Chapter 138
Lamberton Student Dormitory, Republic of Shantu, Continent: Barat, the Year 2038, Planet: Grimoire
Just when their nerves were finally beginning to settle down, a vague disturbance outside made everyone start nervously.
"Oh, now what?" Darmono groaned.
"I was just starting to get comfortable too." Firenze sighed in resignation.
"Stop it, the group of you." Arista was amused. "They've arrived." She cast a glance at the ceiling. "About time, too."
"Who?" Lamberton opened an eye in surprise.
When a tapping on a wide window commenced, Grifton glanced over and gawked.
A group of dragons hovered in the air outside. Then, the majority soared into the sky, but three remained, waiting patiently for their attention.
"Oh jeez, Firenze, go over there and open the window," Lamberton requested when he identified the three who were there.
Seconds later, Darmono sighed. "It is Melene, Saffron, and Charon." He shook his head. "Showoffs," He grumbled.
"Well, in agreement with Ms. Arista, Firenze chuckled. "I'd say that they're here." He walked over and unlatched the window.
Saffron rumbled. "Thank you for allowing us entry through an unorthodox method of arriving."
The dragons transformed into humanoid shapes as the three landed gently on the floor.
"Several suspicious figures were lurking outside to obstruct our approach," Melene announced.
Various large shadows covered the sunlight, dispersing the muggy heat outside.
"They seemed to have been completely shocked at our arrival as they scattered like the rats they resembled from up here." Charon wasn't amused. "Should we roast them?"
"Thank you for getting rid of them." Darmono laughed at that last question. "No, that won't be necessary." He shook his head when Charon grimaced in disappointment.
"A pity; I wanted to make an example from them." Charon shrugged. "Perhaps another time."
"I can't blame you." Darmono gave a slight shrug. "However, we can't risk them poisoning the air with unsavory scents. No doubt they'd poison us as well with their flesh."
Grifton laughed despite himself. They were cleverly lightening the mood with their dark humor. Even a smile lurked around the prim receptionist's mouth as she listened to the inappropriate bantering between the two men.
"Hmm, so there are others?" Lamberton straightened up. "They can take up residence around my estate if they wish. No need to shrink their sizes."
One of the men grinned. "Oh, that's very kind of you, but they're just having fun circling the skies for now."
Lamberton grunted. "Well, it was also a way of ensuring that no idiot attempts to shoot them out of the sky." He glanced at Grifton. "He's been targeted a few too many times because he is a dragon."
When Grifton nodded with a scowl, Charon and Saffron heaved sighs.
Melene growled. "Just tell them to quit being noticeable and land already." She rolled her eyes. "I don't want them to suffer from the indignity of being shot out of the sky." Melene glanced at Grifton. "Did they ever succeed?"
Grifton shook his head. "Nope," He grinned. "That's because I alternated between flying with wings, telekinesis, and levitation spells." He shrugged. "I might've also reversed their trajectory as well."
Firenze sighed. "There were others keeping watch for that type of thing whenever he showed up." He caught the dragons' startled stares. "It was a known fact that wherever he went, a certain assassin group named Crow's Heights gang would show up too."
Charon spoke with haughty distaste. "Crow's Heights gang, you say?" He shook his head in disdain. "Amateurs for assassins if they can't catch him." Charon glanced at Grifton. "I apologize, but I haven't seen you in action, so I can't just take others' word for it.
"No insult taken." Grifton didn't know if that was a compliment or an insult, and he wasn't about to find out. "It isn't the first time I've had to prove myself." He finally managed to reorient himself, and the baby brown dragon snoozed peacefully in his arms.
That's when Grifton discovered a discrepancy in the number of eggs they'd hauled from the ruins. He looked at the fireplace and gawked in shock. "I could've sworn there were only four eggs originally?"
Startled at his exclamation, the others looked at each other in dismay. There was now a gargantuan pile of eggs sitting there. "What to do now?" Lamberton muttered.
Darmono shrugged, uncertain of what to say.
Even Firenze was at a loss. He gently held the black dragon cuddled against him and finally sat down on the floor next to Grifton, who was cautiously surveying the brown dragon.
