I joke and talk with May about growing up with Dylan while we sit in the packhouse waiting for Delco, who May wanted me to meet, when I feel someone behind me and turn my head to see a man that looked about my age. He had a black shirt but a white coat that seemed pretty light and didn't even look almost more like a t-shirt. Still, it matched his white pants and hair, contrasting well with his sky blue eyes, and his practically sleek figure seemed like he had tried to compy May, but what caught my attention the most was the bandages he had on. His ankles, wrists, neck, and it even looked like his chest under his shirt were bandaged.
"Hey Delco, decided to come out of your room and meet us, I see?" May sounded almost teasing, but this did tell me that the man was Delco, Gaius son.
"Very funny, you know I was changing my bandages after my training session with my father yesterday. I don't understand why he went so hard on me." He rolled his eyes as he responded, sounding like they would good friends with how they were talking.
"Maybe because you kept pushing it even after you had lost." She got up and patted his back. "But don't feel too bad about it, not like you attract any fewer girls with those bandages."
I smile and stand up, holding out my hand. "So I take it you're the one May wanted me to meet. It's nice to see you; I'm Sendria."
He ignores May and shakes my hand. "And nice to meet you, Sendria. It seems like you and May were getting along when I walked in."
"Yeah, we were, talking about her brother and Retsuko." I could tell he had deceptive strength from the handshake. I sat down, and May sat beside me.
"I see; well, I am sure May liked hearing about her brother, considering how much she seemed to miss him."
I glance to see May roll her eyes. "So May, why did you want me to meet Delco? I understand that he's going to be the next Alpha king and all, but it seemed like you would prefer to be with Retsuko and Dylan."
May looks at me and nods. "As much as I want to make sure those two don't get in trouble, I also wanted to have you meet Delco since he will be returning with us to spend some time in your kingdom."
I look between them, surprised, not having been told at all before this. I had expected that maybe Retsuko and May would come back with us but not Delco as well. "Um...Why? I don't mean to be rude, but don't you need to be here? Being the next alpha king and all."
Delco nods and seems amused at my reaction, as did May. "It's because I am the next Alpha King that I am returning with you. My parents believe it will be best for me to get some experience outside of our forest, and what better place for my first trip than our neighbors that we are practically best friends with."
I nod, now hearing the reasoning I understood. Since the Dragons and Werewolves are very close, and we are right next to each other. It is the perfect way for him to start getting experience in other places. "Well, when you explain it, I can understand, but I am still surprised."
They nod again, and May puts a hand on my shoulder. "I'm guessing they didn't tell you because you already have a lot going on, so they didn't want to overwhelm you all at once."
I nod again, feeling like I just agreed to everything now. "I can understand but still...sheesh; they don't tell me much; it sometimes makes me wonder what else my parents could be hiding from me."
May pats my shoulder. "They only keep things from you when they feel you need it, and it's not like they keep anything big, right?"
"Besides all the things they do for the kingdom, no, at least that affect me." I sigh.
"You see, my parents keep things from me about running everything, but they tell me what I need to know."
"You're both right, but it's still annoying." I look up to the ceiling, not able to shake the feeling that they have been keeping something from me.
We talked for a bit and ate. Then later, I went to May's house with her; she had enough guest rooms for Dylan and me.
As we entered the house, I saw Dylan reading and petting the head of a large wolf on his lap, which I could only assume to be Retsuko. "Hey Danny, it seems your adjusting well."
He looks up at me and nods as may comes up to sit on the couch. Retsuko gets off and allows May to sit down before hopping up and laying on both their laps with her head on the armrest next to Dylan. "It took a few minutes for her to calm down, but after that, I was able to get some reading done."
I sit in a chair next to them. "That's good to hear, I was talking with May, and I will be staying here with you guys."
"Well, that's nice, but now I have three girls to deal with; I guess I'll never get the bathroom." He jokes, but May rolls her eyes, and Retsuko seems not to care.
