daniel gave a small nod, getting help from Megan to get his shirt off. He turned his back to them after and stood waiting. He tried not to cringe when he felt fingers on his back, turning when he heard a sharp intake of breath. Daniel looked over his shoulder, watching Aaron closely. "Well?"
Aaron hesitated, shaking his head as he stepped back. "I...I've never seen anything like this," he whispered. "Not in person."
"But you know it?" Daniel asked as he turned toward them.
"Yes."
"Good. You know how to remove it."
"Yes...and no."
"Well, what is it?" Daniel snapped out, wincing when Megan elbowed him.
"It's dark magic. Sullivan really has tainted himself." Aaron whispered.
"What?" Megan glanced at Yvette who had paled now.
"Sullivan used a demon spell. Not just that, but demon blood. It's in the ink itself. The only way to remove that spell is to have the demon who put it there remove it."
Daniel stood staring at Aaron, and then turned to stalk toward the cave entrance. Megan shifted, hesitating before she hurried after him. She flinched when she heard Yvette's sobbing follow them out. "That was a dick move Daniel. They're your parents. You've thought they were dead for decades. You find out they're alive and you treat them like trash." She snapped out when she caught up to him out on the ledge. "I figured you were a coward, never once pegged you for an asshole." She said as she gave him a light shove, seeming to forget he was already weakened. The dragons hadn't completely finished their healing.
"I'm sorry for being an asshole after everything that's happened to me," he shot back, stepping up to Megan. "I've been drugged, beaten, faced death and found out my parent's abandoned me to a psychopath. Sorry for not being all that nice or forgiving!"
"You still didn't have to treat them like that. Your mother was SOBBING Daniel," Daniel actually looked a little guilty at that point. "They didn't leave you willingly. They've been trying to get you away from Sullivan. Would you have them risk their lives, possibly dying, because you wanted to know they were alive and well? It would've been suicide if Sullivan does have a demon working with him. All of you would be dead and Sullivan would be unstoppable with your powers," she snapped at him. "Think about it. And when the Daniel I've come to love decides to make an appearance come and find me. I MIGHT actually be waiting." She was practically yelling at him by the time she got out her last words. She turned and stalked back inside, leaving a stunned Daniel in her wake. Megan moved toward Aaron who stood holding Yvette. She hesitated, reaching out to take the woman from him and started to lead her toward her room. She was sure Aaron had no idea what to do with her. The look he'd worn while holding her giving him away.