Melene, Saffron, and Charon examined the eggs carefully. They studied each of the four dragons that had chosen to claim Darmono, Lamberton, Firenze, and Grifton.
"Well, this is quite an interesting surprise," Melene laughed. "At least the two hanging out with Darmono and Lamberton are reincarnated."
The two men were speechless with shock.
When examining the other two, which roused at the noise around them, Melene seemed puzzled. The little dragons sleepily blinked at her, chirping their displeasure at being disturbed.
After chirping back at them, Melene sighed and shook her head. "I'm not sure about those two, though." She peered first at the black dragon and then at the brown dragon before shaking her head again. "No, I don't see any sign of reincarnation from them."
That was when Charon and Saffron merely shrugged and turned to Arista. "Didn't Moline give any clues about his intentions before he lost his mind?"
Arista pointedly looked at the dragons clinging to Lamberton and Darmono. "The answer is there. Instead of new firebirds, dragons emerged from the eggs." She shrugged.
Melene turned to look at the fireplace in bemusement. "Now that they're in a safe place, all of the other reincarnated souls are gathered there." She folded her arms. "However, right now, they're simply waiting to be moved back to the dragon's enclave, it seems."
Grifton was relieved to hear that. "I have to say, I don't know where they could be housed comfortably in this area."
When Firenze nodded, as did the others. Arista shrugged ruefully. "Well, they do have a good point. This is no place to raise dragons."
Lamberton murmured. "Good news, since I have no idea how to care for dragons anymore." He sighed. "It has been a long time since I cared for anything other than human babies." The dragon nuzzled against his chest. He smiled a little. "Though I suppose I could try again." He seemed a little uncertain.
That seemed to be the cue that the infant dragons needed to receive, though Lamberton seemed a bit regretful of the necessity of letting them go now. When the small dragon chirred at him softly, Lamberton nodded with a sigh. "I know. You need a place that is much better than this for your development."
The dragon hopped from his arms to the floor. It walked over to Melene and tugged at her skirt. "I think it wants to come to the enclave." She watched as the others, except the ones sticking to Firenze and Grifton like glue, followed its example. The others made distressed sounds, alternately chirring and chirping at the brown and black ones.
Grifton and Firenze remained silent. They were unwilling to influence the two they held into remaining when it was for their development to not remain there.
However, after a while, even the brown and black ones reluctantly chose to go to them.
Surprisingly, Of all of them, Darmono seemed the most wistful and reluctant to let go of the small dragons.
"If possible, could we visit them occasionally?" Darmono's eyes rested on the one he'd held for a little while.
"Of course," Melene smiled at them. "They imprinted on you four. So, you have to visit them."
Imprinted.
That worried Grifton since he'd only just acknowledged his feelings for Firenze. They still needed to go through something formal, and now this happened?
Melene met Grifton's eyes. "This is different from what you may be thinking," she reassured him. "They merely acknowledge you as older siblings in your and Firenze's case."
Firenze's eyes widened, and pain darkened his eyes. "Is that so?" Now, he seemed to have a secret sorrow he hadn't revealed to Grifton all this time.
Melene frowned at their reactions. She thought they would be more joyful, but then she remembered their pasts, or more aptly, Grifton's past. She sighed and shook her head. "Well, give it some time," Melene advised. I wouldn't be surprised if you have more siblings arriving in the future." She glowered at Lamberton. "You weren't kidding about what that philanderer of a brother was up to, were you?"
As usual, Lamberton was resigned to dealing with his younger brother's bad reputation, which had rubbed off on him as well. "No, I wasn't." He shrugged with resignation. "Would you like to stay for a meal?"
"More siblings, hmm?" Grifton exhaled. "I see." He rubbed his jaw. "Well, I suppose it was bound to happen." His eyes flickered. "It'll be interesting to see how these ones turn out in the future." He'd rather wait and see what the future held for these little rascals and those who'd yet to be hatched.
Without further delay, the three dragons gathered the eggs into specially made bags, and then they soared out of the window again. Now, as the group watched, the dragons took off. They had decided against remaining for a meal. Not when they had babies that needed immediate introduction to the dragon enclave.