"So Sendria, anything you want to tell us? Like maybe how Dragon shifters came to be? Since from what I know of history, they weren't always around, thou wild Dragons have been." May asked me, seeming genuinely interested.
I sigh and look up. "Where to start? Well, I guess with the six Dragon tribes." I look back at them and then cast a magic circle, allowing me to manipulate light to make images to explain the story better. "This all happened before we learned how to make and use memory crystals, so some more complicated parts are lost to history."
I see them nod as I start to tell the story.
"Long ago, when dragons were created, they were divided into six elements. Darkness, allowing them greater resistance to it and able to control darker parts of the world. Earth, allowing them to understand the earth better than other races and rule the land. Water, allowing them to understand and rule the Oceans. Light, which they used to help the other races of this world. Storm, allowing them to harness the power of wind and lightning, making them masters of the sky. Finally, Fire, so they could unleash a terrible wrath upon any who would threaten the world."
I see May seeming interested while Retsuko was half asleep, and Dylan wasn't paying attention as expected.
"All Dragons in those days had one of those elements, making them naturally understand it and far better at harnessing it."
"So, which one do you control?" May asked; Retsuko nodded.
"I will get to that part later, now for the rest of the story."
"The Dragons overtime began to form into six tribes, each of their respective element, and started to fight to see which element was superior. Eventually, each tribe gained a mighty leader, whose names the Dragon Royal families take after."
"A bit like the Decedents of the first werewolves," May spoke up, and I nodded.
"The Dragons had their pride and honor, so they'd meet in open battle. One day the six tribes came together on this battlefield for one of their largest battles. But as the leader of each tribe fought each other, there was a flash of moonlight, and a woman stood before them; she wore a light blue dress and with a wave of her hand, gave each dragon present their human form." I could see that both May and Retsuko were interested in this.
"Was it the moon, Goddes? Like how she created the first werewolves?" May seemed to think it was that.
I shook my head. "She told them she was Arca, their Goddes, both an accumulation and reflection fo them all. The Dragons present could feel it; they all felt a strange connection to her and like they should kneel." May nodded, now understanding.
"After this, it gets fuzzy, but essentially she brought the tribes together, and the six leaders work together in leading the dragons going into the future. She took away the human form from those that didn't want it, creating the two Dragon races, wild Dragons, and Dragon shifters." I looked at them, and they seemed to understand.
"So, which one do you descend from then?" May seemed to think this would answer which element I am.
"I am a decedent of the Elzax family, who was the first Leader of the Fire Dagons, but fire isn't my only element." Retsuko seemed surprised, but May nodded.
"I remember reading that Some Dragons are born with two elements, are you like that?"
"My mother is but well..um...I can Control all six." I saw May and Retsuko get very surprised by this.
"I don't know how to use any of them that well, still learning how to simply do two at once and have a decent grasp on all of them." May composed herself quickly and nodded, while Retsuko still seemed shocked.
"I can imagine, but if your an Elzax, then simply focus on fire first, then your mother's other element, then she can help you do both at once; after that stepping it up bit by bit should be simple."
I nod in agreement. "I know, and I have, but I also don't want to feel as though I am failing."
May gets up and pats my shoulder. "It's ok; Retsuko has trouble just controlling her power."
I look to Retsuko, who nods, then changes back to werewolf, laying on Dylan's lap. "I have a lot of...energy inside me, and it's hard to control how much I let out at once; that's what Dylan is going to help with."
Dylan nods and pats her head. "This one is not going to be easy with how powerful she is, but we can get there, and maybe she can teach me a few things later."
I smile and nod, then look to the window. "This certainly is a nice place to live in, lots of room to practice if you need and a great view."
Retsuko nods adn gets up. "I hear the Dragon kingdom is also really nice, or do you prefer it being called the Kingdom of Omnis?"
"Either is fine; we only adopted the other name to help make people feel more at ease from what I remember of history. And yes, we also have many wildlands, but our land is far more diverse with also industrialized areas."
