I felt a cool breeze brush my face as I got up slowly. There was a fissure across my mask, and even if it still concealed my identity, I decided to not wear it. Katherine had already seen my face before, so there was no need to mask it.
Katherine had been surprised by my face when I had initially removed my mask, but it seemed like she had grown used to it. I couldn't remember anything about the last few days, probably because I was sleeping fifteen hours a day.
"The others have gone back?" I asked quietly, my throat sore.
Katherine nodded, supporting me as I straightened myself.
"They wanted to stay and thank you," she added, smiling. I said nothing, understanding that it was the logical thing to do.
I could tell the girl was holding back from barraging me with questions. Mysteries and theories flooding her mind as she attempted to connect mental dots. I sighed.
"If you want to ask questions, now's a good time considering we're alone."
Her face lit up with excitement before turning into a frown.
"I'm that easy to read?" she asked, disappointed in herself.
"Yea," I responded truthfully, not trying to hide reality. She brushed off the comment, returning to what she really wanted to know.
"So... you're a dragon?" she asked warily, clearly afraid of the answer.
I knew this question would be the first one she asked, and even so, I remained unprepared as to how to answer it. I doubted there was any point in lying considering she had seen my mark, but how much could I tell her?
How much did she know about the dragons?
If she only knew the common knowledge distributed within the books, then she was sure to fear the dragonkin for the crimes and atrocities they had committed during the many wars against the alliance.
I had questioned Selena about the facts, and she had confirmed most of them. That being said, War was always fought on two fronts, and ignoring what the alliance had inflicted upon the dragons was manipulation.
I decided to trust Katherine's judgment.
"I'm a half-dragon."
"Half-breeds exist?" she asked.
"Uh, I'm kind of the only one," I answered, not knowing how to soften the impact of the information. Katherine stood there in silence, attempting to process the bewildering information.
"So the dragonkin are alive?" she finally asked, wanting to confirm her final suspicion.
I simply nodded.
"It'll be made public soon anyways," I added. The girl tilted her head in confusion.
"You'll see," I sighed, realizing there was no need for explanation. I could feel my body responding to my orders, so we headed out towards the main city to cash in our contract.
We walked through a thick jungle on our way to Eloria, Katherine crouching down and picking up a small plant that resembled a water lily. The flower was a spotless white, a small yellow light shining in the middle. The girl smiled, putting the flower behind her right ear.
I merely stood and watched, a question surging to my mind at that instant.
"Katherine, are you afraid of me?"
She snickered playfully, almost like she was expecting it.
"Why should I be? I'd kick your ass in a fight."
I laughed at her ironic confidence, relieved at the fact that she was telling the truth. Reading body motion to detect lies was something I had learned firsthand back on Earth, and applying it to a now fifteen-year-old girl was pretty simple.
Katherine had decided to spend the night in the jungle surrounded by nature and docile beasts, and considering I didn't really mind, I went along with it. I could sense the thousands of little bugs around me, all of them resting as dusk set peacefully.
I snapped my finger, creating a small sphere of condensed wind. I twirled it between my fingers, a small practice exercise I had invented to pass the time and improve my manipulation of the element.
"You're not one for admiring nature, huh?" teased Katherine as she appeared behind me. Her hair was damp. Had she dived in the river?
"I don't understand it," I said. What point was there in seeing something I could already feel around me?
The girl laughed, almost like I was a creature who couldn't understand basic reasoning.
"You don't think it looks beautiful?"
"I see a lot more without my eyes," I responded, realizing Katherine didn't know what I meant. I popped the air swirling around my hand, a small explosive noise waking up the life around us.
Katherine slowly stood up as she witnessed the jungle coming to life. Thousands upon thousands of small fireflies lighting up the world as they danced around, a low hum rippling through the air like waves in a pond.
A divine spectacle, a blooming flower bursting before her eyes. The girl didn't say a word, absorbing the sight she'd probably never see again. The dim green lights illuminated my vision, the river that flowed around our location glowing from the reflection of the bugs.
I heard a long sigh escape from Katherine, the girl looking at me.
"Thank you, Darck."
"For what?"
"For being my friend."
I smiled weakly, the word warming my heart.
"Thanks, Kath," I said, deciding it was my time to thank the partner that had stuck by me for the last two years. She turned towards me, surprised.
"Wow, I didn't think you had it in you to directly thank someone," she teased, smirking. I laughed, her comment carrying some truth. It wasn't something I was extremely comfortable doing, but maybe, just maybe, I'd learn how to be more open about my thoughts.
I sighed.
Friend...
"Two, I consider you a friend. Let me do this" echoed a voice in the back of my head, a name, an identification that defined me surging forth. A boy with black hair imprinted himself in my vision, his equally black eyes shining with newfound hope.
I watched him enter the arena, sword in hand, into the place that had no better nickname than what it had become that night: the graveyard.
I forgot what his name was. Was it Fourteen? I didn't know, but names didn't last long on Earth considering what they named you after:
Your ranking.
Fourteen, the boy who had called me a friend, the first person who had taken a fight he knew he couldn't win, who had stepped into that arena to protect me. I watched the gates shut before turning around.
I had already accepted his death. There was no surviving his opponent, no way out alive from his situation.
How could you beat One?
My eyes shot open, a cool sweat covering me. I stood up, panting. This was the first time I had vividly recalled a memory from Earth, the first time both my worlds had merged.
I looked up at the starry sky, the name echoing in my mind.
One.
The only person I had not defeated.
The fighter that had taken my life.