We both rounded on her. Ready for a fight. Only to see Gaia floating her way toward us.
"Wyatt didn't summon you," I clenched my fists.
"That speaks volumes of your lack of spiritual knowledge," Gaia gently floated down, "As a contracted spirit. I can summon myself. Weaker spirits usually lack the strength needed to summon themselves."
"Why are you here?" Ethan passed me angrily.
I grabbed his arm before he could reach her. Stopping him. He looked at me with confusion. Seeming to realize that he was about to attack someone far more powerful then himself.
"I'm here to protect him," Gaia gestured to Wyatt, "He will either wake up as the dragon king or die here."
This comment enraged Ethan to the point that he almost yanked out of my grip.
"What do you mean?" I forced him to stay with me.
"That's just the way it works," Gaia looked over to Wyatt, "All the former dragon kings, and queens called it the worlds blessing. They either wake up a king, or they die." She lapsed into silence, "If he does wake then he'll wake far stronger then when he fell asleep. He'll be defenseless for months. Maybe even years."
Ethan glanced over to me. His muscles were slowly starting to relax. Realization was slowly starting to sink into both of us. He could be like this for years?
"Years?" Ethan frowned deeply.
"Yes years," Gaia drew her eyes back over to us, "The longest I know of was a dragon queen. Thirteen years. She ruled for over a thousand years until her death."
"Lets make camp," Ethan walked back over to Wyatt's head, "We're not leaving him until he wakes."
I could tell from his expression that he wasn't joking. I'd need to updated Jax on what was going on when he woke.
*****
And the world keeps moving. Time is an unforgiving construct. Always marching forward.
"Hey," the false dragon yells into the void, "Are you listening to me or not?"
*****
Meanwhile. In a desolate broken down alleyway. In an unknown city. A young man walks alone. Looking around as if he's worried about someone laying eyes on him.
He has military short cropped hair, and is a confident six foot three with a medium built frame. Although he looks anything but confident at the moment. A nervous sweat threatens to form on his brow as he pulls some sort of crystal out from the inside pocket of his jacket. The crystal flares to life. Casting dim light all around him.
Making him look around fearfully as he waited for the light to fade. A portal appears in front of him. A tall hooded man steps through. His cloak conceals most of his body from view as well as hiding his face. It's dark green color didn't hide him well while he was surrounded by greys, and blacks.
"And here I thought that you'd betrayed us half breed," His lilting melodic voice still managed to sound condescending as the portal closed behind him, "No contact in a year."
He slammed the young man into the wall. Cracking it all around him.
"Why?" he leaned closer.
His tight one handed grip on the young mans throat stopped him from replying. The young man didn't try to pry his hand off his throat. He gone completely submissive the moment the taller man stepped through the portal. The cloaked man dropped the young man, and waited for him to stop coughing, and gasping.
"Why?" he leaned over the young man who was still doubled over breathing heavily.
"There were some issues," the young man spoke low, and quiet, "The whole planet was put on high alert because an Archaic managed to sneak into one of the schools. Fucker even managed to get past the wolves." he went quiet for a few seconds, "Earl went on a war path now that his daughter has betrayed him for an archaic. He was training us nonstop. I haven't gotten more then five hours of sleep a night in six months. He killed a few of his other students."
"I don't care what your excuse is," his melodic voice turned to an angry tone, "You should have found a way to contact me. It's your job to report back to me."
"I tried..." he began to speak, but was cut off by the forceful slap of the cloaked man's hand.
"Sekka," Despite his lilting soft melodic voice this word sounded harsh.
The young man flinched away. The cloaked man forcefully grabbed the left side of the young mans face. Forcing him to look at him. The surprisingly delicate tanned skin on his hand was easily noticeable with the glint of a small wyvern shaped ring that held a small black gem that looked almost like a pearl in its mouth.
"You will not fail to report again will you?" he says in a softer tone, but this seems to scare the young man more then when he sounded angry.
"The next time a flying lizard puts the military on high alert I'll do everything in my power to contact you," The words fly out of his mouth almost taking the same melodic lilt the cloaked man had.
"Don't let your accent bleed through Sekka," the man rips his hood down revealing his delicate Elven features, "You are a human half breed. I will not hear the lilt of a true elf on your inferior tongue."
His hand slammed into the young mans throat as he slammed him into the wall. His anger faded when he seemed to realize something. He dropped the young man.
"Show me this winged lizard Sekka," the elf steps back.
"Yes master," Sekka responds.
Pulling a small clear tablet out of his jacket, and scrolling through dozens of icons until he finds what he wants. Handing it over to the elf after hitting play on the video. One the screen in high definition color was a young black dragon with a whip around his neck. The whole fight progresses in the same order it did two years ago only from the perspective of one of the few wall camera's that were still operational. The elf's grip tightens until the tablet cracks.