I see may nod and look out the window. "We have a few packs that do industry, but we try to respect nature as much as we can, and from what I hear, you have areas of land for each dragon element."
I nod this time. "You are right; some say it's from us living there for so long that we changed the land, possibly even during the time of the tribes."
"Well, I wouldn't be surprised, with how much power they were probably tossing around, but now everything is a lot more peaceful, and you have adapted to the times, while some stay in the past."
I get up and go to the window, leaning against the side. "We understand why we need to, but also don't want to lose our connection and the land we love."
"Us werewolves are the same, we just haven't industrialized as much as others, but we don't have much need to." May stands on the other side of the window
"We are the same, but we also want to be an example for the world...show it that there are ways to move forward while not losing the past." I feel like I am almost quoting my father.
I feel May put a hand on my shoulder. "And Dragons do a great job, but I just worry that there will be a test for you eventually...from the sound of it, ever since the tribes formed into one people, things have been relatively good, maybe it's because you're naturally at the top, or maybe because you had a good start, but nothing lasts forever."
I look to May; from how she talked, it almost was like she knew something I didn't. All I saw was her looking in the distance to a mountain that seemed to be the only one past the mountain ranges we had passed when coming here.
"Anything you wish to say? Maybe about that mountain?" I look at it, but not sure if there was anything to it.
"Maybe later, but for now, let's enjoy the time together."
She looks at the couch and smiles. "Well, that didn't take long."
I look and see Retsuko asleep with her head on Dylan's lap. "Well, I guess off to bed with her."
May goes and picks Retsuko up. I will be back soon; maybe we can talk more?"
I nod and look out the window again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I lay in bed after having diner; Retsuko had joined us. It was nice hearing what she had been like when she was younger, though it didn't seem much different from now; they also loved hearing about how Dylan was, especially when he was learning how to use his powers or his first few sparring sessions with my father. I smile, remembering it.
I look at a necklace I have that I kept hidden with a spell, a simple chain with promise stone. I clutch it to my chest, smiling when I return he will be there and will get to see my coming of age ceremony, maybe after we can fly together in the new dragon form I'll get. I bet he will love it.
I try to sleep, but my mind won't quiet down, so I go to the window and open it, feeling the wind and smelling the forest. "I wonder how my Dragon will be? Will she like May, Dylan, and Retsuko? Will she like Grey?." I sigh and look up to the moon. "So much is happening, and all I want is to enjoy it...but maybe May is right, and this will not all last forever?"
I feel down with that last thought and sit on the window. "Hopefully, I can at least enjoy it a bit before something happens." I stare at the moon and start humming to myself as I feel the moon bathe me in its light.
I start to feel myself drifting off and get to bed to sleep. As I close my eyes, I feel the pull again, and the next thing I know, I am at the lake again, with the women sitting there.
"Hello? Why are we here again?" I sat next to her, confused since it seemed like last time it would be the only one for some time.
"Child, you have good people around you, they can help you, but the journey will be yours. Do you understand?"
"Yes, I think, but what journey? Who are you? I-I'm very confused by all of this."
She seems to be a bit amused and looks up to the sky, then points to the mountain in the distance. "After your awakening, go there, seek guidance from the gods, and we will give you a clue."
I think I understand a bit. "What's coming? It threatens the Dragon people, doesn't it?"
"Child, if things go a certain way, it could threaten this whole world again, and so soon after the great war. But yes, Dragons would be the first to get affected."
I sigh and look out at the lake. "Why me? Do my parents know? I-I"
"It's ok, child, you will see in time, they all care about you and will help you, but many of your friends and allies will have their journey to take."
I nod, understanding; my father always told me that I needed to depend on myself; I just don't want to be left alone.
"I know your worry, child..you won't be alone, simply that they won't always be there for you."
I lay down and look up at the moon, which was full in this...vision? "Who are you? How do you know all this?"
You have the clues, child, but I suppose it's hard to comprehend...after your awakening, you will understand."
I feel the darkness take me again as the vision ends.